I tried a $97 salad at an iconic Montauk spot. The food may be overpriced, but the views are worth every penny.
Tech Insider
Duryea's sells a $97 lobster Cobb salad.
Jonah Rosenberg for Business Insider
I visited Duryea's, a seafood restaurant that's been in Montauk for almost 100 years.
It's famous for lobster rolls, amazing views, and high prices.
Duryea's also offers a $97 lobster Cobb salad that goes viral every summer for its high cost.
Picture this: You're driving down a Long Island highway on a summer day, you hit the Hamptons, but then you just … keep going.
Eventually, you hit what locals call The End: Montauk.
Over the years, Montauk has transformed from a sleepy little surfing town to a full-blown haven for influencers and Wall Street bankers. But for every new bar or club (we see you, Bounce and Surf Lodge), there are places that have been around for decades.
And then, there's Duryea's Lobster Deck, which is somewhere in between. The Duryea family took over a small fish market on the bay side of Montauk in the 1920s. Over the years, it became an institution, but not, technically, a restaurant, as local regulations prohibited it. Instead, the Duryeas called it a "picnic shack," per The Financial Times.
In 2014, Perry Duryea III sold the business to billionaire Mark Rowan for a reported $6.3 million. Over a decade later, gone are the picnic tables and relatively low prices, and in their place are more upscale booths, a refurbished dock, and $300 seafood towers.
On a Monday in August, I decided to check out what Duryea's is like now, almost 10 years after its rebranding under Rowan.
Here's what my visit was like — and what I got for $230.
Duryea's is a Montauk institution.
Jonah Rosenberg for Business Insider
Duryea's began as a fish market in the '20s. It became some version of the restaurant that is known and loved today in 1948, when Perry Duryea Jr. (the former owner Chip Duryea's father) returned home from World War II, per an interview with Whalebone Magazine.
Now, it's expanded from a plain fish market to two restaurants (one in Montauk, another in Orient Point), rentable cottages, and two beach clubs (Orient Point and the Riviera Maya in Mexico).
Duryea's doesn't take reservations. I arrived shortly after it opened at noon on a Monday, and there was already a line.
Jonah Rosenberg for Business Insider
I, naively, thought that on a Monday in August, Duryea's wouldn't be crowded. I was wrong.
We waited around 30 minutes to be seated on the deck.
Jonah Rosenberg for Business Insider
There's no true indoor seating, just a couple of high-tops with no chairs. The deck is the place to be.
Here's how crowded it was less than an hour after opening.
Jonah Rosenberg for Business Insider
You can see a boat parked at the dock — at many restaurants on the eastern end of Long Island, you can pull right up to Duryea's and hop off your boat for some fresh lobster.
The tables and seating were light wood and white, making it the perfect summer photo op.
Jonah Rosenberg for Business Insider
And believe me, a lot of photos were being taken.
The restaurant has learned to poke fun at its reputation.
Jonah Rosenberg for Business Insider
This sign proclaimed that "we are all famous here." I bet some people would disagree.
At Duryea's, you order by marking your choices on the menu and taking it to the counter.
Jonah Rosenberg for Business Insider
It's all part of the idea that this was once a casual place to hang out by the ocean, even if it's come a long way since then.
The menu is certainly not cheap. Most of those items are meant to be shared between two to three people, but still, it's pricey.
Jonah Rosenberg for Business Insider
Seafood generally isn't known as a cheap cuisine, but here, seafood towers cost up to $345, lobster rolls are $45, and a 2-pound lobster costs $94. Even more classic dishes can ring up the bill: A grilled cheese is $21, the house salad is $39, and a roasted chicken is $83.
We ordered the lobster Cobb salad ($97), a lobster roll, and a single basket of fries ($16), and three Diet Cokes ($6 each). We also got three cups of water, which were $2 each.
The window was lively.
Jonah Rosenberg for Business Insider
Was I a little surprised that, with such high prices, you had to go up and place your order yourself? Sure, but it gave me an excuse to walk around.
It's almost as if Duryea's is trying to have it both ways by keeping the casual beachy vibes of the original store with a food window and bringing the elevated vibes of the Hamptons with its aesthetic and high prices.
While walking around, I explored the rest of the store. Duryea's merch was for sale.
Jonah Rosenberg for Business Insider
There's also a small market and a boutique attached to the main Duryea's building.
I also got a good look at some of the seafood that would be consumed soon.
Jonah Rosenberg for Business Insider
I spotted lobsters, oysters, and clams in this cooler.
By the time I came back, it was time to dig in. Here's the lobster Cobb salad.
Jonah Rosenberg for Business Insider
I'll give it to them: This was huge. It easily fed two people, and probably could've fed at least four.
It contained lettuce, tomatoes, avocado, hard-boiled eggs, bacon bits, a creamy tarragon dressing, and, most importantly, giant hunks of lobster.
They did not skimp on the lobster.
Jonah Rosenberg for Business Insider
They didn't throw in tiny chunks of lobster — the pieces were roughly the size of my palm.
But was it really worth $97? I'd say no.
Jonah Rosenberg for Business Insider
Once you got past the top layer of lobster meat, this was essentially a huge bowl filled with lettuce.
I didn't love the dressing either — I found it to be a bit too tangy.
I'd recommend sticking with the lobster roll, an old favorite. You also get a lot of lobster, but it's roughly half the price. It also comes with homemade chips, which were delicious.
The fries rocked, though.
Jonah Rosenberg for Business Insider
The fries were the perfect amount of crispy, and I prefer shoestring-style fries to almost any other. And, with just three people, a single basket was the perfect amount.
It's clear that, more than anything, you're paying for the ambiance at Duryea's.
Jonah Rosenberg for Business Insider
It was the perfect day to be sitting on the bay, drinking an ice-cold Diet Coke, and snacking on some lobster.
If you're on a budget, I would probably recommend skipping Duryea's, or at least keeping your order small. After the tip, our lunch for three people came out to $230.68.
Duryea's did not respond to a request for comment from Business Insider about my experience.
But if you have the means, Duryea's should be on your Montauk itinerary.
Jonah Rosenberg for Business Insider
To put it simply: Montauk is expensive. However, there are places that are cheaper, especially if you want lobster. Bennett Shellfish, for example, is a local spot that sells two-for-one lobster rolls with a menu that changes daily.
But it's not as scenic as Duryea's — that's your trade-off.
I would definitely come back, but I'd skip the $100 salad. But I'd definitely order a glass of rosé and a lobster roll, and take in the views.
