The all-American night out is a suburban rite. It is the easygoing weeknight when grocery guesswork is avoided, the pantry remains undisturbed and the stovetop stays off. Everyone eats what they want and no one has to wash the dishes.
With its third Long Island restaurant opening last year in Syosset, George Martin’s Grillfire adds to the lure of the night out and has solidified itself as one of the top local chain restaurants. Syosset’s eatery, at 33 Berry Hill Rd., continues the work of its Grillfire predecessors in offering a combination of traditional and innovative American meals in a bold and sleek setting.
Grillfire’s lively bar is perfect for happy hour cocktails surrounded by plates of satisfying appetizers and good friends. A favorite appetizer among diners, and with good reason, is the chili pop shrimp. This fun starter features tender and petite fried shrimp in a spicy chili sauce served with a lime wedge, which nicely brightens up each bite. It’s a delightful dish to share—but one can imagine eating no less than 50 of these spirited morsels in one sitting.
Another small plate of note is the crispy Brussels Sprouts, served with a lemon-caper aioli. This dish has become a ubiquitous appetizer at the latest crop of American restaurants, but Grillfire’s version is held to the fire a bit longer, resulting in a darker and crispier sprout with a rich, deep flavor. The flavor tends to linger on the palate, so be sure to pair with a refreshing beer.
Other enticing appetizers include buttermilk fried chicken wings served with buffalo-spiced honey butter, zucchini “linguini” and blackened chicken quesadillas with smoked gouda, mango salsa and jalapeño crema.
Grillfire’s entrées run the gamut from traditional, rib-sticking hearty meals to more innovative and polished dinner arrangements. On the traditional side, Grillfire offers the horseradish, bacon and cheddar crusted sirloin meatloaf, with roasted mushrooms, pan gravy and mashed potatoes. As for the more contemporary dishes, the basil and feta crusted mahi mahi fillet is served with grilled asparagus, quinoa wild rice and a caper tomato broth.
But at its heart, comfort food is where Grillfire truly shines. That is why the BBQ baby back ribs are a must try. Slathered in a sweet and tangy sauce, the ribs are fall off the bone tender and can be ordered in either full or half rack portion sizes. And then there’s Grillfire’s macaroni and cheese. This after-school staple is given the star treatment at Grillfire, elevated with professional chef flair, the perfect amount of ooey-gooey cheesiness and a butter toasted panko crumble topping. For $6, Grillfire will add succulent lobster to the mix.
Like the island’s other Grillfire spots, the Syosset location is known for its steaks and burgers. The GF marinated skirt steak is the house classic, served with crispy onions. Between buns, Grillfire offers its exclusive house blend prime burger, as well as the incomparable Black Jack burger, with candied bacon, pepper jack cheese, black jack sauce and cherry peppers on a brioche roll. If salad is your goal, Grillfire offers seven, including romaine hearts and baby kale caesar, Mediterranean pita, Mandarin noodle and the steakhouse Cobb.
When the main meal is over and sweets are needed to take the edge off, one can’t go wrong with Grillfire’s array of desserts. The carrot cake is a cool way to end a hot meal.
Bookending this satisfying meal are warm, salted pretzels at the start and a cotton candy treat with the check. Both goodies serve to symbolize the difference Grillfire offers eaters during their own personal all-American night out.
