Tong is a Thai restaurant that specializes in kub klaem, small plates intended to go with drinks. These, from chefs Chetkangwan “Jade” Thipruetree’s and Sunisa “Susan” Nitmai, include a fiery beef tartare called goi neu, gai tod fried chicken, and mum, a sausage reuniting beef and its liver. Seafood, wok-fried noodles, and fully realized soups more elaborate than those usually found in Thai restaurants, round out the menu of Tong, which resembles a former auto garage.

Faro, one of the most critically acclaimed restaurants in the area, is still considered a well-kept secret. Chef Kevin Adey’s upbringing in Rome, as well as the restaurant’s former Michelin-starred status, are evident in its handmade pasta dishes — confit chicken bucatini, veal ragu fazzoletti — and short menu of entrees.

For a restaurant whose menu changes faster than the face of this Brooklyn neighborhood, head to Falansai. Chef Eric Tran took over this longstanding Bushwick restaurant during the pandemic, and replaced its menu with an array of seasonal dishes that nod to Latin America and Vietnam, inspired by his heritage and a recent stint at Blue Hill at Stone Barns. Although an a la carte menu of seafood curries and barbecued duck necks is likely to catch your eye, Eater critic Ryan Sutton recommends the “brilliant” six-course tasting menu priced at $83 per person.

Operating out of a former tailor shop built in 1914, husband-and-wife team Scott Hawley and Michelle Lobo-Hawley serve a globe-trotting menu that pulls from India, Italy, and South America. Diners can watch as Hawley and sous chef Paul Terceros work from an open kitchen, assembling dishes like purple potato gnocchi and miso-braised pork shoulder. Imagined first as a cocktail bar, Otis’ bar program offers several stellar cocktails, including the Samoa Returns — made with brown butter mezcal, coconut, and cocao nibs — and a knockout Negroni.

The menu at Momo Sushi Shack nods to the eclectic spirit of Bushwick, featuring dishes that use traditional Japanese cooking methods and ingredients, as well as vegan adaptations made from local produce. Find sushi served in their signature “bomb” style — warm rice balls topped with sashimi and a dollop of avocado or spicy mayonnaise — alongside crispy garlic cauliflower wings and maki made with mushroom and tofu skin in lieu of fish. The variety makes this one of the best dinner spots in the neighborhood to accommodate a group with different diets.

Bunna Cafe was started by owners Sam Saverance and Liyuw Ayalew as a pop-up to highlight the importance of coffee (bunna) in Ethiopian cuisine and culture through elaborate coffee ceremonies. It has since become a permanent fixture of the vegan food scene in the neighborhood. Perfect for sharing, the main attraction is the Beyaynetu, a feast of injera and stewed side dishes that can be eaten solo or portioned for larger groups.

After a hiatus with his family in Puebla, Mexico, former Jean-Georges cook Andrés Tonatiuh Galindo Maria opened Nene’s Deli Taqueria. He serves up Mexican classics like pork mulita alongside Los Angeles inventions like birria ramen, tucked away in a nondescript deli. The birria, a meat stew made with guajillo chillies and garlic, comes topped with onion, cheese, cilantro and is served on homemade tortillas. These juicy tacos have quickly become the talk of the neighborhood, and can be snagged for just $2 each on Tuesdays.

At Sofreh in Prospect Heights, Ali Saboor helped bring owner Nasim Alikhani’s pioneering Persian restaurant to life as a chef in its kitchen. Three years later, the roles have now reversed, and Saboor is taking a front-seat role at this Bushwick cafe backed by Alikhani. The menu consists of an array Iranian baked goods — beef pirashki, Ka’ak bread — but the main attraction is its black tea. Infused with cardamom, cinnamon, and rose petals, each batch steams for a minimum of 45 minutes.

It’s no secret that Bushwick is home to some of the city’s best taco spots, but Taqueria Al Pastor is a contender for the top slot. As the name suggests, the name of the game at this fast casual spot is the al pastor with succulent slices of pork and juicy, tart bites of crunchy pineapple. Eat them on-site or walk it on over just a few blocks down to Maria Hernandez Park.

John De Piper, James Freeman, and Matthew Maddy created Sally Roots as a reasonably-priced, Caribbean-American restaurant that strives to be the type of place where customers can hang out for hours. Every dish is generously portioned for its price, particularly its jerk chicken brunch special, which comes with hash, grits, and eggs for $18. On weekends, a range of bottomless brunch options promise to get customers “low-key tipsy” and “high-key turnt” for under $30.

Ops is the lesser known pizza champion of Bushwick. The small pizzeria serves up thin, sourdough pies made using a custom wheat flour blend, creating a well-balanced, crispy-chewy base. You can’t go wrong with the basil-topped margherita, or the Pops pie, which comes loaded with pork jowl, onion, and pecorino. The wood-fired pizzas range from $15 and $20 each.

If you’re in need of an ideal to-go meal to eat in Maria Hernandez Park, look no further than Grilled. The new stand, which opened in summer 2021, is located just steps from the park and serves up creative, vegan spins on Latin American staples that everyone can enjoy. Among the hits are a Colombian burger made with arepas as well as a meatless take on the Argentinian street food called choripan. Grilled focuses on making filling vegan meals affordable. No dish on the menu hovers above $8 and a full kids’ menu is available as well.

From the creators of vegan favorites Screamer’s and Champs Diner, Hartbreakers serves up vegan fried chicken made with seitan that rivals the real deal. The “chicken” sandwiches are stacked high and packed with flavor, especially the Thunderbird, made with a tangy slaw and jalapeño cilantro aioli.

Mao Mao is unlike any other Thai restaurant in New York City. Jugkrwut Borin and his wife, chef Arada Moonroj, modeled this bi-level space on some of the most storied movie theaters such as the Siam Theatre in Bangkok. Patrons descend a winding staircase for a taste of what the couple describes as “cinema and drinking” food. There are small paper plates of beef laab, Laotian-style papaya salad, and other classic Thai snacks made for pairing with beers, cocktails, and a dozen or so varieties of ya dong, a traditional Thai medicinal libation that’s concocted by Borin.