For an emblem of the hippification of Rockaway Beach, look no further than the squat, utilitarian concession stands that sit along the boardwalk at 86th, 97th and 106th streets. While they haven’t changed outwardly, they’re offering new flavors this year, literally and otherwise.
It’s a result of a deal struck with the city Parks Department by Andrew Field and David Selig, the owners of Rockaway Taco, which for the past three years has drawn surfers, day-trippers, locals and a growing number of intrepid foodies to a no-frills food shack on Beach 96th Street.
The pair landed the contract to supply food concessions at the three city-owned boardwalk stands starting this summer. And they invited friends from Brooklyn hot spots including Roberta’s, Vinegar Hill House and Meat Hook to feed the sunblock-slathered masses.
The result is a menu of offerings that both upgrade the standard boardwalk fare and offer a fresh spin on beach-blanket eats. Here’s your guide to all the good grub, as well as what to do — besides eat — while you’re there.
CLICK HERE TO SEE A MAP OF ROCKAWAY HOT SPOTS
Sea side snacking
1 Beach 86th Street — As the Drifters sang in the summertime classic “Under the Boardwalk,” “You can almost taste the locally sourced, humanely raised artisanal hot dogs and fries . . .”
OK, maybe we’re adding a few modifiers, but that more or less sums up Rippers, which dominates the eastern-most food stand. Burgers and hot dogs are the main draws — at least after the morning shift, when breakfast burritos ($5 for bean, $6 for chorizo) attract surfers headed to the designated wave-riding zone.
The meat is supplied by the locavore butchers at Williamsburg’s Meat Hook. So the burgers (between $5.50 and $9) are grass-fed, from upstate farms. Factory-farming foes will appreciate their pedigree, but anyone can tell that Rippers makes a great burger — generously salted and served on a potato roll with onions and pickles. The hot dog is also a standout — some may grumble about the $4 price tag, but they’ll be rewarded with a smoky, spicy link with an admirable snap.
* Summer sides: The fries! They have a tempura-like texture and are seasoned with a blend of . . . things we couldn’t quite identify. The counterman only smiled when we asked, and replied, “Aren’t they good?”
* Slurp this: Juice-bar offerings include the Ecuadorian ($5), with cucumber, mint and agave, and the Dream Catcher ($6), an avocado, coconut water, almond milk and agave concoction.
2 Beach 97th Street — A half-dozen vendors share space here, including the vegan, gluten-free bakers of Babycakes NYC; the juice bar Veggie Island; Thai-food purveyors Ode to the Elephants, and Motorboat & the Big Banana — a fry stand offering chicken, shrimp and fish in a basket with fries or as po’boys.
You may not consider Thai beach food, but you should. With its tart and fiery chili-lime dressing, Ode’s papaya salad ($7) is hard to beat.
At its satellite stand here, Rockaway Taco offers chips and guacamole ($4 for a small) and flautas (potato, $5; chorizo, $6). For a refreshing — and interesting — snack, opt for the cucumbers ($4) — spears of not just Kirby cukes, but also mango and jicama, brought to life with lime juice and dried chilies. Served in a cup, they’re portable and good for sharing.
* Summer treat: Sweet and savory collide in Motorboat & the Big Banana’s frozen banana, slathered in chocolate and covered with peanuts and a sprinkling of sea salt ($3).
* Slurp this: Tame the heat with a $3 brew such as Modelo from the Lowtide Bar.
3 106th Street — Caracas Rockaway manager Georgiana Condric says she’s gotten some quizzical looks from beachgoers looking for a burger, who end up eyeing a menu of Venezuelan treats such as empanadas, arepas and fried plantains. “People would come in expecting to find a hot dog, and they’d get kind of angry,” she says. “But things are turning around, and now it’s awesome.”
It’s easy to be won over by the offerings, supplied by the folks behind the Caracas Arepa Bars in the East Village and Williamsburg. The empanadas, crisp and ungreasy, come with cheese ($4), beans and cheese ($4.50) and a spicy fish mixture ($5).
Arepas are superior, as well; we went for the basic bean-and-cheese ($5), though others include La del Gato, with cheese, plantains and avocado ($6.50) and La de Pernil, with roast pork, tomato and spicy mango sauce ($7).
* Summer sides: Matchstick fries ($4) are superlative, and available in a taro variety.
* Slurp this: Passion-fruit juice ($3) is tart and refreshing. The michelada ($7) is a killer drink, with salt on the rim and a pool of dark, spicy sugarcane syrup at the bottom.
Another option: a chicory-flavored New Orleans iced coffee ($4) at the adjoining java stand, run by Blue Bottle Coffee, a San Francisco-based enterprise trafficking in “microroasted” organic coffees.
4 Beach 96th Street: Rockaway Taco — Fedora-wearing hipsters queue up around the block for the fish tacos ($4) here. Served with lime and radish, they are about as authentic as tacos get outside Mexico. 95-19 Rockaway Beach Blvd.; 347-213-7466, rockawaytaco.com.
* Slurp this: Sample a $2 serving of the excellent Italian ices from DiCosmo’s, a family business that’s operated in New Jersey since 1915. Here and at places along the boardwalk, you’ll find offbeat flavors such as cucumber-lime alongside coconut and lemon.
Post swim
5 Connolly’s Summer Saloon — Make yourself at home at this unassuming basement hangout — the only clue that it’s a bar is a half-moon red awning and “Connolly’s” spelled out in white lettering — and sip a frozen piña colada topped with a maraschino cherry ($5.50) at one of the outside tables.
The watering hole, located in a gray-shingled house and open only during the summertime, is popular with local surfers and lifeguards. And this summer, the tight-knit group of boardwalk concession workers is also making Connolly’s its after-hours drinking den. “I’m living in paradise and having the time of my life,” says 25-year-old Grace Lowman, who runs the Blue Bottle Coffee concession. 155 Beach 95th St., between Rockaway Beach Boulevard and Shore Front Parkway.
Amusements
6 Boarders Surf Shop — If you wanna hang 10 instead of just hanging out at the city’s only legal surfing beaches (at Beach 67th and 86th streets), rent your board at this small, 7-year-old shop, which rents a few dozen surfboards ($35 for four hours). Co-owned by 38-year-old NYC firefighter Christian Stathis — a Rockaways resident and surfer — and his father, rows of surfboards hang behind the register, and wetsuits and longboards adorn the walls. The store, situated on a quiet residential block, is a gathering place for local surfers, who filter in and out throughout the day to chat with the friendly, laid-back staff. Don’t miss Boarder’s outpost at the 97th Street concessions, either. 192 Beach 92nd St.; 718-318-7997, boarderssurfshop.com.
7 Fort Tilden Park — Meander through the two-plus miles of hiking and biking trails in this park, where you can still spot vestiges of its military past. Battery Harris East, a historic gun site, offers a sweeping seascape of nearby Jamaica Bay from the observatory deck up top. Nature lovers will be on the lookout for migratory birds and other wildlife along the secluded beaches, freshwater pond and maritime forest. 718-318-4300, nyharborparks.org.
8 New York Surf School — Certified surfing instructor Frank Cullen offers two-hour lessons that make novices comfortable on the water as they figure out what kind of board is best and where to find the best spots to practice. The school also offers a yoga and surfing retreat, starting today. 718-496-3371, surflessonsnew-york101.com.
9 Boggsville Boat-in-Theater — The brainchild of artist and boat builder Constance Hockaday, this floating hotel — dubbed a “boatel” — is crafted from five 28-to-35-foot vessels, which have been reclaimed from Marina 59. They surround a floating platform where aquatic-themed flicks, such as Aug. 25’s “20,000 Leagues Under the Sea,” unreel at 9 p.m. Wednesdays through Sundays (BYO chair and snacks). Four of the leisure-fishing boats are from the ’70s and ’80s, while a fifth vessel — a ’70s houseboat — has been repurposed as a rustic penthouse, complete with a breakfast nook and decks for fishing and picnicking. Marina 59 at 59-14 Beach Channel Drive; fluxfactory.org. Free.
Getting there
10 Take the A train, or go on the ferry that glides by New York Harbor landmarks before dropping anchor one hour later at Riis Landing. The ferry’s Boat and Bike special ($60) includes bike rental for the day and round-trip ferry service. Ferries leave from Pier 11 at Wall Street on Saturdays, Sundays and holidays; 718-474-0593, newyorkbeachferry.com; $25 round-trip.