Best Hangouts in Queens
Ten real Queens hangouts, verified today: beer gardens, boardwalk bars, and backyard patios across Astoria, LIC, Rockaway, and beyond.
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- 1Astoria · $$ · Astoria Blvd (N W) · 29-19 24th Ave, Astoria, NY 11102
Also No. 1 on Best of Astoria →
Historic Czech-Slovak beer garden with a huge tree-shaded outdoor yard, picnic tables, an indoor hall, and a full Czech/Slovak-American food menu.
Because it has been continuously pouring pilsners in this same tree-shaded yard since 1910, making it the oldest running beer garden in New York City.
Order A liter of Czech pilsner, shared across the picnic table
Go on a weekday evening if you want an open picnic table without a wait; the yard is closed to walk-ins on Mondays except for private events.
Photo: Marc Flores (marc.flores on Flickr), CC BY 2.0 Photo: Marc Flores (marc.flores on Flickr), CC BY 2.0 - 2Woodside · $$ · 69 St (7) · 57-24 Roosevelt Ave, Woodside, NY 11377
Old-school Irish tavern open since 1966, with dark-wood booths, stained glass, a wood-burning fireplace, and a burger widely called the borough's best.
Because Gothamist and the Queens Chamber of Commerce named it the single Best Bar in Queens, and it has poured drinks from this same Woodside room since 1966.
Order A pint of Guinness alongside the burger
Ask for a booth near the fireplace on a cold night, and order the burger; it's the dish regulars keep coming back for.
Photo: Krista (scaredykat) (Flickr), CC BY 2.0 Photo: Krista (scaredykat) (Flickr), CC BY 2.0 - 3Long Island City · $$ · 21 St (G) · 4-40 44th Dr, Long Island City, NY 11101
Open-air, counter-service waterfront bar and grill directly on the East River with communal picnic tables, grilled bites, and unobstructed Manhattan skyline views.
Because it takes no reservations and sets communal picnic tables right at the water's edge, facing the Manhattan skyline across the East River.
Order A frozen cocktail, ordered at the counter while you claim a table
Arrive by 6pm on a clear evening to claim a table facing the water before the golden-hour crowd arrives; it's dog-friendly and you order at the counter.
Photo: Maki Maki (Flickr), CC BY 2.0 Photo: Maki Maki (Flickr), CC BY 2.0 - 4Rockaway Beach · $$ · Beach 90 St (A S) · 377 Beach 92nd St, Rockaway Beach, NY 11693
Waterfront restaurant and tiki bar on the boardwalk with an outdoor deck, frozen drinks, and live music or DJs every weekend, open year-round.
Because USA Today named it the Best Beach Bar of 2026, and unlike most Rockaway spots it keeps its boardwalk deck open all year, not just summer.
Order A frozen drink off the tiki menu, sipped on the deck
Weekends bring DJs or live music on the deck; come before the sun starts to drop if you want a table with a clear view of the water.
@bungalowbarny ↗Bungalow Bar
From @bungalowbarny on Instagram, shown through Instagram's own embed player.
- 5Astoria · $$ · 30 Av (N W) · 19-33 37th St, Astoria, NY 11105
Also No. 6 on Best Beer Bars in NYC →
Industrial-chic brewery taproom with house-brewed beer on rotating taps, vinyl records, pinball, an outdoor area, and weekly pop-up kitchens.
Because it's one of Queens' original craft breweries, founded in 2012, and its weekly trivia and vinyl nights keep the same regulars in their seats for hours.
Order A flight of house-brewed IPAs
Check the events calendar before you go; trivia and music bingo nights fill up, and the outdoor area is the easiest spot to grab a table on a warm evening.
@singlecutbeer ↗SingleCut Beersmiths
From @singlecutbeer on Instagram, shown through Instagram's own embed player.
- 6Long Island City · $$ · 21 St (G) · 45-58 Vernon Blvd, Long Island City, NY 11101
Century-old neighborhood bar with tin ceilings, brick walls, live music four nights a week, and a garden patio under willow trees (with a fireplace for winter).
Because its backyard garden under willow trees predates the neighborhood's luxury towers, and it still books live music four nights a week.
Order A well whiskey while you wait for the band to start
Get there early on a live-music night to grab a garden seat before the band starts; in winter the backyard fireplace keeps the patio going even when it's cold.
@lic_bar ↗L.I.C. Bar
From @lic_bar on Instagram, shown through Instagram's own embed player.
- 7Elmhurst · $$ · 82 St-Jackson Hts (7) · 40-19 Gleane St, Elmhurst, NY 11373
Latin American live-music bar, lounge, and tapas spot with a stage suspended over tiered wooden bleachers, hosting bands almost every night since 2002.
Because City Lore has documented it as a folk-art cultural landmark where live Afro-Colombian jazz, salsa, and bolero have played almost nightly since 2002.
Order A round of tapas with a caipirinha or mojito
Shows start after dinner and run late; come on a weeknight for a quieter room and a real chance to talk with the musicians between sets.
Photo: Elyaqim Mosheh Adam (elyaqim), CC BY-SA 2.0 Photo: Elyaqim Mosheh Adam (elyaqim), CC BY-SA 2.0 - 8Forest Hills · $$ · Forest Hills-71 Av (E F M R) · 106-11 71st Ave, Forest Hills, NY 11375
Also No. 8 on Best of Forest Hills →
Gastropub near the LIRR and Austin Street strip with craft cocktails, a deep beer list, and elevated pub fare.
Because Time Out calls it the neighborhood's go-to nightlife pick, and it's the reliable spot for a long dinner before or after a Forest Hills Stadium show.
Order One of the rotating craft cocktails off the seasonal list
Happy hour has real deals if you're settling in early; on stadium show nights, get there well before doors or you'll be standing at the bar.
@fhstationhouse ↗Forest Hills Station House
From @fhstationhouse on Instagram, shown through Instagram's own embed player.
- 9Ridgewood · $$ · Forest Av (M) · 68-38 Forest Ave, Ridgewood, NY 11385
Tiny Ridgewood cocktail bar with curvy oval tables, negronis on tap, and a downstairs performance space for live music and events.
Because Time Out calls it a Ridgewood gem, and its tiny street-level bar hides a 60-capacity room downstairs that turns into a real live-music venue.
Order A negroni on tap
The upstairs bar is small, so if you want a seat check the downstairs schedule first; on show nights that room fills up before the upstairs does.
@cassettenyc ↗Sundown Bar
From @cassettenyc on Instagram, shown through Instagram's own embed player.
- 10Long Island City · $$ · Vernon Blvd-Jackson Av (7) · 10-93 Jackson Ave, Long Island City, NY 11101
LIC's original coffee roastery and cafe, with a garden patio, a back room with a turntable and vinyl collection, wine, and light bites from morning into evening.
Because Eater NY ranked it among the city's best coffee shops, and its back room with a turntable and vinyl collection turns laptop mornings into patio wine by evening.
Order A pour-over in the morning, a glass of wine on the patio at night
Grab the garden patio table if the weather's good; weekend mornings get busy, so come on a weekday after 10am for the quietest work session.
Photo: John Gillespie (john.gillespie), CC BY-SA 2.0 Photo: John Gillespie (john.gillespie), CC BY-SA 2.0
Good to know
- Which spot is dog-friendly and doesn't take reservations?
- Anable Basin Sailing Bar & Grill takes no reservations and is dog-friendly, so arrive by 6pm on a clear evening to claim a table facing the water before the golden-hour crowd.
- Where's the best bet for a quiet weeknight?
- Bohemian Hall & Beer Garden is easiest on a weekday evening for an open picnic table without a wait, though the yard is closed to walk-ins on Mondays except for private events.
- Any spot with a winter-friendly outdoor patio?
- L.I.C. Bar's garden under willow trees has a backyard fireplace that keeps the patio going even in winter, so get there early on a live-music night for a garden seat before the band starts.