Jackson Heights Food Crawl
What this foodstroll is
Our guide to the Latin section of Jackson Heights, Queens.
Why this foodstroll works
The Latin section of Jackson Heights is one of NYC’s great cultural enclaves, and the street commerce and vendor scene make it ideal for a food crawl. The neighborhood is walkable in an afternoon, and if you plan it right you can begin and end the tour in the exact same place, the Junction Blvd 7 train stop. English is tenuous at most places and it’s safe to assume they’ll be cash only, but that doesn’t mean you’ll be hitting ATMs all day. You and your family can eat themselves silly in Jackson Heights all afternoon long and still not spend $60. If you need a temporary break from food, the Jackson Heights Historic District is a perfect place to stroll around while you work up another appetite.
Strolling
Jackson Heights is ideally located for an all day stroll, with attractions like The New York Hall of Science, The Queens Zoo, Queens Museum, Flushing Meadows Corona Park, and plane spotting all nearby. But food crawls aren’t for the faint of heart, and the crawl itself could certainly be your stroll. No matter how many spots you decide to visit, remember English can be dicey beyond the words chicken or beef, so don’t be shy using Google Translate.
We like starting at the Junction Blvd 7 train station because from there the crawl is one big loop. But from the Roosevelt Ave – Jackson Heights subway station you could still more or less start and end in the same spot. Both stations put you on Roosevelt Ave, which is a lot of fun if you can handle the noise from the overhead train.
Junction Blvd and Warren St are the heart of Jackson Heights’ food truck scene, and there’s always plenty of action outside. Food carts and moveable BBQs line the corners of the intersections, and a few bucks goes a long way here. But you’ll find random street vendors all over the neighborhood selling things like quesadillas, empanadas, and obviously tacos, so don’t fill up too quickly!
Food isn’t the only thing for sale on the street. You can find all manner of religious ornamentation in the botanicas and candelarias along Roosevelt Ave. In other words, there’s a lot to see, so just pick and choose which places you want to visit and enjoy one of NYC’s most interesting neighborhoods.
The Jackson Heights Historic District was developed from 1910-1950 and is one of the earliest neighborhoods to introduce “garden apartments”, six story block wide apartment complexes that focus on large interior courtyards. You can’t see the courtyards from the street, but the Georgian, Tudor, Gothic, Italian Renaissance, and Romanesque facades are on full display. For an especially pleasant experience, stroll along 34th Avenue between 78th and 88th street, a section that is closed to traffic 7days/week.
The JHHD, along with other Queens neighborhoods like Forest Hills, was one of the first planned communities in NYC. In addition to the remarkable residential architecture, all the public buildings and commercial thoroughfares were planned and designed in consultation with the Queensborough Corporation, the original developer. The neo-Georgian Post Office (1937) is a prime example, and it’s right across the street from Arepa Lady!
If you wish to make it an all day affair, Flushing Meadows Corona Park is one of our favorite places to stroll around. The Queens Zoo can be done in 45 minutes, and the Queens Museum and Hall of Science are good indoor options. The park itself, home to the 1939 and 1964 World’s Fair, is reason enough to visit Queens.
Food Spots
1. Street Fair around Warren and Roosevelt
The collection of food trucks beneath the Junction Blvd 7 train stop and on Warren St resemble an Ecuadorian feria, or local street fair. Guatita, an Ecuadorian Tripe Stew, is traditional feria fare.
Empanadas are classic Latin American street food, and the food trucks and street vendors along Warren Street prepare some of the best.
2. Vallecito Bakery
Vallecito Bakery is a Mexican bakery specializing in all kinds of Pan Dulce, or Mexican sweet bread. Every time we visit our kids comment on how good it smells.
For a traditional Mexican experience, go with Pan de Muerto, or Bread of the Dead.
3. Taco Veloz
Taco Veloz is a legit taco spot on Roosevelt Ave. There are several of the same name nearby and not all of them are related, but we stand by the location at the corner of 86th Street. The Campechano (chorizo and beef) is our favorite.
The Al Pastor (spicy pork), Carne, and Pollo are also very good, and if you live in some cruel reality where you must choose between them, make it the Carne. FYI, if you don’t want to eat standing up, they recently opened a brick and mortar location on Roosevelt Ave between Junction Blvd and 97th St.
4. Mi Tierra Supermarket
Mi Tierra is a chain of Latin Supermarkets where isles are categorized by country. They have it all - think hundreds of varieties of hot sauce, chorizo and cheese from almost every country in Central and South America, and exotic cuts of meat.
The produce department is particularly impressive, offering hard to find fruits, fresh cactus, and plenty of dried chilies.
5. La Esquina Del Camaron Mexicano
La Esquina Del Camaron Mexicano is a street side window serving Mexican seafood from the back of a bodega. Mexican Cocktails made them famous and are basically the love child of ceviche and gazpacho. If you want our advice, order them with Pulpo.
Recently it’s gotten attention for its small but excellent menu, which includes things like these Fried Shark Flautas.
6. Birria Landia
You may have already heard about Birria Landia and should come prepared to queue up, but for good reason. Note the truck doesn’t typically arrive until 2pm on weekends and 5pm weekdays. We went for lunch one day at high noon and wound up staring at a vacant parking space. Don’t be like us.
They only serve one thing, Birria, which is a Mexican beef stew, but you can order it on a taco, tostada, multita, or stand alone in a consommé.
7. Arepa Lady
Arepa Lady dates back to 1980s when it was started as a food truck by Maria Cano, a former Colombian lawyer and judge in Medellin who fled the country during the drug wars of Pablo Escobar. Today it is a brick and mortar location, and you could sit down for a proper meal if you felt like it. Pictured is the Arepa de Queso with Chorizo.
They’ve hosted some interesting guests over the years, including Anthony Bourdain and Andrew Zimmern. All the arepas are great and choosing one won’t be easy, but the de Choclo (folded) versions are easier to eat on the go. Our favorite is with Chicharron (pork belly).
8. La Gran Uruguaya
La Gran Uruguaya is quite the scene for a bakery, with Uruguayan flags, pictures of La Celeste, and televisions playing soccer everywhere. You can even get beer on tap to go with your pastry.
They fresh bake a ton of breads, pastries and confections. Our go-to is the classic Milhoja, a puff pastry layered with dulce de leche.
They don’t look like much, but National Pupusas Day is an actual holiday in El Salvador. Mi Pequeno is the best place in Jackson Heights to order El Salvador’s official national dish.
The Revuelta, which come stuffed with cheese, refried beans, and pork rind, are the thing to order. If you’d like to make a meal of it, order the Pupusa Combination, which comes with two pupusas, refried beans, sweet plantains, and rice.
Transportation
If possible we recommend taking the 7 train to Junction Blvd or the E, F, M, or R lines to Roosevelt Ave – Jackson Heights. From those stops you can start and end the crawl in the exact same spot.
Two hour metered parking is possible Monday-Saturday in Jackson Heights, and on Sundays meters are suspended, but finding a space can be tough. The further north you go from Roosevelt Ave the easier parking becomes.