Your NYC park picnics just got a whole lot easier.
When summer hits town, one of the best things to do in the city is to pack up a bunch of excellent food and throw a picnic party at any number of our lovely parks, from the famous destination green spaces like Central Park and Prospect Park, to local hangs such as Tompkins Square Park in the East Village, Domino Park in Williamsburg, or Gantry Plaza in Long Island City.
New York City park picnics always serve as a nice reminder why we love living here. And don't get dissuaded during the hottest of summer dog days! Dinner picnics are a great way to get out from behind your air conditioning and enjoy some cool(ish) evening breezes.
There are countless terrific restaurants in Manhattan, Brooklyn, and Queens located near the city's best parks. Below you'll find a half dozen favorites to get you started, all of which can make your life easier with delivery via Grubhub.
Rowdy Rooster in the East Village
Roni Mazumdar, chef Chintan Pandya, and the rest of the Unapologetic Foods team run some of the most exciting restaurants in the city, from Dhamakha on the Lower East Side to Masalawala in Park Slope to — perfect picnic idea alert —Rowdy Rooster in the East Village, just a block away from Tompkins Square Park. There you'll find some insanely good (and, if you order it that way, "crazy hot") Indian fried chicken, sold in individual-sized buckets or stuffed into sandwiches. And don't sleep on the vegetarian options here, including Indian street food favorites like the Vada Pao, which is basically a potato patty sandwich, and the crisp-fried Eggplant Pakora. The Mango Lassi is superb, or get a few cans of that sweet Thums Up cola, all conveniently delivered to you via Grubhub.
Located at 149 First Avenue
SYKO in Windsor Terrace
Half of the menu at this delightful counter service spot near Prospect Park is Syrian; the other half is Korean. Hence: SYKO! Run by brothers-in-law Mazen Khoury and James Kim, SYKO stars a picnic-feast-full of excellent options, like the Bulgogi Kimbap, all of the Syrian sandwiches (a fan favorite is the burrito-esque Sujok, with beef sausage, french fries, garlic paste, and pickles), the Grape Leaves and Baba Ganoush, and the eight or so Banchan options available each day. It's like ordering from two different restaurants, all in one handy location with easy access thanks to Grubhub.
Located at 126 Windsor Place
Mission Sandwich Social in Williamsburg
A few blocks away from Domino Park on the East River (and not too far away from the neighborhood's other popular park, McCarren), Brian Tso's rock-n-roll Mission Sandwich Social makes some of the best sandwiches in Brooklyn. These massive subs like Tha Menace are stuffed with things like chicken cutlets, bacon, melted provolone, and ranch (aka the Four Horseman), or roast pork, melted swiss, pickles, and hot sauce (the Havana Spice Club), or Korean barbecue beef short rib, melted mozzarella, and french fries (the Steve Byrne), and all are guaranteed to satisfy. Order via Grubhub and get the perfect picnic feast sorted out in no time.
Located at 326 Bedford Avenue
Rokstar Chicken in Long Island City
There are two things that make Rokstar's Korean fried chicken among the best buckets of bird in town. First, there's whole Korean double-frying technique that give these lightly-battered beauties a cracking crunch on the outside while keeping the chicken itself nice and juicy. Second, owner Mark Lee offers a whole bunch of awesome sauces to go with, either on the side or, if you don't mind a mess, dumped all over the top, from Hot Korean Sweet Chili to Honey Butter to the classic Soy Garlic BBQ. Well-executed sides like French Fries, Cole Slaw, Onion Rings, and Kimchi Dumplings round out the meal. Get it all delivered via Grubhub, spread out a blanket at Gantry State Park, and marvel at how good life can be. Oh and there's a Rokstar in Harlem, too, just north of Central Park.
Located at 4202 Northern Boulevard and 201 East 125th Street
Super Burrito in Rockaway
Is the greatest NYC park actually the beach? Maybe! Rockaway is in terrific shape this summer, for surfing, swimming, sunbathing, and scarfing the superb creations from Super Burrito. Owners Eugene Cleghorn and Sam Neely stuff their San Francisco-style monsters with your choice of carne asada, al pastor, grilled chicken, grilled shrimp, or poblano peppers, plus rice, beans, jack cheese, avocado, pico de gallo, and salsa. Also amazing: the smaller tacos, the more salad-y "bowls," and, maybe the greatest thing on any menu anywhere this summer, the gloppy glory of the Dankwrap, with ground beef and melted cheese between crisp tostada shells. And remember, ordering via Grubhub means more time chilling on the sand.
Located at 190 Beach 69th Street
