by Sue Giustino
The SURFSIDE INN, after 43 years of providing service and hospitality, has been conveyed to Local Buyers.
Since 1996, Tom and Helene Milne have devotedly owned and operated Montauk’s beloved Surfside Inn and Restaurant. Guests have always cherished the Inn for its charming historic atmosphere, stunning views, and exceptional dining. Now, after a remarkable 3 decades, Tom and Helene are stepping into a well-deserved retirement.
Together, during their off-season in Florida, they live a full social life and look forward to keeping that momentum going along with new travel plans. Kenny and I have been lucky enough to get to know Tom and Helene. We’ve truly loved hearing Tom’s stories—his antics at the dinner table, and especially, his varied career paths in the military, the FDNY, and law. Following our last dinner at Surfside, Tom kindly agreed to share the history of this legendary Montauk landmark. What follows is his account, woven together with historical records from the Montauk Library.
Tom and Helene, thank you both for keeping a bit of Montauk “The way it used to be.” And for sharing this iconic establishment with our community. We wish you all the best in your retirement!
The Building on the Old Montauk Hwy. in Montauk was erected in 1920 and now, in 2026, still exists with its original design. The name of the Hotel and Inn has varied over the years, but the format, purpose, and appeal have remained consistent: dinner and Rooms with a view overlooking the ocean.
One hundred and six years have passed, and the SURFSIDE INN still presents itself as a premier dinner establishment with the motto “Montauk the Way it Used to Be”. Historically, the INN has always provided Locals and Tourists with equal care and attention.
The original name of the premises was the WYANDANCH, then became the MONTAUK BEACH INN and then the OCEANVIEW HOTEL, followed by the ANZAC HOUSE. That was followed by the SURF AND SAND operated by the FOURSOME INN GROUP and BEA RILEY, and finally in 1983 it became the SURFSIDE INN presided over by the BARNDS & MILNE families until 1996, when TOM MILNE and HELENE MILNE commenced operating the INN and RESTAURANT until the present day. The history of the building also includes a time during WWII when OFFICERS’ BILLETS were provided for our military.
Wyandank Inn / Ocean View / Montauk Beach Inn / Anzac House / Surf & Sand / Surfside Inn
[The information in italics is provided by Aimee Lusty – Archivist & Librarian at the Montauk Library.]
Hilda and Knowles Smith also owned two cottages where Surfside is today. Below is a quote from the oral history with their daughter Mary Smith Fullerton.
“She bought the property at the Point and built the Wyandanee. But we also had two houses up where the Surfside is now and the house next to it. And my father moved to the Surfside. It was one of the army buildings. He moved it up there and made it into a restaurant for my mother, which was called then the Ocean View. That place has had about seven different names. It started out as the Ocean View. And during the boom, it was sold to the Montauk Beach Company, called the Montauk Beach Inn. And then, we got it back. And then, we sold it. We had it for a few years called the Ocean View. Well, first it was called the Wyandank. That was its first name. And then, it was the Montauk Beach Inn. Then it was called the Ocean View Hotel. And we sold it to McMillan who named it the Anzac House. And he sold it to Weisinger, and she named it the Surf and Sand. And she sold it to Bea Riley, and she named it Surfside. So, at the present time, the name is Surfside. And then, the house next to it we sold in 1946 because my mother bought the Parsons’ property.
PW: Now, is that the little house or the one by the corner of Washington that you sold was your house?
MSF: No, it was two houses in from Washington Drive. It was the Surfside and the next one. We owned those too.”
The name SURFSIDE was appropriated after listening to a transmission from one Fishing Captain to another inquiring as to the other’s location. The reply was “I AM ON THE SURFSIDE,” which meant I am Southwest of the Lighthouse.
Some of the Locals added to the building’s history, viz.: Frank Mundus of the real JAWS Fame, Jack and Molly Ecker, Duryea Family- including Perry Duryea, a WWII Pilot and his son Chip Duryea, Gosman Family, Margaret Potts, also a WWII Pilot who flew B-17s to Europe with the Women’s Army Air Corps, Viking Star’s Forsberg Family, CARL and PAUL FORSBERG, renowned for being part of the Montauk Fishing Fleet history, Capt. Joe McBride, former President of the Montauk Captains Association, and on and on with names of folks, too many to list in the history.
The present owners have been privileged to continue hosting folks from all walks of life. One of the most poignant of these experiences with respect to the history of the INN was the honor and opportunity granted to us to host FDNY Survivors and Search and Rescue Volunteers from 9/11 every September anniversary, for almost twenty years.
So now, the proverbial Baton is passed to the next owners, and the long history of this Historic Building continues.