Bayberry — Restaurant in Town of Islip

Came for dinner and had the most wonderful time! I don't usually write reviews, but I had to share my experience because it was so excellent!!

First and foremost, Laura was an absolute GEM. She is so warm and welcoming - I came with a small group of friends and we commented at how wonderful the experience with Laura was - she made us feel so welcome and it really stood out from our usual outings. Laura was so knowledgeable and helpful with the menu and you could tell she really enjoyed helping us and being there. It was such a different experience than most restaurants (Laura is honestly the reason why I wanted to leave a review!!)

The whole entire staff was so helpful, you can tell they work well together and really know what they're doing. Again, the experience just stood out so much compared to other restaurants. Everyone here really treats you like family. High standards in a way that is not “snooty” at all - you just feel so comfortable here!

And the FOOD! We ordered a variety of dishes and honestly everything was delicious. I can usually find at least one thing to nitpick about and I just couldn’t do that here at Bayberry.

The Poke Tuna Tacos are delicious - so fresh and so much flavor. Same with the little necks. The chickpea fries were SO good. I’m not usually crazy about chickpeas but these were so yummy. Loved the aioli that came with it. For dinner I got the Bistro burger and it was amazing. I want to try so many things off the menu, but it’s going to be hard not to order this one again next time!

In conclusion, Bayberry - thank you for such a beautiful night and warm experience. Thank you to Laura for making us feel at home and helping us with our (many) questions. This restaurant is much needed in the area and we cannot wait to...

06/05/24 Met a group of 5 for lunch, at Bayberry, in Islip. They have $25 Prixe Fixe with a nice choice of Apps and Entrees. Salmon Paillard, Warm Goat Cheese Salad, Bayberry Chicken, and 2 Dry Aged Bistro Burgers were the Entrees that were ordered for our Meals. If a day of the week ends in a "Y", I'm ordering a hamburger, over 90% of the time🙂 As always, I ordered my burger, Medium Rare, no rabbit food, no accoutrements, on the burger, but sometimes on the side, please toast the bun, and Cheddar Cheese. First one came out way more than medium, but Kim, our server, gladly took it back. Second one came out more to my liking. The meat tasted good. Not my favorite, or in my Top 10, or 20, but all the same, it was good. I did not taste the earthiness that is usually present with dry aged meat. It ranks way up in the #20s level, but still a good bar burger. If someone was going there, and asked me if I would recommend the burger, I would not tell them to shy away from it. The bun was nicely toasted, and was a nice addition to the meat. The bun to meat ratio was a bit top heavy with the bun, but it was not a distraction. The French fries could have been a bit more crisp, but they were still more than palatable.. In the end it was just not in my Top Tier of Burgers. The others enjoyed their food, the service was very good, as it usually is at a Lessing establishment, and it was a nice lunch, in a pleasant atmosphere. They do a brisk Lunch business. So reservations might be in order as a precaution with any larger table. Believe or not, parking was sparse, at lunch time. The lots behind the restaurant were packed at lunch time. They do have a small area in the rear of the restaurant that had outside seating. Maybe next time we can...

Its an improvement on Maxwells, but stick with Teller's for special occasions.

Ate there last evening. New decor is well done, awesome looking bar, great booze selection but the lighting is WAY too bright for a date nite or anything intimate or cozy. Took over 10 minutes to get our drinks and there was less than 8 four-tops at the time. Perhaps its because it was one of the waiters last day and the staff was mostly focused on gathering around him in right the middle of the restaurant every 10 or 15 minutes when someone came in to say goodbye. Manager in the blue dress didn't seem to mind so we tried not to, but it was distracting. When the bartender finally got done chatting and started making our drinks it took her forever to find the bottle because whoever laid out the bar back did it for aesthetics and not function- sprits aren't grouped together by type and the entire top shelf is unreachable, making it hard for staff to find/reach bottles and harder for customers to know what brands they carry without looking up and down every shelf (there is no spirit list on the menu).

Food was very well prepared, good sized portions and plated beautifully. My companion loved her pork chop Milanese and my scallops were perfectly cooked with a great sear and a soft center. In late summer, Spring Pea Pasta stood out as odd to see on the menu when the Restaurant mentions focusing on fresh local ingredients. Those going to sit at the bar would appreciate a broader variety of finger foods/sharables then the current tacos, veggie dip and shellfish are going to provide.

All in all a positive but not...