3 Best Restaurants in Long Beach, Long Island

This place has been selling tacos on Long Island for more than two decades, so when Hurricane Sandy destroyed the restaurant in October 2012 a hole was left in the Long Beach/Island Park community. Now this family-friendly restaurant, known for consistently outgoing service, good Tex-Mex food, margaritas, and pitchers of delicious sangria, is back and as good as ever. Brown paper covers the tables, and if your artwork is good enough, it may end up on the wall. Garlic lovers should try the shrimp maragrita entree or the cattleman's steak drenched in homemade garlic BBQ sauce. Fajitas and fish tacos are perennial favorites.

Great steaks are the draw at this elegantly upbeat restaurant, and though a meal here doesn't come cheap, fans return for the perfectly prepared food and impeccable service, starting with valet parking that rivals that of New York City's best steakhouse. Favorite main dishes include Black Angus rib eye paired with sautéed spinach and a potato pancake, and Lobster Jimmy (pan-sautéed lobster with lemon, butter, and garlic). For poultry fans, the Tuscan chicken is a flavorful choice. Dessert options include chocolate mousse, peach melba, or crème brûlée. The restaurant is about a five-minute drive from Long Beach.

If you plan to share, be prepared for an $8 sharing charge.

So much more than breakfast, this bagel store offers a mind-boggling array of out-of-the-ordinary salads including Thai chicken salad, Buffalo chicken, taco chicken, balsamic or honey-mustard tuna, egg salad with caramelized onion and mushroom, as well as cream cheese flavors like sundried tomato–jalapeño, chocolate chip, and apple-walnut-raisin. Be prepared to wait on a long line, especially on weekends.