The Penny Pub — Restaurant in Town of Islip

This first-time venue was perfect for an after work breather. I had a drink, I ordered food, and was brought a giant plate of absolute deliciousness. I asked about music, but the bartender on at the time didn't happen to know how to work it. Cool. The oncoming bartender comes in and says the jukebox was out of order but says he has music he can play. Awesome. I ask to request a song, and he says, "No rap. I can't play any rap.", without even knowing what I'm asking for. I say, "It's a clean song." I was going to request Hall and Oates, "Private Eyes" (one of my favorite songs). Again, that bartender replies, "No." I reply, "Really? Ok. Fiiine.", turn around and proceed to walk back to my chair and drink. The just incoming bouncer then stops me, to tell me I need to calm down (which I am in no way, shape, or form out of sorts) or else I need to leave. I tried to explain to him the situation he misread, and he proceeded to tell me I was being disruptive to the patrons and then called the police. Unfortunately, I had a terrible experience after the original bartender, Mely, left. I give 5 stars to Mely and 5 stars to the cook. Mely was attentive to all the patrons in a timely fashion and was very friendly and outgoing. The cook, I didn't catch her name, had misread a substitution but showed me something new that I had liked. They were absolutely wonderful and the food was just great. The night security staff could use some sort of extra training to better assist them in making proper decisions and how to have appropriate encounters with patrons.

Unrelated to how I felt specifically at the time in the venue: I happened to see some other comments about racism at this location, but I didn't want to believe it as I, a person of color, was actually REFERRED to come here. I just so happened to be the only person of color in the establishment at the time of the "incident". I also happened to hear that a coworker of mine, who also happened to be of color, had received similar treatment during the later hours of...

Sean Is the Heart of The Penny Pub

After a tough day, I walked into The Penny Pub in Bay Shore just looking for a place to decompress. What I found was more than just a great local spot—it was a reminder that good people make all the difference.

Sean, the bartender, immediately picked up on the fact that I wasn’t having the best day. Without being overbearing, he made me feel welcome, comfortable, and at ease. He struck that perfect balance of conversation and space, and it genuinely helped lift my mood. You can tell he truly cares about the people who walk through the door.

Not only is Sean an excellent bartender—he's absolutely manager material. The way he runs the bar, keeps everything moving smoothly, and treats everyone with respect and kindness shows real leadership.

It’s rare to walk into a bar and feel better when you leave, not just because of the drinks, but because someone actually made the effort to connect. That someone was Sean.

I’ll definitely be back—and I hope the folks at Penny Pub know just how lucky they are...

Is my definition of a hometown pub. It's small enough place where you go there once or twice a week you can get to know not only all the staff who are really great but most of the regulars who are also very nice people. great addition to the bar last year 2017 was the addition of a kitchen, so good for my wallet but good for their business and the food is very good even though it is a little expensive. I highly recommend giving this place a shot if you're a Bay Shore local and you've never been there or even if you have to come from a town over it's worth the seven dollar uber. can be very busy on the weekends but also turns a fair trade Wednesday and Thursday nights. Thursday night is industry night so if you're in the bar or serving industry come on in and let them know and you get 25% off your tab. I also recommend the Penny burger in my opinion and I'm also a huge fan of the grilled chicken sandwich which I usually have to make with buffalo red onions Swiss cheese and bacon. give it a go it's...