These Uptown Establishments Want To Serve Booze: Community Board Recap

UPPER MANHATTAN, NY — Washington Heights and Inwood's Community Board 12 Licensing Committee recently saw seven uptown restaurants and bars petition for renewal of their liquor licenses, but not every establishment got the approval.

The establishments included bars that recently reopened from pandemic closures, taco spots in Inwood, and Caribbean cuisine on Dyckman Street.

Here's a look at the uptown restaurants that got their liquor licenses approved by the community board, and those that didn't.

Third Palm: 2145B Amsterdam Ave. (Between West 166th and 167th streets)

There was no representative from Third Palm at the March meeting.

Representatives from the 33rd Precinct told the board that there had been dozens of noise complaints to 311 about the restaurant and that in December 2021 the owner received three summons for selling alcoholic beverages without a license, housing alcohol without a permit, and a bottle club operating unlawfully.

Board member Marielle Ali called the update from the 33rd Precinct "disturbing" and said she was obviously voting no for this application.

The liquor license application was denied.

Dyckman Bar & Kitchen: 221 Dyckman St.

A representative from the bar told the board that it had been closed during the COVID pandemic, and reopened recently.

Its liquor license expired at the end of March and it was looking for a renewal. The establishment has no history of 311 complaints or 911 calls, according to the 34th Precinct.

The liquor license application was approved unanimously.

Pat'e Palo Bar & Grill: 251-53 Dyckman St.

The owner of the bar told the board that its liquor license expired at the end of March.

The establishment has no history of 311 complaints or 911 calls, according to the 34th Precinct.

A board member did ask about a 2017 fine from the State Liquor Authority, but the owner explained that it had to do with the prior owner and he just wanted to be transparent, so he listed the fine on the application.

The liquor license application was unanimously approved.

Havana Tacos: 212 Nagle Ave.

The 34th Precinct informed the board that the restaurant had no 311 complaints and no 911 calls recently.

A board member did ask a representative from the eatery to explain a $5,000 fine from the State Liquor Authority and what the establishment had done to remedy it.

"Fines came during the COVID era in Summer 2020, an accumulation of people in front of the premise," a representative from the restaurant told the uptown board. "At that time in the pandemic, not a safe social distance. SLA visited and saw people waiting for tables. The area is already busy with a barbershop, grocery store, and residential building. Lots of people
outside. We remedied. We settled to close it out. Since then, no violations or incidents."

The board voted unanimously to approve its new liquor license.

Seawalk Restaurant: 261 Dyckman St.

The Dyckman restaurant has been closed for around a year due to the COVID pandemic, but plans to reopen in the summer.

The 34th Precinct said the establishment hadn't received any 311 complaints or 911 calls when it was open.

Committee head Isidro Medina did mention that locals and maybe even non-residents gather around the establishment and that he hoped the 34th Precinct would work to take a look at the area and make it more welcoming for business.

"I appreciated visiting when open," board member Angel Vasquez said. "The atmosphere is different to many of the other establishments in that area and I'm just really glad to see that it's opening back up."

Medina called the staff "great" and the owner "magnificent."

The board voted to unanimously approve the liquor application.

Papasito - Mexican Grill & Agave Bar: 223 Dyckman St.

In the second no of the night, the Community Board 12 committee voted no to approving Papasito's liquor license.

There was no representative from the restaurant in attendance, and the eatery also submitted completely different hours of operations from past resolutions. The new hours indicated that the restaurant would be closed Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday, and the committee wondered if it was a mistake.

The 34th Precinct said there were some 311 complaints from mostly residents above the restaurant of loud bass from music on the weekends.

There were also mentions of a history of fights at the address going back to 2017 and a $12K civil penalty.

The application did not pass.

Tung Thong: 561 W. 169th St.

The manager of the Thai restaurant told the committee that business is slow right now, but that they're getting by. The 34th Precinct had no objections and no residents offered any community feedback.

A pair of board members mentioned that they enjoyed the food.

The liquor license application was unanimously approved.

The State Liquor Authority still needs to approve or deny all of these applications for them to be official.

You can read through all the most recent restaurant license approval requests and the community board's votes on CB12's website.