Tap Room Replaces That Meetball Place In Farmingdale

FARMINGDALE, NY — Tap Room opens in Farmingdale on Friday, replacing That Meetball Place at 206 Main Street.

Tap Room purchased the business from That Meetball Place, said James Bonnano, owner of the new gastropub.

Farmingdale is similar to other communities where Tap Room is located, and Bonnano said he has always had great experiences with incorporated villages.

"We’ve always had an eye on Farmingdale," Bonnano, 39, told Patch. "They have a great restaurant and bar scene already, and there’s a lot of great locations in Farmingdale, including That Meetball Place. We were always a fan of what they were doing. We’re a fan of this particular location. It’s an extremely beautiful two-level building."

Tap Room and That Meetball Place share Patchogue as a common home. When Bonnano wanted to open in Farmingdale, he called That Meetball Place to see if a deal could be made.

"'Hey, there’s a good chance we could be coming to Farmingdale soon,'" Bonnano told That Meetball Place. "'But we love your building and your space, so if you have any interest in selling, we’re interested in buying.' ... Luckily for us, they said they were interested, and we made a deal happen.”

The Tap Room menu features craft burgers, tacos, sandwiches, sliders, appetizers, and more. For those who saved room, the eatery also serves shakes and other desserts.

Mussels are Tap Room's food speciality, according to Bonnano. The appetizer comes in drunken German style; buffalo with bleu cheese; red; white; or potato and bacon.

Brunch is 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday, while trivia is on Wednesdays.

Pubs and bars are aplenty through Main Street, Farmingdale. Bonnano said eatery owners, while selling food and alcohol, try to find a niche.

"We like to focus on the quality of our food," he said. "We like to really put a strong emphasis on real, high-quality pub fare. All the apps, we make in-house, whether it’s a mozzarella stick or a mac and cheese ball. We don’t buy it, we make it."

Tap Room also prides itself on a large, rotating craft beer selection.

Bonnano expects Tap Room to bring in more of a sports crowd than That Meetball Place. Several new TVs were installed for fans to come watch the NFL, MLB, NHL and NBA.

Tap Room has locations in Farmingdale, Massapequa Park, Bay Shore, Patchogue and Rockville Centre. In addition to Tap Room, the ownership group also runs Bango Bowls, as well as certain seasonal locations.

The franchise is successful, as a fifth Tap Room would suggest. The past couple of years have been a challenge because of the coronavirus pandemic, though, Bonnano said.

"It definitely changed our industry. It was tough times in 2020, but I feel it made us focus on certain things that made us stronger. We came out of the pandemic with more confidence and I feel like we’re in a good position to look at our current stores. We’re putting more effort, time, energy and money than we ever did to make sure our guests’ experience in our current stores is the best it absolutely can be, whether that’s dining in our restaurants; we put a lot of effort into online and delivery. We feel like we’re in a good position to strengthen our current stores and keep growing like we are now.”

The Farmingdale eatery will open seven days a week.

“We’re real excited to join the other merchants in the community and really help contribute to making Farmingdale the great community that it already is," Bonnano said.

That Meetball Place opened in Farmingdale in summer 2016.

The restaurant's executive chef, Tom Fazio, said That Meetball Place will shift its focus to Patchogue — its original location, Greater Long Island reported. The restaurant's last day in Farmingdale was Dec. 18.