The Islander

We visited Shelter Island and were looking for a lunch spot. I checked Unilocal to get an idea and thought the Islander looked good. It is a very clean and nice restaurant. I had a turkey club that was very good and fresh. It came with homemade chips that were really good. My husband had a grilled cheese with bacon and a side salad that was fresh and very good. We will return there in our next visit !!

7÷26÷15
Four of us, which included a 93 year old lady, came here for breakfast. We were told there would be a twenty minute wait for a table. O.k. We finally sit down, place our order and wait. And wait, and wait, and wait… No Apologies. Close to an hour and a half later, we ask, when? There are still seven tables on the patio ahead of you!!! That meant another hour wait.
Staff had an attitude of, Too Bad For You. We decided to leave, and were charged for our coffees!
We will never go back, and strongly suggest that you avoid this place, unless you have hours to kill and don’t care about service.

The Islander is the kind of place where the waitress calls you doll. Cute, hand painted interiors with modern furnishings. Food is delish, served hot and in large portions.
Seems like an interesting mix of locals and summer people. No credit cards accepted FYI. Our bikes sat outside unlocked and unmolested.

We went here for lunch. We had mozzarella sticks which were good. My husband got a burger and I got a spicy chicken sandwich. My chicken sandwich was very good my husbands burger was more bun then burger but he said it was good. The sandwiches come with greens or homemade potato chips we both got the chips they were good. The server was VERY unfriendly and inattentive. After we received our food no one ever came back to the table. We had to get the action of a second server for ketchup which at a place that serves burgers and fries I feel ketchup should be on the table but that’s just my opinion. They do serve alcohol and this is a cash only place. Bottom line is the food was good service was terrible not sure if we’ll return.

I was on Shelter Island recently visiting friends. We decided to check this place out on a rainy day for lunch. It’s basically a no-​frills diner. The menu is pretty simple and accessible, and the food that we had was perfectly serviceable. Nothing all that memorable, but no issues to speak of, either. Prices are reasonable but maybe a bit overpriced for what you get, though that seems to be par for the course on Shelter Island. Seems like a good place for a greasy spoon breakfast or brunch. They’re cash only, fyi.

Great food and great service. Really needed a place where we could bring the kids and not have to worry about getting dirty looks. Food was really good and the prices were just as good.

Definitely a cute restaurant with a lot of potential and a good menu. Came in with a big group of people and our food took forever to come out though. Like almost an hour I think. And once we got our food, some stuff was forgotten and it wasn’t that great. Not the worst, but not great.

If in the area for a while and are sick of the seafood joints and fancy restaurants, come here. Their food is well-​priced, pretty good quality, and quick, so you could enjoy the sunset. I haven’t been here for breakfast, but I have been later in the day, so I don’t know how crowded this place can get. The menu is typical diner fare, with a little of everything. They have dinner options, but many people don’t come for dinner. I stopped by for some dessert and the few tables that were there were enjoying yummy looking food, generous portions. Their desserts are really the way to go. Their shakes are excellent, and they have many varieties, such as Heath bar, Oreo, coffee, etc. I stuck with ice cream, which was yummy. Service is alright, but there is usually just the owner later in the day who manages the whole restaurant by herself with a chef. I can’t wait to come here for a real meal when in the area.

Came here last night (Saturday night in early November.
Very casual and comfortable environment. Waitress was friendly and kind.
I ordered the wings which were very good. Wife had chicken sand which that she enjoyed.
This time if year on SI your options are very limited, but if your looking for a casual dinner with some nice options, I recommend.

So glad the volunteers at Mashomack told us about this hidden gem! Staff is extraordinarily friendly. Kids get cute mustache tattoos. Food is made to order and outrageous. We had burgers and chicken salad yummy. Chicken salad — my way. Hand cut chips were a delish addition. Oh and breakfast is served all day.

THE go to place on Shelter Island… reliable, affordable, good food, friendly staff… family friendly. All round great option, especially for breakfast and lunch.

I had a burger that the menu stated was ½ pound. It was no where near that size. It was tiny. But that didn’t really matter since it had an unpleasant taste and I wouldn’t have eaten it anyway. I mentioned this to the waiter… but it disnt concern him. Several reviewers thought that this place was inexpensive. It ended up costing me $ 15 for a crappy burger and a coke. I don’t think that’s cheap.

$ 35 for two burgers (w/​fries) and two beers! Not bad. This place has a fun atmosphere inside and some amazing food! About $ 11 we paid for two burgers apiece. I had the Rancher (burger w/​onion ring, bacon and ranch) and my girlfriend had the West Coast Burger (guacamole and pepper jack cheese and bacon) and we were pleasantly surprised by the size of the burgers as they came out! They were huge! AND delicious! Also, we had a side of sweet potato fries (waffle-​style) and they were great, too. Our waitress was friendly but not overbearing which was nice. Definitely would come back here again!

$ 48 for a family of 5! Not a bad deal! Pot Roast sandwich was a hit!

It’s the neighborhood diner. Service can be slow sometimes, but the food’s pretty good. Their salads and burgers are great (and have improved over time). Coffee is what you would expect and breakfasts are solid.

Airy family Diner tucked away in a residential area. Friendly staff and down home comfort food for Breakfast & Lunch.
The fun part was the wild Turkeys roaming behind the restaurant. What a blast…
3 guests; Ordered: Cheese Burger & Cobb Salads. Quick, fresh and yummy!
Note: Cash Only!

After 3 days on Shelter Island, we were beginning to think that it wasn’t possible to depart a restaurant without dropping at least $ 80 for the two of us. We wanted something that featured «good eats» rather than «kwee-​zeen». You know, your basic diner. Since Shelter Island, in recent years, has become something of an extension of the Hamptons, such places are in short supply. In fact, The Islander is the only one we found, though there may be others.
To our surprise and delight The Islander helped to assuage our battered wallets with very decent chow at more-​than-​reasonable prices. On our first visit, we were greeted by a cheerfully sassy, wisecracking waitress (when the Hillbilly Filly ordered a burger with raw onion she said, «that’s fine hon, I ain’t gonna be kissin’ ya!») who promptly took our orders and brought our fresh-​brewed («I made it myself!») iced tea. HF’s burger was, by her account, super tasty and just the right portion and my salad, featuring chick peas, green peppers, onions and greens (titled «The Garden» on the menu) was mighty fine. Our second visit was much the same. I had the same salad, topped with crispy chicken and HF had the chicken sarny. Both hit the spot taste-​wise and budget-​wise too. The bill came to $ 22 for two, plus tip. A welcome respite from the other hard-​to-​avoid too pricey S.I. fare. They’re open for dinner too.