Our favorite food halls outside of Manhattan
My new favorite start to a night out is gathering a few friends and heading to a Brooklyn food hall. No matter what borough you live in, food halls bring independent and eclectic restaurants, bars, and shops together under one roof.
We wrote about the best food halls in NYC, but Manhattan isn’t the only place to explore curated food halls in New York. A few hidden gems in Brooklyn and Queens are worth raving about as well.
The Food Halls In Brooklyn
Industry City
- Location: Sunset Park, Brooklyn
- Hours: 9am-5pm
Industry City is an “urban campus.” If you haven’t heard of the space itself, it is a business park with tons of innovative and creative workspaces right on the water in Sunset Park. Industry City is like a giant campus for coworking, activities, art, shops, live music events, etc. made up of a few buildings within walking distance to one another. If all that’s not enough for you, an entire food hall is waiting to be explored. My friends and I crossed the water to Sunset Park to see what they had to offer – it is a lunchtime situation as they close at 5pm.
Industry City’s Food Hall has coffee, breakfast, healthy options, and sit-down eats. We had a few takeaway favorites. BANGKOK BAR offers quick and affordable Thai street food and the crispy chicken wings are a must-order. We also liked Burger Joint’s speakeasy bar. If you’re into Korean comfort food, hit up Ejen. Kotti Berliner Döner Kebab was serving up authentic German Döner Kebab. There is nothing wrong with Turkish bread stuffed with roasted meat, vegetables, and garlic yogurt sauce.
The Food Hall at Queens Crossing
- Location: Flushing, Queens
- Hours: 10am-10pm
This next food hall is located on the second floor in the Queens Crossing Mall. I know what you’re thinking: a food court mall? Stick with me here. In 2016 they underwent a huge renovation, and Queens Crossing is now an upscale and airy food hall that has become a go-to spot to experience a curation of over twelve food vendors in one place. If you ever crave modern Asian cuisine, you need to come here.
They have Korean tofu, fresh sushi, Korean rice hotdogs, fried chicken, poke, and more! I would trek to Flushing if you’re looking for aesthetic dessert. The Dough Club boasts light-as-air Japanese mochi donuts. Taiyaki NYC has the CUTEST fish-shaped Japanese waffles stuffed with soft-serve ice cream. And your Instagram grid needs this colorful bubble tea from Kung-Fu Tea.
DeKalb Market Hall
- Location: Downtown Brooklyn
- Hours: 9 am – 9 pm
Dekalb Market is home to one of the largest food halls in America. The vibe is bustling, although it is hard to shake the feeling that you’re in the basement of a mall. Again, bear with me here. With over 35 local vendors, the best restaurants in downtown Brooklyn are here, and the food makes up for the ambiance.
First, Katz’s Deli. Need I say more? This is their first outpost from their iconic Lower East Side location and worth the trip to Dekalb Market if you’re in Brooklyn. 100% Mr. Lin serves noodle soups and rice bowls, and BK Jani has some amazing halal burgers that cannot compare. This food hall has classics like chicken sandwiches and shakes at Creamline, but you can also flip the script and opt for a raw bar and seafood at Fulton Seafood Landing. If we do say so ourselves, it is the perfect place to start your night out in Brooklyn.
Manhattan isn’t the only place to curate food, drinks, shops, and ambiance. There are options in Brooklyn and Queens for your food hall cravings. That’s the beauty of food halls. Go in with a one-track mind and change your mission a hundred times – they likely have what you want.