Food Street chain opens first New York location in Hicksville

Food Street’s first New York restaurant opened in Hicksville on Tuesday, drawing lines out the door and forcing staff to stop taking orders long after the posted closing time, ownership told GLI after the dust had settled.

Customers packed the new restaurant’s space in the Soni Center strip mall on Route 106/107 throughout the day.

“We had to tell people the kitchen was closing,” co-owner Sharry Chaudhari said with a laugh. “It was 40 minutes after we were supposed to close and people were still showing up.”

The Hicksville restaurant marks Food Street’s 12th location overall, bringing its mix of Pakistani dishes, smash burgers and South Asian comfort food to Long Island.

“We may be a Pakistani restaurant, but it’s so much more than that,” Chaudhari told Greater Long Island. “It’s fusion. Yes, we have Gappa Chaat, but we also have different burgers. They are our own recipe. If you prefer Indian food, we have plenty of veggie meals.”

The menu also includes signature chicken tikka paratha rolls, crispy chicken sandwiches, homemade teas, mojitos and desserts — all halal.

Food Street also leans into its open-kitchen design, allowing customers to watch as their meals are prepared.

“Everything we cook, you can see, and people love that,” Chaudhari said. “Nothing is made ahead of time. You order it, we make it.”

Food Street opened its first location in New Jersey three years ago, inspired by the city of Lahore. The chain now has locations in New Jersey, Ohio, Texas and Massachusetts, with more planned in Pennsylvania.

For Chaudhari and his partners Hussnain Ali and Zeshan Shoaib, the focus remains on consistency and quality as the company continues expanding.

“We don’t believe in saving money by compromising quality,” he said. “We will always choose quality over quantity when it comes to our ingredients, especially the meats.”