Where to Get Oxtail in NYC

What good oxtail takes, why browning and slow stewing matter, the role of butter beans and rice and peas, and where to find the best oxtail across New York City.

Oxtail is the plate people drive across the borough for. Rich, tender, falling off the bone, swimming in gravy. Here is what makes it great and where to get it in New York.

Oxtail is exactly what it sounds like, the tail of the cow, cut into rounds. It is a tough, gelatin heavy cut that turns silky when you cook it long and slow. That is the whole trick, and it is why good oxtail takes time and why the best spots often sell out.

What Good Oxtail Takes

There is a method, and you can taste when a kitchen respects it.

• Browning first. The meat gets seared hard so the gravy comes out deep and dark. Skip this and the whole dish tastes flat.
• Slow stewing. Hours in the pot with allspice, thyme, scallion, garlic, and scotch bonnet until the meat gives way and the gravy turns thick from the collagen.
• Butter beans. Big soft lima beans stewed right in with the oxtail. They soak up the gravy and are half the reason people love the plate.

The finished plate should be dark, glossy, and rich enough that a little goes a long way.

What It Comes With

Oxtail almost always arrives on a plate with sides that balance the richness.

• Rice and peas, rice cooked with kidney beans or pigeon peas and coconut milk. This is the standard partner.
• Fried plantain, sweet and soft, a good foil for the salty gravy.
• Steamed cabbage or a small salad on the side.

Pour a little of the gravy over the rice. That is the correct move.

Where to Get It in Brooklyn

Brooklyn's Little Caribbean, along Flatbush, Nostrand, and Church Avenues, is the deepest oxtail territory in the city. Go early in the day for the best chance at a full pot.

Where to Get It in Queens

Queens has strong oxtail too, spread across the Caribbean neighborhoods out toward Jamaica and beyond.

Before You Go

A few things worth knowing.

1. Go early. Oxtail is slow to cook and popular, so many spots run out by mid afternoon or dinner.
2. Order by size, usually small, medium, or large, and know it is priced higher than chicken because the cut costs more.
3. Ask for extra gravy. Always ask for extra gravy.
4. Bring cash at the smaller counters.

Oxtail is the plate to get when you want to feel taken care of. Use the lists above to find a spot near you and go before the pot is empty.

Written by See The Five · kept current from the directory, last checked 2026-09-07