Ya’ll know how much I love finding new food spots..it’s one of those things that I just have to do and love doing. I loveeee good food, and all though I’ve been to a lot, I’m giving you my fav top 5 that I’ve been to over the past couple of months. They’re places in both Nassau + Suffolk County. So here goes!

#1 El Mercadito Mexican Restaurant // Westbury, NY 

This little gem, located in Westbury, has some good authentic Mexican food. The guac is FRESH y’all, as you can see in this picture above. I usually get a Torta de Pollo (chicken sandwich), it has a special sauce that I love. I’ve always gone with my parents, so they get tacos and they are yummy! Their papaya shake is so good too, that’s the drink on the lower right. The restaurant itself is really small, probably about 7 tables and like 1 waitress. It’s pretty much always packed in there so plan accordingly! If you want to have good inexpensive Mexican food, this is the place! Oh and the atmosphere is great, the walls are beautifully decorated with Mexican culture <3

#2 Noodles & Company // Garden City, NY

I’m low key in love with this spot. The reason why I say ‘low key’ is because I haven’t come here too often like I should. But anyway, they have yummy noodles! Located in Garden City, this place is really convenient and economical. I’ve had the Japanese Pan Noodles, which is what you see in the photo above, and the Wisconsin Mac and Cheese. Both are SO GOOD. The Japanese Pan Noodles dish is very savory and has a little kick to it. It has caramelized udon noodles in a sweet soy sauce, broccoli, carrots, shiitake mushrooms, Asian sprouts, black sesame seeds and cilantro. I usually get it with marinated steak 🙂 I love the thickness of the noodles and the combo of the steak with the broccoli and the sauce. It’s truly delicious! And the Wisconsin Mac and Cheese is really creamy, cheesy and delightful 🙂 By the way, I always get the size small for these dishes because it’s A LOT! So unless you’re really really hungry or want to take left overs, I suggest a size small 🙂

#3 Press 195 // Rockville Centre, NY

Located in Rockville Centre, this place is known for their amazing sandwiches. The reason why I’m showing you two photos is because the first time I went (left), Sammy and I ordered separate sandwiches. I did not finish mine! They’re HUGE sandwiches! And they give A LOT of fries! So the second time we went, we shared a sandwich, fries and wings 🙂

I got the #43 sandwich the first time. It had crispy panko breaded chicken cutlet, grilled pineapple, Canadian bacon, Monterey Jack and Press 195’s famous chipotle sauce. I wasn’t too crazy for it because of the pineapple. For some reason I wanted to try something new that day…I failed because I don’t like fruits in my sandwiches! Sammy got the #38 sandwich, it has grilled marinated sliced steak, avocado, sweet onion jam, fresh Mozzarella and creamy roasted pepper dressing. It’s also what we both got the second time. It’s really good! The BBQ wings are really good too, very savory. They’re always pretty busy so plan accordingly! They’re also next to an AMC movie theater so it’s perfect for a dinner and a movie <3

#4 Downtown Burger at Five Points Cafe // Sayville, NY

I’m a sucker for the classic burger and fries combo <3 Located in Sayville, they have Long Island’s best burgers. Or so their website says, lol. What you see here is the Downtown Burger. It’s composed of cheddar, mozzarella & American cheeses, bacon, and onion straws smothered in their secret Five Star sauce. Let me tell you…it was the greatest burger I’ve had in a while. Everything just went smoothly with every bite. I ate the whole thing! And that’s saying something because I’m usually one of those people that get full really fast and leave some little bits behind. The onion straws were delicious with bbq sauce, and the fries were soooooooo good. They were crunchy and savory, just how I like them 🙂 And they had really good tasting honey mustard sauce. It’s not a big place, but luckily when I went it was on a Sunday and it wasn’t busy at all. It has a very rustic feel to it, which I love. You’ve got to give this place a try!

#5 Bubba’s Burrito Bar

This little place gets packed! Located in Islip, they are known for their burritos + tacos. I usually get a chicken taco and a steak taco with some chips + guac. Their tacos are delicious! And I’ve had their nachos once, it was soooo good and cheesy, just how I like it 🙂 I also like them because they are actually going green! Their cups, utensils, napkins, take out containers, and water bottles are made from plants! And they’re pretty healthy too using brown rice, wheat wraps, fruits + veggies, etc. Everything is made fresh too! Plan accordingly, they usually are busy! And their place is so cute, decorated very tropical <3

Those were my top 5 food spots so far, I hope you enjoyed it and are willing to try these places out! Let me know if you do in the comments below <3

El Mercadito
Noodles & Company
Press 195
Downtown Burger at Five Points Cafe
Bubba’s Burrito Bar
 

Until the next food spot,
Peace out!

All photos taken by me, Thalia Abreu