Just two years after debuting in Douglaston, Strawberry’s Sports Grill shut its doors permanently this past weekend.
The eatery, located along 235th Street near the community’s Long Island Rail Road station, was owned and operated by former Mets and Yankees slugger Darryl Strawberry and his brother, Michael.
The restaurant could not be reached for comment on closing its doors Sunday, but posted a statement on its Facebook page.
“After two wonderful years, we sadly announce that Strawberry’s Sports Grill has shut its doors for the last time,” the statement read. “Unfortunately, things have just run their course. We will take the wonderful memories and keep them in our hearts always. This was a beautiful two years that we’ll never forget.”
It was unclear why Strawberry’s closed down, but a spokeswoman for the city’s Health Department said that a rating for the restaurant had been pending.
Community leaders and residents said they were disappointed by the closing of the eatery.
“A couple of months ago, there was a rumor that it might close but then it went away,” said Rosemarie Guidice, who works at Station Realty across the street from Strawberry’s. “You never want to see a business go out around here.”
Douglas Montgomery, a local realtor, said the restaurant appeared to be popular.
“The place was often packed,” he said. “My kids loved it. It’s a big loss for the neighborhood.”
But Montgomery said the eatery had recently been “scaling back” by closing early on Mondays and opening later on other days of the week.
Patch wants to hear from readers who ate or dropped by for drinks at Strawberry’s Sports Grill? Are you disappointed or surprised that the eatery shut down? Post your comments in the section provided below.
