{"id":111762,"date":"2026-01-25T11:03:13","date_gmt":"2026-01-25T11:03:13","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/111762\/"},"modified":"2026-01-25T11:03:13","modified_gmt":"2026-01-25T11:03:13","slug":"staten-island-restaurants-in-2026-what-and-where-we-will-be-eating","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/111762\/","title":{"rendered":"Staten Island restaurants in 2026: What and where we will be eating"},"content":{"rendered":"

STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. \u2014 Staten Island\u2019s dining landscape is rolling into 2026 with a mix of loyalty and bold curiosity\u2014a borough holding tight to its comfort spots while chasing whatever new flavor pops up next. And readers aren\u2019t shy about telling us what they\u2019re seeing. One even emailed from the finance world to say he thinks the conversation around \u201cfood inflation<\/a>\u201d is getting stale, arguing that with gas prices down, unemployment steady, and the Dow nearly doubling since 2020, what we\u2019re experiencing looks more like price gouging than economics.<\/p>\n

Whether or not you agree, the note speaks to something real: Staten Islanders are paying close attention, not just to what\u2019s opening<\/a> or closing<\/a>, but to why things cost what they cost, and how restaurants adapt. What we\u2019re tracking here are the stories readers click on, write about, debate and occasionally panic over. <\/p>\n

The moral of the story is that on Staten Island, food is more than food. It\u2019s about relationships with workers behind the counter, memories tied to meals and a general curiosity about whatever comes next. And here is just that.<\/p>\n

1. Lamenting of the Staten Island diner<\/p>\n

If anything can stop Staten Islanders mid\u2011scroll, mid\u2011conversation\u2014mid\u2011life, really\u2014it\u2019s 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\u2014and residents are still hoping the story isn\u2019t over yet.<\/a><\/p>\n

2. Transformations of various spaces<\/p>\n

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?<\/a> Suddenly everyone\u2019s talking about Page Avenue. A Richmond Avenue standby gets a facelift, or an 1855 German tavern like Killmeyer\u2019s<\/a>\u2014one of the last of its kind in New York City\u2014starts rethinking its look? Readers follow every twist like a mini\u2011series. Whether a dining room becomes a caf\u00e9, a cocktail lounge or a halal\u2011Mexican concept like Tacobee<\/a>s, redevelopment is a big deal. <\/p>\n

And now redevelopment even includes a revolving sushi bar. At Makoto Revolving Sushi Bar and Bubble Tea in New Dorp,<\/a> diners pull $3.95 plates from a conveyor belt or order specialty rolls that arrive by mini\u2011train\u2014the island\u2019s only setup of its kind, opened quietly over the holiday season.<\/p>\n

3. Places that seem stuck<\/p>\n

And then there are the spaces that seem permanently stalled\u2014the long\u2011promised Top Pot <\/a>at the mall, the slow\u2011moving Raising Cane\u2019s<\/a> drive\u2011thru, the Crossings\u2019 still\u2011empty Los Lobos space<\/a> and the old Macy\u2019s furniture building <\/a>people keep insisting would make a \u201cgreat restaurant.\u201d I disagree on that one. It\u2019s simply too big, and if anything, Staten Island\u2019s 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\u2014and I\u2019m sure you\u2019ll share yours, lol.<\/p>\n

\"7-ElevenAt 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\u2011of\u2011mouth following.(Advance\/SILive.com | Pamela Silvestri)4. Rise of micro\u2011kitchens<\/p>\n

Some of the borough\u2019s most streamlined food operations are coming out of its smallest kitchens\u2014tight storefronts tucked between bodegas, barber shops and bus stops, often run by a single operator or an entire family. The Peruvian caf\u00e9 Mishki Mucuy<\/a> at Post and Jewett, the dumpling\u2011and\u2011bubble\u2011tea hub Lion Dance<\/a> at Clove and Victory and the long\u2011time favorite Tamales Martita<\/a> at the unforgettable 99 Port Richmond Ave. all prove you don\u2019t need a big footprint to feed a loyal following. On Staten Island, a quiet \u201cYou\u2019ve gotta try this place\u201d still outperforms any billboard.<\/p>\n

5. The mall\u2019s ebb and flow<\/p>\n

The Staten Island Mall remains our unofficial test kitchen\u2014quick turnover, quick curiosity and still one of the easiest places for a food concept to try its luck. Popeyes is gone, Crepes and Waffles<\/a> came and went, Starbucks left after two decades and Mighty Crab\u2019s sprawling space now<\/a> sits quiet, practically blinking \u201clease me.\u201d And yet the mall is still one of the borough\u2019s softest spots\u2014the place where families linger after Santa photos, where Valentine\u2019s 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<\/a> nailed it back in the early 1980s: \u201cIn the high school halls, in the shopping malls, conform or be cast out.\u201d<\/p>\n

6. The restaurant obituary<\/p>\n

Buddy\u2019s Caf\u00e9 & Play Space came and went in Rossville. Classic Pizza <\/a>moved on after 36 years, with Pizza Mia now freshening up the corner, and Family Fruit<\/a> in Grant City is gone while Fine Fare<\/a> is on its way to becoming a new market. Lander Market<\/a> shuttered, Phil\u2011Am Kusina closed its dining room, Sagara Food City <\/a>disappeared, and Kusina closed in Dongan Hills. Qdoba<\/a> is gone in Tottenville. Dakota Diner<\/a>, as we knew it, is dead. And when the Metropolis Steakhouse building went up for sale, it was another page turning\u2014again\u2014but this goodbye feels for real.<\/p>\n

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.<\/p>\n

7. Historic restaurants facing modern change<\/p>\n

Staten Island\u2019s legacy restaurants aren\u2019t fading\u2014they\u2019re evolving, one quiet tweak at a time. Basilio Inn<\/a> from season to season (reopened in April), Canlon\u2019s in Oakwood, La Strada in New Dorp with its neighbor Brioso<\/a>, La Fontana <\/a>of Oakwood, seaside Marina Caf\u00e9<\/a> in its winter season and\u2014even if it\u2019s not on your radar\u2014Tastebuds<\/a>, the original patchouli\u2011granola\u2011leaning health\u2011food 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.<\/p>\n

8. Secret lunch deals and affordable eating<\/p>\n

Value is king right now, and Staten Island restaurants are delivering. Waterfront prix\u2011fixe at Blue, linen\u2011clothed midday meals at Caf\u00e9 Bella Vita, hearty lunch plates at Casa Verde, comfort\u2011food classics at Canlon\u2019s and two\u2011course deals at Cielo are just the beginning.<\/a> Add Cole\u2019s Dockside, Giuliana\u2019s<\/a>, La Candela Espa\u00f1ola<\/a>, Italianissimo<\/a>, Lakruwana<\/a>, The Local<\/a>, The Manor<\/a>, Panini Grill<\/a>, Patrizia\u2019s, The Staaten, Taste of India II and West Shore Inn<\/a> to the mix. All offer multi\u2011course meals, wine options, buffets or early\u2011bird specials. It\u2019s clear that bargains are still one of the borough\u2019s biggest draws.<\/p>\n

\"BootsThe Coupe’s Roy in his office at Boots in St. George. (Advance\/SILive.com | Pamela Silvestri)9. Late\u2011night dining evolves<\/p>\n

The late\u2011night scene may not be booming, but it\u2019s absolutely holding its own. Mike\u2019s Unicorn<\/a> in Willowbrook and Mike\u2019s Place in Great Kills <\/a>still keep the lights on 24\/7; Tacobees<\/a> is adding halal tacos into the wee\u2011hours mix. Both Guac Time and the Eltingville McDonald\u2019s stay busy until 2 a.m. Even<\/a> as Zara in Greenridge<\/a> goes dark by around 10 p.m. on most days, the halal cart outside keeps the neighborhood fed\u2014whether you see it as unfair competition for brick-and-mortar restaurants or not\u2014it\u2019s undeniably popular, as is the halal cart outside the CVS in Castleton Corners.<\/p>\n

\"BootsBoots in St. George is a late-night spot in the former Cargo Cafe. (Advance\/SILive.com | Pamela Silvestri)<\/p>\n

The Colonnade tried and failed at the 24\u2011hour format, but it remains open until 2 a.m. on Friday and Saturday nights.<\/p>\n

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\u2014open nightly from 6 p.m. to 4 a.m., with a full bar and bartenders who know what they\u2019re doing.<\/p>\n

\"Jaquilta\"Juquilta is a taco shop, meat store, grocer and laundromat in West Brighton. (Staten Island Advance\/Pamela Si10. The mystery restaurant<\/p>\n

Some Staten Island restaurants thrive on being elusive\u2014the places without websites, without big signs, yet with loyalists who insist, \u201cJust trust me.\u201d I\u2019d like to reframe these as \u201cmystery\u201d places, all successful. There\u2019s Juquilta <\/a>at 343 Broadway, a thriving Mexican operation tucked inside a laundromat. You can also count long-running Lee\u2019s Tavern<\/a> with its always\u2011packed dining room\u2014no signage ever \u2014 and barely a self-made digital footprint. And there is a sushi operation running as a ghost kitchen<\/a> as Omakase Sushi To Go<\/a> via inside Mr. Hibachi Express<\/a>, drawing raves for its rolls. They deliver themselves personally or via third-party drivers. That also can be noted at Pardon My Cheesesteak<\/a>, an operation invisible to the eye for patrons at Silver Lake Bagels at 350 Forest Ave., West Brighton. <\/p>\n

You can also count Wonder <\/a>food hall in this discussion, West Brighton<\/a> and New Dorp<\/a>, although I\u2019ll admit it\u2019s not a favorite of mine, as the dishes largely taste like institutional food.<\/p>\n

Then there\u2019s Dani\u2019s Bistro<\/a>, a true hidden treasure serving thoughtful plates in a tiny, easy\u2011to\u2011miss space with a long restaurant history behind it. These seek\u2011us\u2011out kitchens deliver discovery, surprise and that secret\u2011spot thrill readers cannot resist. <\/p>\n