STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. — Staten Island’s dining landscape is rolling into 2026 with a mix of loyalty and bold curiosity—a borough holding tight to its comfort spots while chasing whatever new flavor pops up next. And readers aren’t shy about telling us what they’re seeing. One even emailed from the finance world to say he thinks the conversation around “food inflation” is getting stale, arguing that with gas prices down, unemployment steady, and the Dow nearly doubling since 2020, what we’re experiencing looks more like price gouging than economics.
Whether or not you agree, the note speaks to something real: Staten Islanders are paying close attention, not just to what’s opening or closing, but to why things cost what they cost, and how restaurants adapt. What we’re tracking here are the stories readers click on, write about, debate and occasionally panic over.
The moral of the story is that on Staten Island, food is more than food. It’s about relationships with workers behind the counter, memories tied to meals and a general curiosity about whatever comes next. And here is just that.
1. Lamenting of the Staten Island diner
If anything can stop Staten Islanders mid‑scroll, mid‑conversation—mid‑life, really—it’s a diner closing. Dakota Diner proved that: its disappearance was a collective gut punch. For decades it anchored the North and West Shore, a place for 3 a.m. pancakes, 3 p.m. eggs and everything in between—and residents are still hoping the story isn’t over yet.
2. Transformations of various spaces
If you want to see Staten Island curiosity at its absolute peak, watch what happens when a familiar food space changes hands. Zio Toto gets gutted? Suddenly everyone’s talking about Page Avenue. A Richmond Avenue standby gets a facelift, or an 1855 German tavern like Killmeyer’s—one of the last of its kind in New York City—starts rethinking its look? Readers follow every twist like a mini‑series. Whether a dining room becomes a café, a cocktail lounge or a halal‑Mexican concept like Tacobees, redevelopment is a big deal.
And now redevelopment even includes a revolving sushi bar. At Makoto Revolving Sushi Bar and Bubble Tea in New Dorp, diners pull $3.95 plates from a conveyor belt or order specialty rolls that arrive by mini‑train—the island’s only setup of its kind, opened quietly over the holiday season.
3. Places that seem stuck
And then there are the spaces that seem permanently stalled—the long‑promised Top Pot at the mall, the slow‑moving Raising Cane’s drive‑thru, the Crossings’ still‑empty Los Lobos space and the old Macy’s furniture building people keep insisting would make a “great restaurant.” I disagree on that one. It’s simply too big, and if anything, Staten Island’s dining scene needs to streamline, stay lean and stop trying to force oversized footprints into a market that thrives on smaller, smarter spaces. My opinion—and I’m sure you’ll share yours, lol.
At Mishki Mucuy, the heart of Port Richmond shows up in every plate with homestyle Peruvian cooking served from a small storefront with a loyal, word‑of‑mouth following.(Advance/SILive.com | Pamela Silvestri)4. Rise of micro‑kitchens
Some of the borough’s most streamlined food operations are coming out of its smallest kitchens—tight storefronts tucked between bodegas, barber shops and bus stops, often run by a single operator or an entire family. The Peruvian café Mishki Mucuy at Post and Jewett, the dumpling‑and‑bubble‑tea hub Lion Dance at Clove and Victory and the long‑time favorite Tamales Martita at the unforgettable 99 Port Richmond Ave. all prove you don’t need a big footprint to feed a loyal following. On Staten Island, a quiet “You’ve gotta try this place” still outperforms any billboard.
5. The mall’s ebb and flow
The Staten Island Mall remains our unofficial test kitchen—quick turnover, quick curiosity and still one of the easiest places for a food concept to try its luck. Popeyes is gone, Crepes and Waffles came and went, Starbucks left after two decades and Mighty Crab’s sprawling space now sits quiet, practically blinking “lease me.” And yet the mall is still one of the borough’s softest spots—the place where families linger after Santa photos, where Valentine’s Day balloons bob past the food court and where the Easter Bunny will surely wander through again. Since 1973, it has been the backdrop for countless Staten Island rites of passage, so much so that even Rush nailed it back in the early 1980s: “In the high school halls, in the shopping malls, conform or be cast out.”
6. The restaurant obituary
Buddy’s Café & Play Space came and went in Rossville. Classic Pizza moved on after 36 years, with Pizza Mia now freshening up the corner, and Family Fruit in Grant City is gone while Fine Fare is on its way to becoming a new market. Lander Market shuttered, Phil‑Am Kusina closed its dining room, Sagara Food City disappeared, and Kusina closed in Dongan Hills. Qdoba is gone in Tottenville. Dakota Diner, as we knew it, is dead. And when the Metropolis Steakhouse building went up for sale, it was another page turning—again—but this goodbye feels for real.
Every time a place shuts down, readers ask the same thing: What happened, and what does this mean for my corner of the world? I am here to tell you: It will be OK.
7. Historic restaurants facing modern change
Staten Island’s legacy restaurants aren’t fading—they’re evolving, one quiet tweak at a time. Basilio Inn from season to season (reopened in April), Canlon’s in Oakwood, La Strada in New Dorp with its neighbor Brioso, La Fontana of Oakwood, seaside Marina Café in its winter season and—even if it’s not on your radar—Tastebuds, the original patchouli‑granola‑leaning health‑food holdout, all keep adapting without losing what made them beloved. On this island, even the smallest menu shift feels personal, because these places are woven into our family stories.
8. Secret lunch deals and affordable eating
Value is king right now, and Staten Island restaurants are delivering. Waterfront prix‑fixe at Blue, linen‑clothed midday meals at Café Bella Vita, hearty lunch plates at Casa Verde, comfort‑food classics at Canlon’s and two‑course deals at Cielo are just the beginning. Add Cole’s Dockside, Giuliana’s, La Candela Española, Italianissimo, Lakruwana, The Local, The Manor, Panini Grill, Patrizia’s, The Staaten, Taste of India II and West Shore Inn to the mix. All offer multi‑course meals, wine options, buffets or early‑bird specials. It’s clear that bargains are still one of the borough’s biggest draws.
The Coupe’s Roy in his office at Boots in St. George. (Advance/SILive.com | Pamela Silvestri)9. Late‑night dining evolves
The late‑night scene may not be booming, but it’s absolutely holding its own. Mike’s Unicorn in Willowbrook and Mike’s Place in Great Kills still keep the lights on 24/7; Tacobees is adding halal tacos into the wee‑hours mix. Both Guac Time and the Eltingville McDonald’s stay busy until 2 a.m. Even as Zara in Greenridge goes dark by around 10 p.m. on most days, the halal cart outside keeps the neighborhood fed—whether you see it as unfair competition for brick-and-mortar restaurants or not—it’s undeniably popular, as is the halal cart outside the CVS in Castleton Corners.
Boots in St. George is a late-night spot in the former Cargo Cafe. (Advance/SILive.com | Pamela Silvestri)
The Colonnade tried and failed at the 24‑hour format, but it remains open until 2 a.m. on Friday and Saturday nights.
Add Boots in St. George to the mix, where things heat up Thursday through Saturday with hot dogs, limited booze, dancing till dawn (4 a.m.) and karaoke in between. And if cocktails are the priority, its sister spot, The Coupe, is just a quick taxi ride away—open nightly from 6 p.m. to 4 a.m., with a full bar and bartenders who know what they’re doing.
Juquilta is a taco shop, meat store, grocer and laundromat in West Brighton. (Staten Island Advance/Pamela Si10. The mystery restaurant
Some Staten Island restaurants thrive on being elusive—the places without websites, without big signs, yet with loyalists who insist, “Just trust me.” I’d like to reframe these as “mystery” places, all successful. There’s Juquilta at 343 Broadway, a thriving Mexican operation tucked inside a laundromat. You can also count long-running Lee’s Tavern with its always‑packed dining room—no signage ever — and barely a self-made digital footprint. And there is a sushi operation running as a ghost kitchen as Omakase Sushi To Go via inside Mr. Hibachi Express, drawing raves for its rolls. They deliver themselves personally or via third-party drivers. That also can be noted at Pardon My Cheesesteak, an operation invisible to the eye for patrons at Silver Lake Bagels at 350 Forest Ave., West Brighton.
You can also count Wonder food hall in this discussion, West Brighton and New Dorp, although I’ll admit it’s not a favorite of mine, as the dishes largely taste like institutional food.
Then there’s Dani’s Bistro, a true hidden treasure serving thoughtful plates in a tiny, easy‑to‑miss space with a long restaurant history behind it. These seek‑us‑out kitchens deliver discovery, surprise and that secret‑spot thrill readers cannot resist.