Site of Margarita Island, set to open on Coney Island’s Bowery at West 12th Street, on Memorial Day Weekend. May 10, 2014. Photo © Tricia Vita via flickr
Remember Coney Island’s Beer Island, the popular outdoor bar where you could get sand in your shoes? The bar was one of the Boardwalk businesses evicted from City-owned property and closed down in 2011. On Memorial Day weekend, co-owner Carl Muraco is getting set to open its successor, Margarita Island, on the Bowery at West 12th Street. (Update: The ‘soft opening’ will be on Saturday, May 17th.)
The outdoor bar’s liquor license was issued a few days ago and a food truck specializing in Japanese teriyaki is already parked on site. New picnic tables are set up on the corner lot, which had been vacant since Coney Island Arcade burned down four years ago. The property is owned by Jeff Persily, who is also leasing the space next-door to Muraco for an arcade, formerly located in one of Thor’s buildings, and a bar.
The food truck Yume Teriyaki Grill offers a reasonably priced menu of teriyaki chicken, steak or fish served over white or brown rice, salads, and appetizers like gyoza and edamame. It’s one of the few food trucks in Coney Island since mobile food vending is restricted on the streets in and around the amusement area.
Yume Teriyaki Grill Food Truck at site of Margarita Island Outdoor Bar, Coney Island. May 10, 2014. Photo © Tricia Vita via flickr
The key to Beer Island’s success was serving a wide variety of beer in bottles and on tap–all for $5—on a sandy beach just a few steps from Coney’s shore. Blaring music, bikini-clad waitresses, and the fact that you could bring in food from any of the Boardwalk restaurants added to the party ambiance. Plus as one Yelper wrote: “I have seen some strange shit at Beer Island. One time some guy rolled up with a bunch of exotic animals: iguanas, parrots, pythons–all at the same time. He sat down at a table, scattered his animal kingdom cohorts about, ordered a beer and proceeded to let old ladies feed his massive iguana (what looked like) strawberries.”
This corner is already pretty strange. The freak show is across the street and so is the Saturn 6 ride. And the mysterious, homegrown 5D Cinema, which opened last summer, is back.
5D Cinema, Coney Island. May 10, 2014. Photo © Tricia Vita
Related posts on ATZ…
April 25, 2014: Under Construction: New Mom & Pops Coming to Coney Island’s Surf Ave
January 3, 2014: New Year, New Franchise: Rita’s Italian Ice Coming to Coney Island
December 31, 2013: Amusing the Zillion’s Coney Island 2013 Year in Review
September 11, 2013: Subway Cafe to Replace Furniture Store on Coney Island’s Surf Ave
Amusing the Zillion 
I hope they have the sand on the patio.
having loved Beer Island, I had hopes for its replacement Place To Beach.
when I passed there, there was no sand on the lot, just tables on concrete.
no pretty waitresses, and they were playing rap music (shudder).
good luck with that.
who the hell are you trying to attract?
I’m going to Margarita Island this week.
hopefully it will be like the original Beer Island and I will have found a place to relax and enjoy my day.