Dirty Taco & Tequila looks to expand its Woodbury restaurant

The owners of Dirty Taco & Tequila in Woodbury are looking to nearly double the Mexican-Asian fusion restaurant’s footprint.

The proposal, presented to the Oyster Bay Town Board at its meeting Tuesday, would expand the 2,040-square-foot Woodbury restaurant, nestled in the Woodbury Shopping Center, by an additional 1,500 square feet.

The extension would allow the restaurant to exceed occupancy of 75 people, which requires town board approval for a special-use permit, Bram Weber, an attorney for the proposal, said during the town board meeting.

"They have outgrown the space," Weber said. 

Known for its creative menu and gritty style, the restaurant has seen its number of locations increase in recent years. 

There are Dirty Taco & Tequila locations in Wantagh, Patchogue, Smithtown, Port Washington and Rockville Centre. The Woodbury location took the place of Onsen Sushi, which vacated the shopping center in 2019, Newsday has reported.

The owner of the Woodbury site wants to lease an adjacent vacant lot to complete the buildout of the restaurant, Weber said.

The project would not require a new parking variance, he said. 

The Woodbury location was among the early Dirty Taco & Tequila sites, "so they went into a very small space,” Weber told the town board. “This will allow them to expand the kitchen — not for additional cooking, but more to just give their staff more space.”

Oyster Bay Councilman Steve Labriola asked if the restaurant, which serves lunch and dinner, expects to surpass the 75-person occupancy that required the site to seek a special-use permit. 

Weber said the restaurant expects to pass that threshold during dinner service. 

The Oyster Bay Town Board kept the public record for the proposal open for 21 days. 

The town's next meeting is Jan. 13. 

By Joseph Ostapiuk

joseph.ostapiuk@newsday.com@OstapiukJ