Le Dock

Have been coming to Fair Harbor for many years and eating at Le Dock during that time I can honestly say that the restaurant has only gotten better. It is the place (and only place) to eat in Fair Harbor and while you can say they have a captive crowd, they don’t abuse their position. The service is attentive and the food is good. While the prices are expensive, it is nothing more than what you would expect to pay at a seasonal restaurant on the water. The good news is that you won’t feel out of place in your shorts and flip-​flops; something that couldn’t be said in the Hamptons.

Stand by: full disclosures abound.
Disclosure #1: I’ve been coming to Fair Harbor for many years, and have eaten at Le Dock on occasion. mostly I would wander in on hot afternoons straight off the beach for a margarita, or sometimes to pick up a to-​go drink to take out for the sunsets. It was a very casual place, almost tiki lounge-​like, with laid back staff and clientele.
I think those days are if not over, at the very least they will be at odds with the gentrification the new Le Dock brings to my sleepy little hamlet. Sunday night was jam-​packed with a crowd alternately over groomed and sporting sportcoats and high-​hair who water taxied or boated in from other towns or the mainland, and the flip-​flop and tee shirt-​wearing traditionalists. It’s an uneasy sight to behold in the re-​vamped space, but aside from a few people who just want to complain for the sake of complaining during a soft opening (including here on Unilocal: btw, joel s, he’s ‘Jean GEorges), people seem willing to give Le Dock 2.0 the benefit of the doubt.
Disclosure 2: I didn’t eat. I’d made a reservation Saturday night, but when several houseguests ended up staying over I knew that not only would this hot spot not be able to expand our reservation (it was a challenge even in the old days), but that even if seating were possible, several people would have been priced out. I watched the dishes coming out, listened to people’s experiences, asked customers who dined, and get the feeling that when they’re open, and if you can afford it, the food is pretty good (though I hear wildly conflicting reviews of the buttermilk chicken; some say it’s brilliant, some say the sauce that accomapnies it is too hot).
The pirces are STEEP, for the most part. Like, SoHo steep. (But there are silver linings; keep reading)…
They gain a star with me for being incredibly accommodating with the locals in a big way; Douglas, one of the managers, worked at the original Le Dock, is a longtime resident of FH, and opened up the wine store for this ning-​nong who forgot what a ghost town FH can be in mid season, even this late in mid season.
They should, however, perhaps be a little more accommodating when someone calls twenty minutes before the kitchen closes to say they’re running over (a literal three-​minute sprint); that’s a really great time to offer said caller to put our order in (we were willing to order right there) as opposed to saying that the kitchen will be closed by the time we get there. Not a big deal, and I’m sure this will change as LD2.0 finds its sea legs, but this is very much the spirit of the Fair Harbor I’ve grown so fond of these many years.
The new bathrooms are a HUGE improvement.
They also get props for making sure to have items on offer «simply prepared» (seafood) that are more in the traditional LeD price range; a good thing because not only do people who get their tans on a beach and not a salon like fresh simple fish (especially on the island), they are going to be the mainstays there, I suspect.
Likewise, I applaud the fact that while actually offering $ 18 designer martinis and (I hope I’m remembering this right) $ 15 twee margaritas, Le Dock 2.0 also makes regular drinks for the masses at the old price points.
If only it didnt have that ‘poor-​door’ feel. Maybe the clientele will loosen up and embrace the town as much as they’re embracing the name.
Because I actually think (or at least hope) that this place won’t over-​gentrify a sweet little corner of the world.
(For those who wonder, the pizza place is still up and running).
All in all, thoughtful staff hard at work on a soft opening, and a potential looming culture clash that I think may iron itself out should the 1% not SoHo the crap out of the place. And provided the locals stay loose, and the awesome staff loosen up just a little more as they get the lay of the land.
I’ll hopefully be back again this summer, and look forward to seeing LD2.0 in full swing. I’ll eat there next time, and can’t wait.
And not for nothing, but I miss the old «CREW» staff shirts. But that’s me.
See you soon!

Worse than ever. Bad food, bad drinks and bad prices. Thanks Jean Gorges

NYC resident and island renter for decades. They have a tough path to navigate, maintaining local loyalty and bringing in new customers seeking high quality dining. Good that they have child free menu (leave the little tax deductions with your live-​in nannies, money boys.) Food was largely smart and solid, though corn lobster doesn’t quite work. A bit bigger menu without dumbing it down is doable, and service should improve as the staff settles in. Price point higher, unsurprisongly, especially on appetizers. More outdoor seating will be a good idea too.
Work in progress.

Food great service is not

Best restaurant in Fair Harbor. Good seafood and awesome cocktails. Go at sunset and eat outside for a great experience.

Nice little seafood place right near the docks in Fair Harbor Fire Island. Not the cheapest, but not much is on Fire Island. Good food and atmosphere, and obviously convenient location.

Prime– positioned near the water, this is the only restaurant in Fair Harbor — therefor your only option to be served food in this village.
The service is very friendly and pleasant, portions reasonably sized and given the location and «competition» reasonably priced too.
The taste of the food was OK. Just that.

Had dinner at Le Dock again Saturday night. The Spicy Tuna Tar Tare appetizer was spot on amazing (again), but sadly the next two appetizers (watermelon and arugula salad and Korean pork tacos) had to be sent back. The watermelon was over ripe and just plain bad, and there was just a tiny splash of balsamic dressing. The order of Korean pork tacos include three, but only one had an actual serving of pork, the other two had next to none. Finally, we asked what the waitress would recommend. She suggested the Cod Tacos. They were actually amazing! They also comped us each a drink for the inconvenience, so they redeemed themselves. There was also a beautiful sunset, so that helped the mood!

Ate here on a very busy Saturday night. The service was great. Waiters, busboys really attentive. Didn’t have to wait for drinks or food. The food was delicious, we had cream of broccoli and cheese burger with prosciutto and fish tacos off the special menu. We also had calamari and soft shell crab. Everything tasted great, came out hot. Even though really crowded there was no delay in getting the food. The prices are fair. One of my favorite places. No complaint.

Been coming here for years. Consistently good food and service. Flounder is the best around

Le Dock, on a good night is an absolute joy. Maybe it will not be at it’s best at 7:00pm on a Friday night in August, but 9:00pm on a Friday night in August can be sublime.
Today is Wednesday and I just had one of those sublime evenings there with three friends. When we arrived for our 7:30pm reservation, most of the tables outside were full and the tables inside were about half full. The sun was setting and it was one of those spectacular pink and orange sunsets. We were seated almost immediately. Someone who did not appear to be our waiter came and asked us if we wanted anything. We ordered drinks. The waiter stopped by about five minutes later and asked us again if we wanted anything to drink. We told him we had already ordered. Within two or three minutes, the waiter brought our drinks.
To begin, we had the Caesar salad, a beet /​warm goat cheese /​field greens salad and an ahi tartare with avocado and potato galettes. The salads were perfect, especially the Caesar. The lemon, garlic, and parmesan cheese was perfectly balanced. In my opinion the ahi tuna tartare would have been more flavorful if it was not as cold, but no one at the table was willing to wait!
After the salads, we sat and talked. The sun had set, and about half of the diners at the other tables had left. It was lovely. Very relaxed. The waiters and bussers seemed to become more attentive when there were fewer other diners, but not in an intrusive way.
Everyone was quite pleased with their entrees. I enjoyed the shrimp curry with grilled polenta and broccoli immensely. What I liked most about it was it was currilicious flavorful and not dripping in sauce.(I am always reluctant to order curry because I don’t want to stain my clothes). One of my friends had the «Chicken Dunewood», chicken sautéed with wild mushrooms, vermouth and thyme served on smashed potatoes. The portion looked enormous and my friend is usually a light eater. She cleared her plate. One of other friend had the grilled salmon. The other had a poppy seed encrusted flounder. Both said the fish was moist and flavorful.
We were satisfied and did not need or want espresso or desserts. The waiter checked in with us occasionally, and did not seem to mind we were not ordering anything else. After dinner we sat and talked for over an hour, enjoying the warm summer night, knowing summer would soon be over.

Could be the worst service I have received in a restaurant in the last 5 years. Never again.

I have reported this place to the NYS Dept, of Labor as potentially being in violation of the child labor laws. Many youngish looking minors were observed working hours that would legally be prohibited for kids under 16 and especially those without valid employment certificates, Depending on tasks assigned to them they would legally have to be at least 17 – 18 years old. As a retired labor investigator I believe the situation is worth looking at. It’s also possible I am wrong about my perceptions and all is in compliance. If this is so an educational visit can’t hurt the business. If you see something say something!

Le Dock simply put is lame. It’s the only restaurant and bar, so its not like you have a choice in where you eat and drink.
The staff is a bunch of kids, but they were making an effort at least to seat people quickly and serve food/​drinks in a timely fashion.
The food is WAY overpriced for what you get and underwhelming in quality. The burger was okay, the tacos were alright, but not for the $ 18 price tag when you can get the same thing for $ 10 anywhere else. I had the flounder special, which for $ 28 was worth about $ 12. It was supposed to come with mashed potatoes, but came with a sticky coconut rice instead.
My fiancé’s fried chicken with mac n’ cheese wasn’t that great. The fried chicken was rather sad. It wasn’t even breaded and fried properly. Looks like half the skin was removed before they dropped it into the fryer and it was so dry. The mac n’ cheese was alright, but not worth the $ 18. KFC is better than this.
Also, the view isn’t as good as everyone claims. If you manage to get a table outside, its like sitting along a freeway of bicycles and pedestrians that don’t pay attention to where they’re going. You can’t really see the marina all that well.
Honestly, I would much rather go to another area than Fair Harbor for the simple fact of avoiding Le Dock. Where’s the damn competition?!

The boneless fried chicken with macaroni and cheese is sooooo good! Comfort food in an awesome setting. We had a nice view of sunset from our table too!

i was so pleased with both of my dining experiences here. as a regular on fire island, it’s nice to have a place to go that is 1) not overpriced, and 2) serves REAL food that is not slapped between two pieces of wonderbread.
i’ll be back again this season!

Food was better than expected.
Apps– string beans fried. OK, not great. Calamari, fried. OK, not great.
The entrees were better though… I had a fish special that was fresh out of the bay (or so they said…). It was tasty.
Service from our particular server was pretty «young» whereas another server nearby had obvious more experience.
Our glasses of wine were served way too warm, we told our server and we ended up throwing ice cubes into our glasses? Uhh, OK.
Prices are on the high side, but not necessarily unusual for FI. Fish entress were $ 29 – 32 each. Total for 4 and a kid was $ 250+tip.

You’ll pay the standard Fire Island premium (read: everything is more expensive than on the mainland) at this crowded Fair Harbor spot, but the food is tasty. Don’t miss the calamari appetizer, fried to perfection, and the lighthouse cake for dessert, a decadent tower of chocolate cake and whipped cream. Service can be slow and a little rough around the edges, but that’s ok – you’re at the beach! Good selection of appetizers and entrees, and nightly specials too — I really liked my special of grouper over couscous with kale and a red pepper sauce.