A few clarifications about the new 24-7 diner on Avenue A

Keith Masco followed up with us after our post about his new 24-hour diner coming to 171 Avenue A.

The menu we were working from the South Williamsburg location was outdated. There are no BBQ shrimp pancakes or chicken-fried burgers. "These were ruled out very early in the game ... and although Matzoh Brie is still on there, the only other really eccentric thing on the menu is our Brooklyn Bolognese, which is mac and cheese topped with Sloppy Joe. And it's addictive," he said.

You can find the most current menu at Menu Pages here.

One last thing... the Avenue A location will be known as BADBURGER... Masco and his business partner, Steve Lynn, have split the two concepts. Lynn will keep the B.A.D. name in Brooklyn.

24-7 B.A.D. Burger opening on Avenue A; fried chicken on waffles and vintage video games on tap

When we last checked in with Keith Masco back in October, he was considering opening a 24-7 diner/arcade for his space at 171 Avenue A, site of the one-time planned home of a fishmonger.



So he has decided to drop his plans for Sea on A here. Instead, Masco will be opening the first Manhattan location of his B.A.D. Burger in South Williamsburg. (The BAD stands for Breakfast All Day.)

"There will be a dessert bar, a juice bar, breakfast all day and basically the same menu as the one we opened in Williamsburg," Masco told me via email. "There will also be Xbox, Playstation TVs in the back room as well as a few vintage games like Asteroids or Pac-man. We may apply for a beer and wine license down the line."

He added that they're "very vegetarian and vegan friendly." He hopes to be ready to open in four weeks.

You can read New York's review of B.A.D. Burger here. Eater takes a look at the "nutzo" Brooklyn B.A.D. menu (BBQ Shrimp Pancakes!) here.

No Five Guys for 171 Avenue A, but the fishmonger is back — and with a Plan B

So, there won't be a Five Guys coming to 171 Avenue A. (However, we're certain to see them pop up somewhere else in the East Village.) After that post, a tipster said that the fishmonger was coming back...

Indeed, Keith Masco confirms that he is moving forward with his plans for Sea on A in this space despite his last go-around with CB3.

A quick recap!

At the April CB3/SLA meeting, the committee approved a full-liquor license (within a resolution area) for Masco's seafood market/restaurant/high-end cocktail bar at 171 Avenue A.

Masco will sell fresh fish in the front of the space during the day ... with room for 48 diners in the back along with a bar selling specialty cocktails.

However, the full CB3 rejected the plans. So it was back to the CB3/SLA in June ... and they denied his applications.

Via e-mail, I asked Masco if he was amending his original plan that the CB3 denied.

"We are going ahead exactly as planned. I see no reason to bow to the communists at the community board. My business plan is perfect, it is exactly what the vast majority of residents here want and need."

And if CB3 says no?

"If the SLA doesn't see it the same way, I will be locked into a ten-year lease anyway. So if that be the case, I will give the under-represented and underage residents something they don't have — an all ages 24-7 diner/arcade. Having raised two children here, I know there is absolutely nothing for these kids to do, and by kids I mean even 18-20 year olds, whom despite having thier own apts, can't even hang in the park after midnite. We would have an entire dessert bar and juice bar as well. It will also be a great place for all those AA people who can now hang in an alcohol-free bar."