Jillian & Thomas
Things To Do
Tacoway Beach
Tacoway Beach operates out of a shipping container in a fenced-off yard filled with picnic tables, and they’re only open during the summer months. Proceed directly to the fish tacos—each order arrives with two, topped with cabbage slaw, chunky guacamole, and a spicy cilantro lime salsa. We dream about these exceptional tacos more than we dream about retiring to look for buried treasure on the beach
Caracas Arepa Bar (summer only)
This NYC staple has an outpost at the beach, located on the boardwalk at Beach 106th Street. It’s a great place for a quick arepa, they have A+ frozen drinks, and you’ll probably make some friends in the busy picnic area. Two or three of their palm-sized arepas can make a meal, especially if you get one that’s super stuffed. We like the arepa de pabellón, chock full of beef, beans, cheese, and fried plantains
Bungalow Bar
We can’t believe we’re saying this, because it’s not really a very New York thing to say, but it’s time to find someone with a boat and make them drive you to Bungalow. The massive restaurant sits right on the bay, and there's boat parking out front. However you choose to arrive, expect things like fried chicken sandwiches, sriracha oysters with buttery breadcrumbs and a lot of lemon, and servers wearing shirts that say, “Coldest Beer In Queens"
RIPPERS
If you’re hanging out on the eastern end of Rockaway Beach, the answer is always Rippers. Their burger is an essential order, but the cheese fries are also amazing, and you can get some beer or a cocktail as well. This place will keep you from having a heat-related meltdown after you let someone bury you in the sand, and because it’s on the boardwalk, you can house a burger and then get back to the beach as quickly as possible (or bring your burger to the beach)
Beach 97th Concessions
Head over to the boardwalk at Beach 97th Street and you’ll find a large outdoor space filled with vendors, picnic tables, and occasionally live music. It’s a great place for a group, because everybody can get something different, and nobody has to be annoying about it. Some of our favorites include La Cevicheria, a Peruvian stall with cold, citrus-bathed fish, La Fruteria, for iced lattes and avocado toast, and Sand Shark Bar—that’s where you’ll get alcohol.
Uma's
Uma’s is an Uzbek restaurant that’s open year-round, and it's one of the livelier sit-down spots in the area. The menu features baked pastries like bichak and samsas and plenty of kabobs, salads, and soups. Their yogurt sauce has a cult following, and for good reason. It adds a special tang to any dish lucky enough to be served with it, like the scallion pancakes and our favorite, the baseball-sized manti, stuffed with either ground beef or squash
Zingara Vintage & Handmade Treasures
For beachy duds, Zingara Vintage has you covered—plus, its owner Erin Silver also transforms vintage YSL and Pendelton towels into one-of-a-kind pieces
Jamaica Bay Wildlife Refuge
Escape the crowds for Jamaica Bay Wildlife Refuge, a surprisingly tranquil 9,000-acre site with salt marshes and woods; and home to a thriving osprey population
The Supply Shop
The Supply Shop at the Rockaway Hotel stocks products from Cali-based Mollusk Surf, DS Durga’s Rockaway cologne and locally-owned Goldie’s Natural Beauty items