:'(

Amir’s, the little restaurant on Broadway between 113th and 114th that served Middle Eastern and vegetarian fare, has closed, at least temporarily. There is a sign on the door explaining that Amir’s “must close their doors for now,” but that the staff “feel that this is not a final goodbye”; they “hope to ‘pop-up’ really soon with a new and improved concept sticking to [their] historic family recipes.” Various appliances have been taken out of the restaurant onto the sidewalk, and the lights are off inside.

When Bwog called Amir’s number listed on their website, we got an automated message saying that it is a non-working number, and no one was inside the store. We will update this post if we get more information about why they had to close for now, and when they expect to reopen, if ever.

Amir’s was founded in 1971 and has been a Morningside Heights staple for nearly 50 years, with only a brief interruption when it was shut down due to health code violations in 2008. If it does indeed close for good, it will be the next in a series of Morningside Heights businesses that have recently shut down, including Aerosoles just next door, Amigos, and Nussbaum & Wu.

Meanwhile, we are compiling an in memoriam post for Amir’s; please send in your memories at Amir’s by commenting them below, emailing tips@bwog.com, or DMing us @bwog on any social media platform.

Amir’s via Youngweon Lee