'Jungly' Replacing Bierocracy In Prominent Long Island City Storefront

LONG ISLAND CITY, QUEENS — Since Bierocracy closed its popular beer hall last fall after a six-year tenure, Long Island City residents have wondered what would move into its sprawling space on the corner of Jackson Avenue and 47th Road.

The answer is "Jungly," a new business by the restaurateur Rohan Aggarwal — known for his Forest Hills gastropub Queens Bully.

Jungly will open in September, according to an Instagram page for the restaurant, and signage for it appeared in recent weeks on the flatiron-shaped brick building.

Jungly is described as a "Fusion American Restaurant Bar," according to notes from a March Community Board 2 meeting, where representatives appeared as they sought the board's approval for a liquor license.

The 3,800-square-foot restaurant will seat 240 people across 44 tables, plus an 11-seat bar, according to the notes.

It will be open daily until midnight, featuring live music and dancing, according to the meeting notes. (Board members voted to support the restaurant's application.)

Other details have been sparse: the black-and-white-branded Instagram page describes Jungly as a place "where wild ones prevail," with other photos depicting a cocktail glass, black leather seats and exposed brick.

A job listing for an executive chef position at Jungly, first reported by LIC Talk, describes the restaurant as serving American, Asian, Caribbean, Greek, Israeli, Southeast Asian and Thai cuisine, in a "bar/lounge" setting.

Those diverse offerings would resemble the menu at Queens Bully, where dishes range from tacos to samosas to barbecued ribs, brisket and smoked jackfruit.

Aggarwal, a Queens native, was born into a restaurant family, with his father founding the bygone Indian restaurant chain Baluchi's.

The popular Czech-style beer hall announced its closure last October, saying it had "survived COVID but not the landlord!"