The Massive Open-Air New York Market Where You Can Grab Some Of The City's Best Food

Whether you're after the city's most expensive tea service or just a slice of that classic New York pizza (check out these four little-known spots), you can get just about any kind of food you desire in the Big Apple. But you know what's even more fun than getting good food? Getting good food in an outdoor market with long lines and stands with punny names. We kid, of course — even if the prices can be a bit eye-watering, there's nothing quite like a market in the city. That's why it's worth going to Smorgasburg at least once.

Smorgasburg is, as you might guess, a portmanteau of "smorgasbord" (the Swedish buffet) and a Brooklyn neighborhood called Williamsburg. With that said, though, there are two other non-Williamsburg locations — one near the World Trade Center, another in Prospect Park — so you'll have a few different options. There, you can find all different sorts of vendors selling their wares. Just look at Toastieland, a grilled cheese stand with an Instagram-famous rainbow sandwich that boasts a beautiful multicolored cheese pull. (You can also find it at the Bryant Park Christmas Market if you're looking for a fix in the winter time.) Or consider Red Hook Lobster Pound, which serves viral Lobster Cones as an eye-catching presentational flourish.

If you're not one for crowds, Smorgasburg may not be the place for you. (Really, New York City in general will be a dicey proposition but especially Smorgasburg.) The market welcomes 2 million visitors each year at its various locations, some of which reside in other cities like Los Angeles and Miami, and has been referred to as "the Woodstock of Eating." While you won't be laying around in the mud with throngs of hippies as you would at the real Woodstock, there won't be much in the way of elbow room.

But if you're after great food, the market will be worth the trouble. There's Burger Supreme, a burger stand which has been said to ruin In-n-Out for people (perhaps if In-n-Out was less busy cruelly teasing Europeans, things would be different). There's Dough Doughnuts, which has several brick-and-mortar locations across the city in addition to its presence at Smorgasburg. There's Noodle Lane, a Chinese food establishment which has a stand in the Williamsburg location of Smorgasburg as well as a brick-and-mortar store in Park Slope. And there are many more besides. Even if you're just in town for a visit, Smorgasburg is definitely worth checking out at least once.