The Surf Lodge

What can be said about Surf Lodge that hasn’t already been said? We had a great time.

We’ve visited the restaurant on a Monday and we really liked it. Good food, good drinks, beautiful sunset view and the price was reasonable. Service was great!

Used to come on Wednesday nights a few years ago. Never again. Got a cabana and whoever was to clean it left a full drink behind the pillow which tipped over and I had sticky down my back- as I was lounging on the cabana bed. Guess we didn't order " enough" since when they brought the food they didn't even bring napkins. My ceviche was good, but the plantain chips were all stuck together and hard to chew. We had asked for water. Since I had nothing to eat my ceviche with since they were like a rock, I went and got utensils and water. Got a mocktail which was all ice. Only positive was the waitress was nice. Would have gone anywhere else. Awful !!

Fun time, great venue

I recently had dinner at The Surf Lodge in Montauk and, while the dinner was enjoyable and the service at the restaurant itself was very good, my experience at the bar afterwards was profoundly disappointing. After dinner, I went to the bar for drinks, where I was shocked to be charged a different amount for the same drink with each order. When I politely asked the lady bar attendant about this discrepancy, she was extremely rude and dismissive—telling me to "take it up with the manager." To make things worse, the manager was nowhere to be found, so I couldn’t resolve the issue on the spot. Given the exclusive reputation and high prices of Surf Lodge, I find this behavior completely unacceptable. The bar seems to be running a scam with inconsistent pricing, and I strongly advise anyone visiting to carefully check the rates before purchasing any drinks. For a place that markets itself as a high-end Montauk destination, such shady practices and unprofessional staff are simply not acceptable. I recommend management seriously address this issue, as it reflects very poorly on what should be a top-tier establishment.

I rarely write negative reviews, but my recent visit to The Surf Lodge was such a mixed experience that I feel compelled to share. We started in the outdoor sand area, and I have to say—the service here was fantastic. Being a vegetarian, I was impressed by how good the food was. We ordered a burrata salad, sides of asparagus, broccoli, carrots, and French fries, and everything was fresh, well-prepared, and served incredibly quickly. The dessert was outstanding—a perfect way to wrap up the meal. The drinks were also exceptional. The cocktails were beautifully crafted; we had two rounds of tequila-based cocktails and then switched to Casa Dragones tequila, which was served perfectly. Up to this point, the experience was exactly what you would hope for in Montauk—great setting, excellent food, and quality drinks. Unfortunately, things changed drastically when we moved inside to the bar. There were three male bartenders and one female bartender working, but despite my polite requests, the male bartenders never acknowledged or served me. I stood there waiting while they served others, and it felt like I was being deliberately ignored. The experience left me feeling uncomfortable and disrespected—to the point where it came across as racially biased. Adding to this, my friend faced a serious billing issue. His first drink was charged at $31, which, while expensive, was not unexpected. But his second drink was inexplicably billed at $59. When we questioned the difference, the bartender simply said, “That’s just the way it is. If you have an issue, you can talk to the manager.” This dismissive and unprofessional response is unacceptable—especially at a place of this reputation and price point. In summary: • Outdoor experience – Excellent food, prompt service, amazing cocktails. • Indoor bar experience – Unprofessional service, discriminatory behavior, and questionable billing practices. The contrast between the two was shocking. Montauk thrives on tourism and reputation, but disrespect, unethical billing, and discriminatory service at the bar ruin what could have been a perfect evening. Unless there are significant changes to staff training and accountability, I cannot recommend The Surf Lodge despite its beautiful setting and great kitchen. It’s sad because the outdoor service deserves five stars, but the unprofessional, unethical behavior of the bar staff drags the whole place down. The actions of a few bartenders are giving this venue bad reviews—and they’re the reason I will never return.