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The longtime café is teaming up with a food truck chef to bring island flavors to Route 25A in Miller Place
For well over decade, Crazy Beans in Miller Place has been a go-to spot on the North Shore for breakfast and lunch.
But now you’ll want to save room for dinner, too.
After the afternoon rush, the eggs, pancakes and burgers is now giving way to tacos and mai tais.
That’s because Tiki Tacos & Mai Tais has moved in — the newest creation from John Louis, owner of the Maui Chophouse food truck.
“The owners of Crazy Beans wanted a different nighttime concept,” Louis told Greater Long Island. “So they brought me and my business partner Maddy Bender in to create something special, very similar to what the food truck has.”
Tiki Tacos and Mai Tais got cooking on Monday
A taste of the islands
What they got is an island-inspired dinner menu.
Guests can build their own tacos with fillings like blackened fish, garlic butter shrimp and teriyaki tofu. Sandwiches include Kalua-style pulled pork with Tiki sweet-and-sour sauce, or pulled chicken topped with fresh jalapeño, mango slaw and BBQ sauce.
Small plates bring tropical flavors, too — think a Tiki Island Salad (mixed greens, macadamia nuts, mandarin oranges, fresh pineapple and toasted coconut) or Spam Loco Moco (grilled spam over coconut rice with Aloha sauce and a sunny-side-up egg).
Louis says he’s especially excited about one unexpected dish.
“It’s a pistachio tortellini,” he said. “The fresh-made pistachio cream sauce is going to be a big draw. It’s very addictive!”
From food truck to full menu
The idea for Tiki Tacos was sparked two months ago, when Crazy Beans owners Callie and Tim Martino hired Louis’ truck to cater a birthday party.
“They liked the food so much and here we are,” Louis said.
This isn’t his first go at a full restaurant. Louis previously ran Maui Chophouse on Route 25A in Rocky Point before closing three years ago. He had told GLI the decision to sell the space in 2022 was bittersweet but “necessary.”
Now, he and Bender are betting on tacos and tiki drinks to make Miller Place their next success — and possibly more.
“If the concept is successful here, we’ll bring it to the Stony Brook Crazy Beans next, and eventually Greenport,” Louis said.
Here’s how it works
- Breakfast & lunch: Crazy Beans stays open daily from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m.
- Cocktail hour: The Tiki Tacos bar opens at 3 p.m. with signature drinks like Tiki Punch, Blue Hawaiians and, of course, mai tais.
- Dinner: The kitchen reopens nightly from 4 to 10 p.m. with the full island menu.
Location: 159-14 NY 25A, Miller Place
Top: John Louis hanging ten by his old bar and restaurant, Maui Chophouse, in Rocky Point. (GLI file photo)
