Tashkent Supermarket

Tashkent Supermarket on Brighton Beach Avenue is a grocery store first, but it is also one of the great prepared-food destinations in New York. The Uzbek chain opened this branch in 2017 in a former clothing store on a busy corner of the avenue, and a recent renovation pushed it into the neighboring space, roughly doubling its size. Inside, locals do their weekly shopping among a bakery, deli, meat counter and produce, while the real draw is the enormous hot bar and prepared-food section, where Uzbek, Russian and Georgian dishes are laid out in long rows. The Infatuation called it both overwhelming and magical, and both words fit. Management says almost all food is halal and clearly labeled, and no pork or alcohol is sold.

Featured by the YouTuber New York Turk in 2025, Tashkent is best approached with a basket and an open mind. Start at the plov station for the rice dish at the heart of Central Asian cooking, then pick up spiced beef manti, lamb samsa and a slab of Georgian khachapuri, which oozes cheese when reheated at home. Pickled cabbage, smoked fish and sigara pastries round out a feast, and there is borscht for colder days. This is mainly a takeout operation, so plan to carry your haul home or to the boardwalk, a short walk south. Locals come here for their weekly shop, so allow time to navigate the aisles, and bring a sturdy bag for everything you did not plan to buy.