Waypoint Restaurant
Southold farm-to-table and boat-to-plate restaurant — freshly caught Long Island seafood and locally grown produce in a relaxed dining room.
Waypoint takes its name from the navigational sense of the word — a stopping place on a journey — and that's exactly how it functions on a North Fork tasting day. The kitchen leans hard on North Fork farms and local fishermen, with a rotating seasonal menu, raw bar and a Long Island-focused wine list. Located on Main Road in Southold between the heart of the wineries and Greenport, it's a natural pre- or post-tasting dinner with a calmer pace than the Front Street rooms in the village.
Farm-to-table, local seafood, North Fork wine list
Hours and how it's structured
Waypoint splits service into three windows on the days it's open: lunch from noon to 4pm, a light-fare menu from 4 to 5pm, and dinner from 5pm to close, per the hours posted on the restaurant's homepage. The restaurant is seasonal — it reopens for the year on May 1 and closes for the winter, so it's worth checking the site before planning an off-season visit.
Location and access
The address is 400 Old Main Road in Southold, on the water, and the site notes the restaurant accommodates boat arrivals and takes reservations by phone for all party sizes. Event inquiries are handled separately by email rather than through the main reservation line.
Where it sits on the trail
Southold's Main Road location puts Waypoint roughly midway between the Cutchogue/Peconic winery cluster and Greenport, making it a natural stop either heading east toward the village or looping back west after a day of tastings.
What's on the menu
Waypoint's dinner menu, posted on the restaurant's site, opens with a raw bar of little-neck clams, chilled oysters and jumbo shrimp cocktail, plus a seafood tower built from six shrimp, sixteen clams and sixteen oysters. Appetizers include steamed PEI mussels in a lobster broth, sesame-seared tuna crunch, hand-crafted veal-pork-and-beef meatballs, charred octopus and herb-infused lamb chops, alongside salads such as the Waypoint Caprese with prosciutto and the wedge with Maytag bleu cheese.
Kitchen and atmosphere
The restaurant describes its cooking as North Fork–inspired, farm-to-table and boat-to-plate, sourcing freshly caught seafood and locally grown produce from around Long Island. Waypoint offers waterfront and outdoor dining with a dock for boat arrivals, and its listing has noted live music on select nights during the season.
Sources
Frequently asked questions
- Does Waypoint Restaurant take reservations?
- Waypoint Restaurant primarily seats walk-ins; call (631) 765-6373 ahead to confirm wait times. Arriving early in the evening or on weekdays is the easiest way to get a table.
- Where is Waypoint Restaurant located?
- Waypoint Restaurant is at 54980 Main Road, Southold, NY 11971, on the North Fork of Long Island.
- What kind of food does Waypoint Restaurant serve?
- Waypoint Restaurant serves New American · Seafood. It is a upscale restaurant ($$ · $28–46 entrées). Known for farm-to-table, local seafood, north fork wine list.
- Which Long Island wineries are near Waypoint Restaurant?
- Pellegrini Vineyards, The Lenz Winery, and Bedell Cellars are all within an easy drive of Waypoint Restaurant, making it a natural lunch or dinner stop on a North Fork wine-tasting day.
- Where can I stay near Waypoint Restaurant?
- Hotels within easy reach of Waypoint Restaurant include North Fork Table & Inn and Sannino Vineyard Bed & Breakfast. Booking a room nearby lets you enjoy the wine list without driving back.
- Is Waypoint Restaurant good for dietary restrictions?
- Waypoint Restaurant can typically accommodate common dietary restrictions — vegetarian, gluten-free, and shellfish allergies — with advance notice. Note them in your OpenTable reservation or call (631) 765-6373 so the kitchen can plan around them, especially on busy weekend services.
- When are the busiest times at Waypoint Restaurant?
- Friday and Saturday dinner service (6–8:30 pm) is the busiest window at Waypoint Restaurant, along with Sunday lunch during the North Fork wine-tasting season (May–November). Weeknight dinners and early seatings are the easiest tables to get and usually a calmer experience.