Meeting House

While they have good service the food is mediocre at best and way overpriced for its quality and quantity. Three of us went and we were all unimpressed.

Beware family diners. Although they claim they are a child friendly restaurant they are not. Diners with children are segregated to the back patio, outside of the restaurant and in the back corner. This occurs with multiple tables available inside the restaurant. The tables that were full outside all had children. The food was bland and service blah. There are better options in the hamptons for sure.

3.5−4.0 Star Amagansett American Resteraunt. Last upscale stop before heading to Montauk. Excellent fair, great service and kid friendly. Above average food with a nice drink selection. Very comfy/​schick atmosphere.

Came off season (mid January) and enjoyed a wonderful meal! We sampled the Kale salad as an appetizer as well as the mixed fried seafood– fresh and delish and aoli was da bomb. I was pretty full for my turkey burger and couldn’t quite taste the cranberry sauce claimed to be on it — next time I’d ask for extra. We tried truffle plain and sweet potato fries. Good times were had. The bill was large but like what else is new for a place like amagansett.

I really like the atmosphere of this place. I absolutely loved the décor, lighting, service, and cocktails. To sum it up, I love everything about this place except for the food. I thought the food was just A-​OK. My boyfriend ordered the ribs and I ordered the scallops. The ribs were on the saltier side, and my scallops were very good, but I was still hungry when I left because I wasn’t a fan of the mixed combination of risotto and couscous :(. I would give this place another try and order something different next time.

This was one of the best meals I have ever had. EVER. Started with the appetizer special, which was goat cheese stuffed figs with prosciutto and arugula, which was out of this world. Then we shared the special prosciutto pizza and the scallops with cauliflower cous cous risotto. We finished with the blueberry cheesecake and raspberry chocolate cake. And to top it off, the service was outstanding.

There’s only so much to say about this place… It’s phenomenal. I’ve been a couple times now on recent trips and the food is just delicious. I had the striped bass last time and the lamb chops before, both cooked to perfection. This place really stepped up it’s game recently. Don’t even get me going on the desserts… but probably try all of them.

Nice place. Food is really decent and tasteful. No fancy stuff and tastes good!
Make sure to reserve a few days ahead since it is a popular place!
Ps we like their renown hamburger :-)

The food is just AMAZING! My favorite dish would be the lamb chops. The only reason I gave 4 stars is because i think that the hosts should be a little more welcoming, more friendly or even just smile to the customers once they arrive to the restaurant. Our server was very very sweet!

Amazing scallops. My favorite item on the menu. Plus the service was great — polite and friendly. I’d highly recommend!

Damn. I didn’t update my review before they changed the menu in June 2015. So before anything I need to make amends: old Meeting House, I never took the time to tell you that I really thought you were perfect. Sure, you might have had some bad staff every now and then but the menu was great, the food wonderful, all were welcome and the prices were appropriate. Little did I know how temporary all that could be. The Meeting House has changed in many ways and not for the better. Here’s what you should know…
First up, let’s face it: whoever decides to sell a basic burger for $ 20 is unquestionably someone who holds his customers in contempt. There is simply no other justification for selling a standard burger for $ 20 in the U.S. in 2015. That the Meeting House has chosen to do this suggests that someone in leadership is making a $ grab. See also: $ 10 ice cream scoops. Sad.
Next, the $ 50 foie gras burger. Know what makes you as much of a d bag as the guy who orders this? Being the guy who puts it on the menu. Worse part is that you’re giving foie gras a bad rep in the process. Want to serve a high margin dish to the ostentatious go for it but at least turn to gold leaf instead of an actual food that people love. Foie has enough challenges without some idiot turning it into bling for the hedgies.
Last, the removal of key items. The artichoke. The spag carbonara from Exile. The spag bol (no, it is not the same sauce on the pappardelle — it tastes like it’s out of a jar). So much that was great is gone and everything that was good has been made worse (including the chicken).
Amagansett, flush with so many $, has for some time been a mere Gucci pop-​up store away from falling into the vulgarity abyss that defines its neighbor to the west. It hasn’t though and happily Randy Lerner’s Square has been a key bulwark: indy shops, family hangouts and two reasonable, delicious restaurants. That Meeting House has gone from an excellent hang-​out for weekender and local alike to a so-​so, over-​priced destination for those who simply want to demonstrate their high net worth doesn’t just feel like a disappointment, it feels like betrayal. Here’s hoping that they rethink this new direction.

I had the tuna burger and I was in pure bliss, can’t wait to come back again. Nice atmosphere and lovely servers.
A++

My wife and I had dinner here on Saturday, the weekend after Memorial Day. We had visited several times before with friends and family. My wife had the fresh spring pea soup and couldn’t say enought about it. I had the swordfish. I had specifically asked for it to be medium rare if possible. It was a thick piece and mostly dry and not a good swordfish experience. It either wasn’t fresh or was overcooked. I’ll stick to the pasta and steaks on my next visit. A word to the wish. t

Like many other reviewers of this restaurant, I believe it is fair to say the staff certainly have an attitude, and a bad one at that .
I ordered the pork chop, and the menu described it as being served au jus, which sounded great. It came with a thin brown sauce that had an intense smoky flavor.
With nothing else «smoked» on the menu, it was clear that this smoke came out of a bottle. What a shame to spoil a nice piece of meat with cheesy artificial flavoring. Of greater concern to the dining patron, was that they gave no indication of the fake smokey taste on the menu, and the waiter was simply arrogant in his response.
One member of our party indicated he would rather not have with sweet potatoes, and asked if there was a regular potato that could be substituted. The same arrogant waiter said they had no regular potatoes on the menu. Naturally, several people at the tables around us were served dinners that included french fried potatoes.
If you’re going to eat at The Meeting House, keep your expectations low in spite of the $$$ cost; we found the three and a half star rating is still a little high.

As a couple other reviewers have said, this restaurant loves to seat you in the worst possible place. We arrived to a mostly empty restaurant and were sat next to the one table with obnoxious noisy children. If you don’t have kids and want to avoid them, definitely sit at the bar.
Food was good, though. I had the spaghetti bolognese and enjoyed it. A bit spicy (the table next to us complained about that, but it’s really not that bad) and flavorful. My wife had the spaghetti carbonara and enjoyed it as well. Didn’t try cocktails but it looked like they had a few nice choices.

This Contemporary American restaurant is casual, but definitely has a light, beachy chicness about it. To start off, I ordered their Spicy Margarita (chili infused tequila, agave, lime, ancho salt rim). I really liked this drink, it was refreshing, not too sweet, and had a slight hint of heat in the drink itself. Add on that kick by adding a little of the ancho salt from the rim of the glass into each sip.
For my entrée, I ordered one of their specials, Local Tile Fish (asparagus, smoked carrot, pea green-​farro salad, garlic sauce). This was great. The fish was perfectly cooked, light, tender, with great flavor. The farro was excellent too, it had a nice savory quality with that great chew that the grain has.

My wife and I are year round residents and have been dining at the Meeting House since its opening. The dishes that Tim Connors (and Iron Chef Tim Bando before him) prepare are creative and distinctly theirs. The owner and managers go out of their way to ensure customer satisfaction, and that is frequently a challenge when too many weekenders and summer people come in with a sense of entitlement because they are in «the Hamptons.» So, if you’re out for a great dining experience, come to the Meeting House. If you want to be seen, or want to tell your friends back home you saw a celebrity, go to Nick and Toni’s, which by the way, is also is a great place.

We came here because our friends who own a home nearby said it was their favorite place. When I first looked at the menu I was a little discouraged because nothing really looked amazing. There was a decent selection, but I wasn’t so into the flavor profiles. The special of the day, however, was GREAT. I had the baked goat cheese appetizer which was good, but nothing to write home about. For my entrée, I had the gnocchi with broccoli and mushrooms (hold the ham) and it was mouthwatering. My husband loved his Spaghetti Bolognese and our friends had the Chicken Milanese (really tasty) and Exile Chicken Soup (a little spice above standard chicken and vegetable soup). I would go back, but I’m not sure it’d be my top choice.

Beware of the hostess in need of an attitude adjustment.
A party of 6 on a Friday night, we had a 6:30 reservation made in advance. We arrived at 6, a half hour early. It’s understandable if we couldn’t be seated right away. But the hostess, offended that we dare arrive early, informed us we can come back at 6:30 sharp, despite a couple large empty tables outdoors.
So we took a walk. Amagansett is a beautiful town, so we didn’t mind walking. We took a nice stroll and went back at 6:30, sharp. We walked in the door, and the hostess, clearly upset that we had returned, led us to a 4-​top round table positioned against the wall in front of the Kitchen entrance. It was a horrible table, and in no way could seat 6 people.
My mother, the person taking our family out, voiced her displeasure with the table. It was a pretty shitty table. It’s natural that you’d want a realistic table for six when you’re about to drop a significant amount of money on a dinner for six.
The hostess was dismayed! How dare you — customer who wants me to serve you — be unhappy with this shitty table that you called a reservation for!
She responded to my mother, «I’ve fit 8 at this table before…» and let out a sigh of frustration. My mother then asked to see the manager, which prompted the hostess to stomp off back to the entrance of the restaurant without responding to her. Sheer disrespect.
After an exchange with the manager, which left an unsettled feeling in everyone’s stomach, we were seated at a 6-​top in the bar. The manager was unfriendly and begrudgingly acommodated us. You could tell she didn’t care if were upset or not.
After this experience, there is nothing to complain about. The server was polite and attentive. Drinks and orders went quick and the water glasses never emptied.
The kitchen has its act together, creating great starters and entrees. w shared an order of Polenta Croutons, an Arugala salad with a viniagrette, and a steamed artichoke. The polenta was incredible, perfectly crispy on each end, but still creamy in the middle. The artichoke was steamed nicely and was still toothsome.
Our entrees were equally impressive. I had the Chicken Milanese, which came out crispy and delicious, and the salad on top was refreshing for the hot evening. My wife had a pork chop that she claims was the food highlight of her vacation on Long Island.
The bill came to over $ 300. My wife and I tried to take my mother and stepfather out for dinner, as a thank you for having us out to their place in the Hamptons, but it was no use so I was not privy to the final cost of the bill. However, I know it was at least $ 300, and for that kind of a price tag, the 20 minutes of disrespect and inconvenience was unnecessary.
My 61-​year old mother didn’t feel like going somewhere else at 7pm on a friday on a holiday weekend, so we stuck it out, and we were rewarded with great food.
I’ll never go back though, simply because of my experience with the host and manager. If this is a family business, they conduct business badly. The need to pay that chef more though.
Oh, the Men’s room was grimey and slippery, and the sinks were filthy. You could tell no manager has ever stepped foot in there.

The Meeting House is good to visit but probably not a great place to stay in long. A newbie to the area this past summer, I was wondering just how preppy this spot would be. As I walked through the door on my first visit here, I heard one button-​down collared shirt guy say to another, «So I was at this sex party and…» Uh huh.
It has a great buzz about it, nice lighting, and a couple of big but not too intrusive tvs over the bar for sports fans. In the summer it fills to the point where you’d like for it to either embrace the bar focus and blow down the interior walls, or move those drinkers elsewhere (to a remote island?). I can’t imagine eating a sit-​down dinner inside amidst the din and everyone’s rear end hovering by your table (or is that supposed to be appealing?). Apparently, many diners give up on conversing with each other entirely, playing on their smart phones instead (perhaps texting their dining partners).
On one visit, a friend and I split two small plates – grilled shrimp over quinoa and a caprese salad. The salad included fresh-​picked tomato and basil (thoughtful), but the use of green tomato slices seemed to privilege looks over flavor (I guess that fits with Hamptons style…).
I once tasted the much-​talked about mac and cheese, but I didn’t find it all that remarkable. The best dining experience I had there was the crab and avocado small plate, paired with the bread and dips and a glass of wine.
Another time, I ordered the beet salad. The plate of chopped beets with salata cheese on top was dull and had no greenery at all (not even an accent). It would have been completely bland had it not been for a scattering of pickled onions (never did I think I’d so sincerely thank a few onion slices). That night, they ran out of bread… bummer.
I have heard some good comments and some not so great comments about the entrees. Whenever people talk about this place, they tend to talk about the prices for the portion sizes (often questioning the value…).
The drinks are not cheap either, but much better quality for the price than some other places nearby – I’m looking at you, Talkhouse. Among the beer taps, the local Greenport Brewery is featured (and consistently great). The wine list had few local wines, despite the fact that Long Island is home to many! For a restaurant that seems to project a local foods image, this was incongruous. The North Fork riesling on the menu was very good. I hope they would feature more such wines in the future.
The waitstaff, though often overwhelmed in the summer peak, was pretty friendly (and are quite good at karaōke at a nearby spot!). I don’t envy the servers who have to wade through the throng to bring plates to the indoor tables (think Frogger… where the frog has to carry hot food on breakable vessels).
The bathroom line can get long, and prying open the heavy ladies room door often requires a team effort.
So if you go, grab a slice down the road before/​after a drink here and be prepared to have to fight for space as you rub elbows (and every other body part) with Hamptonites.
The two stars may feel harsh, but I’m sure it will have a huge crowd no matter what I score it.