Closings

Summer Bummer: Rockaway Lobster House Loses the Lobsters

Photo: Daniel Maurer

There’s a sea change in the Rockaways — first of all, the Sugar Shack’s number is disconnected. It’s hard to believe the beachside barbecue bar would be out of business, since it’s always mobbed with fireman types and the women who love them. But this much has been confirmed — on the other side of the peninsula, the Rockaway Lobster House (another waterfront location known pretty much only to locals) is under new ownership, and will soon become Trade Winds, a bar and grill specializing in wraps, burgers, dogs, and grilled-chicken sandwiches hot off the barbie. The good news is that frozen mudslides and other frozen drinks will soon be available on the back deck, but the bad news (at least for those who love lobster kitsch) is that lobsters will no longer be available! In fact, when we dropped in this weekend, there were plastic crustaceans in the fish tank (see evidence below). Adding insult to injury, the bait and tackle store that shared the address has closed. Oh well. As that store’s awning has always said, “The Sea Gives … The Sea Takes Away.”

Summer Bummer: Rockaway Lobster House Loses the Lobsters