Barrister’s

Wish Barrister was still open. I still dream about going there almost every day for lunch or dinner! Southampton will not be the same!

Very disappointed. Nachos were soggy, cheeseburger was a grease pit– could barely take a bite. I realize they’re closing, but it is a sad way to say goodbye to customers. Here’s hoping the next tenant is worth a visit.

Just had the last 2−4−1 prime rib dinner at Barristers. They are closing the doors on Sunday, 9÷29÷13. I wish I could say it was the best meal, but it wasn’t even close. Prime rib was tough, tough, tasteless! Maybe this is their way of saying goodbye so that we won’t miss them.
Sorry to see them go, as they have been a mainstay of Southampton for so many years. Great burgers, salads, baked clams… but what does it matter?
Thanks for many years of a GREAT bar scene and reliable burgers.

Stopped in last night for the prime rib which was no longer available at 7:30 pm, when it is a special for that night? Waiter service that came with attitude. If you were working in my restaurant and refer to the prime rib as a fatty dish and you wouldn’t eat it ! You would find yourself working in McDonalds the next day !
Skip the drinks here to, unless you know the bartender. Glasses used for drinks were very very small ! Location is the only thing here. Time to update your restaurant before you lose it totally ! Poor example for South Hampton

Are you ready for this?!!
There was a cigarette butt in my salad!!! Obviously someone in the kitchen was pissed about something, and I found this in my salad! Told the waitress, she was genuinely sorry and disgusted, took it off the bill, but killed my whole dining experience. My wife’s burger was greasy and fries were fried in old oil.
It seems everyone kinda knows each other over at the bar area, so it seems this is the placebo go for beer and chips and nothing else.

Gave it two stars for location definitely not for the food the salad was small and a big disappointment forget the prices. I Dont mine paying when food is tasty. the only bright spot is the staff who were very nice

Always liked the quaint atmosphere. Also nice to come home and see a place the exact same way you remember it being 30 years ago. If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it. :)

I wish there were 3.5 stars as I would opt for that. A very cute little restaurant, friendly staff, casual and laid back. I had the arugula with chicken salad with a glass of Malbec — the salad was very tasty and fresh — the Malbec was so-​so — but can’t always expect a lot when ordering by the glass. Great location and will definately go back.

Very mediocre. Lobster roll had little flavor, cole slaw seemed like the cheapest version you might find at a supermarket or Costco. Coffee was a throwback to old fashioned diner coffee. I sent it back (first time in memory) and had a Diet Coke. Lovely décor, awesome location on the main Southampton strip, and the staff were gracious and prompt. Nonetheless, mark this «avoid».

Came out east to hunt for a summer rental, and our broker recommended barristers… upon entry i suspected this wouldn’t be my type of spot (and packed as it was presidents day), but more my boyfriends type of super casual food and ambiance.
I was only drinking, so started with a bloody — it was ok, nothing good or bad per se. Switched to their cucumber cocktail afterwards, which while i love most cucumber cocktails, was atrocious. Even with adding sweetener, it was still horrid and I left it over half full upon departure (and while they werent manhattan prices, they weren’t cheap enough that i’d want to leave a drink behind.)
Boyfriend got a chicken sandwich, which he said was obviously prepackaged and frozen then defrosted, so mediocre at best. I’d say we won’t be back, but given there arent THAT many options in the downtown area, we possibly will — but won’t be rushing to do so by any means.

Food was pure mediocrity. Burger had funny flavor. Potato skins too light on the cheese. They seem to ration the sour cream. All in all, I would say great looking place with nice atmosphere and lousy food. Would never go back except for drink to take advantage of the atmosphere.

Maybe I’m a bit biased. I’ve been a regular at this Hamptons spot for years (when I’m in town), and some of my best friends are long-​term employees. Barristers is a Southampton town tradition — and it’s likely you’ll spot some famous faces here on a weekend afternoon.
When it comes to drinks, the pinehampton shot is a must-​try. And in regard to the food, I’m a HUGE fan of the French onion soup. They also offer great specials.
The bar is the best spot in the house. I’ve spent many a pleasant hour here, sipping cocktails and chatting.
Otherwise, read Jessica H’s tips. She knows what’s up.

Oh Barrister’s, how I love you! Besides being a personal favorite in the Hamptons, it truly is a staple for Main Street/​downtown Southampton. Whether you work downtown, are doing some shopping or are just passing through, Barrister’s is the perfect spot to swing by to grab a bite and a drink. It’s also an ideal bar to start and end your night’s adventures…
Some FYIs, tips and suggestions:
— It opens at 11:30 a.m. No, you cannot come and sit at 11 a.m. just because your feet hurt. This is especially the case on Sunday for brunch. PS, you can’t order alcohol on Sunday until 12:30 p.m. PPS, no, the A/​C isn’t broken — there just isn’t any.
— Lunch specials are available until a) they run out or b) 3 p.m., whichever happens first. At 4 p.m., say buh-​bye to the regular menu all together, this is «in between» time, folks. Think basic burgers, sammies, etc. From 5 – 5:30 p.m., plan to have a drink and just hang out, kitchen’s closed. 5:30 — 10:30ish is dinner.
— The burgers are what this place is famous for! Be warned, the turkey burger takes a good 15 – 20 mins and if you want something «well» it will take equally as long. Bacon-​bleu-​cheese burger or the Barrister’s burger (which comes with a heaping pile of guacamole on top) are my two faves. Yes, you can order your burger rare. Majority of the time, it’ll be cooked the way you asked for it. $ 5 burgers in the winter on Wednesdays are a steal!
— If you come for brunch on Sunday, note that basically every omlette comes as-​is. It’s not made to order. If you want it your way, try Burger King, mmm-​kay? Or get a basic cheese omlette if you don’t like any of the fillers.
— Thursday nights are 2−4−1. It’s the biggest dinner night with a lot of regulars. Don’t be a jerk, tip on the original price. Expect to wait for a table. Expect food service to be a little slower. Also be aware, as the night wears on, there’s only so many rare or well slices of prime rib you can get off one slab of meat.
— Other menu faves of mine include the veggie melt, chicken salad, chicken & arugula salad, spinach salad, french onion soup and Bistro NY steak salad (way better option than the NY prime sammy). — Note! The BLT, Tuna and Chicken Salad sammies do NOT come with fries. If the sweet potato clam chowder is a soup of the day, try it cuz it’s delicious! I’m usually a huge fan of the specials (which generally include options covering red meat, chicken, seafood, pasta, etc.) and the wraps are always popular. All the salad dressings are homemade and the bleu cheese is to die for.
After the dinner menu wraps up, the table tops are cleared and Barrister’s becomes a bar. It can get crowded (esp since the bar area isn’t huge) but you can grab a table and get your crew rounds of drinks until the wee hours of the morning. The bartender is usually here until all the other bars’ bartenders are off work, so it’s a fun start/​end spot for drinks. All the drinks are tasty, too! Def a spot to just grab a pint off the tap or order an upscale martini, both libations (or whatever your pleasure may be) are completely acceptable. I’m also a big fan of the fact that you can always get champagne by the glass (try the Barrister’s cocktail!).
Parking can be tricky in the summertime during lunch/​dinner hours. Street parking (limited to a couple hours) really is limited to the time the signs say (yes, the cops come through and mark your tires and yes, they love giving out parking tickets). There is a lot behind the restuarant, which is often full! and don’t double park anyone, or invent a space otherwise you’ll also find yourself with a ticket. At night, there’s usually street parking available and there’s never a cover to get in (but there is a bouncer checking IDs and keeping everyone in order).

I like this place OK… The service here is consistently good, with a friendly and attentive staff. The menu is very standard American fare. I wish there were more healthy/​light menu choices, or a bit more flare to the menu in general. But if you are meat and potatoes kind of person, this would probably be up your alley. And the $ 5 burger night is a great deal.

I love Barristers!

Walked in just after the Christmas parade this weekend and immediately got a very good table, within minutes the places was jammed to the rafters. This may have slowed down any other place but the staff went on overdrive without skipping a beat.
The prices are amazing for the area and the food (2 of us had cheeseburgers with bacon, 1 had a plain hamburger and 1 had a salad with raspberry dressing) was delicious and the portions were generous. The burgers were cooked just as we asked, the fries were obviously from real potatoes, the slaw was fresh and creamy and the pickle was crisp and seasoned properly. They seemed to have gotten everything right!
The inside of the restaurant is on the small side and as we ate a lined formed to get tables, but it never interfered with the diners. The bathroom was spotless too.
All in all, this place is a winner for their prices, wait staff and cleanliness. We’ll be back!

Surprisingly well-​priced, probably the cheapest restaurant-​looking place in Southampton, but looks like it costs a lot more. Nice patio out the back and food was fine.
Our waitress was so cutesy-​bubbly that I wanted to tie a pink ribbon around her and give her to a sad person for their birthday!

They are maybe just good with the burgers and we didn’t order right. With a nice look, nothing pretentious and a quite nice outdoor seating, Barrister’s has been in business during 30yr, a age not reflected at all with the first look. Once inside however, I realized that the place doesn’t looks very clean; and a mandatory visit to the ladies room later strongly support this first impression. ejem
Thankfully we choose and we got a table in the outdoor space. Except for our waitress Nicole who was extremely attentive and professional, the rest of the service was just people sharing same kind of T-​shirt, I think with male /​female distinctive color … ?? … without too much focus in the customers. About 50% occupancy, although I have to say it was a little late; the place is clearly popular, either for college students as well as for families, since we walked through the front before and after our lunch several times and there was always people.
And thankfully we wasn’t that hungry so we order what should be 1 meal, for 2. The Chicken Arugula salad with Balsamic vinaigrette and sweet pimientos was bad. The meat was completely dry and too much dressing. so sweet… The sweet pimientos (pepper) which I though it was chopped mushrooms, was swimming in modena vinegar… ohhh, that’s why they were black… interesting. Plus the size was ridiculous. As main course we choose Crispy Baked Clams en Casserole — With seasoned breadcrumbs, bacon and white wine: a supersalty pot of a pasta with clams pieces and a bread top layer totally wet. Crispy?.. this is an appetizer and so the size… as I said 2 people sharing. and we left part of the food. We weren’t right either with the wine. We chose Marques de Caceres Crianza Red, Rioja Alta, España — 2005, and a reason was that they serve half bottle. 2005 wasn’t a good year, I know that now…
The extra star, maybe the 2 stars? belongs totally to Nicole, our waitress. And It was my first time at Southampton…

Barrister’s is a solid bar that I never mind going to. It’s pretty narrow, so it can get a bit crowded, but it’s always a good place to meet a few friends for a drink or seven.
One night we walked in, and Hugh Grant was at the end of the bar, surrounded by women. One of my buddies leaned over to me and whispered, «Do you think he knows we’re here?»
He probably didn’t, because he walked out with two beautiful blond girls shortly after we arrived. They were probably just going to get some ice cream.

GREAT lunch spot. The food here is really TDF. Possibly the best onion soup ever… and I just came from France.
Unfortunately, I have to knock 2 star off because the service here is ATROCIOUS. Perhaps the owner shouldn’t let a bunch of clueless 15 yr olds run his restaurant…