Farmingdale's Harley's American Grille Redesign Part Of Revamp To Be 'More Approachable'

FARMINGDALE, NY — Harley's American Grille of Farmingdale revamped its interior a few weeks ago, though the renovation is part of the ongoing evolution and rejuvenation of the 283 Main Street restaurant.

Harley's opened five years ago, and owner Mike LoManto said he wanted to put money back into the eatery to make it look newer. Flowers were added to some of the walls, and seating was reconfigured to align with the casual but classy feel.

Harley's has bolstered its entertainment as well, adding live music on Mondays; a DJ every Friday night; and disco and freestyle nights. The grille offers brunch on Saturdays, as well as Sundays, when a DJ joins for the late morning-early afternoon festivities.

"We’re giving entertainment all week long for people not just to eat, but hang out for a drink or feel comfortable with that," LoManto told Patch. "That’s really what we changed here."

The recent changes are part of Harley's paradigm shift from high-end steakhouse to an American grille that began with the arrival of Chef Keith McConnell in 2021.

LoManto assumed complete ownership then and welcomed McConnell, who redesigned the menu to make it "more approachable to people."

"I’ve worked in high-end places and I’ve worked in very casual takeout spots," McConnell said. "I’ve been around the block a few times and I’ve seen what works and what doesn’t."

Harley's became more casual than it originally was, and menu prices were dropped.

"It was more along that simplistic but good quality food," McConnell said.

Burgers, seafood, and pasta dishes were added to the menu, which McConnell said is an integral part of what makes Harley's an American grille.

"Just like America, it’s a melting pot of different cuisines," he said.

McConnell said his cuisine has influences from Italy, Asia, Greece and the Mediterranean region.

"We’re all across the board, and we have something for everybody," he said.

While Harley's has evolved from a high-end chophouse, McConnell still offers steaks and chops, such as steak frites; a marinated hanger; filet mignon; bone-in ribeye; lamb chops; and pork chops. All meats come from the local butcher, Farmingdale Meat Market, including McConnell's pride and joy: the 36-ounce, $145 porterhouse for two, which he says has "fantastic flavor."

The chef makes his own steak seasoning in-house. The porterhouse is then seared in the broiler, sliced thin and laid on a hot, sizzling skillet. It is brought out to the customer's table, where hot butter is blow torched on it. The porterhouse comes with two sides.

"It’s dinner and a show at the same time," McConnell said.

LoManto said the porterhouse is "off the charts" and something customers head to Harley's for. While the restaurant's menu has become more casual, it does not skimp on the quality of food.

"Presentation-wise, Chef is very pristine," LoManto said. "It needs to not only taste good, but it has to look good, too."

LoManto said he is "definitely very happy" with the changes Harley's has made since 2021.

"We’re nowhere near, obviously, where we want to be, but we’ve seen the growth from these changes, so we know we’re on the right path," he said.

The theme of evolution continues with the seasonal menu, which McConnell alters about three times a year.

The restaurant introduced new summer items, including a lobster cobb with avocado, bacon and tomatoes. McConnell is also using his mother's crab cake recipe. He has also switched up his fish dishes to incorporate more summer ingredients that are fresh and in-season, including coconut rice, corn and tomatoes.

"We’ve been tweaking and adjusting," McConnell said. "We’ve come a long way."