Legendary New York club CBGB to be reborn as an airport restaurant
- Text by Adam White
- Photography by Stig Nygaard
To paraphrase Jane Austen, it is a truth universally acknowledged that any great piece of cult Americana must eventually be accompanied by a side order of fries. News reached the internet on December 21 that the vomit-strewn, rat-infested, punk-rock utopia that was the late and much lamented New York nightclub CBGB will in 2016 be reborn. As a theme restaurant inside of Newark Airport.
Dubbed the ‘CBGB Lounge & Bar’, the restaurant is the product of enterprising Manhattan chef Harold Moore. He was able to pick up the rights to CBGB trademarks in 2012, five years after the death of their previous owner, CBGB founder Hilly Kristal.
It’s still unclear how CBGB, the legendary home to early performances from the likes of Blondie, the Beastie Boys, Talking Heads, Patti Smith, the Cramps, the B-52s and the Ramones, will be linked to the restaurant outside of its branding. But an early glimpse of the menu shows little in the way of ingenuity. Among the food on offer is a $12 club sandwich, a $14 cheeseburger, as well as $9 ‘disco fries’ for the musically inclined.
CBGB's Reopening! At Newark Airport: ht @readmyback pic.twitter.com/m9Ay6VaI8j
— WFMU (@WFMU) December 21, 2015
However, there’s still room to add a modern variant on an original house dish, Hilly’s Chili. Often liberally seasoned with cigarette butts and rat faeces, it might help bring a little authenticity to the new venture.
The all-new, all-greasy CBGB brings to mind other similar cultural dilution. TJ’s, the late, iconic Welsh venue for early gigs by Oasis, Primal Scream and Green Day, was nearly replaced by a music-themed diner in 2011 until plans fell through at the last minute. But with CBGB Lounge & Bar under development for over a year, and menus printed, it doesn’t seem to be resigned to the same early demise.
CBGB 2016. Where the sweat won’t be flying off a heavily inebriated Iggy Pop, but instead the forehead of a pimple-faced teen slinging burgers to bored tourists waiting for their gate to open.
Enjoyed this article? Like Huck on Facebook or follow us on Twitter.
You might like
What we’re excited for at SXSW 2026
Austin 40 — For the festival’s 40th anniversary edition, we are heading to Texas to join one of the biggest global meetups of the year. We’ve selected a few things to highlight on your schedules.
Written by: Huck
Wu-Tang Clan forever, and ever
The Final Chamber — RZA, the spiritual leader of one of the most important hip hop groups of all time explains why they won’t rest until their legacy is secured.
Written by: Yoh Phillips
On The Mountain, Jamie Hewlett’s Gorillaz explore life after death
Going East — As everyone’s favourite animated band release their latest album, the visual artist behind it all catches up with Josh Jones to chat about the grief and spirituality underlining the record, as well as his learnings from how other cultures approach death and the afterlife.
Written by: Josh Jones
Lisette Model’s ’50s jazz pictures were nearly lost to McCarthyism
The Jazz Pictures — A landmark new book edited by Audrey Sands uncovers nearly 1,500 photographs from the genre’s golden age previously thought to be lost. Featuring the likes of Billie Holliday, Miles Davis and Louis Armstrong, they tell both a story of music and resistance in the face of oppression.
Written by: Miss Rosen
Greer Lankton’s dolls are more human than you think
Could It Be Love — A staple figure in New York’s ’80s East Village scene, her art shocked and confronted. Now, three decades after her death, a new monograph anthologises her work, which explores the darker sides of human life, but also finds beauty within the strange.
Written by: Miss Rosen
In photos: The colourful, foreboding techno-optimism of the ’90s
A Visual History — Henry Carroll’s new book traces the roots of unfettered, present-day neoliberalism through images from the 20th century’s final decade, raising questions about how we arrived at where we are today.
Written by: Miss Rosen
