The Stone Goat opens in St. James

Mike Koullias, the general manager of St. James’ newest restaurant, The Stone Goat, wants the new American eatery to be a trendsetter.

"We want everyone else to copy us more or less, we don’t want to copy anybody else," he said.

The two-floor restaurant opened Nov. 26 in a space that had most recently been the St. James Public House and O’s Food and Wine Bar. The ground floor dining room offers upscale mains from chef Alfred Hand such as Aquebogue's Crescent farm duck ($36), Cornish hen ($29), a 12-oz. filet mignon ($55) and Iberico pork chop ($59).

Although the restaurant was remodeled to create a sleek interior, customers of the previous Public House will recognize the familiar taproom structure and vibe on the second floor, Koullias said. The pub-style menu there includes items such as duck wings ($16), fish and chips ($25) and a bison burger ($25) served with bourbon bacon jam, white Cheddar and caramelized onions. On weekends, bottomless brunch starts at 9:30 a.m.

The one-acre property allows for a beer garden, brewery and outdoor cigar deck, which Koullias said will host live music events and food trucks.

"I’ve heard stories of great times people have had in this building before," Koullias said. "I think that’s what we want to do here — we want to make it that neighborhood spot for everybody, for them to come back and have great times like that."

The Stone Goat, 552 N. Country Rd, St James, 631-400-4628, stonegoatsmithtown.com, Open 11 a.m.-10 p.m. Mon-Thurs, 11 a.m.-11:30 p.m. Fri., 9:30 a.m.-midnight Sat. and 9:30 a.m.-8 p.m. Sun.

By Melissa Azofeifa

melissa.azofeifa@newsday.com

Melissa Azofeifa is a restaurants reporter with Newsday's FeedMe team. Having grown up on Long Island, she loves talking about food and its impact on culture. A graduate of Stony Brook University, she joined Newsday in the fall of 2024.