American Roadside Burgers
80 E. Main St.
Smithtown
631-382-9500
www.roadsideburgers.com
Feeding the Baby Boomers’ appetite cravings for goodies from their past has led Long Island restaurateur John Tunney (Honu, Besito) to spin off his local fast-food success, American Burger Company (ABC), into American Roadside Burgers in Smithtown. Gone is ABC’s futuristic red, white and blue sheen; it’s now morphed into what he calls “ode to the road interior.” American Roadside, a rustic-looking, fast-casual concept, has the same trademark freshly made burgers anchoring the menu, joined by chicken, salad, veggie burgers and feel-good sweets like Bosco Chocolate Soda, ice cream sandwiches, plus an Oreo with a milk shake.
The four-patty-high cheeseburger culinary/coronary-known at ABC as the 4×4-becomes the Roadstar Burger ($7.91). Don’t worry-you still get your name painted on the Roadside Wall of Fame if you finish it, as one high schooler did at the next table one night. You even get a shot at winning the Yamaha Road Star motorcycle sitting in the front room, at a drawing on National Hamburger Day, May 28. Around that time, Huntington’s ABC will be redeveloped as a Roadside.
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The new Smithtown digs are a little bit country and a little bit rock ‘n’ roll. The interior has red brick and original barn wood-covered walls, wide-plank floors, and big funky booths, offset by what they call “road warrior” art. One pop art sign proclaims, “Peace, Love & Burgers,” and rock music blasts from speakers. Barrels filled with Slo Poke Caramels greet customers at the door. The exterior has barn wood accents and a motorcycle weather vane.
You still get the “In the house or on the road?” shtick from the staff, and they bring your tray to your booth. The Hamburger ($3.22) is just as fresh and lean as ever. Free toppings include the usual-lettuce, tomato, onions, etc.-plus roasted jalapeños, mushrooms and fried onions. I thoroughly enjoyed a burger alternative lunch of a terrific Crispy Chicken Sandwich ($3.92) with bacon on a bun, and a hard-to-beat BLT ($4.61), made with thick-cut bread and plenty of bacon strips. Good spicy Wings ($6.94) come with or without fire. You get only seven per order, but plenty of celery sticks and blue cheese dressing come with.
A Hot Dog ($2.89), split and grilled, is big, meaty and good. A big Roadside Salad ($3.95), loaded with cheese, tortilla strips and black beans, is easily enough for two, even without crumbled chicken. An order of Sweet Potato Fries ($2.66), extra crispy, is also a generous portion. Roadside Onion Rings ($2.33) are recommended as well. I liked the perfect Homemade Slaw ($1.39) enough to wish it had come in a bigger container. Sugar-covered, warm fried dough is a crowd-pleaser in every culture; here, it’s called Lug Nuts ($1.25). A sweet Vanilla Milk Shake ($2.91) with an Oreo ($.50) and Bosco Chocolate Soda ($1.79) from the fountain machine brought me back to my sugary childhood, when all the above passed for substantial nutrition.
