Kwan’s Qualms’ New York City World Cup Food Guide (Part I)
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Part II (to be released)
Because this whole process is taking me a lot longer than I thought, I’m posting this as part one. The complete “list” is over here, and part two will eventually be here. Part one will feature ~26 restaurants / countries.
Part I
With an absolute bias towards restaurants I’ve been to, frequent, are in neighborhoods I spend more time in, and that I personally like, this is by no means a definitive list. Just a suggestion to hit these places up. It also turns out Queens is just the most diverse and Astoria in particularly has some pretty solid representation (but that all tracks due to my personal bias).
Australia
I was going to say The Thirsty Koala, Astoria, but it’s closed! So I have to pivot now… to…
Sushi Counter, West Village is what I’m going with. It truly is just a counter, with just a few chair scattered at the window / outside if the weather is good. They are a fast and (relatively) affordable snack. They’re premade rolls, but still fresh, and they have options for the raw fish lover, the raw fish hater, the shellfish lover, the people who prefer their food from the land, and the vegetable hater (I think I captured all the groups in there). I think it’s definitely Australian because every time we’ve been there, and we’ve been there probably half a dozen times, an Aussie is working the counter. They’re messy to eat, I mean putting soy sauce and wasabi on it while you’re walking around is just tough. You should eat them quickly because they don’t last well inside the bag, but let’s be honest, I don’t make it too far once I’ve purchased them, so it’s not really too much of a problem for me. They have rotating specials which is nice. I always leave quite content.
$14.15 with tax for three.
We also tried Isla and Co, Lower East Side (has three locations) is seemingly a hotel restaurant chain in Manhattan, and standalone in Brooklyn... Comments at our table were, “I think Australian food is just food.” and “It’s hard for it to be remarkable. Because it’s just American food.”, “It’s just a restaurant.”, and “As a restaurant it’s fine. But it didn’t convince me that Australian food is a particularly distinct cuisine.”
Kangaroo skewers were fine, kind of a tough meat. Sausage rolls were very good. Chicken parma was solid. Fries were strangely two different types of fries, like they ran out and randomly just bought whatever pack they could find. I can’t speak to the espresso martini flight, but our panel of taste testers described them as:
Olive Temptation is chocolatey and banana-y
Scarlett Rose is coffee forward
Coco Devine doesn’t meld and blend with the sherry well
$188.03 including tax and tip for four people and drinks.
Austria
Cafe Sabarsky, Upper East Side is the obvious and clear choice. Literally located in the Neue Galerie (which is a German and Austrian art and design museum) it is a top notch restaurant. Make your reservation ahead of time, it can often be booked out and they might not have space for walk ins. On a Thursday from 6:45, when we sat to around 9, the place was entirely full. And the lack of empty tables creates a buzzy atmosphere, without being loud. Of course, we’re in a museum. During our brief review at the end of the meal our table remarked that it’s the best New York museum restaurant outside of The Modern. We described it having a wonderful cozy European ambiance and admired the decor. It is a nice restaurant, but not “snotty” nor pretentious at all. One person mentioned they liked the security, which apparently is because the museum doesn’t have glass covering some of its art and that if you bring a bottle of champagne, you have to convince them you’re cool and aren’t trying to pull a fast one over them. The museum’s coat check closes at 8, so if you haven’t retrieved your coat by then, they’ll amusingly bring them to the cafe and play a game of whose jacket is this? We ordered the wiener schnitzel, goulash, duck special, and bratwursts, along with two desserts, a lingonberry crepe and an apple strudel. Everything was delicious. I particularly found the goulash to be very well made, and the spaetzle it came with was inhaled immediately. Plates were licked clean. It’s certainly a pricier dinner though.
$306.72 with tax and tip for four people and a round of drinks.
Belgium
BXL Cafe, Times Square / Bryant Park is a favorite spot of mine for the Moules Frites. Conveniently located in midtown, if you’re craving it, swing by. They’ve got a decent burger too, and a pretty large Belgian beer menu. It’s pretty small, so it can get crowded at peak times (after work). But definitely worth it. Don’t wear a light colored shirt… learn from me.
Bosnia & Herzegovina
Sarajevo Grill, Astoria
Got a crispy diet coke and, what I can only assume is, a Balkan soda. Turns out it’s Slovenian. The cheese burek we got was delicious, and was an excellent combo to eat with the Mjesano Meso, which is basically just a house combo trying all the meats. The cevapi is fantastic. So was the kofte and sudjukice. The chicken was wildly mediocre. I mean it’s just grilled chicken… oh and Mattos got a salad. Still, a delicious and filling meal.
We swung by for lunch on a Saturday and it was basically packed with people waiting for our table. It’s mostly a takeout joint, but the food was really fantastic and the vibes are on point.
$61.55 for two
Brazil
For me it’s a tie between New York Pao Di Queijo, Astoria and Rio Market, Astoria. Both are takeout counters, though the latter has a bit more of a seating area, so I’ll recommend that since you can probably get a table. It’s very casual, more of a buffet, because Brazilians love a buffet. The former is tinier. Cuter vibes though. Rio Bonito also has a market area if you want any Brazilian groceries. They even have a selection of Brazilian soccer jerseys for $40 each. We swung by on 12/14 to ensure it’s still quality. And it passes! Lots of cute tiny coxinhas and pao di queijos for shared to go snacks are available as well.
Also, a shoutout to Beija Flor, Astoria for much better vibes (dancing and soccer), but worse food. Or across the street from Rio Market is Rio Bonito as well for good food as well. There are plenty of Brazilian spots in this neighborhood that you could go to for the atmosphere.
Go to Beija Flor first if you want to watch the game, but this whole street will be bumping for any game. Heck, I wouldn’t be surprised if Melrose Ballroom around the corner just hosts watch parties too.
Canada
The Canuck, Chelsea is a staple for hockey, Canadian beer, and bar food. If you’re looking for a classic sports bar, look no further than this bar. I’m entirely biased because I know the owners, and they’re great people. It’s become one of my most frequented bars in the city despite not living or working anywhere near it. Come support Roisin’s small business and enjoy an excellent sports bar!
With an inviting Canadian flag on their entrance awning and plenty of TVs to watch any event, it’s the perfect sports bar for any occasion. We’ve been obviously for hockey and the Winter Olympics, but it’s great for March Madness, soccer, Knicks, and football too. For the blog, I swung by on a Thursday evening at 6 and ordered their most Canadian dish on the menu, the poutine. But in my rush I randomly picked the Manhattan, mostly because I saw shaved rib-eye steak and was sold. I usually get other typical bar food like burgers and chicken sandwiches, and they’re all good.
It was and is usually packed. Office workers come in for happy hour, sports leagues for post match drinks, people to watch sports, and a miscellaneous cadre of randos. I like to think I started a little poutine trend that evening, as the three single men at the bar adjacent to me also ordered some and we all ate our delicious poutines, drank Labatt Blue, and watched Olympic events quietly together. Male Loneliness at its finest.
They’ve now opened a second location called The Canuck True North, which is amusingly fewer than ten blocks north of this location, but slightly more conveniently located. I’ve been a few times, but it hasn’t got the atmosphere yet of the original, but I’m sure they’re working on it. Plus, I hear they’re going to put in a speakeasy!
$33.48 for poutine and a beer with tax and tip.
Colombia
El Basurero Restaurante, Astoria is a crazy spot for soccer watching and is a solid Colombian spot. Similarly, I’ve mostly only drank here, but we made an extra trip to get a taste of the food. Big space, chaotically decorated, it turns out the word means trashcan or something like that. And it feels that way. My dish was a delicious mess of everything. Chicken was the weakest, as per usual, but I always appreciate the full combo. I basically ate Daphne’s leftover breaded chicken because I too am a wastebasket.
$256.21 for 6
Croatia
Rudar Club, Astoria is just a cool spot. Heading there in the middle of our below freezing wintry spell was beyond amusing since it isn’t very inviting from the outside. It is operated or associated with the Istrian Miners. Istria (I obviously had to look this up) is a peninsula in Northwest Croatia (with a sliver of it a part of Slovenia). When we figured our way inside, we were greeted by no one. An entirely empty restaurant. But head to the basement, and the place is packed and lively! We were luckily seated quickly as a foursome had just paid. It was a Saturday night with two large parties, so I could see a situation where you could easily not get a table or wait awhile, but honestly, they’d find a way to sit you somewhere. Maybe in the kitchen, hallway, bar, upstairs, outside, who knows.
Rudar Club is enjoyable because the restaurant is a bit out of place and the wine is flowing with the people you’re with ($22 for a liter). It has an anti-restaurant restaurant vibe. They don’t act with speed, but that’s not to say they’re slow. In fact the food came out very quickly. They’re just willing to talk and are very personable. It’s a classic hole in the wall. Best for the winter. Cozy in the brick laden basement. Food is heavy and warm. It’s not going to knock your socks off, but tasty and very affordable.
The gnocchi was fantastic. Cevapi delicious. And veal was really good as well. The rest of the grilled meats were only okay. Salad was surprisingly good. Fries are typical. Unfortunately they were sold out of the Istrian Farfalle pasta. But I’ll be back to try it. It sounded great, the house made gnocchi was a great indicator but I’m a heavy carb guy. The menu is meat heavy, but they do have a small dedicated vegetarian section.
$175 with tax and tip for 4 people. Not a date night spot, best for a group.
Ecuador
Barzola, Astoria (or Jackson Heights) is a sleeper hit on a Tuesday night. The ambiance is a bit too party-y and while the music is pretty loud, it’s weirdly not that loud, it’s just all about that bass. It’s thumping and at points you and other tables find yourself bopping along and dancing with your upper body. “It’s as if you’re into the 2016 trend and as you stepped inside you’ve entered a Chai Psi basement. In the best way to describe the music is that it’s inappropriately fun. From the outside it looks like it would be overstimulation in all caps bold underlined, but it’s really just all caps. Which is all to say, don’t silo it into a weekend spot, it can be a great weeknight spot. “
The lights that you can see from the street doesn’t evoke a sense of a quality authentic food, but don’t let the cheap aesthetics deter you from a great Ecuadorian meal. Ceviche was fresh (though not the best ceviche in the area, go to Mariscos el Submarino for some really incredible ceviche that you’ll want to drink the marinade) and the classic Seco de Chivo (goat stew) was very good. Also, never sleep on the South American fried rice (chaulafan), which I continue to maintain are better than Asian fried rice dishes. They will tell you a plate is big, and take them seriously. They were large portions. Definitely recommend sharing.
Sam mentioned afterwards he was ashamed he didn’t go there for the few years he lived nearby.
Weirdly they include an 18% gratuity for parties greater than 3 people, which felt kinda random.
$161.86 for dinner for 3 with a bottle of wine (and leftovers).
Egypt
Little Egypt is a short walk from us in Astoria, so we have two recommendations:
Abuqir, Astoria is absolutely one of the best pick your own seafood and have them cook it live place we’ve been to. Unfortunately it’s the smallest and least convenient… but I did have a spectacular time and would recommend it to anyone who is into seafood. But since it’s mainly seafood, if you’re not a fan, skip it. Lines are long since it’s popular, and there are no reservations.
Mombar, Astoria is a chaotic and homely experience. I’ll recommend it for the non seafood eaters since they have a broader menu and you can eat meat or go vegetarian if need be. We went once a couple years back on a weeknight. We were literally the only people there the entire night. Our host, waiter, server, procurer, sous chef, and chef were all one Egyptian man. He had no menu and simply spoke to us about what we wanted to eat. There were no prices either. After we ordered, he left the restaurant, leaving us alone in his hodgepodge decor, and eventually returned with grocery bags! He cooked each dish for us, and three hours later we were stuffed, amused, with takeout containers because we overordered.
$92 for two entrees and two appetizers + tip / tax. Have to pay in cash.
England
Dame, West Village, we’ve been a few times. It’s a tiny restaurant so you have to try and snag a reservation. The fish and chips are top notch, sit at the bar if you can and enjoy the chaos in the tiny kitchen. If you’re not into seafood, it’s hard to recommend this place, there was little or nothing on the menu that a land focused eater could have.
Tea & Sympathy, Greenwich Village (Mayor Mamdani’s recommendation)
Germany
Max Bratwurst und Bier, Astoria is a surprisingly good place for German classics like Schnitzel and all sorts of sausages. Pro move, grab your food there, and hop on over to The Shillelagh Tavern down the block and watch a game. They’re really friendly (also a Liverpool bar) with a great atmosphere, albeit quaint.
Loreley Beer Garden, Lower East Side (Mayor Mamdani’s recommendation) is where I celebrated a corporate intramural soccer league win (I was mostly an unused sub) and also attended a Freemasons meet and greet (I didn’t join up). I don’t recall much about food, I mostly recall drinking beer out of the trophy.
Ivory Coast
YopCity, Fordham (Bronx). Originally pitched as a Senegalese place, on the day of we realized that this was more Ivorian, so we decided to go anyway and backfill with something else for Senegal. It’s a bit of a walk from the nearest subway station, but you end up on the famous Arthur Avenue. We were just walk ins, but by the time we were finished on a Friday evening, the place was packed. The restaurant served some delicious food, and the portions were massive.
We ordered Gigot D’agneau (lamb shank), Big Sosso (croaker fish), and Poulet Pique (chicken), with sides of jollof rice, attieke (cassava couscous), and alloco (plantains). We also got two gigembre (ginger) and two bissap (sorrel / hibiscus) drinks, both of which were very good, though the ginger drink is pretty darn ginger-y, basically a large ginger shot. They also both conveniently come in “nutcracker” takeaway bottles, so you can keep it with you for later.
$172 with tip for four people (the three entrees and four drinks). Oddly, while they accept card, they didn’t have the ability to tip, so bring cash to tip on top of it. I’d suggest only ordering one entree per couple since they’re so large. I personally liked the lamb the most, but the fish was pretty good as well.
All three entrees came with a side of an incredibly spicy sauce that none of us could handle. It’s good that it came on the side, otherwise it would have been close to inedible for us!
Japan
Kondo, Astoria unlike most affordable Japanese sushi restaurants whom are owned by random other Asians, Kondo is owned and operated by a local married Japanese couple. They do cultural performances, serve great food and drink (order a certain sake and they’ll serve it out of a comically large bottle). They’re involved in our community and we love going to this restaurant and supporting them.
$140 for dinner for two plus drinks.
Susuru Ramen, Astoria is another local gem that has no right to be this good. I’m going to add it since I know some people are insane and aren’t fans of sushi, so this is a good alternative. Unfortunately, it is small and you will probably have to wait for a seat, but it’s great ramen plus a surprisingly deep beer menu. <$20 per meal without alcohol.
Honzen, Astoria, for an unncessary third option, but felt necessary to bring up since it’s another great Japanese spot in the neighborhood. By Chef Jay, this is the restaurant’s third rebranding / iteration (first Gaijin, second Koyo), done more it seems, out of boredom / to stay fresh, rather than poor performance. Heavy seafood menu, but less sushi focused than Kondo. $200 for dinner for two plus a lot of drinks.
Jordan
Levant, Astoria is or isn’t in the subregion of Levant, but I’m going for it. The mixed feteer was substantial and amazing. It could serve 3-4 people. I got to take half of it home and have it for leftovers and it still hit. There’s not a lot of seating there, it’s mostly more of a takeout joint, but man was it good.
$52 for two people and plenty of leftovers.
Mexico
Okay, so it’s a chain, but it’s relatively local still, and New York born, and immigrant led, and pretty darn tasty and affordable, so screw it, I’m going with Nenes Taqueria. There are a bunch of locations throughout the city, but trust me, it’s a good time. The food is affordable with no frills. Keep in mind the consome is basically another meal. So order less and you’ll be good. Like the combo and the deluxe are both too much food for me, so I’ve started just ordering a la carte because it’s less wasteful. My go to is the mulita and consommé. Way less crowded than other Mexican joints like Los Tacos No. 1.
La Esquina is pretty good too. A solid spot where I get lunch quite often, so I would suggest that one too. There are more locations now as well, so easily accessible for lots of people. I’ve always been really fond of their tortilla soup.
When we’re feeling fancy we go to Casa Enrique, Long Island City. But this is much more expensive and fancy. Though this does fit the no chains rule better. So maybe I’ll post this on the final map.
I finally had Los Tacos No. 1 this year, and it was pretty darn good. But I’m going to stick with my pick. But really surprised Los Tacos No. 1 lived up to the hype. I normally don’t care for a chicken taco, but they crush it.
Morocco
Dar Lbahja, Astoria
We called ahead and got a reservation. We wore our Morocco jerseys and the restaurant was packed, albeit with all gentrifying white people since it had just been featured in a New York Times article. I don’t totally remember what we ordered, but I remember it was all great. The dish was really new to us was the Chicken Bastilla, pictured on the far left. It is a sweet / savory pie, stuffed with chickens and almonds. Very tasty.
$120 for dinner for 4
Netherlands
For a place called New Amsterdam, we have a surprising lack of Dutch food.
So I started with Wonderen Stroopwafels in Grand Central Terminal since it technically counts… It cost $10.89 for one plain fresh one and it took a little under 5 minutes to make. Apparently plain is blasphemous to this establishment, even though what they’ve done to the stroopwafel is more sacrilegious. I had to convince her that I only wanted plain which she seemed to not grasp as there is no additional cost to the topping you get on it. It’s horrendous that they basically only have overly sugared toppings on all of them for you to purchase. I ate it on the train and I didn’t get caramel everywhere. So you know it isn’t good. Rudi’s in Amsterdam is ~$3.50 and infinitely better. I cannot in good conscience recommend you go there to eat these. I’d suggest just getting them from Trader Joe’s and having it heat over a hot beverage. Much tastier and cost effective.
So for now… I guess go to a classic Jewish deli and get some pickled herring? I mean who can really tell subtleties of herrings apart… huh, probably those who are hunting for herring I suppose…
Norway
Unfortunately, I’ve been stumped already, by country number 8… It turns out there may not be an exclusively Norwegian restaurant in New York City. It seems generally Norwegian seems to be lumped in with Scandinavian. I tried two: Nordic Preserves in Essex Market and Bjork Cafe & Bistro. Both seem to feel more Swedish, or at least just generally Scandinavian. Neither had the Norwegian national dish of fårikål either.
On January 9th, we swung by Essex Market on a Thursday after work and went to the Nordic Preserves stall and snagged the Lock, Stock+ Barrel sample board ($28). You’re allowed to pick five fish, but I entrusted Olivia with selecting five that would best represent Norway. She may have misheard me, and went with a more generally Scandinavian selection of Danish Trout, Cured Eel, Beet Gravlax, Norwegian Smoked Salmon, and Cold Smoked Tuna. The board was expertly crafted by Olivia, who very kindly put in the extra effort despite closing up shop. It was accompanied with horseradish cream, royal mustard, figs, cornichons, caperberries, olives, and some baguette crackers. We swung around the stall corner to Catalyst to grab a couple of drinks ($6 draft beer) and then ate the medley at the stall as they closed up shop. After we were done, we got an exquisite Rush Creek Reserve cheese (even though we didn’t heat it up in an over before eating it, only warmed it up with our hands and got it to room temp) and some crackers next door at Rebel Cheese, ordered more drinks at Catalyst and ate and drank as the market closed shop and shut down. Honestly it was a wonderful time, and I attribute that to the relaxed atmosphere, wonderful playlist, and affordable (for New York) prices. But as always, the best part is simply spending time with friends! Becks and Priya were great companions and we not only ate all the fish, but the entire cheese block as well! Eel was certainly the most extremely fishy of the five fish on the sample board, but the tastiest and most interesting was the Cold Smoked Tuna. It was a strange almost prosciutto / cured meat flavor combined with a noticeably tuna / fish flavor that was very good.
So for my alternative option, and I’m going to go with the Bjork Cafe & Bistro. It’s located in Scandinavian House, so that feels like decent representation, but it definitely skews more Swedish. That said… as you’ll see later, the day we went was Norway Day, so they were definitely more Norwegian… on that particular Sunday.
Paraguay
I Love Paraguay, Sunnyside.
An easy find, since it’s in the name. They have a craft brew they make nearby to replicate a beer back in Paraguay which is fun. We got the two items called the I Love Paraguay. One was a sandwich, the other was a curry chicken. I’d recommend the sandwich, not so much the curry chicken. We also got the Sopa Paraguaya, the corn cake. It was good, but a bit heavy for an app, I wouldn’t recommend it if you don’t have at least 4 people dining. Otherwise it’ll go to waste.
$95.19 for two people with beers.
Portugal
Portugalia, Newark
My first non New York City site, but if Newark’s airport counts as a major New York City airport, then we can grab a restaurant from over there. I’ve gone a few times over the years, typically when I’m in Harrison for a game, and want some great food. I’ll walk over across the bridge and hit up this divey and delicious deep cut.
Senegal
Le Baobab Gouygui, Harlem is a very casual spot that is absolutely bustling during dinner time (to be fair, we think it was especially busy with the breaking of Ramadan at sunset the night we went). By 7 pm it was packed and there wasn’t a seat available the Sunday evening we went. The staff were really friendly and helpful. They were sold out of Fataya, but we ordered the Bouye (baobab fruit) and Bissap (sorrel) drinks. Both were very tasty. The Bouye has a creamier fruity taste, almost like a milkshake, whereas the Bissap is more of a typical red fruit drink, but it’s very sweet and rich. Could definitely be cut a bit with some water to help ease the flavor, but regardless, we inhaled ours. For dinner we ordered thiebu djen, thiebu lamb, and chicken yassa. The jollof rice is a bit more pearled, the internet says they use broken rice. It is well seasoned and flavored which is great. Thiebu djen (fish / eggplant) was spicier than thiebu lamb, but the lamb tasted better. The chicken was also very good (though they had to replace it with a normal grilled chicken because they were out of yassa). The website has embedded music which is crazy, and it is clearly designed for a different age, but hey, at least it’s accurate.
$81.66 for four people with non alcoholic drinks. Also there was no way to add a tip to the payment after we paid the check with a credit card. So bring some cash to leave behind.
Chez Jacob Restaurant, Harlem (Mayor Mamdani’s recommendation)
South Korea
Jongro BBQ, KTown is hard to find amongst the chaos of KTown, but it’s my go to Korean barbecue joint. It’s a great time, with quality food and atmosphere.
$226.73, $218.41, or $253.12 for four with drinks
Sweden
Bjork Cafe, Midtown is at the Scandinavian house on Park Avenue. It has the flags of multiple countries outside, and even a little gift shop of imported goods. That said, despite its best efforts. It predominantly features Sweden. Makes some sense, Sweden is twice the size of the next largest country. I looked at Bjork originally for Norway, but after reviewing the menu, it felt much more Swedish. That said, we did try it on May 17th, which happens to be Norway’s Constitution Day. So there were plenty of Norwegian flags around, as well as plenty of Norwegians celebrating.
$286.72 for 7 people for lunch.
Switzerland
The Lavaux, West Village was an easy find for us. It’s the obvious pick, I mean it has a Swiss flag outside and a vintage ski gondola table. It’s a little daunting, as the menu is very much fondue. I was a little nervous because what if someone in our party simply didn’t want to eat fondue, they would be severely out of luck. That said, it was delicious. We got the The Traditional (Moitié-Moitié) with garlic and it was delicious. We got it the two person size and it was probably a little small for four of us, but we really didn’t need to eat anymore (but I say a bit small since we were cleaning the fondue caquelon (I googled that) with our last pieces). We also got a charcuterie board, a salad, and then in an impulse (probably a little wine drunk) we got a chocolate fondue dessert (again for two). Our friends had actually been there before and said we ordered better than last time, though they couldn’t recall which fondue they had, but it was much more rich than the one we got. Their menu has a plethora of Swiss wines (Chasselas) and is apparently the only restaurant in the country that sells them.
“I love places with a family style sharing food format, where I can try things.”
“It doesn’t feel like a meal, it feels like indulgence.”
We also made it a point to try it on a Tuesday to partake in their Secret Message Party. We were a little worried when we were only one of three tables when we arrived. But the place filled up with at least a dozen (though the hostess of the game said typically there were more people). We all found the activity very enjoyable. Our friend Jesse was particularly adept at it. Some highlights were a child telling us that they would defeat our superpowers by absorbing all of ours and adding super strength on top. There was a reference to a fairy smut book, a messed up game of FMK, talk of food architecture, work gossip, and classic New York experiences.
$357 for four people with a bottle of wine.
Turkiye
It’s too bad our local Cafe Turkiye closed. It was a good spot that we liked going to. Safir Mediterranean in Long Island City. We got dips and falafel, and salads, and pide, and manti (just for me since it’s meat and we were with vegetarians). Delicious place with good wine as well.
$213 for 4 people with wine.
Uruguay
Uruguay is famous for their national sandwich, El Chivito. It is the epitome of a sandwich. Decadent deli steak sandwich. It typically contains sliced churrasco beef, mozzarella, ham, bacon, hard-boiled or fried eggs, olives, lettuce, tomatoes, and mayonnaise, usually served in a bun. Luckily for us, we had two options one block from one another in Jackson Heights, Queens to check out. So in true Hobbit fashion, we had elevensies and lunch to try both, compare, and pick a winner. It’s good we had three people for this venture since the sandwiches were massive. Certainly one with the fries could feed two people. Now, I hate to do this, but the winner is La Gran Uruguay by a hair. I wholeheartedly endorse El Chivito D’oro as well. You really can’t go wrong, and they actually produce two slightly different versions, so it’s worth noting that. Both fries were typical frozen fries, but one was double fried, and the other was single fried. Both places served a delicious chimichurri sauce on the side. Also, both places sell a chicken version and a platter (I suppose a deconstructed sandwich) version.
La Gran Uruguay, Jackson Heights has more of a sports bar energy. On a cold Friday for lunch there was only one couple present. The easiest way I can describe the differences was that this was a “dinner” version. The main reason I picked this one over the other was the steak quality was better. It did not have mayo in it, and neither seemed to have olives, which I appreciated. They have a bunch of signed national team jerseys up on the walls. This place looks like it would be excellent to watch matches, though I doubt you would get a seat inside. I did think this place had worse fries, but I’m simply not a fan of the frozen double fried bumpy looking French fries (which after additional research turns out is the staple of the standard Sysco french fry). In addition to the chimichurri sauce, they also gave us a green salsa. $31.39 with tax for one.
El Chivito D’oro, Jackson Heights has more of a diner energy. On a cold Friday for lunch there were about a dozen people present. The easiest way I can describe the differences was this was a “lunch” version. This one was much cleaner to eat than the other. So if you want to look presentable, well as presentable as you can when eating a messy multilayered steak sandwich, this is the one to go with. It also just had better sandwich construction and stability. These fries are basic, but enjoyable. In addition to the chimichurri sauce, they also gave us a red salsa criolla. $26.91 with tax for one.
