Stars Cafe

Amazing food, coffee, freshly baked cakes the list goes on. It’s always my first stop when i come onto the island and my last right before i get on the ferry. The staff are so welcoming and lovely to everyone that comes in with recommendations and a smile always. If you go anywhere on Shelter island it should be Stars Cafe- more so, you should visit Shelter Island just for Stars Cafe!

Not that it needs a Google review, but here goes. Top of line accommodations in the city. Full stop. We got a private tour. It lives up to hype. If you appreciate architecture, hospitality, attention to detail and the best service in NYC, you’ve come to the right place…

This beautiful spot is THE culinary highlight of Shelter Island. From breakfast burritos to burgers, to coffee and smoothies, this place can do it all and do it well. They are beyond welcoming and open to everyone that’s walks in. Since moving away I’ve missed their hospitality and food more than ever. So go in and have a try they are definitely worth it!!

It always pays to visit a place more than once before writing a review. This morning, I visited Stars Cafe and the experience was just what I would expect from Shelter Island: Friendly proprietor, great and helpful service. To top it off, I had the best black beans I've had in years. So well seasoned, perfectly cooked. It was so good, I thought I'd go back in the afternoon to get a pint of rice, an order of sweet potato fries, and a pint of black beans whilst my partner chose a burger. What a difference a few hours make. The afternoon crew was rude, incurious and lazy - all of the things you don't want in customer service. We were told 15 minutes. So I took a seat in the uncrowded, indoor dining area. It was me, two customers and about 10 large flies buzzing around and, from time to time, landing on the sticky tables or scooping up morsels of food from the unswept floor. It took 3 times as long even though the place wasn't crowded. But that was not the problem. And my order came out all wrong. A single order of rice and beans in a small container instead of a pint of each, sweet potato fries combined with the burger instead as a separate side. Worst of all they left me waiting for 30 minutes and did not tell me when my order was up. When I called them on it, they actually rolled their eyes. There are a lot of great places in Shelter Island even during the off season. The locals are warm and inviting and we're having a great time here. If you don't want to put up with nasty workers, go elsewhere. Don't ignore my advice - avoid this place.

The place on Shelter Island to sit and relax while enjoying fresh prepared treats. Organic coffee and smoothies. The kind of place you want to go back to. When the owner Pepe cooks for you its like a juliard musician proformance. Your left wanting more. Places like this are a must once in a lifetime try,don't be shy speak up and the atmosphere will evolve with respect and friendliness.

Amazing coffee and food! My first time on this island and this was my first stop. The customer service was excellent. Highly recommend.

The food was really bad, muffin was stale, coffee was bitter and my sister sandwich was inedible. We overheard the owner talking about the "jews" and how they are responsible for their business doing poor. Wake up people your business is doing bad because you place is awful.

This is a hidden gem. Fantastic homey atmosphere with large selection and THE BEST coffee I've ever had! We had a great table in the front window. Staff is very friendly as were all of the customers and dogs lol

I ordered a shrimp wrap it was delicious! My coffee was fresh. The service was excellent the atmosphere in the cafe was comfortable and relaxed. The place was super busy! That's how you know the food is good! I Would recommend this little Cafe to anyone looking for a place to eat on Shelter Island. So good in every way.

Great food, and coffee! One of the best places on Shelter Island. Try the breakfast burrito! It's amazing!

Good space for seating and in a prime location right after the ferry in Shelter Island. Lots of options on the menu for sandwiches or breakfast items.

Stopped by here on our way out of shelter island. Heard rave reviews about it and clearly we weren't the only ones. It was Memorial Day weekend and a Saturday, absolutely packed in this tiny shop. I got an iced coffee and the morning burrito, also tried the hangover burrito. The coffee was so so good and the burrito was as well, however the hangover burrito was too greasy for my taste and they were very very small. It was a cute spot and seems to be a shelter staple, would return.

Wow. The coffee is outstanding and the pastries were the same. I got a muffin and it was really good. Also grabbed some bacon egg and cheese's while in town. Highly recommend this place while you are there

we literally witnessed The owner Scream at a three-year-old for barely touching a cookie. I was eating my lunch. I almost choked. She's known to be extremely nasty The food is mediocre Best. i wish i took a video And On top of that, the sandwich was bad, barely any meat besides the poor ethics and customer service from the owner skip it for the fact that the food is for the birds , especially if you have kids.

Their King Burrito is the best thing to happen to breakfast since the egg. The place is so great. Good people serving good food. You'll love it. 5 stars for stars !!! Oh and their cubano sandwich is incredible.

I stopped in here for the first time and tried a lavender latte. So, so good. Actually tasted fresh and of good quality unlike the stuff you get at Starbucks these days. They have a pretty extensive menu with a variety of coffee flavors. I would return if I ever find myself in Shelter Island again.

Summary: a truly fantastic breakfast burrito. I'm from Los Angeles, the land of many burritos. I live on the east side of LA too, which has even more burritos. But it doesn't have this burrito, and this burrito is badass. It's simple, spicy, and pretty much perfect. It's a little on the small side, I think 1.5 of these would be good for me next time. The only thing I had at this place was the Devil's Burrito. They have like 7 other breakfast burritos on the menu, but this one seemed like the obvious choice since I don't usually like home fries in my burritos. I like to explore menus and try everything, but in my ~5 days that I'm here I'll be getting this burrito every chance I get.

Fine enough. Simple breakfasts. Don't expect service with smile. Much of what si has turned into. Eggs were fluffy, tea was hot. Service quick. Too many flies inside though as it was raining so couldn't sit outside. Tables weren't cleaned and it wasn't busy. Good luck.

We ended up here on a walk through the island and decided to stop for coffee. However, we ended up ordering meals. We ordered a veggie burrito, chicken club sandwich and a buffalo chicken sandwich. My veggie burrito had spinach which was an interesting take. The person taking my order was so RUDE I mean to the point I had to step away and take breaths. Anyway the burrito was not seasoned and was missing the avocado that was supposed to be in it. My friend did not care for the chicken club because it was not what she expected and did not have bacon. The Buffalo chicken had shredded carrots and she was not happy. I don't know if it was the food that disappointed us or if it was the RUDE service. I'm giving 3 stars because I think the rudeness set the tone for the rest of the service. FYI: We watched the server be RUDE to multiple people so we didn't take it personal.

This place has fantastic coffee and muffins. The sandwiches are pretty good as well. Prices are fair and the staff is very friendly.

This spot is so special! I am visiting my boyfriend's family for a week and have been here almost everyday. The coffee is amazing! Just a plain iced coffee has so much flavor in it. I've tried multiple breakfast burritos, a mahi-mahi sandwich, some lunch wraps, and a muffin and have not been disappointed once! It's also reasonably priced for the island, somewhere the locals can appreciate without paying outrageous prices.

wonderful cafe with delicious breakfast. coffee was really good. the food was great. a friend in our party isn't able to have gluten and they had a delicious gluten free french toast. highly recommend.

This place deserves four stars, not the 3 1/2 it has currently, so I'm helping it out.

I have visited this place twice and the food is delicious, a good option if you are looking for Mexican food on Shelter Island. Due to the situation it is not possible to eat inside the place. I recommend ordering your food and waiting for your order outside, someone from the staff will come out with your order when it is ready.

We LOVE everything about Stars! Coffee to start the day is the best anywhere. Pastries, breakfast burritos and sandwiches @lunch always good! And hamburgers on Thurs. Burger Night, are amazing. Special order a Birthday cake and you'll thank me!

This place is a total homerun, the prices are right, the food is delicious and the espresso is outrageous

Location is great and the vibe is good. It's a coffee shop, and unfortunately the coffee isn't good and the Barrista was very confused. My cappuccino tasted like a watered down drip coffee.

The help are idiots, the food sucks and the wait was too long. Go somewhere else. There must a better place on the island.

I ordered an iced matcha and noticed the guy using whole milk then I asked If he would replace it for non dairy. He replied very rude and said no If I want a new drink I would have to pay full price. Note: no management skills, they just poured cold milk and matcha without steaming the milk ??? !!!! The place looks dirty inside.

Pretty darn good! And a cute cafe-style place. Order at the front, the menu items are on a huge chalk board on the wall. We ordered the Thanksgiving Wrap (which was pretty much just turkey and cranberry sauce in a wrap--maybe consider more Thanksgiving-like items to add?) and the Chicken Avocado Salad, which was huge and very good! Served with a balsamic dressing. We sat outside and the food was brought out to us. Friendly young staff. A nice little place to stop by a quick bite to eat. They have nice-looking desserts as well.

Food was ok, very rude staff don't really care! Also took forever for our pick up. Will not go back ! This wasn't my first time here, I've been here couple of times and always had same experience! will not go back!

The service and atmosphere here was great, nice and casual spot for shelter island. I ordered the huevos con chorizo and was very disappointed in the chorizo portion of it- they were the smallest little pieces ground up and mixed into the eggs- you couldn't even taste it. I love chorizo so when that's all I got, I was very disappointed. However, the eggs themselves were not bad and the salsa was great. Their ice coffee was great. I also tried the power burrito which was pretty good.

Came to stars before checking Yelp then came to write about my experience, and shocked to find the reviews below described my experience exactly. Woman behind the counter rude and demeaning to customers in front of others. Food mediocre. Bathroom closed "right now" (I.e. if they don't know you by name?).

The food is delicious at this local gem. Breakfast burritos get you going, the coffee and muffins are addictive and don't miss their burgers and summer steak salad. Because the place is popular, you might want to call your food order in in advance (coffee and pastries can be picked up quickly). Seating is limited, but if you can grab an outside table its an unbeatable neighborhood breakfast spot. Stars deserves at least 5 stars!

We so enjoy this place every time we're in town. Staff is wonderful, food never disappoints and love hanging out.

Went here every day while in SI. Recommend the breakfast burritos and pancakes the coffee is also quite good.

Great spot for a coffee and a quick bite. Friendly and helpful staff, the food and coffee were great. Had a nice table outside. We'll definitely be back.

Great place to start the day, as they open early, or to grab a bite after a workout. They site near the ferry, and Stars is on one of the busier streets. The coffee is decent, and the baked goods are done in-house. The banana nut muffin was crispy on the outside but fluffy on the inside, and I loved it because it wasn't too sweet. Their sandwich options are also abundant and should cater to all tastes. The staff are always super friendly and it's a great place to do some reading. Will be back to try more baked goods~ :D

Chilaquiles on the menu board: $9.95. Chilaquiles on my bill: $12.95. Me: just wanted to make sure you rang me up for the right thing because it's 30% more expensive than what the board says. Server: ya, we changed our prices. Me: uhh, that doesn't seem right. You should charge people what your menu says. Server: that's the new price. Dishonest businesses don't deserve your business regardless of the food quality

My friend and I came here on a Friday at around 11 AM and was impressed not only by the service, but also by the prices, and by the set-up of this little place. Shelter Island has a bunch of restaurants that mark up prices for no reason other than the fact that the island is inaccessible. This place is entirely different. When I got there, I went inside and ordered my breakfast. I think it was something like toast, eggs, bacon, and home fries. For all of this, I paid less than $10! We then told the servers that we would be seated outside. We waited for food for about 10 minutes and were served. I was floored by how awesome the service here was, and for $10, my food was amazing, too. I really like the concept of this restaurant and love that they also do smoothies. While we were there, there were many kids around, which is usually something I'd complain about in the city, but on Shelter Island, that just proves that the place is affordable and family friendly. The only thing I didn't like about Stars was that after I was served, I had to go back inside to get salt and ketchup. Even so, that little inconvenience did not merit it losing a star. I look forward to coming back here sometime... and not going broke in the process.

I love this place. Staff is always friendly, Pepe always greets with a smile. If you are an early bird, the warm scones as they come out of the oven are divine. I won't share my favorite muffins because I don't want more competition when I decide to get them!!! Great variety in menu. I love the tamales. Pepe works hard to run this establishment all year long, and we are grateful to him beyond words. Stars doesn't claim to be "an island institution" like their lesser counterpart down on bridge street, that price gouges then cries for the public to fund them, does zero for the community, then shutters in the off season every year. Stars IS an island institution, and they prove it through their actions and involvement in the community, and the island is forever grateful for that.

I'll start with the owner, Pepe. He created a homelike atmosphere that's very hard to find in the dining world. He gave us suggestions about what to try on a menu full of delicious sounding options. The fish sandwich was tasty and fresh with just the right about of tartar sauce and perfectly fresh crisp lettuce. The grilled veggie wrap with grilled shrimp was well seasoned and perfectly cooked. The coffee was great and I ordered a pistachio muffin to have with it. It was off season and most of the local businesses were either closed or had limited hours. Pepe chatted with us for a few minutes and told us some things to do on the island. With directions, a full stomach and a smile, he sent us on our way. I'll definitely be visiting Stars next time I'm on Shelter Island!

Not a fan. Visited one morning for breakfast and another day for lunch. Food took forever to come out both times. At breakfast they forgot to prepare an order for a person in our group ("it's coming, it's coming") and only brought it out after everyone else was finished eating. Lunch wraps were just eh, mahi-mahi was pretty fishy tasting. Ordinarily I'd rate it three stars, but it's pretty expensive. I expected much better, especially considering the other good reviews. Maybe they are getting lazy, skating on their rep?

Great coffee and atmosphere. Food is good, too, especially if you like to add a little spice.

Stopped in here for a quick cappuccino and snack while visiting Shelter Island. Cappuccinos are good but not hot enough. Really needed to use the bathroom but were told by the counter worker that the bathroom was "out of order" which seemed very odd. Otherwise the place is clean and pleasant.

Small local eatery for breakfast or lunch. We can here for breakfast. They were crowded and most people seemed to know each other. A fair amount if choices. Egg sand which was ok, muffins also ok even though they looked great. A bit expensive at $25 for 2 egg sandwiches, a muffin and 2 coffees.

This place made my day, after biking we went to the pretentious sunset beach hotel for a bite, which left me hungry and an unreasonable tab, I felt so hungry after dinner that when I passed this café I just decided to grab something like a smoothie....but it turns out they have a full menu for different types of yummy sandwiches and wraps. I got the Cuban sandwiches and it hit the spot, hot toasted baguette pressed with pulled pork, ham, cheese and pickled with mustard....for only $7.95! Highly recommend if you want to have a delicious bite with out the pretentiousness. Staff is very friendly, cozy and relaxing atmosphere.

How have I not written about Stars before? It's our Go-To spot in SI for amazing croissants and iced coffee. The staff are nice, very eastern euro or russian. This place can get BUMPIN' depending on the time of day in summer. We find the baked goods, coffee and salads to be better than the egg dishes, which tend to take a while and come out a big over-cooked at times. And seriously, the croissants are as good as ones I've had at great patisseries in Paris.

Stars has become an island institution Great place for breakfast - fun to sit outside in summer and watch the island scene unfold Great coffees, eggs, muffins Can't be beat and the owners Pepe and his wife Lydia are very nice!

The food here is awesome. My boyfriend had the Devil Burrito, and I had the chicken tamale platter. Both were delicious, and the tamales were extremely authentic. Definitely give it a try if you're in the area! Couldn't disagree more with the people who gave bad reviews for the service and the food wait time. The staff were extremely friendly, and our food was out within 5 minutes. Definitely an all around great experience!

My family and I make sure to stop by here every time we're in the area. Great food, friendly staff, and adorable dogs!! Plus, the all day breakfast and authentic Mexican food is so GOODa^a^with w 22 22 w2 we have have 2ww 2^. Love it!w

A local directed us to this cafe located a short distance from the ferry and the yacht club. Delicious French roast coffee. Highly recommend.

The food was just okay. The customer service sucks. I wouldn't refer it unless you want coffee or muffins. There's 3 young ladies at the counter. Two takes your order and I he other one rings you up. It was 3 of us, we each were paying separate however they insisted that we had one tab and then pay separately. I didn't get that. The next thing was when my friend ordered a veggie burrito she asked the simple question what's in it. Instead of the woman explaining she kept saying it's up there in which it wasn't. So this went on for 2-3 mins. She never told what was in the burrito. Last I go to pay and I'm told wait while she expects everyone money who ordered after us. Food okay customer service sucks

Friendly workers, tasty muffins! Came in around 10 and they were still warm. Good cappuccinos, very cute atmosphere. An island favorite!

There's no place as welcoming and cozy as Pepe & Lydia's cafe all year round! Friendly faces, delicious coffee & food and always a neighbor or two to catch up with!

Will not give you butter and maple syrup unless you ask for it. Forgot to ask one time on a to go order and ended up at home without either for my pancakes. Seems obvious they should include that in the bag.

I love this place!! I am so glad that I found Stars Cafe! It is the best cafe and coffee shop in the neighborhood. By far worth the fun trip over to Shelter Island to eat some of Pepe's home cooked goodness! Everything I ate was amazing, I kept going back day after day! The cappucino muffins are so great! Pepe and his staff are so friendly and welcoming. The sandwiches and soups I tried all had so much flavor and everything was made hot and fresh. Can't wait to go back, do not miss this spot.