You've waited on line for Rockaway Taco, devoured the vegan cupcakes from Babycakes, and sucked down "captivating" Pina Coladas at Conolly's. With one last beach weekend left this summer, are there any more Rockaway worlds to conquer? Turns out, there are quite a few intriguing joints off the area's beaten path, and the Times is on it.
Today the Times has a handy roundup of Rockaway bars and restaurants which are a little more obscure than the ones hipsters have come to know and love. These establishments are under the radar for many because they're mostly patronized by boaters and locals familiar with the Jamaica Bay side of Rockaway. And they're not exactly artisanal locally-sourced sustainable LEED certified. At The Wharf, reporter Daniel Maurer says "the fish tacos are more like wraps, and the open-faced lobster rolls taste as much of cucumber as crustacean. But there’s no quibbling with the view: the Marine Parkway-Gil Hodges Memorial Bridge to the west, the Cross Bay Veterans Memorial Bridge to the east, and Manhattan far off to the north."
And at Thai Rock, "a plump red snapper twists up from the plate as if it were fried while being reeled right in from the boat slip. That’s where visitors can now rent kayaks ($20 to $25 an hour; $120 for four hours, with a boxed lunch) and Jet Ski-type watercraft ($65 to $75 a half-hour and $120 to $130 an hour)." Jet Skiing is actually forbidden in Jamaica Bay because its mostly a federally-protected wildlife preserve, but there is a little sliver of water not owned by the feds, where you can go as fast and loud as you want. Just don't get lost and end up wandering around JFK airport—they will arrest you.
