New spot with Caribbean flair now midway through first summer in W. Babylon

[Editor’s note: The initial version of this article has been updated for accuracy.]

Meet the owners of the new Vern Restaurant and Bar, Long Island’s newest waterfront restaurant that’s now midway through its first summer in West Babylon.

For the Persaud family, which opened the restaurant, it has been a dream come true.

“We had no experience prior to this,” said Rebeca Persaud, whose mother is Vern Persaud, the restaurant’s namesake. “A lot of research went into properly opening an establishment.”

The official grand opening was May 19 at 301 Bergen Ave. in West Babylon, which is directly on a sheltered Great South Bay tributary.

While searching for a spot, the family fell in love with the old Seagull restaurant location in West Babylon.

“It’s a beautiful town, and it’s right on the water, which is something my mom has always envisioned,” Rebeca Persaud said. “We love having the boats pull up, and serving customers on the boat too. It just adds so much to the venue with the scenery.”

The family — which includes Rebecas’s two siblings who are also involved — has Guyanese and Trinidadian roots. They had long-wanted to open a restaurant together.

But they also knew they wanted to showcase some Caribbean cuisine as well — because that’s what they know best.

Expect many American steak and seafood standards, but authentic Caribbean with fresh ingredients and traditional Caribbean spices. One of the biggest hits among customers has been the Caribbean Pasta, (creamy Caribbean Alfredo, mild spice, tricolor peppers, onions), with steak, shrimp or chicken.

Vern also pours some standout cocktails, the owners say. The early favorites are the Painkiller and the Pink Pomegranate Margarita. Every weekend, the restaurant features live music from local artists in a variety of genres.

Click here to view the full menu and pricing.

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