Exceptional dishes from the new chef. Wonderful waterside atmosphere. Very personable servers and especially the maitre'd.

Stopped in here with our family group of 20 or so. The owner and our young man server tokk great care of us and the salads fish and tostadas were very good. As well as the setting read more

Came here today (8/8/26) with my parents and fiancé. We got here right at opening at 12pm, so we were expecting things to move pretty smoothly. Unfortunately, it took over 45 minutes for our appetizers to come out. We ordered the calamari, clams on the half shell, and soup. The wait was frustrating considering one of those appetizers doesn't even need to be cooked. When everything finally came out, the calamari was cold. The clams however were fresh and tasty. For my entrée, I had the mussels in garlic wine sauce, which I really enjoyed. We also ordered the swordfish, McMermaid burger, and a regular burger. The swordfish was enjoyed, but unfortunately both burgers were not cooked to the preferences requested. The drinks were also on the smaller side and came with a lot of ice for the price point. Overall, there were some good dishes, but the long wait and issues with the food made the experience disappointing. Maybe we just caught them on an off day, but for us, it's one and done. read more

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Ocean Beach is for the vibes not the food lol This particular place has a beautiful view of the sunset 10/10 but the food is mediocre awww man no flavor no seasoning you're literally eating to survive the boat back to the mainland. I ordered a cheeseburger from hell the bun was a brick. The patty was leather The mash potatoes had no taste whatsoever where's the butter salt and pepper??? And the audacity to serve a salad with it during a bacteria breakout no thanks. My girlfriend's angel cake dessert seemed like it was straight out of a nursing home very hard not angel soft. The waitress service is subpar but the buss girls are pretty nice. The owner knows he's the only game in town and wears it proudly. I think if you are going for drinks and a view you'll be fine. read more

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Very poorly treatment handicapped Don't go. We got there at 430 2 0rople in wheel chsirs/ walker wanted to sit place empty offered tp buy few drinks till dinner opened at 5. Hostess was lovely but one waitress so nasty got an attitude with a face got us moved so now standing by bar. Waiting for 5 while table open. My husband can't walk. So stupid and so inconsiderate. Never ever again and someone needs to look into handicapped rules. Horrible and waitress was gross read more

Island Mermaid - New American Near Me - Ocean Beach, New York

The food was absolutely delicious. Highly recommend the view was great as well. We had the flounder sandwich and burger, and the calamari was the best ever. The watermelon martini was very delicious and a very large portion. read more

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6 of us went to dinner and 6 out of 6 were served inferior quality food. Lobster was absent in the Lobster Roll for $50, and to person each meal was either overly salted or overcooked. We made a serious but polite complaint which was handled well by the owner but we are NEVER going back. Sadly, our waitress, Olivia, was terrific, but we also had to wait over an hour for our meals. Maguire's across the street, was a much, much better choice. read more

Had a giant lobster roll at sundown! Wow! Good! Ocean Beach Fire Island, Steps away from the Ocean Beach Ferry. Really easy to get to! Super super service! Huge shout out to our pro server Cat and Mr Badger! We will return! Highly Recommended! Unbelievable location for a dockside sundown dinner on the Great South Bay! read more

Island Mermaid - Sunset dock dining - New American Near Me - Ocean Beach, New York

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If you like salmon, you gotta try the Blackened Artic Char at the Island Mermaid in Ocean Beach. Served crispy skin side up and with broccolini. Eat the stems, they're good for you. read more

I went to lunch today. It took 45 minutes to get the appetizers and when it came out, it was cold. All they did was warm it up and overcook it then I had to wait another half an hour to get my food that was good I had swordfish sandwich. The drinks were very small in size with a lot of ice not much alcohol it took an hour and a half for the meal never again I will go there. read more

Every year my husband and I come here for our anniversary we dine here, drink here and celebrate here! I must say we are never disappointed because the service, the people, the atmosphere, the food and the drinks are amazing Not to mention the amazing view and awesome sunsets! All summer long we are drawn here for the awesome entertainment as well, with Vicky Wisdom and her band on Wednesday nights! Thank you Island Mermaid We love you Andrea and Greg read more

drag queen and bartenders were great. however, an older gentleman named scott was extremely rude on two separate occasions to my friend and I who were paying customers. he yelled at us for grabbing a bingo board, which was sitting at an unattended table, when we had literally just bought drinks. read more

Waitress was not friendly. Asked what kind of fries came with cheeseburger and she stated curly. Asked if shoestring fries that were on the menu could be substituted- she said no that there was only enough shoestring fries for the steak dinners. 2/5 burgers came out charred. No one asked for well done. The shrimp cocktail came out 10 minutes after everyone got their meal. Spray bottle of cleaner left next to table/chair. Stared at it entire meal. At least remove the cleaning supplies so they are not next to where you are eating. That was a one & done restaurant . Too expensive of a place to have that experience. read more

One of the most accommodating owner & staff that I have encountered in a long time! Great for large parties or intimate dining! Perfect spot 400ft from the ferry port. read more

I downloaded this app to warn people to never come to this establishment. As someone who has spent years in the food industry, I am truly appalled at the way the owner addresses his customers. My friends and I came on Monday when their "half price" entree deal is available. The server was unclear and obviously undereducated in his position and tricked my friends into buying more food than needed for this "deal". When we got the check we were confused why we're NOT GIVEN the discounts that was disclosed by the server!! Instead of having a cordial conversation with the server and owner to clear up any misunderstanding the owner came over VERY aggressive saying things to make us feel bad like "should I just fire the server then for confusing you". The server was his son. Also during this conversation he told someone from my party to shut up and told us to go read the sign outside. The sign just said half priced entrees with no additional information. I understand that misunderstandings can be frustrating but instead of explaining he belittled his customers and made a scene and ruined the experience for surrounding parties. I want to emphasize that it was not the misunderstanding that ruined our dinner it was the owner. Owner is extremely rude. I truly feel bad for his son and other employees. Food sucks. Don't give this place your money. read more

Fire Island is an exceptional place. I was here off season, but it was warm enough to enjoy the walk from where I was staying to the Island Mermaid about 1.2 miles away. The roads here, if you aren't already here experiencing this, are all made of sand despite what the map looks like. (TIP: it is actually easier to walk on the beach and make your way north. ) It is clear that this bar has a little something for everybody. There was a range of "bar-friendly" locals, families, and relatively hardy tourists like me. Technically, I should say hungry tourists, because off-season, finding food to eat on the Island, can be quite a stretch. The alcohol selection here was incredibly delightful, with lots of fantastic and creative drinks. it is a no-brainer that anytime you go into a restaurant that is nowhere near the mainland, you are going to have a greater cost to the dishes you order, but I was prepared when I ordered a local seafood dish with that expectation. I wasn't prepared for it to be a little on the bland side, however. It was a special that lacked that "something special" if you know what I mean? Music is most clearly an important factor to the bar and I enjoyed sitting there listening along.. They were also doing some kind of funky fundraiser the day after I left here, and it was great to see engagement with the local community, even after the largest of the summer crowds had left. read more

Island Mermaid - Great music, great place - New American Near Me - Ocean Beach, New York

Waitress was sitting with other table guests. When asked her how much longer for our food, said well it's only been 20min. Chicken quesadilla came with cup of sour cream, no guac, so pico. When asked for it said we'll have no guac, but will mix up some pico, never came. Asked for katchup, took so long I got up and got myself as I did always had to do this visit to get attention even though the place was at 20% capacity. Food was just passable, 27$ quesadilla, idk maybe. Overall, no for the fact it's a great location, the service and presentation are bad. read more

Finally had a chance to visit Fire Island earlier this summer with a large group, and specifically Ocean Beach. After spending a blissful day on the beach, we did outdoor dining for dinner at this lovely restaurant situated right along the water. I had a tough time deciding what to order, between the Sautéed Flounder and Grilled Wild Steelhead Salmon. Every time I thought I knew what I wanted, I would second guess myself. The waitress was very patient with me, but after she came back and I still couldn't pick, she took everyone else's order then didn't return for awhile. During this time, I was able to sample the ribs, seafood paella, crab cake, and Caesar chicken salad. Surprisingly, the ribs were really tasty! They were slightly crunchy, wonderfully tender, and well seasoned. The seafood paella was full of bold flavor and juicy, succulent shrimp, along with perfectly cooked rice. I also enjoyed the crab cake, which was delightfully crunchy and yummy. I'm not that into Caesar salad, but it was decent. I went with my first choice of Sautéed Flounder, served with herbed orzo, white balsamic soaked tomatoes and buerre blanc. This dish was nicely plated, and the size of the fish was very generous. The flounder was gorgeously browned, with a delicious, rich, creamy sauce. It was also amazingly tender and flaky. The orzo was fresh and flavorful, pairing beautifully with the flounder. Service was pretty good. Our waitress was friendly and was able to make recommendations from the menu. The prices are on the expensive side, but to be expected considering the area. I don't think I would return because if I am back in Ocean Beach, I would like to try out a new place. read more

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What an Amazing place. Great view. Great service. Reasonably priced. Staff was friendly and went out their way for my daughter's birthday. Our Hostess Catherine was absolutely charming.. read more

Island Mermaid - My daughter and Catherine our Hostess. - New American Near Me - Ocean Beach, New York

Every summer, one of our regulation is coming to Fire island and end up this restaurant. Mostly being here for labor day weekend. But we came here Labor day Monday.. so Lille bit slower than usual. But always wait stuff and other customers are nice and friendly, warm beach vibes. We had late lunch therefore eating small and drinking this time, I love fried calamari here, probably best in town ! The squid is soft and juicy,outside is crispy ! Decent price of pro secco is ++. Try their pretzel as well, I forgot to take photo though.. read more

Food (2/5): A lot of the food here was surprisingly very bad especially the seafood. The only good dishes were the fries and lobster bisque, everything else somehow turned out really bad. The lobster roll was super expensive, tasted bland and microwaved, and may have been the worst I've had at a restaurant; the calamari had way too much batter, the mezcal shrimp mole had terrible mole sauce that was super bitter. My friend got the crab cake which tasted below average. Really not worth the expensive prices. Service (3/5): The servers were alright but they seemed excessively busy and were not able to check up on us much. Also the food took a while to come out. Ambiance (5/5): The only great thing about this restaurant is the cool view of the ocean, live music and outdoor seating setup. Highly recommend just coming here to chill and get drinks and not get any food. read more

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the owner is extremely rude and nasty to customers, i have never in my life been spoken to or treated that way by an owner or manager of an establishment. he did not care to accommodate or even at least apologize for his own employees mistake/miscommunication. the server was nice enough, but he wrongly explained a promotion they had going on to us, even though we clarified it with him multiple times (because he was confusing us) and when we got our bill and we were charged full price for things we were told would have a discount, we politely asked about the misunderstanding and the owner came out and was very hostile, raised his voice and told us "just pay the bill, its as simple as that i don't know what to tell you" and told one person from our party to "shut up and get out", and he did not even let us get a word in when we tried to calmly explain the situation. we would not have ordered any of the things we ordered if we weren't falsely advertised that there was a promotion on those items. and before he comes on here and responds to my review saying we misunderstood, we did not, and we clarified this with our server 5 times. which was why it was frustrating that this still happened when we asked so many times to make sure we were understanding correctly. and we were reassured multiple times by the server - who completely changed their story once the owner came out and did not admit they made a mistake on their part. and then the owner tried to make it seem like we were just trying to scam him and get free food, which is insane and insulting because we have eaten there multiple times and we have never given them a problem about paying a bill and tipping accordingly. i genuinely CANNOT exaggerate enough how many times we confirmed the promotion with this server. i've never even left a yelp review and i downloaded the app just to do this because i'm in disbelief. never eating here again and i will warn every person i can about this experience. wish i could leave negative stars (side note: food wasn't that great either) read more

I don't usually order a cheeseburger at a seafood restaurant, but I couldn't resist the sizzled description on the menu. It did not disappoint- perfectly cooked and seasoned!! Beautiful views, friendly attentive service and a perfectly crafted Dirty Martini!! read more

Island Mermaid - Beautiful view! - New American Near Me - Ocean Beach, New York

Wonderful ambiance, delicious food and excellent service. Highly recommend. Oh and the martinis rock. Enjoy!

Super fun spot. This was THE place to be every night we were here. Tuesday night, we cane for Bitchy Bingo, with drag queen Ariel Sinclair, which was hilarious. Then Wednesday, we came for "Wisdom Wednesday" with singer Victoria Wisdom, another male singer, and saxophonist, all of whom were awesome! Then Thursday, we came for a late 8:30 pm dinner and the Fire Island Follies at 9! Really entertaining. For drinks, the Mermaid Margarita hit the spot. For dinner, loved my scallops, and my husband really liked his linguini with prosciutto, sausage and pistachio cream sauce. read more

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Best restaurant in Ocean Beach with great staff. Their menu has something for everyone. The charcuterie board and tuna tartar appetizers are my favorite. The watermelon margaritas are delicious. They have different events most nights of the week so make sure to follow them on Instagram and check their schedules. read more

Island Mermaid - Watermelon marg - New American Near Me - Ocean Beach, New York

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This place is said to have some of the best Rocket Fuels on Fire Island/Ocean Beach. I've been here a while ago and yes they are good, but today not so much. It was good and strong (my definition of strong) but too watery. I don't recall them being that. I like mine thicker/more frozen. I'm not crazy about the food here. I don't eat seafood, so ate basic. Very basic - chicken fingers and curly fries. But both were fried way too hard. The location is convenient, right of the ferry and service was decent. If you go here, try something different. Explore the island for sure... read more

Island Mermaid - Rocket Fuel - Pina Colada with a 151 floater - New American Near Me - Ocean Beach, New York

The charcuterie board was NOT good. It started with the waiter dumping it onto our table and bits going into a drink. When it was pointed out he said, 'uh..do you want a new one?' Of course we did! Then, the bill had a 4% "surcharge" with no explanation. I assumed it was a cc fee but no, our server said it was for 'back of house' and also because we were on an island and had to have food delivered. Please. read more

Dined here pre season with a friend before sundown on a Saturday evening, one week before Memorial Day Weekend. This popular Fire Island waterfront restaurant definitely has a "South Beach" vibe. A few yachts, disembarking après-sunbathing crowds of yuppies, docked on the restaurant's marina, which is located on the Great South Bay. Everybody was casually dressed, friendly and unpretentious. The outgoing and gregarious restaurant owner, Scotty, warmly greeted us at our table, exclaiming that he remembered precisely where we were sitting the last time that we were here. He was right because he pointed to the correct seats. Outdoor diners were treated to a mesmerizing sunset. Future brides and grooms, at their joint bachelor/bachelorette parties, were holding hands and gazing into each other's eyes as they sat among guests. Indoor diners have direct access to the indoor dance floor, where A VAX CARD is required. Visit #IslandMermaidOB on Instagram for more information. There is also maskless outdoor dancing on the dock, in adherence to COVID-19 guidelines. Only the pre-season menu is available for now. I had the Short Rib Ragu, and my friend had the sautéed Flounder. Both were just satisfactory. My friend and I shared a key lime pie, which was more than satisfactory. It was incredibly fluffy and tasty. I can't wait until the season starts so we can order from Island Mermaid's larger seasonal menu. The restaurant will also be celebrating its 30th anniversary this year, according to its Instagram page. I am knocking this updated review a notch down to four stars because only a few items on the pre-season menu appealed to me. read more

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Had another great meal at the Mermaid. Had some of the best fried calamari you can get anywhere and my wife and I order it most places that have it on the menu. Perfectly cooked which isn't easy and they have the best dipping sauce around I always ask for extra!! We also had two great salads. read more

I went with two friends in Sept 2021. We had reservations which was great because there was already a lot of people waiting. We got seated on the pier/dock which was so nice. It got us away from the tent and music, (which we liked) and had a nice breeze (bring a sweater if you get cold easily). The sunset was gorgeous from our table, but the ferry building blocks it a little bit. We ordered the garlic bruschetta and crispy crab "tots" to share and all got the pan roasted sea scallops as entrees. The garlic bruschetta was delicious- bread was fresh and the tomato confit was sooo good. Crispy crab "tots" came with about 5-6 tots- they definitely have a kick to them. Glad I tried them, but probably wouldn't get them again. Most importantly, the sea scallops were the absolute BEST. Perfectly cooked, great flavor. The potatoes are sliced thinly and crispy, the truffle creamed corn is nothing I've ever had before in the best way and the pistachio pesto added a great crunch. We had micro greens instead of Arugula salad, but I'm not complaining in the slightest. Did I mention the scallops were perfectly cooked? Highly recommend! read more

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It's overpriced and food was not good! I got the simple fish $40, it was supposed to be broiled flounder, I think it was talapia! It was salty, wasn't broiled! It came wide sticky white rice and inedible, indescribable vegetables! I could buy a piece of flounder at the fish market for $10! My daughter's Miso fish, was the same, terrible! My Moscow Mike drink was awful! Had plenty of vodka but no ginger! There were 8 of us, we pretty much said the same thing about our meals! Oh, stay away from the lobster Ravioli....terrible. A lobster roll was $48...obscene! I would not recommend this restaurant. I can say more by why bother! read more

I went here last summer for to celebrate my birthday with my boyfriend. everything was fine, we ate, had a few drinks. paid our tab, thanked our waitress. gratuity was already added as well as we tipped. the owner or manager whatever he was then proceeded to come over to us and ask if everything was okay, we said yes. then he goes well you didn't tip what was suggested. he was very rude he sat my boyfriend down like a child and basically demanded more of a tip. very strange experience.. read more

So out of the 5 restaurants we chose this place. That was mistake #1. We sat down and waited like 20 minutes before someone came to take our drink order, and waited another 30 minutes before we actually got them. (They were water down drinks). Mistake #2 we ordered some fried calamari as apps. We saw them like 40 minutes later, and they were like rubber bands. Now we order some burgers and crab cakes and skirt steak mistake #3 we attempted to eat the worst possible food ever. Not even worth describing it. So you know what the worst was we ordered a 8 year old a virgin Shirley temple and guess what the kid got a buzz, it had alcohol!!!! So needles to say the parents were livid. So after close to 4 hours we almost missed the ferry, and we did manage to file a police report and I believe they were fined.. they should close this dump"tourist trap" down. Customer service and ticket time were horrible, I would never patronize this place ever. So sad, but don't waste your money here . You are better off getting a slice of pizza from down the street. BEWARE!!!!!! read more

Island Mermaid - Restaurant cover - New American Near Me - Ocean Beach, New York

This place has so much potential if the owner let some of the bartenders and servers flourish into their own personalities. Way too much micromanaging going on. read more

I am so impressed with this place. The weight staff is great. The general manager I guess was so accommodating. I am gluten-free and he went out of his way to make sure that I got exactly what I wanted. This place is definitely a go to. read more

Once only an ok spot, now getting the full 5! They've continued to make improvements to the Mermaid and it shows. Now they have a permanent outdoor tent that would be great for inclement weather. Service also improved with prompt seating from our reservation (a must in the summer) and immediate waters and server attention. The food also seems to have notched up over the last year (I enjoyed the flounder which was perfectly prepared and flavorful. I was bummed they're were out of their house made spicy tequila, but the watermelon margarita was still excellent. My wife thought scallops were great! Make sure you come during sunset for the full experience read more

Island Mermaid - Flounder - New American Near Me - Ocean Beach, New York

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I can't discredit the history or location of Island Mermaid. I have eaten and drank here before and understand what it's about, but today was insanity. We came early with a large group with 4 young children and ordered lunch and drinks. Everything was great until my husband bit into his chicken sandwich and pulled out a piece of hooked metal. We immediately knew it was a barbecue cleaner bristle. Listen, things happen. I appreciate the fact my husband didn't swallow it and rip open his insides and none of our kids ordered grilled food. I'm grateful, but I also need to see some humanity on the side of the people who served us a metal bristle. After speaking to our server, and then having to speak to another server, the owner finally came over telling us he came to us "immediately". As you can imagine, that's how the rest of the exchange went. He looked at us with big eyes and false words and gave us a check that included my husband's chicken sandwich, but did remove someone else's cheeseburger and a round of drinks. I'm not sure what I was expecting, but I know it's more than that. It occurred to me in that moment how bad it could have been had my husband swallowed that bristle. I'm not going to say I left the restaurant with integrity, because I did comment on the metal bristle and did suggest a bbq scrub daddy on the way out - but we did pay the check and leave a great tip as the server didn't deserve the speaking to that the owner gave her to make a show of it. My biggest regret is not taking a photo, but I never expected to need to leave this review had the owner treated us with some humanity and respect. read more

Island Mermaid is consistently good year after year. The food is excellent for the island and now they have fun and entertaining events. On our first night, we had the pleasure of watching the Burlesque show from the dock area where it's a bit more breezy which was perfect for us. The staff are all pleasant, friendly and helpful which makes a huge difference, in my opinion. The bathrooms are small and get dirty fast but it seems they do their best to keep on top of it. The Linguini entree is positively sinful which is why I waited until the last meal of the trip to get. The Gourmet Burger is the best burger on the island. Sad to say that the Mexican Street Corn Chowder is blah at best. We enjoyed the Charcuterie Board, and all salads come beautifully fresh and well-made. My friends got several fish dishes that they loved but I don't eat fish, so really can't say much more about them. read more

This is where the party is at. Dj was great keeping everyone dancing. Bar seemed full but bartenders were fast and ready to get your thirst on. Outdoor dining available and you cadock for your boat. You can watch the bay full of boats. I had an amazing time read more

Island Mermaid - New American Near Me - Ocean Beach, New York