Long Island Cafe

Never disappointed. We were here in June and this trip back we had only one opportunity to eat out – this was our obvious choice – somewhere we both agreed was worth a return trip. The gumbo was so good, hubby wouldn’t even give me a taste. I had to order my own. Glad I did!!! I enjoyed a Caesar salad topped with a delicious crab cake. Locals keep this place hopping year round. Follow them to the best places to eat. Long Island Café is one of them! If you’re a tourist combine lunch out with a walk through Seewe Preserve visiting the education center.

I had a great dining experience here. Service and staff were excellent for a busy night. The lobster and crab cake dinner special was amazing! Great portion size and full of flavor. I was happily stuffed!
You wouldn’t expect this place to be amazing from the outside, but it truly is. The décor and dim lighting inside created a warm and cozy ambiance that I really liked. Looking forward to trying the other seafood entrees! Mmm!

How did I miss this place all these years coming to the island? Tucked in a corner of a shopping center near the connector bridge it is easy to overlook. Don’t! The seafood is fresh and local, the fried oysters are the best I have ever had. The place is cozy and fresh. It is the best reason on the island to stay on the island.

Fantastic, fresh, and everything a café on IOP should be.
My wife and I decided to try Long Island Café for lunch today. Although it’s located in an somewhat unassuming location (right next to Harris Teeter), trust me, you don’t want to overlook this restaurant!
The lunch time, off-​season crowd took up about ½ of the tables, so there was ample seating for my wife and I, and our waitress was by our side and taking our drink orders without any delay.
The sweet tea was excellent. Now, I realize that most would consider it such a small thing, but around here, good (or not so good) sweet tea can show you a lot about a restaurant and their attention to detail.
I thoroughly enjoyed my grilled tuna sandwich. It was loaded down with tomatoes, shredded lettuce, and drizzled with some kind of amazing mayonnaise-​like light dressing. The fresh tuna was cooked to perfection. The sweet potato fries were just the right amount of crisp and very good.
My wife had nothing but compliments for her fried shrimp and french fries — and her nearly empty plate and full belly said whatever she couldn’t.
Oh yes… and then there’s the peanut butter ice cream pie. Good lord have mercy. Do yourself a favor and get some. Thank me later. The slices are HUGE by the way, so if you are already full from the delicious meal, tell your server you want it to go!
All in all, a truly great dining experience on the island for a VERY fair price. Our meals were more than enough to stuff us full and we got two of the big slices of the PBIC pie to go for around $ 40 total (tip not included). I cannot wait to try them out for dinner one night soon!

Ok, so picture this. It’s NYE and I’m throwing a big NYE bash. Among some of the attendees of the party is a buddy of mines girlfriend; who happens to be a local resident of IOP and Mt. Pleasant area. So my buddy asks, what is your favorite, all time restaurant in the area. Without hesitation, she says Long Island Café on Isle of Palms. She says they have the best fried shrimp she’s ever had. So this revelation certainly got us wondering, and so we decided to give it a try that Saturday. The restaurant is tucked away in a strip mall just as you come off the IOP connector and on to the island. It’s literally sandwiched between a laundry mat and a grocery store. But don’t let the front view scare you away. Inside, the place is beautifully decorated in an elegant, casual feel. We arrived at around 7:30 and the place was packed. We got the very last table available right up front. This was perfect for us because it gave a bunch of newbies a ring side view of everything the restaurant had to offer. The service is top notch. We were served water and had a drink order placed within seconds of sitting down. Right on queue, our drinks were delivered along with a basket of hot bread and butter. Our server was very friendly and open to giving us the low down on the menu. She made her top suggestions and quickly told us, the place has been in business for 36 years so they know a thing or two about what to do right. My buddy and I both ordered the fried seafood combo platters which includes flounder, shrimp, oysters and sea scallops. Plus 2 sides. I opted for the Yukon gold smashed potatoes and the veggie of the day, green beans. He ordered grits and the veggie of the day. My buddy’s GF ordered the fettuccini with grilled shrimp. This dish comes in a redsauce, which I thought was very interesting. Laura on the other hand, made the best decision out of all of us. She ordered the Parmesan crusted Salmon and it was de-​lic-​io-​soooooo! Pefrectly cooked salmon! As the night would down the crowd started to clear out, and it was only 8:30. I guess they shut things down early on IOP! We did end up taking left over boxes with us and the girls each ordered a slice of cake to go. I have to say, the suggestion by my buddy’s girl was spot on. It’s a really cool place, with exceptional food.

We debated over a place for dinner and we are all glad this is where we chose to go. The place is relatively small so I would recommend a reservation. This place has been in the same shopping center for years but was recently renovated as part of the whole shopping center makeover.
We came on a Sunday night in the off season. We were promptly seated and drink orders taken. They have a specials menu that includes specialty cocktails. They also have a few beers on tap. The menu is local fresh seafood and a few non-​seafood choices. They offer homemade bread while you check out the menu and it is worth every carb! A few people in our party hade the homemade lobster ravioli with shrimp in a red cream sauce. The ravioli was cooked perfectly and stuffed with lobster. The shrimp portion was also very generous. We also had the fried shrimp and scallops which were very lightly breaded and perfectly fried. The filet and crab cake was also delicious. We were too stuffed for dessert but I would love to go back and try a few. The table next to ours got this huge piece of peanut butter pie that looked amazing. We will be back!

We have been vacationing on IOP forever. I cannot believe our family has never been to this hidden gem. Perhaps, it is the name? I always assumed it was a sandwich spot. In August, after reviewing Unilocal like I always do, I spotted rave reviews so I called for a last minute reservation and was able to book one at 7:30. I have to admit this was a little scary. Another bad assumption on my part.
Upon arriving we were promptly greeted and seated. The sever appeared immediately. The ambiance is really quaint. For those of you familiar with the show, Fixer Upper, the décor matches that rustic home– like feel.
We went with our children ages 9 and 11. As you know, it is always hard to please this age group. After ordering drinks and appetizers, which were amazing, our dinner was served. I had the Grilled Tuna cooked to perfection, my husband had the whole fish special and my son had the Pan-​Fried Flounder. All through the meal my 11 year old was gushing about this fish and how it was the best thing he had ever eaten. He was asking for the recipe and giving compliments to the chef. The next thing you know, the chef appears at our table and chatted for awhile. The way our son was acting, you would think a movie star was in the room.
We followed all this up with what also tuned out to be the best dessert ever. The Hummingbird Cake and Peanut Butter Cream Pie.
It has been a month and our son asks to go back all the time. We cannot believe this place has been here since 1986 and we have never been there. It just goes to show, don’t judge a book by its cover or its name.

I’m just going one star because this place is rated entirely too high. We ate lunch here for our first meal out at the island and it was terrible. Our fried shrimp were all overcooked and tough. The scallops were tiny and not really covered with any breading by the time they got to me (fell off on the plate). The veggie of the day side we had was sqaush covered in some sort of marinara sauce (huh?) and it was undercooked. We had a group of 5 and even our 2 year old didn’t like his meal. Such a waste of a meal out on our vacation. Many other suitable places that are a lot better in the area. Should’ve known when the average age of the other 3 tables in the place at lunch rush was probably 93.

What a wonderful treat. Everyone is on their game here. They’re doing a brisk business but no one in our large party ever felt neglected. My bro snatched up the last swordfish special and it was the envy of everyone else at the table. Our server was charming and attentive. Our water glasses were never empty (a bonus when that was all anyone was drinking). They put together a nice caesar salad to go for a family member who could not attend.
And, you guys, the red velvet cake. GET THIS. Truly orgasmic.

The staff was very friendly this restaurant is in a strip mall and looks a little deceiving but really worth going in. The décor is great and the food is very good. I had the Parmesan crusted salmon and it was delicious and cooked to perfection. i also had the fried green tomatoes for an appetizer, soooo good! The waiter was a bit stiff or I would have scored this place a 5

Loved this spot. Found it on Unilocal and took our friends. Great she crab soup and the shrimp and Grits were fantastic. In a little strip mall so easy to miss but a must try!

Long Island Café is a favorite! Interesting and varied menu. Carefully prepared and presented food and friendly service. Fair prices. All they lack is a view, sad to say. Definitely deserves a spot in your rotation along with the «beachier» places in the area.

For me, this place was just OK. I am not much of a fish person, and the group I was with was going to Isle Of Palms Beach for the afternoon, and we stopped here for lunch as our original choice could not accomate as for the amount of people in our group.
As I mentioned (at least for lunch) the vast majority (at least the sandwiches) were some type of fish dishes. I was able to get a grilled chicken sandwich — but did not realize the one thing I did know that was in the sandwich was a variation of cheese. Not being much of a cheese person that comes on grilled sandwiches (as it is usually melted cheeses), I was surprised it was more of a sauce type garnishment that had some kick to it which made the sandwhich taste better.
Given that the majority of the dishes were fish, the interior was set to a Mariners type of décor. Also, as someone else mentioned, this shop is nestled in the strip mall where Harrold Teeters is. I believe this place is only open for lunch and dinner, with it being closed for a couple of hours between the lunch and dinner rushes. With us eating here at lunch, the majority of the choices were sandwiches, so not sure if there is more of a «dinner type» entrée choice for dinner.

Excellent service and delicious food. The bread pudding was to die for. We tried crab cakes; spinach salad topped with oysters, and combination of scallops and oysters. All were delicious.

This is one of the favorite places to eat on IOP. The food is always good and the staff is always friendly. My favorite dish is that parmesan crusted salmon and the Brussel sprout appetizer is out of this world. I highly recommend coming here for the fresh seafood dishes and the chef does a pasta dish special that is always good.

It’s in the shopping center next to Harris Teeter and looks small from the outside. Inside it looks rather elegant and high class. I felt under-​dressed for sure and almost walked out, but the manager assured us I was just fine.
The food is well prepared, and very good. Prices are what I would expect for being close to the beach on Isle of Palms /​Sullivans Island.
I had just a simple Turkey Club (one of the least expensive items and perfect for a light work lunch). They have many more, not-​as-​boring-​as-​me menu items, like crab cake sliders, shrimp and grits, etc.
Service was very good. The waitress was friendly and talkative, but not in a bad or intrusive way. Her recommendations were spot-​on!
I would like to return and try the more adventurous menu items.

Amazing food and prices! Love the shrimp and grits — always delicious. The roasted Brussels sprouts were great. The blackened red fish was so tasty! Not a bite left on our plates. Save room for the Key Lime pie!
We ordered take out tonight as we had a fussy baby and the food was perfect — so glad the quality has remained the same over the past few years! See you next April!

Nestled between the mini-​Harris Teeter and Pizza Hut, the Long Island Café was a bit of a surprise (in a good way!). My husband and I decided to stop by for a quick bite before getting ready for a wedding. We were both in gym clothes and were a bit under-​dressed for the restaurant. Luckily, they had just opened and we were the only ones in the place at that time. The server was very welcoming and brought us waters.
We ordered the She-​Crab soup, he had the Salmon BLT and I had the Grilled Tuna — both with White Cheddar Grits.
The soup was rich and creamy and came with sherry, in case we wanted to add it to the top. We tasted it both ways and decided it was good without it.
Both sandwiches were a good size and because we each liked both so much, we traded off half. The Salmon BLT came on wheat toast with fresh basil mayo. The salmon was light and tasty. The Grilled Tuna was lightly grilled to my request of rare and came on wheat toast with lettuce, tomato, and basil mayo. It was also seasoned perfectly. The side of white cheddar grits was rich and creamy with cheese.

We decided to grab a quick dinner at this place after accidentally getting lost on the way back to downtown. While we were skeptical of the strip mall location, the food was pretty decent!
Service was friendly by the hostess and especially our server. We went with the Salmon BLT, Crab Cakes, and the Daily Fish Special. All of the items were tasty and fresh (including the Succotash we got on the side).
Unfortunately, we found a small hair on a lemon wedge garnish which was unappetizing but not a deal breaker.
Overall, a surprisingly tasty and casual dinner spot! The desserts looked tasty, but we were too full to try them.

Long Island Café keeps getting better!
Very pleased with the new chef and pastry chef! Loved the homemade cavatelli… possibly the best house-​made pasta I’ve ever had in a restaurant! (my father’s family is Calabrian, so that’s a huge claim for this Pasta-​vore) Simply dressed with local asparagus. Perfect.
Lowcountry Iced Tea is a Long Island Iced Tea made with Firefly Sweet Tea Vodka and really tasty. One and your done. Loved it.
We fell in love with Dean, our waiter and extraordinary dessert chef. His Red Velvet Cake was truly inspired and the Chocolate Ganache Flourless Cake was wonderfully infused with orange essence and the texture was heavenly.
Shrimp and Grits were excellent. Caesar Salad was expertly dressed and the fried oysters were delicately seasoned and perfectly fried.
This place has to be my new favorite even though I’ve been coming here off and on for 20 years. This latest incarnation can’t be beat.