NYCGuide
The Best Pop-Ups In NYC Right Now
photo credit: C-Marty's Jerk
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.
April 15 - April 21
photo credit: Kate Previte
Noma Projects @ Superiority Burger / Tuesday, April 16, 5pm-Sold Out
Noma Projects is a company based in Denmark that’s basically run by a bunch of fermentation nerds. They make things like spicy corn yuzu hot sauce and funky mushroom garam, and if you’re not sure what exactly you’d do with something like that, get some inspiration from Superiority Burger. On Tuesday, the East Village vegetarian burger joint will be cooking up a bunch of specials using Noma’s products. No reservations needed, specials available while supplies last.
Wine and Brine @ Heaven and Earth / Tuesday, April 16, 7pm
If you are also obsessed with Charcuterie-Tok, go appreciate a good grazing table at Stay For Dinner's natural wine pop-up in Brooklyn. The wines will be funky, the snacks will be top-notch, and you'll learn how to quick pickle vegetables.
Baby Z Dumplings @ Winner / April 17-19, Pick-ups from 4-8pm
Did you know that you can stuff anything you want inside of a dumpling wrapper? Baby Z definitely does. The dumpling pop-up will be at Winner in Park Slope all week, with everything from curry chicken to takeout-style beef and broccoli for fillings. They are pick-up only, and you must pre-order.
Aces x Frog @ Frog Wine Bar / Thursday, April 18, 5pm-Sold Out
Square pizza and wine, in one of the best backyards in Bed-Stuy. Springtime is here. Ace's Perfect Pizza is coming with their classic, Detroit-style cheese pies for $12, and Pissaladière pies for $14. The beverage selection is by Wine Mc2.
photo credit: Kate Previte
Open Fire Supper Club @ OStudio / Thurs-Sat, April 18-20, 7:30pm
OStudio, one of our favorite wine bars in Bed-Stuy, is hosting a three-day live fire cooking series curated by Chef Hugo Heinz. They’ll feature a new guest chef every day, each highlighting their home culture—in this case, Southern Creole, Mexican, and Argentine menus. Check out the menus here, and then purchase your tickets here.
Earth Month @ Talea Beer Co. / Thurs, April 18th and Sun, April 21st, All Day
April is Mother Earth’s month, and if the city’s indecisive weather is any indication, she needs some love and attention. To celebrate, Talea, Black Seed Bagels, and Gotham Greens have teamed up to create two special draft beers brewed using upcycled bagels and fresh basil. Both beers will be available at all Talea tap rooms starting on Thursday, April 18. If you stop by their Williamsburg taproom on the 21st, Black Seed Bagels will be onsite giving out open-faced green goddess bagels with purchase of one of the beer collabs.
photo credit: Alex Staniloff
Hera @ Frog Wine Bar / Saturday, April 20, 5pm-Late
If you want a party with your pop-up, head to Frog Wine Bar on the weekend instead. Roaming restaurant Hera will go late on April 20, with natural wines, seasonal cooking, and live jazz. They haven’t released a menu, but we’re excited to see what they do with spring vegetables. No reservations required.
Ongoing
photo credit: Dane Isaac
Bad Larry's Good Pizza @ Other Half and Rialto Grande / Sat, April 10 and Sat, April 27, 1-7pm; Sun, April 28, Time TBA
There are some new pizza people making waves every Friday in Brooklyn. They use three-day fermented sourdough, hand-stretched to order, as a base for wild toppings like Alabama white BBQ and Italian sausage or white garlic with chicken skin and bacon. For the last two Saturdays in April, they'll be at Other Half Brewery in Carroll Gardens, before ending the month at Rialto Grande on Sunday, April 28. If you can't make it this month, check their Instagram for future dates and locations.
Sandwich Pop-Up @ Confidant / Thursdays & Fridays, 5-9pm, through April
Confidant, the new live-fire restaurant from two Roberta's alums, is set to open in Industry City sometime this spring. Until then, they're doing two new sandwich drops at the shop, twice a week through the end of April.
Flatbush Oyster Co. @ King Tai / Thursdays, 5pm-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—last we checked there's one on May 4.
photo credit: Becky MacGregor Clark
Gotham Burger Social Club @ Threes Brewing at Franklin + Kent / daily
Another day, another smashburger, and we’re not mad about it at all. The next time you need some beefy goodness, try the fan-favorite Oklahoma-style onion burger at Gotham Burger Social Club’s winter pop-up. They’ve opened their own restaurant now, but are still at Threes Brewing kitchen in Greenpoint, serving their signature burgers, buffalo wings, a crispy fish sandwich, and sides. Food is available from open to close every day, with a bunch of great brews on tap to wash everything down.
photo credit: Super Burrito
Super Burrito @ Threes Brewing / Mon-Fri, 5pm-10pm; Sat-Sun, 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.
