Good JuJu's Set To Tempt With Mouthwatering BBQ, Seafood In Aquebogue

AQUEBOGUE, NY — Marc LaMaina, the owner of the Lucharitos eateries that have scores of devoted diners across Long Island, has unveiled his newest offering: Good Juju's BBQ & Seafood Shack.

The eatery, located the site of Little Lucharitos at 487 Main Road in Aquebogue, has its soft opening Wednesday and Thursday with a grand opening set for Friday — and it's got hungry fans already salivating.

"Good Juju's is our little take on Southern smoked meats and Cajun style crab boils," LaMaina said. "It’s a neat concept that came to us based on what we like to eat and the kind of environment we like to spend time in. We are starting simple with quality smoked ribs, chicken, and brisket — and a really exciting crab boil menu."

The restaurant, he said, is a "come as you are seafood shack-style eatery that serves a nice craft cocktail program and also Pabst Blue Ribbon tall boys."

LaMaina said his vision for the restaurant was inspired by time spent in Charleston and the smoker work that's been done in the Center Moriches location of Lucharitos.

While the concept could have been based BBQ alone, LaMaina said he thought: "Why not make it a roadside seafood shack style menu and combine both worlds? We had the perfect chef in John Vanderwolf from our Center Moriches location, who has been honing his smoker skills and happens to be a skilled fishmonger and avid fisherman. It just made sense to marry the two concepts into a simple, fun menu to understand with some really great flavor."

While BBQ might be considered heavy fare to some, the seafood element "lightens it up totally," LaMaina said. "And John really created a solid lineup of just really good food."

Little JuJu's will be open Wednesday through Saturday from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. and Sundays from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. Right now, service is dine-in only with take-out launched in a few weeks or so, LaMaina said.

"We’ve committed to really dialing down on our in-house experience and I hope the people that come in really get a great meal, a great drink, and great hospitality," he said.

LaMaina has good feelings about the eatery. "There is a really good energy on this property. Good Juju, I guess, right?" he laughed.

The restaurant's moniker has personal meaning for LaMaina and his wife Jennifer. "The name actually comes from our youngest son Julien, nicknamed Juju —who is a bit on the wild side. So his mom and I are usually hoping for a little good juju," he said, laughing.

A new Lucharitos was unveiled in Melville last year, with a Center Moriches location launched in 2021. Lucharitos also branched out to the concession stand of the Mattituck Cinema; LaMaina also organized axe throwing and Smash Paint at the theater.

The new sites for the popular taqueria and tequila bars join the original Lucharitos location in Greenport as well as the Lucharitos Burrito Bar in Mattituck.