Joe's of Avenue U

"We first visited Joe's of Avenue U with someone who grew up in the Bronx, and spent a lot of time on Arthur Avenue. He comes all the way to Joe’s in Gravesend (and you should too) for the tripe, served in tomato sauce with peas and soft chunks of potatoes, and more Sicilian specialties that are otherwise hard to find in the city. There’s a takeout counter in the front where neighborhood folks pick up meatball heroes for lunch, and a large room full of red leather booths off to the side, where people tuck their napkins into their collars before sharing eggplant caponata, panelle, and pasta con le sarde." - willa moore, will hartman, sonal shah, neha talreja

"This Gravesend restaurant is the city’s quintessential Sicilian spot, straight out of the 1950s and located on the cramped streets of the neighborhood. Look at the glass case filled with vegetable and seafood dishes near the entrance, then sit down in a dining room decorated with a delightful mural that depicts an island landscape with century-old themes. Don’t miss the chickpea fritters called panelle, the pasta con sarde loaded with sardines and sweetened with fennel, or the octopus salad." - Nadia Chaudhury, Eater Staff

"The Dish: Vongoli Riganati  Joe’s of Avenue U serves Sicilian specialties like eggplant caponata, and softball-sized rice balls under a thick layer of tomato sauce and grated parmesan—but they also have delicious baked clams. They’re equal parts clam, breadcrumb, and oregano, in a pool of equally oregano-forward butter and lemon juice. Sop up the sauce with a basket of free bread, and wash it all down with a carafe of red wine." - willa moore, molly fitzpatrick, neha talreja

"Joe’s of Avenue U in Gravesend is Brooklyn’s foremost Sicilian restaurant, known for its pasta con sarde, made with bucatini. It’s thickly sauced with sardines, fennel, and currants that lends a slightly sweet flavor, along with the pungency of the fish. There are plenty of other Italian American pastas available, as well as chickpea fritters called panelle." - Robert Sietsema

"We’re convinced New York City has more Italian restaurants than parking spots, but very few of them make food from Sicily. That’s why we love Joe’s of Avenue U, a Gravesend spot for Sicilian specialties like eggplant caponata, and softball-sized rice balls under a thick layer of tomato sauce and grated parmesan. There’s a takeout counter in the front where neighborhood folks pick up meatball heroes for lunch, and a large room full of red leather booths off to the side, where people will assure you that everything is very good, in between bites of their pasta con le sarde. Joe’s has more common red-sauce dishes on their menu too, but we'd recommend this pizza parlor-like space for a carafe of wine, panelle, and tender tripe in tomato sauce, with peas and soft chunks of potato. photo credit: Willa Moore" - Willa Moore