Bell Boulevard carries most of Bayside’s restaurant traffic. The strip packs Italian dining rooms, Mediterranean lounges, Cajun kitchens, and taco and tequila spots into a stretch of northeastern Queens where most addresses sit within a few blocks of one another. That density is the whole point. You can walk a short distance, read several menus, and change your mind twice before sitting down.
This guide covers the names that come up most often when locals and visitors trade recommendations, plus the patterns that make the boulevard easier to work with on a weeknight or a weekend.
What Defines the Bell Boulevard Dining Strip
Bayside sits in northeastern Queens, and Bell Boulevard functions as its restaurant spine. Search for restaurants near a single address such as 40-18 Bell Blvd and the results run long, which is a fair measure of how tightly the dining rooms cluster. Three anchors show up again and again in listings: 40-18 Bell Blvd, 40-12 Bell Blvd, and 39-38 Bell Boulevard.
The strip mixes three broad types of places. First, long-running neighborhood restaurants built around sit-down dinners and full menus. Second, lounges organized around cocktails, small plates, and music. Third, casual spots where handhelds, takeout, and quick meals are the draw. That range is why the same few blocks can handle a family dinner early in the evening and a livelier crowd later on.
The Main Cuisines Along Bell Boulevard
Mediterranean and Italian cooking anchor the boulevard, with Greek, Thai, Cajun, Creole, and steakhouse menus filling out the rest. The table below groups the names that appear most often in local recommendations and restaurant listings, along with the details those sources provide.
| Restaurant | Cuisine | What the listings show |
|---|---|---|
| Bourbon Street | Cajun and Creole | Located at 40-12 Bell Blvd; dine in or order online |
| Papazzio | Italian | At 39-38 Bell Boulevard; established 1990; gluten-free menu items |
| Valdari | Italian | Authentic Italian dining and handcrafted cocktails near Bell Blvd |
| Baraki | Mediterranean small plates | Signature cocktails, live DJ nights, garden brunch |
| Avli Little Greek Tavern | Greek, Mediterranean | Ranks high on TripAdvisor’s Bayside list, with more than 160 reviews |
| Erawan Thai Cuisine | Thai, seafood, Asian | Ranks high on TripAdvisor’s Bayside list, with more than 130 reviews |
| Uncle Jack’s Steakhouse – Bayside | Steakhouse | Named among diner favorites by OpenTable |
| Maria’s Mediterranean | Mediterranean | Named among diner favorites by OpenTable |
Beyond the table, a few more names surface in diner roundups and address-based searches. Marbella Restaurant appears on OpenTable’s list of diner favorites in Bayside, while Press 195, Dirty Taco + Tequila Bayside, and Sangarita’s turn up in results for restaurants near 40-18 Bell Blvd. A community group discussion on Facebook and a thread on r/Bayside both ask some version of the same question, which is simply where the best meal on the boulevard is. The answers vary, and that variety is a decent sign that the strip has depth.
Mediterranean Small Plates and Cocktails at Baraki
Baraki is the clearest example of the newer style on the boulevard. It serves Mediterranean small plates and signature cocktails in a lounge setting, and the restaurant describes an atmosphere with a Manhattan feel transplanted into Queens. The bar is pitched as a good place to sit whether you arrive as a pair or dine solo.
Programming matters here as much as the menu. Baraki hosts live DJ nights and markets itself for date night, friends night out, and brunch in its garden. That combination of small plates, drinks, and music makes it a natural stop late in the evening rather than at the start of it.
For Greek cooking specifically, Avli Little Greek Tavern ranks high on TripAdvisor’s Bayside restaurant list with more than 160 reviews, and Maria’s Mediterranean appears among the diner favorites OpenTable highlights for the neighborhood.
Italian Cooking on the Boulevard
Two Italian restaurants give the strip its sit-down backbone. Papazzio, at 39-38 Bell Boulevard, has served Bayside since 1990 and describes itself as a neighborhood spot for family dinner. The menu covers authentic Italian cuisine alongside craft cocktails, wine, and beer, and there is a separate menu of gluten-free dishes. You can order online, view the menu, or call 718-229-1962.
Valdari takes a similar approach a short distance away, positioning itself around authentic Italian dining and handcrafted cocktails near Bell Blvd. Between the two, the boulevard covers both the long-standing neighborhood restaurant and the newer Italian option with a bar-forward identity.
Cajun and Creole at Bourbon Street
Bourbon Street is the boulevard’s Cajun and Creole address, located at 40-12 Bell Blvd in Bayside. The restaurant presents itself as the destination for that style of cooking in the neighborhood and offers both dine-in service and online ordering for a fast meal. If your group wants something other than pasta or small plates, this is the obvious pivot.
Steakhouses, Tacos, and Other Crowd-Pleasers
Uncle Jack’s Steakhouse – Bayside covers the steakhouse category and appears on OpenTable’s list of diner favorites in Bayside. Erawan Thai Cuisine brings Thai, seafood, and Asian cooking to the mix and sits near the top of TripAdvisor’s Bayside rankings by review volume, with more than 130 reviews.
The casual end of the strip includes names like Press 195, Dirty Taco + Tequila Bayside, and Sangarita’s, all of which appear in search results around 40-18 Bell Blvd. These are the kinds of places that work for a quick meal, a group meetup, or a stop between other plans.
How to Build a Night Out on the Strip
Because the restaurants sit close together, the boulevard rewards a two-stop approach. Start with a full dinner at one of the Italian rooms or the steakhouse, then move to a lounge for small plates and cocktails. Or flip the order: order lighter Mediterranean plates early and finish with a main course somewhere else.
If you are feeding a group with mixed preferences, pick a cuisine that splits well. Mediterranean small plates let everyone order something different, Papazzio handles gluten-free needs with a dedicated menu, and Cajun food at Bourbon Street gives the table a shared theme. For a quieter dinner, aim for a sit-down restaurant earlier in the evening. For music and a later crowd, Baraki’s DJ nights are the relevant listing.
Practical Tips Before You Go
- Confirm hours, reservation policies, and current menus directly with each restaurant. Listings and review counts change throughout the year.
- Note the address before you leave. The strip uses numbered addresses such as 40-12 Bell Blvd and 39-38 Bell Boulevard, and neighboring storefronts can be easy to walk past.
- Check for online ordering if you want takeout. Bourbon Street and Papazzio both offer it.
- Ask about dietary needs. Papazzio lists a fresh menu of gluten-free dishes, and Mediterranean small plates lend themselves to sharing.
- Treat review counts as a rough guide rather than a verdict. They reflect the volume of feedback rather than a formal ranking.
One more habit that helps: read the menu before you commit to a table. With this many options in a few blocks, the deciding factor is usually the specific dish you are in the mood for, not the sign above the door.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where is Bell Boulevard in Bayside?
Bell Boulevard is the main commercial corridor in Bayside, Queens, and most of the restaurants covered here sit in the 11361 ZIP code. Addresses that appear repeatedly in listings include 40-12 Bell Blvd, 39-38 Bell Boulevard, 40-18 Bell Blvd, and surrounding blocks. Confirm a specific address on the restaurant’s own website before you travel.
What kind of food is Bell Boulevard known for?
Mediterranean and Italian cooking dominate, with Greek and Middle Eastern small plates on one end and Italian dining rooms on the other. Cajun and Creole cooking shows up at Bourbon Street, Thai and Asian seafood at Erawan Thai Cuisine, and steakhouse fare at Uncle Jack’s Steakhouse. Casual taco and tequila spots round out the mix.
Do Bell Boulevard restaurants take reservations?
Policies vary by restaurant, and the listings summarized here do not confirm them for every address. Larger dining rooms and lounges generally accept bookings, while casual spots may be walk-in only or offer online ordering instead. Call the restaurant directly or check its own website for current booking options and hours.
What are the highest-rated restaurants on the boulevard?
There is no single official ranking. Different sources favor different names. TripAdvisor’s Bayside list places Avli Little Greek Tavern and Erawan Thai Cuisine near the top by review volume, OpenTable’s roundup names Marbella, Bourbon Street, Baraki, Maria’s Mediterranean, and Uncle Jack’s Steakhouse, and searches near 40-18 Bell Blvd turn up Press 195, Dirty Taco + Tequila, and Sangarita’s.
Is Bell Boulevard good for a date night?
Yes. Baraki describes itself as a spot for date night, friends night out, and brunch in its garden, with craft cocktails and live DJ nights. Papazzio, which has served Italian food in Bayside since 1990, positions itself around family dinners with cocktails, wine, and beer. Both styles suit an evening on the strip.