My wife asked me where do you want to eat and I'm not sure why but I said the Spare Rib. I've driven passed this place for over 40 years and eat there once with no recollection so I wasn't expecting much. We pulled into the parking lot at a 5pm and there were a few cars in the lot uh oh, warning bells ringing. The wait staff brought us to a booth and boy, the memories flooded back, a Good Steer/ Gound Round feel to it. But appearances hid the real beauty of this landmark. The service was outstanding and the food was delicious. I'm not going to wait another 40 years to drop by. read more

Waitress had no clue what she was doing. We requested separate checks for our group, she agreed and brought one check. One person asked for very little sauce on the fish and it was covered in so much sauce she sent it back. We had to repeatedly ask for things multiple times before we got them. After the gave us separate checks they switched 3 of the bills and the cards charging the incorrect amounts to each person. When we spoke to the manager he was rude indicating it was our fault and we drove her crazy. We are a weekly food group that goes to different places each week. This was not a good experience and we most likely will not return read more

My family and I have been frequenting this restaurant for over 30 years. I ordered takeout yesterday - 2 half racks baby back ribs. Service was horrible. Spoke to a very "snippy" person (Hayley) who took my order. She was rude on the phone when I asked questions about the menu and side dishes. I arrived to pick up my order. I asked Hayley why she was so rude. She just smiled at me with no reply. I then spoke to the manager (Freddy) to explain my experience with Hayley. His response was "I'll talk to her." Not happy with his response, I asked him the name of the owner. He would not share that with me - telling me he's not allowed to share that info. Well, there is this new technology called the internet. I did a web search when I returned home and found the name of the business owner. I'm giving 1 star based on the service and the response from the manager. For being a loyal customer (for over 3 decades), I was offered a free appetizer for my trouble. I walked out. read more

Food and service was great !! I wouldn't get the potatoes again. They were dry and not very good . read more

The Spare Rib - Chicken Cordon Bleu & refried potatoes - Barbeque Near Me - Commack, New York

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This is a solid rib joint with over the top portion sizes. My advice don't order appetizers just your main course. You might be able to finish everything. And don't forget to order the fried chicken! Takes 20-25 minutes because it's made to order but you'll be glad you waited. Mixed berry sangria was great with a nice little kick. Come with an appetite to this place because the serving are very generous. No shrinkflation here! read more

Outstanding Service and Food, I want to thank all the people at The Spare Rib located in Jericho Turnpike in Commack for outstanding service and food. On 20 February 2020 I had purchased 30 individual lunches that included Prime Rib, Baby Back Ribs, Stuffed Sea Bass, Roast Turkey Sandwich and Mediterranean Kababs along with an assortment of starter, sides and desserts. The people there individually packaged each lunch with the person's name and all their starters, sides, dessert and utensils that absolutely made distributing the meals a breeze. And to add that everyone received a hot meal that was perfect in every way. And what I mean is it taste great. It was with the help of Rachel, Mike and Tracy that made it happen. I went down two days before with a printout and Rachel review the order with me to make sure we had everything correct. When I arrived to pick it up, they were ready when they said they would be. Told me to pull my car up closer to the door. Then 5 people carried out two big cardboard boxes and about 20 bags. Placed it all in my car and off I went. They were great from beginning to end and everyone, all 30 people, said the food was excellent. So, thank you for a great experience. Can't wait to do this again. Sincerely Mike Roamer read more

Finally made it here last Friday since my daughter was treating me to an early Mother's Day dinner! She had Prime Rib and I had crabcake and riblets (which I had read so many rave reviews) well I guess I'm not a riblet fan because they were awful short pieces of rib meat on the bone which were a little tough and scary to eat because I was afraid of bone pieces!!! However the crabcake was delicious as was the prime rib!! We would definitely go back for those two items! read more

I'm going to give TSR a generous 4, mostly because we had a great server, and because I don't feel a 3 is fair. We enjoyed a nice dinner for 4. TSR is VERY crowded, but we called ahead, and waited about twenty minutes. Our server, Sam, was excellent. He was polite, friendly, knowledgeable, and conversational. And he never rushed us even though it was crowded. My pulled pork was very good, not dried out, and the bbq sauce had a nice kick to it. And the bbq potatoes were very good. The other 3 at my table all said the ribs were very good as well. TSR exceeded my expectations. The coffee was fresh and hot, and we had no room for dessert because of the large portion size. A nice change of pace for a casual dinner and drinks. Note: The parking lot is Very small, so parking could be problematic at peak time. read more

I had never been here, I honestly don't know why... To start I had the onion rings which were so good and the half order was gigantic! Of course their cornbread and Italian bread was amazing! Had the raspberry salad which was amazing with chicken which had amazing flavor.I also had the mixed grill special with burnt ends, ribs , baby back ribs,ribblets and sausage! I wish the ribs and ribblets had more meat on them but other than that it was a great way to try everything! I also had the collard green and butternut squash which were amazing in addition to the sweet potato fries which are good everywhere! Overall a great experience definitely need a rib rewards card! Don't forget to check out my profile! read more

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I have been going here since I was a kid... For some strange reason I never get the ribs lol.. They have a delicious French onion soup amongst other great things on the menu to choose from read more

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Went into this unpretentious and outdated restaurant on Saturday. My husband and I have dined here before but after a horrible experience it's been a WHILE!! First, let me say the place was crowded. Like very very busy, filled with families young and old, couples and singles when we arrived around 5:30. Surprised at how quickly they were able to seat us; we got a nice big booth in the front of the restaurant. Let me reiterate that it takes A-LOT for me to write a review and it's been a hot minute since I have. Unfortunately we all sadly have drastically lowered our expectations and standards for service and quality when we dine out now. I'm guilty of it too! Well let me just tell you how refreshing it is to ACTUALLY receive exceptional service. I was reminded how much I really love dining out and how I wish I had so many more nights out like this one. Our waitress Michelle was a breathe of fresh air! Upbeat, friendly, knowledgeable and SMILING she completely made our dining experience exceptional! The food was delicious and having such a unique positive waitress will definitely have us coming back soon!! read more

I have to preface this review by letting you know that it is only for the ribs. I know that their sign says, "We Ain't Just Ribs," and many people have told me (including my wife) that there non-ribs food is delicious too; however, for over 20 years, I've been dining at The Spare Rib for one thing...their ribs! Their baby back ribs are sooo good! They are grilled perfectly to perfect level of "doneness." Okay, I do have to admit that I also love one of their other items: they make the best onion rings on Long Island! read more

The Spare Rib - Barbeque Near Me - Commack, New York

Although I havent dined at The Spare Rib in years, I had the hankering last night. Went with friend to see how its held up. There was a nice crowd and we were welcomed and seated immediately. Our server was very friendly and took our drink orders even before we got water...a good thing! I got a Guiness and friend got Blue Moon...both served correctly and chilled well..The Guiness may have been too chilled though but it went down so smoothly who cared! To keep us happy...we started with Their Onion Rings with a russian dressing type dipping sauce...Bleu cheese would have been better. My Buddy got a large entre order of Riblets which was outrageous and deliciouis. I craved Fried chicken and it didnt let me down. their crust is tried, true and the best anywhere...Sorry Popeyes! The ambiance is so casual and the comfort food is so Mmmm, its worth an occasional visit to this mainstay restaurant! I will return..... read more

The Spare Rib - Onion Rings - Barbeque Near Me - Commack, New York

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Don't even pick up the phone I have an order for 7 been frequenters of the restaurant for 40 years this sucks really disappointed read more

After being told the macaroni & cheese appetizer would take about 25 minutes, we ordered the baked clams. Our salads came. We waited 40 minutes for baked clams, and our dinners showed up. The baked clams never did. My husband said the chicken cordon bleu was delicious along with a side half rack of ribs. I had the shrimp and riblets, which were very good. Our server, Bryanna, was sweet and eager, very apologetic about the clams (we didn't blame her). She seemed very busy, it was Friday night. Overall, good experience and good food. read more

I placed an order over the phone was told 30 min.. I showed up 30 min later and still was left to wait another hour! Very disorganized awful service read more

This is one of our family favorites. Everyone in our family loves eating here. The food is great, service is good and price is right. Our waitress Victoria was friendly and attentive. Our meals came with side salads. The ranch dressing I chose had a hint of bacon- delicious! For dinner three out of five of us got a Mac and cheese skillet: lobster Mac and cheese ( good amount of lobster), pulled pork Mac and cheese and buffalo chicken Mac and cheese. All of them were amazing. Portions were huge!!! I took home 3/4 of it. The ribs are always a hit as is the cornbread that is served at the beginning of every meal. This is a great place for anyone. read more

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Been going to this restaurant my whole life. My family went here once a week for dinner almost my whole childhood. Definitely feel lots of nostalgia whenever I come here now. The food is still just as delicious as I remember it. They have the best French fries and honey mustard I've ever had I think. Service is great. I also really love all the old photos of Long Island they have in the building, it is nice to be reminded of the history of the area. read more

If you want service with a smile and quality food at a reasonable price, you've found it! Rachel was one of the best servers I think I've ever had. We were seated immediately at 6:30 on a Saturday which was a surprise. No pressure to rush us thru our meal - unusual for anywhere. Can't wait for whole lobsters to be back on the menu! read more

My family are so happy to find Spare Ribs. We look forward to going back. The food and drinks was amazing. The restaurant took Covid 19 testing very serious. We had our temperatures checked at the door. I felt very comfortable and safe there. I want to thank Victoria for being such a amazing waitress. read more

Ok so I had a meal with my son and a friend on Sunday... I was really pleasantly surprised..the food was very good and the portions were HUGE! During a pandemic! Amazing..our server Jennifer was Great!! The best thing was I ordered the T-bone special.. it totally was much more than expected!! I've been to some much higher end restaurants.. with higher prices that did not deliver as well as TSR DId LAST NIGHT!! Thank you For a very well valued meal! read more

So we came here Friday night. We have not been here in probably 17 years. I don't know why I thought of it but glad I did. We came early , we were greeted and sat right away. Our waitress was great , happy , friendly , outgoing.. We ordered the sampler platter wow huge!! Also tied the fried artichoke special. No need to try again but fried perfectly. I must say that creamy garlic salad dressing is the bomb . I have not had a old school side salad so good in years. At our table someone ordered the prime rib. He loved it. Also a side of steak fries done perfect .another person ordered the pork chops and riblets. He loved his meal. I was so full after appetizers and my side salad I just ordered the French onion soup again great It was happy hour and a few drinks were ordered. After all that bill was like $100.00. The prices are great , staff friendly, restaurant clean and cozy. Yes it's a much older crowd but still a great meal. Glad I thought of this gem again. Will definitely be going back. My entire family was able to order what they like and actually ate it. They serve huge portions easily to split. read more

I am 90 years old and I just got back from the spare rib. 25 years ago I used to have lunch there every day and it was excellent. Today I ordered a beer that I have been drinking for you years and years and it had a large head I complained to the bartender and she said that's the way we always did it. I told her she was doing it wrong. The food was very good and the service was excellent however I don't think the bartender is a good bartender. Oh I don't know why either all right who read more

Friend and I went there for dinner. After seeing the menu online. I ordered the prime rib and they the salmon. No prime rib! The salmon had some sort of sauce on it. That they had to practically beg for it to be put on the side. That should have been que to leave. But we Stayed.... Ordered the open roast beef. I asked the waitress if it was real roast beef she assured me it was. (It was processed meat Arby's looked better) sent it back for the pork chop. The salmon and the pork chop were OK.. Nothing to rave about. We decided Split the apple pie. When we were taking a piece off the plate there was a hair. We called the Disappearing waitress over (as it would take her minimum 20 plus minutes to get back to the table) She apologized asked us if we wanted another piece When I said hopefully without a hair. She got nasty And said "I just deliver the food!!" Asked for the manager Who got annoyed that she had to come to the table! Not once did she apologize. Instead she said I saw the hair in the back (Which was impossible unless there was more than one because the hair was still in the napkin on the table) and said none of my staff has blonde hair (I have blonde hair insinuating that I would've put a hair in a dessert) Don't waste your money go down the road to Outback or there are plenty of other restaurants over there! read more

We have been to the spare rib countless times over the years. As usual ribs are always great and that is what I always get. Lobster was very good. As usual the clams and onion rings were outstanding. The service was very good. read more

Absolutely delicious. They're sizzling steak is a must get. Would definitely recommend. Also the service there is good. Friendly environment. read more

I've driven past this place multiple times on the way to work and was always curious about their food. Definitely lives up to a place with Rib in the name, the ribs were phenomenal, but the riblets were the star here, small and easy to eat, the ones I had for my main course were the right amount of tender. My S/O got the skirt steak which was cooked to a perfect medium rare. Not pictured: our appetizer sampler which was HUGE. It came with riblets, mozzarella sticks, and fried onion rings. Our server Alexia was friendly and attentive, definitely will come back soon. read more

The Spare Rib - Ribs Trio - Baby Back Ribs, Carolina Ribs & BBQ Riblets - Barbeque Near Me - Commack, New York

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Atmosphere was ok. The service was good. The food though was not good at all. This his second trip. First time horrible thought I would give it a second chance. Will never come back: read more

Overall, we like this place. The food is plentiful, the servers are attentive, speedy and they always get my order correct. Though, I have a peeve about carpeting in restaurants (ugh!), the place is usually always very clean. The food is good but my only complaint is the overwhelming amount of butter used in all the dishes. I get that butter, salt and sugar are restaurant staples, used in excess to create bold flavor. That's fair. However, the pooling of butter in dishes like the spinach or string beans, is just a turn-off. I've learned my lesson after a few times coming here. I will now stick to grilled foods and request my sides to be cooked without butter/oil from here on out. read more

Ribs / Meat I totally agree with Heather M. - solid food at a good price. This place has always had lines of people waiting to get in. for the most part, they are a decent value - there are always specials advertised in the newspapers. The place is in need up sprucing up- it is not seedy but it is definitely showing its age. Wait staff are fine for the most part. Good meal at a good price. Parking lot. read more

Been coming here for yrs! Food and service was always great, until tonight, 2 bus boys kept coming to the table reaching across to grab things they shouldn't. It became quite creepy and when asked not to the manager had the nerve to say he's never had anyone complain about too much service. Then continue to berate the situation. NEVER have I ever been treated like this. Not that they care they are losing my business, but as the place continues to decline more and more business will be lost. I could not take it out on our waiter so he was handed a great tip for himself only!!!! read more

Lunch specials are a great bang for your buck but if you end up in the bar area, please be patient because the bartender ends up serving you, busing the tables, ringing up the orders and the check. read more

The Spare Rib - The funnel cake with ice cream is awesome - Barbeque Near Me - Commack, New York

I frequented The Spare Rib quite a bit when it first opened as I was in School in the area at the time, and then frequently for a number of years after that until moving out of the area in the mid 80's. After that I popped in occasionally when out on the Island visiting folks. But today was probably my first visit back in 6 or 7 years. I must admit I was a bit apprehensive and somewhat dismayed by some of the recent reviews here on Yelp. But we were already there and the wife wanted to give it a shot so in we went. We arrived a few minutes before 5 just as the place was filling up for Sunday dinner. We were seated immediately and our waiter was at table-side as soon as we put the menus down. Neither of us was starving so we decided to split a dinner. We ordered a full rack of baby backs with fries and creamed spinach. And the wife had the salad with cream/garlic dressing. The salad and bread arrived quite rapidly. The wife liked the salad but thought it needed more garlic (but she thinks EVERYTHING needs more garlic. She's the anti-vampire when it comes to the stuff!) Our dinner also arrived rather rapidly. Just as the salad was being finished, in fact. The steak fries were quite good and the wife enjoyed the creamed spinach. The rack of ribs was quite hardy. More than enough for both of us. The ribs themselves were hot, moist and and just shy of falling off the bone. The BBQ was flavorful. I can't say they are the best ribs I've ever had but they are far from the worst. And considering the two of us ate our fill for a grand total of $22, we certainly got a decent meal for our money. The only real issue I had was with the bread basket. The French bread could of stood some time in or near and oven. It was fresh but cold. And the corn bread was unremarkable. It lacked any real flavor. We'll definitely return when in the area. read more

The Spare Rib - Barbeque Near Me - Commack, New York

The good: Hamburgers are amazing, BBQ chicken was incredible, they give a lot of food, way more than a human can eat, so you will need a doggie bag, corn bread is yummy, fries are decent. The bad: Only have Pepsi products, the shrimp are too big and therefore kinda tough, prices for dinner are a little on the high side, but lunch is very reasonable. Overall though, I have been here multiple times (esp. for lunch) and it has always been a good experience. I plan to go back. The burger with avocado is amazing! read more

My husband purchased a coupon at www.restaurant.com. Upon our arrival we were informed they were no longer accepting the coupon. It wasn't that big of a discouragement for us to stand up and leave. Now to the food. We ordered clams casino and drunken pickles as appetizers. Clams were gritty and the sauce for the pickles was over the top spicy. Needless to say, we placed them to the side. For our main entrees we ordered the seafood steam pot and a full slab of Baby Back Ribs. The clams, mussels and pretty much everything in the pot had sand. Yuck. We returned that to the kitchen. Now the ribs... Their Baby Back Ribs are the bomb frickin com. Delicious. Perfectly cooked. Sonnets and poems could be written about them. Wow. When the manager stopped by and asked about the Seafood Steam pot, we asked for ribs as a substitution. Yes. If you visit this restaurant, the ribs are a must have. I wasn't going to plan a return visit due to the above experiences but after trying their ribs, we'll be back just for them. Note, there are no free refills on your soda and soda water costs $3. read more

They need to decide what kind of restaurant they want to be. If it's going to be bbq, they may want to invest in a smoker. If you're not going to smoke your ribs dont be in the rib business. They also need to get rid of their house bbq sauce. I would have rather gone to a franchise like famous Dave's and I hate franchised restaurants but I also don't like wasting my hard earned money on food that's not properly executed. I also had the fried chicken which was ok but no better than KFC or Popeyes. It may have been better quality than fast food but not better tasting. The Mac and cheese seemed like it used canned cheese sauce but I can't be sure. Way too many seafood options for a bbq restaurant. Too many weird combos for a bbq restaurant to the point you can tell the owners are probably not American. That is fine but you kind of need to know your customer and the food that you are selling if you want to have a good restaurant. Pricing was pretty good for the kind of food, if the food was actually good it would have been a great value but it wasn't. The inside was kind of old and was probably decorated years ago when the original owners owned it. Could use a refresh but would rather they refresh their food. Overall I would rather smoke ribs in my backyard in the dead of winter than have theirs. read more

Always Enjoyed going to The Spare Rib for years now. The food and portion size is amazing, the service is usually good, prices are on the high side. *Also sign up for the rewards program to receive coupons and money off future orders!* Location: On the busy Jericho, lots of people driving past to see this place, come on in and try once! Inside: the decor has a very cozy, old timey feel. Tables are tight together being that the restaurant itself is small. Booths can fit a whole party of 5 or 6 but you'll have to squeeze. Huge bar located on the right side of the restaurant. The restaurant is always clean and the bus boys/girls working do a great job of cleaning tables and helping waiters/waitresses deliver the food. Price: Prices are on the high side like I said. But one things for certain, they don't skimp out on the food and thats why I feel the price is totally worth it. (any regular dinner item comes with a salad, and 2 sides which is great) Service: Usually good. Not the best but not terrible. My order has NEVER been messed up. I'm only rating this category "good" and not "great" because sometimes I'm left seeking out the waitress/waiter to get a refill or extra sauce etc. Also drinks at the bar are excellent and are moderately priced, the bar tender does a wonderful job with them. Food: I did have an incident once when the place ran out of prime rib but that was only once and I've been to The Spare Rib so many times so maybe that was just an off night. I will review the dishes I've tried! Complimentary bread basket is great, the corn bread is on the dry side but what corn bread isn't dry? {Appetizers} Full Loaf of Onion Rings-great for sharing, cooked to perfection and the dipping sauce it comes with is great! 5 out of 5 definitely recommend Fried Calamari- Excellent! Fried and very tender...some criticism is that the squid is cut very thick so if your like some of my family members and prefer their squid thinly cut, you may not like it. The Fra Diavolo dipping sauce was great, spicy but very flavorful. 4 out of 5 stars (the complimentary garlic bread served with the calamari was bomb!) Riblets- A must order each and every we go. The sauce is excellent, the ribs are nice and tender and there are enough to share and go around! 5 out of 5 stars French Onion Soup- On the pricey side for a crock full of soup but I do have to admit that this french onion is a must order as well because I have yet to taste many french onions that are even comparable to this one! 5 out of 5 stars definitely recommend ordering Complimentary Salads with each dinner are always nice and fresh. Recommend ordering the home made CREAMY GARLIC DRESSING! {Dinner} always having specials that are great-check the board 16oz Prime Rib- Only served starting at Medium Rare, they have no Rare cuts but I personally eat my meat Med Rare so it's perfect for me. The cut of rib is always large and juicy, the au jus on-top is always perfect. Comes with 2 sides and salad. 5 out of 5 stars 18oz Shell Steak- Always cooked perfectly, comes with 2 sides and a salad. Very satisfying but I like the Prime Rib more. 4.5 out of 5 stars Baby Back Ribs- Great, sometimes I order the rib and shrimp scampi combo which is very tasty. 4 out of 5 stars. A few nights ago one of the people in my party ordered the special A Full Lobster and Riblets for $19.99. What a deal! All and all The Spare Rib has been a Commack Institution for years and will continue to be a place I visit for the excellent food and portion sizes! Try this place, but bring your wallet. ***Just a tip, this place is small like I mentioned about. With that being said, this place fills up and fills up quick for a dinner service. They only offer call ahead seating. If you go during prime time on a weekend, expect to wait!!!!!*** read more

Food was pretty good. Service was good. Kids ate free. A Bit pricey for what we ordered. But overall wasn't bad. read more

Great service and great food! The corn bread alone is a good enough reason to go there!

Offers a variety of pub- style selections but typically well executed- if you're ok with the selection the food is good. The value is good by today's standards. The service is good but if you're in a hurry the kitchen is slow- in all fairness, this is due to most menu items being made-to-order. read more