Common Country East: The Next Big Thing in North Fork Dining

It will define good food and fun times with friends and family in Greenport for years to come.

Common Country East is a brand new restaurant on the dock where Crabby Jerry’s once stood. With both a bar setting and luxurious couch seatings, it’s essentially SoHo House on the water – which is exactly what Gansevoort Street Hospitality Group, which manages the Claudio’s properties, was aiming for. It also has somewhat of a Wild West cowboy theme.

What Changed?

“We tried to do something unique,” Keith Hancock, chief operating officer at Gansevoort Hospitality, said. “We started out with a first menu, and we’re always open to guest feedback. We heard some things as to what people wanted more of so we revised the menu and added more seafood, for example.”

Common Country East is perhaps the most ambitious change of Gansevoort’s reimagining of the Greenport waterfront. While Claudio’s Waterfront Restaurant remains untouched, Claudio’s Tavern and Grill is now Charlie Boy, Claudio’s Pizza is now the Little Charli Slice Shop, and Crabby Jerry’s is now Common Country East.

You may have been disappointed to hear that Crabby Jerry’s was being replaced, and it was certainly a risk taken on Gansevoort and the Claudio’s team’s respective parts to do away with a proven and beloved brand – but Dan’s Papers is here to tell you that it’s a risk which pays off. Everything you loved about Crabby Jerry’s – the dock with the view of the boats, good food, and a perfect summer breeze – is still very much there, but with more luxurious seating and a menu that deviates from the traditional seafood fare found in many of the restaurants in Greenport. Now, instead of choosing between the minute differences between Claudio’s Waterfront and Crabby Jerry’s, visitors to the Greenport waterfront get more of a variety to decide where to dine.

The Wild West theme is certainly at home on the North Fork as well. Whether you’re a local or a tourist, the drive down Sound Avenue through Long Island’s beautiful farm country, combined with its serene beaches, is the ambiance captured at Common Country East. And there’s certainly some of what you might call “southern hospitality” in the superb service at the new restaurant. 

“Common Country in the city is very country driven,” Hancock said. “It is a country bar, but this is a different venue and a different atmosphere. We wanted to do what we could to bring both of those worlds together, to give the atmosphere of the beach and the relaxation, bringing the couches and yes, the SoHo House, but also still stick to the bones of what our concept of Common Country is. And I think we’ve done a good job of kind of encompassing both of those worlds.”

The Food

The menu is vast yet simple. There’s enough items on it to warrant coming to Common Country East more than one if you’re a party of two, but also the perfect amount to sample many things if here with a larger group. Dan’s Papers was able to sample four items from the menu, as well as a cocktail.

The jalapeño poppers are served in a big enough portion that they could be an entree for one person, and it’s perfect for sharing with a group. They are sweet, savory, and crunchy – if you’re looking to document your time at Common Country East, consciously remind yourself that the camera eats first before you chow down.

If you couldn’t get into Claudio’s because of the crowds, and wound up here – an experience many had with going to Crabby Jerry’s – fret not about getting your lobster roll. The Common Country East lobster roll is delicious. It’s very meaty, more lobster than roll. The butter and lemon makes the lobster flavor really pop.

The lobster rangoon is a true standout on the menu – you’d be hard pressed to find it anywhere else in Greenport. It blends a classic Greenport waterfront taste with New York City-style crab rangoon. It’s hard to put into words; go try it.

The blackened fish sandwich is another standout –a deviation from the standard “daily catch” specials in the village, it features blackened tilapia, lettuce, tomatoes, and Old Bay remoulade that gives it a bit of a kick. Tastes like chicken!

Other items on the menu include classics you can’t go wrong with on the Greenport waterfront, such as fried calamari, mozzarella sticks, chips and guacamole, and fish and chips. The more modern offerings include the common burger, made with wagyu beef, and tuna poke. 

The drink menu, like everything else here, offers a nice mix of old and new Greenport. We tried the Common Country Bev, which blends mezcal and aperol. You might not think to mix the two when making a cocktail at home, but you will after you try it here.

It won’t be long before Common Country East is as beloved as its predecessor. Dan’s Papers gives our full recommendation.

Common Country East is located at 111 Main Street in Greenport and can be reached at 631-477-0627 or commoncountrybar.com/ccehome.