Some call Staten Island “the forgotten borough.” It’s both a rude thing to say, and ultimately confusing. The island perfected those thin-crust pizzas you know and love, and also people talk about Pete Davidson an unhealthy amount, and he was born here. If you’re looking for something great to eat on SI, whether that be the aforementioned Italian food, a Sri Lankan buffet, or tacos that are larger than any version you’ll find in the four other boroughs, use this guide.
THE SPOTS
Lakruwana
On a recent visit to Lakruwana’s all-you-can-eat, BYOB, $20.99 weekend buffet, we observed a table of men washing down bites of pork curry with whiskey and coke at 12pm, and we wondered why we spend weekends doing anything else. There’s often a line for lunch at this Stapleton Heights spot, but once you get a table you will be faced with one and a half hours of pure, unadulterated buffet time. Fill up your plate with Sri Lankan dishes like egg curry, deviled chicken, dal, and a particularly great but easy-to-miss, melty eggplant, which is usually towards the end of the line of warm clay pots. Lakruwana is also open during the week for a la carte dining.