From the ashes of Bay Shore’s old Forum Diner have risen the flames of Hercules Churrasqueria, a Brazilian-style barbecue eatery whose first location opened in 2023 in Franklin Square. Hercules’ new spot opened last weekend, and it’s the second in a former diner.
It’s no secret that Long Island diners are closing in record numbers. But a related development is alleviating some of that sting: New concepts are opening in decommissioned diners. Three years ago, brothers Oscar and David Hercules and their partner, Nelson Marquez, took over the old Franklin Square Diner (which closed in 2019 after more than 50 years) and turned it into Hercules Churrasqueira. Marquez was a veteran of Mineola’s Churrasqueria Bairrada, one of the first Portuguese restaurants on Long Island to specialize in rodizio: the tradition of all-you-can-eat grilled meats that started in Brazil, a former Portuguese colony.
Bay Shore’s Forum Diner closed in 2022 after 52 years. In 2024, BBD (Breakfast, Brunch, Dinner) took over, but lasted less than a year. The Hercules ownership team, now reinforced with two more brothers, Victor and Nelson (another Nelson), completely renovated the space. “We redid everything,” said Bay Shore manager Noel Ayala.
Not only did they cover the stainless-steel cladding on the outside with a matte black surface and red trim, they carried the dramatic black-and-red scheme inside, and installed banquettes around the perimeter of the two dining areas. Whereas Franklin Square has about 100 seats, Bay Shore can accommodate almost 180 customers.
A whole grilled chicken at Hercules Churrasqueria in Bay Shore. Credit: Newsday/Erica Marcus
The menu in Bay Shore is bigger too, with pastas, Parms and Franceses filling out the mostly grilled meat lineup. All-you-can-eat steak is $60 a person, and you can also focus on individual non-AYCE cuts from skirt ($30) to tomahawk ($135). At $21.25, the grilled whole chicken for two is a delicious steal. There are also various mixed grills ($35 to $40), pork and lamb chops ($24 to $36), fish and shrimp ($26 to $45) and even lobster for two ($127). Portions are uniformly generous and almost everything comes with salad, fries, rice and mixed vegetables.
Hercules Churrasqueria, 315 W. Main St., Bay Shore, 631-328-1048. Open 11:30 a.m. to 10:30 p.m. daily.
Erica Marcus, a passionate but skeptical omnivore, has been reporting and opining on the Long Island food scene since 1998.