Long Island City’s restaurant scene has expanded with its real estate, which means a more diverse and higher-quality selection than a decade ago alongside prices that have moved up with the neighborhood’s demographics. It’s not as cheap as Jackson Heights or Flushing, but it has a range of genuinely excellent restaurants that make it worth a dedicated dinner trip.
Casa Enrique: The Essential Restaurant
Casa Enrique at 5-48 49th Avenue is one of the few Michelin-starred Mexican restaurants in New York City and the most important restaurant in Long Island City. The menu focuses on regional Mexican cooking — the mole negro (a complex sauce made with multiple chiles, chocolate, and over 30 ingredients, served with chicken or turkey) is exceptional and represents a commitment to authentic regional preparation that most NYC Mexican restaurants don’t attempt. The chiles en nogada (poblano stuffed with picadillo, covered with walnut cream sauce and pomegranate seeds) is available seasonally. Reservations essential; book 1-2 weeks in advance for weekend evenings.
John Brown Smokehouse
John Brown Smokehouse at 10-43 44th Drive is the best BBQ restaurant in Queens — Kansas City-style smoked meats with proper technique and a bourbon selection that matches the food. The burnt ends (caramelized tips of the brisket point), the smoked brisket, and the pulled pork are all outstanding. The sides (baked beans, mac and cheese, coleslaw) are well-made. Budget $25-35 per person with a drink.
M. Wells Steakhouse
M. Wells Steakhouse at 22-25 Jackson Avenue (inside MoMA PS1) serves ambitious, Montreal-inflected American cooking in the courtyard of one of the most important contemporary art spaces in the country. The menu skews toward aged beef and offal with genuine creativity. The room — a converted garage adjacent to the PS1 courtyard — is one of the more interesting dining environments in Queens.
More Casual Options
Shi at 47-38 Vernon Boulevard serves one of the better ramen programs in the outer boroughs — the broths are properly developed and the noodles are made in-house. Sweetleaf Coffee on Jackson Avenue is the neighborhood’s best coffee shop. For a more casual meal, the food trucks along Jackson Avenue and the casual spots on Vernon Boulevard serve the neighborhood’s working population at accessible prices.
Frequently Asked Questions
What are the best restaurants in Long Island City?
John Brown Smokehouse for Kansas City-style BBQ. Shi for ramen. M. Wells Steakhouse for ambitious cooking in the MoMA PS1 courtyard. Casa Enrique for Mexican food (one of the few Mexican restaurants in New York with a Michelin star, located on 48th Avenue).
Is Casa Enrique in Long Island City worth it?
Yes — Casa Enrique on 48th Avenue in Long Island City is one of the few Mexican restaurants in New York City with a Michelin star and serves regional Mexican food at a level rarely available in the city. The mole negro and the chiles en nogada are particularly good. Reservations recommended.
Are there good cheap eats in Long Island City?
The neighborhood has improved significantly but remains more expensive than Jackson Heights or Flushing. For budget eating in LIC: the food trucks and casual spots along Jackson Avenue and Vernon Boulevard, or take the 7 train one stop to Flushing for the borough’s best value eating.
Is Long Island City a good neighborhood for dinner?
Yes — the restaurant scene has grown significantly with the neighborhood’s residential population. Casa Enrique, M. Wells Steakhouse, and John Brown Smokehouse all warrant a dedicated dinner trip. The waterfront setting at Gantry Plaza State Park makes a pre-dinner walk genuinely excellent.
Also see: our Long Island City guide
Also see: our Noguchi Museum guide
