My friend Jen's boyfriend Tom is also a food fan like myself, and he saw a Long Island joint on a Guy Fieri (Food Network host) show a few weeks ago. It just happened to be 3 miles from ABF, AND on the way to our Long Island vineyards, so we made a double date to hit it up on President's Day Weekend!
There were signs (literal and figurative) all over touting the recent Guy appearance--including a spray paint self-portrait Guy did before he left. I know that's why we were there!
Tom told us the hot Cuban sandwich was one of their signature dishes, so both he and ABF ordered that.
This is not your standard, 1-inch thick panino. No, my friends, this is a serious sandwich with roasted pork, sliced ham, pickles, mustard, and more. I took a bite of ABF's and thought it was quite tasty. Tom & ABF both liked it, but I don't think they were blown away by it. Good sandwich for a good price, though.
Thanks, Tom, for the innards shot!
ABF also ordered the New England clam chowder, which did have some good chunks of clam, but wasn't quite as creamy as I like it (which probably means it's healthier for you!
Jen got the crispy chicken sandwich and cheese fries. I had a fry or two while we waited for our order, and they were good and surprisingly NOT salted. I'd always rather add my own salt that have too-salty fries. I'm still a little skeered of liquid cheese, so I didn't indulge.
I ordered the cheeseburger with sweet potato fries. The burger was fine, pretty decent, but not showstopping. Just good, solid, single patty fare. The bun was soft, the meat was well-cooked, and I enjoyed it. If you're really hungry, though, you might want the double cheeseburger. I'm not sure this would fill you up if you were a guy (or a really hungry gal!)
The sweet potato fries were really, really good. I do not "live" for fries, but man, I couldn't stop eating these!
We won't speak of this creamy deliciousness, but ABF had the brilliant idea of adding some of his root beer to it and yea, verily, it was good.
The woman at the register helpfully suggested that we make our items part of a combo, so my fries, shake AND burger came to a mere 8 dollars! Kevin's was around 10 or 11. That was nice of her, and made for a very affordable meal!
What surprised us all was how tiny the Pitstop is! You can't fit more than maybe a dozen tables in there. While it might look like a fast food joint, every dish is made fresh and made to order. Don't expect to zoom in and out, but you will also get dishes that are a step above your usual drive-in.
The Pit Stop
1706 Sunrise Hwy.
Merrick, NY
Phone: 516-223-7799
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I actually never heard of the PitStop until everyone started talking about it being on Food Network. A true LI classic burger joint is All-American on Merrick Road in Massapequa. A double-double (double cheeseburger) with small fries and a shake runs about $6 and it's all delicious! There are no tables inside, but there are some outside. Definitely a place to check out if you haven't done so already.
ReplyDeleteCJ-- Thanks for the tip--and for the comment! Tom has mentioned a similar diner in that area--I wonder if it's the same place. Either way it's on my radar!!!
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