For better or worse, social media has become a major factor in putting restaurants on the map. Sometimes it’s a hit, while other times it’s a miss, and you’re left eating something that tastes much worse than it looks. Luckily, a classic diner in Long Island has gone viral for all the right reasons with its out-there dishes that look good on the ‘gram and taste even better (although they might put you into a food coma on the spot).
Island Lake Diner has been feeding hungry folks in Ronkonkoma for over 25 years with traditional diner fare like burgers, melts, and omelettes, but recently it has made its mark on social media with dishes like chicken cutlet alfredo “tacos” (where the taco is actually just a piece of chicken topped with pasta). While the chicken tacos are indeed a big draw, you can also get your fill with other viral dishes like the bread cone filled with gooey mac and cheese, the ice cream cookie sandwich that has the diner’s soft serve smashed between two huge cookies, and a bread bowl filled with pasta.
Social media influencer @thegrubfather highlighted the restaurant to his hundreds of thousands of followers, calling it a “hidden gem” that “is a banger — especially when you’re craving a proper diner experience,” while @Jshock9nine raved about it to his 260,000-plus followers, giving it an 8.7 out of nine shocks on his personal rating system. For those who want to see for themselves what all the hubbub is about in this diner, drive just five minutes from Lake Ronkonkoma, Long Island’s largest lake with equal parts beauty and eerie dangers.
The viral (and non-viral) dishes of Island Lake Diner
While New York City is chock-full of viral restaurants — like the chic restaurant called The Corner Store with its upscale take on American food – Long Island is building its own roster of trending restaurants with places like Island Lake Diner. And it’s not just influencers who have praised it, either, as the restaurant has gotten 4.3 stars on Google and 4.5 stars on Grubhub. John S. writes on Yelp that “social media did it again — this place is good,” while one enthusiastic visitor says, “This is no ordinary diner by any means — don’t walk… RUN here!” for the chicken tacos…