Restaurant Review: Hampton Coffee Company

As I’m on my way to work from the other county on Long Island, I get to see a strip of farmstands, restaurants, shops and other Hamptonesque stores that always keep my eyes wandering. I pass the Hampton Coffee Company, of course, as it sits among many businesses on Montauk Highway in Water Mill.

When you walk in, you first notice what looks like an ordinary coffee shop with a case of assorted baked goods—like muffins, scones, croissants and cookies, but just through the next door there is a sitting area for their café that serves breakfast and lunch. Then there was more! Through the next door, there was an outdoor patio area also with seating… so the restaurant as a whole seats 80. [expand]

Owner and CEO Jason Belkin said the sit-down restaurant and being able to watch the sunrise outside on the patio, makes them different from chain coffee shops. The patio also allows for children to be a little louder and is pet friendly. Belkin said customers bring pets on a regular basis and they accommodated them with pet bowls.

While drinking my flavored specialty hazelnut iced coffee, Belkin told me he has seen many people come into the Hampton Coffee Company store. Since opening in 1994, he has seen people meet and further their relationships, some go on to be married and he has then watched their families grow. Over a 17-year period, a family sequence such as this is an “unsaid compliment,” said Belkin.

Back to my coffee. My server Samantha brought out the largest glass of coffee I had ever seen served at a coffee shop. My drinks at a diner bear no comparison to this glass of coffee—and hazelnut was the perfect choice. It was bold, hand-roasted estate-grown coffee and it is freshly roasted daily. Not only is their coffee impressive, they also have a Mobile Espresso Unit. It is a Mercedes Van with an espresso bar inside.

For breakfast I ordered the breakfast burritos—three warm flour tortillas stuffed with scrambled eggs and cheddar cheese served with homemade salsa. I added the breakfast sausage, which contributed a savory taste. It was delicious. The salsa was a nice touch as well. It was very refreshing and made it a cohesive meal.

Also I was able to taste the fat-free apple muffins and the sugar-free corn muffins. Those were nice sized and can be a good breakfast—or sliced in half, a great snack. The fat-free apple had a great apple flavor almost reminding me of apple pie; the sugar-free corn muffins were great. I couldn’t even tell they were sugar free.

To really enjoy the summer and the food Hampton Coffee Company, Belkin said that every Friday from 5-7 p.m., there will be live music. Because it is an early evening event, it is kid friendly. It is completely free and all of the music is performed by professional acts. This past Friday some of the performances included instruments from Argentina, music from Liverpool and two locals with many years of experience.

Hampton Coffee Company, 869 Montauk Hwy., Water Mill, has another location in Westhampton Beach on Mill Road across from Village Hall. Breakfast is served from 5:30 a.m.-4 p.m., open until 7 p.m. 631-726-COFE [/expand]