If you’re visiting Queens Botanical Garden, you gotta know where to go eat, right? Luckily, some of NYC’s best food neighborhoods are just a quick ride away on the 7 train. We’re talking Flushing’s Chinatown, Jackson Heights, Forest Hills, Elmhurst…the list goes on. Queens is a foodie paradise, people!
In this guide, I’ll give you the lowdown on all the mouthwatering eats surrounding the Garden. We’ll hit up top restaurants, under-the-radar spots, food courts – you name it. Whether you just need a pre- or post-Garden bite or want to make a day of culinary adventures in Queens, you’ve got options for every taste and budget. Let’s do this!
About Queens Botanical Garden
Spanning 39 acres, Queens Botanical Garden has been an NYC tourist spot since 1939. With lush gardens, cool tree collections, and fun classes and events, it’s an urban oasis in the heart of Flushing.
Highlights include the pretty Cherry Circle filled with Yoshino cherry trees, the Fragrance Walk lined with roses and lilies, the elevated Queens Highline, and seasonal gardens like the Spring Bulb Garden. They also host concerts, art exhibits and family programs year-round.
The Garden has two places to grab a nibble:
- Pine Tree Cafe: Casual spot under tall pines serving pizza, panini, salads
- Hudson Garden Grill: Fancy farm-to-table restaurant (closed January-February 2023 tho)
With all that walking around the gardens, you’ll probably get hungry! Good news – some of the city’s best eats are close by.
Awesome Eats in Flushing’s Chinatown
The number one food spot near the Garden is downtown Flushing. Also known as Flushing Chinatown, it has the biggest Chinese community in NYC. Just strolling along Main St and Roosevelt Ave, you’ll be smacked in the face with the smells of Chinese cooking. Dumplings, noodles, regional specialties – they’ve got it all here!
Some highlights:
Dumplings, Dumplings, Dumplings
Gotta start with the soup dumplings, aka xiao long bao. The spot for these is Nan Xiang Xiao Long Bao. Their shrimp & pork soup dumplings are life changing. Other solid dumpling joints are Diverse Dim Sum and Dumpling Galaxy.
Noodles and Rolls
Slurp hand-pulled noodles at Lam Zhou or try Cantonese shrimp rice rolls with soy sauce at Joe’s Steam Rice Roll. For spice, go for dan dan noodles at Spicy Village or Fu Run.
Chinese Regional Faves
Beyond just dumplings and noodles, get your hands on food from around China. Spicy Sichuan fare at Little Pepper, Cantonese roast meats at Big Wong Restaurant, authentic Taiwanese bites at Fishball Story. Yum!
Food Courts Galore
Don’t miss the massive food courts at Golden Shopping Mall and New World Mall. We’re talking stalls slinging everything from jianbing crepes to Xinjiang laghman noodles and malatang hot pots. Amazing choices here!
Cash only at many spots, fyi. But Flushing’s Chinatown is worth it for the amazing options!
Other Tasty Neighborhoods Nearby
A quick 7 train ride takes you to even more dynamite food enclaves around Queens Botanical Garden.
Jackson Heights
This vibrant neighborhood has one of NYC’s Little Indias on 74th St. Eat masala dosas from street cart Dosa Delight or rich curries at Jackson Diner. Also Find Latin bites from Little Colombia, like arepas (stuffed corn cakes) at Arepa Lady.
Forest Hills
Try out Jewish deli at Ben’s Best or get brick oven pizza at Nick’s Pizza in Forest Hills.
Elmhurst
Elmhurst’s got Thai rolled ice cream from Zabb Elee and Filipino fare like sisig at Krystal’s Cafe.
Corona
In Corona, hit up Leo’s Ceviche for Mexican seafood cocktails and Elias Corner for Greek classics like spanakopita.
So many cuisines, so little time! What are you in the mood for?
Top Brunch Spots Near the Garden
If you’re visiting Queens Botanical Garden on a weekend morning, you’ll need a solid brunch spot nearby. Let me spill the beans on some primo pre-Garden fuel-up options:
- Win Son Bakery – Taiwanese-American spot for scallion pancakes, soup dumplings, noodle soups, and other scrumptious bites
- Lao Wong Ping – Hole-in-the-wall Taiwanese joint famous for their fluffy scallion pancakes loaded with egg and crisp glass noodles
- Tortas Neza – Tiny Mexican spot cooking up crazy sandwiches layered with carnitas, chorizo, cactus, and more on crusty rolls
- Sweetleaf – Australian-style cafe serving avocado toast, creamy acai bowls, and other Instagrammable (but delish) morning fare
Don’t forget the coffee! Need your caffeine fix? Check out spots like Coffee Project NY, Sweetleaf, and Hungry Ghost Coffee nearby.
Desserts and Coffee in Queens
After all that savory goodness, you’ll need something sweet! For desserts like mochi donuts and chewy mochi ice cream, stop by Mochido. For über- Instagrammable sweet bubble waffles, hit up Fun Easy Snacks.
And for a lovely afternoon pick-me-up, check out Caffe Bene for Korean-style coffee and shaved ice.
The Takeaway
From Chinese banquets in Flushing to tacos in Corona, the neighborhoods around Queens Botanical Garden offer an amazing array of cuisines. No matter when you visit the Garden, you can find awesome food nearby to fuel your urban oasis adventures. Just hop on the 7 train and bon appétit!
source https://sesamorestaurant.com/news/104249/
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