East Hampton's Highway Restaurant & Bar to close
An order of roasted chicken at Highway Restaurant & Bar in East Hampton. They're set to close Labor Day. Credit: Marc Kopko
After more than 10 years on an East Hampton stretch of Montauk Highway, the aptly named Highway Restaurant & Bar will close its doors following dinner service on Labor Day, Sept. 7.
Serving New American food to both year-round locals and seasonal visitors since 2012, it began as the Highway Diner & Bar. It was briefly replaced in the summer of 2014 by Shuko, a pop-up version of a Manhattan Japanese restaurant, only to return in November of the same year in its current form.
The closing comes at the end of Highway’s lease at 290 Montauk Hwy., a property that has been on the market for several years. Though the Highway team has made significant investments in the property throughout its tenancy, no lease extension has been offered, according to the restaurant. The space remains on the market.
The dining room at Highway Restaurant & Bar. Credit: Marc Kopko
The restaurant was a crowd-pleasing spot frequented by hungry summer visitors stuck in weekend traffic and offseason residents who made the eatery their go-to on cooler, quieter evenings.
A bright, white space adorned with beach prints on the dining room walls, royal blue accents along the bar and exposed wooden beams throughout, the restaurant was an easy place to get a dependable roasted chicken or sit on the patio in warmer months for a farro or kale salad, light pasta, or teriyaki salmon and rib-eyes.
Highway Restaurant & Bar in East Hampton. Credit: Marc Kopko
"We extend our deepest gratitude to the staff who have given so much of themselves over the years and to the loyal guests who made the restaurant what it is today, many of whom have been coming through its doors since opening night. While this chapter at 290 Montauk Highway is coming to a close, it is not the end for Highway Restaurant. Stay tuned for what comes next," the restaurant team said via news release.
Highway will continue to serve dinner Wednesday through Monday starting at 5 p.m. until its final service. The management team did not immediately respond to a request for further comment.
Highway Restaurant & Bar, 290 Montauk Hwy., East Hampton, 631-527-5372, highwayrestaurant.com
A global freelancer who has checked her suitcase to raise her young daughter on her native Long Island, Marie Elena will always make time for good mezcal, even better tacos and killer conversation. Preferably, in a corner bar seat. She can be found on Instagram at @mariesworldeats.
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