This article is a guide to kosher restaurants and kosher food near JFK Airport.

I had to pick up a family member from the airport arriving from Israel at JFK Airport in Jamaica (Queens), New York.

It was a late evening flight with a scheduled arriving time of 8:40pm. Now, we live in Rockland County, I work in Brooklyn but commute by bus every day. But for the day I was going to pick up the family member from the airport, I was going to drive in with my car in the morning and pick up form the airport after work.

By the time I finished work, I was famished and running late. So I figured, I will either pick up our family member from the airport first and then we will both go to a nearby kosher restaurant near JFK airport or if the flight is delayed, I will pick up some food on the way to the airport.

I started searching for kosher restaurants near JFK Airport and realized that this is a search topic for lots of people looking to get kosher food near the airport.

After researching this topic, I have some humble suggestions. First find out the hours of the restaurants. Some close at 9:00pm, while others close at 10:00pm, 11:00pm and some are open past midnight. If you want a more elegant place, keep in mind that most kitchens close about an hour before closing time so the last sit down is approximate one hour before closing. Also, you will have to plan for extra time for delays and traffic. The flight I was waiting for was delayed by almost an hour. Also, depending on where the person you are picking up from the airport sits on the airplane will depend how quickly they can discharge. Also, keep in mind that JFK is known according to some travel guides to have one of the longest customs clearing time in the nation.

Now on where to eat, you basically have two option and both are good and you should make your decision based on where you are traveling and how much time you have. You can either go to the five town’s area on Long Island which is only approx. 10 minutes from JFK Airport or you go to Kew Garden Hills or Flushing, in Queens, New York. Both locations have a large selection of Dairy, Parve and Meat kosher restaurants and include anything form Pizza, Fast Food to more elegant sit down restaurants with waiter service.

Five Towns Kosher Restaurants:

There are plenty of kosher restaurants on Central Ave. in the Five Towns area and it is about a 10 minute drive from the airport. From Brooklyn, take the Belt Parkway exit for Kennedy Airport / JFK Expressway. Follow signs for the 878 / Nassau Exp, which will change into (no turns) Rockaway Turnpike. Take Rockaway Turnpike all the way down (South or SouthWest) past the shopping malls. It will eventually narrow down to one lane. You will cross the railroad tracks. Make a left onto Central Ave. (second left after the railroad tracks). There are plenty of dairy, pizza, meat and other kosher places to eat and most are under the Kosher Supervision (Hashgacha) of the Vaad Harabanim of the Five Towns.

Queens area Kosher Restaurants:

There lots of options only 7 miles away from JFK Airport but the time will depend on traffic. There are numerous kosher restaurants in Flushing, Kew Garden Hills, Rego Park and the surrounding areas in Queens, New York. They are not all concentrated to just one area like in the Five Towns, but they are also clustered a few kosher restaurants together in each town. For example, there are a few kosher food choices on 108th Street in Flushing all within two blocks.

From John F Kennedy airport, take the I 678 / Van Wyck Expressway north into Queens for approx. 7 miles. For exact direction, click on any kosher restaurant map marker on the map.