Chick-N-Soup (Photo: QueensPost)
Nov. 15, By Tara Law
A new restaurant serving American-style comfort food opened on Astoria Boulevard Monday.
Chick-N-Soup, located at 30-12 Astoria Blvd, serves smoothies, burgers, chicken soup and much more.
The owner, Luis Trujillo, 45, previously ran the now-shuttered Lunchbox restaurant on 35th Avenue for 10 years. He opened Chick-N-Soup on Astoria Boulevard in order to get a bigger space and a more accessible location.
He said that he noticed that despite the influx of new, young arrivals, there were few restaurants on Astoria Boulevard. He sold Lunchbox and invested the funds in the new restaurant.
“Astoria Boulevard doesn’t have much,” Trujillo said. “There’s no place to grab a burger and a beer and watch the game.”
Trujillo has lived within a few blocks of the location for his entire life. He hopes Chick-N-Soup will become a place where everyone can gather whether they are new or old to the neighborhood.
Trujillo said that he was excited to see so many people from the community come out to welcome the restaurant Monday.
“We got jammed a couple of times,” said Trujillo. “People were so nice.”
Fortunately, Trujillo said, the eatery has more going for it than the community’s good will. He’s very proud of the menu, and highly recommends the chicken soup and the macaroni and cheese. The head chef worked at Knickerbocker Bar & Grill and the Ainsworth, both in Manhattan, prior to coming to Chick-N-Soup.
“Everything is made from scratch except the ketchup and the mustard,” Trujillo said. “I think it’s going to be a smash.”
The restaurant’s menu is packed with traditional American options, including chicken & waffles, wings, and chicken sandwiches. The restaurant caters to beef lovers as well, serving burgers, steak, and BBQ ribs.
For those seeking to avoid meat, the menu also offers what it calls “super foods,” including smoothies, açai bowls, salads and juice.
The restaurant seats 52 plus an additional 17 bar seats.
The restaurant has applied for a full liquor license, and Trujillo hopes to start serving alcohol before the new year.
Chick-N-Soup is open daily from 11 a.m. to 11 p.m., but Trujillo plans to extend the hours after their liquor license is approved.
