Heckscher Shopping Center — Attraction in Town of Islip

Prices are above what they should be due to any competition in the immediate area. I consider the supermarket, Pat's Marketplace, to be an inadequate size to carry enough variety for shoppers who want more choices. For instance, some stores may sell Krasdale brand vegetables alongside, say, Green Giant brand with a decidedly different price point. As for the other shops, one large space is empty and for lease. Dunkin Donuts now known as just "Dunkin", is a popular stop. The other stores? Put a gun to my head and still I could not tell you what they are. Your closest supermarket would be Best Market on 111, across the street from the Islip LIRR Station. Bottom line: there is no other place to buy items to make your own lunch, or grab a donut and coffee if you work at Sunrise Business Center. When it was Grumman, you brought lunch from home that your wife made for you while she stayed home and took care of the kids and watched General Hospital. We live in a different, very imperfect world which necessitates a Heckscher Shopping Center to exist. We still need an independent butcher shop though like we had in the 50s and 60s. One...

I frequently shop here because of Pat's market grocery store and Dunkin Donuts. There used to be a large Rite Aid here, but it is now closed which I really miss. There is a very large parking lot which floods when it rains and makes it difficult to enter and exit the plaza. Pat's market carries excellent bakery items, heat and eat fresh dinners, salad bar, hot food buffet for take out dinners which almost always has a variety of chicken wings, things like Italian sausage & peppers, hot beef stew, home made style large Italian meatballs, eggplant or chicken parm, meatloaf, grilled vegetables, etc. Something different every day which is one reason I love this store. Prices are comparable to the competition. It does seem like they have a slower turn around of fresh items so I always check the expiration dates before buying....

Pat's has a great bakery, Deli, and produce section. Their pricing is a little more than the chains, but they are consistently good, it feels clean and the product seems to be refreshed regularly. The only complaint I have about them is that their milk is ALWAYS old. When I say that, I mean every time I have gone in there for milk, it's got at most 5 days left on it. If my milk survives that long in my fridge, Im usually throwing it out, as the taste is off by then. I understand they are rotating stock, but they need to manage it better. I find I go to other stores because I need milk, and then just wind up buying my other things there. They lose all my business because of a gallon of milk. Sorry, but its a deal...