12 Best Restaurants in Red Hook and the Columbia Waterfront District, New York City

Original creations like the Brookster (chocolate chip cookie dough baked inside a brownie) and delicious interpretations of whoopie pies, blondies, bars, and cookies keep this sleek bakery and café buzzing. There are breakfast items and a few lunchtime savory selections, too. Buy the cookbook so you can re-create the recipes at home.

The smell of barbecue will have your mouth watering even before you get in the door of this cavernous hall, which many say serves the best BBQ around. Head for the counter to order meats by the pound, chicken, sandwiches, tacos, and sides. It's all outrageously good, but the brisket is a must.

For a taste of Maine in Brooklyn, head to the Red Hook Lobster Pound, where legendary lobster rolls are served with just a touch of mayo. There are variations on the classic, including "Connecticut style" (served warm, with butter) or "Tuscan style " (vinaigrette instead of mayo), as well as lobster dinners, lobster bisque, lobster mac and cheese, and a few noncrustacean options.

Spread over three levels, Alma is a neighborhood treasure, serving excellent Mexican food. The bottom floor is a busy bar; the second floor is a cozy dining room; and the third is a roof deck, heated in winter, with views of Manhattan. Start with a margarita and guacamole—or the salsa sampler-—then move on to delicious renditions of flautas (crispy rolled tortillas with various fillings), tacos, and enchiladas.

Hanging out at this sprawling year-round crab shack can feel like you're a world away from New York City. The food hits all the high points—from peel-and-eat shrimp to seasonal crab specials, crab rolls, po'boys, oysters, and the Crab Royale dinner for two with a selection of crab and a lobster. On the main level is a tiny minigolf course,bean-bag-toss games, and even a few sandboxes to keep the kids entertained.

The outrageously good heroes at Defonte's Sandwich Shop, overstuffed with cured meats, mozzarella, chicken parm, or fried eggplant, have made this storefront a Brooklyn institution. And after almost a century in business, they've certainly had time to perfect their recipes. The shop is delightfully old-school, with framed newspaper clippings and head shots of Sinatra and other celebrities on the walls. Seating is limited.

Basic decor, a pressed-tin roof, and family photos set the completely unpretentious, old-school mood at this laid-back neighborhood temple of Sicilian comfort food. Everything is delicious, but standouts include the arancini (rice balls), the pork-chop pizzaiola (cooked with peppers, tomatoes, and capers), and the panelle special, in which chickpea fritters meet ricotta in a sandwich with delicious results.

There's a full bar and extensive menu at this convivial diner, but breakfast (served all day) is the main event: jerk-chicken or root-vegetable hash, a breakfast burrito that knocks out hangovers, eggs any style, and pancakes deliciously doused with butter and syrup are some of the choices. There are sandwiches and burgers, too, as well as excellent fish tacos.

Food trucks selling top-notch, mostly Central American food have been congregating at the Red Hook sports fields on weekends (April--October, 10 am to sundown) for more than 40 years to feed hungry sports enthusiasts and foodies looking for exemplary cheap eats. The nine fields are undergoing a rotating, several-years-long rehabilitation, and there are fewer food trucks than in years past, but the selection is still tempting. Be on the lookout for the Vendy Award–winning El Olomega, with their famed pupusas (corn tortillas stuffed with delicious fillings).

Freshly squeezed key lime juice is just part of what imbues every bite of these pies with a taste of Florida sunshine. Steve Tarpin is a Florida native who's been making pies in Brooklyn for more than 20 years—always, always, always using Florida key lime juice squeezed fresh right before the pies are made. Pies are available in 8- or 10-inch sizes or as individual 4-inch tarts.

The husband-and-wife team behind the Good Fork marry Eastern and Western sensibilities at this charming restaurant. He's a native New Yorker and she grew up in South Korea, and the fusion-style menu ranges from homemade dumplings and Korean-style steak 'n' eggs to roasted chicken with fermented black-bean butter sauce. In warm weather you can dine in the garden.