Three New Restaurants Open Across Long Island, Including Bay Shore Pub

When Christopher Daro and his Dark Horse Tavern partners decided to expand beyond Nassau County, Bay Shore beat out every other option on Long Island. The result is a new pub at 53 W. Main Street, occupying the downtown space left by American Standard when it closed January 1.

"Suffolk County is the next frontier for us," said Daro, a co-owner. "Nassau is over-saturated, we feel, and I think Bay Shore is one of the leading towns out here. That's what interested us."

The Bay Shore venue is the company's fourth Dark Horse Tavern location and its first in Suffolk, joining existing spots in Rockville Centre, Farmingdale and Massapequa Park. Like all Dark Horse properties, it occupies a downtown commercial corridor, a deliberate strategy the ownership team says connects the brand to walkable street traffic. Hours run noon to 4 a.m. seven days a week, with a menu of freshly prepared pub fare, craft beers and premium cocktails. The address sits a short walk from the Bay Shore Long Island Rail Road station, positioning the pub for commuter traffic on weeknights and westbound visitors arriving on weekends.

"That's what we love to bring," Daro said. "The bartenders treat you like a person who cares about you. It's not just about serving you a drink and walking away. That's what we're trying to build here in Bay Shore."

The opening arrives during a period of active investment along Bay Shore's Main Street corridor, where Business Improvement District programs and municipal redevelopment efforts have focused on filling storefronts and diversifying the dining mix. Dark Horse adds a late-night anchor to a block that has steadily gained commercial tenants over the past several years.

Two other openings round out a busy stretch for Long Island's restaurant market. The Chas. American Restaurant debuted March 10 in Smithtown inside the former Carrabba's Italian space, a modern reinvention of the storied Chas. Rothmann's steakhouse, named for Charles Rothmann, one of the original founders of the legendary brand. Developed by The Rothmanns Group, the concept centers on 35-day dry-aged steaks and a dining room built for private events, with semi-private sections, a party room and a lounge with sliding doors. Prices run $31 to $50. Compton's Sandwich Shop rounds out the trio, spanning three distinct dining categories across the region.

For Bay Shore, Daro's decision to cross the county line and plant his fourth location on Main Street is among the clearest signals yet that the village's downtown is drawing commercial attention from operators with the multi-location track records to back up the bet.