Snaps American Bistro

I hate leaving a review that isn’t positive, but I have to be honest. I came in with high expectations about a week and a half ago, and my entree was downright awful. We started with the Grilled Octopus appetizer, which was PHENOMENAL!! And my boyfriend got a burger, which was standardly yummy, but nothing special. My issue was with my entree, which was a special on their menu. It sounded great on paper. Baked gnocchi aka vodka with lobster tails and burrata?!?! All of my favorite things. It came out on a hot skillet and smelled so delicious. My gnocchi was so stuck to the iron I could barely get it off to eat it, and the ones I did eat were rock solid. The lobster tails were very overcooked, to the point where the meat didn’t come off the shell because it was so rubbery and adhered to the actual tail part. I then asked the waiter if there was a trick to getting the lobster meat off / if he thought it was overcooked, and this man literally just threw his hands in the air and said “you just have to try harder”. IT WAS RUBBER! I shouldn’t be fighting with my food and borderline exercising at the dinner table???? I live nearby and was so excited to support a local business. A horrible entree is forgivable (and I am a forgiving customer), but straight up rude service is not. Needless to say, I will not be back. (The truffle fries are delicious and worthy of a 2nd star.)

Snaps "snapped", sorry to say. So stand by for the "good, great, bad and the ugly"... Father's Day was not how we would have liked it... The place was not even half full, we were seated right away in a back("overflow room") why? It took a couple inquires and over 1/2hr to get a server, not off to a good start! Finally an apologetic server(Frank) was apparently filled in to help us. He was very thorough, took our drink order, helped out with our food choices and was well versed on the menu which was a pleasure (even though he was not dressed for the part). We had a good sampling of the drink menu and most items on the somewhat limited dinner menu( see pic). Btw, the drinks were quite unique and refreshing. Very cool drinks like the Oyster Bay Brewery summer peach, the Bacon Bourbon Mash, and the New Bond, all excellent. Unfortunately thats where it ended until the dessert drinks. Let me explain: 1st apps; lamb chops special were the thinnest I've ever had, not appetizing(bad). The crispy wontons recommended by Frank were nothing special much better at your local Chinese restaurant. Now the ribs were good, the grilled octopus was very good, and the chickpea fries were excellent! The Warm lobster knuckle sandwich was not all cracked up to, the Grilled shrimp was hardly grilled( too bad), the Grilled NY strip presented well(see pic) however very tough(ugly), advise to stay away, but the side of Roasted brussel sprouts were probably the best I've had in a long time! And I must say the burger special was great! And like I said the after dinner coffees , for example Expresso with side of sambuca and their Irish Coffee both much welcomed and just fine. So there you are...Please try this place out for yourself, keep it simple to some of the apps we were happy with and one of their burgers and you'll be happy. Don't forget to get a drink. Lmk how it goes.

I am appalled by the lack of service and attentiveness during my visit. Never once were we asked if we wanted refills on drinks, coffee or tea or anything. The food was ok. Never told about any deals going on that evening. The waitress had no personality but then again no one in the place did. They treated us as if a 9 top was an extreme burden and made my birthday horrible. Not to mention we were charged $30 for cutting a cake I brought in for my birthday. It's one thing to charge for bringing a cake in but no one should ever be charged that much.

First time back to Snaps in Wantagh in many years. Such a great experience with everything from ease of online reservations, atmosphere and food. The only change I would suggest and it's just my opinion, would be to slightly reduce the brightness of the lighting. I do like being able to see when I eat bit maybe just a tinge darker. I ordered the Hanger Steak and it literally melted in my mouth. The desserts were to die for especially the Banana Foster and Bread Pudding. I will absolutely be returning.

For more see liwinedad.blogspot.com A good three stars with interesting entrees but still needs a bit of refinement to move into the 5-star range. Snaps American Bistro has expanded but remains located on Wantagh Avenue just south of Sunrise Highway in a small group of stores on the west side. Parking spots are limited and small, both in the front and back. The greeting was prompt, and we were quickly seated at a small table for two. The room was packed, vivacious with several large tables and a bit noisy. Our cocktails arrived quickly, with the Cosmopolitan being fine and the Woodford reserve a bit over iced. As this was the beginning of restaurant week, we ordered from the restaurant week menu, and to my disappointment, they did not have the Lobster bisque. I ordered the soup of the day Chicken tortilla, which arrived table-side beautifully plated, full of flavor, and just enough spice to remind me of the soup's traditional heritage. Jo's Caesar salad promptly and was a generous portion but was lacking overall. The croutons were small non-descript commercial toasted bread cubes, the romaine crisp, the dressing a bit bland, and the shaved cheese mild and undistinguished. After clearing the starter plates, sometime later were asked if we wanted anything else before closing out the check, and we asked for our entrées. Our water glasses ran dry, nor were we ask if we wanted additional drinks. The mains took an exceedingly long time to arrive but well worth the wait. Jo had the Skirt Steak, which was grilled just to the right temperature, and plated with BBQ dusted Fingerling Potatoes, Corn Salsa, and Grilled Asparagus. The sides, as well as the steak, were outstanding. I had the Salmon, lightly dusted with seasoning and grilled to perfection. The Salmon sat atop a bed of Arugula, Quinoa, Feta, Tomato, Chickpeas, Olives, and just the right amount of Green Goddess Dressing. In short, a delicious and well-balanced entree. We took home the included deserts of cheesecake (missing the Blueberry Compote) and the Chocolate Cake; both were proforma desserts. One note on the checkout process, Snaps adds on a 4% for the use of all charge or debit cards. We firmly believe that restaurants should charge a fair price for their service, but the bill at the end of the night should not read like my cell phone bill with lots of added charges at the end of the bill. A 4% surcharge for charge cards is a bit high and only reduces the tip by 4%. Overall, if as much effort and quality went into the starters, service, and desserts as were into the mains, this could easily be a great place. As we exit COVID and reopen, we will revisit Snaps in a few months giving time for them to polish up their service and starters.

This is a local hot spot and always packed. It is best to make a reservation because it is hard to get a table, especially on the weekends. The menu is always interesting and flavorful. The pricing is competitive considering the quality of the food. The service has always been excellent. Parking can be tricky but you should be able to find something in the back of the restaurant. They do a really nice brunch on Sundays so reserve early!