No restaurant stays in business for 50 years without great food, but it takes more – a certain family-feel magic that London Lennie’s has aplenty.
Generations of diners variously hail this Rego Park local landmark at 63-88 Woodhaven Boulevard as the best seafood house in Queens, the city, or even the world.
It’s hard to resist superlatives with a back-story like this.
The real London Lennie, actually Englishman Leonard Barnes, “ran off to sea” at the age of 15 and spent the next few years “up to his hips in mackerel,” according to their official history.
After a world-spanning stint in the merchant marine fleet, during which he “became an expert at spotting the freshest fish” in markets at every port of call, Barnes returned to London, where he eventually owned four “fish ‘n’ chips” stands.
London’s loss was Queens’ gain, when “Lennie” immigrated “to the colonies” in 1959. While searching for a location, he found an old fish store on the boulevard, at the corner of the appropriately-named Fleet Court.
There, his New World legend began.
Over the next 50 years, the fish ‘n’ chips stand grew into a 180-seat destination restaurant. The Barnes family’s commitment to be part of the community grew to match their dedication to the quality and absolute freshness of their fare.
“I live two blocks from the restaurant,” explained current co-owner and daughter of the founder, Jennifer Barnes.
“We still go to the fish market every day,” Barnes pointed out, to continue the practice of her father, who passed away in 1986.
“But over the years we’ve added prime rib-eye steak and filet mignon, burgers and chicken to the menu. We’re not just a ‘fish house’ any more,” Barnes declared.
“We have white table cloths and a wine consultant who has added exceptional boutique wines at reasonable prices,” she said with a touch of pride.
Family is the keystone of the operation and not merely a catch-word, according to Barnes, who recalled growing up in the restaurant in a poem she wrote at 11 years of age that appears on the web site, www.londonlennies.com.
She views the staff as an integral part of London Lennie’s, so much so that she occasionally has trouble remembering how long some of them have worked there.
One chef, Domingo, “I think may have started as a dishwasher 28 or 29 years ago” at the age of 17, Barnes said.
Unsure, she had to check with executive chef Jeff Baruch, whose own decades-long career at London Lennie’s came after stints at premier eateries like the Four Seasons and Le Parker Meridien.
“It’s nice to keep staff,” Barnes declared. “We’ve hired local high school kids who have gone off to college, graduated, and come back to work here,” she said with a touch of amazement.
“This is the best job anybody could ever ask for,” declared hostess Madeline Seibert, a 20-plus-year veteran, who Barnes observed is “a friend and not just staff.”
With their knowledgeable, experienced staff and a vast menu that includes sushi and “house rolls” in addition to “western style” seafood; sumptuous desserts, specials and party selections, people from all over the borough and across the pond have come to love London Lennie’s.
Barnes returns the feeling, being active in supporting Queens cultural institutions, including Flushing Town Hall, Queens Theatre in the Park and the borough’s Museum of Art and Botanical Gardens.
“I really like to support Queens – it’s a great place – great neighborhoods,” she said.
