Craving an off the beaten path restaurant serving classic American Cuisine by the Bay? South Ocean Grill may warrant a visit. This cozy restaurant, just a block from the Great South Bay, offers a tempting menu that could be worth a visit.
South Ocean Grill is tucked away at the end of Ocean Avenue in Patchogue, offering a cozy escape from the madness of Main Street with delicious, made from scratch American cuisine. Start with a refreshing cocktail, then dive into fresh seafood dishes or sizzling steaks, all crafted with fresh ingredients and a touch of Long Island charm.
Why the South Ocean Grill
Long Island boasts a coastline teeming with fresh seafood, so you’d expect an abundance of high-quality, affordable seafood restaurants. However, reality falls short. Many seafood restaurants near the water fall into two camps: those featuring the fried everything platters or those with overpriced fresh catches of broiled or fried seafood. You either get a mountain of greasy fish and shellfish in their “captain’s platter” or an exorbitant bill for a plate of simply cooked fresh seafood.
Recently, a neighbor told us about a terrific seafood meal they enjoyed in Patchogue. Despising the death race to find parking within Patchogue village, we were originally hesitant to visit. Upon being advised this was well off Main Street and it’s over crowded chaos, we decided to give the South Ocean Grill a try and provide a review.
South Ocean Grill – Background and Ambiance
This restaurant is located a block from the Great South Bay in the village of Patchogue. It opened in 2015 with a goal of providing fresh and creative food to Long Island.
Situated in a quaint old building with on-street parking and a hidden lot in the back, you immediately sense the salt air of the Bay while making your way to the front door. The reaction to the salt air is reminiscent of Pavlov’s dog, your mouth moistens and your mind immediately begins to think seafood.
Step up onto the porch, where a few bistro tables offer outdoor seating for drinks or dining during the warmer months. Inside, the lighting is low, casting a warm glow over dark wooden tables and a bar at the back. Deep blue walls, a dark wooden ceiling and a flickering electric fireplace near the entrance create a cozy and intimate atmosphere. With limited seating, reservations are a good idea
Upon arriving we were seated right away. The atmosphere was lively, but did not interfere with conversation. Unlike some restaurants, the tables weren’t crammed together, although ours was a bit small for our group of four. Our server was friendly and helpful, offering to answer any questions we had. Upon being seated, she gave us menus and some time to browse the drink list. This is a nice change from many establishments that rush you for your drink orders as soon as you are seated. After a few minutes, she came back to take our drink preferences.
The restaurant is described as casual, but we would consider it a bit fancier than that while remaining well below what would be considered the formal or fine dining category. It’s the kind of place where you can get away with arriving in a nice tee shirt, but you really shouldn’t. The menu and quality of the food deserves better.
What’s on the South Ocean Grill Menu?
For a restaurant of this size, the menu is quite extensive. The menu is described as American and is dominated by ocean dwelling creatures which is their niche. If seafood isn’t your thing, the menu also includes steak, ribs and chicken options, as well as non meat offerings for our vegetarian friends.
The bar menu includes a decent but limited list of cocktails. The beer selection is not tremendous but includes some local brews as well as the national brands you would expect.
The appetizer menu was extensive, featuring numerous seafood options, including Thai calamari, volcano shrimp, mussels marinara and sesame crusted tuna. Meat options included gorgonzola steak flatbread and prosciutto peach flatbread. Many non meat appetizers were offered as well. The most interesting to us were the rosemary truffle fries, Korean fried cauliflower and California grilled artichoke.
For your main course, the menu skews toward fresh seafood but should include something to satisfy everyone. Seafood entrees included Chilean sea bass, New England crab cakes, grilled red snapper paillard, grilled salmon, pan seared scallops and rock shrimp, classic fish and chips and lobster linguine. For land lovers, the menu included smoked ribs and filet mignon. For vegetarians, the menu included a vegetable platter of grilled and roasted vegetables over slaw. If you are looking for a more casual meal, the menu includes a few burger options, a veggie burger and salmon sandwich.
The atmosphere is upscale casual yet homey. The sound level displays with a distinct buzz, during peak dining hours that did not affect conversation. The South Ocean Grill is located at 567 South Ocean Avenue, Patchogue, New York. They are open from Tuesday to Sunday and serve lunch from 11 am-3 pm and dinner 4-10 pm.
Dining Experience: South Ocean Grill
The South Ocean Grill is located well off of Main Street, and we were easily able to park in a nearby lot behind the restaurant. As you enter the building, the porch relays a homey feel which is amplified by the intimate interior. Our server was friendly, made us feel welcome and gave us a few minutes to get settled.
The Bar: Cocktails
A small cozy bar is located at the rear of the restaurant. After perusing the cocktail menu, the ladies settled on the Prosecco cocktail, which they thoroughly enjoyed. So much so, they ordered a second before our entrees arrived. My comrade and I stuck with beer. I ordered a Stella, which wasn’t available so I settled for a Corona. My associate ordered a Lagunita IPA. The beers were cold and served in a pint glass.
Appetizers
The appetizer list is quite extensive considering the size of the restaurant. We went with the Thai calamari and Rosemary Truffle Fries. Many restaurants offer Thai calamari. The chef differentiates this version by blending the crispy calamari rings with tomato, mango and shredded cabbage and carrots then tossing these ingredients in a Thai chili sauce. The sauce is sweet and not a gooey jarred version common with most renditions of this appetizer. The sweetness is dominant but isn’t alone as a slight spice is noted. The various textures and flavors make this appetizer notable.
The truffle fries were served with a topping with what I believe is parmigiana Reggiano cheese and a side of chipotle aioli. The fries boasted a delightful contrast: a delicate crunch giving way to a soft pleasant interior texture, the hallmark of fresh cut fries. This assessment was proven correct when our server came by to check on us and advised that the fries were hand cut. The truffle oil displayed its traditional garlicy and peppery flavor. This simple appetizer was outstanding.
Entrees
The restaurants proximity to the Bay defines the menus focus, seafood. The menu is prepared to include entrees that will appeal to everyone, but is heavily weighted to the sea. Even the special that night was a seafood gumbo. This was perfect as our party of four were all craving a seafood dinner.
First up was the New England Crab Cakes. The entree included two crab cakes that included a generous helping of crabmeat which were perfectly seared with a light coating of bread crumbs served over a tasty remoulade. The crab cakes were paired with a side of seasonal vegetables, which during our visit, was roasted yellow squash. To complete the plate was a generous serving of homemade coleslaw. The slaw was mayo based and was the perfect blend of tangy and sweet to complement the crab cakes.
Two of us selected the Lobster linguine. This was a fairly sized portion of linguine served in a creamy tomato sauce with spinach and onions, which was topped with a generous helping of lobster meat. The linguine was served Al dente as it should. The sweet lobster meat included a delightful blend of small, medium and large chunks of lobster.
The creamy tomato sauce was sweet as one would expect, but was lacking in seasoning or spice. I am partial to “loud” food so perhaps I ordered the wrong entree as this was not advertised as a Fra Diavolo or spicy marinara dish. If you are one who enjoys a simple sweet creamy tomato sauce, this dish would be for you. If you expect more complexity or spice you will be disappointed.
Lastly, our table ordered the pan seared jumbo scallops and rock shrimp. The scallops were large as advertised and fresh. This dish is where this restaurant truly excels. The shellfish were magnificently prepared. The scallops were perfectly seared, and served over a bountiful bed of lobster risotto. The rich and creamy risotto had plentiful tender chunks of lobster and rock shrimp. To complete the dish, all were topped with a creamy and buttery lobster sauce which elevated the dish to decadent.
Dessert
We were all a bit full but split the cinnamon bun with ice cream for dessert. The portion was plenty for the four of us to sample. The cinnamon bun was fresh and the vanilla ice cream and whipped cream topping made a grand finale to our meal. Unfortunaly, the presentation caused us to dig in before we could take a photo for the review.
Restaurant Review Roundup for the South Ocean Grill
The seafood here is fresh and prepared extremely well. Simple items like the fries and coleslaw are made fresh, demonstrating their attention to small details. The prices are what we would consider moderate, as you are spending $30-$40 for an entree if you don’t want a burger or sandwich. I suppose this is not exceptional for a seafood dinner in the post COVID world.
Despite being surrounded by water it can be challenging to find a restaurant serving fresh seafood on Long Island. South Ocean Grill offers a terrific option in a cozy and intimate setting.
South Ocean Grill Overall Score:
Upscale Casual category 3.9
- Cost (March 2024): Appetizers $11-$25, salads $14-$25, burgers and sandwiches $18-$21, entrees $26-$42.
- Sample dishes:Rosemary truffle fries,Thai calamari, lobster linguine, New England crab cakes and Pan Seared Jumbo Scallops and rock shrimp.
- Pro’s: Patchogue, but not near Main Street and it’s chaos. Cozy and intimate setting. Fresh and well prepared seafood with some originality. Menu isn’t limited to seafood, includes options for carnivores and vegetarians.
- Con’s: It’s small, you should get a reservation. Limited bar space, don’t arrive too early from your reservation.
- Bonus tips: The fries are fresh cut! This is our first “upscale casual” review, time will tell if our 3.9 was too conservative.
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