11/29/24 Jamesport Cliff's Elbow Room. I ordered a poterhouse steak ginger ale and my wife ordered a filet mignon and a maple old fashioned. I was served a porterhouse and my wife was given a SHELL steak. The filet mignon served did not look right so we questioned the waitress who insisted it was a filet mignon. When she returned 10 minues later to see how we were doing, we questioned her again and at that tume she checked with the kitchen and they had messed up and given my wife a SHELL steak that was not good at all...dry and tough. The porterhouse was not that good also. Next time we are looking for a great steak, we'll travel to a Scotto Brothers retaurant such as; Blackstone, Insignia or Rare 650. I suggest you do the same. read more

A friend was going on and on about this place, swearing by their Porterhouse steak. Stepping inside felt like stumbling upon a cozy dive-bar-meets-elegant-dining gem, with a charmingly "homey feel" that immediately puts you at ease. You could tell it is a spot that mostly only locals frequent. They gave us the nod to choose our own seat and we instantly felt at home. The waitress who greeted us was as friendly as she was eager to take our drink orders. I opted for the marinated steak over salad, while my husband ordered the marinated porterhouse. Each bite was a symphony of flavors, expertly cooked to perfection. Overall, it's exactly what they said it would be: cozy, with loads of character, and the servers are pretty friendly too. It's a dining experience you won't find anywhere else on the North Fork, a real adventure for your taste buds. Next time you're feeling like a carnivore, make sure you visit the elbow room in Jamesport. I hear they have another location, but I was told this is the best one. The verdict? The Elbow Room charmed its way into our hearts. read more

A friend recommended this place, raving about their signature Porterhouse steak. In business since 1958, it's truly a time-capsule teleportation for anyone lamenting the demise of old-school culture and dining. We made a reservation, but it didn't appear we needed one at 6 pm on the day after Christmas. There was an air of, "Hmmm...We don't recognize you..." as we entered what was pretty clearly a place frequented by a regular local crowd. We were told to sit anywhere we liked. The cozy, two-room building with lots of wood has the air of a "Bar", with a dining room of about ten tables in the back. We brought a nice bottle of wine, and offered to pay corkage, but were told by the ladies on duty that they, "...didn't think NY state law allowed that." (We do it at other local restaurants, so they probably need to update their legal understanding, but we didn't take issue.). There is a very basic wine list, essentially one of each variety of American red wine. Not a plus for wine aficionados, but our mission here was the vaunted steak, so we abided. We ordered martinis, which came in big 4 oz glasses, nearly overflowing. Sticking to my rule of ordering what a place is famous for, regardless of any other tempting menu selections (there were a lot!), we both ordered the "Marinated Porterhouse", (you can opt out of the marinade...but then you would not be eating what this restaurant is famous for), medium-rare, which the menu proclaims will be "...guaranteed USDA Choice...or better!" Okay. It came with a nice, crispy salad, and we selected the baked potato and a side order of Creamed Spinach. Since we couldn't open our wine, I opted for a glass of the house Cabernet (on their list for $18 a bottle). The steaks arrived, overflowing the sides of the standard steak platters they serve on, charred BLACK (see photo). I had done my homework and knew about their preparation. My companion asked me, "HOW did you order these cooked?" Not to worry, a couple of cuts showed the meat was perfectly cooked, with a warm pink center, and it was melt-in-your-mouth juicy and delicious! So...five stars? Yes...in context. It was exactly as described: Rustic, quaint, lots of character, reasonably friendly, serving delicious gigantic steaks...for $40! It's a unique dining experience that you will not find anywhere else...a great adventure that I know we will try again when we are feeling our carnivorous cravings! Get good and hungry...then GO FOR IT! PS. The ladies in charge urged me to, "Take a free calendar!" as we left. How's THAT for great old-school ambiance? read more

Cliff's Elbow Room - Amazing char, perfectly cooked Medium Rare center, juicy and tender! - American Near Me - Jamesport, New York

My wife and I had the fried scallops . Fried scallops were excellent, and the service was very good.

We stopped In for dinner. It's a cute little place. Tables are close together, elbow room. The staff is great. My husband ordered the porterhouse. It came out totally black; he ordered medium. To his delight, it was cooked perfect. He had a huge baked potato with it as well as corn on the cob. Also, it came with a salad. He ordered blue cheese dressing; I did too. The dressing had no flavor. The corn was sweet and delicious. The potato was a really nice size. I ordered the broiled seafood platter. It was huge! It came with a very big lobster tail, scallops, flounder and shrimp, corn on the cob, baked potato and salad. It was very generous. However, the seafood was flavorless and the lobster was not cooked through. I would never order this again. Best option is the steak, which my husband really enjoyed. read more

Visiting the Island to see family. Husband has never been "out East" so we took a nice drive towards Orient Point. Nice day for a drive but also to get an appetite! The Elbow room was highly recommended by friends and family so we dined here. Upon pulling up there was parking even though it looked packed! One person from our party went in to see how long the wait would be for four, 15 minutes! Excellent. In no time at all our table was ready. Very cozy and small hence the name elbow room, barely any space between tables. Menu had a few options outside of steak including salads and sandwiches. Three of the four of us ordered the marinated Porterhouse steak, medium rare and the forth ordered a filet. Salad was just greens and some cabbage, no other vegetables which I found unusual. Steaks arrived blackened as we were told, marinade has this effect when cooked, didn't taste burnt. Temperature was perfect as was the potato and creamed spinach (my favorite). We all left satisfied and will be back to try some of the other items. read more

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Goo location. Nice staff. Fun ambiance. Excellent service. Delicious food and drinks. It was a great relaxing evening with my husband.

Old school restaurant good for marinated steaks. Service friendly and good. Very good steaks. I'll be back soon. Love the old style wood walls. read more

I ordered the shrimp scampi. I expected it to be over pasta or rice, but instead was offered a choice of fries, sweet potato fries or mashed potatoes with a side of gravy. I was not happy. The only good part of the meal was the toasted almond cake. Will never return. Maybe because it was lunch? 0*'s read more

My husband and I were very disappointed. I guess we just expected better. Place is overcrowded noisy and food is not worth it. Waitresses seem overwhelmed. Food was not the best read more

We ordered the following: New England clam chowder-- amazing Their baked clams-- amazing Filet mignon with creamed spinach and fries--amazing T-bone-- cooked perfectly The steak marinade was so tasty! Espresso martinis were delicious and service was great. Low key, great food, may have to wait but was worth it! read more

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Hi Yelpers! This is going to be very brief and very to the point. Cuz I'm busy enjoying this delish food!!!! N.E. Clam Chowder- THE BEST I'VE EVER EATEN!!! EVER! In my 47yrs!!! I'm so for real right now. Meaty, seasoned to perfection Burger of the week- tasty, FRESH made patty, beefy. Not the best but def not the worst I've had Clams on the half- fresh and briney. Our server (Terry)- super helpful and attentive. But just enough. Not annoying in the least. Beer- Cigar City. Not the best. Lacking...punch. read more

Cliff's Elbow Room - N.E. CRACK Chowder!!! YUMMMMMM! - American Near Me - Jamesport, New York

Consistent and always a delicious meal. Cozy atmosphere for sure. The petite filet is my fave!

My favorite steak on Long Island! Their in house marinade is to die. We went to Cliff's twice this past week because we didn't know when we would be back in the area. The restaurant is very small and can be loud so plan your visit to eat early if your like it a bit less noisy. Their is always good rotating specials and the desserts are very very yummy! We also enjoyed the baked clams and ordered the fried flounder dinner twice as well this weekend. If you are 'out east' and looking for somewhere to grab a very very good meal, Cliff's Elbow Room is your spot! Cheers read more

Love Cliffs for what it is! Great friendly service? Yes! Ambiance? Yes! Very old school. Now the steaks..... is it Peter Luger's? No. But you will get a very tasty, well prepared steak with a delicious addictive marinade served with a delicious baked potato, a fresh wedge salad and yes order the creamed spinach. Can't go wrong for the price here! Shout out to Jackie the manager for a great job! read more

In a word mediocre...food is definitely overpriced for the quality.French onion soup was ok but watery, we ordered the breaded clams and they were mostly breading very little clam detected. They really need to cut back on the amount of breading.House salad was pretty lame. and they're serving various dressings and sauces on the side in plastic cups? What's up with that? You're spending $40 and up for an entrée and they can't use regular dishes?? Little plastic containers are for takeout,not sitting having dinner at an expensive restaurant..they seem to be resting on their laurels. The wine selection is pathetic. I'm a wine drinker and they have nothing but cheap jug wines really? Come on guys you're on the north Fork of Long Island. You should have much better wines listed. Overall the service was decent and the place has a cool ambience, but probably wouldn't go back. read more

I love this place. It is very unassuming and a secret gem. Great divey bar look. Burgers are absolutely amazing. I'm not even a big burger eater but once you have a burger here all others pale in comparison. Get it made to order- I got mushrooms and bacon on mine. So good! Service was good. read more

Food was delicious! Everything came out very quick which was surprising because I was in a large party. It was very noisy which can be expected in a small establishment. If you have been going for a while, the steak marinade did taste different. It's still tasty, but not as good as the original from years ago. read more

I stopped in to Cliff's for the first time, FINALLY, after over a decade or two of driving by! I didn't have any snacks rather I had a few beers while waiting for our table to be ready at Grana across the street. Cliff's is truly a hidden gem - doesn't look like much from the outside frankly, but their food is constantly rated quite highly by the locals. It's completely unassuming even after you walk in and can get quite busy at times so be particular about what time of the day or week you visit! Super nice bartenders and servers, btw...you will definitely feel welcomed as a local! THIS has been a review by Gaurav read more

It's definitely a 5 in my books. I must have passed it a million times, but I was a group of women today who have been coming here for years & love it. I had MARINATED STEAK over SALAD. The steak was just as flavorful as any famous steak house I've been to. The salad was extremely fresh and plentiful. The waitress suggested a special of MARINATED STEAK WITH SHRIMP which my friend got. She loved it, it came with salad & sweet potato fries. The sauce was delicious. Last was the FRIED FISH SANDWICH, was a large piece of fish with fries a a lovely sauce. The drinks was strong and great. Service was fabulous. Will be visiting again. read more

One of the best steaks and mussels I ever had. Excellent service and a cozy feel. The pricing was great too!

This place is a true hidden gem of Long Island. From the outside (and the inside to be honest) this place doesn't look like much. But the food is out of this world. Their marinade is incredible. I always get the steak when I come here. It honestly doesn't matter if you get the filet, petit filet, porterhouse, shell, t-bone, you have to get it with the marinade and they're all super tender and delicious. Don't bother getting an appetizer or anything else, you want to save all your space for your steak. The meal comes with a house salad, half an ear of corn and a potato. I personally love the mashed potato here but you can't go wrong with a nice baked potato to go with your steak. Like I said before, you are not coming here for the ambiance and the aesthetics, you are coming for the food. The restaurant is dated and parking is limited, but it's small little gem inside. The service is okay, every time I come here the servers seem to be a little grouchy and don't smile, but hey, when they're handing you one of the best steaks you've ever had, they don't need to smile. read more

Stopped in here on the recommendation from one of the servers at Martha Clara's Vineyard. Glad we asked for a place to grab a bite. The food was soooo good. The French onion soup was delicious!! Our server was super friendly and on point with everything, never had to ask for a single thing. It was great. Portions are perfect for the price. read more

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I am so upset with my visit. The gentleman who took my order also running the bar was very rude and disturbing . Asked me to tip him for a take our order, and it took an hour for my food! I asked him if I was allowed to check my food before I leave and he said no he's about to close we have to leave. I get in the car and check my food and don't have my cake I ordered. I immediately called the restaurant to talk to someone because I honestly didn't want to enter his presence again . And there closed !!! I'm so upset and so annoyed ! The steak had to much burnt from the grill but it was absolutely so good !! And I didn't have silverware, napkins or salad dressing . Plus no dessert. But yea I won't repeat. read more

Cliff's Elbow Room - Burnt - American Near Me - Jamesport, New York

Great food and the price is excellent. Love the decor and STAFF. The Caprese steak Salad is a must. Creamed spinach and mashed cauliflower is a must read more

Want good, tasty comfort food, in a cozy setting? Then look no further! Sometimes, older is better and this rests is one such example. From the burgers to the steak sandwiches to the French Onion Soup, you can't go wrong here. Our server, Carol, was so pleasant and warm--an unfortunate rarity these days! Definitely returning here..... read more

The food was pretty much disgusting... we got clams casino for an appetizer and they were microscopic !! Not to mention there were little bones and gritty sand in them!!! Ugh!! Our lunches weren't much better...I mean how can you ruin a basic sandwich? But the shrimp wrap the waitress suggested was basically bland and flavorless and the French fries were burnt ! How they stay in business is a HUGE MYSTERY to me. Don't waste your money!! read more

Fabulous steaks at great prices. Friendly, efficient service in a relaxed setting. My go to on the North Fork.

Today I've broken down after many of years being a Yelp member. Using this platform strictly for photos, restaurants information and deciphering btw real food people and know nothings. We arrived at Cliff's last night, Thursday. Husband, wife, two tweens in tow. Famished. Long car ride from hell. We requested to sit in bar area. Mostly for the tv's and noise distractions that would keep us from killing each other. Once seated the magic began. Our waitress treated our kids as her own. The martinis were perfectly executed. The corn from a local farm. Fries that weren't treated like an afterthought. We eat A Lot of fries with kids.. The steak marinade is exactly how my 77yr old father did his for us when I was a child. I could sit in this room and listen to that front door squeak all day and night. You can hear the countless stories and chatter that consumed those walls for many of decades. Feel the sweat and soul from employees long ago working countless hours to make Cliff's what it is. This place is a treasure. Tried and true for a reason. You should respect it. Respect the people that work hard to keep this place going. While change and progress are important. As is Equally stepping into a time of a begone era such as Cliff's. Come as you are. Not who you are. Thank you, Cliff's. The world is a better place with you in it. read more

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Valentine's Day. For starters, for me, excellent blend of unsweetened iced tea. I'm picky with that. My husband ordered a shrimp scampi dinner for an appetizer, they wouldn't make a smaller version. The flavor was great, but the shrimp were tough. My husband had the New England clam chowder, which he enjoyed. For me, there was way too much thyme flavor, and could have been thicker. He also had the marinated porterhouse steak. Cooked and seasoned to perfection, delicious. I had the fried seafood platter. Scallops, shrimp, fillet were excellent. Soft shell crab was a bit over fried. The baked clams...we are still trying to figure out. Nothing we have ever seen or tasted. A green, mushy consistency, like in a baby diaper, sadly. Considering the busy holiday, the service was friendly and flowed nicely. Prices were compatible to other restaurants. We absolutely enjoyed overall. read more

Truly Disappointed. The steak wasn't as good as it used to be. It was tough and not as tasty.

Delicious dinner. But what made the dinner exceptional was our waiter, Dan. My husband generally doesn't like ipa beer and that is all the Elbow Room has on tap, which is my husband's preference when ordering beer in a restaurant. Dan was able to describe each ipa beer to my husband in great detail. After determining what kind of beer my husband preferred, Dan suggested one ipa beer that he thought he might enjoy. He allowed him to taste it, as well. Besides enjoying excellent service of our wonderful steak dinner, my husband enjoyed 3 of the ipa beers that Dan recommended. (I drove home) We will be back! read more

First: bartender greets us for brunch with a huge smile. She promised to make us a "special" Bloody Mary. It took a few minutes but she came back with a Bloody Mary with spicy pickles and shrimp. My dining companion remarked "One of the better bloody Mary's, I've ever had." Cliffs is known for steaks. We went for lunch and had sandwiches. The appetizers and drinks were even better than the sandwiches. Will be back for dinner soon! read more

This place is nice. They serve good food. The waitress was especially helpful. The patrons were good people. They should be proud. I'm looking forward to their continued success. read more

I have heard of this place for DECADES, but living in Nassau County it hasn't been the most convenient dinner destination. This past weekend, when doing my annual North Fork Winery Run, we decided to stop here for an early dinner. Even at 3:30 in the afternoon, it was PACKED but we were able to get a table right by the front door. Unlike most steak houses, your steak here comes with salad and potato. We started out by splitting a dozen littleneck clams on the half shell. The price was something like $8 for a half dozen, and $11 for a dozen, so splitting a dozen was a no-brainer. We both ordered the NY Strip Steak (marinated, of course... that IS what makes the Elbow Room famous, after all). I wanted mine rare, my dining companion ordered hers medium rare. Out came the two THICKEST NY Strip Steaks either of us had ever seen in our lives, covered in a thick, black marinade. Our waitress warned us not to put ANYTHING on the meat; not even salt. Maybe there's a penalty or something... but we took her advice. Our first bite made it quite plain how the Elbow Room got its reputation. Oh my God, this was one of the best tasting meat dishes I can remember having in a long time! Our steaks were cooked to perfection (which, in my case, means "barely") . The steaks weren't nearly as tender as the steaks at Peter Luger's, but that might have more to do with the cut than anything else. The prices (unlike Peter Luger's) won't lead you to a cardiac arrest when the check arrives either so it's a fair trade-off. I'll have to remember this place the next time I'm out on the North Fork. It really is worth the trip in the warmer weather, though. One thing I found odd, though... it's right in the heart of Long Island Wine Country, but I only saw signs for Blue Point beer... a local beer true, but from the South Shore. Maybe next time I'll ask to see a wine list. Addendum: I just checked their wine list online. They DO offer a terrific selection of local wines! Good for them! read more

Cliff's Elbow Room - Parked outside the famous Cliff's Elbow Room - American Near Me - Jamesport, New York

It's a nice place Come here if you really like meat and don't expect fine dining etc etc. We try the T-bone marinated and the shell steak it's was really good, they know what they do and it's cook well and yes it's old school kitchen with butter and taste The waitress are really nice We will definitely come back if we are around read more

Big dissappointment. Have gone here many times since 1988. Always had the marinated porterhouse and never before was so dissappointed. This time my granddaughter took me here (my choice) for my birthday. Service was very good but My steak was overcooked, medium well rather than medium rare & very dry. My granddaughter had the shell steak and said nothing while she usually comments when she likes something. I wonder if it was because we arrived after 8pm and were the last people in the dining room. This was sad because I will not go there again, especially at their current prices. read more

We were looking for a bite to eat and Jacquie recommended the best dinners!!! She is awesome!!! Love this place.

I have to say ... The value is not there for me. The steaks are usually great with lots of marinated flavor. However, for the price the cut of steak seems very fatty and full of gristle. At $35 - $45 per steak, that's not a good thing. However if you don't mind dissecting a lot of fat from the meat, the marinade makes these steaks as flavorful as you will find anywhere. Don't expect frills here ... This is an old timer dive spot. It probably hasn't changed a bit since the 1950s. Dusty, worn out and oddly comfortable. Anyone who likes modern decor in a restaurant would be very uncomfortable here. For the rest of us who like a classic ... You will enjoy the rustic cheesy atmosphere (complete with fishing nets on the ceiling and maritime knick knacks on the walls. The restaurant is small. Like a trailer size small. Tables are hard to come by and there is a very chaotic system. You put your name in with whomever seems to walk past you and you hope they remember to call your name. Locals get preference here, which is fine by me because they earned it through their patronage. However, there was one time we waited 45 minutes to get a table while 3 local couples walked in 20 min. After us and were seated first. The steaks are the go-to here although the seafood is good. Fresh bay scallops are amazing in season (albeit a bit sandy) and always fresh at Cliff's. Clam chowder is creamy and good. The salad and rolls they bring out with dinner are cute ... Probably haven't changed since Alfred Hitchcock was still making movies. The $17 burger ... I've been coming here for years and am still not sure what that's all about! Had it once and it tasted like a regular dried out burger. For almost $20! Overall, this is a local place that sets the standard for North Fork dive restaurants. Its a classic and while the prices are higher than the value, you will keep coming back when you are in the area. read more

Awesome old school bar with a nice draft beer selection and friendly staff. The restaurant looked good but we did not try the food.