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A sandwich from Defonte’s.
Robert Sietsema/Eater NY

Where to Eat in Red Hook Right Now

The city’s best barbecue, authentic key lime pie, and great gnocchi await

by Eater Staff Updated
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A sandwich from Defonte’s.
| Robert Sietsema/Eater NY
by Eater Staff Updated

Red Hook is like no other neighborhood in New York City. Let’s be honest, what that ends up meaning is that it can feel extremely remote from transportation, though taking the ferry is a lot easier than it seems and such a fun way to arrive in the summer months. But that quality is exactly what’s ended up making the waterfront neighborhood feel like an enclave unto itself and retained its charm even through change. Red Hook is way more than just a place to do your Ikea shopping. Particularly, as the weather warms up, it’s a great destination for bopping around, with a small-town feel.

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Red Hook Lobster Pound

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Red Hook Lobster Pound brings Maine vibes and lobsters shipped from the state to its picnic table-lined room decorated with nautical flags. Fresh lobster rolls are rightfully popular and available in traditional Maine and Connecticut styles as well as the unconventional BLT and Tuscan. For a more lasting impression, dig into the full lobster dinner or a New England seafood boil, and share the robust selection of other seafood-shack staples.

284 Van Brunt St, Brooklyn, NY 11231
(718) 858-7650
(718) 858-7650
A plate of lobster rolls at Red Hook Lobster Pound.
A lobster roll from Red Hook Lobster Pound.
Red Hook Lobster Pound

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San Pedro Inn

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Longtime Red Hook residents mourned the loss of dive Bait & Tackle, but San Pedro Inn, which opened in 2019, has kept much of its old-school charm alive. The no-frills bar, outfitted with vintage art, has one thing the original bar didn’t have: some truly stellar tacos and just-right, not-too-sweet margaritas.

320 Van Brunt St, Brooklyn, NY 11231
(718) 576-3916
(718) 576-3916

Defonte's Sandwich Shop

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Defonte’s, opened in 1922, was once slinging sandwiches stacked with cured pork to dockworkers in the area. Now the secret of the counter-service joint’s top-notch sandwiches is out to a wider audience. Gorge on the Nicky Special, a mammoth sub containing ham, salami, and capicola, plus fried slices of eggplant, provolone, and hot peppers mixed with oregano and pickled vegetables. Cash only.

379 Columbia St, Brooklyn, NY 11231
(718) 625-8052
(718) 625-8052

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Red Hook Tavern

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When Red Hook Tavern opened in 2019, its burgers immediately became the talk of the town. These days, it’s a lot easier to get into the restaurant and it’s still one of the best date-night spots in South Brooklyn. Red Hook Tavern is owned by Billy Durney, of nearby Hometown, so it's no surprise the meat reigns supreme here, though the menu has other dishes to offer like pasta and French onion soup.

329 Van Brunt St, Brooklyn, NY 11231
Dry-aged burger with American cheese, onions, and wedge fries at Red Hook Tavern.
Red Hook Tavern’s burger is now served with cottage fries.
Jean Schwarzwalder/Eater NY

Also featured in:

Steve's Authentic Key Lime Pies

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Key lime pie is all about the limes and Steve’s takes them seriously. The citrus fruit commonly found in South Florida is shipped to this tiny and mostly to-go shop, for a properly tart rendition of the dessert that would make the Sunshine State proud. Skip the more gimmicky bites for the pie itself, a minimalist mix of crunchy graham cracker and smooth filling with just the suggestion of sugar.

1011, 185 Van Dyke St, Brooklyn, NY 11231
(718) 858-5333
(718) 858-5333
An overhead photograph of a personal-sized key lime pie at Steve’s in Red Hook, Brooklyn.
A personal pie from Steve’s.
Luke Fortney/Eater NY

Also featured in:

Somtum Der

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Isan-style Thai fare is the focus of this Red Hook spot (the restaurant also has an East Village sibling). Go for the papaya salad with salted eggs, grilled marinated pork, or deep-fried chicken thighs. There’s an outdoor area for warm-weather dining.

380 Van Brunt St, Brooklyn, NY 11231
(347) 227-7889
(347) 227-7889
a close up of a white bowl with pieces of tomato, lime, beef, and green shoots
A green papaya salad at Somtum Der.
Robert Sietsema/Eater NY

Also featured in:

Bar Mario

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What had been Fort Defiance is now Bar Mario from Moreno Cerutti and Alessandro Bandini, Manhattanites who relocated to Red Hook in opening their new spot. The scene is pitch-perfect like a movie set, with throwback chandeliers and retro tile flooring in a cozy L-shaped room, and Edith Piaf on the speakers on one visit. Consider a few appetizers, like diminutive vitello tonnato, fried artichokes, or charcuterie, as well as gnocchi, and daily pasta specials — but truth be told, it’s more of a (fantastic) place to drink Italian wines and cocktails.

365 Van Brunt St, Brooklyn, NY 11231
(631) 616-5695
(631) 616-5695

The Good Fork Pub

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Sohui Kim (Gage & Tollner, Insa) relaunched neighborhood staple Good Fork as the Good Fork Pub in 2022. Though formatted as a straightforward bar with a back area for additional seating and a backyard, there’s nothing typical about the food here. Kim’s kitchen is dolling out some of our all-time favorite bar food in the city with roasted poblano honey cream cheese dip with crispy wontons, veggie smash burger with fried broccoli, pork dumplings, and Korean Philly cheesesteaks.

391 Van Brunt St, Brooklyn, NY 11231
(718) 643-6636
(718) 643-6636
A bowl of fried wontons with kimchi beer cheese basks in the natural light of a nearby window.
Fried wontons with kimchi beer cheese.
Luke Fortney/Eater NY

Also featured in:

Hometown Bar-B-Que

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New York City’s best barbecue is in Red Hook, where the perfume of smoked animal fat wafts beyond the entrance. Served from a counter on butcher paper in the warehouse-like setting, meat offerings at Hometown including the fast-selling lamb belly and a standout brisket that can also be tucked into a roll for a sandwich. Lines tend to be long, especially when the weather’s nice, but the music and vibe makes it a party just waiting for food with a beer in hand.

454 Van Brunt St, Brooklyn, NY 11231
(347) 294-4644
(347) 294-4644
The dining room at Hometown Bar-B-Que, with an American flag mural on the wall
The line at Hometown Bar-B-Que.
Eater NY

Also featured in:

El Olomega Pupusas

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This Salvadorian spot is one of several food trucks to set up across from Red Hook Park. It’s seasonal, but come warm weather, stop by for homestyle pupusas from a street vendor that’s been around since 1990.

160 Bay Street, Brooklyn, New York 11231

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Red Hook Lobster Pound

284 Van Brunt St, Brooklyn, NY 11231

Red Hook Lobster Pound brings Maine vibes and lobsters shipped from the state to its picnic table-lined room decorated with nautical flags. Fresh lobster rolls are rightfully popular and available in traditional Maine and Connecticut styles as well as the unconventional BLT and Tuscan. For a more lasting impression, dig into the full lobster dinner or a New England seafood boil, and share the robust selection of other seafood-shack staples.

284 Van Brunt St, Brooklyn, NY 11231
(718) 858-7650
(718) 858-7650
A plate of lobster rolls at Red Hook Lobster Pound.
A lobster roll from Red Hook Lobster Pound.
Red Hook Lobster Pound

San Pedro Inn

320 Van Brunt St, Brooklyn, NY 11231

Longtime Red Hook residents mourned the loss of dive Bait & Tackle, but San Pedro Inn, which opened in 2019, has kept much of its old-school charm alive. The no-frills bar, outfitted with vintage art, has one thing the original bar didn’t have: some truly stellar tacos and just-right, not-too-sweet margaritas.

320 Van Brunt St, Brooklyn, NY 11231
(718) 576-3916
(718) 576-3916

Defonte's Sandwich Shop

379 Columbia St, Brooklyn, NY 11231

Defonte’s, opened in 1922, was once slinging sandwiches stacked with cured pork to dockworkers in the area. Now the secret of the counter-service joint’s top-notch sandwiches is out to a wider audience. Gorge on the Nicky Special, a mammoth sub containing ham, salami, and capicola, plus fried slices of eggplant, provolone, and hot peppers mixed with oregano and pickled vegetables. Cash only.

379 Columbia St, Brooklyn, NY 11231
(718) 625-8052
(718) 625-8052

Red Hook Tavern

329 Van Brunt St, Brooklyn, NY 11231

When Red Hook Tavern opened in 2019, its burgers immediately became the talk of the town. These days, it’s a lot easier to get into the restaurant and it’s still one of the best date-night spots in South Brooklyn. Red Hook Tavern is owned by Billy Durney, of nearby Hometown, so it's no surprise the meat reigns supreme here, though the menu has other dishes to offer like pasta and French onion soup.

329 Van Brunt St, Brooklyn, NY 11231
Dry-aged burger with American cheese, onions, and wedge fries at Red Hook Tavern.
Red Hook Tavern’s burger is now served with cottage fries.
Jean Schwarzwalder/Eater NY

Steve's Authentic Key Lime Pies

1011, 185 Van Dyke St, Brooklyn, NY 11231

Key lime pie is all about the limes and Steve’s takes them seriously. The citrus fruit commonly found in South Florida is shipped to this tiny and mostly to-go shop, for a properly tart rendition of the dessert that would make the Sunshine State proud. Skip the more gimmicky bites for the pie itself, a minimalist mix of crunchy graham cracker and smooth filling with just the suggestion of sugar.

1011, 185 Van Dyke St, Brooklyn, NY 11231
(718) 858-5333
(718) 858-5333
An overhead photograph of a personal-sized key lime pie at Steve’s in Red Hook, Brooklyn.
A personal pie from Steve’s.
Luke Fortney/Eater NY

Somtum Der

380 Van Brunt St, Brooklyn, NY 11231

Isan-style Thai fare is the focus of this Red Hook spot (the restaurant also has an East Village sibling). Go for the papaya salad with salted eggs, grilled marinated pork, or deep-fried chicken thighs. There’s an outdoor area for warm-weather dining.

380 Van Brunt St, Brooklyn, NY 11231
(347) 227-7889
(347) 227-7889
a close up of a white bowl with pieces of tomato, lime, beef, and green shoots
A green papaya salad at Somtum Der.
Robert Sietsema/Eater NY

Bar Mario

365 Van Brunt St, Brooklyn, NY 11231

What had been Fort Defiance is now Bar Mario from Moreno Cerutti and Alessandro Bandini, Manhattanites who relocated to Red Hook in opening their new spot. The scene is pitch-perfect like a movie set, with throwback chandeliers and retro tile flooring in a cozy L-shaped room, and Edith Piaf on the speakers on one visit. Consider a few appetizers, like diminutive vitello tonnato, fried artichokes, or charcuterie, as well as gnocchi, and daily pasta specials — but truth be told, it’s more of a (fantastic) place to drink Italian wines and cocktails.

365 Van Brunt St, Brooklyn, NY 11231
(631) 616-5695
(631) 616-5695

The Good Fork Pub

391 Van Brunt St, Brooklyn, NY 11231

Sohui Kim (Gage & Tollner, Insa) relaunched neighborhood staple Good Fork as the Good Fork Pub in 2022. Though formatted as a straightforward bar with a back area for additional seating and a backyard, there’s nothing typical about the food here. Kim’s kitchen is dolling out some of our all-time favorite bar food in the city with roasted poblano honey cream cheese dip with crispy wontons, veggie smash burger with fried broccoli, pork dumplings, and Korean Philly cheesesteaks.

391 Van Brunt St, Brooklyn, NY 11231
(718) 643-6636
(718) 643-6636
A bowl of fried wontons with kimchi beer cheese basks in the natural light of a nearby window.
Fried wontons with kimchi beer cheese.
Luke Fortney/Eater NY

Hometown Bar-B-Que

454 Van Brunt St, Brooklyn, NY 11231

New York City’s best barbecue is in Red Hook, where the perfume of smoked animal fat wafts beyond the entrance. Served from a counter on butcher paper in the warehouse-like setting, meat offerings at Hometown including the fast-selling lamb belly and a standout brisket that can also be tucked into a roll for a sandwich. Lines tend to be long, especially when the weather’s nice, but the music and vibe makes it a party just waiting for food with a beer in hand.

454 Van Brunt St, Brooklyn, NY 11231
(347) 294-4644
(347) 294-4644
The dining room at Hometown Bar-B-Que, with an American flag mural on the wall
The line at Hometown Bar-B-Que.
Eater NY

El Olomega Pupusas

160 Bay Street, Brooklyn, New York 11231

This Salvadorian spot is one of several food trucks to set up across from Red Hook Park. It’s seasonal, but come warm weather, stop by for homestyle pupusas from a street vendor that’s been around since 1990.

160 Bay Street, Brooklyn, New York 11231

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