The Library Cafe

The Library Cafe
274 Main Street
Farmingdale, NY 11735
516-752-7678
Website
Directions

Also located on Main Street in Farmingdale, The Library Cafe has been around for about a decade and has been serving up good food, better drinks and a city-like atmosphere for suburban Long Island.  Owned by Lessing's, the folks that catered my wedding and also run Maxwell's, The Library has a great feel to it and seems to be a hotspot for people who work in the area to come to for happy hour or nightly specials. The Library Cafe got its name from it's building, which was build as a bank and then converted to a library in the 1950s and eventually into the restaurant in 2000.


I grabbed a seat at the bar and quickly noticed that Lessing's has their own beer on tap, Lessing's Local Ale, and I had to try one.  It is brewed by Blue Point Brewing Company and is a smooth and robust beer that if  I had a few bucks more in my pocket, I'd have brought home a growler ($20).

Lessing's Local Ale

Knowing I was having dinner too, I grabbed the small order of wingshalf; hot and half teriyaki, which they don't normally do, but the bartender (Jimmy) was kind enough to ask for me.  The price was good, $8.95 for a pound and for an extra dollar, you get a half a pound more. The wings were solid with a lot of extra sauce for each flavor.  The hot had a good kick, were flavored well and got the nose a bit runny.  The bleu cheese helped.  The teriyaki were the perfect combination of salty and sweet with just the right amount of sticky.  All were crispy on the outside, juicy on the inside and big.

Hot and Teriyaki Wings

What was I going to have for dinner? Shrimp po boy?  Marinated sliced steak sandwich? One of their 4 burgers? Spicy shrimp pad Thai? Blackened crab cake sandwich?  I couldn't decide. On Jimmy's suggestion, I went with the sliced steak sandwich with fries.  The sandwich was tender, cooked to perfection and stuffed with medium rare sliced steak, mozzarella cheese and fried onions.  It was the perfect ending to a long work day.  The waffle fries were also good.  Came with a pickle, which I can do without, but it is a nice gesture.

It still looks good... I want one now!

When it comes down to it, The Library Cafe has an amazing atmosphere, great drink and food specials, awesome wings, tasty food and is definitely Wingmen approved.

Maxwell's

Maxwell's, American Bar and Grille

501 Main St

Islip, NY 11751-3520

(631) 210-0011

My fiancee and I had just finished meeting with a wedding vendor on Tuesday night and the prospect of making dinner after working and traveling and viewing photos was a bit too much for us, so we decided to grab a bite to eat at Maxwell's (a Lessing's restaurant).

We were looking for dinner, so Wings were not going to be the main course, but a small appetizer seemed like a great idea. They have multiple flavors of wings from Ginger Teriyaki to Chipotle BBQ. I figured that the Wingmen should make a trip here, so I just ordered them hot. They did not disappoint.

They were really good wings. Cooked perfectly, crispy and juicy and came out piping hot. The hot sauce tasted great and was quite spicy. They also came out with celery and bleu cheese dressing. I suggest going there, but I suggest that the Wingmen head there soon. It is also across the street from Lily Flannigans in Islip, which was suggested by one of our fans on our facebook page.

A more in depth review will be made when the Wingmen make it out to Islip.