The Beacon

I like the food but the fact that they don’t take reservations and the place can be way too crowded and touristy makes this a 3-​star experience. We are year-​round Hampton people who spend a lot of time at restaurants out east. We don’t like to go to The Beacon because if you arrive between 6 and 7 pm all the tables are taken and you must wait. The area to wait is tight and uncomfortable and the place just isn’t worth waiting for with the awful crowds. If you arrive at 6 for an outdoor table with view (only 7 of them I think) and get one at that time, then you are so hot since at that time the sun is not setting and it is seriously uncomfortable to sit there. Also, the owner is up and down — very inconsistent and sometimes phony or seemingly there for the attention at times, and strangely micro managing at others. Everyone wants to go for the view but really, better to find your view on your own and eat at a place that provides a much more civilized experience.

My husband, mother-​in-​law and I ventured out in the pre-​Joaquin storm Friday nite for my husbands birthday celebration and were rewarded with great food and service. Congenial staff. Thank you Beacon. It’s good to go out to dinner out east to a restaurant that knows what they are doing.

The best thing about this restaurant is the view of the water and the chance to catch a magnificent sunset. It is a great place to bring a date if you can snag an outdoor table or one near the large windows overlooking the water. Halibut with couscous in parchment paper and subtly infused with lemon was an outstanding dish. Mussels appetizer in a garlic cream sauce was also delicious and a large portion size. Crispy portobello appetizer with smoked mozzarella was amazing. The bread could have been served warm and butter softened a bit. Also missed not having bread plates. Dessert list was pretty standard. We tried the flourless chocolate cake. It was good, but nothing extraordinary. Service was okay, maybe a little rough around the edges and a bit too casual. We were there to enjoy a leisurely dinner, which ordinarily takes about two hours, but were on our way out in an hour and a half. Although service wasn’t really rushed, it felt like they wanted to flip the table. Overall, the food was very good and the sunset breathtaking. It somehow, however, straddled a line between really romantic because of the view and casual seafood joint because of the service. Definitely worth checking out though. Note that they do not accept reservations and there can be a long wait during peak times.

I came here with my boyfriend at the end of July. We were told there was a wait to be seated outside, which we didn’t mind, and sat at the bar while waiting for our table. The dinner was fine, ambiance was nice, but when my boyfriend checked his recent credit card statement he found that the bartender had decided to add an extra $ 10 to the already nice tip we had left him. Luckily we keep all our receipts, but if you come here be prepared to scrutinize your credit card statement.

First of all the artisan euro-​style bread is one of the best things about this place. (Ignore the simpleton reviewer who’s apparently used to Olive Garden warmed, soft, bland bread.)
Understood that the wait time can be long here… the balcony tables have a world-​class view (!) of the sunset & marina. Window seats are also desirable. The rest of the inside seats I’d pass on. Food is usually fantastic (though I’ve had a couple under-​cooked burgers.)
Fairly pricey ($ 25 – 40 entrees) but on par for the Hamptons. One of my top 5 Sag Harbor restaurants. Oh, and did I mention the view?

very nice place the service was great and the food was ok big portions so we shared
very classy crowd kids welcome

Used to be a favorite for the atmosphere and food. After the last two experiences there, we will never be back to Beacon nor any other restaurants owned by David L.
Have to say hostess has always been pleasant and we have always enjoyed their bartender. Other than that, servers seem generally annoyed to be serving and want to rush you out.
Heaven forbid you make a complaint — after our server made a simple mistake (forgetting or misunderstanding that we wanted to order a dish) we simply wanted to have the situation fixed. One in our group was still hungry. The server said they were now out of that dish and we could no longer order something else. We asked for the manager who was immediately defensive, but did say we could order something else after some back and forth. We chose not to. The attitude left a bad taste and we didn’t want to stay. Apparently they picked up on this as we were presented with the check without asking us if we wanted to see desert menu etc.
My boyfriend wrote his name and number on the receipt for the owner or someone higher up to call him. Another server notified us that the owner was sitting outside by the entrance. We approached him on our way out. It seemed the staff had already given their version of the account. He started the conversation defensively– condescendingly saying he hadn’t seen us here before. That his server has been with him for years. Accused us of not leaving tip (we did, in cash instead of on the card which I thought was appreciated). Did not seem interested in hearing what we had to say and was talking over my boyfriend to the point where he (David) was raising his voice. My boyfriend had prefaced the conversation complimenting the place and telling him we just wanted to bring the recent incidents to his attention for improvement.
He was clearly defensive and perhaps trying to save face in front of his friends. I would say he embarrassed himself. How can you speak like that to people who have frequented your restaurants and were nothing but respectful to you and your staff?
As we left he suggested if we were not happy then perhaps we shouldn’t come back nor dine at his other restaurants– he actually was rattling off the names of his other places as we walked down the stairs to leave! I am not one to complain at restaurants let alone leave a scalding review, however I think there were multiple opportunities for repair that were never realized. We are appalled at how little Mr. Lowenberg appreciates his customers and he may rest assured that he will never have to take a dime from us again.

Great food and service. Fun bar scene and crowd. They don’t take reservations and we were told the wait would be an hour so we decided to have a cocktail at the bar. The bartender was friendly and fast. I had the pineapple martini — great summer drink!
Food was incredible. I had the best swordfish of my life served over gnocchi and red sauce. My fiancé had the halibut in parchment paper which was also delicious. The fish taco appetizers were also fabulous. Great service, great food, fun spot and lovely view.

Note to Owner — if your BREAD is going to have the word SPALDING written on it, HEAT it up and try and bring it back to life. Don’t give me a tough guy waiter who insists they can’t heat up the bread? OR… plan B– SERVE FRESH BREAD! At Your price point you should never serve stale bread…
#2– a wedge salad in its inception it’s traditionally a simple straight forward salad (it’s a head of iceberg lettuce cut into quarters) topped with cool salady ingredients… not a poached tomato? And cooked to hell onions? — READERS if you don’t believe me — GOTO TGIF’s — order a wedge salad, than go to this place… which one is better? And costs’ half the price ?
Lastly the Entrée’s — all we’re mediocre (at a $ 35.00– $ 40.00 price point) oh but you get to eat them over-​looking a harbor and sail boats… TO BE FAIR I must say my wife’s rigatoni with Lobster and aged cheddar was GOOD and to be fair after pleading with the waiter (over an hour into our meal) he did figure out where the ovens were, to finally toast the god damn bread! sorry God for bringing you into this —
LASTLY — THE OWNER GREETED US WHEN WE FIRST GOT THERE AND WAS VERY NICE! — He did seam like he cares, and his daughter Lucy who works the front was absolutely delightful and hard working —
But we went there to Eat

Great views and great food! The service is solid. Long wait but it’s worth it. One of the better places in the Hamptons! Go for the sunset. The wine by the glass is just ok.

Food was just ok, definitely over priced. I got the sea bass special and it was tiny over a tiny bit of risotto. Nothin special in flavor. I was also told the wrong price and charged more on the check without being notified of the difference. When I asked the waitress was kind enough to comp my beer.

I LOVE the Beacon. Food here is so delicious and such a perfect setting. You sit right on a beautiful marina. The lobster rigatoni is life changing. All of the bartenders and servers that I have had here have been wonderful. It’s super busy and the customers can be so demanding but they are all still so nice to everyone. They do make you put in your entire order at once which is incredibly irritating, but the Beacon is worth some irritation! The wait can be EXTREMELY long and the bar area is super tiny so not much room to wait. I really wish they would text you when your table is ready. I’m more than willing to wait 2.5 hours to sit down outside — but don’t hold me hostage during those 2.5 hours. Shoot me a text and give me 5 or 10 minutes to get back. I’d prefer to go wait somewhere that I can actually sit down and have drinks.

Food is delish and view is incredible. Highly suggest going on a weeknight or sunday night as it gets insanely busy on fridays and saturdays. The lobster rigatoni, halibut and tuna are my favorites.

Visited for the first time last Thursday and it was amazing. They do not take rsvp and we were told by locals to go early for seating. We sat outside and it was very nice. The service was great and we loved it meals. I had the salmon. While I did not love the red quinoa, the fish made up for everything. It was so fresh and delicious. Our table shared French fries (they were delicious) and we had some delicious appetizers that we shared. The drinks were also great. Highly recommend this place. You’ll see a lot of locals and regulars. I will definitely return during my next visit.

Wish I could give it zero stars! Most racist experience ever! Kristy and Nina refused to seat us saying we were not there when a table became available while All along we were patiently waiting at the bar for two hours having drinks. They said we had to wait another hour to be seated! I guess we were not white enough or regulars, we noticed most regulars were comped at the bar and waited less than 10 minutes to get seated! The only bad experience at the Hamptons was here! Buyer beware!

Dinner at the bar with excellent service provided by John. We ordered two items from the list of specials. The potato, leek and salmon soup was delicious, creamy, loaded with chunks of salmon and garnished with crispy shallots. Afterward, the seared scallop entrée was fantastic. The scallops were perfectly cooked, presented over a parsnip purée and sautéed spinach. Magnificent meal and terrific dining experience on the water as the sun was setting.

Walked in Friday night at 7:30pm. We were give a table within 30 minutes. Sat and had a pineapple martini at the bar before we ate at our table. Bartenders offer great service and the drinks are good and strong. We had the specials. Taco tuna appetizer and I had the bouillabaisse and my partner in crime had the bass special. Both were good size portions and were delicious. I will be back.

We went to the Beacon on Saturday night 8÷17÷13. The restaurant is a short walk from our home. The restaurant on Saturday was very busy, which is to be expected, we went to the bar and order a round of drinks. The bar was crowded, we found a space and were really enjoying ourselves (group of 4). Order a second round went to close out our tab, and came upon the worst bartender I have ever seen in the restaurant business, and believe me I would know! I understand the challenges that Beacon must have putting together a staff for the summer ! The person working behind the bar at the Beacon on Saturday 8÷17÷13 is name is Matt, which I found out from the hostess, can’t call him a bartender considering he is inept, clueless, rude and just horrible.
Matthew who is the true sense of the word is a seasonal employee that they put behind the bar. I asked Matthew to close out my tab «please sir», took my card and receipt and throw it back at me smashed it down, did not say thank you did not acknowledge that I was there. Ok we all know Matt is a je$k-off, but this is the best part !! I ask Matt if he could please shake my martini again, because he served it warm! Matt made a nasty face put it in a shaker and TOLD ME TO SHAKE IT MYSELF! Bottom line I know Matt is seasonal help but should be fired !!
I did not make a big this at the time, because I want to have a nice dinner with my friends and not ruin my time in Sag Harbor. When we sat down for dinner the FOOD was GREAT, and waiter was awesome! So if you go to this restaurant avoid Matt he is costing this establishment money, because even though the food was great and the service was great, i will never go back to the Beacon this season, because of my experience at the bar! THANKS MATT maybe I will check out the Beacon again next spring, that in case Matt is no longer working there!

What can I say, I am a sucker for a killer view and happy ending. Thankfully, I had both.
Lets be pragmatic; a weekend reservation at ANY East Hampton restaurant with a view in the month of August is… in itself… a job. My expectations may not be that of the masses, because for me, anytime I can get a smile, a properly mixed libation and I sunset, I am happy. The Beacon appears casual but wreaks designer… it is the perfect combination of «would you like a 2007 Silver Oak with your truffle bistro burger.»
With that said, we waited at the bar for about 30 minutes before we were seated. Some people may interpret this as a ploy of the restaurant to drive up the bar tab. I say who cares… if I were pressed for time, I suppose it would bother me. We had a very lovely waitress. Her name was Tina. She had really great energy and an infectious smile, which felt genuine. We had a fabulous table to take in the sunset. I had the Tuna Tartare and he had the NY strip. Both were good but if it were my restaurant, I would try something riskier on the menu to set my place apart from the others. The real story here is the afterparty… Yep, dessert was the show stopper, thus the happy ending. Don’t miss the opportunity try the «cookie ice cream sandwich, catch the sunset and stop and smell the rosé.

The Beacon is situated right on the harbor which is an excellent place for dinner while watching the sun set. We dined with my sister-​in-​law and her partner. We ordered the lobster rigatoni with aged cheddar and the boys ordered the grilled prime NY steak. I had a Mojito which was well made and refreshing on a late summer afternoon. The boys had beer and SIL had a mixed cocktail that she thoroughly enjoyed.
The ambiance was nice, the food was tasty and served in a prompt fashion. There was a small kerfuffle prior to our being seated but I felt the restaurant handled the situation well by finding us a seat quickly and with friendly service thereafter.
To conclude, The Beacon is a nice place for dining in Sag Harbor and I would come back again.