Long Island's standout hidden restaurants
The popular Farm Country Kitchen is a restaurant that you could easily miss while driving along West Main Street in Riverhead. But once you find it, you'll be surprised by the expansive outdoor dining area overlooking the Peconic River. Credit: Newsday/John Paraskevas
We've all been there. Driving for however long, up and down the same street countless times, hungry and frustrated or "hangry" because the GPS is stating you've arrived at your destination but the restaurant you're searching for is nowhere to be seen.
Long Island's hidden dining spots are tucked away in parking lots, office buildings and apartment houses. Others may be in alleys without proper addresses. All are worth seeking out, but trying to find them will be irritating — unless you know exactly where to look.
Farm Country Kitchen
513 W. Main St., Riverhead
You'd never guess there's a restaurant in this small house overlooking the Peconic River, let alone an outdoor dining oasis in the backyard. Chef-owner Tom Carson offers a daily lunch menu of soups, salads, sandwiches, wraps and pastas. At dinnertime, dishes like marinated sliced Crescent Farm duck breast and pan-seared sea scallops over linguine are on offer. Ingredients are mostly local. In summer, sit on the veranda or surrounding waterfront property, which is full of large, shaded dining tables and Adirondack chairs, while taking in the idyllic view. More info: 631-369-6311, farmcountrykitchenli.com
Crabtree's New York & Main
330 New York Ave., Huntington
Perched up on the second story above downtown Huntington's main crossroads, Crabtree's New York & Main is a late-night spot with a wide-ranging drinks menu and a caloric roster of gastropub fare, like Reuben potato tots and a beef brisket baguette sandwich. More info: 631-923-0920, crabtreesnyandmain.com
Taco El Chingon
46-1 Gerard St., Huntington
Head down an alleyway for street tacos and tortas at Taco El Chingon in Huntington. Credit: Newsday/Erica Marcus
You can walk up and down Gerard Street and miss this spot. Instead it's found from Wall Street, heading down the alleyway just north of Cafe Buenos Aires. The enormous menu includes street tacos, sopes and huaraches, tortas, nachos, burritos, quesadillas, flautas, guacamole and the "machete El Chingon" that includes three different types of meat.
Breakfast specials include huevos rancheros; burritos stuffed with beans, eggs, tomatoes, cheese, jalapeños and meat; chilaquiles (tortilla chips topped with egg, beans, cheese, crema and meat); molletes (Portuguese bread stuffed with eggs and much more); as well as scrambled egg breakfast platters. More info: 516-945-0140, tacoelchingon.com
Zozo’s on the Bay
424 Bayville Ave., Bayville
The Lucky Limoncello pie, with mozzarella, ricotta, baby spinach and roasted garlic, is topped with freshly grated lemon zest at Zozo's on the Bay in Bayville. Credit: Newsday/Erica Marcus
It could be argued that this is the most out-of-the-way pizzeria on Long Island. Owner John Zozzaro built a kitchen and installed a Marra Forni pizza oven in the freestanding building at the end of Bayville Avenue in Bayville.
The restaurant has two dining rooms, a bar and a patio. The menu includes 20 individual Neapolitan pies, from a classic Margherita, a cheeseless Naked Napolitano and a Bella Bianca with ricotta and mozzarella to the Uncle Tony’s Heart Attack (tomato, mozzarella, sausage, pepperoni and bacon), Pizza Company 7 (hot sausage, Peppadew peppers, Calabrian chilies and Mike’s Hot Honey) and the relatively tame Lucky Limoncello (mozzarella, ricotta, baby spinach, roasted garlic and freshly grated lemon zest). Prices range from $15 to $21. There’s also a full menu of appetizers, pastas, sandwiches, soups and salads. More info: 516-212-3000, zozosonthebay.com
Stellina Ristorante
76 South St., Oyster Bay
The Pacifico family, of Bayville, enjoys dinner at Stellina in Oyster Bay. Credit: Yvonne Albinowski
This spot is open for dinner Tuesday through Sunday and for brunch on Sunday, but you won't find it if you head to the front door. Park around back for the building's entrance, where your GPS won't take you. Stellina took over the former Osteria Leana space, and highlights chef and co-owner Fabrizio Facchini's delightful Italian cuisine. The 40-seat room is intimate and warm. The open kitchen is inviting. The brick oven is putting out some perfect pizzas, calzones and soft-as-butter steaks, while a bounty of fresh pastas like cacio e pepe, pappardelle ragu and a unique paccheri in a creamy saffron and pistachio pesto sauce await. More info: 516-757-4989, stellinany.com
Teinei Ya Ramen
140 Jericho Tpke. Unit C, Syosset
Enjoy a bowl of spicy tonkotsu ramen in the dining room at Teinai Ya in Syosset. Credit: Yvonne Albinowski
Some of Long Island's best noodle soups can be found at a little counter in the back of a Japanese grocery store. Teinei Ya's menu focuses on ramen with three varieties of spicy red broth, but a steaming bowl of kitsune udon soup has a delicate dashi broth and soft, spongy tofu. During the summer, the restaurant also serves bowls of the Korean buckwheat noodle soup, naengmyeon, swimming with crisp cucumbers and pears that give the icy broth a fresh flavor. More info: 516-921-0200
West End Cafe
187 Glen Cove Rd., Carle Place
This eatery is a reliable stop for New American fare, with some Euro and Asian side trips. Good choices include the grilled pork chop with buttermilk whipped potatoes and spinach, Asian crispy duck tacos, sweet corn and ricotta ravioli, the salmon club, and the house burger. More info: 516-294-5608, westendli.com/
Fortune Wheel
3601 Hempstead Tpke., Levittown
The dim sum cart makes its way around the dining room at Fortune Wheel in Levittown. Here, the sesame pork turnovers are made with minced pork wrapped in flakey dough. Credit: Marisol Diaz; Daniel Brennan
Once upon a time, the Nassau Mall was actually a mall: a shopping center with an interior atrium that allowed shoppers to access its stores without going outside. Back then, it was hard to miss Fortune Wheel, one of Long Island's oldest Cantonese eateries. Many renovations later, the complex now looks more like a traditional Long Island strip mall, awash in big box national chain retailers. Fortune Wheel still serves classic dim sum, complete with steam cart staples such as chicken feet, dumplings and lotus-wrapped sticky rice. At lunch and dinner, there's an encyclopedic menu with more nuanced dishes interspersed with Chinese American staples. Recommended: stir-fried snow pea shoots with garlic sauce and salt-and-pepper-style whole flounder. More info: 516-579-4700, fortunewheelrestaurant.com
Crown of Spices
54 E. Village Green, Levittown
You don’t see this hidden gem for south Indian food from the road, but when approached from the parking lot, guests are greeted by an elephant sculpture wearing a bedazzled golden headdress. It’s easy to see that Ajin Sekhar and Gunasekaran Gounder, partners from the Indian state of Tamil Nadu, have pulled out all the stops for their first U.S. restaurant. They also own restaurants in the Indian cities of Salem and Kanyakumari.
The cavernous dining room has a flashy look that matches its maximalist menu, which spans more than a dozen pages. It’s not a bad idea to ask the server for guidance through the expansive offerings, which include dishes such as the fish pollichathu ($19.99), a whole fish rubbed in a fiery masala paste that arrives at the table bundled inside a hot-to-the-touch leaf. Other dishes include thalassery fish curry ($21.99), a gut punch of tangy tamarind and coconut milk, which is typical of southern Indian cuisine. And the mutton chettinadu ($21.99) doesn't shy away from using the bonier pieces of the goat, drowned in a thick curry that's so dark with spices it resembles mortar. More info: 516-212-5555, crownofspices.com
Turkuaz Grill
40 McDermott Ave., Riverhead
Look out on the Peconic River while dining at Turkuaz Grill in Riverhead. Credit: Randee Daddona
At this charming spot, you can look out at the Peconic River from a table on the front porch or a picnic table on the lawn. But the real draw is the Turkish food: a vibrant shepherd's salad, an assortment of lively meze (small plates), as well as fine grilled marinated kebabs. More info: 631-591-1757, turkuazgrillriverhead.com
Akbar
2 South St., Garden City
Akbar used to have a central location on Ring Road in Roosevelt Field. Now, the opulent Indian restaurant requires a few quick turns. This handsome spot specializes in northern Indian fare. Recommendations include the samosas, tandoori chicken, tandoori lamb chops, lamb vindaloo, rogan josh, channa masala or chickpea curry, sauteed yellow lentils, and simmered black lentils. More info: 516-357-8300, theakbar.com
La Plage
131 Creek Rd, Wading River
Rigatoni pasta with sun-dried tomato-manchego cheese butter, baby spinach flambéed shrimp and aged sherry at La Plage in Wading River. Credit: Newsday/Alejandra Villa Loarca
French, Italian and American influences mark chef Wayne Waddington's menu at La Plage, which takes in dishes such as smoked beef carpaccio, English pea-and-mint ravioli in lamb's shoulder ragu, duck leg confit with chive risotto, gold-and-red beet salad with goat cheese, and braised short ribs. More info: 631-744-9200, laplagewadingriver.com
Low Tide Bean
605 Bergen Ave., West Babylon
Low Tide Bean opened in the former Swell Taco spot on the docks in West Babylon. Credit: Newsday/Melissa Azofeifa
This waterfront cafe opened earlier this year in the former Swell Taco space on the Bergen docks in West Babylon. The space with outdoor dining only has a menu that includes classic deli breakfast favorites, such as bacon, egg and cheese sandwiches; acai bowls; overnight oats; and bagels. There are also muffins and cookies for those who prefer a sweet treat. Lunch options include a double patty smashburger with fries ($15.95), pickle brine wings ($11.50) and chicken tenders and fries ($10.95).
Signature drinks include Tee Time, an Arnold Palmer with raspberry syrup ($5 for a large), the Coco Loco iced latte with coconut and pistachio ($6), and the Golden Hour Americano with honey, brown sugar and cinnamon ($5).
The "late night drinks" menu for boozy drinks to go includes the Coco Cold Brew ($13) with vanilla vodka, coffee liqueur, honey foam and cinnamon. More info: Instagram: @lowtidebean
Charlie’s Bakery
10 Fort Salonga Rd., Northport
A lemon-raspberry bar, left, and creative takes on opera cake at Charlie's Bakery in Northport. Credit: Newsday/Erica Marcus
The chic cafe, owned by Casey Sandler, is wedged between a deli and a music school in a strip mall anchored by Fort Salonga Market IGA. Find Danishes ($6.50) stuffed with mixed berries or bacon, egg and cheese, and Linzer cookies ($6) whose wafers are made with Sandler’s own hand-ground hazelnuts and whose jam he makes with four fruits. The carrot cake ($22 for a 4-inch slab) has both pecan meal and toasted chopped pecans in the batter, and the cream cheese frosting gets a toasty assist from browned butter.
There are cookies and muffins and cupcakes and quiches and — deep breath — sourdough country loaves ($10), baguettes ($9) and croissants ($4.50), all of which rely on a sourdough starter Sandler first began tending about a decade ago. More info: 631-684-2141, charliethebaker.com
Izumi Sushi & Hibachi Steakhouse
5745 Sunrise Hwy., Holbrook
A cavernous house of hibachi and sushi, Izumi keeps the knives clanging and the vegetables flying. The hibachi menu ranges from single item choices (chicken, shrimp, lobster, calamari, filet mignon, Chilean sea bass) to more ornate combinations. You'll also find a full sushi menu, as well as Japanese kitchen items. More info: 631-218-3888, izumiholbrook.com
Side Street Dive
11 Railroad Ave., Patchogue
Sip a colorful cocktail at Side Street Dive in Patchogue. Credit: Side Street Dive
Hidden behind Stereo Garden, in the space that used to be Burgerology, is Side Street Dive. Owner Max Feinberg also owns Bull Smith’s Tavern in Smithtown and Borrelli’s Taproom in Long Beach. The American tavern-style menu has an Italian flair. Dishes include chicken parmigiana ($19), shrimp oreganata ($22) and chicken capricciosa, a fried cutlet topped with tomatoes, onions and balsamic ($23). Pastas include penne a la vodka ($17), baked ravioli ($17) and penne with broccoli rabe ($22). A dozen pizzas include a classic Margherita with vodka sauce ($22), eggplant ricotta ($21) and pepperoni with hot honey ($21). More info: 631-314-0900, sidestreetdive.com.
Melissa Azofeifa is a restaurants reporter with Newsday's FeedMe team. Having grown up on Long Island, she loves talking about food and its impact on culture. A graduate of Stony Brook University, she joined Newsday in the fall of 2024.
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