Lola’s Southern Cuisine opens in Patchogue, its second location

Lola’s Southern Cuisine has officially opened in Patchogue, bringing its signature soul food flavors and hospitality to a new neighborhood.

The new location opened June 7 inside the former Rise & Grind café at 240 East Main Street. It’s the second restaurant for husband-and-wife team Tiffany and Darrell Darwood, who launched their Southern-inspired concept in Medford in 2021.

“We’re proud to introduce Lola’s Southern Cuisine to the Patchogue community,” said Tiffany. “We’re bringing SOUL to Patchogue — made with heart, heritage and hospitality.”

The couple originally planned to open their next location in Middle Island, inside the former Cow Palace butcher shop on Middle Country Road. But those plans have since been put on pause.

“While we were excited about our plans for Middle Island, we’ve faced a number of unexpected challenges there, including delays with permits and other logistical setbacks,” Tiffany told Greater Long Island. “As a result, we’ve decided to put that location on hold and shift our full attention to Patchogue.”

Why Patchogue?

The Darwoods said Patchogue quickly felt like home.

“We truly love the Patchogue area for its strong sense of community, vibrant downtown, and the incredible support for small, local businesses,” Tiffany said. “It’s a town that values good food, good people, and good times—exactly what Southern hospitality is all about.”

The Patchogue restaurant offers the same comfort food favorites that made their Medford location a hit — think fried catfish, slow cooked oxtail, candied yams, mac-and-cheese, collard greens, and Darrell’s famous banana pudding.

The Darwoods say they’re focused on building relationships in Patchogue and becoming a go-to destination for locals and visitors alike.

“We knew it was the perfect place to bring our vision to life and share traditional Southern flavors with a community that appreciates authenticity and connection,” said Tiffany.

Some history

The Medford couple first entered the restaurant business in 2021, taking over Carolina Kitchen, a Southern-inspired eatery, in Medford, located at 2717a Route 112 (formerly Quiznos).

They named it Lola’s after combining the names of their two daughters: Londyn and Layla.

For Darrell, he started a Southern-style cake shop in Brooklyn over a decade ago called Doc’s Cake Shop. There, he serves a variety of desserts he learned to bake from his grandmother, such as sweet potato pie, peach cobbler, banana pudding and more.