Flushing, often reduced to ‘Queens’ Chinatown’ by those who’ve never wandered beyond Main Street, is a sprawling feast. Amid the herbal apothecaries and bustling produce markets, smoke rises. While you could subsist on dumplings alone, this neighborhood also answers the primal call of charred meat. Here, find Texas-style brisket that dreams are made of, Korean galbi joints, and smoky ribs worth the subway trek—all in this gloriously chaotic culinary crossroads.
JiXiang BBQ
$ | (929) 306-6666 | WEBSITE
You’re heading to this street cart for a massive skewer of chicken. The barbeque cart’s chicken skewer is coated with optional sauce and pairs well with any seafood. But if you can handle double servings of meat, get the one with a side of fresh seafood choices. It’s juicy, tender, and with a generous sauce dip, it makes you smile in your small chair a little. Like most carts in Flushing, JiXiang BBQ is open until late night, but the spot mainly fills up for midnight snacks.
It’s the kind of late-night bite that is immediately followed by a stroll through the growing night market scene.
Hareubang Dol Gui
$$$ | (646) 720-0214 | WEBSITE
Hareubang Dol Gui sounds like a mystical Korean barbecue guardian that keeps Flushing’s hungry masses content with sizzling seafood delights. In reality, it’s a cozy Korean restaurant that does staples like fresh eel and stir-fried squid really well. But what makes this evening spot a standout is the personal touch from the friendly couple who runs it. They make eel that’s so fresh and slightly crispy, bits of sesame leaves somehow end up on your plate.
The chive served with the eel is a perfect complement to the main dish. And on the topic of sides, they serve kimchi that tastes like it was made with care. Thanks to Hareubang Dol Gui, this neighborhood is still satisfied (or at least too full to complain).
Chi-Mac Zip
$$ | (718) 799-0049 | WEBSITE
For years, Chi-Mac Zip has been a reliable spot in Flushing for satisfying Korean-style chicken and comfort food. The no-frills restaurant serves up some of the best Gomtang and grilled chicken in the area. Prioritize those over the pork cutlet. But definitely don’t leave without ordering a side of their boneless chicken—it’s crispy, juicy, and perfect with a cold beer. This place runs a steady dine-in and takeout operation. There’s simple booth seating inside, clean and functional.
And we recommend coming with an appetite because the portions are generous and the prices are fair—but that’s part of the straightforward appeal of this place.
Cast Iron Pot Queens
$$ | (347) 368-6255 | WEBSITE
Cast Iron Pot Queens feels like a bustling Korean market stall transformed into a Flushing dining room. With its sizzling grills and communal tables, it’s one of the most engaging barbecue spots in Queens. The experience here is very Korean—smoky and savory—but it’s also unmistakably New York. The menu has a buttered squid that feels like a revelation. And for groups, they do a great all-you-can-eat with delicious garlic steak and spicy pork belly.
Cast Iron Pot Queens isn’t just one of the best Korean BBQ restaurants in Flushing, it’s one of the best restaurants in New York.
GAN-HOO BBQ
$$$ | (929) 384-8888 | WEBSITE
Tucked away in Flushing’s bustling food scene, this barbecue spot makes really good grilled meats and serves the best marinated beef in Queens (because they use top-notch wagyu). A meal here can be as delightfully simple as plum juice with some vegetable sides and bacon-wrapped enoki mushrooms. But it can also be a nice Wagyu Fried Rice and a variety of seafood from their impressive barbecue setup right at your table.
You can count on this place and its welcoming atmosphere for when you need a good plate of beef combo with your large group celebration, or your special occasion dinner.
Jeong Yook
$$$ | (917) 908-0234 | WEBSITE
Jeong Yook feels like the kind of place you’d find in Seoul. Until you realize their beef combo includes bulgogi-like beef and marinated La kalbi, and then you remember you’re in Flushing. The KBBQ restaurant has been around for years and they’re actual masters in meat preparation. Generous combos are just under $30 and they give you plentiful banchan with every order—a feast you will quickly appreciate once you try their corn with cheese (say yes to the steamed egg that comes with it).
Apandi BBQ
$$ | (646) 821-5738 | WEBSITE
This Chinese street food spot is as welcoming as a late-night food truck should be. Everyone here serves you quickly—which isn’t always the case in a busy Flushing barbecue joint—and it’s casual enough that you can patiently select the specific skewers you want (the lamb skewers are juicier and more tender). Take your order to one of the nearby benches and enjoy the bustle of solo diners around you doing the same.
Your skewers here should also be paired with their stinky tofu that’s pungent and flavorful. For something extra, head to the grill for a skewer of their delicious squid with seasoning that’s spicy and right on point. Get the eggplant too.
XiaoHuoBan BBQ
$$ | (718) 539-9898 | WEBSITE
You can find every kind of barbecue skewer imaginable at this Flushing spot, but if you don’t want to deal with your own grill, just walk right in. That’s where you’ll discover XiaoHuoBan’s cozy setup. Many places in the neighborhood serve similar fare, but this particular restaurant makes the best versions. The beef skewers are flavorful and the roasted buns should overwhelm someone with a small appetite, but still deliver satisfying warmth inside.
This is just the kind of affordable, quick, and tasty meal everyone craves, which is probably why it’s also among the top picks for Flushing’s most welcoming barbecue joints.
Niu B Chuan
$$ | (718) 353-0132 | WEBSITE
There are plenty of solid barbecue spots in Flushing, and this is definitely one of them. Niu B Chuan is known for their hot pot and skewers, which are good, but we really love their handmade dumplings and sour cabbage pork hotpot. You just have to know how to order here, because your choice of seasoning makes all the difference. Order the lamb skewers with extra cumin and chili. Then dip that juicy meat in the chili sauce and enjoy it with a piece of tofu skin in one bite.
And if you order the cold noodles, ask for extra kimchi instead of cucumber. Is it still technically cold noodles? We bet the regulars (fans of bold flavors) would say so.
Jongro BBQ Flushing
$$ | (718) 939-9330 | WEBSITE
This Korean barbecue spot used to be a different restaurant, but it’s now our go-to place for KBBQ in Flushing. It has a cozy atmosphere with wooden tables and fairy lights, and the absolute friendliest staff helping at the tables. You have an extensive selection of banchan and side dishes, including seasoned broccoli and fluffy eggs—plus high-quality marinated beef and excellent cold noodles.
About half the experience is dedicated to the barbecue, and our favorite order is the marinated beef paired with rice and lettuce. It kind of tastes like the best Korean flavors and it’s just over $25 per person with tax for a satisfying meal.
Galbi Ma Eul
$$ | (718) 819-2171 | WEBSITE
Galbi Ma Eul is the (authentic) cousin of those trendy Korean BBQ spots in Manhattan. Exactly like the best ones, you sit around a wood-fire grill and the banchan arrives in small colorful bowls. Prices correspond to varying meat cuts and they do take reservations. Unlike some places, the service won’t have you wondering if you’ve become invisible while waiting for your galbi.
Order the marinated crab with the server because it won’t appear in the standard banchan rotation, and it’s too good to miss. Galbi Ma Eul is a reliable and cozy Korean spot to come with your favorite family group of four or five people. But it also works great for eating alone while contemplating the chemistry of marinades as short ribs sizzle your way.