This place is an experience you never forget. Walking in feels like you are definitely in the right place for some good seafood! The restaurant is very small but the food makes up for it! The owner is quite the character too. Everyone was very nice and helpful. The salmon was incredible. The shrimp was amazing. The chowder was thick amd delicious. The pasta was ok. Thank you for a delicious meal!
Had a great experience at White Cap Seafood in Islip. The steamers were super fresh, sweet, and perfectly clean with no sand at all. The crabs were locally caught and a really good size for #1s. You can tell they take pride in their seafood, everything tasted like it came straight from the bay. The service was friendly and welcoming too. I’ll definitely be back.
I've lived in New York for over 40 years, then moved to San Antonio after starting my own businesses and wanting to retire early instead of paying out the wazoo to the blockheads who run NY State. I will tell you what I do miss, the freshness of the seafood. One day, I was driving east on Merrick Road, after a crap job laid me off, and I found this small inlet to the south. I turned off, and had the best new england clam chowder and red snapper steak I have ever had, even at Michelin Star restaurants.
These folks are the fisherman who supply some of the best local catch to the fancy restaurants around the Island and the City, even throughout the country. What they don't sell, they cook up right there; nothing pretentious, just butter, salt, some pepper, and they let the fresh catch do the talking. Even the steamed vegetables are incredible; garlic, salt, butter, and finished in a pan.
I've noticed some reviews on here that mention they were disappointed. I can understand and would agree with them. But the issue is, these are folks who are ordering items that the fisherman would NOT catch locally. To expand the menu, they do buy and order some non-local seafood. It won't be completely fresh if it is not locally caught, and may even have been frozen. Do the research and order only what the fishermen are catching locally, and you will get great quality food.
Had dinner there yesterday and was a little disappointed! We had fried calamari appetizer the was dry with little taste! Entrees were broiled combo platter with steamed veggies, second was crab cake platter with fries and both were very good. Staff was friendly and helpful but for a very laid back, dive kinda place the prices were a bit high.