Dodge the traffic and pilot your sea cruiser towards one of Fire Island’s coastal dining hotspots. When you get there, stay put. Restaurants all around the island have special dock-and-dine menus that are just like your favorite takeout joint, only on the water. Order your food and grab it dockside or let a staff member bring it to you. Anchor down and fill up.
Island Mermaid, Ocean Beach
image: yvonne albinowski
Come with a fleet of friends because Island Mermaid’s four boat slips can fit beams up to 27 feet, the widest on Fire Island. Multiple surf and turf entrées like crab cakes and mussels can be paired with refreshing cocktails for the ultimate social dining experience. Keep a camera handy for when the sun kisses the shore goodnight. Go.
Matthew’s Seafood House, Ocean Beach
A side entrance on a narrow pier makes Matthew’s Seafood House virtually invisible to walkers and bikers, but boaters have been using the blue water tower as a landmark for decades. They come for the house linguine. Dressed with shrimp, clams, mussels, scallops and squid and glazed in a tomato and garlic sauce, it’s the perfect seafood medley. Go.
Flynn’s, Ocean Bay Park
image: facebook/flynnsfireisland
Catch sunset explosions of color almost as blazing as the buffalo shrimp while sipping on a cold brewski out on the bay. Recognized for their signature seafood dishes and frequent live music like Sunday Fundays with reggae group King Wellington, this restaurant is a staple docking spot. Go.
Kismet Inn, Kismet
One bite of the little neck clams and you’ll understand why Kismet Inn is the oldest running establishment on Fire Island at 90-years-old and counting. Steamed in white wine and garlic and served by the half dozen with lemon and dawn butter for a finish that’s part zest, part indulgent and absolutely worth ordering seconds and thirds. Dig in while admiring the iconic Robert Moses Bridge. Go.
Houser’s Hotel, Ocean Beach
Boat fare tends to be no-frills and fried, but every once in a while you want to go gourmet. The Hideaway, Houser’s fine-dining establishment, offers boaters a chance to enjoy an eclectic menu full of Asian-inspired cuisine like pan seared sea bass without sacrificing the chill vibes of a day on the Great South Bay. Go.
Maguire’s, Ocean Beach
Just a short boat ride away from Bay Shore is a place with nautical inspired décor that is just as approachable as the grilled swordfish and crispy skin salmon filet. Maguire’s signature cocktail, a frozen John Daly made with citron vodka and lemonade with a splash of sweet tea, makes for the perfect apertif on a humid summer day. Go.