The Blue Point name, while modest on the map, has found its way onto dinner menus, beer lists and history book pages for the summer destination status it once held.
In its current state, you won’t find the hotels and railroad access it once boasted during the 20th century, but the picturesque shoreline and generationally acclaimed hubs still stand.
There’s debate over what inspired the hamlet’s name. Some believe it was the blue chips of seashells or the blue haze over the point of land that baymen spotted from the Great South Bay. Those anglers and oystermen were also credited with the discovery of the Blue Point Oyster, recognized well beyond the town’s barely two square miles for its briny flavor and unique texture.
As for sipping, it’s more than possible you’ve tried a Blue Point brew (purchased by Anheuser-Busch InBev in 2014, and then by cannabis giant Tilray in 2023, who gobbled up Montauk Brewing the year before), although the popular beer is actually made in the bordering town of Patchogue.
Whether you’re coming from points east or west, pin these places to relish the small-town vibe and casual coastal culture of this South Shore stop.
THE AGENDA
Every great day in Blue Point begins with a bacon, egg and cheese breakfast sandwich from Firehouse Deli (204 Blue Point Ave., 631-363-0808). Nestled next door to Blue Point Elementary and across the street from the Blue Point Firehouse, the sleepy-looking spot sees plenty of foot traffic. As one of the town’s longstanding local eateries, it serves all the deli classics, from breakfast sandwiches to a variety of soups and salads.
Grab a cup of coffee and walk down the block to the Blue Point Dock (Blue Point Avenue and Grandview Drive intersection). If you have your kayak or paddleboard in tow, you’ll want to spend a few hours enjoying the calm of the Great South Bay. See remains of one of the town’s former glorious summer stays, the old Five Mile Look Hotel, which burned down in 1939, about 100 feet from the dock on the eastern side of Blue Point Avenue. Pieces of the border wall that surrounded the hotel, now broken with ragged edges, still stand.
Continue your venture through the outdoors at Blue Point Nature Preserve (33 Maple St.). This 20-acre passive park, with a walking path, benches and a pergola, opened in 2020 when the Town of Brookhaven transformed what was once a vacant nursery into a flourishing site to jog, ride a bike or read a book.
Hopefully you’ve worked up an appetite, because you’re in for an old-timey treat at Flo’s Luncheonette (302 Middle Road, 888-356-7864). There may be a line, but it’s worth the wait. This seasonal joint has been serving summery classics like fried clams, the Flo’s dog (with their homemade chili or without), and a bevy of a hearty wraps from a take-out window since 1926. Grab a bench at one of the outdoor, umbrella-shaded picnic tables and don’t miss the opportunity for a good, old-fashioned New York egg cream. And if you have a hankering for something a little sweeter, head around to the side window for a cup or cone of ice cream.
After lunch, go back to Blue Point Avenue for air-conditioned entertainment at the Bayport-Blue Point Public Library (186 Middle Road, 631-363-6133). The former St. Ursula Center Convent from the 1930s was transformed into a public space in 2021. Check out the Gene Horton Local History room with artifacts, books and documents detailing the history of Blue Point, donated by late historian Gene Horton. Stick around to indulge in one of the summer concerts on the backyard lawn or grab a cup of coffee from the library’s Island Dreams Coffee Roasters café.
When you’re ready to pick up the pace again, grab a drink on the water at Bodhi’s (1 Corey Ave., [email protected]), a bayside beach shack serving everything from canned cocktails to mixed frozen drinks and delicious bites. Catch weekend live music on the regularly packed deck, grab a high-top table or sink into one of the Adirondack chairs in the sand. Sitting isn’t your style? Saunter onto the bar-side swing or claim two of the cornhole boards for some friendly competition.
For dinner with a view, walk over to Buoy 35 (1 Curtis Road, 631-823-0400) or, if you’re traveling on the waves, dock your boat beside the restaurant for plates of abundant seafood along with plenty of savory turf-centric specials each weekend. Enjoy a seasonal cocktail at the intimate indoor bar or keep it al fresco to listen to live music while catching the sunset on the dining deck.
If you’ve had enough seafood for the day, you won’t want to miss out on a burger from Cavanaugh’s (255 Blue Point Ave., 631-363-2666). Chris Cavanaugh, owner of the almost 40-year-old restaurant and pub, packs in the Blue Point culture. While you munch on an Irish-American mix of pub faves, have a look at the doorways, walls and ceiling, which are all covered in decades’ worth of Bayport-Blue Point School District team photos, pictures of community icons, jerseys and wacky, ironic décor, like chairs on the ceiling. Nightly dinner and drink deals make this the best spot in town to catch a game or meet up with friends at the buzzy bar.
