Smorgasburg: Hit or Miss?

With the weather finally starting to heat up, this past Sunday I decided to take a trip to Prospect Park in Brooklyn to experience the world of Smorgasburg. For those unfamiliar with Smorgasburg, it is exactly what it sounds like, a smorgasbord. Smorgasburg is an event hosted every weekend in Brooklyn, where different food and beverage vendors from all over set up shop and display their funkiest dishes. On Saturdays, Smorgasburg is hosted at East River State Park and on Sundays it is hosted at Prospect Park; both are held rain or shine.

From Ramen Noodle hamburgers to purple ice cream swirling out of a fish shaped cone, Smorgasburg had it all. I was impressed by the number of vendors at Smorgasburg, but sadly unimpressed by what they had to offer. My first stop was to John's Juice, a juicery that avoids using cups by serving its beverages in the fruit of your choice. After waiting on line for 30 minutes, I finally ordered a pineapple juice. By the time I put a straw in it, there was not much left. The pineapple that the juice was poured into had a gaping hole at the bottom of it. Big Mozz was another vendor I had checked out but ended up stepping away from because I felt that paying $15 for 4 mozzarella sticks was outrageous. Home Frite was one of the only merchants that I enjoyed because of my love for truffle fries. 

My overall rating of Smorgasburg was a five out of ten. Although I did not have a blast at the Smorgasburg hosted in Prospect Park, I am willing to give it another shot and check out the Saturday event hosted at East River State Park in Williamsburg. I’ve heard that the Smorgasburg in Williamsburg has received better reviews.

For those interested in going to Smorgasburg, here are a few tips to help you prepare:

1. Bring cash as very few vendors accept credit card.
2. Wear comfortable shoes and prepare to stand because the lines for the popular vendors can be quite long.
3. Bring a blanket, towel, or sheet to sit on as there is very limited picnic table seating.
4. To get there, take a taxi, Uber, or public transportation. Do not drive as parking is extremely limited. 

      My experience was not entirely negative. I did enjoy most of the day relaxing and trying out all of the different treats. If you do check out Smorgasburg, please comment and let me know your thoughts! I would love to hear others experiences to see how they compare to my own.