A Taste Of The City, in Flushing?

A few weeks back I mentioned to my friend and fellow Met-fan Matt Rubinstein that I would be writing up a Citi Field review for this blog (if you missed it, here). When I told him I would be including the new food options at Citi in my review he interrupted and asked (begged?) me to let him handle that part of the review. Since Matt is a bigtime Met fan and a bit of a foodie I decided (wisely) to acquiesce and let him handle it. Keep reading below for his review - Thanks Matt!

Popcorn, check, Premios Italian Sausage, check, Crackerjacks, check, El Verano Taqueria, che- wait, what is this? What is El Verano Taqueria? It is just your average run of the mill taco stand now located in the “Taste of the City” area at Citi Field, or is it something more, something special?

Citi Field boasts 5 new food stands that can be reached by any fan. They are the aforementioned El Verano Taqueria and Shake Shack, as well as Blue Smoke, Catch of the Day and Cascarinos Pizzeria.

I will use two different types of rating systems so you can better understand the quality and value of the food. One system is just how the food tastes and costs, that’s it. The other one I like to call expected value. This value system incorporates wait times. I believe the longer you wait, the better the food should be as you are also missing the game on the field. Both systems will be rated on a scale of 1 through 10, with 10 being the best possible score.

Up first is Catch of the Day. The featured dish is the Lobster Roll, but at $17 I am not touching that. They also offer a fried flounder sandwich, which I have heard good things about from a trusted friend of mine when it comes to food. They also have an interesting fry option with old bay seasoning, sea salt and cheddar cheese. I look forward to trying this the next time I am there.
Value- 6.5. (Based on my friends experience) Expected Value- 6.5. There is never a line.

Next is Blue Smoke. I have been to the restaurant in Manhattan and I like it. As for the offerings at the Citi Field outpost they have the Pulled Pork sandwich, Kansas City Style Ribs, and Chicken Wings as the highlights. I have had the Kansas City Style Ribs and the Pulled Pork Sandwich and they are both pretty solid.
Value- 7. Both aren’t that filling. The Pulled Pork could have been a little warmer.
Expected Value- 6. You have to wait about 7 to 10 minutes.

Batting third in today’s review is Shake Shack. I have been to the one in Madison Square Park and the line for that one is twice as long as the one at Citi Field. Shake Shack offers The Shack Burger, a few different takes on hot dogs and, as the name would indicate, shakes. The Shack Burger is quality and when you pair it with fries it’s about the same cost as the ribs from Blue Smoke. But I am never waiting on that line.
Value- 8.5 Decent price and you’re full when you pair it with the fries.
Expected Value- 6. That line is outrageous. That place does so much business - if Citi can’t afford the Citi Field naming rights Shake Shack probably can.


Batting cleanup is El Verano Taqueria. You will soon see why this spot in the order is appropriate. This is my favorite place to eat at Citi Field. They have 3 distinct tacos. Chicken Mole Pipian, Carnitas and Skirt Steak. My favorite is the chicken, followed by the steak and lastly, carnitas. Two things you must know when eating at El Verano Taqueria - ALWAYS GET THE TACO SAMPLER for an extra $2.50 (you get one more taco) and USE THE SALSAS. They are there for a reason. The one thing that always bothers me when I eat there is the boring bland tacos. If a legit more flavorful taco replaces the current one we would have a 10 on our hands.
Value- 8.5. The Taco Sampler Expected Value- 7. There is about a 10 to 15 minute wait, but the tacos taste so good.

The last one is Cascarinos Pizzeria. There is a chance I will never eat here because they charge more than $5 for a slice of pizza, but they do offer a whole wheat slice, as well as chicken rolls and other pizzeria type food.
Value- 5. Price isn’t good. Expected Value- 4. There is a 5 to 7 minute wait usually.

Additional tidbits. In the “Taste of the City” area there is also a Belgianesque fry stand called Box Frites. You always get the large, but it’s not worth the money because the fries are about the same as other places at Citi Field. The beer quality has grown greatly. I normally don’t drink at games cause I am not paying $8 for a miller light. Well at Shake Shack, Box Frites, Blue Smoke and El Verano Taqueria, Brooklyn Brewery created craft beers to match those flavors. And I must say the one at El Verano Taqueria is excellent and a perfect match to the tacos. Citi Field still has Mamas of Corona and sushi from Daruma (make sure you say hi to my boy Yoshi), but those places will lose business with the major new comers. The one area that needs an upgrade is dessert. There are a few options, but pale in comparison to the rest of the food upgrades from Shea.

After reading this you are now a graduate of Reyes University with a Masters in Citi Field Food, congratulations and good luck!