Crash Cantina Debuts at Refreshed Inn Spot in Hampton Bays

Crash Cantina, a trendy new open-air restaurant with a creative Latin American-inspired menu, is opening Memorial Day weekend at Inn Spot, a collection of recently renovated bungalows overlooking Shinnecock Bay in Hampton Bays.

The new destination promises to bring a fresh boost of vibrance to the Ponquogue Beach area on the east end of Dune Road. The proprietors are the same team behind EHP Resort & Marina and Sí Sí, which both launched last year in East Hampton.

“I always wanted to create a concept that I felt could embody all of those things that we all love in a cantina, which is always the food, the music, the vibe, and also the cocktails and the margarita offerings,” says Dane Sayles, the head of Culinary and Operations.

Those offerings also include a hearty selection of tacos. The menu boasts both traditional and non-traditional options, such as smoked mushroom carnitas, crispy local fish with corn and daikon slaw, apple cider smoked chicken with mole verde and duck confit sopes with salsa verde.

The menu is predominantly seafood-focused with dishes such as Montauk fluke ceviche, local oysters with mango and passion fruit mignonette and Bloody Mary cocktail sauce. An assortment of salads and bowls will also be available.

“It’s not just a place where you go to eat tacos and it’s all meat based,” he notes. “There’s a lot of vegetable options for guests who want to eat healthy. … We’ve been doing our own version of a taco salad.”

The cocktail menu has an extensive list of mezcal and tequila available to be served neat or in house-made margaritas such as mango, passionfruit, tamarind, pineapple and hibiscus.

The chic venue’s breezy bay-front location makes for perfect sunset views to enjoy with dinner. Guests looking to soak up the good vibes for more than just a meal will be able to check in to the Inn Spot’s bungalows. The standalone accommodations encompass studios and suites with patios, kitchenettes, Brooklinen bedding and surf-inspired décor. Furniture pieces at both the inn and restaurant are textural, while décor is layered for an aesthetic that exudes an artist’s tropical escape, according to the company.

“There’s nothing else like this in Hampton Bays,” he says. “We’re bringing this energy and this hub of this restaurant that sits at the heart of the Inn Spot. … We really just see this creating a new destination for Hampton Bays.”

Crash Cantina at Inn Spot is located at 32 Lighthouse Road in Hampton Bays. It can be reached at 631-728-1200.