#91: Lunch or Dinner at the Elbow Room

Have a hankering for a good old-fashioned dish of meat and potatoes with a side of chowder? Look no further than the , with three locations in Jamesport, and Riverhead.

Since 1958, the Elbow Room — named for its close yet comfortable seating area — has served hungry patrons from all walks of life on the North Fork marinated cuts of steak, not messing around with portion sizes and heaping on the sides of potatoes and vegetables. The restaurants’ straight-forward menu also features a variety of fresh local seafood, sandwiches, salads, red and white clam chowder, and several appetizers.

Rich Feehan, a home improvement contractor based in Orient, said he eats at the Jamesport Elbow Room about three times a week. Feehan said before his Irish salmon salad — a scrumptious and healthy mixture of smoked salmon, mixed greens, capers, red onions, and whole wheat points for only $10.95 — arrived for lunch Tuesday afternoon that his favorite eats at the Elbow Room include the roast beef club sandwich, the baked clams and the signature marinated Porterhouse steak.

Clams casino, chopped liver, and creamed herring are also tasty appetizers distinct to the Elbow Room, but the restaurant also offers classics like fried mozzarella sticks and jalapeno poppers, all under $10. Hamburgers and cheeseburgers, also under $10, are thick and juicy, and other lunch sandwiches featuring fish or fresh sliced meats range from the $12 to $15.

But the three classic cuts of marinated steak are what really packs each tiny restaurant with people elbow-to-elbow nearly every night of the week: the porterhouse for $29.95, the New York Strip for $26.95, the filet mignon for $31.95, and the broiled steak burger for $16.95.

Another staple of the Elbow Room is the homemade clam chowder, both New England and Manhattan styles — made fresh by owner Cliff Saunders’ mother, Joan, every day. And Feehan said it’s always great to see the lady in action.

“Sometimes I’ll stop over in the morning and watch her stirring the pots, wooden spoon and all,” he said. “And the ingredients she uses are out of this world.”

And in case you’re wondering, on Kenneys Road in Southold serves similar fare to the restaurants owned by the Saunders but is run under different ownership.

Category: Family, Food
Price: $$
Season: Year-round
Note: Cash, Credit

Visit the Elbow Room at the following locations:

The Elbow Room, 1549 Route 25, Jamesport, NY 11947, 631-722-3292

Cliff’s Elbow Room Too, 1085 Franklinville Road, Laurel, NY 11948, 631-298-3262

Cliff’s Rendezvous Restaurant, 313 East Main Street, Riverhead, NY 11901, 631-727-6880