Spotlight | Beatstro

Welcome to Broadway Stages' Spotlight, where we feature local shops, restaurants, organizations, individuals, and venues. With summer in full swing, Broadway Stages is featuring and celebrating exceptional people, businesses, and organizations that make New York City a great place to spend the warm weather and sunny sky season. This week, we visit Beatstro in the Bronx!

For many Americans, hip-hop has been the soundtrack of their lives. But only New York City, specifically the Bronx, can claim its birthright. From afterschool parties with DJ Kool Herc in the 70s going forward, hip-hop was ever-present. This raised a question in Alfredo Anguiera's head.

"Look at other cities or [look] at other countries that have something that originated there," Angueira told the online magazine Remezcla. "New Orleans [is] one of the homes of jazz and blues. You go to the French Quarter, that's everything. Everything revolves around music. You go to Memphis; everything revolves around music. You come here to the Bronx, which was the birthplace of hip-hop, and what is there?"

"It is the soundtrack to most people's lives," Angueira continued. "There isn't anything more Bronx than hip-hop…But there is no place to celebrate it."

With this in mind, Alfredo Anguiera and Junior Martinez set out to create something special for the Bronx. And thus, Beatstro was born.

The entrance features bright green walls and shelves lined with original vinyl LP's like a record shop from the 70s and 80s. Then, as you go behind the velvet curtain, you are surrounded by black-and-white photos of MCs performing, B-boys battling, and children playing in the streets, all shot by legendary Bronx photographer Joe Conzo and vivid graffiti murals courtesy of Andre Trenier.

This unique eatery celebrates Puerto Rican and African-American styles and flavors. The menu can change, but there are perennial favorites. For instance, on the dinner menu, the Chicken and Waffles offers red velvet waffles, crispy chicken thighs, strawberry butter, and horseradish maple syrup. Meanwhile, the Locrio, with its shrimp fried rice topped with two sunny-side eggs, grilled Andouille sausage, and tangy Beatstro sauce, is a star on the brunch menu. And you can’t go wrong washing it all down with anything from the drink menu, but the Bomb Sangria gets rave reviews.

But this spot is more than a place of visual spectacle and culinary delight. It is a celebration of hip-hop, the Bronx's offering to the world of the arts. There is no better way to pay homage to this than to partake in brunch on Saturday and Sunday. As one diner said on Yelp, "Came there recently for brunch on a Sunday, and on the walk in the music was hitting! They had a live DJ spinning the whole time, which added to the experience."

As Beatstro proudly proclaims to host some of the most interesting and innovative events to come out of New York City, it would be wise to follow them on Instagram and Facebook to stay in the loop.

Beatstro is open Monday through Thursday from 4 p.m. to midnight. On Friday, they open at 4 p.m. and close at 2 a.m. Saturday, the hours are 11:30 a.m. to 2 a.m. And on Sunday, the hours are 11:30 a.m. to 11 p.m.

Broadway Stages has a long shared history with hip-hop. Beyonce, Jay-Z, Justin Timberlake, LL Cool-J, Eminem, Queen Latifah, Will Smith, TLC, Busta Rhymes, and others have filmed their videos with us. So we feel a special kinship with businesses like Beatstro. Besides, who doesn't love a place with cool ambiance, great food, and killer beats? So, make a reservation today! And when you get there, tell them Broadway Stages set you!