You are reading

Astoria Council Member Wants Liquor License Revoked from Steinway Street Bar

Council Member Costa Constantinides is calling for the SLA to revoke Melody’s liquor license (Google)

July 20, 2020 By Allie Griffin

An Astoria council member wants the liquor license of a Steinway Street lounge revoked, citing overcrowding problems and an alleged history of violence.

Council Member Costa Constantinides wrote a letter to the State Liquor Authority (SLA) on July 15 — prior to this past weekend’s mayhem along the stretch — to ask the agency to consider revoking the liquor license of Melody Cafe & Restaurant, a hookah bar and lounge located at 25-95 Steinway St.

Constantinides said Melody has brought raucous crowds to Steinway Street in recent weeks that disregard social distancing rules despite the threat of COVID-19.

“Since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic the location has become problematic to neighbors in terms of noise and large crowds that flout social distancing rules,” he said in his July 15 letter to the SLA. “There have been twenty-two 311 service requests in recent months in this vein.”

The hookah bar and lounge is just a few blocks down from another problem bar, Brik Astoria, where massive — largely unmasked — crowds gathered over the weekend, according to videos on social media. The city booted Brik from its curbside dining program for seven days for failing to enforce social distancing among its patrons.

Recent Yelp reviews of Melody point to it being a similar source of overcrowding this past weekend.

“Not enacting any safety protocols during a pandemic,” a user from Long Island City wrote on Friday. “People packed to the gills not wearing masks … is going to get people killed.”

Similar to the council member, another resident said Melody shouldn’t have a liquor license.

“Loud, obnoxious place. Drunk patrons disrupt the neighborhood,” the user wrote on Sunday. “This establishment does not deserve a liquor license.”

Constantinides said the hookah lounge has been a headache for Astoria residents long before the pandemic, however. He said a history of violent incidents among bar-goers is particularly worrisome.

“This location has been in business for quite some time and over the years it has grown to be evermore problematic causing more quality of life issues, especially in terms of violent incidents amongst patrons,” he wrote.

The Council Member said there have been 11 calls made to 911 stemming from incidents at the bar, including assault, physical disputes and forcible touching since July of last year.

In March 2019, a man fired shots into air during a dispute outside Melody, Constantinides noted in his letter. No one was injured or struck by the bullets.

“It’s clear that this business has failed in maintaining safety and has become a magnet for bad actors,” he wrote.

Melody Cafe and Restaurant could not be reached for comment by the time of publication.

The SLA didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment. A spokesperson for Council Member Constantinides said his office has yet to hear back from the agency.

email the author: news@queenspost.com

2 Comments

Click for Comments 
G

As an Astoria born and bred many years ago this is a disgrace… Astoria used to be home owners and respected renters … that we’re grateful to live in paradise that not many outsiders knew about … as soon as Astoria became hip … it started getting a few nice restaurants and cafes … now it’s out of control … no respect for anything … especially from outsiders … unreal

Reply

Leave a Comment
Reply to this Comment

All comments are subject to moderation before being posted.


The reCAPTCHA verification period has expired. Please reload the page.

This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.

Recent News

Fall fun in western Queens: Your guide to the best seasonal events

Aug. 29, 2025 By Jessica Militello

With beach days and summer BBQs behind us, the start of September rings in the start of magnificent Fall foliage, Halloween and more fun activities that come with the start of Autumn, including a list of Fall events in the area. From apple picking to seasonal ciders and more, there is tons to explore in the community. From Mystic Markets to scary movie meet-ups and more, here is a list of Fall events you do not want to miss.

A hidden gem in Sunnyside: Bistro Punta Sal blends Peruvian and Italian flavors

Aug. 29, 2025 By Jessica Militello

On a quiet street in Sunnyside, Bistro Punta Sal has its French doors wide open, letting the late August breeze emanate throughout the space, which is ornate with flowers, paintings and an array of tables and chairs for intimate dinners with friends or a romantic date night. The cozy restaurant, located at 45-51 46th St., is a hidden gem in the neighborhood that is just waiting to be discovered, as the sights and aromas of the restaurant invite guests in. 

Off-duty paramedic spots South Richmond Hill two-alarm house fire that injures nine firefighters, two civilians on Friday morning: FDNY

Nine firefighters were injured, two of them seriously, and two civilians sustained minor injuries during a two-alarm house fire in South Richmond Hill on Friday morning, but it could have been worse if not for the actions of an off-duty veteran EMT.

Paramedic Craig Biscuiti was driving to work when he noticed a column of thick black smoke and heavy flames coming from the first floor of a two-story home at 95-36 111th St. just before 7:10 a.m.

Astoria doctor sentenced to more than two decades in prison for rape and sexual abuse: DA

An Astoria doctor was sentenced to 24 years in prison on Thursday in Queens Supreme Court for raping unconscious acquaintances and sexually abusing hospital patients.

Dr. Zhi Alan Cheng, 35, of Broadway, pleaded guilty on June 30 to four counts of rape in the first degree and three counts of sexual abuse in the first degree in satisfaction of the consolidated indictments against him. He additionally entered an Alford plea to one count of sexual abuse. The defendant — a former gastroenterologist at New York-Presbyterian Queens Hospital — recorded the abuse of his unconscious victims with his cell phone in both his Astoria apartment and at the hospital.