Two teenagers washing dishes in a now-defunct East Hampton kitchen could not have predicted they were building the blueprint for one of the Hamptons’ most enduring seafood empires. Yet that is precisely what happened when Chris Eggert and Kevin Boles met while working side-by-side at the Little Rock Yacht Club in Springs during the early 1990s, sparking a friendship and business partnership that has now spanned more than three decades and produced a constellation of restaurants that have fundamentally shaped how the East End eats (Dan’s Papers, 2019). Bostwick’s Chowder House, their flagship on Pantigo Road, occupies an unusual position in the Hamptons dining hierarchy — a restaurant that serves food on paper plates and pours wine into plastic cups, yet consistently draws Bobby Flay, Alec Baldwin, Jimmy Fallon, Neil Patrick Harris, and Sarah Jessica Parker to its market-umbrella-shaded patio tables (The Daily Meal, 2016; News 12 Long Island, 2017). In a region where a prix fixe dinner can easily eclipse $300 per person, Bostwick’s has built its legend on the radical premise that impeccable seafood requires no pretense whatsoever.
As someone who has operated The Heritage Diner in Mount Sinai for twenty-five years, I recognize the particular brand of stubbornness required to sustain a restaurant across decades. The culinary world worships novelty. Concepts launch with six-figure PR budgets, dominate Instagram for eighteen months, then vanish. What Eggert and Boles have accomplished at Bostwick’s belongs to a different tradition entirely — the kind of restaurant that becomes so woven into the rhythms of a community that losing it would feel like losing a season itself.
The Origin: From a Fishing Spot to a Hamptons Institution
The name “Bostwick’s” carries no family lineage and no corporate backstory. It derives from one of Chris Eggert’s favorite fishing spots near Gardiner’s Island, a detail that tells you almost everything you need to know about the sensibility behind this restaurant (Indian Wells Tavern, About Page). When the original owner of the Little Rock Yacht Club moved on, Eggert and Boles seized the opportunity to launch their first venture, channeling their shared vision of what a great East End restaurant should be: food that was excellent but never fussy, entrées served with sides rather than à la carte, a place where no one ever had to worry about which fork to use.
The original Bostwick’s operated out of a seasonal spot in Three Mile Harbor before the partners relocated it to a waterfront space on Gann Road in 1997 (Dan’s Papers, 2019). That location became Bostwick’s Seafood Grill, a beloved fixture of the harbor marina. Meanwhile, Eggert and Boles expanded. They opened Santa Fe Junction, a Southwestern restaurant, in 1994. They launched Cherrystone’s, a casual takeout seafood shack, in 2008 on Pantigo Road. And in 2007, they debuted Indian Wells Tavern in Amagansett, a classic American pub that became yet another celebrity magnet (Indian Wells Tavern, About Page).
When the Gann Road lease expired in 2010, the partners consolidated their vision. They transformed the Cherrystone’s space at 277 Pantigo Road into Bostwick’s Chowder House, bringing the Bostwick’s name and loyal clientele to a prominent position on Route 27, the main artery between East Hampton and Montauk (27East, 2010). The move came with a peculiar constraint: town zoning restrictions prevented them from installing a commercial dishwasher. Rather than fight it, Eggert and Boles leaned in completely — paper plates, plastic cups, and the finest lobster rolls on Long Island. Nobody cared about the serviceware because the food was extraordinary (The Daily Meal, 2016).
The Kitchen and the Bar: A Partnership in Perfect Balance
Understanding Bostwick’s requires understanding the complementary genius of its two founders. Chris Eggert began his restaurant career as a dishwasher at Michael’s in East Hampton, working his way through the back-of-house hierarchy of several local kitchens before emerging as an accomplished chef with an intuitive command of East End seafood (I Love NY, 2025). His cooking philosophy centers on letting pristine ingredients speak without excessive manipulation — broiled local flounder with lemon beurre blanc, Montauk sea scallops, baked stuffed clams with celery stuffing that has become a house signature.
Kevin Boles arrived from a different culinary universe. His Irish family owned a string of old-school pubs in New York City, establishments where the bartender knew every regular by name and the atmosphere borrowed from the warmth of the TV show Cheers (Indian Wells Tavern, About Page). Boles brought that convivial spirit to Bostwick’s bar program, developing inventive cocktails like the Grapefruit Nirvana — Finlandia grapefruit vodka with organic algae nectar and a splash of lemonade — and the Bostwick Breeze, a rum concoction that has become an unofficial drink of summer out East (The Daily Meal, 2016).
The dynamic works because each partner occupies his domain with absolute confidence. Eggert commands the kitchen. Boles owns the front of house and bar. Their staff returns season after season, a rarity in an industry notorious for turnover, creating a continuity of experience that guests notice even if they cannot articulate why the place feels so right.
The Menu: Paper Plates, Serious Seafood
Bostwick’s Chowder House menu reads like a curated survey of everything the Atlantic offers within a hundred miles of Montauk Point. The raw bar anchors the experience: cherrystone and littleneck clams on the half shell, oysters, shrimp cocktail, and a spectacular Seafood Tower featuring ten clams, eight oysters, eight shrimp cocktail, a chilled one-pound lobster, seared tuna, and jumbo lump crab for $99 — a centerpiece that turns any table into an event (Bostwick’s Chowder House, Dinner Menu).
The lobster roll remains the undisputed headliner. Bostwick’s offers it hot and buttered at market price, and the portion is generous — six ounces of fresh-caught meat, lightly dressed with mayonnaise, celery, and parsley, served in a checkered-paper-lined basket with coleslaw and a choice of fries, potato chips, or potato salad. Tripadvisor reviewers have ranked Bostwick’s the number one restaurant in East Hampton, and the lobster roll is consistently cited as the reason (Tripadvisor, 2025).
Beyond the roll, the menu moves through grilled fish tacos with mahi, roasted corn salsa, and chipotle lime sauce; seafood pasta loaded with lobster, shrimp, and scallops in a sun-dried tomato cream sauce; local fluke Milanese topped with baby arugula and lemon vinaigrette; and a perfectly competent cheeseburger that reviewers call a bargain for the Hamptons. The chowder selection — Manhattan clam, New England clam, lobster bisque, and corn — justifies the restaurant’s name, with the lobster bisque in particular earning near-universal praise for its creaminess and generous chunks of lobster meat.
A kids’ “Guppy Menu” ensures families feel welcome, offering fish and chips, chicken fingers, hot dogs, and grilled chicken breast. Homemade baked goods and soft serve ice cream close the meal on a sweet note. Vegetarian options are available throughout the menu, and several dishes carry gluten-free designations.
The Celebrity Factor: Hollywood’s Favorite No-Reservations Spot
The Hamptons restaurant scene splits roughly into two categories: establishments that cultivate exclusivity through reservation books, dress codes, and celebrity-chef branding, and establishments that let the quality of their food do the talking. Bostwick’s belongs emphatically to the second camp. There are no reservations. The dress code is whatever you wore to the beach. And yet the parking lot regularly accommodates vehicles belonging to some of the most recognizable names in American entertainment.
Bobby Flay — himself a chef who could eat anywhere on earth — has been a documented regular (News 12 Long Island, 2017). Alec Baldwin, a longtime East Hampton resident, frequents the patio. Jimmy Fallon, Giada De Laurentiis, Jack Nicholson, Neil Patrick Harris, Molly Sims, and Alex Guarnaschelli have all been spotted among the paper plates and plastic cups (The Daily Meal, 2016; News 12 Long Island, 2017; Social Life Magazine, 2025). The Infatuation captured the restaurant’s peculiar gravitational pull perfectly: it may not be the most glamorous restaurant out East, but it is the one everyone ends up going to the most.
This phenomenon is not accidental. It reflects a deeper truth about hospitality that any long-term restaurant operator understands: the places that endure are the ones where you never have to perform. Bostwick’s asks nothing of its guests except that they be hungry.
The Bostwick’s Empire: Chowder House, Harbor, and Market
What Eggert and Boles have constructed extends well beyond a single restaurant. The Bostwick’s brand now encompasses three distinct but interconnected operations, each serving a different mood and occasion.
Bostwick’s Chowder House at 277 Pantigo Road remains the casual flagship — the place you pull into after the beach for lobster rolls and cold Coronas, the spot that never disappoints and never tries too hard.
Bostwick’s on the Harbor at 39 Gann Road in Springs marks a triumphant return to the waterfront location where the brand first flourished. Reopened in 2019 with partner and Executive Chef Damien O’Donnell (formerly of Harbor Bistro), this iteration offers a more upscale, coastally inspired menu — think yellowfin tuna poke and Peconic oysters on the half shell — served with Three Mile Harbor sunset views that rank among the finest dining backdrops on Long Island (Southforker, 2025; Dan’s Papers, 2019). The harbor location is first-come, first-served, operates seasonally, and deliberately avoids delivery or takeout, insisting that you experience the food where the water meets the sky.
Bostwick’s Seafood Market at 283 Pantigo Road, just steps from the Chowder House, emerged from a collaboration between Eggert, Boles, and fourth-generation Montauk commercial fisherman Wesley Peterson, owner of Montauk Seafood Company (27East, 2023). The market sells fish caught straight off Montauk Point — tuna, striped bass, live lobsters — alongside clambakes and lobster dinners to go, house-made chowders, baked clams, crab cakes, prepared salads, prime steaks, select produce, breads, desserts, and pantry items. During the off-season, the market offers takeout featuring classics from both the Chowder House and On the Harbor menus.
The Eggert-Boles portfolio also includes Indian Wells Tavern at 177 Main Street in Amagansett, a classic American tavern with a thirty-foot bar, pressed tin ceilings, and a pub fare menu that has attracted its own celebrity following, including Bill Clinton and Scarlett Johansson (News 12 Long Island, 2017). Additionally, Bostwick’s Clambakes & Catering Co. operates out of 283 Pantigo Road, providing full-service beach clambakes, weddings, and private events with customizable menus ranging from traditional New England clambakes to surf-and-turf extravaganzas.
Dining Practical: What You Need to Know Before You Go
Seasonal Operation: Bostwick’s Chowder House operates seasonally, typically opening in the spring and running through fall. Off-season takeout is available through Bostwick’s Seafood Market. During peak season, hours run Thursday through Sunday starting at 11:30 AM, with Friday and Saturday service extending to 9:30 PM and weekday service until 9:00 PM. Tuesday and Wednesday are typically closed (Yelp, 2025).
No Reservations Required: Bostwick’s is walk-in only. Expect lines during peak summer weekends, particularly around the Fourth of July and Labor Day. Locals know to arrive slightly before the lunch rush or after 7:00 PM for a smoother experience.
Indoor and Outdoor Seating: The interior features seaside-inspired décor, while the outdoor patio with market umbrellas provides the quintessential Hamptons casual dining experience. The patio is dog-friendly.
Takeout Available: Orders can be placed in person or by phone for takeout, making Bostwick’s an excellent option for beach picnics or casual dinners at home.
Family Friendly: Between the Guppy Menu, the casual atmosphere, and the soft serve, Bostwick’s is one of the most genuinely family-welcoming restaurants in the Hamptons.
Payment: Mastercard, Visa, and American Express accepted.
Contact and Location
Address: 277 Pantigo Road (Route 27/Montauk Highway), East Hampton, NY 11937
Telephone: (631) 324-1111
Email: info@bostwickschowderhouse.com
Website: bostwickschowderhouse.com
Bostwick’s on the Harbor: 39 Gann Road, East Hampton, NY 11937 — bostwicksontheharbor.com
Bostwick’s Seafood Market: 283 Pantigo Road, East Hampton, NY 11937 — (631) 324-2700 — bostwicksseafoodmkt.com
Bostwick’s Clambakes & Catering: 283 Pantigo Road, East Hampton, NY 11937 — (631) 324-2700
Directions from the West: Follow Route 27 East through the traffic light at Newtown Lane. Bear right at the Windmill and proceed through the next light. Continue east on Route 27/Montauk Highway/Pantigo Road for approximately 0.9 miles. Bostwick’s will be on the left.
Directions from Montauk/Amagansett: Follow Route 27 West approximately 12.9 miles from Montauk or 1.4 miles from Amagansett toward East Hampton. Bostwick’s will be on the right.
Tripadvisor: Ranked #1 of 48 restaurants in East Hampton — Rated 4.2/5 from 335+ reviews
Yelp: 556+ reviews, 546+ photos
Thirty-plus years into their partnership, Chris Eggert and Kevin Boles have demonstrated something that the broader restaurant industry — and perhaps the broader culture — struggles to accept: that the most lasting enterprises are built not on trends or spectacle but on the steady accumulation of trust earned one plate at a time. The paper plates are part of the point. They signal that everything at Bostwick’s has been invested in what matters — the lobster pulled from Montauk waters that morning, the clams baked with the same celery stuffing recipe that has anchored the menu for decades, the cocktail mixed by a bartender whose family taught him that hospitality begins with remembering your name. In a Hamptons landscape where restaurants open and close with the predictability of tides, Bostwick’s Chowder House remains. That is its greatest dish.
— Peter, The Heritage Diner, Mount Sinai
