Best Patchogue restaurants: Critics' picks

Over the past 20 years, Patchogue has grown younger and livelier as a village, with a hospitality boom that draws patrons from all over Suffolk. On a weekend night, Patchogue feels like a party, with traffic at a crawl, bars brimming and parking woes aplenty.

Here are some of the dozens of establishments that jockey shoulder to shoulder along Main Street, and a few on the less frenetic South Ocean Avenue.

Lola’s Southern Cuisine

240 E. Main St.

Three years after tiny Lola’s Southern Cuisine opened in Medford in 2022, owners Tiffany and Darrell Darwood set their sights on the big time, moving into the 100-seat Patchogue spot vacated by Rise & Grind. They may have six times the capacity, but the kitchen is still focused on recipes inspired by Darwood’s grandmother: fried chicken, pulled pork, fried catfish, fried-green-tomato BLTs, shrimp po’ boy sandwiches and peach cobbler. Since Rise & Grind served breakfast, the Darwoods have added shrimp and grits, chicken and waffles, pancakes, French toast and breakfast skillets to the repertoire. More info: 631-730-2882, lolasoutherncuisine.com

Art of Spices

58 South Ocean Ave.

When Art of Spices opened in March 2025, it filled a distinct need: This corner of Long Island was entirely lacking in South Asian cuisine. Owner Kundan Chauhan has rectified the situation with an attractive eatery that serves a range of dishes, from crowd pleasers like chicken tikka masala and also gobi (cauliflower and potato curry) to the Indo-Chinese specialties Manchurian cauliflower and hakka noodles to hara bhara goat, a lush curry whose sauce gets its verdant hue from cilantro. You’ll also find grilled lamb chops, biryanis (chicken, goat, shrimp) and plenty of vegetarian dishes such as the legume-based tadka dal and dal makhani to baingan ka bharta (eggplant). At lunch, Art of Spices serves "thali" samplers that include two curries plus rice and freshly made naan (tandoor-roasted flatbread). More info: 631-714-4084, artofspices.us

La Gran Amazonia

219 E. Main St.

Mexican is one of Long Island’s favorite cuisines, Peruvian is gaining ground, and Salvadoran and Dominican are flying increasingly above the radar. But if you’re heading to Patchogue, why not give Ecuadorian a try? La Gran Amazonia offers the chance to sample this distinctive cuisine with specialties such seco de chivo, a savory goat stew, and guatita, tripe braised with peanuts and potatoes. There are croquettes and empanadas made from green plantains, encocado de camarón (shrimp in coconut sauce) and three types of encebollado (fish stew), including one with tuna and cassava which is said to be an unbeatable hangover remedy and is available only on weekends. La Gran Amazonia is open for breakfast, when you can get mote pillo, corn hominy with eggs and meat; or tigrillo, green plantain mashed with pork belly and cheese and served with beef stew and fried egg. More info: 631-627-8141, lagranamazonia.com

Mazza Mediterranean

58D S. Ocean Ave.

When Wais Omar and his family took over the former Colosso di Rodi Greek Bistro in 2023, he didn’t want to disappoint customers who had patronized Patchogue’s only Greek restaurant. But he also wanted to fulfill his dream of cooking the food of his native Afghanistan. So he combined the two cuisines — even if Kabul and Athens are about 3,500 hundred miles apart. There is a shared love of kebabs, and you’ll find skewers of lamb, chicken, salmon and the minced, spiced beef. Alongside the Greek casseroles pastitsio and moussaka you’ll find lamb chops and one of the glories of the Afghan kitchen, Kabuli palau, a braised lamb shank served with a pilaf of brown basmati rice festooned with carrots, raisins, almonds and pistachio. Starters are headlined by two great Afghan steamed dumpling dishes: aushak, filled with leeks and scallions and topped with ground beef and yogurt; and mantu, filled with ground beef and garnished with tomato sauce and yogurt. You’ll also find bolani (stuffed flatbread) and borani banjan (baked eggplant). From points west: grilled octopus, friend calamari, stuffed grape leaves and Greek meatballs. More info: 631-518-2822, mazzamediterranean.getsauce.com

The State Room

67 W. Main St.

Once a general store dating back to the late 1800s, the former upstairs of BrickHouse Brewery was transformed in 2023 into a swank velvet and leather cocktail bar. A year later, the first floor was thoroughly de-brewified, and emerged as Shands General, a modern bistro with one bustling dining room that opens onto Main Street and another one that offers a more hushed dining experience and a capacious bar-lounge. Upstairs and downstairs, the menu is the same (though it changes seasonally), and standouts include Parker House rolls with butter and jam, tahini Caesar with sunchokes and dill, malfadine pasta with ramp-walnut-pecorino pesto, grilled10-ounce lamb loin chop English peas and fava beans and a killer triple-chocolate cake. More info: 631-447-2337, shandsgeneral.com

Ruta Oaxaca

30 E. Main St.

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. Chef-partners 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. More info: 631-569-2233, rutaoaxacamex.com

Bird & Bao

58 S. Ocean Ave.

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. More info: 631-447-2200, birdandbao.com

Buttermilk’s Farmhouse

76 W. Main St.

"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. More info: 631-654-6455, buttermilksfarmhouse.com

Catch Oyster Bar

63 N. Ocean Ave.

You'd think that Long Island would be teeming with casual restaurants that specialize in local seafood — instead of salmon, branzino and shrimp — where you can sit at the bar and down a tray of oysters on the half shell chased by a local craft beer or grab a table and enjoy a piscatory feast. Michael and Jim Avino's tiny spot would be a must-visit if it only served mollusks. You'll always find at least a half-dozen oyster varieties, each identified by name, provenance, size and salinity. Or have your oysters fried, roasted or Rockefeller-ed. Or indulge in clams or mussels or shrimp. Catch's mains range from traditional fried flounder, fish-and-chips and lobster dinners to the South Shore fish stew, a Suffolk take on bouillabaisse that features market fish, mussels, clams and scallops in a roasted garlic-tomato broth. More info: 631-627-6860, catchoysterbar.com

Standard Rec

49 E. Main St.

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). More info: 631-730-8100, stndrec.com

WhiskeyNeat

124 E. Main St.

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. More info: 631-600-3434, whiskeyneatny.com

Rumba

13 E. Main St.

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. More info: 631-569-5944, rhumpatchogue.com

Virgola

5 Village Green Way

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. More info: 631-714-5000, virgolausa.com

Tiesto's Restaurant

411 W. Main St.

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 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. More info: 631-730-8602, tiestosrestaurant.com

Bobbique

70 W. Main St.

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. More info: 631-447-7744, bobbique.com