Station House Launches Direct Delivery

 Coming on the horrible news about Banter's closing, this great news about Station House opening up their spectacularly delicious, innovative takes on pub cuisine to direct delivery cannot come soon enough. 

 

The Good News and the Very Bad News

 The good news, especially for those who live in the largely residential area to the north of Queens Blvd. in the center of the neighborhood: You're getting a new Starbucks, right next to the 71st Continental Ave. subway stop, between the new bank and the CVS. Here's some pics of the outside and inside under construction. I heard that the Starbucks on the southside of 71st Continental will be closing, but that is not confirmed yet. 

And the Very Bad News - Banter, probably the neighborhood's best all-around restaurant, has permanently closed. I was crushed to learn of this. I know they had recently even tried building some major barriers inside the place to allow for safe indoor seating. So, it seems like they were giving it their all but just couldn't hold on any longer because of the challenges the pandemic has presented. I loved this place so much. It will be hard to replace it. I only hope when the pandemic begins to end five or six months from now, the owners think about opening something new in the neighborhood. 

Forest Hills Nightlife Growing

Saw this on Facebook....

Forest Hills Beer Garden - In-depth Review

Edge of the City contributor Mark, owner of the blog mealswithmark.com  recently wrote this review of Cobblestones Pub's new Beer Garden (formerly called the Forest Hills Biergarten), which became quite the popular local hangout this summer:

Cobblestones Pub is located at 117-18 Queens Blvd.  It’s in Forest Hills but closer to Kew Gardens. When you walk through a metal door inside the pub, you are transported into a whole new world. While I found the inside of the pub a bit drab and dreary-looking, the outdoor space is a different story entirely - beautifully decorated down to every detail. The grounds were covered in AstroTurf and feature picnic benches with white umbrellas.  The walls surrounding the beer garden are decorated with cool and quirky art all around and feature a waterfall on one wall which was coming from faux beer taps.

What also made this outdoor space super cute and unique too is it had games throughout the space, so if you are enjoying a beer or a cocktail with your friends, you can have fun too. They had a bean bag toss and in one corner a huge Jenga game (which is a fun game to play when you are drinking). If you are not a gamer, they have something for everyone.  On the tables they also featured connect four games and backgammon. On the walls with the great artwork are also big screen TVs (one was playing the Yankees game and the other, the Mets, while top music hits was playing in the background.)

We were told we could sit anywhere. We found a picnic table and our server brought us over some menus. This is a beer garden, so I recommend trying a beer they have on top. They feature an interesting selection of beers. Unfortunately, we didn’t try any, but I have an eye on a few I would like to try next time we visit. I am leaning towards either Schofferhofer Grapefruit (yes Grapefruit beer) or the Spaten Oktoberfest.

The beer comes in two sizes -- a ½ liter for $8 and a liter for $15 -- and is served in a beer stein.  We decided since they have a great $5 margarita special we went with that instead of the beer.  I had two, the first was a frozen original margarita which in my opinion was lacking flavor and was mostly ice and little alcohol.  Hey what do you expect for $5, right?  For the second one I got an original margaritas on the rocks. They redeemed themselves a bit on this one - you could actually taste the tequila and the lime. It still wasn’t great, but it was decent for the price and the atmosphere. 

We also got the chips and guacamole to start with while we continued to gander at  the menu and converse and catch up with our friend.  The chips and guacamole was a tad disappointing.  The chips were slightly stale in taste, but the guacamole was pretty good.  It was traditional guacamole, so you can’t go wrong.

The menu consisted of a mix of German and American fare and the prices were decent for what they were offering.  I went with the Philly cheese steak which was smothered in cheddar cheese and sauteed onions served on a pretzel bun.  It came with a side of fries.  The fries were quite good.  They were beer battered and fried to perfection.  The Philly cheesesteak (which was a recommendation from our server) did not disappoint.  It was packed with flavor and was delicious.  It paired well with the grilled pretzel bun.  Great food choice for the atmosphere and the drinks. 

My partner ordered the Buffalo Chicken wrap. Crispy fried chicken , lettuce, tomato, buffalo sauce, and blue cheese.  He chose German Potato Salad with his (you have the option of that or french fries).  We always split our food when we go out so we can try more things.  The wrap was delicious.  The chicken was fried on point and it had all the right amounts of filling. It was also wrapped perfectly and didn’t fall apart.  The German Potato Salad was okay, it did lack a little flavor, but if you add some salt and ketchup it’s decent enough.

Both dishes we ordered I would order again, they were both that good. I would, however, skip the German Potato Salad and the chips and guacamole.  Not worth the waste of carbs. For a side definitely go with the fries. Next time I will be trying one of their unique beers and for appetizer I will be leaning towards either their mac and cheese bites, fried pickles, or their Steak Tidbits. There are so many good and unique choices. 

I definitely highly recommend Cobblestones Pubs’ hidden gem, their Beer Garden.  The atmosphere was amazing, and it is a great time to enjoy with friends and family outdoors.  Great music, great selection of drinks (skip the frozen margaritas, go with a beer or two), and great food (definitely come with an appetite).

Check out Meals with Mark - Meals prepared with love for some great recipes and other food experiences.  

Cooling Off at Forest Hills' New Biergarten

As summer is winding down, something interesting has opened up in the neighborhood that many still don’t know about: the first “OUTDOOR” biergarten in Forest Hills.  

Cobblestone on Queens Blvd and 78th Ave. has taken their outdoor extension area which was a basketball court originally and transformed it into quite the scene. 

It's called Forest Hills Biergarten, a German-themed outdoor setting with plenty of tables, standing room, a beautiful bar that's covered, and tons of games to talk about.  

Tired of going to Astoria all the time to visit their two beer halls? Well I am. I'm just glad we have more options with outdoor areas.  

This one happens to even come with a host of fun activities such as giant jenga, board games, corn hole or bean bag toss.

Yeah, and did I mention solid GERMAN beer?  The food scene has stayed just about what it has always been -- decent bar food, and a couple of additions to their menu on the outside.  

I personally haven’t eaten there yet, just enjoyed some quality bean bag competition and thrown down a few tall beers.  

Their paint job came out very nice, and with music playing, tons of socializing, and after work group parties, this could potentially give other bars such as Queens Bully a run for their money!  

Not sure why no one has really mentioned anything about it. For those who don’t like to venture off down Queens Blvd., away from Austin St., they could hop the subway two stops to the 78th Ave and Kew Gardens station head up the south side of the stairs and WHAM, follow your ears to the sounds of the outdoor excitement.  

It's a father and son (The Massaros) joint effort to bring some life into the East End of Forest Hills, and to them I say PROST!  

Hoping to see some outdoor music venues back there, in addition to some bean bag or corn hole tournaments, along with some happy hour prices, but other than that for my first few trips, I give it two big thumbs up wrapped around pint glasses.

Cheers! Coach

Coach is an avid reader and Twitter follower of Edge of the City. Have your own story or local experience to share? Email edgeofthecity@gmail.com. We are always looking for new writers and new content!

5 Burro Café Review

Location: 72-05 Austin Street Forest Hills, NYC

Hours: 12:00PM - 4:00AM — 7 Days a week

Hi, it’s Mark again, from mealswithmark.com , with another local restaurant review.  My partner and I have been cohabitating in Forest Hills for almost two years now and we are always looking out for and trying new restaurants to wow us with their food and ambiance.  We have had a lot of hits and misses in Forest Hills.  But surprisingly a lot of hits lately.  We both enjoy a good meal out every so often with amazing food, great ambiance, and incredible company. Our culinary escape took us to 5 Burro Café  on Austin Street in Forest Hills.

We have been wanting to try 5 Burro for quite some time.  Whenever we mention to people that we live in Forest Hills, everyone raves about 5 Burro and they are surprised we haven’t tried it.  They can’t stop talking about how great the food and the drinks are and how much fun they have when they go.

We have walked by on many occasions and after hearing how loud and seeing how packed they were, we said 'no thanks' and we kept walking and found some mediocre place to eat or just gave up and went home and I whipped something up.  Packed and extremely loud is a turn-off.  Before the Forest Hills faithful starts on their rants, see above. We have had more hits than misses lately. We have actually discovered and had some pretty amazing meals as of late in our neck of the woods. 

Since 5 Burro is always loud and packed at night we decided to check them out on a Saturday during lunch time. We were pleasantly surprised when we arrived and there was not a crowd of people outside and the noise level was at a bearable level. 

Upon entering the restaurant, it reminded me of our many trips to Mexico and eating at some of the local establishments. The décor and the feel of the restaurant definitely felt authentic. The restaurant was cute, quaint, and cozy, but definitely small in size, which explains why it is always so loud and packed when we walk by.  

When I go out for a meal I don’t want to have to wait 45 minutes to an hour to get a table and I want to be able to hear my dinner companion and be able to have a conversation without screaming.  A restaurant’s appearance is one of the things that weighs heavily with me when I pick a place when I eat out.  The food is the most important, but experience is as well.  So, my first impression of 5 Burro Café was a pleasant surprise, after walking by some many times and being turned off.

We started out our meal with frozen margaritas.  Before going to 5 Burro we read some reviews on Yelp, but I always make my own opinion of a place.  That’s what is great about a review, there can be many different views on the same place.  But, we chose the frozen margaritas after reading the reviews ahead of time. 5 Burro is known for their margaritas.  We went with the classic.  They were delicious but could have had a tad bit more tequila.  This drink definitely hit the spot on this warm Saturday afternoon.  It was $8, which was a great price for a 16oz. drink.  5 Burro also brings you out some fresh chips and salsa and it pairs well with their frozen margaritas.

For starters, we went with the Aguacate Relleno which was an Avocado stuffed with Shrimp and smothered with fresh veggies, spices, and 5 Burro Café’s homemade house dressing.  This dish was refreshing with a great, unique blend of spices and flavor.  You can go with a half order or a full order.  We went with the half order, which I am glad we did since I filled up on the free chips and salsa. 

Since when my partner and I go out to eat we share, we took awhile going through the menu and picking two choices.  We asked our server for recommendations and he seemed knowledgeable about his recommendations on the menu, but he didn’t talk excitedly about anything.  When I go out, I always ask the server their suggestion because you can really see their passion for the establishment that they work for and what they are excited about and that they think everyone should try.  I didn’t feel like he had a personal favorite or anything excited him.  Usually, I go with my server's recommendation, but not this time.  Don’t get me wrong the service as a whole was good. 

I went with the Ensalada Mexicana Con Carne.  This consisted of fresh mixed greens, tomatoes, onion, cilantro, steak, lime, avocado, and topped with original 5 Burro Dressing.  First the positives.  The steak was seasoned and cooked very well.  The veggies on the salad was crispy and fresh and the portion size was very large.  On the flip side, there were way too many onions, a little less would have balanced out the salad better.  The 5 Burro original dressing was very flavorful, but was a tad bit watery.  I like my dressing a little thicker so it sticks to my salad to give it that flavorful kick.  Overall a great steak salad, which most places don’t get right.

My partner went with the Fajitas De Salmon.  Grilled Salmon served with grilled onions, mixed peppers, rice, beans, pico de gallo, guacamole, sour cream and choice of flour or corn tortillas.  The salmon was flaky and cooked perfectly.  When all the ingredients wrapped together in the warm tortilla wrap, it was a delicious explosion of subtle flavors in your mouth.  Besides the salmon, the standout on this dish was the seasoned rice and the black beans with the crumbled cojito cheese on top.  Usually when both of us go out for Mexican food, the rice and bean sides are a second thought, but at 5 Burro, it complemented and paired so well with the fajitas and tasted delicious, so skipping it was not an option.

Due to the yummy frozen margaritas, the free chips and salsa, the appetizer, and our large portion meals, we had no room for dessert.  But it is worth mentioning, 5 Burro does offer Flan and Apple Chimichanga for dessert.  

  

I highly recommend 5 Burro Café. I recommend for the first time to try it during the day for lunch to avoid the crowds and noise.  But it is also a fun place to hang out with friends after work or on the weekends for some appetizers and so good drinks. Just keep in mind it gets packed and loud during peak hours.

Check out their menu at: http://5burrocafe.com/

Follow them on Social media and share your photos and your experience there!

https://twitter.com/5burrocafe

https://www.facebook.com/5BurroCafe/

https://www.instagram.com/5burrocafe/

Also check out my other local restaurant reviews:

http://edgeofthecityblog.blogspot.com/2018/05/restaurant-review-guantanamera.html

http://edgeofthecityblog.blogspot.com/2018/04/compadres-77-restaurant-review.html

https://mealswithmark.com/numero-28-pizzeria-review/

Queens Bully - A Tremendous Accomplishment

It's incredible to think that it was only back in March when we first heard of the plans for Queens Bully - a new BBQ restaurant planned for Queens Blvd., where the former Baluchi's Indian restaurant used to be. Now, just four months later, Queens Bully is a reality, and what an awesome addition to Forest Hills it is!

I went for the first time last night and as I try to focus on my day job this morning, my mind keeps wanting to remind me of those delicious brisket leftovers burning a hole in my fridge, covered in that awesome Queens Bully BBQ sauce.

Yes, Queens Bully was that good - based on my first visit. Unfortunately, however, this can only be a partial review at this time since the place was all out of baby back ribs, to my enormous disappointment. But, living just a few blocks away, no biggie. Hiccups are commonplace with any new restaurant and I always expect them -- I have been to sooo many openings in this neighborhood and every restaurant has had them. I recall waiting over an hour for Banter to give us food when it first opened and today that place is incredible.

In fact, what was most surprising to me about Queens Bully was how little newbie hiccups it seems to have! The main courses -- a brisket platter and a pulled pork sandwich -- came out in 15 minutes, and were absolutely delicious. The service was exceedingly professional and excellent. The place itself looks amazing. Even the bathroom was spotless.

So, consider this my Review Part 1 of Queens Bully. I will return soon for those ribs, and probably some chicken to boot. Until now, that delectable brisket will have to suffice, and no complaints here!

The place was nice and quiet when I arrived around 6:45 p.m. Tuesday, but not for long...

An indulgent and delicious S'mores dessert rounded out a perfect summer BBQ meal

Congratulations to Banter!

... on its three year anniversary today! Banter was among the first of the new wave of restaurants that have changed the food scene in central Forest Hills over the past few years. (They've also saved me a lot of money from having to constantly hop the subway into Manhattan every time I wanted a decent meal! And for that I'd like to say a hearty thank you!)

Best Halloween Decorations

I'm liking the holiday spirit of Station House this year. It'd be nice if more places in Forest Hills put as much effort into their appearance and celebrating these holidays...

Former Bonfire Grill Location

Thanks to Stacey for tweeting this photo. Carved in concrete outside the door of where Bonfire Grill used to be:

Banter Welcomes The Who

.... with a new "Outside Bar."          Do I need to say we need more places like Banter in Forest Hills?

Under Construction: Former Bonfire Grill Location

Something's going on there... Blog rumor: Italian restaurant. If anyone knows for sure, post below...

Banter Music and Christmas

Was in Banter over the weekend and thought I'd share a couple of photos of their live music and cool Christmas decor. Such a cozy place, especially this time of year...

End of the Century Bar Opens on Metropolitan

From Time Out NY:

 Tiki bar–cum–cocktail club End of the Century Bar hits Forest Hills  
Pegu Club, PKNY and Maison Premiere alums expand cocktail culture in Queens

When searching for a home for their own drinking den—a tiki bar–cum–cocktail club, designed to feel like a living room—the trio decided to push beyond those well-trodden boroughs for, of all places, Queens. “Forest Hills feels both local and international—it’s one of the most diverse areas of the city,” Present says. “We want to be a microcosm of that.”

 104-08 Metropolitan Ave between 71st Dr and 72nd Ave, Forest Hills, Queens (718-544-1624)

Trivia Mondays at Headlines Ale House

TriviaNYC is starting a new weekly quiz night, Mondays at Headlines Ale House (Metropolitan at 72nd Ave). Headlines is a new place (it used to be the St. James), and while they've been doing quizzes around the city, this is their first weekly night east of Sunnyside, so it's kind of new territory for them. A page with some details about how the event will be run is here: http://www.trivianyc.net/mondays-headlines-ale-house-forest-hills/

Austin Public Menu

Thanks to Sasha for sending these in. Click on the pics for a larger view.

The Flying Pig, er Austin Public

They've begun the makeover...

Queens Beer Week

Participating in Queens Beer Week are: @FHStationHouse @AustinsAleHouse

When the Pig Flies

Just thought I'd put in a few words for another really good place here in Forest Hills, The Flying Pig. It's another place I tried early on, wasn't blown away by because I thought its menu was too limited, and then just went back and absolutely loved. Between the enormously expanded menu, the really good food - everything we had we really liked - and the upbeat Friday night vibe when we went, The Flying Pig just rocketed its way to become one of my favorite places in FoHi.

The soup and reuben sandwich are off of the special St. Patrick's Day menu The Flying Pig had this weekend. Both were excellent. The roast chicken is from their regular menu.