A record-breaking crowd turned out at Long Island City’s Sound River Studios Tuesday evening for the 22nd annual Queens Taste, which saw more than 50 vendors showcase their best dishes at the borough’s signature culinary event.
Roughly 580 guests packed the gallery-style venue at 4-40 44th Dr. for the annual event on May 12, enjoying delicious bites from across the borough and across the world.
The event, organized by the Queens Economic Development Corporation (QEDC), aims to spotlight some of the borough’s best restaurants and bars in the hopes that guests will be inspired to travel to the brick-and-mortar location. It also strives to highlight Queens as a culinary destination.
Staff at Rego Park’s London Lennie’s prepare ceviche for Queens Taste. Photo by Shane O’Brien
QEDC Deputy Executive Director Rob MacKay described the annual event as a “beautiful reflection of Queens,” capturing the borough’s diversity and thriving food scene.
Guests at the event sampled flavors from all over the world, including authentic West African jollof rice from the Jollof Guys, ceviche from LIC Peruvian joint Jora and pupusas from Jamaica-based Salvadoran restaurant Rincon Salvadoreno.
MacKay said the event aimed to showcase a diverse range of culinary options as well as a diverse range of Queens neighborhoods.
“I’m so proud of the regional diversity we have,” MacKay said. “We’ve got guys from Laurelton near the Nassau County border, almost on Long Island, and we have a bunch of people from the other side from Long Island City and Astoria – and we have everyone in between.”
Only Rare NYC provided hand-rolled ice cream. Photo by Shane O’Brien
MacKay added that the event is a celebration of the delicious bites that Queens has to offer, helping to put the borough on the map as a true culinary destination.
“We don’t have ski slopes here in Queens, but what we do have is an incredibly diverse population, which means we have an incredibly diverse restaurant scene. You’re not going to see non-Mexican people selling Mexican food. You’re going to see someone who was born in Mexico cooking with his grandmother’s recipe.
“One of the best things about Queens is the food and restaurant scene. It’s all based on diversity and we’re so much cheaper than Manhattan. Let’s face facts. We’ve got bigger portions too.”
QEDC provided an ice sculpture for the occasion. Photo by Shane O’Brien
Guests had no shortage of portions on Tuesday, enjoying everything from pork tacos to bao buns and from authentic Italian pastas to bite-sized burgers.
There was also no shortage of sweet treats, with Tipsy Scoop providing liquor-infused ice cream and Heritage Bread Pudding providing variations of bread puddings. Laurelton’s Only Rare NYC also provided hand-rolled ice cream for guests at the outdoor terrace of Sound River Studios, which provided panoramic views of the Manhattan skyline.
A number of Queens bars, including Neir’s Tavern and Sanger Hall, also provided alcoholic samples for the evening, with the Wine Room of Forest Hills providing a selection of wines.
Ben Guttmann, executive director of QEDC, told QNS prior to the event that Queens Taste provides Queens businesses with exposure to potential new customers, adding that QEDC goes to great lengths to ensure that participating restaurants at Queens Taste reflect the borough’s diversity.
“Queens is the most delicious place on Earth and we are so proud to be able to feature the diverse and rich culinary scene here,” Guttmann said.
Photo by Shane O’Brien
He added that Sound River Studios is a “one-of-a-kind space” on the LIC waterfront, providing an outdoor patio space ideally suited for the May sunshine.
MacKay, meanwhile, said QEDC would determine whether it would return to the space next year or bring Queens Taste somewhere else in the borough, with previous events taking place at the New York Hall of Science and Shea Stadium.
“It really all depends on parking. Like everything else in Queens, it all depends on parking,” MacKay said.
To see a full list of businesses who participated in the 2026 Queens Taste, click here.