Sammy Sosa’s Last Meal Long Gone


by on Sep 15th, 2008

(Photo by Ray Johnson)

It’s a few months, already, since Hosta Halal Gyro has been gone from the Bay scene and the space is still not filled. The empty space at 1520 Sheepshead Bay Road is currently in need of a tenant who can pay the $3,500. That’s a lot of gyros, so with that rent, it’s no wonder the place couldn’t stay in business.

We are left wondering, though, if the previous owner decided to leave or if business was just not doing well. Just across the street, is the super-busy Anatolian Gyro shop which has only sit-down or take-out service, so Hosta Halal offered a quick bite of Turkish fare without having to leave a tip or wait for the server to not serve you any water.

Whenever I got off the subway on a cold night and needed something to heat my muscles for the walk home, I would stop in for a bowl (a real bowl, not paper) of hot chicken soup. I would often speak with the owner, and although, he sometimes had to close his front doors, because of the bad smell coming from the store next door, he never indicated if he was having business troubles.

So, when I noticed the business was up for sale on craigslist a few months ago, I knew that my days of snacking on a $1-corn-on-the-cob straight from the pot were about to be over. The hot, pre-prepared buffet, added towards the end, was most likely an unsuccessful attempt to try to bring in some hungry customers, but didn’t quite make the mark – because, although the dishes were tasty, the heating station was a lone island that made the, already small, dining area a little smaller.

Even being placed on the Village Voice’s Best of 2007 list couldn’t save this little eatery. When I first saw the placard, on the now-locked doors, announcing Hosta Halal as Sammy Sosa’s choice for his last meal, I thought, “Wow, Sammy Sosa came and ate here!” But, the full review on the Village voice website revealed that it’s not that Sammy Sosa ate the gyro and requested it as his last meal, but that the Village Voice recommends it to him as such:

The home-run king swings for the bleachers using a made-in-Louisville ash bat, but we’ve got a different bat for him. The outsize Middle Eastern flatbread called lavash teams up with a triumphant combo of herby lamb and greasy chicken gyro to make a baseball-bat-size rolled sandwich at Hosta Halal Gyro, an estimable new addition to the mix of Turkish, Georgian, and Central Asian eateries of Sheepshead Bay. We’ll advise Sammy to ask that both the hot sauce and yogurt be applied before the sandwich is rolled up.

What is the real reason why Hosta Halal couldn’t make it? Did the competition between the local gyros get to be too much? Did the threat of the new owners send the old tenants packing? According to the real estate company handling the space, Urban Retail, prospective tenants will be able to get a long-term lease just like any other rental and refused to speak any further about the planned development of the site. If Hosta Halal didn’t leave so that the space could be made available for the new development, then why did they leave?

Even though, Sammy Sosa never got to try out his “last meal” recommendation, I still miss my Turkish chicken soup with a squeeze of fresh lemon.

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  • D

    Perhaps its all about location. I just dont think that location and that spot could draw enough people in. Before it was hostas I believe it was a chicken place (although i could be wrong) and as I recall that didnt last long too. Maybe it would have done better on avenue U. I’m sorry I never tried it out – it sounded better then I though just from looking at it.

    I dont know how a lot of the businesses along that way stay running — like how is sheepshead bay road supporting so many sushi places now is beyond me.

    Speaking of rent & food (and a bit off topic) – whats the deal with the new Kourous diner on nostrand. The place has been looking up and ready to go for months but still not a word about opening. Its amazing the owner can afford to just have it sit there vacant for more than half the year. It was supposed to open in spring.

  • Anonymous

    Well, that location (or right next door) seems to be working out pretty well for all the others. I agree you with you, though, that somewhere along any of the border streets, Avenue U, Nostrand, or even a smaller street might have been a good idea. Oh, and the sushi places, well let’s be glad for them.

    I had suggested to the owner that he might like to open his place for the breakfast crowd, since we do get tired of eating bagels, donuts, and other greasy stuff. But, that was a no go. Poor guy needed some sleep.

    About the Kourous Diner, I went there recently with a friend, and yes, it’s still not open for business. Greek diners are a blast from my past (especially, remembering the Campus Sugar Bowl Diner), so I’m willing to wait patiently, if I can be rewarded with tasty food and hearty portions – the moussaka and baklava are a’cookin’

  • local broker

    sheepshead rd retail sucks landlords ask for to much rent look at how many vacancies there are i dont remember the last time the strip was fully occupied and when something is rented it usually fold within a year or so the only part of the street thats good is near the train station
    as far as the gyro place goes i have never been there but have been eating at anatolian gyro for at least 10-12 years the food is always good and consistent i havent been in there for a few years but order all the time and have never had a bad experience with them
    whats going to be interesting to see is the new development of citibank and lot behind i am pro development but its crazy to think that you can put a shopping mall there when getting off the belt in the back of the station where the lot is if there is like 10-15 cars at that light the whole block is at a stand still what happens when it starts to look like kings plaza on a saturday afternoon pure mayhem this is one site that should be stopped want to put something cool there
    underground parking
    ground floor indoor go cart race track
    second floor paintball field
    third floor ice rink
    the place would be packed all year round and not as much traffic

  • local broker

    i didnt realize this was right next door to the train you know this building was sold this year and the owner could be holding out to see what happens with the dev site next door

  • Anonymous

    Wow. You’ve got some interesting ideas for that spot! I though my ideas were unique. Hopefully, I’ll have time to share mine with you, soon. In the meantime, please do what you need to do to get some recreational activities going around here. Yes, and the parking, definitely.

    While it is not directly next to the train with the discount store, the coffee shop, and the newspaper place (can’t remember anything else) nearby, it is still very close to the trains.

  • SHB

    One of many great places that are just about gone; I don’t know if Sheepshead is evolving or degrading. One thing for sure, Anatolian Gyro was NOTHING compared to Hosta’s. They raised up their prices, the service is horrible; and so is the favoritism.

    Just a small change in the rolling wheel of changes in our life and time.

  • Anonymous

    Good to know I’m not the only one who noticed. One day, I will do a review of the place from my many experiences.

  • D

    Perhaps its all about location. I just dont think that location and that spot could draw enough people in. Before it was hostas I believe it was a chicken place (although i could be wrong) and as I recall that didnt last long too. Maybe it would have done better on avenue U. I’m sorry I never tried it out – it sounded better then I though just from looking at it.

    I dont know how a lot of the businesses along that way stay running — like how is sheepshead bay road supporting so many sushi places now is beyond me.

    Speaking of rent & food (and a bit off topic) – whats the deal with the new Kourous diner on nostrand. The place has been looking up and ready to go for months but still not a word about opening. Its amazing the owner can afford to just have it sit there vacant for more than half the year. It was supposed to open in spring.

  • Anonymous

    Well, that location (or right next door) seems to be working out pretty well for all the others. I agree you with you, though, that somewhere along any of the border streets, Avenue U, Nostrand, or even a smaller street might have been a good idea. Oh, and the sushi places, well let’s be glad for them.

    I had suggested to the owner that he might like to open his place for the breakfast crowd, since we do get tired of eating bagels, donuts, and other greasy stuff. But, that was a no go. Poor guy needed some sleep.

    About the Kourous Diner, I went there recently with a friend, and yes, it’s still not open for business. Greek diners are a blast from my past (especially, remembering the Campus Sugar Bowl Diner), so I’m willing to wait patiently, if I can be rewarded with tasty food and hearty portions – the moussaka and baklava are a’cookin’

  • local broker

    sheepshead rd retail sucks landlords ask for to much rent look at how many vacancies there are i dont remember the last time the strip was fully occupied and when something is rented it usually fold within a year or so the only part of the street thats good is near the train station
    as far as the gyro place goes i have never been there but have been eating at anatolian gyro for at least 10-12 years the food is always good and consistent i havent been in there for a few years but order all the time and have never had a bad experience with them
    whats going to be interesting to see is the new development of citibank and lot behind i am pro development but its crazy to think that you can put a shopping mall there when getting off the belt in the back of the station where the lot is if there is like 10-15 cars at that light the whole block is at a stand still what happens when it starts to look like kings plaza on a saturday afternoon pure mayhem this is one site that should be stopped want to put something cool there
    underground parking
    ground floor indoor go cart race track
    second floor paintball field
    third floor ice rink
    the place would be packed all year round and not as much traffic

  • local broker

    i didnt realize this was right next door to the train you know this building was sold this year and the owner could be holding out to see what happens with the dev site next door

  • Anonymous

    Wow. You’ve got some interesting ideas for that spot! I though my ideas were unique. Hopefully, I’ll have time to share mine with you, soon. In the meantime, please do what you need to do to get some recreational activities going around here. Yes, and the parking, definitely.

    While it is not directly next to the train with the discount store, the coffee shop, and the newspaper place (can’t remember anything else) nearby, it is still very close to the trains.

  • SHB

    One of many great places that are just about gone; I don’t know if Sheepshead is evolving or degrading. One thing for sure, Anatolian Gyro was NOTHING compared to Hosta’s. They raised up their prices, the service is horrible; and so is the favoritism.

    Just a small change in the rolling wheel of changes in our life and time.

  • Anonymous

    Good to know I’m not the only one who noticed. One day, I will do a review of the place from my many experiences.

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