Long Island City has no shortage of restaurants these days, but sometimes you want something that doesn’t require a skyline view, a tasting menu or a reservation made three weeks ago.
Enter Cyclo, the longtime Vietnamese restaurant in Hunters Point that has quietly been serving up comforting bowls of pho, bánh mì and other Vietnamese favorites at 5-51 47th Avenue. And honestly, LIC could use more places where the food does the talking.
Cyclo has been part of the neighborhood since 2013, making it something of a local veteran in a part of Queens where the restaurant scene has changed dramatically over the past decade. It has also maintained outdoor seating, giving diners the option to enjoy their meal outside when the weather cooperates.
The menu covers all the Vietnamese comfort-food essentials, including pho, bánh mì, vermicelli noodle salads, rice dishes, fried rice and clay-pot specialties. The beef pho is a particularly popular order, while the chicken pho has developed its own quiet following among regulars.
Then there is the bánh mì—crispy, crusty and exactly the sort of sandwich that can turn a quick lunch into a recurring weekly habit. Cyclo also serves appetizers including spring rolls and fried quail-egg dishes for anyone who believes one order is never enough.
What makes Cyclo especially appealing is its role in the LIC dining landscape. The Infatuation has highlighted it as one of the neighborhood’s few Vietnamese options and a solid choice for a quick lunch, while local diners continue to recommend it for casual Vietnamese food.
So if you’re searching for Vietnamese food in Long Island City, Cyclo deserves a spot on the list.
Come for the pho.
Stay because you ordered the bánh mì, too.
That’s called balance.
