A restaurant finds its true power when it lands in the right place — not just a street number, but a spot where water, history, and appetite intersect so naturally that the dining room feels like it was always meant to be there. Nantuckets, tucked into the storied curve of Traders Cove in Port Jefferson, is one of those rare establishments where the setting does not merely complement the food — it completes it. From the upper deck, the Port Jefferson ferry cuts its slow diagonal across the harbor. Seagulls tilt in the salt wind. Below, the dining room hums with the particular warmth of a room that knows itself. This is not an accident. It is the product of thirty years of seasoned restaurateur instinct, a reinvented culinary identity, and a genuine love for the community that lines these North Shore shores.
From Crazy Fish to Nantuckets: The Origin Story
The building at 9 Traders Cove has lived several lives. TripAdvisor diners who have researched the address know that two hundred years ago this structure reportedly housed a brothel, then a funeral home, then a series of restaurants including the Nine Doors and Espana — each leaving its own sediment of story in the walls. In July 2016, restaurateur Richard Gertz opened Crazy Fish Bar and Grill on the site, bringing with him more than three decades of Long Island hospitality experience. By February 2018, the evolution was complete: a new culinary team, a new interior, and a new name — Nantuckets — that conjured the spirit of New England’s most storied coastal culture without abandoning the distinctly Long Island character of the room.
The rebrand was not mere cosmetics. It signaled a philosophical shift: this would be more than a bar and grill. The kitchen would stretch toward something more ambitious — a menu where everything is made in-house, where “eclectic flavors” is not a marketing phrase but a genuine culinary directive. The owners and the warm, familiar waitstaff remained. What changed was the ceiling of possibility.
The Menu: American Coastal, Elevated
Nantuckets operates in the culinary tradition that Long Island’s North Shore has quietly perfected for generations — the marriage of local seafood with confident American technique, elevated just enough to feel special without becoming precious. The kitchen rotates through seasonal inspiration while anchoring itself in crowd-beloved staples.
Signature dishes that diners return for include the Crab-Crusted Salmon, a study in textural contrast where the richness of the fish meets the delicate brininess of crab in a preparation that has earned consistent praise across review platforms. The Colossal Meatball — served with ricotta and marinara — is a nod to the broader Italian-American heritage of Long Island dining, done with the generosity of spirit that defines the house style. The Seafood Paella speaks to the kitchen’s Spanish influences, a dish that rewards patience and communal dining.
Starters worth noting: the crab cake, which guests on multiple platforms have called among the finest on Long Island, fried with a golden crust and interior that holds together without apology. The Fried Goat Cheese and Beets Salad and the Poached Pear Salad demonstrate a lighter, more composed sensibility.
Weekend Brunch — offered Saturday and Sunday from 10:00 AM to 2:30 PM — has emerged as a signature draw. The Lobster Bloody Mary is the defining cocktail of the experience: a meal inside a glass, the kind of drink that earns its own category. Bottomless Mimosas, Breakfast Tacos, Shrimp and Lobster Hash Eggs, and the Avocado “Benny” Toast fill out a menu that honors the weekend ritual with genuine creativity. The cocktail program extends beyond brunch — fresh-muddled cocktails anchor the drinks menu across all service hours, with an Old Fashioned and Cosmopolitan that reflect careful bar craft.
The Space: Two Decks, One Harbor
Nantuckets offers indoor and outdoor seating across two decks, each with a view calibrated to remind diners exactly where they are. The indoor dining room maintains a nautical-themed aesthetic — cozy without feeling themed, atmospheric without feeling forced. Large bay windows frame the harbor in every season. On summer evenings, the outdoor deck has hosted live saxophone performances that diners describe as transforming a good dinner into an indelible memory.
The dog-friendly patio policy has made Nantuckets a destination for pet owners across Suffolk County — a detail that speaks to the restaurant’s understanding of Port Jefferson’s community character. The private event spaces accommodate three configurations: the Beach Room for intimate gatherings of 10 to 20, the Nantucket Room for parties of 25 to 30, and the outdoor Deck for larger celebrations. Event packages begin at $25 per person, making Nantuckets a practical and memorable choice for graduations, bridal showers, anniversary dinners, and corporate gatherings.
Community Roots: The Lions Club and Beyond
Richard Gertz has made community engagement a structural element of the business, not an afterthought. Nantuckets hosts the local Lions Club meetings on an ongoing basis — a detail that places the restaurant within Port Jefferson’s civic architecture in a meaningful way. The Lions Club International, founded in 1917 and one of the world’s largest service organizations, has historically built its meeting culture around establishments that reflect community trust. That Nantuckets has earned that designation speaks to the restaurant’s standing in the village.
Beyond Lions Club, Nantuckets participates in fundraising for both local and international charities, and engages with Port Jefferson’s community events calendar throughout the year. This is the kind of institutional commitment that distinguishes a neighborhood institution from a transient dining concept — and it echoes something the Heritage Diner has understood for twenty-five years on the North Shore: that a restaurant’s longevity is proportional to its investment in the life of the street outside its door.
What the Reviews Say
Across Yelp (277+ reviews), OpenTable (4.4 stars from 231 diners), TripAdvisor, and BringFido (4.6 out of 5 from canine critics), the consistent language that appears in Nantuckets reviews is warmth — of staff, of atmosphere, of food. Phrases that recur: “will definitely return,” “best crab cake I’ve had,” “attentive without being intrusive,” “fantastic family brunch.” The outdoor deck dining experience receives consistent praise, particularly in summer when the harbor view is at its most dramatic.
The restaurant has earned a 4.3-star rating on DoorDash with 100+ reviews, indicating that the quality holds even in the translation to delivery — a meaningful benchmark for any kitchen serious about its standards.
Hours, Contact & Ordering
Address: 9 Traders Cove, Port Jefferson, NY 11777 Phone: (631) 509-4848 Email: info@nantucketsportjefferson.com Website: nantucketsportjefferson.com
Hours: Monday – Friday: 12:00 PM – 9:00 PM Saturday: 10:00 AM – 10:00 PM Sunday: 10:00 AM – 8:00 PM Weekend Brunch: Saturday & Sunday 10:00 AM – 2:30 PM
Order Online: Available via DoorDash at doordash.com | Also available on Uber Eats
Reservations: Contact the restaurant directly by phone or through the website reservation system.
Social Media: Facebook: facebook.com/61583561956945 Instagram: @nantucketspjefferson
Private Parties & Catering: Available — visit nantucketsportjefferson.com/party or call directly.
Dietary Accommodations: Gluten-free, vegetarian, and dairy-restricted menu options available.
Dog-Friendly: Yes — outdoor patio welcomes well-behaved dogs.
There is something that happens to a restaurant when it stops trying to be everything and commits fully to being itself. The building at 9 Traders Cove has housed many incarnations, many names, many visions. What Richard Gertz and his team have built under the Nantuckets banner is something more durable than a concept — it is a place. A place where the Lions Club meets, where the crab cake earns its reputation, where a saxophone on the deck on a Friday evening makes the harbor seem composed just for this moment. That is not a marketing achievement. That is the accumulated weight of thirty years of knowing what hospitality actually means — and choosing to practice it, every service, without compromise.
