Best Food Scenes on Long Island: 5 Winning Towns Announced

You don’t need to hit Manhattan to score some of the best food in the tri-state area. Long Island has become one of the top foodie destinations not just in NY but in the country.

When it comes to top restaurants, there is no shortage of incredible food scenes scattered across our wonderful island. However, a few select towns stand apart when it comes to having the best scene on Long Island.

Here are our top 5 picks for the best Long Island foodie towns.

Patchogue

Patchogue is one of the most popular night-out hubs on Long Island. It’s booming food scene includes practically every cuisine from Caribbean vibes to meatballs to Japanese to BBQ.

The downtown is littered with dozens of eclectic restaurants, bakeries, bars and cafes. There are few towns that can showcase the likes of poke bowls, crème-brûlée macarons, broiled oysters and brisket sandwiches, and opulent seafood towers crowned with caviar. Whatever your pleasure, whether a romantic fine dining, rooftop seating, live music, or a cozy corner spot, Patchogue has it all.

Our Pick For Best Spot

RHUM
Standout items: Sage-breaded shrimp tacos, Rastaman’s tacos, and one the best veggie burgers you can get on Long Island.

Northport Village

Northport is a charming walk-around town on the water’s edge of the North Shore sprawling with lovely shops and wonderful restaurants. From cozy cafes to upscale fine dining, this small village brings the best of various types of cuisine to the North Shore.

Some of Our Standout Spots in Babylon

Maroni Cuisine
A one-of-a-kind dining experience with no formal menu, Maroni’s breaks the rules by offering a different tasting menu every night through multiple courses and unlimited wine and beer.

Salted On The Harbor
Just steps away from the harbor featuring a Tex-Mex inspired menu of small plates, mains, and specialty cocktails.

The Purple Elephant
One of Long Island’s most popular “clean” eating and vegetarian restaurants dishing up simple, yet robust flavors of Central American/Latin cuisine.

Babylon

Downtown Babylon is the quintessential town for a night out on Long Island. This perfect location is packed with small-town shops, tons of great eateries, and is home to the incredible Argyle Theater. I mean, how many towns on Long Island can you do dinner and show?

Its culinary scene features a wide variety of delicious spots from quick and casual to upscale fine dining to a fun night out with friends doing tapas and cocktails. Need to plan a romantic night on the town or get together with family? Babylon’s got you covered with a selection of diverse cuisines and options for every budget and occasion.

Our Pick For Best Spot

The Brixton
The Brixton is one the most underrated restaurants on Long Island period. With so many extraordinary options, it feels nearly impossible to choose from their menu. However, they feature two of the most craveable bites you will get anywhere: The Steamed Buns and General Tso’s Cauliflower Wings.

Bay Shore

Where do we even begin? Bay Shore is not only home to some of the most underrated restaurants on the island but features a collection of some of the most inspired restaurants you will come across.

Whether it’s Verde Kitchen and Cocktails, Coastal Kitchen, Tula Kitchen, Tullah’s, Salt and Barrel, Sweet Jane, or the ton of other incredible spots, when it comes to flavor Bay Shore can throw down with the best of them.

We’d like to know who these chefs are—because we want to meet them and shake their hands! Talk about *Beat Bobby Flay—*the chefs on this part of the Great South Bay are nothing to rumble with.

If you have never been to downtown Bay Shore, get your ass here pronto. You won’t be disappointed.

Our Must-Try Pick For Any Long Islander

Verde Kitchen and Cocktails
Verde is not only the best Mexican restaurant on Long Island but arguably has some of the best tacos and margaritas you will find anywhere on planet Earth. I’ll put their drinks and fish tacos up against any place in SoCal.

Our Winner: Greenport ?

Rarely talked about when it comes to the best food scenes on Long Island, but Greenport takes the seat at the head of our table for best foodie towns.

How’s this for a ringing endorsement: You. Can’t. Go. Wrong. In. Greenport.

There isn’t a bad spot, let alone mediocre. Every place is quality, locally inspired, and offers something unique and exciting.

Want to go on the ultimate food tour on Long Island? Head out to Greenport for the weekend.

Besides being home to the famous Frisky Oyster and Noah’s, which are hands down two of the best restaurants on Long Island (think 5-star Manhattan restaurant in the middle of small-town Main Street), Greenport boasts one tremendous culinary experience after another.

Besides Frisky and Noah’s, there are the wild and imaginative Latin and Asian fusion flavors found at Kontiki — which can easily be a contender for the top under-the-radar spots on Long Island.

Then there’s the comfort food found at warm and cozy spots like Ellen’s on Front and some of the freshest seafood you’ll eat at Anker and Fortino’s Tavern—both of which offer incredible views of Greenport Harbor and Shelter Island.

And let’s not forget about the breakfast and brunch served up at Bruce & Son. What they are dishing up in the mornings is worth the trip alone.

So, if you never explored the food scene on Long Island, start with these five towns, and before you finish your last bite, you will find planning your next visit.

What are you waiting for? Explore our beautiful island and get eating!