Nostalgia in Bethpage has won Best Live Music on Long Island in the 2025 FourLeaf Best of Long Island Awards for the second year in a row for its live music experience, which has featured celebrities and bands since first opening its doors two years ago.
“Unique is the word that we use to describe ourselves,” co-owner Tom Angenbroich said. “We wanted to be different and we wanted to offer a better experience to people who were looking to go out.”
According to Angenbroich, Nostalgia came to Bethpage two years ago as a “shrine to the ’90s.” He, along with partners Sean O’Connor, Pete Dragone, and Cosras Themistocleous, have created a unique bar experience that draws inspiration from all aspects of the ’90s. The bar features ’90s memorabilia, pop culture, sports, music, and more.
Angenbroich explains that the idea behind Nostalgia came from experiencing other bars on Long Island.
“It’s the same four brown walls and mediocre decoration and there’s nothing that stands out about it,” he said.
The owners said they wanted to create a bar that was different and offered an experience people would remember. “When you walk into Nostalgia, there’s bright colors everywhere and memorabilia,” Angenbroich said. “I almost want to say it’s like kind of like a museum inside of a bar. There’s stuff to keep you occupied and keep you entertained.”
Angenbroich also explained how music is an important method in immersing customers in the full ’90s experience and how all four owners come from a music background. “We’ve all played in bands around the area, we’ve all worked in music, so the live music aspect is very important to us and our brand,” he said.
On Fridays and Saturdays, Nostalgia hosts live music featuring bands, DJs, and various artists like Trevor Pennick from O-Town. The bar also hosts trivia nights on Wednesdays.
Aside from their normal weekly schedule, Nostalgia has been trying its hand at themed pop-ups where staff transform Nostalgia into a one-of-a-kind experience drawing inspiration from a chosen ’90s show.
Most recently, the bar hosted a Spongebob pop-up featuring Bikini Bottom decor, themed drinks, and entertainment. The owners said it was a great time and that they had a lot of fun creating this Spongebob experience.
According to Angenbroich, more themed pop-ups are in the works for Nostalgia.
Until then, a second location owned by one of Nostalgia’s co-owners, Alibi, located in Farmingdale, will be hosting pop-ups year-round. Together, the two bars are bouncing ideas off one another to create new and immersive worlds for customers to enjoy.
