Snaps American Bistro in Wantagh 25 April 2021
A good three stars with interesting entrees but still needs a bit of refinement to move into the 5-star range. Snaps American Bistro has expanded but remains located on Wantagh Avenue just south of Sunrise Highway in a small group of stores on the west side. Parking spots are limited and small, both in the front and back. The greeting was prompt, and we were quickly seated at a small table for two. The room was packed, vivacious with several large tables and a bit noisy. Our cocktails arrived quickly, with the Cosmopolitan being fine and the Woodford reserve a bit over iced. As this was the beginning of restaurant week, we ordered from the restaurant week menu, and to my disappointment, they did not have the Lobster bisque. I ordered the soup of the day Chicken tortilla, which arrived table-side beautifully plated, full of flavor, and just enough spice to remind me of the soup's traditional heritage. Jo's Caesar salad promptly and was a generous portion but was lacking overall. The croutons were small non-descript commercial toasted bread cubes, the romaine crisp, the dressing a bit bland, and the shaved cheese mild and undistinguished. After clearing the starter plates, sometime later were asked if we wanted anything else before closing out the check, and we asked for our entrées. Our water glasses ran dry, nor were we ask if we wanted additional drinks. The mains took an exceedingly long time to arrive but well worth the wait.
Jo had the
Skirt Steak, which was grilled just to the right temperature, and plated with
BBQ dusted Fingerling Potatoes, Corn Salsa, and Grilled Asparagus. The sides, as well as the steak, were
outstanding. I had the Salmon, lightly
dusted with seasoning and grilled to perfection. The Salmon sat atop a bed of Arugula, Quinoa,
Feta, Tomato, Chickpeas, Olives, and just the right amount of Green Goddess
Dressing. In short, a delicious and well-balanced entree. We took home the
included deserts of cheesecake (missing the Blueberry Compote) and the Chocolate
Cake; both were proforma desserts. One
note on the checkout process, Snaps adds on a 4% for the use of all charge or
debit cards. We firmly believe that
restaurants should charge a fair price for their service, but the bill at the
end of the night should not read like my cell phone bill with lots of added
charges at the end of the bill. A 4%
surcharge for charge cards is a bit high and only reduces the tip by 4%.
Overall, if
as much effort and quality went into the starters, service, and desserts as
were into the mains, this could easily be a great place. As we exit COVID and reopen, we will revisit
Snaps in a few months giving time for them to polish up their service and
starters.
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