Stopped in for a quick bite. Had the baked clams- best I have had in years!! Ordered the special flat bread with crumbled sausage, broccoli rabe and sun dried tomatoes. Very delicious Well done Drifters! PS love the watermelon martini read more

Drifters Kitchen and Bar - Cocktail Bars Near Me - Ridge, New York

I've driven past Drifters many times and keep thinking we have to try it. So I read some reviews and noticed that Matthew N, a friend of mine wrote a positive review for Drifters. Well it's Friday and I'm trying to reinstitute "Friday Date Night". Sometimes life get complicated and it's been awhile. Okay, let's see if Matt was right. First we look over the drink menu. I'm thinking if I can get enough booze into Mrs. E this might turn out to be a great date night. Review to follow. LOL Nothing jumps out at me but their Moctails look good, so I ask if they can add alcohol to it. Sure is the answer. Ok a little known fact. When Mrs. E has a drink her face turns bright red. With this drink, no change in complexion. I call our waiter over. C'mon man you have to work with me. He returns with two shots of liquor. Yes there it is, red face. Ok enough personal stuff. Next the food. We start with Baked clams. These were really good. Next we order entrees. Mrs. E has some kind of Chicken Kabobs. I don't really care I'm busy keeping an eye on her drink. I had the soy glazed salmon. Not really a fish guy but it's a long story and you've already heard too much personal stuff. Both meals good and I may start liking fish more. BTW, our waiter was Avery. Not sure about spelling but he was pretty good. All and all a good night and meal. So why 4 Stars? Although Avery was a good waiter, service was slow, very slow. Oh a side note, we were sitting near the bar and there was a woman/bar fly type over drinking and kind of being a spectacle. A little entertainment I guess. So will I go back. Yes we will. Oh the review of Mrs. E and the drinks. Hmmm I leave that for another time. Hey Matt N, I mostly agree with your review read more

Our neighborhood gem continues to impress. Something so basic as a chicken kabob and steak tidbits were absolutely outstanding and the service is second to no one! Don't ever change! We love it as is!! read more

All of their food is delicious! Always great service! The short ribs are the best and save room for their great desserts!

Honestly, I taken aback. We just left the restaurant and as far as the parking, service, and food, everything was great. Our server was awesome. She must be a mom because she was super patient and intuitive of our needs. The meal itself, was great. Unfortunately, when we left I forgot my wireless headphones at our booth. We said our goodbyes to the MIL and drove a bit to a nearby gad station when I realized. I immediately called and was told that no one turned in any headphones. We drove back within five minutes and asked to check. No headphones. I asked if they had a camera and they directed me to the manager, Anthony, who also checked the booth, Lost & Found, and the office. No headphones. They took down my name and number, and said they would reach out if they were located. I think he should have checked their camera systems right then. Seriously speaking, it was either an employee or a patron - as a business owner, I'd want to be sure of which, because if you have a patron that regularly visits and cases people's belongings, I'd want to know so that I can refuse service to them. Conversely, if the perpetrator is an employee, that's even worse, because that means they have the audacity to steal while at work which means they'll steal right from under my nose. I don't like the idea of having to worry about leaving something at a business and not having it returned to me because the problem is coming from inside the house. I've never had this happen before. I'm wondering now, what would happen if I left my wallet or credit card? My headphones were on the seat of a booth, so they were not visible, but if someone that cleaned the table and seats noticed them, it would be easy to pocket without an issue. Crab Cake Salad was decent, although, do not like the honey mustard dressing - asked for ranch instead. Way better. Gourmet Mac w/Pulled Pork was really good. The cheese sauce was ok. The protein brought out the oomph...would taste better if the Mac could stand alone. Kid's Pizza - large serving. Our kid ate about half. Decent pizza. Club Sandwich - my MIL got this and liked it. It was a rather large serving. read more

Drifters Kitchen and Bar - Mezcal Me, Baby...asked for it not too sweet - still sweet. Order a custom paloma to your liking if you're particular. - Cocktail Bars Near Me - Ridge, New York

I came here for the third time expecting the same in previous times and I was very disappointed . It was my granddaughters 16th birthday so I was excited to take her and my grandson here because the other 2 times were so good . She ordered a burger and onion rings with Mac and cheese balls as her appetizer , my grandson ordered the burger and wings with mozzarella sticks as his appetizer, they loved there meal , I ordered ginger salmon with asparagus and mashed potatoes the asparagus was over cooked , the potatoes were gross and the salmon was over cooked . The waitress was friendly but not like Amiya .idk what happened it was a Saturday afternoon around 3:30 it wasn't crazy busy I don't get it . I loved this place the first 2 times will probably give them one more chance but when you're spending 200.00 you expect a lot better than I got . read more

Loved our dinner at Drifters! The Christmas lights & decor put us right into the holiday spirit! This is more elevated than the typical bar/restaurant and we could imagine sitting at our exact table during the summer months, with the glass doors open. But on to the food. Started with the baked clams and they were good, just missing the Applewood bacon flavor. The French Onion soup was very good as well. There was a chip in the crock which we pointed out to our waitress but she didn't seem interested. Moving on. The Caprese BLT - I LOVED it but again, not much bacon on it. And the Prime Rib Baguette - very, very good. We sadly no longer live on Long Island but will definitely be back on our next trip there. Hey corporate - not sure if you have FL establishments, but there's an empty spot in Wellington that could use a place like Drifters!! read more

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Came here Friday for lunch with a group of 4. No reservation, just walked in. We sat in the bar area. They didn't have a lunch special but did have seasonal specials. I ordered the pizza balsamic flatbread which was great. We also all got pumpkin beer which was great with the cinnamon sugar rim. We shared truffle parm fries and wings as an app, all were great. One of us had a Cobb salad, burger and chicken sandwich. I tried every entree and I would have eaten all of them again! read more

Visit Date: March 26, 2025 My two friends and I have one friend out East that we've made plans with now for two years in a row to make at least one annual trip to see her. She suggested we meet at Drifters. This restaurant is so nice. It used to be a McDonald's. It's a pretty place without being overly or intimidatingly fancy. I don't know the name of our waitress but she was nice, and attentive to our dining needs. I opted for the N/A guiness to drink. I've been sober for 5 years and at this point I don't miss the buzz of alcohol and I actually don't even want it but I do enjoy having a beer here and there. So even though N/A beer sometimes gets made fun of it's the choice for me and I loved Guiness when I used to drink so I'm happy it's an option now without alcohol. I had bought green edible glitter so I was able to make the glittery guiness I've been wanting to make since I saw a video about it. For my meal I was looking at burgers but went with the short rib poutine as an option. I never had poutine before even though I've had the similar American version of fries with mozarella cheese and gravy. I would say this was a fancier poutine and it tasted great. For dessert my friends and I split the campfire flatbread, it was also very good. If you're around the Ridge area Drifters is a place to eat at! read more

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I don't update reviews often, but after 3 additional visits I feel it's necessary (and for my own benefit to remember what to order!) Nashville Chicken Sandwich 5/5, better than any Nashville chicken we had in Nashville itself! Delicious sandwich Cheese Curds 5/5: these have been a goto, great every time read more

Food was good service was great very attentive very knowledgeable especially Greg for a large party

Pleasant service good food, extremely busy, which is a very good sign of the food being fresh. Would not hesitate to go back. Only drawback difficult to get Place at the bar. read more

Love the food at Drifters. I've had the bbq pulled pork, Reuben, fish sandwich. They make a great espresso martini along with their other cocktails. The service is great. Very friendly, always make sure everyone is ok. I can't say enough about the ambiance. They did a great job decorating inside and out. My friends and I take plenty of pics when we go there. read more

While visiting in the area I was told to try this restaurant, I used the drive thru option and it was a great experience. So easy and brilliant, I wish we had this option for restaurants back home. The woman at the window was super nice and notified me a couple times of when my meals would be ready. Both meals were delish! I would absolutely come back again when in the area read more

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What Happened to the Art of Bartending? Drifters is an undeniably high-end spot. The food was great, the drinks selection was solid (brown ale on tap and even high-end choices like the more expensive Cases Azure), and the ambiance was fantastic--clean, stylish, with a fireplace and a well-designed flow. From a purely aesthetic and culinary perspective, there was absolutely nothing wrong with it. But something was missing. I sat at the bar with a friend, and there was only one other small party. Two bartenders were working, yet neither seemed interested in engaging with guests. Service was fine--my order was taken, my food arrived--but beyond that, there was no connection, no conversation, no warmth. One bartender spent most of his time on his phone with an AirPod in. When asked how the food was, it was as he walked by, and by the time I responded and asked for water, he was already out of earshot. It made me wonder--what happened to the art of bartending? There was a time when bartenders were part of the experience. They were conversationalists, entertainers, connectors. You went to a bar not just to drink but to interact, to exchange stories, to feel welcomed. Now, in many places, it feels like bartenders are just there to take orders, with one eye on their phone and the other on their coworkers. It wasn't only the bartenders here. The staff talked way more to each tower than any customer and the it was a pretty good crowd for a Saturday (afternoon) Is this just a generational shift? Are phones now a bigger priority than engaging with customers? Or is this just an off night for Drifters? Whatever the case, it's something worth reflecting on. Because a great bar isn't just about the drinks or the decor--it's about the people behind the bar, too. But the food, the setup and attention to detail is off the charts great. Even a drive through to minimize the food traffic for pick up orders. And the automatic sink and perfect temperature water. Someone here knows what they are doing. Just need to learn the art of the conversation. read more

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Good food and service. Parking can be challenging. Convenient location. Very busy so make a reservation.

Ordered takeout from here yesterday. Thw menu looked really good so we decided to give it a try. I got the Drafters regular burger which was cooked very well, I asked for medium rare and for a takeout burger it was very good. The prime rib grilled cheese was also ordered which got a very good review. All and all the food was very good. When we went to go pickup the place was packed so its safe to say it is a pretty liked place. read more

Honestly the food was middle of the road for me. I got French onion soup (ok) a few specialty cocktails and a short rib grill cheese. Nothing really blew me away. The place gets absolutely packed so good luck finding parking. I would go back but no rush. Service is great. read more

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We went on a Saturday around 5pm, the parking lot was full but to our surprise there was no wait. It's really modern, very clean, and I loved the decor. The windows are like garage doors, pretty cool. After being seated our server came around and took our drink orders and we put in for some apps. The apps came fairly quickly, the Mozzarella Planks are ok, and the marinara sauce is lighter than I prefer. The Red Hook Reuben Sliders however were amazing, the addition of the coleslaw ties the flavors up nicely. For our entrees we got the Morning After burger, BBQ Chicken Mac and cheese, Lobster Mac and cheese, and a Hot honey chicken flatbread special. Our wait was really long, we didn't receive our Entrees until around 6:30!!! Despite the really long wait all of the food was amazing. read more

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Always great! Good varied menu and a great atmosphere as well. The service is fantastic - Craig and Alec are next level. Love the poutine in the winter, the salmon is always good, weekly specials are always interesting - in short, a great place to eat and to spend quality time. read more

I feel like I've only been writing five star reviews lately. Maybe I'm just too easy of a reviewer...or maybe these places have just been fantastic, like Drifters Kitchen & Bar. Coming here twice (back in Spring and most recently a week ago) I can easily say this place earns those celestials. For starters, Drifters is decently-sized with seating scattered about its contemporarily cozy interior. We sat near the bustling bar on our first trip and in a more cornered quieter area on the second one. Both times staff were friendly, prompt with food and ordering, and made our experiences quite enjoyable. Though the craziest/coolest thing is if perhaps it's a busy night or you're just not feeling a sit down meal, you can order Drifters and come pick it up...at their drive-thru window! Super cool. Really the most awesome thing is the food/menu. They run the gamut of different types of foods with plenty of sandwiches, entrees, salads, flatbreads, and a slew of apps. You'll also find an impressive drink, dessert, and weekly specials menu. But even if your menu rocks, the food has to match it (spoiler alert: it does). First time around my wife got the short rib grilled cheese and I went for the Nashville chicken sandwich. Her handheld was meaty and flavorful without being too rich while mine was outstanding. The chicken had a nice kick and the formation of the bread, chicken breast, and toppings were perfection. Fast forward to a week ago and we chose to order up an app of Down & Dirty tots which came with pulled pork, hatch queso, honey bbq, pickled peppers, scallions, and cotija cheese. Wow these were tasty! The wife then went for the same short rib grilled cheese while I chose to rock a weekly special and got the southwest chicken burger. This bad boy had cheddar jack cheese, Tabasco bacon, black bean salsa, and chipotle aioli on it. Dang was it delicious with the chicken burger patty tasting superbly juicy and fresh. Now you don't have to order dessert here, but you should at least check out that end-of-meal menu because Drifters has some crazy concoctions and sweets to be shared with the table. Both times we optioned for the "Rainbow" which consisted of a slice of rainbow cookie cake AND a rainbow cookie ice cream truffle. Just amazingly tasty. Overall, I can't say enough about how delicious the grub is at Drifters. They definitely know what they're doing in the kitchen and can match that with good service and a nice interior (along with some reasonable pricing). I know I'll be returning again at some point soon (either to sit in or take out via drive-thru window!) because you can't keep me away from these five star spots! read more

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Been here a couple of times love this location. Definitely a hidden gem. Good service and good food! read more

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The food is always delicious. Pickup is always on time. The only problem is that they are so well regarded, it is difficult to get a reservation. As for me it is too loud inside ( I am 72 and have some hearing issues) so I always order take out. read more

What a sleek, modern spot! The landscaping outside is beautiful and seems out of place among the strip mall plazas. The building looks newly renovated. I like that there's a variety of seating--2 person booths, family booths, bar seating, high top tables, and regular tables. It's quite spacious. The food itself was delicious. Subbed truffle fries for my burger for $2 and I don't regret it at all. Truffle flavoring was quite strong, in the best way. My friend got a nonalcoholic milkshake that was super thick, would request a spoon next time! Two stall bathroom for women but only one sink. Would love to come back. read more

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Takeout order was deficient. Pretzel burger had no avocado nor bacon. What are they doing in that kitchen ?? Four orders nothing to write home about, Average. read more

The restaurant was very clean and neat. Very nice landscape with beautiful lighting and a waterfall out front. Also a good number of TVs throughout the restaurant. My wife had a muddled blueberry coconut mojito which was delicious. I had a shock top lemon shandy. I had really good barbecue wings, and a burger. My wife enjoyed her salad. The food presentation was phenomenal and made you want to eat the food. My wife was watching the US open on her tablet and Melissa, our waitress, had the TV channel changed for us. read more

Drifters Kitchen and Bar - The Steakhouse burger with grill onions and mushrooms - Cocktail Bars Near Me - Ridge, New York

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Sat at the bar again. The servers are always pleasant as the patrons. Nice spot to go to to chill. Able to have a conversation without it being loud. My amertto sour was good and I had a wedge salad this time. Go and enjoy! read more

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I know as a local my opinion is unpopular but it's honest. I've been here 6 times over the years, most recently yesterday. I'm just not impressed by the food. It's a great space. Decor outside for holidays is always amazing. It feels warm & inviting inside. Staff are very friendly. But I'm here for food and drinks, and it's just not anything special in my opinion. I live very close by. My husband and I go out to eat once a week. Never have either of us said, hey let's go to Drifters. My friends love this place, and that why we're here. Holiday cocktails and some apps. This establishment is wildly popular and always crowded. I think because of its location and lack of other options in the area plays a huge factor. No reservations, so expect to wait. Parking fills up very quickly and you have to find a spot on side street or at deli across the way. No happy hour specials. $14 martinis and $8 drafts. Appetizers the portions are small for the price in my opinion. They are nothing special. No wow factor. They taste good. We had fried pickles, mozzarella sticks, keggers (5 big tater tots) and a flatbread. None of which had me thinking how delicious they were. Again, not bad..just nothing special to me. I will say my candy cane martini was delicious. In my experience it's always too warm inside and very loud. This was my friends pick to have drinks and apps. It is a great space. Just the food doesn't do enough for me to make a regular dining spot. Just my opinion. This place is tremendously popular for a reason. It just doesn't do it for me. But I'll be back. It's close to home and a nice space most people enjoy. read more

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Drifters is a great place to eat. Love the convenience of drive thru pickup window and the atmosphere is always buzzing. However, their price increases have been borderline insane/delusional lately. I understand inflation got as high s 9% in 2022, but they've marked their food up a whopping 67% in the last 3 years. I have proof attached comparing my favorite meal that I've been getting since 2021. In 2021, the Nashville Chicken Sandwich costs $14.00 Now, 4 years later, it is $23.40. A full 67% mark up. There is no way that food has gotten 67% more expensive. It just means I will have to eat there less often. It would be nice if management took a hard look at some of these ridiculous price increases. UPDATE: Upgrading my review to 4 stars. I really appreciate management's timely response to this review. Once again, it's a highly recommended place to eat. read more

Drifters Kitchen and Bar - Cocktail Bars Near Me - Ridge, New York

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First time here plus we drove about a half hour to get there.......totally worth it! Food was great, service was great, atmosphere was great! read more

Every order has been outstanding and delicious - The drive through is the best way to pick up a great dinner on the way home from work - Thank you Drifters!! read more

Food is always good. Usually crowded but we always manage to get seats at the bar. Ambiance is always nice and relaxing.

Great food! Only thing is kind of noisy, yet a happy place. Good for a celebration or just a good meal.

Great food, drinks and atmosphere. The blue raspberry drink is amazing. It's busy because it's good so get there early!

The food was pretty good here! I got a salad to try and the flatbread and they both were really good. The salad had really good balsamic vinaigrette and the veggie flatbread had soft cooked veggies on top. The grilled cheese was very flavorful and filling. I also ordered the sweet potato fries and I thought it came with honey mustard so it took me by surprise for the sauce to be very sweet (Almost like icing). I'm not sure if I liked the sauce but the fries by itself were good. Would like the mention that the outside of the restaurant is really pretty which I liked. read more

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Went to Drifters today for lunch. This was my first time. I ordered the prime rib sandwich with homemade chips. The sandwich was delish! It was big so I bought half of it home. Service was good, portions are big, and the drinks are good! read more

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Delicious food and excellent service. There's a reason why this place is so popular. The food and drinks are solid. I had the mussels and they were delicious, abundant and exactly what I want from mussels. Clean, well seasoned, nice broth. I also ordered the shrimp wrap with feta cheese. So delicious. Excellent service. Great vibe. A little loud and I wish they had a truffle free zone. The smell is so overpowering. The table next to us ordered something with truffle. I had to cover my nose with my napkin. I realize this is an unrealistic ask but that was the only thing taking away from my perfect dining experience. No pictures this time around. Just having too much fun with friends. Yes go. Pre-eat a snack if you're going during peak hours. Expect a wait most times. It's that popular and good. read more

Went out for fish and chips and some other appetisers, best fish and chips on Long Island without a doubt! And we have been around a lot of restaurants. Keep up the good work drifters! Jennifer. read more

we were out in the area looking for dinner and found this under google search for cafe near me. when I pulled up it looked a bit sketch on end of strip mall with drive in window facing me, like a McDonalds. packed parking lot. I thought about leaving but very glad I gave it a try. excellent quick service. we had tuna avocado crostini-wow! and a corn queso pulled pork chip thing. cannot believe the quality of both. and two perfectly strong not too sweet pineapple martinis. and a crazy red white and blue cake ice cream dessert that was out of this world. enough for several people. anyway, wow. service, food, drinks. unexpected based on outward appearance and huge varied menu. read more

Modern yet relaxed ambiance at Drifters. Can come to celebrate or for casual dinner. Menu is pretty extensive which I like. My burger was good and I love that there's an option for side salad instead of fries. About a half hour wait on a Sunday night, hostess was friendly, server was alright-he didn't really stand out. Would go back to try other menu items and cocktails. Good was good but I wasn't mind blown. Got boneless wings that tasted similar to Applebees or Buffalo Wild Wings. Desserts on other tables looked good. read more

Drifters Kitchen and Bar - Cocktail Bars Near Me - Ridge, New York