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Eating near Forest Hills Stadium, Citi Field, and the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center in Queens can sometimes feel like an impossible task. There’s so much to choose from in this particular borough that decision fatigue begins to set in, and it can be hard to decide what’s truly superb, and what’s just slightly better than stadium fare.
We can help with that. Here, for your convenience, are several spots located within a reasonable distance from the stadium, field, and tennis center. See you out there.
We can’t prove it, but we’re pretty sure that a pre-Forest Hills Stadium meal at Zara Austin makes the band sound better. Maybe it’s magic, or maybe it’s just having a belly full of what comes out of their brick fire oven (which is pretty close to magic, anyways, in our opinion). Go for the lahmacun, a few of the cold dips, kebabs served with a swipe of yogurt, and borek. Oh, and bring a few friends to help you finish all of it.
Luckily for all of us, Jiang Nan’s mini-empire of Chinese restaurants boasts a location just a 20-minute walk away from Citi Field, or a very short one-stop ride on the 7 train. Skip the concession prices and treat yourself to a verifiable feast of Peking duck, soup dumplings, and a Hong Kong-style steamed Dungeness crab served with vermicelli and salty egg yolk.
Cheering on your team or your favorite tennis player means you’ll need your strength, no matter how much we wish we could show up on an empty stomach and not pass out from stress. Enter CheLi, an excellent reason to head to the area, even on a non-game or non-match day. A critic favorite and certified institution, this Shanghainese spot serves up superb dim sum, blue crab soaked in wine, and sweet and sour crispy eels. They’re open for lunch and dinner, so going again after the game is also an option. Just saying.
Thai food is so often our comfort food of choice. Maybe it’s the creamy tom yum or the spices that can make our eyes water (we’re not crying over a home team loss, see!?), or the familiarity of giving in to yet another order of pad see ew when we know we should try something more exciting. When in Bangkok serves all of the aforementioned, plus a very excellent soft shell crab karee.
Our hopes for our Queens-based home team winning the world series are so much like the cherry tree preserved in full bloom inside Kaizen: Eternal. Ever lasting. Beautiful. Anyways, head here for pre or post-game omakase (they have 16 courses for $128, certainly not your average game-day fare), or à la carte hand rolls and a bluefin tuna toast.
Marani serves up a large menu of Georgian delicacies that all happen to be kosher. Make sure to order the pelmeni to start, and one of their baked-to-order savory pies (we’re partial to the beef). They also serve kebab by the piece, so you can achieve that ideal lamb chop for the table ratio. Its location in Rego Park make it a convenient stop before or after you catch a show at Forest Hills Stadium.
You know why you’re here. It’s for the hand-pulled laghman noodles, stretchy and thin, topped with a ladle of savory beef stew. It’s easy to get lost in the menu at Nurlan, especially as you make your way through lesser-seen Uyghur dishes in their cozy, utilitarian dining room. Wait, were we going to see a game, or a match?
Walk-ins only.
There are few ways to improve on the experience of hot pot, but Chongqing Lao Zao manages to do just that by taking their last call for orders at midnight. Celebrate the night’s home team win (we’re manifesting) by going all out at this wood-lined, traditionally adorned spot with the triple flavor pot (hot, please), some thousand-layered tripe, beef skewers, and rice cakes. Oh, and some homemade black tofu. Oh, and clams. And duck feet, please.
Even if you’re not eating at the table housed inside a giant birdcage, Juqi is a showstopper. You should absolutely order the Peking duck, done here exceptionally well in a way that may ruin all other Peking ducks for you. It’s served in a beautiful wooden box with caviar treats, thinly sliced cucumber, and duck soup. This is the place you take your family when they’re in town for an event, to show them that living here really is worth all the extra rent.
Call (929) 608-9797 to make a reservation.
If the band you’re going to see happens to be of the, ahem, classic variety, you’ll love Dee’s. They’ve been in the neighborhood for more than three decades, serving up great pizzas and pastas. Do know there’s a pie named after the neighborhood that’s worth an order, or try the Hot and Sweet with vodka sauce and hot honey and a plate of fried calamari for the table.
Maybe you live in a world where you and your entire crew got tickets to see MUNA this fall. If so, first of all, can you share? Second of all, bring them (and us) to Agora before the show. Park yourself at one of the long tables that are perfect for groups, and order as much as you can from their long menu of Greek classics.
We’ve waxed poetic many a time about Tacombi’s ability to appear when and where you need it most, no matter what part of our city you happen to be in. Forest Hills is no exception, with a location perched right on Austin Street, not far from the stadium. You know the drill: Grab a few quick tacos and aguas frescas with your crew, perfect for when you just want to get to the show already.
When you want the festivities to start long before the headliner hits the stage, Mito is always a good idea. It’s a Japanese spot with a little flair for drama (just look up at the full boat hanging from the ceiling) and a long menu filled with sushi rolls and grilled specialties like a decadent wagyu burger topped with a pile of caramelized onions.
If you want to explore even more of Queens, a.k.a. “the world’s borough,” before or after your event, you should know it’s one of the best places in the entire city for eating well, and we’ve got plenty of other suggestions for you, including:
