September 12, 2005

Bohemian Hall & Beer Garden for ... fried cheese

Way out in Queens, just before the N train calls it a day, sits the New York City's last open-air beer garden. The Bohemian Hall & Beer Garden has been in operation since 1919 and serves as an epicenter to New York's Czech and Slovak community.

Not only can you get $12 pitchers of great Czech beer such as Pilsner Urquell, Staropramen and Krusovice, but they also make plenty of alcohol-absorbing house specialities such as goulash, barbecued kielbasas and savory crepes. But the pros know to order the fried cheese, with the slice of ham in the middle and the tartar sauce on the side.

But get there by mid-afternoon. A line can form by 7 p.m. and at least this past Saturday night at 11 p.m., there were about 150 20-somethings queued up hoping to get in.

To reach the Bohemian Hall, take the N to Queens and exit at Astoria Boulevard. Walk parallel to the elevated train tracks in the direction your N train had been travelling. About five minutes later, take a left onto 24th Avenue and you'll see the Czech flag waving mid-block on your right. Na zdravi.

The Bohemian Hall and Beer Garden is located at 29-19 24th Avenue, Astoria, Queens.

Photo credits: Emmanuelle Richard, (top,) and Jim Lowney, (bottom.)

September 12, 2005 10:12 AM in Drinkology, Foodology, Out of Manhattan

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