NYCGuide
The Best Pop-Ups In NYC Right Now
photo credit: Louise Palmberg
New pop-ups are a great way to roam NYC with your mouth open like PacMan, eating food straight from the fever dreams of the city’s most exciting chefs. And they’re everywhere. The next time you decide to venture beyond that one neighborhood restaurant where the waitstaff has seen every outfit you own, check out one of the pop-ups on this list.
May 6 - May 12
photo credit: Teddy Wolff
Bong @ The Fly / Tuesday-Wednesday, May 7-8, 5-11pm
If you follow pop-ups are closely as we do, you might have noticed that the people of New York are really craving Cambodian food right now. Bong wants to get you your fix at their upcoming brick-and-mortar in Crown Heights, but they need your help. They're doing a pop-up this week at the Fly, where you can see what they have to offer and help raise money for their new spot. Walk-ins only.
photo credit: Alex Staniloff
Tolo & Chinatown Friends @ Tolo / Wednesday, May 8 and Wednesday, May 22, 6pm and 8pm
The Tolo team is celebrating their neighbors in Chinatown with a prix fixe menu that features ingredients from longtime neighborhood businesses. The multi-course meal includes cheung fun made by Kong Kee, Fong On’s beloved tofu pudding, and tilefish sourced from Aqua Best. There are two seatings per night for $75 per person. Claim your seat at the chef’s counter here.
Hera @ With Others / Wed-Thurs, May 8-9, 5pm-Close
Hera is a roving tasting menu restaurant that was started by one of the former chefs at Oxalis, and this week, they’re taking over the kitchen at With Others’ wine bar in Williamsburg. Expect an extensive springtime menu with things like rye pickled beet biscotti, snap pea ricotta toast, and of course, a lot of ramp (like, so much ramp). If you can’t make it this time, follow Hera on Instagram to see where they pop up next.
photo credit: Hannah Albertine
The Baodega @ Hana Makgeolli / Thursday, May 9, 5-9:30pm
The Baodega supper club does Sichuan food like we've never seen before. They've got classics like mapo tofu and ye’erba, but we're especially excited about their Sichuanese katsu, fiery clams, and lotus pudding. For one night only, you can try all of those things and more at Hana Makgeolli in Greenpoint. Grab a table here.
photo credit: Bryan Kim
Bake It Nice @ Eleven Madison Park / Saturday, May 11, 11am-1pm
This Saturday is your last chance to hit Eleven Madison Park's annual Bake It Nice pop-up. You can find them outside of the restaurant selling strawberry and hazel croissants (both fully vegan), coffee, seasonally inspired beverages, and gifts. They're only out there for two hours from 11am-1pm, and there will definitely be a line, so try and get there early. And if you can't make it, you can always try something from our best croissants guide.
Vietnamese Treats Pop-Up @ Land To Sea / Saturday, May 11, 12-3pm
Williamsburg coffee shop Land To Sea is celebrating AAPI month with a bunch of pop-ups, workshops, and even open floor mahjong throughout May. If you prefer to celebrate with a snack, go this Saturday and grab some Vietnamese treats brought to you by Ăn Xôi. There will be savory sticky rice with pork meatballs, fried quail eggs, coconut cassava cake, and more. Popular items (like the purple sticky rice ball) do run out quickly, so they recommend that you pre-order here, but you're also welcome to walk in.
Farideh Sadeghin x Ursula @ Ursula / Saturday, May 11, 9am-Sold Out
We bet you've never had a Persian-New Mexican breakfast burrito, and now's your chance. It's got eggs with a lot of fresh herbs, advieh roasted potatoes, zhough labneh, Armenian string cheese, and lamb koobideh inside. Chef Farideh Sadeghin will bring her creation to Ursula on Saturday morning starting at 9am, and we recommend getting there early. There are no pre-orders, and the last time Ursula did a burrito collab, it sold out by 11:45am. More info here.
May 13 - May 19
Indonesian Food Bazaar @ Culture Lab / Sat, May 18, 2-10pm
The folks behind the Indonesian Food Bazaar have been serving Southeast Asian staples for more than a decade now. You can find them every month at St. James Episcopal Church in Elmhurst, and this month, they're also co-hosting a special Pasar Malam New York event at Culture Lab in LIC. The Indonesian festival will feature food, music, films, and dance from 2-10pm. Halal and vegetarian options will be available, and they only take cash, Venmo, and Zelle.
Ongoing
Alumni Series @ Gramercy Tavern / Various Tuesdays, May 7-August 12, 5pm-Close
Gramercy Tavern turns 30 this year, and they're celebrating all spring and summer with some very special Tavern takeovers. Tavern alums will be serving some of their own dishes alongside the regular menu. That includes chefs from Rolo's, Hearth, Union Square Cafe, and more. See the full line-up here.
Mission Chinese Food @ Cha Kee / Wednesday-Sunday, 5-10pm; End Date TBD
Danny Bowien’s beloved San Francisco import is back for a spring and summer pop-up, after their drama-filled closure in 2022. They’re setting up shop inside Cha Kee at 43 Mott Street for the next few months (exact ending dates TBD). They'll be serving classics from the original 2010 menu—and we hope that their kung pao pastrami, mapo tofu, and thrice-cooked bacon will make the cut. Follow Cha Kee’s IG for updates.
Inaniwa Udon & Dashi: Dinner Series @ Dashi Okume / Friday & Saturday, 8pm; End Date TBD
Hot weather means it's time for cold noodles, and you can get your next bowl at Dashio Okume in Greenpoint on Friday and Saturday evenings all summer long. They’re doing a special seven-course tasting menu for $85, featuring Inaniwa udon, a thin and flat noodle from northern Japan (not to be confused with the trending super wide udon at Okiboru). Your meal will include noodles, fried fish, and pressed sushi. A sake pairing is also available for $50. Seatings are at 8pm; make your reservations here.
photo credit: Louise Palmberg
Summer Sundays @ Huda / Sundays, May 5-August 25; 6:30pm
One of our favorite new restaurants of the year serves food from the Levant, like batata harra and shish Barak. Starting on May 5, they’ll be hosting a summer series at their East Williamsburg restaurant, with film screenings and live performances that highlight the region's creative community. Film screenings are free, and live performances have a small fee that goes 100% to the artists. Check out their calendar here, and read our review so you know what to order.
Flatbush Oyster Co. @ King Tai / Thursdays, 5-9pm
If you want to eat grilled jerk oysters and more "unconventionally Panamanian" food, Flatbush Oyster Co.’s roving pop-up is your best bet. You can find them on most Thursdays at King Tai, where they’ll have their famous jerk, as well as weekly specials. (Check their Instagram on Mondays to make sure they’ll be there.) Past menus have included spicy pei mussels, oxtail croquettes, and Colonese-style mariscos fritos. Walk-ins are welcome, but if you want to pre-order, shoot them a DM.
Happy Bull Pizza @ Lohi Bar and Fifth Hammer Brewing Company / Various Dates, 5pm onwards
We’ve never had a vodka sauce burger before, and we have no idea why. It seems so obvious. Happy Bull Pizza is a pop-up known for its extra-charred, extra-garlicky pizzas, but they’ve recently added the Vodka Burger 5000 to their menu, and we're on a mission to try it. You can too, at Fifth Hammer every Tuesday night, or at Lohi Bar from Wednesday to Sunday.
Border Town @ Commune / Sundays, 10am until sold out
On Sundays, you'll find this small-batch tortilla maker at Commune, a Clinton Hill cafe, making chewy, lard-kissed tortillas, filled with things like chicharrones in salsa roja, and the smoothest, gentlest refried beans you’ve ever had. The line to order can be long, and the line to wait for your order even longer, but if you have time to kill, stick around for the $5 tacos. Their Sonoran wheat flour tortillas are also for sale at Big Night and Marlow & Daughters.
photo credit: Willa Moore
Lev @ The Hancock / various dates
Lev was once the city’s most elusive (and exclusive) pop-up. But then they threw us a bone, and now you don’t have to solve their riddles three to figure out the date, time, and location—you can just buy a ticket to each event. And you should, because they do "site-specific" cooking that’s usually worth the hype, with a different menu each time—often with a slew of seasonal vegetable and meats prepared right in front of you. Lately, they've been doing dinners at The Hancock, a venue in Bed-Stuy. Check their Instagram for the next meal.
photo credit: Super Burrito
Super Burrito @ Threes Brewing / Monday-Friday, 5pm-10pm; Saturday-Sunday, 12pm until sold out
Over at the Gowanus location of Threes Brewing, Super Burrito takes over kitchen duties every day until 10pm (two hours before closing). They have a basic selection of their Mission-style burritos, but look out for weekly specials as well, like cheeseburgers with bacon and pepper jam. On weekends, they churn out fat breakfast burritos with chorizo and crispy hash browns all day.
C Marty’s Jerk @ King Tai / Wednesdays 5-11pm; Thursdays & Fridays, 5-9pm
Get some of the best jerk chicken Brooklyn has to offer at the C Marty’s Jerk pop-up inside King Tai, or take some to go for a sunset picnic. They’re at the cozy Crown Heights bar from Wednesday to Friday every week cooking up jerk fusion plates like jerk banh mi and quesadillas, as well as their classic wings.
