Lundy's Restaurant

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Lundy's Restaurant, also known as Lundy Brothers Restaurant, is an institution in Sheepshead Bay, Brooklyn, NY. Irving Lundy started a business selling clams out of a pushcart which was then expanded to clam bar and in the 1920s, a clam shack built on stilts over the Bay. When the City decided to build a new bulkhead, he had to close down. That is when Irving Lundy decided to build the original restaurant in 1934. The restaurant closed down in 1977 after Irving Lundy passed away but it was reopened in 1997 at the same location (1901 Emmons Avenue Brooklyn NY). In 2001, they opened a location in Manhattan's Times Square which has since closed. ^[1], ^[2], ^[3] The restaurant is known for their Shore Dinners, Manhattan clam chowder and biscuits. Famed food critic Mimi Sheraton writes that some of her favorite dishes were the "Huckleberry pie (not blueberry), biscuits and Manhattan clam chowder" ^[4] The Brooklyn location was also known for their unusual way of getting a table - there were no maitre d's/hostesses/etc. so tables were gotten by the "first to get to the table claims the table" method.

Eventually, Irving's brothers joined him in the business. All over the restaurant, you can see F.W.I.L. which stands for "Frederick William Irving Lundy."

At one time, it was the largest restaurant in the US, seating 2400 patrons at one time ^[5], though some reports have it at 2800. It now seats 700. ^[6]