Jack's Grill opens in Speonk

When Zach Terzis and Charlotte Olander decided to start a family and buy a house, they quickly learned that they would not be able to afford to stay in the heart of the Hamptons, where they had operated The Hideaway in Montauk from 2020 to 2024. Their search brought them west to Westhampton where, four years ago, they bought a historic (1859) home and, in short order, had two kids.

Domestic roots established, they began to look for a business opportunity and, about a year ago, they fixed their attention on the old Brewology in Speonk which had opened in 2014 and was winding down operations.

Olander said they were drawn to the area because, "It’s close to the Hamptons, but it’s more year-round. Speonk pulls from the east but also from Manorville, the Moriches."

And, Terzis added, "It was right down the street from our house."

After months of negotiations with the previous owner and the building’s landlord, they got the keys in April and opened Jack’s Grill, named for their youngest son, less than three months later.

Brewology had a dark, rathskeller-y vibe befitting its beer-centric theme, but Terzis and Olander brightened the space with whitewashed walls and red-checked tablecloths. They also removed a false wall that the previous owners had erected to block the bar windows that face onto Montauk Highway.

To a large degree, the premises dictated the menu.

"It just screamed neighborhood spot," Terzis noted. "And we wanted to create a menu that would have something for everyone, and every occasion — a burger and a drink at the bar, a three-course anniversary date, a family dinner."

They also wanted to highlight a cuisine that doesn’t get a lot of attention on Long Island outside of Ikea in Hicksville: Swedish, which is where Olander’s family is from. Jack’s "house meatloaf" is a criminally reductive way to describe what I learned was an authentic Swedish wallenbergare, a mixture of ground veal and heavy cream that is whipped (yes, whipped) into a mixture that is first baked, the sliced, breaded and finished in butter. It is served with mashed potatoes, peas and, no surprise here for Ikea shoppers, lingonberry jelly.

Mains (most of which are $24 to $39) also include that classic cheeseburger (with white Cheddar, house-made pickle and excellent hand-cut fries); a porchetta sandwich (on Levain Bakery ciabatta); rigatoni alla Norma; chicken-under-a-brick with mushrooms, braised leeks and mashed potatoes; seared salmon with dill potatoes and horseradish vinaigrette; steak frites au poivre (with more fries).

Starters ($8 to $32) include grilled shrimp skewers with Korean gochujang glaze; both steak and tuna tartare; and a salad of whipped feta, snap peas, fennel, cucumbers and olives. Another Swedish specialty are "charred mussels" that are stuffed with butter, Havarti and Parmesan and, according to Terzis, "way more herbs than you’d think — basically every herb" before being broiled.

Terzis and Olander are planning to introduce outdoor dining and lunch / brunch next year.

Jack’s Grill, 295 Montauk Hwy., Speonk, 631-898-6003, jacksgrillny.com, Open Wednesday to Monday, 4 to 11 p.m.