Green restaurants in NYC

Habana Outpost

This intentionally ragged—and always boisterous—Cuban-beer-and-pork yard might be strewn with mutlicolored awnings and graffiti'd walls, but underneath it’s green like a sea-sick Kermit.

Mantra: “Inspire others to practice earth-friendly living...in pursuit of a common goal," says events coordinator Patricia Scull. Translation: Encourage greenness through Pavlovian association with crispy Cuban press sandwiches and drinking cold beer in an outdoor setting.

Habitat: The picnic tables are made from TREX (recycled bottles and sawdust); the cups from corn; the plates from sugarcane; and—so you can eat your vegetables with another vegetable—the the cutlery from potato starch. There's more! A chandelier directs sunlight into fiber optic cables, and a rainwater- collecting system flushes the toilet and waters the outdoor plants. Plus, the place runs on solar panels, and the kitchen is a converted U.S. postal truck. 

Sustenance: Uses local and seasonal produce whenever possible.

Hydration: Other than the requisite Corona, the Outpost keeps it local with beer from Sixpoint and sparkling juice from Fizzy Lizzy.

Wild card: Make-your-own smoothie on Habana Outpost’s human-powered bike blender. They also run a nonprofit which teaches kids to make eco-friendly crafts like pint-sized composting bins.

Eco Carbon Footprint-Green-O-Meter score:

Habana Outpost
757 Fulton Street, 718-858-9500