Cliff’s Elbow Room

We had a great dinner with great service at Cliffs Elbow Room. I’d definitely recommend it.

Great dive place. Super great service! Atmosphere with other customers great! Great bar area. The bartender was awesome. The hamburger was exceptional! All good here, will come back when in the area again !

This is the definition of a perfect restaurant. I have been coming to cliffs since I was a young child, and I still enjoy it as much as I did when I was younger. Everyone I introduce to this great establishment becomes hooked on it. The baked clams are to die for as well as the marinated steaks. The atmosphere is small town and all American. The staff are very polite and attentive. Drinks are always cold and they frequently have a good variety of seasonal beers. The prices are very fair and portions are generous. I really must say I have never had a bad experience in the 20+ years I have been dining here.

Good deals for most days of the week. Staff is always friendly and the waits never too long. Steak has been marinated to perfection every time I have it and the atmosphere is A+

Cliff’s Elbow Room. Good to splurge; pricey yumminess
My filet was cooked perfectly, it just felt wrong waiting forever to hand my wallet over, it needed salt and none was around… Service was slow. I dnno
I dnno

If you visit Cliff’s, get the steak or burger, which seems to be what they’re known for. I ordered fried clams and they were way too fishy; I couldn’t finish them. I also wasn’t crazy about the fries. My boyfriend’s cheeseburger, on the other hand, was perfect, and they have a great selection of beers on tap, including some nice options from Brooklyn Brewery and Coney Island. I had a piece of carrot cake for dessert that was just okay.

I grew up on eastern Long Island and going to the Elbow Room was always such a treat. However, I live in Florida now and it has been six years since my last visit. Went to the Elbow Room with a few friends and what a disappointment! Aside from the hefty price my steak was so grizzly I could only eat less than half of it. The potato tasted like it was cooked about two days ago. It’s too bad Cliff is not around anymore to run the show.

Over priced for what you get. Steak quality varies greatly. Went this week. Ordered two identical T bones steaks. One was decent the other barely edible. Only went because of the coupon. would never pay full price. Careful when they add the tax and tip to your bill then expect more. Read your bill closely. I would pass.

I am a native Long Islander and for decades this restaurant has been the go to place for steak. This is the first time I went and Oh My it was awful! I consider myself a «foodie» and pretty particular when it comes to steak. My family always says you can tell a restaurant takes pride in their food when the bread served to the table is fresh and delicious. Well I knew we were in trouble when the bread and breadsticks served was terrible (right from a bag). Then we got the famous baked clams, YUCK. If you like baked clams made like a pâté then this is for you. I prefer large pieces of clams in mine. I really don’t know what this was. Than I got the Manhattan clam chowder. Definitely canned clams and very little of it. What little clams there were was tough. The broth was ok but I would say it came from bottled clam juice. Now for the steak, it was chewy and too fatty to the point of not being edible. My husband sent his back it was so bad (they removed it from the bill without us asking which was good). I ate mine to fill me up. My son liked his dish. He got the filet. I recommend you not go here. Not worth the price and they haven’t kept up with the times. Restaurant hasn’t been renovated since 1970’s.

We stayed in the Nofork for a few days. We really wanted to get a great steak dinner. Four different people recommended this place. So, we decided to give it a try. We were sooooo happy. Their marinated steaks were amazing! The staff is so nice and fun. You really feel like you are part of the family. A very warm cozy environment. You can’t go wrong here ! Great food + good time = priceless !!!

For all the great write ups, I was expecting great food. My wife ordered a pork chop that was over cooked. My soft shell crabs were cold in the middle. Although the steamers were excellent. So I’m not quite sure what to expect.

They are not kidding when they say elbow room. you are packed in there. Went here for lunch and it was good. I think I got a steak sandwich from here. I asked for rare, I think i got medium. It was good though. Felt bad for the server, she was the only one there for lunch and she looked a little frazzled with the tables. drinks weren’t refilled, dishes sat for awhile. Not her fault though.

We always heard of Cliffs, but never stopped until today. It’s a cute little spot. The place was very quiet (it was 1:30pm) and quaint. My husband had the fried fish nuggets for an app and it was tasty. I had the chili and was not impressed. It was hearty, but lacked flavor. We both also got the Bartenders Burger, which is filet mignon and it was delicious.

I have to say … The value is not there for me. The steaks are usually great with lots of marinated flavor. However, for the price the cut of steak seems very fatty and full of gristle. At $ 35 — $ 45 per steak, that’s not a good thing. However if you don’t mind dissecting a lot of fat from the meat, the marinade makes these steaks as flavorful as you will find anywhere.
Don’t expect frills here … This is an old timer dive spot. It probably hasn’t changed a bit since the 1950s. Dusty, worn out and oddly comfortable. Anyone who likes modern décor in a restaurant would be very uncomfortable here. For the rest of us who like a classic … You will enjoy the rustic cheesy atmosphere (complete with fishing nets on the ceiling and maritime knick knacks on the walls.
The restaurant is small. Like a trailer size small. Tables are hard to come by and there is a very chaotic system. You put your name in with whomever seems to walk past you and you hope they remember to call your name. Locals get preference here, which is fine by me because they earned it through their patronage. However, there was one time we waited 45 minutes to get a table while 3 local couples walked in 20 min. After us and were seated first.
The steaks are the go-​to here although the seafood is good. Fresh bay scallops are amazing in season (albeit a bit sandy) and always fresh at Cliff’s. Clam chowder is creamy and good. The salad and rolls they bring out with dinner are cute … Probably haven’t changed since Alfred Hitchcock was still making movies. The $ 17 burger … I’ve been coming here for years and am still not sure what that’s all about! Had it once and it tasted like a regular dried out burger. For almost $ 20!
Overall, this is a local place that sets the standard for North Fork dive restaurants. Its a classic and while the prices are higher than the value, you will keep coming back when you are in the area.

Amazing steaks.
They are having a sale on on gift certificates for the holiday season. Buy $ 100 get an extra $ 20 certificate
This a picture of the lunch portion marinated steak. Outstanding

Mmmmm, marinated steak! It is consistently the best steak I have ever had. Accompanied by their sweet potato with cinnamon butter. For starters, the fried pickles are always fun, shrimp cocktail is good, and the baked clams are a no-​no. Yes, the place is small and crowded, but it feels like dinner on Christmas eve with the extended family. The waitresses have always been nice and accurate with our orders. I’m unsure of dessert, because I am usually taking the rest of my steak home!

Tiny, charming little place. I’d almost call it a «hole-​in-​the-​wall» type of place. The staff are friendly and welcoming, the food is quite good. We ordered clam chowder — that was ok, nothing really wrong with it but just was a bit off. The rest of the meal was delicious! We ordered a «generous portion» of steamed clams — and they aren’t kidding when they say «generous» it was definitely over a dozen for $ 15 — I think that’s pretty good and tasted buttery and delectable. For entrees, we ordered the t-​bone marinaded steak ($ 28) and stuffed filet of sole ($ 20). I have to say — the steak was just … scrumptious. It was grilled and seasoned to perfection. The filet of sole stuffing was really tasty, though the filet itself was just a bit on the dry side. I’d definitely recommend this place for their steak but be prepared to share that elbow room and get to know your neighbor :)

This is a snug little restaurant is famous for their marinated steak. I ordered the marinated filet mignon, and it was delicious. I just didn’t get the marinade, as it was subtle and I didn’t understand the fame of it. The rest of my meal was delicious, although I do know now, why they call it Cliff’s Elbow Room, that is about all you have at your table.
The people at the next table’s conversation overpowers the one I was at. This restaurant also has a bar in an adjoining room. I felt over-​dressed for this restaurant, and rather uncomfortable, as there appears to be a regular crowd there. I did enjoy my meal and company there, however it is not a place to go on a first date.

Have been coming to dine at Cliff’s since 1964 HOWEVER the last 2 times I ordered the Porterhouse once the fillet was removed and the second time the tail was cut off.
Is this called cutting corners? Then cut the price!!!
I’m only giving you 3 stars for old times sake. Also the last time I was there on May 27
no bread and the older waitress was so busy with her friends at one table that she couldn’t drag herself away, guests that arrived after me were having their salad before anyone ever took my order, tsk, tsk!

I have heard of this place for DECADES, but living in Nassau County it hasn’t been the most convenient dinner destination. This past weekend, when doing my annual North Fork Winery Run, we decided to stop here for an early dinner. Even at 3:30 in the afternoon, it was PACKED but we were able to get a table right by the front door.
Unlike most steak houses, your steak here comes with salad and potato. We started out by splitting a dozen littleneck clams on the half shell. The price was something like $ 8 for a half dozen, and $ 11 for a dozen, so splitting a dozen was a no-​brainer.
We both ordered the NY Strip Steak (marinated, of course… that IS what makes the Elbow Room famous, after all). I wanted mine rare, my dining companion ordered hers medium rare.
Out came the two THICKEST NY Strip Steaks either of us had ever seen in our lives, covered in a thick, black marinade. Our waitress warned us not to put ANYTHING on the meat; not even salt. Maybe there’s a penalty or something… but we took her advice.
Our first bite made it quite plain how the Elbow Room got its reputation. Oh my God, this was one of the best tasting meat dishes I can remember having in a long time! Our steaks were cooked to perfection (which, in my case, means «barely») .
The steaks weren’t nearly as tender as the steaks at Peter Luger’s, but that might have more to do with the cut than anything else. The prices (unlike Peter Luger’s) won’t lead you to a cardiac arrest when the check arrives either so it’s a fair trade-​off.
I’ll have to remember this place the next time I’m out on the North Fork. It really is worth the trip in the warmer weather, though. One thing I found odd, though… it’s right in the heart of Long Island Wine Country, but I only saw signs for Blue Point beer… a local beer true, but from the South Shore. Maybe next time I’ll ask to see a wine list.
Addendum: I just checked their wine list online. They DO offer a terrific selection of local wines! Good for them!