A new Café located on Main Street – just a few blocks from the beach – in the heart of Montauk.
A review by Sue Giustino
This new casual eatery offers a delightful array of generously portioned breakfast, lunch, and dinner choices- perfect for eating in, at home, or while enjoying a day at the beach.
The Sand Shack is a sister eatery of Tony’s Meat Market in Montauk Harbor, therefore utilizing the finest meats that are sold at Tony’s. According to Chef Luciano, he’s always searching for the best quality ingredients for the expertly crafted Artisanal dishes. As a result, many are imported from Italy- yet, when possible, they also source locally. Trying to be as ‘green’ as possible, the utensils and plates for both eat-in and take-out options, are all recyclable It’s the details that make the difference and what a difference we discovered.
The Morning Gorgeous breakfast menu is served from 8am-3pm, with the exception of the Eggclelent Choice, which is available all day. This sandwich is freshly prepared with a toasted sourdough roll, scrambled organic eggs and sharp white cheddar, and the ADD ONS include breakfast meats and avocado. My husband enjoyed this sandwich one morning and chose the fresh smash patty style sausage-not your average breakfast sausage. According to him, it was a uniquely delicious egg sandwich. The other items include the Tortilla Espanola and a variety of creative breakfast style sandwiches on either the sourdough, Portuguese muffin, or ciabatta toast.
We started our evening meal with selections from the ‘Hold the Bread’ section of the menu to which you can choose chicken or steak as ADD Ons. The Feta Be Sweet Salad was served in a large bowl and had a wonderful combination of flavors and textures. The sweet melon accented by the saltiness of the feta and crisp bite of the colorful watermelon radish slices, all blended with fresh mint and a vinaigrette drizzle makes this a perfectly light summer delight to enjoy day or night. A fine choice for a warm summer day on or after the beach. Another great sharable option is the Meat Me in Montauk – described as their sunset charcuterie board. This artistically created presentation of fresh cured meats including Mortadella, Prosciutto, and Bresaola adorning a flat cheese board alongside chunks of Brie, Reggiani, and Truffle cheeses with fresh sweet berries, Champaigne grapes, honeycomb, figs, dates, candied pecans, pistachios, and crispy slices of ciabatta has everything you need to please the palate. Each item is chosen for its taste and quality. 
If you call ahead, and depending on availability, they will work with you to change out some of the items- ours was designed for three but larger sizes are also available.
As with the rest of the menu, [except breakfast] the Main Attractions portion of the menu is served all day. It’s comprised primarily of sandwiches designed with multiple combinations of fresh meats, cheeses, vegetables and sauces on a variety of incredible breads and rolls from Brooklyn. Built on a toasted brioche pullman loaf and slathered with a tasty Argentinian chimichurri, the Steakcation with perfectly cooked thick slices of marinated filet mignon [the same sold at Tony’s in the harbor] topped with melted provolone cheese, heirloom tomato, and grilled peppers is almost indescribable; crunchy, tender, bursting with flavor, delightful.
Our last sandwich was the Brie Mine. Thick slices of house made herb roasted turkey are topped with sliced pear and brie cheese, a shallot aioli and arugula all on a buttered ciabatta bread then toasted on the panini press. Warm crunchy bread with the gentle turkey and smooth melted brie blended with the aioli, along with the sweetness of the pear and the arugula’s zest, raises this turkey sandwich to untouchable heights.
These are just two of the fifteen creative, fresh, delectable choices available. Fried or grilled chicken, poached lobster, braised beef or dry-aged patties, grilled-confit-or ratatouille style vegetables; the varieties are vast and each one sounds and looks amazing. For a ‘Side Piece’ to your order you can add [as we did] Dune Fries – crisp and tasty with a dusting of rosemary, or a Hot Mess– fries with mozzarella and gravy, the Warm-Up – homemade chicken noodle soup, or a side of Mac Me Smile – mac n cheese.
In addition, there is also a Kids list including the Lil’ Melt– grilled cheese, Spread Thin – PB&J, and Mini Mac Me Smile. And don’t forget the Sweet Treats: Nutella Ya Later – you have to see it to believe it, or Chip Happens – a delightful brown sugar and sea salt chocolate chip cookie. Both are yummy treats to enjoy any time of day.
Walking in after a stroll through town or a break from the beach, the Sand Shack is welcoming with a clean, light, airy ambiance beautifully enhanced by the two open garage doors and floor to ceiling windows over-looking main street. Seating is available at tables out front where you can observe town happenings, or inside the café on a long communal table or individual hi-tops. Brandon Vasquez, the manager, and his staff are friendly, fun, and knowledgeable. We had the pleasure of meeting and chatting with both chef’s – Luciano and Aaron, as well as Teresia, one of the fronts of house staff.
In addition to what you can order at the counter, they also have a complete Grab and Go display of food and cold drinks [including soft drinks, wine and beer], as well as a Beaches and Beans Coffee bar. Quick and easy if you’re heading to work, camp, or out for a day of fun in the sun.
Located at 717 Montauk Highway, Sand Shack is open daily 8am-3pm, and 5pm- 2am. For additional information go to www.sandshack.com where you can order, or call +1 (917) 508-2937.