Anchor Down - Seafood restaurant in Merrick - 1960 Bayberry Ave, USA

Fabulous seafood spot with nice outdoor seating. Big portions, we got full from appetizers alone! Start with the calamari and jumbo lump crabcake. One of the best we’ve tried. Fish tacos are huge, but be aware the menu only shows the appetizer and price. We got billed extra for ‘dinner’ portion with additional taco and french fries after the fact. Not very nice. Lobster roll is the main draw here, hot or cold it’s very satisfying.

We rarely go to LI, and I did some research here and added 3 seafood restaurants on LI to my bucket list. Bigelows was closed, so we hit up Anchor Down in Merrick, NY, in Long Island. Free parking lot and parked right in front. They've got indoor and outdoor dining by the water. Dined indoors. No wait. Seated immediately. Only 3 people at the bar and just us. Waitress checked on us frequently and talked to the kitchen about my dietary restrictions. The service was great. The wife had the salmon, and I had the swordfish. Portions were large, and that's why it's priced that way. Very fair. My wife commented that the fish was cooked perfectly and was moist. So that's the good. The bad: the entrees were just OK. Both of us found that the way they were prepared didn't properly complement the fish. 3 out of 5 for us. I won't be rushing back. So sad. Saw so many great reviews in this group, and I had high hopes as we rarely came to LI.

The food was pretty good. Ordered a shrimp cocktail and 1/2 dozen oysters to start with. They were decent although the oysters weren't opened and cleaned properly and had to pull pieces of shell out of my mouth, which could have been a major issue if I bit down on them 🤔... My main course was a shrimp and lobster pot pie, which was a cute presentation. However, the dish very runny and soupy and a little on the salty side. There were pieces of shrimp but not much lobster at all. They kind of chintz out by putting chunks of potato in there which is supposed to fill it up I assume... The shrimp wasnt cleaned well so there were shells in there also. The plate is also served very very hot... The side order of spinach came to the table and the waitress actually lost control of it and it crashed onto the table. There was SO MUCH oil in the dish (HOT OIL) it splattered, burning my hand and also went all over the seat and splattered onto my pocketbook... so wasnt thrilled... but needless to say... accidents happen... What can u do? My friend enjoyed his steak so that was good. The interior is small and dark and the tables are so close together you feel like you're part of the conversation and it's a little too close for comfort. The ceilings are very low and a bar sits in front of the row of tables. Not ideal atmosphere at all. Maybe the outdoor seating is a better vibe when the season calls for that. I won't be returning tho...

Food was delicious. Seating outside was pleasant and comfortable. Service was very good.

Loved our maiden visit on a Saturday night! Was craving for some seafood that’s not served on disposable plates. Ventured out here on the south shore, right on the water. We loved every dish we ordered. The calamari was great. The raw oysters on half shells hit the spot - we had 3 of each. For the main course I went with the stuffed flounder (which replaced the previous fluke on the menu), and found it delicious. Others had the blackened mahi mahi (tough on the outer layer, but deliciously soft inside), fish and chips (was ok), and the Anchor Down burger with fries (excellent). Will be adding it to our list of authentic seafood spots on the island!

Personally unimpressed all around but that is one persons opinion I believe they are market priced And the food is per their norm so not saying anything was bad I was just unimpressed Oh and side note our fault Next time order childrens food unseasoned

Food was great and service was excellent. Mussels and fried Calamari was well seasoned. the Lobster roll And Crab cakes taste really good and was a nice size portion.

My sister and I often go here for lobster, but unfortunately when we went today they said they didn't have a full lobster, but had lobster rolls. We debated about leaving, but decided to stay and ordered the burrata, oysters and I decided to try the scallop dinner and omg everything was amazing. The burrata and the oysters were so fresh and then the scallops came with this amazing corn puree and it was amazing. I am a super picky eater and it was one of the best dishes I've had in a while. Also service was great.