You don't see many themed restaurants opening in New York City these days. Not outside of Times Square, anyway, and especially not in far-flung residential neighborhoods like Ridgewood, Queens. But that only encouraged Tracy Bradbury and Chad Johnson — longtime residents of the neighborhood, ardent rock-n-rollers, and unapologetic horror enthusiasts — to go all in on the vibe of their new Flying Fox Tavern on Woodward Avenue.

"There used to be all these cool restaurants to go to and it's kind of died out," Johnson told Gothamist this week. And when you do find someplace unique and creative like that, "it's only a bar," said Bradbury. "So if you're underage, or you have a family, or you just don't want to drink, there aren't places you can go with good music and that whole subculture environment."

To the latter point, the pair are committed to making Flying Fox as much a restaurant as a bar--a true local tavern, in other words, and a welcoming place for everyone in their community. "We want families to come in," said Bradbury. "Kids are always welcome. We have booster seats! We want people to feel at home here."

That said, they definitely didn't skimp on the gruesome decor, though it's all from the classic, rather than the "slasher," wing of the genre, and much of it is borderline kitschy. A body emerges from a coffin, severed heads are scattered about, Dracula and Frankenstein's monster are well represented, demons loom, atrocities are committed, but it's all in good fun.

And, of course, there are bats. Lots and lots of bats. Which may have earned Flying Fox Tavern its earliest fan, a nine-year-old girl who wandered in with her mom on one of the restaurant's first nights and, as Bradbury tells it, "lit up with the widest eyes I've ever seen." Turns out she had done multiple school projects on bats, just flat-out adored the creatures, and was given all sorts of Flying Fox swag to bring home. Just the other night she returned to celebrate her birthday here with a bunch of friends.