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Reason #57 to love Brooklyn- Red Hook Ball Fields Do people only write reviews about the food trucks here? Red Hook Ball Fields is an excellent park for baseball, soccer, and football. It's a gathering ground for families on the weekends and everyone minds their own business. It's fun, it's peaceful, and it's large enough for a walk around that makes you sweat. I like it better than Flushing Meadows. All that physical activity can make you hungry. So if you didn't come with your family and abuela's home cookin', lucky for you there are the food trucks. I highly recommend the tacos al pastor (spiced pork). They're pretty big with double tortillas so that the juice doesn't break through. The pork is piled high and topped with cilantro and onions. Slather it with your salsa liking and squeeze fresh lime all over. At $3 a pop, you're going to have to have two. Wash it down with an ice cold (go to the truck that stocks ice cubes) watermelon agua fresca and you will be good to go. Even the non-hungriest will not be able to resist the options at Red Hook Ball Fields. A day in the sun, nature, tacos, and liquid fruit... Why on Earth would anyone think La Esquina would have been a better option? - 1 for Queens - 1 for Manhattan - 48 Hipsters (they must have been on vacation) + 1 for Brooklyn + 2 for New Jersey thank you chris r for satisfying my taco cravings and driving through 3 boroughs. even if you did take me to Taco Bell, I'd still be happy. you know I love them Chalupas.
If you live in New York City for any length of time and love food, sooner or later, you'll probably find yourself trekking the streets of Red Hook in search of the famous Red Hook ball field food vendors. This cluster now includes about ten regular trucks and stands (fewer than there were in the heyday, before every food blogger and restaurant critic had reviewed the place). They're devoted to a few different Latin and South American cuisines and set up shop on the corner of Clinton and Bay Streets every Saturday and Sunday, starting around 11:30 a.m., between roughly May 1 and October 31. Now, those of you who know me know that I am an incredibly lazy subway commuter. In fact, the only thing that outweighs my gluttony is my hatred of long subway journeys. Partly, I blame my aversion on the fact that I am a total space cadet and sometimes still take the wrong train in the wrong direction, despite having lived in NYC for nearly a decade. And partly, I just blame inertia. In any event, it takes a lot for me to rally for a one-hour subway schlep. The Red Hook food trucks actually make me kind of want to do this on a regular basis. A buddy and I recently made a stop at Antojitos Chapines, a stand that sells Guatemalan tamales, wrapped up in a banana leaf and tied with a string, then wrapped again in paper and steamed. This vendor sells chicken and pork versions (both $3.50), seasoned with recado rojo, sweet peppers and one green olive (sometimes with the pit in, so be careful). The masa was a little bit washed out in flavor and didn't pick up the beautiful scent of banana leaf, I think because it'd been steamed in paper and was also slightly waterlogged. But the meaty innards were tender and flavorful. The same vendor (a very nice lady) also sells sweet corn tamalitos de elote, smaller corn-husk wrapped sweet tamales eaten with sour cream ($2). This version was very fragrant from the corn wrapper, just barely sweet and absolutely delightful warm. Once it cooled down, however, the consistency became a bit too hard to be pleasant. So eat 'em fast. We also went to El Olomega for pupusas. El Olomega makes fairly decent ones ($5 for a plate of two). The pupusas are served with a basic, but serviceable curtido (made sans carrots). They didn't volunteer any salsa roja for our to-go order, but I think there were some in ketchup bottles at the front of the cart we could've used. Our queso con loroco pupusas were bland, tough and undersalted, but the pork and chicken versions that I brought back were good, even reheated. The masa "skin" was tougher than my favorite versions. The really fabulous thing we had at El Olomega were the humble fried plantain chips. They fry theirs fresh and sell these long strips of salty, greasy deliciousness for $2 a bag. When they're warm, these chips are indescribably good in their simplicity. I wasn't a huge fan of the service. After I placed my order, several men edged their way to the front and were served almost immediately (with my pupusas -- boo!). I ended up waiting quite a while before the ladies who worked that truck got me my order. It wasn't long ago that folks pooh poohed NYC for its non-existent Latin and South American food scene. It still isn't the most amazing in the United States (D.C. has fabulous Salvadoran food and even the unlikely island of Nantucket has a restaurant that makes better pupusas than El Olomega does). But if the Red Hook vendors and their growing popularity among even lazy, subway averse New Yorkers like me is any indication, we are coming up in the world. We are.
Mami, yours is better. Te lo juro. I swear it! Caray, que montonazo de comida!!!! I think I ate myself silly today. I went straight for the Guatemalan and Salvadoran stands. I guess I lucked out, because the lines were not too long, even though this was the "city is not closing us down yet" celebration. I had quite possibly the best tamal I've ever had in my life, an excellent pupusa, chorizo, yuca and platano with cream. Delectable! And special thanks to Jessica for the water..... It also did my heart good to see that there is a bigger Guatemalan community in NYC than I thought, and a surprising amount of Garifuna (descendants of black slaves who live mostly on the Caribbean coast of Guatemala). Guatemalan flags all over the place. Great to see. September 15th is Guatemalan independence day and is for most of Central America. Yup, I had forgotten. Shame on me.
It was closed. I was pissed. See this pic: http://static.px.yelp.com/photo/1c3E-NJvrVtpMkqQ5crEpA/l ~*~ Edit: In case you didn't notice the first time, it's "comming soon." Teehee.
A fun game to play while at the Red Hook Ball Fields: "spot the food blogger". Guess who? * Subject A: Cheery Ecuadorian lady making fresh ceviche from scratch. Subject B: Three paunchy geezers sitting around a rickety card table, playing dominos, a pile of fresh papusas slathered in fresh refried beans sitting perilously on the corner. Subject C: Old dude, smiling despite a few missing teeth, squirting hot sauce and pinching fresh lime juice onto $2 ears of corn which are of larger girth than your average Lane Bryant customer. Subject D: Geeky hipster-ish group of awkward Asian kids in an ethnic neighborhood, chowing heartily on $6 huaraches **, taking fussy sips from a glass of horchata and snapping away hungrily with DSLR's. * I'm terrible at making up games. My Calvinball games are abject disasters. ** I'll depreciate my race and nerdy food pursuits every day of the week for huaraches. Freshly made tortillas, filled with a light smear of refried beans, and topped with a hearty mixture of spicy meats, fresh lettuce and an intoxicating green sauce are worth a little egg on the face.
Impossible not to eat everything but most can't b/c the gods have not made our stomach big enough for this task, in my case luckily I got to sample from other cheapass eaters. Here are the list of thing I got to sample: Pupusas($3-$4) - Meat and cheese filling comes with condiments include pink-stained pickled cabbage it was very crunchy and cool. Went great with the oily/starchy consistency of the pupusa. There was also a white sauce and red chili sauce that you could ladle. Huarache ($5 super CHEAP!)- This dish was the size of Vi's dog, as you can see in the picture, poor ChiChi was sort of put of by it but it was gooood. On flour tortilla (hand made) was a spread of beans, Mexican cheese, lettuces, and choice of meat, with a splash of limejuice (salsa optional). WOW so good and so big, most people had to share it, lucky I was there to help. Ceviche ($7-$8) - Mixo comes with shrimp, octopus, big chunks of white fish all mixed with limejuice, cilantro, onion, jalapeos, and tomatoes this is to die for. Fruits ($2)- mangoes or mixed for a bag of fruit comes with limejuice and chili powder this is optional. RANTS & RAVES: GO before the season is over I think the city extended it till the end of October, and nobody know if the vendors will be able to come back next year.
This particular area contains various food vendors ranging from Columbian, Salvadoran, and Mexican vendors. Only had a chance to try the Salvadoran and the Mexican. It took about 2 hours to get there and I first approached the Salvadoran vendor which appeared to be the busiest, and for a good reason. The food there was amazing. They had a good variety of foods there but I had gotten the carne asada which comes with rice, beans, steak, fried sweet platains, fried yuca, and fresh green platain chips (separate order). I also got 4 pork popusas which are stuffed with fresh cheese and pork. My friend had an orchata as well. All of that took about 15 minutes to prepare but they managed great under pressure. It all came out to 32$ which is good considering the portions but ofcourse, with my appetite of a savage lion, I was still hungry. I then tried one of the Mexican vendors. I ordered a cemita which is a sandwich of heavenly decent and filled me up with a side of guacamole and platain chips. They made it in about 5 minutes so it was pretty fast. I was looking for a torta which is a similar sandwich but none of the Mexican vendors had any which is pretty strange. After that I saw a softie truck passing by so I chased it down and ended the feast with a vinilla ice cream waffle cone. Definitely worth visiting.
I'm somewhat of a snob when it comes to Mexican food. After growing up in Southern California, the tacos in Seattle just don't cut it. Manhattan is a little better but still, the search went on...until we visited the Red Hook Ball Fields a couple of weekends ago. To some degree it's just what it sounds like - there's several soccer fields with organized games being played. For some of us though, that's the side show for what has developed along the sidewalk; an ad-hoc food market where on can enjoy delicacies from all over Latin America. It's fantastic! How about a Salvadoran-style pupusa? Various fillings are enveloped inside a ball of masa, flattened out and the grilled to perfection. It's like an encapsulated quesadilla. Melty cheese and shredded pork is awesome. Plain cheese is good too. Or a Huarache? It's a Mexican creation that is kind of like a giant taco. It's a tortilla about the size of a paper plate (and is served on one) filled with steak, pico de gallo, cheese, lettuce, and a white sauce. Wear crappy shoes because this delicious monster will be dripping all over then and you're not going to care. There's about twenty other delicious things at this place. you should go there right now (if you live in NY and you're reading this on the weekend between noon and five.) You can get mango slices spiced up with paprika, agua fresca drinks that taste like drinking pure fruit (watermelon rocks) steak tacos, corn on the cob, etc etc.
Despite all their success (well-earned it must be said), the vendors lining the intersection of Clinton and Bay in Red Hook still remain affable and charming, humbly offering their foods each weekend during warm months, from about May to the end of September. It's a tradition that has lately caught in with the "in" crowd, but no matter, the food is still top notch. Get their by noon and one or two trucks might still be setting up, but you'll beat the crowds and maybe enjoy a word or two with the proprietors. The corner is lined with trucks and still a few small carts, selling ceviches, pupusas, tacos, and all the rest. The Country Boys truck (above) is usually the most crowded, and for good reason, they know how to cook. I especially like their sopes ($6 for 2), which are molded into a small plate-like shape with edges to hold in the beans. The corn base is also crispy, something of a rarity in the sope world, but a very good change. They also make a mega quesadilla ($6) that when picked up starts dripping and breaking apart immediately. Keep your wits about you though and munch fast, making sure to pick up all the juicy remains. There are two competing (but I think they are all friends) Salvadorean pupusa trucks, both with similar offerings and pricing. I don't remember which, but one of them sets up camp over at Brooklyn Flea on Saturdays, one of two locations that the vendors have expanded to this year. You can also find some random offerings there too, but fighting the hipster mob is kind of defeating sometimes. Back at the ball fields, I always like to grab my food and head for the opposite side of the soccer pitch, where families of the players gather with children and music to watch or not watch the games. It's more festive, and it's even fun to watch the players strut their stuff on the field. If you are lucky enuogh to see a score, a nice show usually follows.
I will start by saying that I've never encountered such a disorganized and nasty bunch of ladies in my life. When trying to get the vendors' attention, I was met with either nothing or "what do you want??", annoyance prevailing in their voices. Now, I understand that for many people this is all part of the charm of the Red Hook Ball Field Food Court, but I for one am not impressed. My friend and I began with huaraches, vegetable and pork-filled, and though mine was delicious it completely fell apart as I ate it at one of the park benches. Moving on, tamarind juice was pleasantly sweet and sour, but mango with "everything" (chile, salt, and lime juice), had very little kick to it. It was at this vendor that it seemed the woman working did everything in her power to ignore me as I stood before her. In trying to get food from the ceviche and tamale stalls, we were again met with bored attitudes; the fact that the vendors are said to open at 10AM, and most weren't opened until noon, also annoyed me greatly. However, the papusa cart had me clenching my teeth the most. For the first hour of opening, the main woman running the cart had nothing but nastiness for her customers, saying that nothing was ready. In trying to pleasantly ask a question of her fellow workers, one of the male workers stopped me before I could get a word in, asking what I wanted in nasty tone. "Nothing at all, good sir." When the pupusa cart finally opened, a crowd rather than a line formed, and no matter how many times I mentioned my loroco flower with cheese order, I was asked an equal amount of times, "You have meat and cheese, right?" Lack of forks or other utensils only made the disorganization more infuriating until, half an hour later, I had my damn papusa. Though full by the end of the experience, I found it all to be completely not worth it. Not dealing well with the crowds has something else to do with it, yes, but I will not return.
The ball fields are so authentic, I expected a Spanish telenovela to be playing in the background. Really though, they have some quality trucks here. The day I went, there was good representation between different countries. We had Country Boys (Mexican tacos), Olomega (Salvadorian papusas), Vaquero's (juices and fruit), and a Colombian truck whose name escapes me at the moment. The lines were longest for Olomega and Country Boys, but definitely worth it (I had CB before, and actually waited for Olomega). If Vaquero's is there, get a fresh squeezed juice; you'll be amazed by how cheap it is! Sadly, no ceviche the day we went, but we'll be back! Bring a blanket, and sit on the grass and watch kids playing ball. Or sit on one of the many benches available. Great experience, and you can take the B61 bus there and/or back.
I am the world's forgotten boy... the one who searches and destroys! well come on! I've been searching for Mexican Street food in New York that holds a candle to LA and Mexico. Red Hook Ball Fields every weekend and I'm in love. As an added bonus I picked up some Pupusas from the Salvadoran cart...THE BEST PUPUSAS I've ever had. I recommend trying Queso y Loroco (Loroco Flower to be exact) For the record, I love flowers and wild edibles and anything "different"...the Loroco Flower is fresh, herbaceous, aromatic and crunchy and compliments the cheese magnificently. If you have lived in New York your whole life and think Shredded Lettuce is something you put on your tacos...please come here next weekend and experience a sea change.
Okay... there are three things New York DEFINITELY does NOT have: 1. Good Mexican Food 2. Good VietNamese Food 3. Affordable rent That said --- let me share with you the most AMAZING discovery that could actually counter my # 1 "beef" with NYC... First, you have to TRUST me and take a trip to Red Hook. Then --- you have to PROMISE that you will get the QUESADILLA. It looks like this GI-NOR-MOUS taco... but it is the BEST FREAKING TASTING THING... and I can't vouch for anything except for the QUESADILLA EL PASTOR. It's just 6 bucks. $5 if you smile real pretty... Oh yeah, then there's the AMAZING tamales... OMG... you have to seriously eat the chicken tamales AND the corn tamales. Oh, but there's the pupusas... Did I mention the ceviche? Am I babbling? Look, I was born, bred and raised in LalaLAND --- so I definitely know my Mexican food --- and the soccer fields gives you NOT ONLY AWESOME food south of the American border... but has booths representing MULTIPLE latin countries from Central, North AND South America. Look for the blue tarp once you step off the F train at Smith-9th Street. It's about a ten minute walk --- and all I had to do the first time looking for it was to ask random strangers where the RED HOOK SOCCER FIELDS were. Just note that this Brooklyn foodie paradise is "seasonal" --- May through October and ONLY on the weekends from approximately 10am or 12pm UNTIL either 5pm or 8pm --- it's really up until the vendors run out of supplies. Everything is HOME-MADE and delicious --- so much so --- that I'm SALIVATING just "scribbling" this all out for your benefit!!!
1 year ago
Baseball is boring, I came here to eat: I've been hearing about the Solber Pupusa truck for a few years now, ever since I think they won a Vendy Award. It was perfect then that I happened to be going for a run in Red Hook when I stumbled upon the row of food trucks right by the baseball field. Remembering the name, I sought out the Solber truck, but it was actually the El Olomega truck right next to it that looked like the right choice, as it had a huge line compared to the pretty empty Solber truck. Therefore, I had no choice but to try both. I started with the Chicken & Cheese Pupusa ($6) at Solber. Though the little Hispanic women working the truck felt the need to laugh at me and make jokes apparently at my expense the entire time I waited, I didn't mind since the food was so good. I kinda wish they talked a little slower and I remembered my AP Spanish from high school a little bit, but I couldn't really make out anything they were saying. After that immensely satisfying mini-meal, I headed over to the long line at El Olomega to try some more of this delicious authentic cuisine. Wisely realizing how heavy that one was that I just had with all that cheese, I opted for the Chicharron Pupusa at this truck (just pork, no cheese) ($5). Not so wisely after a productive run here, I also chose to get the Tostadas, the freshly fried plantain chips ($2). The Pupusa was amazing as I expected - piping hot and very fresh as it was literally just made, but the Tostadas were really incredible. They were so crunchy and delicious, as opposed to the limp, bland plantain chips I typically experience at some much more expensive restaurants. There are a bunch of folding chairs lining the sidewalk near these trucks, as well as a number of picnic tables right inside the park for you to share with others digging in to these delicious plates of goodness. Oh yeah, and did you notice how insanely cheap everything is at both of these trucks? The price of all that stuff I got was roughly the same price as some silly artisanal farm-to-table taco made by some hipster white kid from Michigan in Brooklyn or the Lower East Side somewhere. So forget baseball and Ikea - these cheap little food trucks are the real (or only) reason to come to Red Hook (ok, and Baked has some really good brownies too). read more
Red Hook Ball Fields is a must go see location n Brooklyn. It is fairly easy to get there by car, and you can readily find some parking spots in the area. Trucks are abundant so there are no real long lines. My friends and i went on Saturday afternoon. It wasn't too crowded and it was easy to find seats at the picnic tables. My 1st stop was the Perez Taco truck for their Taco Al Pastor, which i topped with the various toppings that they provide in the front of the truck. It was THE BOMBBBBBBBBBBBBB. The spicy pork was seasoned well and the corn soft taco was very tasty. The ingredients all tasted fresh, and the salsas were amazing that added a nice bite to the meal. Best part of all, it was only $3. At the Vaquero truck, i tried corn on a stick seasoned with everything like spicy seasoning and cheese. It was grilled to perfection. The cheese was a bit overpowering, but it was still a solid snack. They also have agua frescas, where we ordered 2 cups of the watermelon. It was very refreshing, although I wish it was colder. They also provide fresh cut fruits where my friends ordered the papaya and mangoes. The longest line was at the El Olomega truck. They are known for their Pupusas. I ordered a pupusa platter of pork&cheese and chicken&cheese. The pupusa was tasty but what made the dish was the pickled cabbage and the tomato-based salsa that was provided on the side. The pupusa could have used more meat as well; i felt it was a bit too bready. At the Ochoa Truck, my friend got the Chile Relleno, Tamale, and something else i forget. The chie relleno was tender and flavorful. It was filled with mucho goodness. The tamale was also great. THe only problem here is that the people that were on the truck forgot my friend's order numerous of times so he was just standing there waiting for over 10 minutes. Last but not least, i stopped by the Rojas Ecuadorian Cart. This is where i tried ceviche - mixed seafood style. The beauty is that they put this in a cooler, so it isn't warm. It is filled with an assortment of seafood like shrimp, whitefish, squid, etc... The citrus was very strong and they added a spicy touch to it for me. All in all it was very good and very large. Everything here is fairly cheap and comes in large portions. I suggest bringing friends and renting a zip car. You have to pay a toll to get in, but it's worth it since the food is cheap. read more
Reason #57 to love Brooklyn- Red Hook Ball Fields Do people only write reviews about the food trucks here? Red Hook Ball Fields is an excellent park for baseball, soccer, and football. It's a gathering ground for families on the weekends and everyone minds their own business. It's fun, it's peaceful, and it's large enough for a walk around that makes you sweat. I like it better than Flushing Meadows. All that physical activity can make you hungry. So if you didn't come with your family and abuela's home cookin', lucky for you there are the food trucks. I highly recommend the tacos al pastor (spiced pork). They're pretty big with double tortillas so that the juice doesn't break through. The pork is piled high and topped with cilantro and onions. Slather it with your salsa liking and squeeze fresh lime all over. At $3 a pop, you're going to have to have two. Wash it down with an ice cold (go to the truck that stocks ice cubes) watermelon agua fresca and you will be good to go. Even the non-hungriest will not be able to resist the options at Red Hook Ball Fields. A day in the sun, nature, tacos, and liquid fruit... Why on Earth would anyone think La Esquina would have been a better option? - 1 for Queens - 1 for Manhattan - 48 Hipsters (they must have been on vacation) + 1 for Brooklyn + 2 for New Jersey thank you chris r for satisfying my taco cravings and driving through 3 boroughs. even if you did take me to Taco Bell, I'd still be happy. you know I love them Chalupas. read more
16 years ago
If you live in New York City for any length of time and love food, sooner or later, you'll probably find yourself trekking the streets of Red Hook in search of the famous Red Hook ball field food vendors. This cluster now includes about ten regular trucks and stands (fewer than there were in the heyday, before every food blogger and restaurant critic had reviewed the place). They're devoted to a few different Latin and South American cuisines and set up shop on the corner of Clinton and Bay Streets every Saturday and Sunday, starting around 11:30 a.m., between roughly May 1 and October 31. Now, those of you who know me know that I am an incredibly lazy subway commuter. In fact, the only thing that outweighs my gluttony is my hatred of long subway journeys. Partly, I blame my aversion on the fact that I am a total space cadet and sometimes still take the wrong train in the wrong direction, despite having lived in NYC for nearly a decade. And partly, I just blame inertia. In any event, it takes a lot for me to rally for a one-hour subway schlep. The Red Hook food trucks actually make me kind of want to do this on a regular basis. A buddy and I recently made a stop at Antojitos Chapines, a stand that sells Guatemalan tamales, wrapped up in a banana leaf and tied with a string, then wrapped again in paper and steamed. This vendor sells chicken and pork versions (both $3.50), seasoned with recado rojo, sweet peppers and one green olive (sometimes with the pit in, so be careful). The masa was a little bit washed out in flavor and didn't pick up the beautiful scent of banana leaf, I think because it'd been steamed in paper and was also slightly waterlogged. But the meaty innards were tender and flavorful. The same vendor (a very nice lady) also sells sweet corn tamalitos de elote, smaller corn-husk wrapped sweet tamales eaten with sour cream ($2). This version was very fragrant from the corn wrapper, just barely sweet and absolutely delightful warm. Once it cooled down, however, the consistency became a bit too hard to be pleasant. So eat 'em fast. We also went to El Olomega for pupusas. El Olomega makes fairly decent ones ($5 for a plate of two). The pupusas are served with a basic, but serviceable curtido (made sans carrots). They didn't volunteer any salsa roja for our to-go order, but I think there were some in ketchup bottles at the front of the cart we could've used. Our queso con loroco pupusas were bland, tough and undersalted, but the pork and chicken versions that I brought back were good, even reheated. The masa "skin" was tougher than my favorite versions. The really fabulous thing we had at El Olomega were the humble fried plantain chips. They fry theirs fresh and sell these long strips of salty, greasy deliciousness for $2 a bag. When they're warm, these chips are indescribably good in their simplicity. I wasn't a huge fan of the service. After I placed my order, several men edged their way to the front and were served almost immediately (with my pupusas -- boo!). I ended up waiting quite a while before the ladies who worked that truck got me my order. It wasn't long ago that folks pooh poohed NYC for its non-existent Latin and South American food scene. It still isn't the most amazing in the United States (D.C. has fabulous Salvadoran food and even the unlikely island of Nantucket has a restaurant that makes better pupusas than El Olomega does). But if the Red Hook vendors and their growing popularity among even lazy, subway averse New Yorkers like me is any indication, we are coming up in the world. We are. read more
Mami, yours is better. Te lo juro. I swear it! Caray, que montonazo de comida!!!! I think I ate myself silly today. I went straight for the Guatemalan and Salvadoran stands. I guess I lucked out, because the lines were not too long, even though this was the "city is not closing us down yet" celebration. I had quite possibly the best tamal I've ever had in my life, an excellent pupusa, chorizo, yuca and platano with cream. Delectable! And special thanks to Jessica for the water..... It also did my heart good to see that there is a bigger Guatemalan community in NYC than I thought, and a surprising amount of Garifuna (descendants of black slaves who live mostly on the Caribbean coast of Guatemala). Guatemalan flags all over the place. Great to see. September 15th is Guatemalan independence day and is for most of Central America. Yup, I had forgotten. Shame on me. read more
18 years ago
It was closed. I was pissed. See this pic: http://static.px.yelp.com/photo/1c3E-NJvrVtpMkqQ5crEpA/l ~*~ Edit: In case you didn't notice the first time, it's "comming soon." Teehee. read more
16 years ago
A fun game to play while at the Red Hook Ball Fields: "spot the food blogger". Guess who? * Subject A: Cheery Ecuadorian lady making fresh ceviche from scratch. Subject B: Three paunchy geezers sitting around a rickety card table, playing dominos, a pile of fresh papusas slathered in fresh refried beans sitting perilously on the corner. Subject C: Old dude, smiling despite a few missing teeth, squirting hot sauce and pinching fresh lime juice onto $2 ears of corn which are of larger girth than your average Lane Bryant customer. Subject D: Geeky hipster-ish group of awkward Asian kids in an ethnic neighborhood, chowing heartily on $6 huaraches **, taking fussy sips from a glass of horchata and snapping away hungrily with DSLR's. * I'm terrible at making up games. My Calvinball games are abject disasters. ** I'll depreciate my race and nerdy food pursuits every day of the week for huaraches. Freshly made tortillas, filled with a light smear of refried beans, and topped with a hearty mixture of spicy meats, fresh lettuce and an intoxicating green sauce are worth a little egg on the face. read more
19 years ago
Impossible not to eat everything but most can't b/c the gods have not made our stomach big enough for this task, in my case luckily I got to sample from other cheapass eaters. Here are the list of thing I got to sample: Pupusas($3-$4) - Meat and cheese filling comes with condiments include pink-stained pickled cabbage it was very crunchy and cool. Went great with the oily/starchy consistency of the pupusa. There was also a white sauce and red chili sauce that you could ladle. Huarache ($5 super CHEAP!)- This dish was the size of Vi's dog, as you can see in the picture, poor ChiChi was sort of put of by it but it was gooood. On flour tortilla (hand made) was a spread of beans, Mexican cheese, lettuces, and choice of meat, with a splash of limejuice (salsa optional). WOW so good and so big, most people had to share it, lucky I was there to help. Ceviche ($7-$8) - Mixo comes with shrimp, octopus, big chunks of white fish all mixed with limejuice, cilantro, onion, jalapeos, and tomatoes this is to die for. Fruits ($2)- mangoes or mixed for a bag of fruit comes with limejuice and chili powder this is optional. RANTS & RAVES: GO before the season is over I think the city extended it till the end of October, and nobody know if the vendors will be able to come back next year. read more
11 years ago
This particular area contains various food vendors ranging from Columbian, Salvadoran, and Mexican vendors. Only had a chance to try the Salvadoran and the Mexican. It took about 2 hours to get there and I first approached the Salvadoran vendor which appeared to be the busiest, and for a good reason. The food there was amazing. They had a good variety of foods there but I had gotten the carne asada which comes with rice, beans, steak, fried sweet platains, fried yuca, and fresh green platain chips (separate order). I also got 4 pork popusas which are stuffed with fresh cheese and pork. My friend had an orchata as well. All of that took about 15 minutes to prepare but they managed great under pressure. It all came out to 32$ which is good considering the portions but ofcourse, with my appetite of a savage lion, I was still hungry. I then tried one of the Mexican vendors. I ordered a cemita which is a sandwich of heavenly decent and filled me up with a side of guacamole and platain chips. They made it in about 5 minutes so it was pretty fast. I was looking for a torta which is a similar sandwich but none of the Mexican vendors had any which is pretty strange. After that I saw a softie truck passing by so I chased it down and ended the feast with a vinilla ice cream waffle cone. Definitely worth visiting. read more
20 years ago
I'm somewhat of a snob when it comes to Mexican food. After growing up in Southern California, the tacos in Seattle just don't cut it. Manhattan is a little better but still, the search went on...until we visited the Red Hook Ball Fields a couple of weekends ago. To some degree it's just what it sounds like - there's several soccer fields with organized games being played. For some of us though, that's the side show for what has developed along the sidewalk; an ad-hoc food market where on can enjoy delicacies from all over Latin America. It's fantastic! How about a Salvadoran-style pupusa? Various fillings are enveloped inside a ball of masa, flattened out and the grilled to perfection. It's like an encapsulated quesadilla. Melty cheese and shredded pork is awesome. Plain cheese is good too. Or a Huarache? It's a Mexican creation that is kind of like a giant taco. It's a tortilla about the size of a paper plate (and is served on one) filled with steak, pico de gallo, cheese, lettuce, and a white sauce. Wear crappy shoes because this delicious monster will be dripping all over then and you're not going to care. There's about twenty other delicious things at this place. you should go there right now (if you live in NY and you're reading this on the weekend between noon and five.) You can get mango slices spiced up with paprika, agua fresca drinks that taste like drinking pure fruit (watermelon rocks) steak tacos, corn on the cob, etc etc. read more
Despite all their success (well-earned it must be said), the vendors lining the intersection of Clinton and Bay in Red Hook still remain affable and charming, humbly offering their foods each weekend during warm months, from about May to the end of September. It's a tradition that has lately caught in with the "in" crowd, but no matter, the food is still top notch. Get their by noon and one or two trucks might still be setting up, but you'll beat the crowds and maybe enjoy a word or two with the proprietors. The corner is lined with trucks and still a few small carts, selling ceviches, pupusas, tacos, and all the rest. The Country Boys truck (above) is usually the most crowded, and for good reason, they know how to cook. I especially like their sopes ($6 for 2), which are molded into a small plate-like shape with edges to hold in the beans. The corn base is also crispy, something of a rarity in the sope world, but a very good change. They also make a mega quesadilla ($6) that when picked up starts dripping and breaking apart immediately. Keep your wits about you though and munch fast, making sure to pick up all the juicy remains. There are two competing (but I think they are all friends) Salvadorean pupusa trucks, both with similar offerings and pricing. I don't remember which, but one of them sets up camp over at Brooklyn Flea on Saturdays, one of two locations that the vendors have expanded to this year. You can also find some random offerings there too, but fighting the hipster mob is kind of defeating sometimes. Back at the ball fields, I always like to grab my food and head for the opposite side of the soccer pitch, where families of the players gather with children and music to watch or not watch the games. It's more festive, and it's even fun to watch the players strut their stuff on the field. If you are lucky enuogh to see a score, a nice show usually follows. read more
I will start by saying that I've never encountered such a disorganized and nasty bunch of ladies in my life. When trying to get the vendors' attention, I was met with either nothing or "what do you want??", annoyance prevailing in their voices. Now, I understand that for many people this is all part of the charm of the Red Hook Ball Field Food Court, but I for one am not impressed. My friend and I began with huaraches, vegetable and pork-filled, and though mine was delicious it completely fell apart as I ate it at one of the park benches. Moving on, tamarind juice was pleasantly sweet and sour, but mango with "everything" (chile, salt, and lime juice), had very little kick to it. It was at this vendor that it seemed the woman working did everything in her power to ignore me as I stood before her. In trying to get food from the ceviche and tamale stalls, we were again met with bored attitudes; the fact that the vendors are said to open at 10AM, and most weren't opened until noon, also annoyed me greatly. However, the papusa cart had me clenching my teeth the most. For the first hour of opening, the main woman running the cart had nothing but nastiness for her customers, saying that nothing was ready. In trying to pleasantly ask a question of her fellow workers, one of the male workers stopped me before I could get a word in, asking what I wanted in nasty tone. "Nothing at all, good sir." When the pupusa cart finally opened, a crowd rather than a line formed, and no matter how many times I mentioned my loroco flower with cheese order, I was asked an equal amount of times, "You have meat and cheese, right?" Lack of forks or other utensils only made the disorganization more infuriating until, half an hour later, I had my damn papusa. Though full by the end of the experience, I found it all to be completely not worth it. Not dealing well with the crowds has something else to do with it, yes, but I will not return. read more
The ball fields are so authentic, I expected a Spanish telenovela to be playing in the background. Really though, they have some quality trucks here. The day I went, there was good representation between different countries. We had Country Boys (Mexican tacos), Olomega (Salvadorian papusas), Vaquero's (juices and fruit), and a Colombian truck whose name escapes me at the moment. The lines were longest for Olomega and Country Boys, but definitely worth it (I had CB before, and actually waited for Olomega). If Vaquero's is there, get a fresh squeezed juice; you'll be amazed by how cheap it is! Sadly, no ceviche the day we went, but we'll be back! Bring a blanket, and sit on the grass and watch kids playing ball. Or sit on one of the many benches available. Great experience, and you can take the B61 bus there and/or back. read more
I am the world's forgotten boy... the one who searches and destroys! well come on! I've been searching for Mexican Street food in New York that holds a candle to LA and Mexico. Red Hook Ball Fields every weekend and I'm in love. As an added bonus I picked up some Pupusas from the Salvadoran cart...THE BEST PUPUSAS I've ever had. I recommend trying Queso y Loroco (Loroco Flower to be exact) For the record, I love flowers and wild edibles and anything "different"...the Loroco Flower is fresh, herbaceous, aromatic and crunchy and compliments the cheese magnificently. If you have lived in New York your whole life and think Shredded Lettuce is something you put on your tacos...please come here next weekend and experience a sea change. read more
19 years ago
Okay... there are three things New York DEFINITELY does NOT have: 1. Good Mexican Food 2. Good VietNamese Food 3. Affordable rent That said --- let me share with you the most AMAZING discovery that could actually counter my # 1 "beef" with NYC... First, you have to TRUST me and take a trip to Red Hook. Then --- you have to PROMISE that you will get the QUESADILLA. It looks like this GI-NOR-MOUS taco... but it is the BEST FREAKING TASTING THING... and I can't vouch for anything except for the QUESADILLA EL PASTOR. It's just 6 bucks. $5 if you smile real pretty... Oh yeah, then there's the AMAZING tamales... OMG... you have to seriously eat the chicken tamales AND the corn tamales. Oh, but there's the pupusas... Did I mention the ceviche? Am I babbling? Look, I was born, bred and raised in LalaLAND --- so I definitely know my Mexican food --- and the soccer fields gives you NOT ONLY AWESOME food south of the American border... but has booths representing MULTIPLE latin countries from Central, North AND South America. Look for the blue tarp once you step off the F train at Smith-9th Street. It's about a ten minute walk --- and all I had to do the first time looking for it was to ask random strangers where the RED HOOK SOCCER FIELDS were. Just note that this Brooklyn foodie paradise is "seasonal" --- May through October and ONLY on the weekends from approximately 10am or 12pm UNTIL either 5pm or 8pm --- it's really up until the vendors run out of supplies. Everything is HOME-MADE and delicious --- so much so --- that I'm SALIVATING just "scribbling" this all out for your benefit!!! read more
16 years ago
The star of the show at the Red Hook Ballfields seems to be the Salvadoran popusas served at a truck called El Olomega. These popusas are handmade with love and care, and cost about $2 apiece. My popusa-loving friend had one with locoyo flower and queso, while mine was simply pork, or chicharron. The popusas were mighty fine and the fried chicharron nuggets on the side were also tasty, even though they looked they'd been nuked. A cashew drink and tamarindo jarritos soda complemented this banner meal ($11 total....score!) I was pretty full at this point -- and really fuckene tired -- but I didn't travel all the way from 110th Street to the ass end of Brooklyn for a popusa and few measly pieces of pork. I needed some more grub. Mas comida, amigos. Surveying the options -- which were surprisingly less than expected -- we passed on Chilean ceviche, Guatemalan tamales and Colombian arepas and opted for the more familiar, comforting Mexican tacos. Fail. My friend's taco al pastor resembled grizzled sausage (but not the good kind) while my carne asada taco was like a steak-um sandwich inside an uninspired tortilla. This was one of the worst tacos I've had in awhile, actually. Still those popusas were better than I'd had during a layover at the airport in El Salvador, so that's saying something. And I'm glad I finally checked this place out. Red Hook has been on my to-do list for a long ass time. But spare me the yadda yadda yadda about how this is the best Latin food ever or in NYC. Cause I don't think it is. I don't think it's even close. Like I said, the popusas (love saying that word!) are good stuff, there is a cool sense of community surrounding the soccer, and if you live in BK or downtown NYC, I can see this being an option. But if you live uptown like me, just head for La Taqueria or something similar. You'll save yourself a lot of time and energy and you'll eat better, too. read more
Came here on a Memorial Weekend. Mistake? Well, there were a lot less vendors but also the lines were shorter. It didn't really stop the boyfriend and I from getting pupusas and ceviches. There were so many trucks, quite hard to choose if you ask me. Somehow we ended at El Olomega for the pupusas and on top of that, we had some fried pork with it also. Everything was excellent. Definitely get the pupusas with cheese, I threw on some of the onions which they gave on the side and chowed down; bliss. The fried plantains were quite awesome until I got to the last few pieces which were extremely salty but still very addicting. We moved on to some shrimp ceviche. It was perfect since the sun started to shine on us, the ceviche was very refreshing and packed with tomatoes, cilantro and had that delicious citrus-y flavor. As we were sitting on the bench, a lady with churros came by. It couldn't be better than that. Fresh churros that was sugary and cinnamon-y after a satisfying meal was just more than perfect. I mean, it probably is just food trucks and carts, but you definitely can't find this kind of food and love in the city. read more
Just got back from one of the best food experiences in recent memory. My friends and I headed down to brooklyn on the F train to Caroll St (although Smith-9 st might be closer). We took a nice 10-15min walk down to Red Hook and feasted on some terrific, authentic mexican food. **Info before you go** Months: May to October Days: Saturdays and Sundays Times: 12-5pm Distance: From Midtown ~ 30min on Subway + 10-15min walking From UWS ~ 45min on Subway + 10-15min walking See http://events.nytimes.com/2006/08/23/dining/reviews/23unde.html for more information. When we arrived, we were parched from our walk so we located a juice stand to the right of the entrance. They had large glass containers of different kinds of juices (see photos). I chose the Watermelon which was SOO good and perfectly refreshing for a hot summer day. A friend of mine ordered the cantaloupe which was equally tasty. I went back later to this stand to get an Orchata (a rice milk drink with cinnamon) which was the perfect after lunch drink...so refreshing! We walked across the pathway to a blue tent which was selling Huaraches (among other things). They were HUGE and piling over the plate they were served on. I ordered a queso hurache con bisteck but others got the pork and said it was really good. The giant, elongated tortillas are homemade in front of your eyes alongside the sizzling meat and melting cheese. After the Huarache was cooked, they piled it with lettuce, onion and sour cream. I added guacamole and a fairly spicy red sauce to it. The Huarache was so freakin delicious, messy and hard to eat but the strategy was to pull it out of the plat a little and wrap the plate around the rest. This seemed to prevent it from spilling everywhere but juice still squirted out the end...beware! I thought this was going to cost me a fortune just from the look of it but only set me back $5!!!! AWESOME!!! I will be going back here as much as possible this summer/fall, what a great place! read more
IT'S BACK ON!!! My first time there was today. The food was awesome! I understand the disappointment everyone had about it being shut down for so long. There weren't that many stands though, maybe 6 only but each had something different. Had the huarache and quesadilla's ($6 each) which were amazing. Carne Asada seasoned well, so frickin tasty. Spicy pork delicious. Really authentic, inexpensive, huge portions, nostalgic from my trip to Oaxaca. I love street food and here they have food from all over Latin America. Well worth the trip. Check em out here: http://www.myspace.com/redhookfoodvendors. There was even a guy sleeping on a box next to the quesadilla stand...next time that guy will be me. A counter pic to Lynn F's review http://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/OCdBg074crlFQ_IlMYEtTw?select=pu46RsnM8vMgtx4ZKb-cpQ read more
8 years ago
This has always been my favorite place for authentic Mexican, El Salvadorian, and Guatemalan food. They're only open during the summer (May-October) in Red Hook. My favorite truck is the El Olomega Pupusas truck. The pupusas are made to order so they are hot and fresh. I prefer the pork & cheese filling but the chorizo and cheese filling is good as well. They come with a side of pickled cabbage and sour cream. You can add hot sauce and pickled jalapenos on the side. They also have freshly made plantain chips which are delicious as well. You can see someone actually peeling the plantains fro the chips. There's also Huarache King and aguas frescas truck. Huarache King has good tacos and huaraches. The aguas frescas truck has good horchata and watermelon drinks. Since they're all street food trucks, it's no frills so all the food is served on styrofoam plates and cash only of course. I will be back sometime in the summer. read more
Continuing my food tour at the Brooklyn Flea (I sampled cupcakes and hot dogs here and here), I recently had my first Flea pupusa from a stand manned by the Red Hook Food Vendors. What exactly is a pupusa? Keep reading... A pupusa is a dish originating from El Salvador, with a thick corn tortilla surrounding gooey cheese, meat, beans and squash. All this goodness is topped with a cabbage slaw, thin salsa and crema. We added some plantains and sausage to seal the deal. The result was sweet, salty, savory, chewy and crispy - a taste and texture explosion, if you will. The diverse mix of flavors in the pupusa may be a bit of an acquired taste - my eating buddy wasn't as crazy about it as I was. However, if you're ever at the Brooklyn Flea or the Red Hook Ball Fields, give the pupusas a try! An interesting flavor combination worth a try! read more
I haven't gone to the Brooklyn Flea this year, but I've been eating a lot at the Brooklyn Food Film Festival. So that's where I've tried the pupusas from the Soler Pupusa truck. I've gotten the chicken pupusa that has a side of cabbage, pickles and jalepeno pepper and sour cream and also added a sausage. I've never tried one until that night and it was pretty good I must say. The sausage was really yummy too! And with this review it ends my night with all the food eaten at the Brooklyn Food Film Festival! read more
17 years ago
My only complaint is that my stomach couldn't handle eating any more food. My mind was telling me yes, but my body, my body was telling me no (the reverse r kelly). For the past 24 hours I keep thinking and rethinking how I'm a fool for thinking I was too full to handle an ear of corn. Dammit, I'll have to be back next weekend to try the carts I didn't make it to. The watermelon agua fresca changed my life. (If you don't like your beverages super sweet, avoid the hibiscus tea. I took one sip and tossed it. Le sigh). GOOOOOO THEREEEEEEEE! read more
i thought i wrote one, but i guess i didn't. I love the horchata at the drink stand. IT IS OFF THE HOOK! They also sell grilled corn w/chili, lime and mexican cheese. The pupusas truck is yum and i love it w/cheese only. The ceviche is marinated well and for that price it's a delight. All the food and one with nature. I welcome the walk back. read more
Yummy great authentic Spanish food from Mexico, Honduras, Colombia and El Salvador. I will not repeat what every body else said from the 140+ reviews except you gotta try the Chorizo Pupusa with a watermelon juice. I love it here and cant wait to come again, maybe next time I can join in one of the soccer games on the side. read more
18 years ago
I have to thank Andrew Zimmerman for the tip off about this place in his first episode of Bizarre Foods, but seriously, what's so bizarre about street vendors in a park? So what if my friends were hesitant to try the Ecuadorian ceviche mixto (shrimp, white fish, octopus), seafood out of a plastic container doesn't scare me. And they kept it on ice. Once my friends bucked up and tried it, they were impressed too. The only things that surprised me was the price, at $8 it was one of the more expensive things we had out here that day. Over at the Salvadorian style pupusa cart we it was 2 for $4, we tried the New York Times endorsed cheese and jalapeno, which did not disappoint. Then we also ordered some of the pork and cheese, and plain pork. But those were way too salty. I'd give those a pass. The carne asada huaraches lived up to their long standing reputation. They reminded me of gyros, but tasted every bit like fantastic Mexican fare. $6 for an extremely generous portion that's tough to finish after sampling stuff from other stands. If you can still manage it, my friend said the horchata was so amazing, he want's to stick his head under the spout and drown himself in it. Also you can get some amazingly ripe and fresh mango on a stick. Messy, but delicious. The only qualm I have with the experience are the long lines, but that's to be expected with all this buzz. read more
16 years ago
My trip to the Red Hook Vendors is way overdue...by about a couple of years. But I'm glad I got there and and I'm happy with the results. I know its not the big, overwhelming food bazaar it once was, but the selection is still impressive and quite tasty. The Chile Relleno from one of the trucks (don't ask which one, but I believe it was a Salvadorean truck) was amazing. A few juicy bites, take a chink of the relleno and roll it in the tortilla and it was heaven. What a great ways to start a Sunday afternoon in Brooklyn with the family. The plantain chips were also great fun...salty, crispy, freshly sliced in long strips. The only thing missing was a an ice cold beer. And if that's enough, we capped off the food fest with a platter of deep fried chicken chicharron with a mixed red bean and rice plate and these soggy but delicious deep fried, starchy yams that just can't be that good for you on a regular basis. To add to the heart attack: Sweet, soggy plantains with a sweet flavor that just couldn't be matched. I loved it all and intend to come back! Bernie, get Amy and lets add lots of jalapeno! I've gotta find a reason to buy something at Ikea just to stop by... read more
19 years ago
19 years ago
There is little that remains to be said about Red Hook Ball Fields, since it's already received so much praise from yelpers recently. I went there for two weekends in a row and had a great time both times. I'm generally not a huge fan of Central American cuisine, but the selection and freshness of the food (and the dirt cheap prices!) definitely made up for it. I must have sampled a good 10 different items, so I won't be listing all of them here. Among the highlights: - Shrimp/seafood ceviche... so delicious. You can get several versions of it at a couple of different places, but you can't go wrong. - Huarache (or giant tacos): I tried the spicy pork and it was just delicious. But be careful, these are so huge that one of them might make you full, so sharing is a good idea. - Corn on the cob, sprinkled with salt, chili powder, and lime juice... enough said. - Fresh fruit (I strongly recommend the mango): also sprinkled with salt, chili powder and lime juice. An interesting combination, but quite tasty. Not to forget the pupusas (I tried the lorocco flower filling: interesting), the fried plantains (delicious), the bbq meat etc etc... Great way to spend a few hours on a sunny weekend afternoon. Let's just hope they have it again next summer!! read more
16 years ago
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155 Bay St
Brooklyn, NY 11232
Red Hook
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