Kevin K.
Yelp
Why go to Rockaway beach? I am going to let a couple of my more eloquent neighbors from Forest Hills field this one -
Chewing out a rhythm on my bubble gum
The sun is out and I want some
It's not hard, not far to reach
We can hitch a ride to Rockaway Beach
Up on the roof, out on the street
Down in the playground, the hot concrete
Bus ride is too slow, they blast out the disco on the radio
No, you can't beat the Ramones, and even with the Q52/53 converted over to SBS, it's a lengthy bus ride, made worse by the inconsiderate crowd - it was comical to see someone hail a cab to the bus stop with their beach gear and kids in tow. If you want a clean beach without shards of glass / driftwood (Brighton Beach or Coney island) and you can't drive to Jones Beach, Rockaway beach is your there, and there's a revival happening here, judging by the facial hair, tattoos and eateries with kale, avocado toast and organic free-range whatever in the area. You could call it "Williamsburg-by-the-bay".
It's a 2 block walk from the Beach 90th subway station - it's a single block north to the waterfront, after all. See if you can spot the old Rockaways Municipal courthouse (currently under renovation) right on 91st, or those newish construction houses right next to the McDonalds. You might be tempted to grab something from Mickey D's, but save it for the desserts. Right next to the on-ramps for the Veterans memorial bridge, jutting out of the waterfront is a deck shared by two establishments. One of them happen to be Thai Rock.
So why eat here? Well, look at a map of the area. It's roughly 6 blocks from the north to the south, a large chunk of it taken up by the slab-like apartment buildings across the street from the boardwalk, which gives this place a Eastern European collective housing flair - not much commercial spaces here. Now, there is a commercial area running down Rockaway Beach Blvd, but with the exception of Uma (Bukharian kebab joint) it's bodegas and local Vinnie pizzeria joints as far as the eyes can see until you hit Arverne or Rockaways Park (the Hamel Houses housing project is in the mid-80s, so what were you expecting, really). So your choices are the boardwalk concession stands (overpriced douchey millennial kibble)...and this place. This is the one with the live band and the bartender.
Whatever notion that you have of getting the same thing as you do in Elmhurst (sizable Thai population) - very much a nope. You are not getting Arunee or Ayada quality food here. There are only 3 Thai joints that I am aware of in the Rockaways, a Chinese takeout counter that claims to do Thai food on Beach 116th (near the Rockaway Park Subway terminal), a place right next to the Beach 67th/Arverne-by-the-sea stop (seems inconsistent), and then there's this place, which is in the middle of the Irish Riviera. When it came to pricing - yeah, it's steep. I ordered a shrimp pad Thai, a chicken curry and a satay, and it's close to $65 with smallish portions. But since when is beachside food cheap out of a first world country, especially when/if there aren't much competition in the immediate area? You are here to rock out with some umbrella drinks and have a good time under the sun.
Well, how was the food? Well, it's okay, and like the usual Thai joint in your neighborhood, neither terrible nor mind bogglingly great. Service can be rather indifferent, unfortunately - it's not like the bus boy comes in to refill your water glass nor would the waitstaff come by to check on you. The idea is sit on the waterfront lounge (or the outdoor deck) and watch the sun set (or see the live band play) while tucking into a plate of Pad thai. I would say that it's a place you should hit once during summer while on the Rockaways just for the ambiance, but don't make it your "regular". It's expensive. Besides, the truly good Thai places are in Elmhurst on the other end of the Q53 bus line, and it's worth waiting until later.