Business & Tech

Luncheonette Owner Bringing Home-Style Goodness to Sound Beach

George Zois made his name at George's Luncheonette on Main Street in Patchogue. When he left, he founded a new restaurant on the North Shore.

When you walk into George's Kitchen on New York Avenue in Sound Beach, you already know that you're not getting the same old thing on the menu at the chain restaurants a little way down on Route 25A.

Applebee's and Ruby Tuesdays both have their places in family mealtimes but this off-the-beaten-path diner is the antithesis of corporate food service. It does not disappoint in giving you what you expect when you first cross the threshold: Tasty food with friendly service all at a good price. The kind of place you want to make your regular joint.

Owner Zois - a former Greek oil ship worker (more about that later) - has experience making a homey feeling place into a local favorite serving up portions of food at the right price. Zois already had success in Patchogue with George's Luncheonette, a Main Street staple with a dedicated local following. From 1993 until 2007, George's Luncheonette grew into a goto breakfast spot. Zois left Patchogue and established this Sound Beach locale back in 2008 and is bringing that same homemade goodness to residents here.

Interested in local real estate?Subscribe to Patch's new newsletter to be the first to know about open houses, new listings and more.

The interior has an old-school diner feel, with wooden booths. The dining area is separated from the open kitchen by a big wedge of counter seating. You can describe it as a greasy spoon but that underestimates the kitchen's offerings.

Lunch specials are hand written and photocopied, advertising $7.95 plates of fried Talapia sandwiches, Cajun jalapeno cheeseburgers and corn beef and cabbage. Or for a dollar more you can get a double banger called a "Deli Duo," which is a half pastrami and half corn beef sandwich. The $8.95 items also include beef goulash with noodles and a gyro with Greek Salad. Most come with french fries and a choice of soups.

Interested in local real estate?Subscribe to Patch's new newsletter to be the first to know about open houses, new listings and more.

Zois, who lives in Medford, came to the United States as a young man in 1969 working on a ship delivering oil to Port Jefferson Harbor. One day he decided to jump ship when a man offered him the same amount of money for a week's work that he was making in an entire month.

"I said 'okay,'" Zois recalls with a smile.

After stints at local restaurants over the next few years, Zois became a citizen. By 1993 he had opened the luncheonette in Patchogue and 15 years later he's in Sound Beach, nearby the same harbor that he took his chances on in America all those years before.

Have you been to George's Kitchen in Sound Beach? Tell us what you think.


Get more local news delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up for free Patch newsletters and alerts.

We’ve removed the ability to reply as we work to make improvements. Learn more here