Henley's Village Tavern — Restaurant in Town of Islip

We have dined at Henley’s several times in the past but had not been there recently.

When we dine out, we’re always looking for that restaurant that could be our “go to place”. There are lots of places out there with good food but no ambiance, or nice ambiance but mediocre food. Henley’s Village Tavern hits it all!!! Great food, excellent service and really nice ambiance.

My wife and I visited on Sunday, July 14th for dinner. We had a 7 pm reservation but arrived a bit early to have a drink at the bar before sitting for dinner. The hostess greeted us warmly when we arrived and told us to take our time at the bar. We sat at the end of the bar and met John, the bartender. He was equally welcoming and did an excellent job customizing my wife’s margarita, and recommending one of the local tap beers (a Sand City IPA) to me. Both drinks were outstanding. There were a few other folks at the bar and you could tell that John (and the other staff member behind the bar) were just as attentive and welcoming to them.

After finishing our drinks, we moved to our table (a cozy window seat) where our server Megs introduced herself to us. She brought us another round of drinks and took our appetizer order (the summer vegetable flatbread).

After the appetizer was served (the presentation was perfect and the taste even better), Meg took our dinner orders. My wife ordered the codfish special on garlic greens and I ordered the short rib entree. Both were beautifully plated and tasted delicious! We typically don’t order dessert but we decided to share the carrot cake which was amazing.

I had a chance to peek into the kitchen on the way to the restroom. One would expect an expansive kitchen for the breadth and quality of food that the chef and their team prepare. On the contrary, the kitchen is small but clearly run like a well oiled machine!

We had a chance to meet Danny, one of the owners. It’s clear he likes what he does and has a passion for keeping his guests and staff satisfied. (The staff we met all seemed to enjoy what they are doing and sang the praises of the restaurant).

We are celebrating our wedding anniversary this week and had originally booked a reservation at another restaurant (also a really fine dining experience). However, after our visit to Henley’s Village Tavern last weekend, we canceled our original reservation and booked a reservation at Henley's.

To the entire team at Henley's, job well done!...

Henley's is a small, dimly lit restaurant and was absolutely packed on a saturday night. The restaurant is clearly a local spot for drinks and overall a positive, neighborly vibe. However, my friends and I had a hard time conversing as it was very, very loud.

The food was fantastic! For starters, we shared the street corn dip and the risotto balls. The corn dip was very flavorful, especially with the scallions and cajun seasoning. The warm tortilla chips were very crunchy and salty, a perfect addition to the dip. The risotto balls were super crispy on the outside, with a soft, warm, garlicy center. I would absolutely order these again.

For the main dishes, I had the grilled salmon BLT with french fries while my friends had the cajun shrimp tacos and the baseball cut sirloin. The french fries had the right amount of salt and were very cripsy. The first half of the my BLT was a bit odd. All the ingredients were well cooked (the bacon was crispy, the salmon was juicy and flaky, spinach was fresh), but they seemed to not blend well together. However, the second half was delightful as the citrus mint aioli was more prominent.

My friends loved their dishes. though the sirloin was a little over cooked for my friend's preference.

For dessert, we shared the blondie which was very salty and sweet. A little too sweet for me, but I do not tend to like caramel. My friends thoroughly...

It's such a hidden gem ! The staff are very friendly and always greet you with a smile. Would definitely recommend making a reservation. It can get busy n spots are limited. When I went there were no tables but the host was able to squeeze me which she didn't have too. The food is delicious! Prices aren't bad because the flavors really make up for it! Food comes out fast and the drinks are very well made. They also have cocktail options if you ask!! Atmosphere is cozy but busy. One side of the restaurant are table for seating and the other side is a bar with big tv screens playing sports! It gets loud there but not loud enough where you can't hear a thing! Over all I would recommend and at least try it once. Not only are you trying something different you are also supporting the small business in...