Opened in 1957, The Good Steer restaurant in Lake Grove closes

The Good Steer, a popular Lake Grove eatery famous for its burgers, barbecue and onion rings since 1957, closed its doors for good on Saturday.

The restaurant, owned and operated by the McCarroll family, was a fixture on Middle Country Road with its neon sign featuring a steer.

“As they say, All Good Things must come to an end,” read a post on the restaurant’s Facebook page, announcing the eatery's closing Saturday night.

“We have truly enjoyed serving you for these past 7 decades," the post read, "but it is time for us to end this story.”

It also hinted at a possible return in some form saying: “Who knows … keep an eye out. We might be back someday!”

Owner Robert McCarroll said it was "not an easy decision" but the family decided to close the restaurant because they could not keep up with rising costs.

"So many of our ingredients and raw materials doubled in price," said McCarroll, whose grandfather, also named Robert, opened the restaurant in 1957. He also pointed to annual real estate taxes of $80,000 and electric bills that could top $2,000 a week.

"It just gets to the point that you can't raise the prices any more to cover the costs. If it costs you $125 to fill up your car, you run out of money for a cheeseburger very quickly."

McCarroll, 58, said his grandparents, Robert B. and Elizabeth, started with a diner in Smithtown before opening The Good Steer.

"It was originally like a drive-in, we did have roller skating waitresses for a very short time," he said.

In its early days celebrities coming to and from the Hamptons would stop by the restaurant, which started out as an “upscale hamburger stand,” according to The Good Steer website. Celebrities who frequented included E.G. Marshall, the Gabor sisters and Ava Gardner, it stated.

In 1965, his grandfather passed away, leaving his father, also named Robert, to take over. He renovated the restaurant, expanding the kitchen and giving the dining area a rustic, country charm.

"My father grew the business into what it is today," McCarroll said.

A 2007 Newsday restaurant review of The Good Steer described a “juicy and good” signature burger as well as the “justly famous onion rings — a mountain of thin, delicately crisp slices — were impossible to stop eating.”

McCarroll said for decades the restaurant was a friendly and comfortable place for diners. He pointed out the restaurant saw its most brisk business in 2002, after the 9/11 terror attacks.

"We found that people were staying longer," McCarroll said. "It made us feel good that people coming here to have a cheeseburger ... that gave them comfort during a really uncomfortable time."

On Sunday, more than 3,000 people commented on The Good Steer’s Facebook post with tributes to the staff and food. Some shared photos taken at the restaurant over the years.

Charlee Burns and her fiancé, Paul Mangini of Farmingville, stopped by the restaurant on Sunday afternoon, stunned by the news.

“We were super bummed we didn’t get a chance to come back one more time,” Burns, 32, said. “We are really upset. It’s a tradition.”

Every Halloween for 10 years, the couple would stop by the restaurant and order the Cheese Dream, a hamburger with cheese “Dream” sauce, bacon strips, Idaho fries and onion rings.

“No matter what, we would come here,” she said. “This was our special place.”

McCarroll said he is unsure what the future holds for The Good Steer and the property it sits on, which is owned by the family.

"We explored the idea of redeveloping and making one building a smaller version of a quick-serve casual restaurant," he said. "We'll see what happens. It's going to take me some time to put this to bed. This has been a one-man show for a while so I could use a break."

With James Carbone

By Lisa L. Colangelo

lisa.colangelo@newsday.com@lisalcolangelo

Lisa joined Newsday as a staff writer in 2019. She previously worked at amNewYork, the New York Daily News and the Asbury Park Press covering politics, government and general assignment.