Signature Dish: Murphy's Lobster Grill

The Spot: Murphy’s Lobster Grill, 48-20 Skillman Avenue, Sunnyside.

The Deal: Murphy’s Lobster Grill opened last October, an extension of the owner’s next-door namesake bar. Murphy’s Bar has been a Skillman Avenue staple for the last 10 years.

“When the space next door became available I decided to expand and run a seafood restaurant. There’s none in this part of Queens, and I have experience from my other restaurant in Mineola, Long Island,” says owner Mike Murphy.

And what a seafood restaurant. There’s a raw bar and an appetizer menu filled with dishes like a velvety lobster bisque. For entrees, lobster can be served solo, paired with a grilled Angus strip steak, in a mac & cheese or as a lobster roll. There are also buttery snow crab legs.

The walls of the Lobster Grill are bedecked in fishing nets, oars, and “stuffed fish purchased from Poseidon’s rummage sale,” Murphy says. He has also maintained the casual pub vibe from next door with a few TVs mounted above the bar, “for those who want to catch the game while digging into the catch of the day.”

The Dish: Although lobster may be the namesake dish at Murphy’s Lobster Bar, it was the raw oysters that took home top honors in the appetizer at Queens Taste 2014 event. The classic dish is served with simple sauces and a lemon wedge, but it was enough to win top honors.

Served on a bed of ice, Murphy’s raw oysters are proof that sometimes the best dishes start with the best ingredients and only require a bit attention in their preparation.