Hideaway Montauk is a hidden gem created by four friends who met while spending time in the fishing village at the furthest end of Long Island. This relaxed and happy place overlooking the boats at Cove Marina serves sensational Mexican cuisine with an emphasis on local seafood and excellent cocktails. The previous restaurant to fill the space was called Hideaway, and the new owners kept a variation of the name to pay homage to the history of the location.
Hamptons Social interviewed one of the founders, Dustin Terry, about how Hideaway Montauk came into fruition. Terry said, “The four of us (Charlotte Olander, Zach Terzis, Tintin Huss and myself) always thought it would be fun to have a project in Montauk together. We were all in Puerto Escondido this past winter and we decided it was time to get serious about it. Luckily we were able to land at the Hideaway.”
When Hamptons Social visited Hideaway Montauk for lunch, we started with the Elote (fire roasted corn with butter, chili pepper, lime, queso fresco), the addictive Nachos Escondidos with house-made chorizo, and the refreshing Ensalada Sandia (a watermelon salad with radish, queso fresco, agave, jicama, mint, and lime). For tacos, we enjoyed and are still daydreaming about the Picadillo and Pescado tacos.
The Hideaway serves amazing seafood including their signature dish called Ahi Tuna Crudo (thin slices of yellowfin tuna, red onion, serrano pepper, lime, white soy, olive oil) and the Pincho De Camaron (skewers of small grilled shrimp with garlic and spice). There is also an impressive selection of cocktails. We loved the Hibiscus margarita with a hint of spicy tincture and the passionfruit margarita with agave and lime.
Below Terry spoke with us about the restaurant’s aesthetic, the menu’s creation, and his ties to the Hamptons.
HAMPTONS SOCIAL: What are your signature dishes?
DUSTIN TERRY: By far the tacos! They’re all incredible but the picadillo is one of my favorites and our taco de pescado tastes like vacation! If we had to pick one dish to try I think we would all agree on the tuna crudo. It’s inspired by a dish from the Oaxacan coast and it’s pretty unique for the Montauk area. It’s fresh, perfect for summer and pairs great with our Jamaica Margarita and especially a glass of Muscadet. We think it’s definitely one of our “must haves”.
HAMPTONS SOCIAL: Hideaway was a restaurant before you took it over this summer. How did you update it? And how did you keep ties to its past?
TERRY: My partner Charlotte really put her Swedish heart and soul into renovating the space. Her husband Zach and partner Tintin worked hard to renovate the space which allowed us to open at the beginning of June. We kept the same bar top given its history and the design really fell into place around it. The former owner Skip has become a friend and part time advisor, as well as, a regular lunch customer. He has a warm charm that’s tough to find these days. Fortunately, he loves to come help us out when we need it and we are beyond grateful to him!
HAMPTONS SOCIAL: Can you tell us a little about how the menu was created?
TERRY: The local community was drawn to the previous Mexican menu so we wanted to revive some of the old favorites like the nachos, elote and quesadillas. We feel we stayed true to the original Hideaway but also layered in our own personal taste and favorite dishes from our travels. We continue to expand and evolve when necessary but our core menu will always offer classic Mexican favorites done right.
HAMPTONS SOCIAL: How would you describe the vibe and aesthetic?
TERRY: A Swedish boat house that serves up banging tacos with an array of margarita cocktails. We have great tunes throughout the day and our playlists always cater to the crowd that’s there at the moment as well as the time of day. We are family friendly but it definitely gets vibey here!
HAMPTONS SOCIAL: What has it been like opening up in Montauk this summer? What are your ties to the Hamptons?
TERRY: People are happy the Hideaway is back! This location has provided a lot of people with special memories over the years and fortunately the community has welcomed us and we couldn’t be more proud to carry the tradition.
HAMPTONS SOCIAL: There is a lot that goes into opening a restaurant. What is a moment of triumph that you savoured?
TERRY: Getting listed as OPEN on Google! Wow, that was a mission that was. We even put up a sign that said, “Don’t trust Google, we’re open!”
Hideaway Montauk is located at 364 West Lake Drive, Montauk, NY 11954. For more information, visit www.hideawaymontauk,com.
[Photos courtesy of Hideaway Montauk]
