My wife and I visited the previous restaurant when it was a pizza place and fell in love with Chef Mike's pizzas and other cooking. After Mike took over the restaurant and transformed it into Zest, we try to make the trip to Bay Shore from out east as often as possible -- often meeting friends from Nassau, as it is a good halfway point. The brunch is phenomenal -- full of flavor. If you are a picky eater like my wife and I are, do yourself a favor and trust Chef Mike and his vision and get a meal as designed. While I have not had a bad experience yet with anything I have ordered, my favorite item on the menu is the Caesar salad (he puts Bacon in it!). If you are looking for a restaurant with a very cool vibe but not a crazy party scene, head on down to Zest in Bay Shore. Have some fun with the menu -- you will not be disappointed. read more

I had this platter that was so amazing. I believe it was meant for four people. I tried to sample each of the dishes. There's just so much and it was so incredibly wonderful. read more

Zest - Nice size cheese pizza - New American Near Me - Bay Shore, New York

See all

Great service and love the ambience and vibe. I wish I had ordered the burger. I ordered the pizza with vodka sauce which had meatballs, prosciutto and crispy onions. Nice flavor but I did not like the crust. A little too doughy for me. The cauliflower app with spinach hummus was tasty. My girlfriend had the onion soup which looked pretty thick but she's had it before and presumably loved it. My other friend is a regular and is a raving fan. So I was looking forward to it. She had the pizza with the whipped ricotta and Zuchinni. She enjoyed it but was missing an app that was removed, something with blueberries. She said on paper, it didn't sound appetizing but it's a favorite of hers. All around, great experience. Next time I'm going to try a burger. read more

See all

Debbie the waitress is a pip. We immediately felt like part of the family. Full disclosure, I do not like breakfast potatoes but the potatoes that were served with the Hungry Man breakfast was fantastic. I could have eaten a whole bowl of them! Food is excellent, a young chef in the back knows what he is doing. They have numerous specials and evening entertainment. We'll be back. read more

See all

Great service. No shade for outdoor dining. The food was very good. Fries were seasoned. Got the crab cake sliders and salmon burger. Crab cake was a little disappointing. Was mostly bread crumbs. read more

Zest - Crab cake sliders - New American Near Me - Bay Shore, New York

See all

I won a gift card to Zest in Bay Shore and finally got a chance to get over there and I'm so upset I didn't get there sooner! They have an extensive menu going from breakfast through to dinner with daily specials and a great take out meal deal that changes weekly I stopped in intending to do take out but the omelets looked so good I decided to stay and boy am I glad I did. This is the steak (brisket) and egg with onions and cheese I had them hold the peppers, with their oh so yummy home fries. Everything is made to order and very fresh. My server, Debbie was fantastic. Very friendly and helpful and even put on a fresh pot of coffee for me. I will certainly be back and highly recommend you go there you won't regret it ! read more

Zest - Steak & Eggs omelet with home fries - New American Near Me - Bay Shore, New York

First time, i will go back, Rosanna aas a good waitress, we also met Mike the chef/owner, nice place read more

See all

I've been here a few times now and they have exceeded my expectations each time. We've done brunch for Mother's Day which was amazing, lunch after a play and also dinner for a birthday celebration. The service is quick but they do not rush you, the ambiance is great and the food is spectacular. They also have a really pretty wall outside for pictures and seating outside when it's nice too. Highly recommend. read more

I'm a vegan visiting from out of town, and I was so pleasantly surprised to find that Zest offers a full vegan menu , not just one or two options, but an actual thoughtful lineup of dishes. The food was absolutely delicious, and my whole family (mixed dietary preferences) loved their meals. The wait staff was amazing , genuinely kind, attentive, and knowledgeable about the menu. It made the entire experience feel so welcoming. I highly recommend Zest to anyone, vegan or not. We left really happy and will definitely be back next time we're in town. read more

Zest - Vegan Crispy Chicken Club - New American Near Me - Bay Shore, New York

Holy... for a place that doesn't look like much from the outside (I think it used to be a friendly's?), it ABSOLUTELY delivers!!! Ambiance inside is great, with a fully stocked bar and artwork adorning the walls. Servers and staff are all very friendly, but the star of the show here is the food. First of all, huge menu so you have plenty to choose from ranging from classics, to unique takes on dishes that add that extra.... zest? (see what I did there?...) But seriously, everything we tried here was incredible and the portions are generous. The brisket sandwich came out looking like a stacked burger that I could barely get my hands around, and it was so flavorful. I'll definitely be returning because like I said, the menu is huge and I can't wait to try some of these other dishes! read more

Zest - Brisket sandwich (pretty sure it was bigger than my son's head) - New American Near Me - Bay Shore, New York

Whenever we make it back here, we do it explicitly for the burgers. We enjoy their burgers a lot since they are always well made. We've tried the Cole slaw which is always fresh and I like to get the fries. Their cornbread is sweet as always. I wanted to also take this opportunity to add more pictures including the inside, outside, and menus. This place is not expensive and you can definitely have a nice date night here. The service is always great- they are very attentive and work as a team. I base my 5 stars on the service, ambiance, and burgers. I'll be back to try something different on the menu! read more

See all

One of my favorite places to go I absolutely love this place love the menu love the waitress read more

See all

The food is always fresh and delicious, the customizations are endless and the price is more than reasonable. Once you come here, you will definitely be a regular. Everyone is so friendly and happy, they make you feel at home in the best way. Love Zest! read more

Zest - New American Near Me - Bay Shore, New York

Hidden gem. Great food and service. Everything I've ever ordered has been delicious. Great, unbeatable specials. A favorite go to spot for lunch!!! (Haven't tried finer but sure it is awesome). read more

Before I even start the review just trust me and go! The server was absolutely amazing and all the employees had a smile and were helpful. Even changed the TVs for us to watch what we wanted! As for the food it was so delicious, it all looked out of a Instagram photo & as for the taste it was so so so yummy! The prices are super reasonable and the portions are huge. As for the look of the place it was super clean and had gorgeous art work. I'm super happy with my experience here & was so happy to of found this hidden gem. Can't wait to return! read more

Had an amazing night at Zest with five of my girlfriends! From the moment we walked in, the vibe was fun and welcoming -- the perfect spot for a girls' night out. The drinks were so good ( bottomless mimosas was great) food was delicious and fresh!!! Our waitress Teresa was absolutely excellent -- attentive, friendly, and made the whole experience even better. On top of that, the owner was genuinely so nice and made us feel welcomed, which always makes a difference. Great food, great drinks, great service, and great people. We laughed, relaxed, and had such a good time. Can't wait to come back! read more

Zest - New American Near Me - Bay Shore, New York

We stopped by for lunch on Tuesday. I wasn't that hungry, so I ordered the arugula salad. What an outstanding treat. Besides the arugula, it had diced figs, grapes, AND sliced roasted/toasted almonds. It was outstanding. I could not believe how a salad could taste that good!!!! read more

My wife really enjoyed her chicken tacos and my Greek wrap with coleslaw what is perfectly prepared and absolutely delicious! Roseanna was a polite and kind waitress. Great ambience and very clean. read more

Came here for lunch with a friend. We wanted to come here based on the restaurant week menu offerings. We wanted to order off the $39 menu. We were advised that was for dinner only and if we wanted to participate in restaurant week, we could only order off the $24 because that was the lunch offering. The menus itself did not specify "lunch" or "dinner" so I'm not sure what the issue was and I'm not sure why they wouldn't want to make more money as two orders off the $39 menu would be $78 before tax and tip. Our waitress gave us various other menus as well to look at. SO MANY MENUS. I settled on the chicken and waffle Cobb salad. It was good and different. My friend had the bbq pork lunch which included Mac and cheese, cornbread and slaw. She said she enjoyed it. Our tab came to about $34 before tax and tip...about half of what we would have spent if we were allowed to order off the other menu. read more

Zest - Chicken and Waffle Cobb Salad - New American Near Me - Bay Shore, New York

I really wanted to love Zest based on how kid-friendly the spot was--kids at almost every table. Ultimately, its very messy comfort food was too overdone for me, even with me taking the waiter's recommendations. Their burger is stacked too high to bite but pressing it down unloads resavoir levels of burger juice, drowning the plate. The recommended mac also felt overindulgent, like I couldn't have more than a few bites. The biggest head-scratcher was the depth difference between the booth seat and the table--it felt like it was installed incorrectly. I really enjoyed their beer selection, wings, and great service, and would return for another, lighter part of the menu. read more

Zest - New American Near Me - Bay Shore, New York

See all

I wanted to love this place - because it is adorable and the staff had the best customer service ever - they really worked in unison on each table, constantly asking if anything was needed, filling the carafes of water etc. Items ordered - Brisket Sandwich - PB&J pulled pork sandwich - Burgers - Fries - Wings Wings had great flavor but were tough, we ordered Thai chili, chimichurri, garlic Parmesan - Burgers were delish and huge !! Fries were so crispy and seasoned - the brisket was just ok. The pulled pork sandwich was very sweet. They also have a wine/beer/sangria bar - The white sangria was delish We really loved the decor - had graffiti walls with pictures of different artists on the walls read more

See all

We were looking for a fun spot to have dinner and came across this place. We were very excited because they had quite a few vegan options. The restaurant itself has fun decor, the waitress was very nice and the vegan food was great! Would definitely go back again! read more

I won 2 gift cards to Zest so my husband and I decided to do a late lunch here. I am glad we did. We like to go when restaurants tend to be quiet in mid afternoon. The restaurant has a nice welcoming feel to it and I really liked the artwork and decor. On Saturdays Zest offers a fix price menu for 2 for $59 so we decided to do that. I will post a picture of the menu. We went with the romaine salad for 2, the cauliflower chip and dip, for entrees we had the ala vodka pizza and the vegetable panini and it came with zeppoles for dessert with 3 dipping sauces. EVERYTHING was really yummy. The cauliflower chips with the spinach, artichoke, roasted tomatoe hummus was scrumptious and crispy. The ala vodka pizza crust was perfect and the flavors (Smoked meatballs, prosciutto, provolone, crispy shallots) really went well together. I had the vegetable panini which was made of Fried eggplant, grilled zucchini, roasted peppers, spinach, provolone, bruschetta, fig balsamic glaze mouth watering and the panini bread nicely toasted. It was topped off with perfect fried dough zeppoles that came with raspberry jam, chocolate fudge, caramel dipping sauces. They have a lot of vegetarian choices too and a kids menu. The staff was very nice and the bathrooms were nice and clean. You will not be disappointed if you go to this restaurant. https://zestlongisland.com/menu/ read more

See all

This place is absolutely awesome for families. Really solid menu with plenty of options for kids, and it showed - there were tons of happy families with young kids eating there! We love to see it. The service was fast and friendly and the decor is fun and inviting. Unfortunately I just didn't love the food. The wings were decent but everything else was lacking for me. Gorgonzola on a burger might be an acquired taste. The table cornbread felt out of place, cuisine wise. I probably wouldn't go here again but I'd send my friends with kids based on the experience! read more

Zest - Grilled Burger (no bun) with fries - New American Near Me - Bay Shore, New York

See all

Offering good comfort food with a unique menu. Friendly service and clean, casual atmosphere.

Located in an old Friendly's a little off the beaten path, this restaurant has ample parking which is refreshing being that you normally have to circle a block to get a parking spot on Main Street in Bay Shore. Cute decor and friendly service. The food is solid albeit salty but nothing was bad. In fact, the mac and cheese was pretty darn good because I am still thinking about it a few days later. The portions were large and we both got a to go box and did not have room for dessert even though we were interested. Went here for a quick and casual date night with the hubs and we enjoyed it and would come back with our kids. More of a family vibe than a date night spot. read more

Zest - Bavarian pretzel - New American Near Me - Bay Shore, New York

See all

Celebrated my sisters birthday at zest it was so good we ordered the zucchini pizza and the eggplant cauliflower pizza crust was thin and crispy very very tasty zucchini was like shoestring on top delicious as well. Had the arugula salad which I love. You need to try this place I can't wait to go back read more

Not that I'd expect anything less from them, but Zest knocked it out of the park with their Meet Santa brunch. The service was amazing, so friendly, really elevated the entire experience. The food was out of this world, endless staples for the kids, and specials we all loved like the s'mores pan-cake and that hungry man hashbrown poutine that I could've eaten a trough of. The Santa experience was special, and a ton better than lots of the others I've tried. Multiple opportunities to chat with him, take pictures. He handed out candy canes, gifts, special rings, did a story time and led a sing a long. Zest also provided the kids with coloring, crafts and tons of fun things to make this a special day. What an amazing job. Can't wait for the Easter Bunny lol. read more

See all

Such a great vegan menu! They use separate fryers for the vegan stuff and are careful to keep everything separate from non vegan items when preparing the food which is awesome. I got the vegan chicken parm roll and a vegan chicken club sandwich and they were both delicious. The vegan bacon was very unique and tasty. They can also make the zeppoli vegan. Will definitely be back! read more

See all

Zest is the best. A wonderfully unique experience! Between the exceptional service, creative and fun restaurant design and out of this world food; I know my experience will always be top notch. Highly recommend. read more

Why did take me so long to try this place!? I'm in bay shore for over a year now, my wife and I have tried just about everything on Main Street. The only thing I can think of, is maybe Zest is on the most western part of town. Well, we have been there twice this month and have no plans on taking this place off our radar. The atmosphere itself is fun, low key and artsy. They have cool celebrity / Hollywood paintings throughout the restaurant in bright vibrant colors. The menu has a little bit of everything, and there are some untraditional dishes or variations on food you are used to, and they are delicious. The first time we went, we ordered the short rib potato skins app which were mouthwatering. I had the panko chicken sandwich, and it was exploding with flavor. My wife had the Ala Vodka pizza which was delicious. The second time we went, I had the burger and added avocado and bacon, my wife again wanted a pizza and went with the white pie. She enjoyed that even more than the first one. The huge winner here was dessert, which my wife is more of a fan of sweets than myself. THEY HAD ZEPPOLES. We all know any street fair serves these up best, and pizzerias offer them but they are never even close to that. When I tell you Zest offers the best made and tasting zeppoles next to a street fair, you have to try it yourself. We were honestly shocked with how many you get in one order for $10. The pricing for their food is super reasonable and they offer a ton of specials via their texting service. Many coupons & lotteries are sent out which makes dinning there that much better. read more

See all

Always on point! Never a unhappy experience here. Brought the grandkids today Treated great. Food amazing . read more

See all

Great atmosphere. Great food. I recommend the lunch deal, bwry filking for an affordable price.

An inviting restaurant with very tasty food and good service. Food 5/5 - The Cauliflower toasted chips were fantastic! I'm not a big fan of cauliflower but they taste nothing like it. The dip is great. The PB&J Pulled pork sandwich was messy to eat but delicious. Nice fries. Interesting selections on the menu. They had very interesting sangria selections. Service 4/5 -- Service was good. One waiter. It wasn't busy when we arrived but it got busy while we were there. The waiter started off very attentive but had to spread himself a bit thin as the crowd grew. Atmosphere: 5/5 - Inviting decor, comfortable seating. Nice music. Good HVAC system made atmosphere not cold or hot. Modern feel. Not a huge place but feels good. This used to be a Friendy's ice cream (so you get the sense of size),but it looks nothing like it. Cleanliness 5/5 - Everything seems new and fresh. Restrooms were very clean. No dust in inconspicuous areas. A sure sign of a through cleaning. Parking: 5/5 - Bay shore can be hard to park in. But this place has a very nice private lot. No issues. Value - 5/5 - An appetizer, 2 meals and a soft drink was $49. The caliber of the meal was worth that. Overall - 5/5 -- I've found a new place to add to my "routine." Good service and a bunch of tasty looking choices I've yet to try. The atmosphere makes you want to stay a bit longer I'll be back. No need to hesitate. read more

See all

Fantastic food, so accommodating for our big family or 12 on Mother's Day. Great and comfortable atmosphere.

Service here was impeccable. Waiters were attentive. Restaurant had a cool artsy vibe. I'm sorry I didn't take more pictures. Apparently they have various activity nights and it was Bingo night when we were there. Seemed like you could reserve tables for the game night. They serve complimentary corn bread which was light, fluffy with just the right amount of sweetness. The gorgonzola burger was delicious. I was craving a burger and this hit the spot. It was perfectly juicy filled with spinach and a nice cajun aoili. My only critique is it was a little salty but I'll attribute that to the gorgonzola, bacon combo. The pico de gallo helps to cut some of it. The smoked Brisket was also delicious. The brisket itself was tender and not too fatty. Loved the roasted tomatoes and balsamic grilled onions. Let's not forget that melted provolone. Overall, a killer combo of a sandwich. Would definitely come back as the menu has some interesting choices and the 2 I tried were a hit. read more

See all

This place is so cool!!! The ambiance is lively, modern and funky. We were very comfortable in a large booth. The French fries were perfect. Crunchy with soft center. I had a vegetable panini, with eggplant, roasted zucchini and peppers, spinach and provolone cheese with a fig balsamic glaze. Extremely satisfying. My husband had the lamb sausage burger with halloumi cheese, spinach, grilled onions and peppers with tzatziki sauce and balsamic macerated grapes!!! He loved it. Great service!!! Friendly, accommodating and gracious. read more

See all

Zest is still one of my favorite spots to dine in. Amazing atmosphere. Great staff who are so pleasant and willing to assist you in whatever way they can. And the food is delicious. I had the opportunity to try the Grilled Zucchini Rollatini and the Lobster Roll BLT from the new June menu and both were great! Another wonderful dining experience. read more

See all

Friend and I tried this place recently. Food was average. Not great, not bad, but ok. It was a quiet place at first but began to fill up with people to play bingo. Interesting with the exception of a DJ/ball caller that proceeded to set up a table next to ours and use a microphone which reverberated through the restaurant. For clarity this was a small former friendly's restaurant so there is no need for microphones and amplifier's. It's a small place! Anyway prices are decent. Service was ok. Food was average. Cleanliness was decent and decor was musical vibe. read more

I really liked this restaurant. I had a 12" Margherita Pie which had pomodoro tomato sauce, fresh Mozzarella, and pecorino on the pie. The pizza was great. They have a nice selection of craft beers. The ambience was great. The service was great and our waitress was very friendly. read more

Zest - Margherita pie - New American Near Me - Bay Shore, New York