Beebe's at Boro Hotel
Pizza restaurant · Long Island City ·
Thin crispy pizzas, Italian-American classics, and cocktails.
Thin crispy pizzas, Italian-American classics, and cocktails.
"Some restaurants aim for the stars, like John Glenn and Alan Shepard in the early days of NASA. Others just try a few new tricks, like a pilot doing a barrel roll. Beebe’s, on the other hand, sticks closer to the earth - and, as a result, it’s the sort of place where you can eat on a weeknight and have no regrets. Beebe’s is a restaurant in the bottom of a small hotel in Long Island City, and, while it technically isn’t anything new or groundbreaking, it’s pretty adept at keeping you happy. Most things cost less than $20, the space looks like an Ikea showroom, and the soundtrack consists of some perfectly enjoyable songs that you could pump into an airport lounge or a parent-teacher conference. Think “Heart of Gold” by Neil Young, or anything ever written and performed by the Electric Light Orchestra. The menu is equally crowd-pleasing, with things like pasta, a kale salad, and a few mains like steak and a chicken milanese. None of this food is going to make you want to start worshipping a deity made from your leftovers - but they’re all pretty solid, and the pizzas are great. They’re thin and crispy, and they come with toppings like hot honey, stracciatella, and other things that reach their full potential when placed on flat dough. If it’s nice out, have a pizza on the back patio. There are plenty of tables, and, with all the planters and umbrellas, it feels kind of like the common area of a condo where everyone works in tech, owns a dog, and goes to bed at 9pm. And the best part is: it never gets too crowded. You could get a table here tonight - and, if you live nearby and need something easy, you should. Beebe’s isn’t anything revolutionary, and it isn’t going to make you feel like you just witnessed the birth of a space program that will one day inspire such films as Apollo 13, Aliens, and Muppets from Space - but it’s safe and reliable, and sometimes that’s all you need. Food Rundown Campfire As you can see, this pizza is covered in mushrooms. There’s also some smoked mozzarella and rosemary - but mostly what you taste is mushrooms. If you like those things, order this. Jimmy Forager The Jimmy Forager is a little less heavy on the mushrooms, and it also has some good Italian sausage. Order one, and you’ll leave both full and happy. Hot Italian Essentially a deluxe version of a pepperoni pizza, this one has both sausage and pepperoni, with some pickled chilis and hot honey on there to keep things interesting. We could eat this once a week. Beebe’s Burger With its two thin patties and American cheese, this burger tastes like something you’d eat in the backseat of a car after exiting a drive-through. It’s good, but not great - and you should just order a pizza. Meatballs Hopefully you have someone you can share these with. Otherwise, you’re stuck eating three large meatballs by yourself - because they should be on your table. Rigatoni You could make this pretty easily for yourself at home. Although if you don’t feel like making your own pasta, feel free to order this inoffensive and perfectly fine plate of rigatoni. Kale Caesar This salad is both perfectly adequate and a little bit boring. But if you want some dark, leafy greens, it gets the job done." - Bryan Kim
"What It Is: A hotel restaurant in LIC with pizza, pasta, and a burger Perfect For: Date Night Beebe’s is another LIC spot we recently checked out, and it’s another spot that serves pizza. Although unlike Levante, this place is brand new, it’s in the bottom of The Boro Hotel, and it’s a place we’d send most people for dinner tonight. The dining room is spacious and casual, with a bunch of two-person tables and an open kitchen at the back - and, when we stopped by, it wasn’t too busy. We ate some very good pizza and meatballs, had a few negronis, and made a mental note to come back here the next time we’re in LIC. Verdict: If you’re near LIC and you want to sit down and have a pizza, go to Beebe’s. Read our full review." - hannah albertine, bryan kim, katherine lewin, hillary reinsberg, chris stang, matt tervooren
"If you tend to have a more-the-merrier approach to pizza toppings, you’ll be a fan of Beebe’s in Long Island City. That’s not to say anything bad about the thin, crispy crust—it’s just that the perfectly balanced combinations of toppings steal the show. Order a pie with sweet fennel sausage and mushrooms, or pepperoni, hot Italian sausage, and spicy honey. Call them at 718-208-2895 to place your order." - team infatuation
"If you’re looking for a place in Long Island City where you can sit outside and split a thin-crust pizza and a kale salad with someone who you’ve split many pizzas and kale salads with over the years, the patio at Beebe’s is a good option. We like the fact that nothing on the menu costs more than $20, and that none of the other friends-getting-dinner pairs seem to know about it (this place stays very quiet)." - hannah albertine
"Beebe’s is sort of like the Gap or the Toyota Camry of restaurants. It’s not super exciting, but it’s perfectly nice, and it should make you happy. You can stop by for dinner and get something like a pizza with sausage and hot honey, a solid bowl of pasta, or a burger that tastes like a better version of what you’d find at your favorite fast food spot. This place is in the bottom of a boutique hotel on a fairly quiet street in LIC, and it’s a useful spot to know about in the neighborhood." - bryan kim
