Gyu Kaku is a Japenese BBQ chain that serves up some great grub at a good price. We ate like fat kings and drank like poor sailors, all in, for just $120. Can’t beat that with a bat!
GYU KAKU
44-45 21st Street
Long Island City, NY 11101
Category Archives: Queens
Tacos El Guero
I stopped in this spot with some ebike friends before our Electric Wednesday weekly meet-up. I was blown away by the size and quality for the price. Tacos range from $4.50 to $5.00, but they’re packed with quality ingredients, and the blue corn tortilla sets them off as unique.
I ate six tacos; carnitas, al pastor, grilled pig’s ear, chorizo, tongue and tripe. All were excellent, but I think the carnitas was the best. The shredded pork was thrown back on the plancha to get crisp. So delicious. I can’t wait to go back and try more.
TACOS EL GUERO
48-11 43rd Ave.
Long Island City, NY 11104
Rippers
Rippers is a famous beachside burger shop in Rockaway. This joint serves up big, juicy, perfectly cooked burgers for the hungry masses at the beach.
I have to say this was one of the best burgers I’ve had since I went to Lions Bar.
The griddle cook offered the burger a nice textural crunch, and the inside was cooked to a perfect juicy medium. Good cheese coverage, and not too many toppings or sauces.
The fries were also really crispy and nice too, with some seafood/Old Bay type seasoning on them.
RIPPERS
86-01 Shore Front Pkwy
Rockaway Beach, NY 11693
Cyclo
If you’re in LIC and looking for Vietnamese food, one option you have is Cyclo.
I stopped in here with a few of my ebike friends for a bowl of pho and some other snacks.
The quail egg fried wontons were unique. I would skip on the sweet chili sauce.
The beef skewers were a bit better, in my oopinion.
The clay pot beef stew wasn’t hot enough to crisp up the rice on the bottom of the serving vessel (which wasn’t really hot), but it was tasty and came with a side of veg.
The pho was pretty good. This is on par with some of the basic Chinatown spots near me. This runs you $18, and it came with sliced eye round and brisket.
CYCLO
5-51 47th Ave #573
Long Island City, NY 11101
Lao Zao Chongqing
This hot pot spot in Flushing took over where Baidu Shabu Shabu left off (same location), and upped the ante on quality and dining experience. Check out the video HERE.
What a beautiful interior! And this was easily one of the best hot pot meals I’ve had. We split the pot between medium spicy beef tallow broth and mushroom broth. Absolutely delicious. Go give it a shot!
LAO ZAO CHONGQING
37-04 Prince St.
Flushing, NY 11354
Chela & Garnacha
I hit up this little taco spot with some friends while riding around on our nerdy ebikes. I have to say it was really great. A little pricey at $5 per taco (before you add the crispy cheese), but totally worth it.
Best: El Pastor (gringa style with crispy cheese)
Awesome pastor tacos, especially with that slice of grilled pineapple on top.
Second Best: Bistec en Pasilla
This was really nice. Excellent spiced flavor on the meat, and tender through and through.
Third Place: Chicken Tinga
I usually don’t get this unless I need a change. It was still good, but I wish I had tried something else instead. Next time.
CHELA & GARNACHA
33-09 36th Ave.
Astoria, NY 11106
Queens Taco Crawl
First, check out my episode of Around the Hood in 8 Minutes HERE:
We hit six or seven spots on this awesome food crawl through Queens. Let me hit them one by one.
Taqueria Santa Fe
This first spot ended up being my favorite. The al pastor taco stood out. Crispy, yet juicy. Well seasoned, great toppings. The only thing to make it better would be a more toasted tortilla, like Mr. Burrito had.
Mr. Burrito Loco
The carnitas taco here took third place, but the tortilla shells were the best of the day. Great spot! I want to try the crispy fish tacos next, and, of course, a burrito!
El Sabor Del Rancho
The carnitas taco here took second place. All it needed was a little hit of salt and it would have been a contender for first place!
Al Chile Cafe
The al pastor here was a bit more saucy than other spots, so that made for a juicier and more flavorful bite, generally. The only down side was that there were a few bites with rubbery/chewy sinew that I had to spit out. Bonus here because they give you roasted onions and jalapenos on the side!
La Esquina Del Camaron Mexicano
This place was fun! Big portion for $17, mixed octopus and shrimp. Bring vodka with you to make a Bloody Mary with the leftover sauce/juice at the end. Or tequila for a Bloody Maria!
Lemon Ice King of Corona
An absolute classic. I got the lemon, and I loved it.
TAQUERIA SANTA FE
47-08 47th Ave.
Woodside, NY 11377
MR. BURRITO LOCO
4320 Greenpoint Ave.
Sunnyside, NY 11104
EL SABOR DEL RANCHO
41-21 58th St.
Woodside, NY 11377
AL CHILE CAFE
3809 69th St.
Woodside, NY 11377
LA ESQUINA DEL CAMARON MEXICO
80-02 Roosevelt Ave.
Jackson Heights, NY 11372
THE LEMON ICE KING OF CORONA
52-02 108th St.
Corona, NY 11368
Burger Queens
First, check out THIS EPISODE of Around the Hood in 8 Minutes, featuring Burger Queens.
We stopped at this joint during a group ride, and it really hit the spot. The burger itself was a double smash patty, and I got the works on it in terms of toppings.
The shoestring fries were also perfectly crispy and delicious, well seasoned. I would definitely go here again to try the fried chicken thigh sandwich.
BURGER QUEENS
96-19 23rd Ave.
Queens, NY 11369
Petey’s Burger
I stopped in this joint with some guys from the NYC Zooz Club after a ride, and stuffed a double cheeseburger down my throat.
It was really good! I didn’t get a photo of their shoestring fries, but they were excellent. All in, with a drink, $17. Excellent deal!
PETEY’S BURGER
46-46 Vernon Blvd.
Queens, NY 11101
The Baroness
First, check out my Ride & Review HERE:
I’ve been meaning to get over to this joint ever since I learned that my guys over at Golden Packing supply the burgers and some other meat proteins here. So I rode up on the Zooz and met with Tyson and Lupe, both Golden gang members, to chow down.
The savage wings are smoked and then fried, so they pack a ton of flavor. The burnt ends bologna was masterful. I’ve always wanted to try smoked BBQ style bologna, and this place definitely has me wanting more. The skillet mac and cheese was really nice. Also smoky and flavorful. The standard “Judith” 6oz burger was perfect. Great crisp on the patty, some caramelized onions, lettuce, tomato, pickles… really nice. I probably could have crushed two of these!
I would definitely go back to try more!
THE BARONESS
47-18 Vernon Blvd.
Queens, NY 11101