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Who Wants New York’s Gooiest Mozzarella Sticks?
Illustration: Igor Bastidas
On Instagram and TikTok, anything worth eating comes with a line. Whether social-media fame is sparked by an influencer or is the result of a concerted marketing effort to engineer a food’s digital moment, timeline domination does not always correlate to actual quality. With this in mind, our Underground Gourmet columnist queues up each month to try some of the city’s most-shared, most-liked foods to determine what phone bait is actually worth the wait.
Line 1: Very Viral Mozzarella Sticks
B & A Pork Store, 7818 13th Ave., Dyker Heights
I don’t know what time TikToker Kaylla Lewis went when she recorded these sticks’ explosively molten cheese pulls, but when I visited on a weekday afternoon, the various fried mozzarellas and rice balls inside the counter display were being sold at room temperature. There was a microwave behind the cash register, but I decided to take my single “Bourbon St. spicy mozzarella stick” home for a careful reheat in my toaster oven. It’s really more of a mozzarella bar, at least a quarter-pounder, which, to the credit of whoever prepared it, did not leak while reheating. When I took a bite, the melted cheese pooled at the bottom of the stick like a breaded pouch, but after pouring off a glob, I was able to redistribute the contents and take a proper, cheese-pulling bite.
Worth the wait? In this case, it wasn’t worth the trip. They should stick to meat.
Line 2: Soho Froyo
Mimi’s Frozen Yogurt, 231 Lafayette St.
At just around 9 p.m. on a recent Sunday, a line of a few dozen people was still wrapped around the corner of this shop waiting for matcha, vanilla, chocolate, coffee, or raspberry yogurt (with a toppings bar, at $1.20 per ounce). When I got inside, the cold, tangy air felt like a probiotic inhaler. After another short wait, which came with a sample from the attendant, I was able to grab one of the pint-size cups and pull a combination of the signature (a.k.a. “plain”), vanilla, and raspberry. The vanilla was creamy and soft, while the signature provided a seemingly health-forward tartness. Raspberry split the difference.
Worth the wait? Mimi’s is good enough to compete with Manhattan’s other queue-forming froyos, and there is something for everyone. It’s on the expensive side — I ended up spending $22 — but if you’re going to wait on line, you might as well be seen.
Line 3: A Pikliz Burger
Rogers Burgers, 801 Rogers Ave., Flatbush
There was no line when I arrived, but a small rush formed behind me once I settled into my bright-blue bar seat in the window. I liked that I was offered the choice between a grilled or smashed patty on my “burger Créole,” and I ordered it classic with fries dusted in Creole spice — a hot blend that had a hint of curry in the background and wasn’t cut with too much salt — that allowed me to fully appreciate the fluffy, crunchy fries. Also spicy was the burger, mounded with crunchy pikliz and a matching aioli that burned the back of my throat in the best way possible. The cheddar cheese didn’t melt into the sauce like American would have, but it was sharp enough to notice in each bite.
Worth the wait? Yes. They’re open late, and I suspect the line is a lot longer then.
Line 4: Build-Your-Own Mochi
M Little M, 41-28 Main St., Flushing
Of all the food shops in a small, underground food court, this is the one that draws a crowd. I was turned away the first time I stopped by and was told that the mochi sells out by afternoon every day. When I returned, there was just one person in front of me having a soft ball of mango and matcha cream cheese wrapped in a skin of rice Play-Doh. I opted for matcha and black rice for some structure, plus a roll in chocolate cookie crumbs. When I dug into my mochi centerpiece with a fork and knife, the sum tasted exactly like the parts.
Worth the wait? The massive mochi clearly has its fans; I prefer mine treat-size.
Line 5: Weekend-Only Chicharrón
Chorizos Meats, 5822 Fifth Ave., Sunset Park
You don’t have to call ahead like Elizabetheatsnyc did: Just follow the scent of manteca on a weekend before noon for excellent carnitas and an assortment of chicharrón. If I hadn’t already been set on the crusty brown strips of pork belly I’d see on TikTok, the sample that was handed to me while waiting on line would have settled it. It was still warm and deeply crunchy on the outside with pockets of soft fat and tender meat on the inside. Ask for a container of saucy guacamole and blazing salsa roja as you pick up all of the other taco fixings while you’re there.
Worth the wait? Sí! Absolutamente.
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