Red Hook Ball Fields

Came, of course, for the food trucks posted up May-​Oct outside what’s technically Red Hook Park. Grabbed the Huaraches @ country boys and the barbacoa de chivo taco at Piaztlan and headed on our way.

This particular area contains various food vendors ranging from Columbian, Salvadoran, and Mexican vendors. Only had a chance to try the Salvadoran and the Mexican.
It took about 2 hours to get there and I first approached the Salvadoran vendor which appeared to be the busiest, and for a good reason. The food there was amazing. They had a good variety of foods there but I had gotten the carne asada which comes with rice, beans, steak, fried sweet platains, fried yuca, and fresh green platain chips (separate order). I also got 4 pork popusas which are stuffed with fresh cheese and pork. My friend had an orchata as well.
All of that took about 15 minutes to prepare but they managed great under pressure. It all came out to 32 $ which is good considering the portions but ofcourse, with my appetite of a savage lion, I was still hungry.
I then tried one of the Mexican vendors. I ordered a cemita which is a sandwich of heavenly decent and filled me up with a side of guacamole and platain chips. They made it in about 5 minutes so it was pretty fast. I was looking for a torta which is a similar sandwich but none of the Mexican vendors had any which is pretty strange.
After that I saw a softie truck passing by so I chased it down and ended the feast with a vinilla ice cream waffle cone. Definitely worth visiting.

The Red Hook Food Vendors are legit.
Pupusas are delish! You’ll recognize the truck by the long line out in front. It’s like an 8-​man operation in that truck and they are busy, busy, busy! The last time I was there, we grabbed delicious fresh fruit juices from the fruit and juice truck (Watermelon and Mango), a cup of grilled corn, and parked ourselves in the long line for pupusas. Ordered cheese and pork and cheese. So so good.
Great spot to hang out and people watch. I’m lucky enough to live relatively close by, but it’s worth a trek.

Long lines. Plenty hipster d-​bags. Loads more of hipster d-​bags on bikes. It’s far. It’s out of the way. Seating is limited.
And I still give it 5 stars.

The ball fields are so authentic, I expected a Spanish telenovela to be playing in the background.
Really though, they have some quality trucks here. The day I went, there was good representation between different countries. We had Country Boys (Mexican tacos), Olomega (Salvadorian papusas), Vaquero’s (juices and fruit), and a Colombian truck whose name escapes me at the moment.
The lines were longest for Olomega and Country Boys, but definitely worth it (I had CB before, and actually waited for Olomega). If Vaquero’s is there, get a fresh squeezed juice; you’ll be amazed by how cheap it is!
Sadly, no ceviche the day we went, but we’ll be back!
Bring a blanket, and sit on the grass and watch kids playing ball.
Or sit on one of the many benches available. Great experience, and you can take the B61 bus there and/​or back.

Alot of the food here is tastey and traditional. Personally, I was quite dissapointed by the papusas. After all the hype– we waited on an enormous line and then the outside was too hard an dthe inside too mushy. I have tasted better papusas in many other places.
On the other hand– the guatemalan truck which never has a huge line — usually has great guatemalan style tortillas (which are different from Mexican) and great rellenitos (which are sweet plantians stuffed with sweet beans) is very good. Also the grilled corn, the drinks and the ceviches at some of the trucks are all good.
I encourage people to check the vendors out but to be a little willing to also try things that the crowd does not!
Enjoy.

Been wanting to come here for the longest time… Came here with my family for the 1^st time. Started off going to El Olomega (Line was Long but was well worth the wait) and had the Pupusas with Pork and Cheese; Sweet Plantain Chips and Horchata… All were Excellent. Then I went to another Food Vendor — Piaztlan Authentic Mexican Food (Here too the line was long — and so glad that I waited) and had Barbacoa De Chivo (Slow Cooked Pulled Goat) Taco and Cemitas (Sesame Seed Bun; Marinated Thin Sliced Beef, Mayo, Avocado, Cilantro, Onion Quesillo ** which is a type of cheese and Chipotle Sauce). In both places they have some great food… Which will defiantly require me to come back and try something else… If your in the area of Redhook Brooklyn or looking for a Great Food experience make your way there … You won’t regret it!!!

Pupusas!!! I’ve been coming here since I was a child I learn how to ride my bike and to drive here! The food trucks are AMAZING! I recommend the pupusas and the taco trunk that is park in the corner their food is great. Expect to wait because sometimes the lines are long but well worth it

Ate a Cemita at one of the trucks and became violently ill on the way back to Manhattan. Truck name begins with a P and it won a Vendy award in 2012. Could not finish the cemita. It was all but inedible and I was sick as a dog about two hours after eating there.

Went out of my way to get here — no subway stops nearby unless I missed it. Took a cab after walkin over the BK bridge.
Review based on El Olomega:
Long lines but a gentleman comes out to take your order/​walk you through the menu while you’re waiting.
What I love the most is that these women are working hard and what they are good at and that always gets my attention. A hot summer day working in a food truck is not the most fun, but they are making their customers happy no doubt
I had the pupusas — one plantain and cheese, one beef and cheese. It’s a platter deal for $ 6 — pick 2 pupusas. Came with a side of sour cream. You dont really see «beef» when it’s mixed with the cheese so there was a lot trust eating that one. Really good — not quite delicious.
Got juice and mexican corn from the first truck on the corner — corn was bangin. Watermelon juice was watered down.
Ambiance? — find shade in the park and plop it down to eat like everyone else.

The pupusas at El Olomega deserve 5 stars. I’ve tried pupusas before in Honduras, but those don’t hold a candle to these Salvadorean ones. Fried with a crispy skin, stretchy melty cheese on the inside. The cheese and pork was tasty, and the cheese and jalapeño was delicious.
We also tried the carne asada con arepa at the Colombian truck next to El Olomega. $ 8 for a thin steak and a biscuit-​y arepa. Pretty good. Not bad at all, but the pupusas win.

Pupusas!!! I ADORE the Red Hook food trucks. It’s a part of what makes my summer feel like summer. All of the options are great, but i prefer the pupusas. It’s something you don’t see very often anywhere else. Love!

We went there about 5 years ago and the place was bustling with food and people. We always wanted to come back and we finally did after all that time.
Today (saturday), the place was empty. Only 5 trucks. No costumers.
So sad.

Came here on a Memorial Weekend. Mistake? Well, there were a lot less vendors but also the lines were shorter. It didn’t really stop the boyfriend and I from getting pupusas and ceviches.
There were so many trucks, quite hard to choose if you ask me. Somehow we ended at El Olomega for the pupusas and on top of that, we had some fried pork with it also. Everything was excellent. Definitely get the pupusas with cheese, I threw on some of the onions which they gave on the side and chowed down; bliss. The fried plantains were quite awesome until I got to the last few pieces which were extremely salty but still very addicting.
We moved on to some shrimp ceviche. It was perfect since the sun started to shine on us, the ceviche was very refreshing and packed with tomatoes, cilantro and had that delicious citrus-​y flavor. As we were sitting on the bench, a lady with churros came by. It couldn’t be better than that. Fresh churros that was sugary and cinnamon-​y after a satisfying meal was just more than perfect. I mean, it probably is just food trucks and carts, but you definitely can’t find this kind of food and love in the city.

I came for the food!!!
The fresh made juices were my highlight of the journey. The papusa were good not over the top. I had the same at bodegas in my hood. Nothing out of the ordinary and definitely not worth a long journey to come here. I am sure you can go to Jackson Heights and get better quality food. I did have to try because of all the shows and reviews.
Well its done and now over with.

Baseball is boring, I came here to eat:
I’ve been hearing about the Solber Pupusa truck for a few years now, ever since I think they won a Vendy Award. It was perfect then that I happened to be going for a run in Red Hook when I stumbled upon the row of food trucks right by the baseball field.
Remembering the name, I sought out the Solber truck, but it was actually the El Olomega truck right next to it that looked like the right choice, as it had a huge line compared to the pretty empty Solber truck. Therefore, I had no choice but to try both.
I started with the Chicken & Cheese Pupusa ($ 6) at Solber. Though the little Hispanic women working the truck felt the need to laugh at me and make jokes apparently at my expense the entire time I waited, I didn’t mind since the food was so good. I kinda wish they talked a little slower and I remembered my AP Spanish from high school a little bit, but I couldn’t really make out anything they were saying.
After that immensely satisfying mini-​meal, I headed over to the long line at El Olomega to try some more of this delicious authentic cuisine. Wisely realizing how heavy that one was that I just had with all that cheese, I opted for the Chicharron Pupusa at this truck (just pork, no cheese) ($ 5). Not so wisely after a productive run here, I also chose to get the Tostadas, the freshly fried plantain chips ($ 2). The Pupusa was amazing as I expected — piping hot and very fresh as it was literally just made, but the Tostadas were really incredible. They were so crunchy and delicious, as opposed to the limp, bland plantain chips I typically experience at some much more expensive restaurants.
There are a bunch of folding chairs lining the sidewalk near these trucks, as well as a number of picnic tables right inside the park for you to share with others digging in to these delicious plates of goodness. Oh yeah, and did you notice how insanely cheap everything is at both of these trucks? The price of all that stuff I got was roughly the same price as some silly artisanal farm-​to-​table taco made by some hipster white kid from Michigan in Brooklyn or the Lower East Side somewhere.
So forget baseball and Ikea — these cheap little food trucks are the real (or only) reason to come to Red Hook (ok, and Baked has some really good brownies too).

Gems are not found in obvious places. Nor are pearls.
You will not discover L.A. by walking down Hollywood Boulevard. New Orleans’ secrets aren’t displayed on Bourbon St. You’re not really experiencing Vegas if you don’t leave the MGM Grand. Likewise, the heart of NY isn’t beating in Times Square.
If you want to check the pulse of the real New York, head to Red Hook. It’s a part of Brooklyn not easily served by train or bus, so it kind of ferments on its own. Back in the day this was a major terminus of freight and docks, but today’s Red Hook can’t handle the massive container transfers of modern ports. As such, the streets are still cobble — with potholes — and the warehouses are either falling down or have been adopted by awesome artisans. There’s now an IKEA and Fairway Market, (among other cool businesses), but for years, the area languished in disrepair.
And given the open spaces, it was a perfect place for a largely minority community to find some room to play soccer. If you like the non-​US version of football, this is the epicenter of local play in the NY area. During warmer months, this place is hopping from dawn to dusk with teams of all ages.
But here’s the real secret… the food. Holy crap. There are, on a lsow day, around 10 vendors representing 6 or so Southern American cuisines. On the map it looks like a trek to get here, but it’s not far from the trains and buses, plus if in Manhattan you can take the IKEA ferry.

An annoying return trip to IKEA was assuaged by the much more pleasant experience of eating Latin food from trucks in the company of accepting fellow mobile eaters as opposed to coworkers and other riffraff skeptical of street meats.
I was dependent on my guide for a lay of the land and after surveying the scene chose to go with papusas from El Olomega, as does most everyone who comes here. We got one of the super ones with everything (including jalapenos) and a chorizo and cheese. This short stack of soft Salvadoran pancakes was hot, fresh, and scrumptious. I washed it down with a watermelon juice from one of the neighboring trucks.
For an experience so prone to mental buildup, it was a pretty satisfying one. Surely a return trip or two are warranted to sample the other culinary wares. The taco trucks look intriguing, as does the Colombia vehicle.

I love how the reviews here are primarily for the food truck vendors and not the ball fields themselves. Of course, my saying that doesn’t mean that I’m going to review anything else but the food trucks I visited.
Piaztlan Authentic Mexican Food: Winner of the 2012 Vendy Cup and I happened to be in Red Hook, looking to score from a food truck or two the day after they won. What does this mean? Euphoria surrounding the truck, potentially making my barbacoa taco taste even better than I can ever imagine it tasted before. And I may or may not participated in a celebratory shot of really good tequila. This food truck is solid — no bells and whistles, no flashy designs and twee lettering, just really good Mexican food made with love and by family.
Elote & Tamarindo: The truck is parked on the corner of Clinton and Bay St., colorfully festooned with fresh fruit and fresh fruit juices. I made a beeline for the Tamarindo (I love all things tamarind) and snagged some Elote with the works to munch on later. The corn was sweet, the cheese salty, the mayo creamy and the chili powder rounded off the flavor with a smoky kick that made me wish I bought some more.
My friend went to Olomega’s truck to get one of their enormous pupusa’s — let’s just say he was hungry and devoured the bulk of it. I think there was a tamale involved as well. Luckily, I was happy with my taco’s and tamarindo, but I think maybe a veggie or cheese pupusa might be in my future when I come here next.
Finish your feast with a walk around the pleasantly situated park, maybe catch a pick-​up football (soccer) game… I did neither, preferring to sit under the shady trees and continue to shoot the breeze.

A fun game to play while at the Red Hook Ball Fields: «spot the food blogger». Guess who? *
Subject A: Cheery Ecuadorian lady making fresh ceviche from scratch.
Subject B: Three paunchy geezers sitting around a rickety card table, playing dominos, a pile of fresh papusas slathered in fresh refried beans sitting perilously on the corner.
Subject C: Old dude, smiling despite a few missing teeth, squirting hot sauce and pinching fresh lime juice onto $ 2 ears of corn which are of larger girth than your average Lane Bryant customer.
Subject D: Geeky hipster-​ish group of awkward Asian kids in an ethnic neighborhood, chowing heartily on $ 6 huaraches **, taking fussy sips from a glass of horchata and snapping away hungrily with DSLR’s.
* I’m terrible at making up games. My Calvinball games are abject disasters.
** I’ll depreciate my race and nerdy food pursuits every day of the week for huaraches. Freshly made tortillas, filled with a light smear of refried beans, and topped with a hearty mixture of spicy meats, fresh lettuce and an intoxicating green sauce are worth a little egg on the face.

Reason #57 to love Brooklyn– Red Hook Ball Fields
Do people only write reviews about the food trucks here? Red Hook Ball Fields is an excellent park for baseball, soccer, and football. It’s a gathering ground for families on the weekends and everyone minds their own business. It’s fun, it’s peaceful, and it’s large enough for a walk around that makes you sweat. I like it better than Flushing Meadows.
All that physical activity can make you hungry. So if you didn’t come with your family and abuela’s home cookin’, lucky for you there are the food trucks.
I highly recommend the tacos al pastor (spiced pork). They’re pretty big with double tortillas so that the juice doesn’t break through. The pork is piled high and topped with cilantro and onions. Slather it with your salsa liking and squeeze fresh lime all over. At $ 3 a pop, you’re going to have to have two. Wash it down with an ice cold (go to the truck that stocks ice cubes) watermelon agua fresca and you will be good to go.
Even the non-​hungriest will not be able to resist the options at Red Hook Ball Fields.
A day in the sun, nature, tacos, and liquid fruit… Why on Earth would anyone think La Esquina would have been a better option?
— 1 for Queens
— 1 for Manhattan
— 48 Hipsters (they must have been on vacation)
+ 1 for Brooklyn
+ 2 for New Jersey
thank you chris r for satisfying my taco cravings and driving through 3 boroughs. even if you did take me to Taco Bell, I’d still be happy. you know I love them Chalupas.