If you're looking for a day of live music, great food and fun things to do, head over to Patchogue. Whether you want to grab a bite, catch a live band or dance the night away, this village has something for everyone.
KNOW BEFORE YOU GO
Parking and LIRR
A permit or parking fee is required to park at the Patchogue train station. Parking in downtown Patchogue in general is metered (between 10 a.m. and 2 a.m.). There are free lots within walking distance of Main Street, like the Courthouse Lot (at West and South Street) close to the rear of Patchogue Theatre (near Oak Street and Jayne Avenue), and portions of the lot behind the post office (off Terry Street, between South Ocean and Rider avenues). Metered parking is enforced Mondays through Saturdays (except holidays); some restrictions apply, read the rules at the pay station you’re using.
Travel to Fire Island
Patchogue is one of the three ferry points to Fire Island, and the only direct ferry route to Davis Park and Watch Hill.
INFO: Ferry schedules and information available at davisparkferry.com
THINGS TO DO IN PATCHOGUE
Food Done It?
Follow a storyline on your cellphone that will lead you to hush-hush destinations as you take a four-hour "edible mystery tour" of area restaurants. Current Patchogue adventures include "The Burgling Bookworm" and “The Cupcake Conundrum.”
INFO: Tickets and more information is available at fooddoneit.com
Long Island SUP
For an aquatic experience, leave Main Street and head to the water at Sunset Harbor (90 Colonial Dr., East Patchogue), where a stand-up paddleboard (a SUP) can be rented. Lessons are available, as are sunset paddle tours and kayaking. By appointment only; the 2023 season begins April 15.
INFO: Call 631-326-7926 or visit longisland-sup.com for more information.
Birdies
Alexa Andersen of Center Moriches plays simulated golf at Birdies in Patchogue. Credit: Yvonne Albinowski
Guests can swing away at one of six indoor golf simulators. On Friday nights there is live music, and a DJ on Saturdays starting at 10 p.m. Birdies also features a large outdoor area for when the weather warms up to hang out and order food and beverages. On Wednesdays, golf play is half-off, and those looking to play on weekends can come as early as 9 on Saturday and Sunday mornings.
INFO: 17 N. Ocean Ave.; 631-654-4653, birdiesli.com
Stereo Garden
This concert hall and event space hosts a busy calendar of live shows, ranging from cover bands and Latin sounds to hard rock and sporting events.
INFO: 9 Railroad Ave.; 631-416-7755, stereogardenli.com
Pinball Long Island
At Pinball Long Island, gamers can expect about 100 machines that span from the 1960s (electromechanical machines) to today (solid state), the difference being the mechanics behind them. The former is wired by a mechanical process; the latter by computer-driven technology. Admission is $20 per adult; $10 for children 10 and younger.
INFO: 48 W. Main St. in Patchogue; Open 2 to 10 p.m. daily; may stay open later on weekends; pinballlongisland.com.
The Loading Dock
Patchogue Theatre hosts live performances, but for something a bit more intimate, The Loading Dock inside the space presents special shows like comedy and live music. Instead of sitting in the audience, guests attending "Dock" shows enter through a backstage loading dock and sit directly on the stage.
INFO: 71 E. Main St.; loadingdockpatchogue.com
89 North
Live music is the bread-and-butter at 89 North, which offers a variety of music genres and acts. Wednesdays are country nights with dancing and local performers.
INFO: 89 N. Ocean Ave.; 631-730-8992, 89northmusicvenue.com
PATCHOGUE NIGHTLIFE
Blue Point Brewing Co.
This brewery took a former college (Briarcliffe, and before that Swezey’s department store, and before that a lace mill) and turned it into a weekend hot spot, loaded with upstairs seating, where guests can order food and drink and have it delivered to their tables. There’s live music featuring local acts Thursdays through Sundays. When the weather warms up, games and lawn chairs are set up outside and leashed dogs are permitted in the outdoor section. They brew some of the beer served here, and, on weekdays, those seated upstairs can watch it being produced on the brewing floor. The brewery’s Toasted Tuesdays outdoor market returns to the beer garden in spring.
INFO: 225 W. Main St.; 631-977-6800, bluepointbrewing.com
Dublin Deck Tiki Bar and Grill
A summer-only stop, this destination offers live music and DJ nights throughout most of the week. The bar is equipped with an area for hanging out that includes fire pits and palm trees. Mondays will host an Industry Night, then Country Nights return Wednesdays, followed by Ladies Nights on Thursdays before Fridays feature a happy hour followed by live entertainment. Bands will also play Saturdays and Sundays throughout the season. The 2023 opening will take place in late April.
INFO: 325 River Ave.; 631-207-0370, dublindeck.com
Harbor Crab
Guests enjoying the hot pots, Chesapeake Bay Combo with steamed dungeness crab clusters, snow crab clusters. mussels, corn, potatoes and salad at the Harbor Crab in Patchogue. Credit: Marisol Diaz-Gordon
A riverside spot that stays open all year, Harbor Crab serves a seafood-strong menu along with live music and DJ events. The cocktails are fruity and great for summer; adult beverages include Rocket Fuels, margaritas and frozen drinks. Equipped with a new outdoor seating area along the marina, the restaurant has daily specials.
INFO: 116 Division St.; 631-687-2722, harborcrab.com
Great South Bar
The Alpaca with pisco, yellow chartreuse, pineapple, and shaved nutmeg at The Great South Bar in Patchogue. Credit: Yvonne Albinowski
The bar menu includes offbeat beers and clever cocktails, and the venue features a custom-made arcade game machine. Look for a Jeopardy-style game night featuring actual buzzers similar to what’s seen on TV. A monthly local artist showcase will continue to take place, as well as art bazaars and a bimonthly doggy adoption event. Hungry guests can also dine off a late-night menu that includes pizza bagels, hot pockets, frozen pizza and "uncrustables." Look for happy hour with $2 lagers, $5 well drinks and half-off beer and wine.
INFO: 23 S. Ocean Ave.; 631-730-7799, greatsouthbar.com
Daisy's Nashville Lounge
Daisy's Nashville Lounge on Main Street in Patchogue. Credit: Newsday/Steve Pfost
Among the Patchogue bar scene, Daisy's is dedicated to country music. The event calendar kicks off Tuesdays with a “Country Karaoke Gong Show,” hosted by Long Island country DJ Deuce. “Country Girl Wednesdays” sees a return of DJ Deuce plus $7 Deep Eddy drinks and $5 Coronas for ladies, followed by “Smashville Thursdays,” which hosts a live local act followed by a DJ. Fridays also feature live music before another country DJ spins; Saturdays see DJ Deuce return after local artists once again take the stage. Sunday afternoons also see live entertainment with band Brother Dave; Happy hour happens Tuesdays through Fridays from 3 to 7 p.m.
INFO: 22 W. Main St.; 631-438-0296, daisysli.com
The Tap Room
With two floors and a patio along its side, there’s room to move — even when the younger late-night scene arrives in droves. Expect a wide selection of brews, food and a crowd that sticks around until late on weekends, a trivia night on Wednesdays, live music on Friday nights and brunch weekends from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.
INFO: 14 W. Main St.; 631-569-5577, patchoguetaproom.com
The Better Man Distilling Co.
A craft distillery with a tasting room, it’s quietly located along the river. The drink menu features a selection of mules, gin and tonics, martinis and whiskeys plus negronis and other cocktails — as well as booze-free teas and a few craft beers. Five igloos are set up outside, each themed and featuring its own signature cocktail, and have Bluetooth speakers and board games ready to play. Live music begins weekends in the spring, but at the moment there’s a Thursday “pizza happy hour” (which includes a changing weekly and monthly special type of topping) where guests get a pie plus two drinks for $25. The tasting room also hosts a distinctive vending machine that offers items like tiny Lego sets, stickers, Pokémon cards and curated accessories handmade by a local artist.
INFO: 161 River Ave.; 631-708-7405, thebettermandistillingco.com
That Meetball Place
Primarily a restaurant specializing in meatballs served as main dishes, this spot truly has a dual identity, as come nighttime, a multitude of people pour in (especially on weekends). DJs spin late Thursdays through Saturdays, but come earlier on Fridays for a happy hour (3 to 7 p.m.) that features drink specials and other doings; Thursday is Ladies Night, where women drink free from 8 to 10 p.m., in addition to several all-night specials.
INFO: 54 W. Main St.; 855-271-8646, thatmeetballplaceli.com
Village Idiot Pub
A team celebrates getting the right answer during trivia night at the Village Idiot Pub in Patchogue. Credit: Linda Rosier
The pub has live music Fridays 5 to 7 p.m. and hosts Sunday “Breakfast Jams" (10 a.m. to 1 p.m.). The weekend features DJs spinning Friday and Saturday nights, and its daily happy hour features a variety of drink specials.
INFO: 8 E. Main St.; 631-289-8471, villageidiotpubs.com
GRAB A BITE IN PATCHOGUE
Ruta Oaxaca
Oaxaca may be thousands of miles away, but under an umbrella on the back patio of its Patchogue namesake, a grilled pineapple mezcal margarita in hand, you could be transported to Mexico’s culinary capital. This stylish offshoot of the Astoria original opened in 2022, highlighting the artful side of Mexican cuisine. Chefs Carlos and Felipe Arellanos finely tune cochinita pibil tacos and shrimp-calamari ceviche, quesadillas jammed with rajas and Oaxaca cheese, melting seafood enchiladas that fuse the ocean with creamy habanero-spiked salsa. There are multiple spins on mole, from chocolate-tinged mole negro served with chicken buñuelos (fritters) to mole verde to smoky, guajillo-fueled mole Coloradito draped across NY strip steak. The slow-cooked baby back ribs, sheathed in a guava-chipotle glaze, practically fall apart under your gaze — the kind of transcendent dish that leaves you planning a return.
INFO: 30 E. Main St.; 631-569-2233, rutaoaxacamex.com
The Cuban
With plenty of rum, color and bling, The Cuban is a sprawling 154-seat sister restaurant to the original Long Island location in Garden City. Tropicana-style shows featuring costumed dancers and live drummers take place most Friday and Saturday nights (sorry, no dedicated dance floor here though). Cuban and Latin-fusion dishes include appetizers from empanadas and the cod fritters known as bacalaitos to chargrilled octopus (pulpo a la parrila) as well as three kinds of ceviche. Larger plates include the iconic ropa vieja, or Cuban-style braised and pulled beef, plus lechoncito (roasted pork shoulder with pickled onions), a seafood sancocho stew with lobster tail and scallops, and a pernil-stuffed Cuban-style sandwich.
INFO: 95 W. Main St.; 631-714-5626; cubanny.com
Bird & Bao
This sweetly minimalist spot spins imaginative takes on bao from chef-owner Conor Swanson. The lineup centers on steamed buns filled layered with all manner of complexity, from Nashville-style hot-chicken bao (with black vinegar pickles and togarashi oil) to pork-belly bao (with house kimchi and peanuts) and crispy tofu bao with peanut sauce, coriander and bean sprouts. Fleeting specials regularly push the bounds — think crispy coconut shrimp bao, double cheeseburger bao (on a milk-bread buns) and guava-glazed salmon bao, usually announced on Instagram — but the s’mores bao is a daily staple.
INFO: 58 S. Ocean Ave.; 631-447-2200, birdandbao.com
Buttermilk’s Kitchen
Samoa pancakes topped with toasted coconut flakes, chocolate chips, caramel sauce and chocolate syrup at Buttermilk's Kitchen. Credit: Daniel Brennan
“Breakfasting” has been elevated to an art form lately, and Buttermilk’s Kitchen is its poster child: airy and artsy, with a shabby-chic vibe and whimsical takes on breakfast (served all day) and lunch staples such as grilled cheese sandwiches. Behind the bar are mimosas, Bloody Marys and coffee drinks galore; breakfast ventures to S’mores French toast, omelets, and the those buttermilk pancakes.
INFO: 76 W. Main St.; 631-654-6455, buttermilkskitchen.com
Dirty Taco + Tequila
Dirty Taco has become something of an Island juggernaut, going from a single spot in Wantagh to locations that extended into Suffolk when Dirty opened in Patchogue in 2022. Platters of tots, queso and guac are plenty; tacos are the creative types from blackened salmon to duck bao bun-inspired. Mason jar margaritas of every flavor and hue on the color wheel add to the fun, upbeat vibe.
INFO: 32 W. Main St.; 631-977-8226, dirtytacoandtequila.com
PeraBell Food Bar
As with BrickHouse (but 10 years later) the arrival of PeraBell signaled a dawning era of chef-driven downtown eats. You can chill here with a local IPA and a chophouse burger while your fussier friend chows down on Thai glazed short ribs.
INFO: 69 E. Main St.; 631-447-7766, perabellfoodbar.com
Catch Oyster Bar
This former hair salon has been transformed into a bright, tiled, cozy oyster-centric hangout for tucking into one of Long Island’s greatest local assets — oysters. A handful of varieties are on the menu at any given time, from plump Fire Island Blues to West Coast Kumamotos. Slurp them dabbed with house mignonette, or go for oysters Rockefeller or grilled oysters showered with Parmesan.
INFO: 63 N. Ocean Ave.; 631-627-6860, catchoysterbar.com
Standard Rec
Food meets retro fun at this throwback spot, which has so many vintage details it's hard to know where to look first. The place resembles a theater set, with moody 1970s hues running throughout two soaring rooms, one lined by a long bar whose puzzle of cubbyholes hold memorabilia such as decades-old roller skates. Bao buns and birria tacos join bar standards such as cavatelli mac-and-cheese with shards of smoked ham and pimento cheese sauce, wings and a smash burger laced with pork belly. Lovers of both Cubano sandwiches and hot dogs will find comrade in the Cubano dog. The beer list is quasi-hidden in an oversized Scrabble board. Out of sight, in the back, is a room full of arcade games such as Skee-Ball and Off Road (with a few other video arcade games scattered around, too).
INFO: 49 E Main St.; 631-730-8100, stndrec.com
WhiskeyNeat
Friends Rob Delgiorno and Michael Jordan opened this 85-seat restaurant and whiskey bar with dishes that range from gochujang wings and grilled octopus to pastrami sandwiches and fried boneless chicken thighs over grits doused with hot honey. The spot offers all-day happy hour, from noon to 7 p.m., that slashes prices by half for every spirit behind the bar. Rarer finds include Wellers 90 Proof Rye (rare) or Old Rip Van Winkle 12 Year (super rare) which retails at $2,150 or so a bottle.
INFO: 124 E. Main St.; 631-600-3434, whiskeyneatny.com
Rhum
On the top floor of this bold, trilevel restaurant is one of the downtown’s most atmospheric spots: A rooftop bar and deck with swings for bar stools and a cityscape view. With a prickly pear margarita and some Caribbean-style wings in hand, it’s a fine place to while away a Sunday afternoon, and maybe even sing a bar of Rupert Holmes.
INFO: 13 E. Main St.; 631-569-5944, rhumpatchogue.com
Virgola
This tucked-away oyster-and-Italian-wine bar doesn’t necessarily bill itself as a place for apertivo, or predinner snacks and drinks, but Virgola might revive that late-day ritual. Its cocktail menu is dotted with bittersweet drinks (go for the Aperol-laced Margarita Italiano); its thoughtful wine list is entirely Italian; and its menu doesn’t wander far from shellfish, crudo, ceviche and caviar, plus imported Italian cheeses and salumi.
INFO: 5 Village Green Way; 631-714-5000, virgolausa.com
Tiesto's Restaurant
Gastropub fare mixes with Mexican, Spanish and Ecuadorian dishes at this spot serving daily brunch (until 3 p.m.) with omelets, eggs Benedict, huevos rancheros, chicken over waffles and a flatbread breakfast pizza. Later in the day, starters go from skirt-steak-topped nachos to shrimp ceviche with tostones. Burgers, pumpkin ravioli, paella and wine-braised short ribs appear on the larger plate list. There's also a lengthy cocktail roster featuring a bracing house margarita (made with agave syrup and tequila infused with multiple berries) and shareable 100-ounce sangrias and rum punch.
INFO 411 W. Main St.; 631-730-8602, tiestosrestaurant.com
Local Burger Co.
The yearning for burgers (and burger photos) can never be sated, which helps explain the popularity of Local Burger Co. The base model comes draped in American cheese and branded with the local ZIP code, 11722; but bacon, eggs, and mac-and-cheese are all in the kitchen’s toolbox. When the weather is warm, a garage door rolls up to lend an al-freso vibe. There’s plenty of craft beer and cocktails, too.
INFO: 15 W. Main St.; 631-714-5220, localburgerco.com
Bobbique
Order at the counter, grab a table and soon you’ll be elbow-deep in pulled pork, brisket and St. Louis-style ribs, slow-cooked inside a 700-pound Southern Pride rotisserie-smoker. Don’t bypass the jumbo barbecue chicken wings, either.
INFO: 70 W. Main St.; 631-447-7744, bobbique.com
The Bean of Patchogue
This village coffee shop is many things: A coffee bar (there’s an actual marble bar), a cold-brew lab (12 drip on the wall at any given time), a juice bar, a gelateria and an events space, with regular live music. Customers (especially students) are encouraged to linger, with USB ports under the bar, free Wi-Fi and a printer, plus a communal table made from 300-year-old German oak. Pastries come from local bakers and the gelato from Gelato King, but all of the coffee comes from East End Coffee Roasters.
INFO: 62 W. Main St.; 631-569-4900, thebeanofpatchogue.com
Cloud Nine Ice Cream and Cereal Bar
A popular cereal-and-ice-cream mashup dessert, customers choose their ice cream and load on the cereal toppings, from Cap’n Crunch to Cocoa Pebbles, French toast Crunch and Lucky Charms.
INFO: 38 S. Ocean Ave.; 631-627-8006, cloudninecerealbar.com
Mademoiselle of Patchogue
Passersby might spot baker-owner Michelle Gillette Kelly shaping pastry in the front window. Step inside, and you can sit at a small counter and taste her handiwork: Macarons, croissants, apricot danish, fruit tarts and an array of sweet and savory pastries that are turned out fresh daily.
INFO: 61 N. Ocean Ave.; 631-627-8560, mademoiselleofpatchogue.com
—Corin Hirsch
