BOAST: Best of Astoria & LIC 2023 Winners Posted!

The BOAST: Best of Astoria & LIC 2023 Winners have been posted! They are now up on the EAT, DRINK, DO & SEE, and LOCATION pages. Congratulations to all the winners! Because there were much fewer responses for LIC on this year’s survey, those winners are listed alphabetically, while Astoria’s winners are ranked first to third. Thank you to everyone who filled out the survey, and for doing write-ups on the survey. You may see your writing on the site! Also, be sure to check out the new photos on top of the EAT, DRINK, and DO & SEE pages.

On the LOCATION page, if you click on a winner on the map, the description says the section (EAT, DRINK, or DO & SEE) and category it is a winner for. And on the HAPPENING page, you can see what’s going on in the neighborhoods. Let us know if you’d like to post events yourself!

On the homepage of the site, you can see recent posts of the full list of all the winners, as well as winners by the numbers (spoiler alert: The EAT section had the most categories, 30th Ave had the most winners of any area, and Maggie Hall’s, Heart of Gold, Burger Village, and Compton’s were winners in the most categories, so extra high fives to those places).

Winner stickers

Do you know a business that is a BOAST 2023 Winner? We are selling winner stickers! Just drop us a line at [email protected], or through any social channel, to get more info.

Advertising with BOAST

If businesses are interested in advertising as a Featured BOAST Location on the website, or partnering with us through social media, they can get in touch with us by email, [email protected] or through social.


BOAST: Best of Astoria & LIC 2023 – By the Numbers

Categories per section
25 – EAT
18 – DO & SEE
15 – DRINK

Winners by location (subway stop in parentheses)
41 – 30th Ave (N/W)
32 – Astoria-Ditmars Blvd (N/W)
32 – Vernon-Jackson Ave (7)
27 – Broadway (N/W)
14 – Court Square (E/G/M/7)
12 – 31st Ave
11 – Astoria Blvd (N/W)
11 – Queensboro Plaza (N/W/7)
9 – Steinway St (M/R)
4 – 36th Ave (N/W)

Winners in multiple categories
ASTORIA
10 – Maggie Hall’s: (6–1st; 2–2nd; 1–3rd; 1–write-in)
10 – Heart of Gold: (3–1st; 4–2nd; 3–3rd)
5 – Burger Village: (3–1st; 2–2nd)
4 – Compton’s Astoria: (1–1st; 3–2nd)
3 – Martha’s Country Bakery: (3–1st)
3 – Tootles & French: (2–1st; 1–2nd)
3 – Sweet Afton: (1–1st; 2–2nd)
3 – The Bonnie: (1–1st; 2–3rd)
3 – Judy & Punch: (2–2nd; 1–3rd)
3 – Jujube Tree: (1–1st; 1–2nd; 1–write-in)
2 – Astoria Food Pantry: (2–1st)
2 – Astoria Park: (2–1st)
2 – Museum of the Moving Image: (2–1st)
2 – Rivercrest: (2–1st)
2 – Sal, Kris & Charlie’s: (1–1st; 1–2nd)
2 – Madam Marie’s: (1–2nd; 1–3rd)
2 – Q.E.D.: (2–1st)
2 – Murphy’s Sports Bar: (1–1st; 1–2nd)
2 – VITE Vinosteria: (1–1st; 1–2nd)
2 – Comfortland: (1–1st; 1–3rd)
2 – Chez Olivia: (1–2nd, 1–write-in)
2 – Mosaic: (2–3rd)
2 – Pig Beach BBQ: (2–3rd)
2 – The Last Word: (2–3rd)
2 – Bar Dalia: 1–3rd; 1–write-in

LIC
6 – Compton’s LIC
4 – Culture Lab LIC
3 – Dominie’s Hoek
3 – Dutch Kills
3 – Hunter’s Point South Park
3 – Jackson’s Eatery | Bar
3 – LIC Bar
3 – Woodbines
2 – 929
2 – American Brass
2 – Café Henri
2 – Centro Pizza Bar & Italian Kitchen
2 – Court Square Diner
2 – Focal Point Beer Co.
2 – LM Cafe
2 – SHI
2 – Sweetleaf Coffee Roasters
2 – Xi’an Famous Foods


BOAST: Best of Astoria & LIC 2023 Winners (full list)

Here is the full list of the BOAST: Best of Astoria & LIC 2023 winners! Since there were so many more survey responses for Astoria than LIC, in each category the Astoria winners are placed first to third, and the LIC winners are listed alphabetically.

EAT
Best American Restaurant
ASTORIA
1. Sweet Afton
2. Burger Village
2. Sanfords
3. The Bonnie
LIC
American Brass
Jackson’s Eatery | Bar

Best Bagels
ASTORIA
1. Brooklyn Bagel & Coffee Company
2. Between the Bagel NY
3. New York City Bagel & Coffee House
LIC
Bricktown Bagels & Cafe
We Bagel

Best Bakery
ASTORIA
1. Martha’s Country Bakery
2. Parisi Bakery
3. Yaya’s Bakery
LIC
Black Star Bakery & Cafe
Cannelle
Multisweet LIC

Best Brunch
ASTORIA
1. Rivercrest
2. Sweet Afton
3. The Bonnie
3. The Trestle
LIC
Café Henri
Jackson’s Eatery | Bar
Woodbines (more…)


The BOAST: Best of Astoria & LIC 2023 Survey is LIVE!

The BOAST: Best of Astoria & LIC 2023 Survey is LIVE! The link is boast.nyc/survey and it will be open until Sunday, Dec. 17. There are three pages (EAT, DRINK, and DO & SEE) and 60 categories total. As usual, the categories are all write-in. We want to hear from you, so please think about your favorite spots in Astoria and LIC and submit the survey soon. (We always appreciate short write-ups, and there is a space for that in each category.) This year we have added Best Place to Eat (overall), Best Place to Drink (overall), and Best Thing to Do or See (overall). Be sure to enter your name and email at the end of the survey for a chance to win a prize!


BOAST: Best of Astoria & LIC 2023 Spring Party

Come to Rivercrest in Astoria on Sunday, May 7, at 3pm, where we’ll celebrate the current BOAST: Best of Astoria & LIC winners! You can register here. We’ll provide some snacks, there will be a cash bar, and we’ll have a raffle for great prizes from local businesses. Early bird pricing by Sunday, April 23 is $15 (plus fee), and includes one raffle ticket. (You can buy more raffle tickets, but there is a maximum of one prize per person.) After April 23, the price goes up to $20 (plus fee). Please RSVP as early as possible.

Our last in-person party was in February 2020, also at Rivercrest, and we are thrilled to be going back there. In 2022 Rivercrest was a BOAST: Best of Astoria & LIC winner for Best Brunch, Best American Restaurant, and Best Bar for Sports

Register at boast.nyc/party. If you have any questions or comments, you can email us at [email protected]. We hope to see you there!


BOAST: Best of Astoria & LIC 2022 Winners Announced!

The BOAST: Best of Astoria & LIC 2022 Winners have been announced! They are posted on the EAT, DRINK, DO & SEE, and LOCATION pages. Congratulations to all the winners. There were much fewer responses for LIC on this year’s survey, so those winners were listed alphabetically (no first, second, or third place designations for LIC). Thank you to everyone who filled out the survey, and for doing write-ups on the survey. You may see your writing on the site! Also a big thank you to businesses who contributed prizes: Heart of Gold, Rivercrest, Tea and Milk, The Brass Owl, The Shillelagh Tavern, and The Wolfhound.

New this year! On the LOCATION page, if you click on a winner on the map, the description says what that place is a winner for in which section (EAT, DRINK, DO & SEE) and category.

On the homepage of the site, you can see recent posts of the full list of all the winners, as well as winners by the numbers (spoiler alert: 30th Ave had the most winners of any area, Sweet Afton was a winner in all three sections, and Maggie Hall’s and Heart of Gold were winners in many categories, so extra kudos to those places).

Winner Stickers

Do you know a business that is a BOAST 2022 Winner? We are selling winner stickers! Just drop us a line at [email protected], or through any social channel, to get more info.

Featured BOAST Location: Katch Astoria

We want to highlight Katch Astoria, which is a Featured BOAST Business on the sidebar of the DRINK page. If businesses are interested in advertising as a Featured BOAST Location, they can get in touch with us by email, [email protected], or through social.

Happening page

Check out our new and improved HAPPENING page. If you want your event listed, drop us a line at [email protected] or through social.


BOAST: Best of Astoria & LIC 2022 Winners – By the Numbers

Winners by Section
EAT
24 Categories
112 Winners

DRINK
14 Categories
73 Winners

DO & SEE
18 Categories
74 Winners

Winners by Location
46: 30th Ave (N/W)
27: Astoria-Ditmars Blvd (N/W)
26: Broadway (N/W)
26: Vernon Blvd – Jackson Ave (7)
17: 31st Ave
17: Steinway St (M/R)
16: Astoria Blvd (N/W)
14: Court Square (E/G/M/7)
7: Queensboro Plaza (N/W/7)
1: 36th Ave (N/W)

Winners with Multiple Locations
4: Brooklyn Bagel & Coffee Company
3: Bareburger
3: CTown Supermarkets
3: Kinship Coffee
3: New York City Bagel & Coffee House
2: Ample Hills Creamery
2: Black Star Bakery & Cafe
2: Chip City
2: Compton’s
2: Create
2: King Souvlaki
2: Petey’s Burger
2: SVL Souvlaki Bar
2: Sweetleaf Coffee Roasters

Winner in All Three Sections, EAT, DRINK and DO & SEE
Sweet Afton

Winners in Multiple Categories
ASTORIA
12: Maggie Hall’s – 1st (10), 2nd (1), write-in (1)
9: Heart of Gold – 1st (1), 2nd (6), 3rd (2)
4: Q.E.D. – 1st (2), 3rd (1), write-in (1)
4: Sweet Afton – 1st (1), 2nd (1), 3rd (2)
4: The Shillelagh Tavern – 2nd (1), 3rd (2), write-in (1)
3: Rivercrest – 1st (2), 3rd (1)
3: Martha’s Country Bakery – 1st (1), 2nd (1), 3rd (1)
3: Mighty Oak Roasters – 1st (1), 2nd (1), 3rd (1)
3: Judy & Punch – 1st (1), 2nd (1), 3rd (1)
2: Astoria Park – 1st (2)
2: Museum of the Movie Image – 1st (1), 2nd (1)
2: The Bonnie – 1st (1), 2nd (1)
2: Bohemian Hall & Beer Garden – 1st (1), 3rd (1)
2: Coffee Cloud – 1st (1), 3rd (1)
2: Jujube Tree – 1st (1), 3rd (1)
2: Vite Vinosteria – 1st (1), 3rd (1)
2: Comfortland – 2nd (2)
2: DiWine – 2nd (2)
2: Queen’s Room – 2nd (2)
2: Diamond Dogs – 2nd (1), 3rd (1)
2: Il Bambino – 2nd (1), 3rd (1)
2: Kinship Coffee – 2nd (1), 3rd (1)
2: Sal, Kris and Charlie’s Deli – 2nd (1), 3rd (1)
2: The Wolfhound – 2nd (1), 3rd (1)

LIC (with no 1st, 2nd, 3rd place)
5: Fifth Hammer Brewing Company
4: Culture Lab LIC
3: Black Star Bakery & Cafe
3: Levante
3: LIC Bar
2: Anable Basin Sailing Bar & Grill
2: Court Square Diner
2: Dutch Kills
2: Gamehaus New York 
2: ICONYC Brewing
2: Socrates Sculpture Park
2: Top Quality


BOAST: Best of Astoria & LIC 2022 Winners (full list)

EAT

Best Outdoor Dining
ASTORIA
1. The Bonnie
2. Queen’s Room
3. Bohemian Hall & Beer Garden

LIC
Anable Basin Sailing Bar & Grill
Top Quality

Best American Restaurant
ASTORIA
1. Sweet Afton
2. The Bonnie
3. Rivercrest

Best Bagels
ASTORIA
1. Brooklyn Bagel & Coffee Company
2. New York City Bagel & Coffee House
3. Bagels on the Ave

LIC
We Bagel

Best Bakery
ASTORIA
1. Gian Piero Bakery
2. Parisi Bakery
3. Martha’s Country Bakery

LIC
Black Star Bakery & Cafe

Best Brunch
ASTORIA
1. Rivercrest
1. Sugar Freak
2. Comfortland
3. Sweet Afton
3. The Thirsty Koala

LIC
Jackson’s Eatery | Bar
Woodbines

(more…)

The BOAST: Best of Astoria & LIC 2022 Survey is LIVE and due on Friday, Dec. 23!

The BOAST: Best of Astoria & LIC 2022 Survey is LIVE! The site is boast.nyc/survey.

Please fill it out by Friday, December 23, and be sure to add your name and email at the end of the survey for a chance to win a prize. We always appreciate short write-ups with your entries, and please share the survey with anyone who knows and loves these neighborhoods! Also, this year you can fill out part of the survey, and then come back to it later and make changes until you submit it.

Like last year, each question has space for Astoria (plus write-up) and LIC (plus write-up). We appreciate you filling out as much as you can, but no need to fill out more than you’d like. 

A few new categories this year include Best Fast Casual Restaurant, Best Outdoor Drinking, and Best Local Organization.


We are running a fundraiser to help offset our costs, including the annual survey and website. The survey results and website are the backbone of BOAST, and we want to keep our advertising rates to businesses low, so we hope you will consider contributing by the end of the year. Any amount would be appreciated. Thank you in advance! boast.nyc/contribute


Restaurant review: Fresco’s Grand Cantina

Fresco’s Grand Cantina is a great place for a night out with friends or an adorable date night spot. The ambiance was spectacular and very Instagram-able. 

We got a sneak peak at the upstairs space which they plan to rent out for private parties. It’s a super cute space with funky lighting on the staircase. 

We ate in Le Jardin — the garden area. A section of the ceiling had been removed to make it open air seating and the rest was curved and clear — it felt like we were eating in a greenhouse. Plus, there was a large screen that was playing The Nanny. We love sitcoms about gals from Queens!

We started off with some frozen drinks: The Mango Margarita was light and delicious, the Strawberry Margarita had a nice balance of booze to sweetness and the Mojito was delightfully refreshing. 

The waitstaff were friendly and attentive but also gave us time to enjoy our food and chat. The plain nachos had a fun blend of cheeses and came with a side of guacamole. The chicken fajitas were excellent and super flavorful. They added a sweet plantain which was great. The steak burrito’s tastiness was enhanced by the extra sauces they provided. 

Some of us feel that a meal at a Mexican restaurant just isn’t complete without a churro or two. And the mini-churros delivered. Not only was the presentation beautiful but they tasted divine. We can’t wait to come back and introduce this place to more people!

28-50 31st St, Astoria, NY 11102
Instagram: @Frescosgrandcantina

Photos by Emily