"Dining Detours LI/ BYOB Restaurants"
by Erica Marcus
Published: March 7, 2008
Duryea's Lobster Deck, 65 Tuthill Road, Montauk, 631-668-2410. There could hardly be two better dinner companions on a summer evening than one of Duryea's steamed lobsters and a bottle of cold rosé. The deck is scheduled to open in mid-April.
"In Search of the Ideal Seafood Shack"
by Jeffrey Slonim
Published: June 26, 1996
We had trudged from one end of the East End to the other, and yet we still had hopes of finding the 100-percent elusive, bona fide Hamptons seafood shanty. But then, just north of the Montauk train station we happened upon Tuthill Road. . .
Let’s just say that authenticity wasn’t an issue at DURYEA’S (631-668-2410)…We waited at a table with a deliciously silent view of Fort Pond Bay…We picked up our plastic tray of lobster roll, lobsters, slaw and potatoes on paper plates…The meat was fresh and sweet; you could taste sea salt in the hot water dripping from the boiled claws. Baked potatoes felt coal-hot; Duryea’s cut the slightly-bitter country slaw coarse, not fussy. And they packed the 40-bite lobster roll with large chunks of savory meat on a giant, buttery toasted sesame bun. Bingo. We had a winner.
It hurts to think that we may be spoiling the last genuine seafood shack in the Hamptons. And yet we can’t help feeling that suckers circling for a parking space on Route 27 deserve a break.
Enough of faux lobster pots hanging from the ceiling. Duryea’s, which won both our approval and devotion, had two ancient traps smashed to smithereens on their bulkhead. We have a suspicion that they were placed there by a storm, not a decorator.
East End/Hamptons
"Tried-and-True"
Duryea’s Lobster Deck: Fresh-off-the-boat fish, sunset views and an ultracasual setting sum up the appeal of this season BYO seafooder in Montauk
Review:
“It’s the real thing” assert aficionados of this “no-frills” seasonal Montauk seafood restaurant and market, where you get your “fresh-off-the-boat” fish and “first-rate lobsters” at the pickup window and “eat off paper plates” at picnic tables while taking in the “most amazing sunsets;” for most the BYO policy more than makes up for the “no décor, no service” setup, but just keep in mind that on weekends the wait for a table “can easily be an hour.”
Food: 21
Décor: 13
Service: 10
Cost: $27
"Weekend Away – The Hamptons"
by Mary Emmerling
Country Home Creative Director Mary Emmerling lived in the Hamptons for more than 30 years and makes a point to go back as much as possible for good friends, great shopping, and "the best tomatoes in the country."…September in the Long Island Hamptons finds the crowds gone, the beaches beautiful, and the air cool and crisp. It's the perfect time to visit the sweet shops and boutiques in the villages that make up East Long Island, New York. "Throw on jeans, a turtleneck, your favorite sweater, and enjoy yourself!" Mary says…In Montauk--Duryea's Lobster Deck is a wholesale lobster shop and restaurant--a perfect place to wrap up a perfect weekend, says Mary.
To find this family-owned, cash-only seafood spot, you'll pass the last stop on the Long Island Railroad, then ride out to what feels like the end of the world. On a breezy dock, patrons unwind on plastic outdoor furniture with B.Y.O. beer and wine. (In town, the friendly folks at White's Liquor will be happy to recommend a chilled dry Riesling, sell you a corkscrew, and throw in some plastic cups.) At the cashier's window, photocopied menus offer a selection of impeccably fresh seafood that's steamed or broiled — but never fried. A lobster roll is a taste of heaven — toothsome chunks of the meat and celery expertly seasoned and dressed with just enough mayonnaise to hold them together, then piled into a buttered and toasted sesame seed bun. Steamed littlenecks, embellished only with a squirt of lemon and a dipping bowl of melted butter, are as uplifting as the salty ocean air.
Located at the tip of the South Fork, in the juncture of Gardiner's and Fort Pond Bays, this 75-year-old seafood restaurant (open from early May to late October) offers the freshest catch around. Unlike other local lobster shacks, everything here is steamed or broiled; the owner, honoring a three-generation tradition, refrains from deep frying. The place (in the heart of Montauk Village) is known for the overstuffed lobster rolls and chunky New England clam chowder. Lobster Deck has outdoor seating only; in the heat of summer, consider coming in mid-afternoon to secure a table and catch some cool ocean breezes. Retail seafood is available year-round. -- Jean Tang
