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Hanjan by Krieger

A Guide to Eight Great Meats on Sticks in NYC

by Marguerite Preston
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by Marguerite Preston
Hanjan by Krieger

As Robert Sietsema has already explained, the world of meat on a stick is a wide and wonderful one. Just about every culture has some sort of meaty dish that's prepared and served on a stick. Here, now, is a guide to eight excellent and very different meats on sticks in New York City. While this list is by no means comprehensive, let it be a jumping off point for exploring the wealth of skewered meat variety that this city has to offer.


· Meat on a Stick Power Hour [~ENY~]
· All Coverage of the Five Days of Meat [~ENY~]

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Note: Restaurants on this map are listed geographically.

1. Nathan's Famous

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1310 Surf Ave
Brooklyn, NY 11224
(718) 946-2202
(718) 946-2202
Visit Website
Maybe there's nothing extraordinary about it, bu the corn dog at Nathan's is as classic as it gets. It's best enjoyed at the original Coney Island location, eaten while strolling along the boardwalk. [Photo]

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2. Hanjan

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36 W 26th St
New York, NY 10010
(212) 206-7226
(212) 206-7226
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Chef Hooni Kim offers a range of Korean meat skewers at Hanjan, but his range is widest in the realm of chicken. The chicken skin is the thing to get, but for the adventurous there are also hearts and gizzards with garlic. [Krieger]

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3. La Vara

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268 Clinton St.
Brooklyn, NY 11201
(718) 422-0065
(718) 422-0065
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Alex Raij serves a simple dish of cumin-y skewered chicken hearts at her excellent Brooklyn Spanish restaurant. The two skewers are offset by a salad of spicy greens full of herbs and chopped nuts. [Photo]

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4. Afghan Kebab House

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764 9th Ave
New York, NY 10019
(212) 307-1612
(212) 307-1612
This Hell's Kitchen hole in the wall has been serving kebabs of every variety for decades. Options range from salmon to lamb, but one of the most popular is the beef kafta, spiced ground beef formed around skewers. All kebabs come with rice, flatbread, and salad. [Photo]

5. Landhaus at The Woods

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48 S 4th St
Brooklyn, NY 11211
(718) 782-4955
(718) 782-4955
Long-time Smorgasburg vendor Landhaus has recently taken up permanent residence in the backyard the Woods, giving Williamsburg residents the chance to eat its thick-cut bacon on a stick on a daily basis, if so desired. [Photo]

6. Yakitori Totto

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251 W 55th St
New York, NY 10019
(212) 245-4555
(212) 245-4555
Visit Website
Anthony Bourdain numbers among the fans of this classic yakitori joint, which serves a wide range of meats on sticks. It's all good, but a highlight are the chicken oysters, prized by many as the best part of the bird. [Photo]

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7. Wilma Jean

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345 Smith St
Brooklyn, NY 11231
(718) 422-0444
(718) 422-0444
The very newest meat on a stick in town. Rob Newton and Kerry Diamond's new replacement for Seersucker, which opened just last night in the Nightingale 9 space, offers fried chicken on a stick as an appetizer. [Krieger]

8. Mongolian BBQ Cart

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Main Street & Sanford Avenue
Flushing, NY 11355
Carts like this one dot the streets in Flushing, Chinatown, and Sunset Park. The Mongolian BBQ cart is a particularly popular one, but all offer a range of meaty skewers both familiar and strange, all doused in cumin and chile, and cooked over a small charcoal grill. The best is the lamb, which pairs perfectly with the spices and is usually juicy and rich. [Photo]

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1. Nathan's Famous

1310 Surf Ave, Brooklyn, NY 11224
Maybe there's nothing extraordinary about it, bu the corn dog at Nathan's is as classic as it gets. It's best enjoyed at the original Coney Island location, eaten while strolling along the boardwalk. [Photo]
1310 Surf Ave
Brooklyn, NY 11224
(718) 946-2202
Visit Website

2. Hanjan

36 W 26th St, New York, NY 10010
Chef Hooni Kim offers a range of Korean meat skewers at Hanjan, but his range is widest in the realm of chicken. The chicken skin is the thing to get, but for the adventurous there are also hearts and gizzards with garlic. [Krieger]
36 W 26th St
New York, NY 10010
(212) 206-7226
Visit Website

3. La Vara

268 Clinton St., Brooklyn, NY 11201
Alex Raij serves a simple dish of cumin-y skewered chicken hearts at her excellent Brooklyn Spanish restaurant. The two skewers are offset by a salad of spicy greens full of herbs and chopped nuts. [Photo]
268 Clinton St.
Brooklyn, NY 11201
(718) 422-0065
Visit Website

4. Afghan Kebab House

764 9th Ave, New York, NY 10019
This Hell's Kitchen hole in the wall has been serving kebabs of every variety for decades. Options range from salmon to lamb, but one of the most popular is the beef kafta, spiced ground beef formed around skewers. All kebabs come with rice, flatbread, and salad. [Photo]
764 9th Ave
New York, NY 10019
(212) 307-1612

5. Landhaus at The Woods

48 S 4th St, Brooklyn, NY 11211
Long-time Smorgasburg vendor Landhaus has recently taken up permanent residence in the backyard the Woods, giving Williamsburg residents the chance to eat its thick-cut bacon on a stick on a daily basis, if so desired. [Photo]
48 S 4th St
Brooklyn, NY 11211
(718) 782-4955

6. Yakitori Totto

251 W 55th St, New York, NY 10019
Anthony Bourdain numbers among the fans of this classic yakitori joint, which serves a wide range of meats on sticks. It's all good, but a highlight are the chicken oysters, prized by many as the best part of the bird. [Photo]
251 W 55th St
New York, NY 10019
(212) 245-4555
Visit Website

7. Wilma Jean

345 Smith St, Brooklyn, NY 11231
The very newest meat on a stick in town. Rob Newton and Kerry Diamond's new replacement for Seersucker, which opened just last night in the Nightingale 9 space, offers fried chicken on a stick as an appetizer. [Krieger]
345 Smith St
Brooklyn, NY 11231
(718) 422-0444

8. Mongolian BBQ Cart

Main Street & Sanford Avenue, Flushing, NY 11355
Carts like this one dot the streets in Flushing, Chinatown, and Sunset Park. The Mongolian BBQ cart is a particularly popular one, but all offer a range of meaty skewers both familiar and strange, all doused in cumin and chile, and cooked over a small charcoal grill. The best is the lamb, which pairs perfectly with the spices and is usually juicy and rich. [Photo]
Main Street & Sanford Avenue
Flushing, NY 11355

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