The Top List of Best Buy Restaurants - Long Island, NY
Long Island is home to some the best buys by Scott Kessman
Sometimes the quality and quantity of food at an inexpensive restaurant is on par, if not better, than some of the pricier establishments. If you’re seeking a great meal at an even greater price, you won’t have to go far.
Long Island is home to some the best buys for your hard-earned dollar, offering a variety of mouth-watering food and hearty meals all for a measly amount guaranteed not to break your wallet. Good value and great food is what this list of Best Buys on Long Island is all about.
MAUREEN’S KITCHEN (631) 360-9227 108 Terry Rd Smithtown, NY 11787
Cuisine – Breakfast, Early Lunch
Guaranteed to be the best breakfast you might ever have, there is no better way to start you day on Long Island than with a visit to Maureen’s Kitchen in Smithtown. What started out humbly as a small trailer on the side of a narrow road has blossomed into a large country-style eatery serving equally large meals. Happy cows (fake) lounge happily on the lawn and welcome you inside. The restaurant is often quite busy, as it has gathered an overwhelming crowd of regulars thanks to its burgeoning popularity over the years and its well-deserved reputation of serving not only the best but often enticingly creative breakfast dishes, as well as delicious soups and sandwiches. The wait can be long, but the food is filling and the price is right.
Average price per person: $15 (plus tax and gratuity)
THE COUNTRY ROTISSERIE (631) 382-9880 264 West Main St. Smithtown, NY 11787
Cuisine – Country Style, Rotisserie, Wraps
Small and nondescript, the storefront of the Country Rotisserie in Smithtown does little to inform you of the splendid treats that await within, though a large sign was recently posted proclaiming The Country Rotisserie to serve the best wraps on Long Island, as declared by Channel 12 News. If that isn’t enough to get you inside, then you should also know that the Country Rotisserie serves up its signature roasted chicken, southern fried chicken, baby back ribs and golden fried seafood, along with a large assortment of vegetables and side dishes, burgers & sandwiches, and of course an extensive selection of tasty and creative wraps. The Country Rotisserie strives to provide a great meal in a friendly atmosphere. The great food speaks for itself.
Call for hours
Average price per person: $15 (plus tax and gratuity)
FAZ’S TEX-MEX GRILL (631) 271-4333 38 Gerard Street Huntington, NY 11743
Cuisine - Mexican
If you’ve ever browsed the trendy restaurants in Huntington, you might have noticed this small restaurant, or at the very least, you’ve caught the scent of delicious Mexican food wafting through the door. This restaurant offers fresh, cooked-to-order Mexican and Southwestern dishes such as burritos, enchiladas, a large variety of tortillas, tex-mex pizzas, quesadillas, an assortment of vegetarian meals, and more. The food is prepared with only fresh, natural ingredients, making this humble establishment a real prize. Many of the items are priced at an average of $4.00. For a mere $10, you can order yourself a feast. The service is quick and friendly, and the restaurant receives rave reviews with the locals and visitors to Huntington who have had the pleasure of discovering Faz’s Tex-Mex Grill.
Daily 11:00am – 10:00pm
Average price per person: $8 (plus tax and gratuity)
KING UMBERTO (516) 352-8391 1339 Hempstead Tpke Elmont, NY 11003
Cuisine – Pizza, Italian
Every town has its own collection of pizza joints with seating in the back where a menu of Italian specialties are served, and it’s likely you already have a favorite one in your neighborhood. But for a chance to taste the very best at the very best price, you’ll want to go to King Umberto in Elmont. King Umberto is the quintessential Italian restaurant, and the staff is masterful at preparing regular cheese pizzas and an assortment of mouth-watering creative pizzas up front, and serving you delicious Italian fare in the back, where the atmosphere is as rich as an Italian villa. Like other restaurants on this list, King Umberto rose from humble beginnings to the heights of grandeur. Their pizzeria menu features all the usual trappings one would expect from their local pizza place, along with traditional sandwiches, heroes, Italian specialties, and a few creative selections. The dinner menu features a large host of entrees and Italian cuisine, at slightly higher prices of course, but still extremely reasonable considering the quality of the food and the refined décor of the dining room.
Average price per person: Pizzeria Menu $9 (plus tax and gratuity) Dinner Menu $20 (plus tax and gratuity)
ALL AMERICAN HAMBURGER DRIVE-IN (516) 798-9574 4286 Merrick Road Massapequa, NY 11758
Cuisine - Hamburgers
Nothing is more American than a good old-fashioned hamburger slathered with ketchup and a slice or two of American cheese. At All American, you’re guaranteed that and much more. Perfect in its simplicity, this small drive-up eatery has a few tables scattered outside its doors, but patrons are more than happy to congregate around the outside and in the parking lot, happily munching away on meaty burgers and fries, plump hot dogs and crisp onion rings. Proud to have won the best burgers award of 2007, All American has been serving up fast food fare for over 40 years. Nothing fancy, just great fast food sold for little more than $1. The favorite of regulars is the double-double (a double cheeseburger). The hamburger hotspot is often crowded, but service is fast, and at these prices, you may find yourself getting on line again for seconds.
Average price per person: $4 (plus tax and gratuity)
Thai Gourmet (631) 474-0663 4747-24 Nesconset Hwy. (Rte. 112) Port Jefferson Station, NY 11776
Cuisine - Thai
Due to increasing interest in Asian flavors, a crop of Thai restaurants has been sprouting across Long Island, but mainstay Thai Gourmet has thus far remained at the top of the list for tasty, spicy, authentic Thai food with little fuss. Thai Gourmet ignores the current trend of Asian fusion dishes and instead concentrates on traditional Thai food, such as Pad Thai, curries, and spicy soups like Tom Kha. The ingredients are fresh, the spices hot and flavorful, and if you are a fan of Thai food, there’ll be no denying that Thai Gourmet has earned its favorable reputation for good reason. The décor is simple, just a few Thai elements and wall hangings to add a little flair to this quaint, unassuming Thai restaurant. Thai Gourmet keeps its prices relatively low, enabling you to enjoy some of the appetizers and soups along with an entrée without spending a moment to worry about the cost.
Average price per person: $15 (plus tax and gratuity)
MAURICIO’S ORLANDOS II (631) 265-9228 645 Jericho Tpke St James, NY 11780
Cuisine - Italian
Where on Long Island can you get a fine Italian dinner, complete with appetizer or soup or salad, dessert, and coffee or tea, all for the measly price tag of $20.00? The answer is Mauricio’s Orlandos II in St. James, a highly popular Italian eatery serving complete meals with a wide variety of choices. The prix fixe dinner price is only $19.95 (drinks and some items a few dollars extra) and the lunch prix fixe price is $9.95. The menu features traditional Italian cuisine plus a few house specialties, the Angel Hair Pasta with Baby Shrimp in a Basil Sauce, and Lobster Fra Diavlo, and Pollo Mauricio’s. Regulars swear by the roast duck, and other specials such as roast rabbit have been known to make an appearance. A large assortment of appetizers, salads, and desserts round out the meal, and portions are perfect. The staff is attentive and friendly, eager to cater to your needs in order to make your dinner as pleasant as possible.
Average price per person: $13 lunch, $25 dinner (plus tax and gratuity)
Spicy’s BBQ (631) 727-2781 225 W Main St Riverhead, NY 11901
Cuisine – Barbecue, Southern
Nothings better in the summer than a good old-fashioned barbecue, but on those cool summer days, you’ll likely be out exploring Long Island, rather than cooking up fare on your own grill. So if you’re in the area, stop by Spicy’s BBQ in Riverhead, where you’ll be served up one of the best gosh darn southern-style bbq meals ever to cross you’re your lips. Massive racks of ribs, tender chicken wings, collard greens, and sweet potato pie and potato salad can be ordered for mere dollars. Spicy’s appears as little more than a small retro-style diner nestled on the side of the road, but with barbecue this good, it doesn’t need to be anything more. Spicy’s is usually crowded as the locals tend to congregate there, but if you can’t find a spot to sit, you can order your food to go.
Average price per person: $8 (plus tax and gratuity)
LL DENT (516) 742-0940 221 Old Country Rd Carle Place, NY 11514
Cuisine – Southern
You’ll find yourself transported back into a classic rendition of a traditional southern diner with a few modern touches when you step into LL Dent’s. Combining southern cuisine with modern fusion, the menu features old favorites and enticing new dishes such as Pulled Pork Sandwich and Stewed Tilapia, a large selection of appetizers, soups, salads and side orders, such as Crispy Fried Chicken Livers, Toby’s Georgia Hash, a Bowl of Grits and Baked Sweet Potatoes, not to mention a bevy of delicious desserts. The prices are fair, and you’ll certainly receive a lot of bang for your buck. Plus, the food is the closest you’ll ever come to real southern cooking without traveling a few hundred miles in that direction.
Average price per person: $20 (plus tax and gratuity)
GASHO OF JAPAN (631) 231-3400 356 Motor Pkwy Hauppauge, NY 11788
Cuisine – Japanese Hibachi Grill
At this well-known Long Island restaurant you’ll get an incredibly large meal and a show as well, in the form of your personal hibachi grill chef who’ll entertain you with amusing antics while he prepares your meal. Entrees come soup and salad, a bowl of just cooked rice, an assortment of healthy vegetables, and a smattering of hibachi shrimp. The hibachi steakhouse fills up quickly despite the large seating capacity, and the traditional kimonos worn by the staff and the Japanese décor helps to further the transcendence from restaurant to dinner theatre. A selection of hibachi chicken, fish, shellfish and beef can be accompanied by a mélange of appetizers and topped off with dessert, if you have any room for it. Gasho is especially fun for children, and the chefs take particular delight in entertaining them.
Monday – Friday - 12 noon-9:30pm Saturday 11:00am - 10:00pm Sunday - 2:30pm - 10:00pm Average price per person: $20 (plus tax and gratuity)
The Top List of Best Buy Restaurants - Long Island, NY