The Pine Lake Tavern

Many West Islip residents may not know who the Bohlsen family is by name, but they might be familiar with one of the five Long Island restaurants they own: Tellers Chophouse and Verace in Islip, the Beachtree Cafe in East Islip, H2O Seafood Grill in Smithtown and Prime in Huntington.

However, the family's restaurant history on Long Island began with the Pine Lake Tavern on Montauk Highway in West Islip, across from where Saltwaters Tackle and Bait Shop is today. 

The Pine Lake Tavern was opened by Herman and Hilda Bohlsen, both originally from Germany. Herman was born on October 18, 1906 in Ostrhauderfehn and Hilda was born on August 14, 1912 in Mackenbach.  Both immigrated to America between 1924 and 1927. When Herman arrived he lived with his brother, Gerhardt, who was already living in America.

"They (Herman and Hilda) were both from farms in Germany, but my Grandfather's (Herman) brother, Gerhardt, already had opened a coffee shop in Brooklyn and my Grandfather worked with him there. My Grandfather and Grandmother met a short time later at a German dance hall. The rest is, as they say, history, " said the couple's grandson, Michael Bohlsen, co-owner of the Bohlsen Restaurant Group.

Once the Bohlsens had their first child, they relocated to Long Island.  After opening a small eatery in Yaphank, the couple opened the Pine Lake Tavern in 1941.

"The Tavern was most basically described as a German restaurant and bar, but not completely German," Michael Bohlsen said.  "My grandfather bartended and my grandmother was the chef. Mostly German food and steaks, hamburgers and other American food. Sauerbraten was the specialty.

"Originally, the family operated a restaurant on the lake, in what was once a cider mill. The family lived upstairs and served meals downstairs. At some point during the war, when my grandfather was 35-years-old, he decided to demonstrate his patriotism by joining the Army with a restaurant, a wife and two children at home. The restaurant was closed for two years while he served in the Army, interpreting and interrogating captured German soldiers."

When Herman returned to Long Island following the war, he moved the business and his family to new locations.

"When he returned from the war, my grandparents had a third child and re-opened the cider mill," Bohlsen said.  "Shortly thereafter, the landlord decided to raise the rent on the cider mill.  My grandfather then moved the family business from the west side of the street to the east side of the street and opened what was the Pine Lake Tavern and moved the family to Bay Shore, on Hemlock Lane.  There he operated the Pine Lake Tavern from 1948 until 1964. The Pine Lake had a waiter and a waitress and one cook. The rest of the staff was family. At that point he ceased operating the restaurant and leased the space to another operator. He remained the landlord and was the landlord when the building burned to the ground several years later."

Herman and Hilda's legacy of family owned restaurants was passed on to their son John. He and his wife, Linda, opened Arby's--a fast food restaurant in 1969--before moving into the full service restaurant business in 1983 with the acquisition of the Beachtree Cafe in 1983.

John also has another career in banking, which took him from Long Island's North Fork Bank to Bank United in Florida today. The two grandsons, Michael and Kurt, were raised in the restaurant business and today they are the co-owners of the Bohlsen Restaurant Group.

"My grandparents lived the American Dream as it was taught to us as children," Bohlsen said.  "They came to this country with nothing but the clothes on their backs and a willingness to work hard.

"They served their community and their country in order to give their children more than they had. Our business today is a direct result of the opportunities these two German immigrants started working for in 1927."

The answer to last week's trivia question is: Higbie Lane was originally named Love Lane.  

This week's trivia question:   A small bridge that crossed Hawley Lake burned down on Halloween night in 1954. What was the name of that bridge? The answer in next week's column.  (Special thanks to the West Islip Historical Society for the last two week's trivia questions.)