Tanger I and Tanger II, Riverhead, New York - Which Food Court Should You Eat At?

Ever since I moved to the eastern end of Long Island, New York, I have been a frequent visitor to the Tanger Outlets in Riverhead, NY. Please see my review on my Associated Content page. I enjoy taking my son there whenever I have some free time. Since he is two years old, he stays pretty entertained just strolling around getting some fresh air. I make sure to bring a whole bunch of quarters with me so he can go on the kiddie rides throughout the Outlet Center.

I used to visit the Outlet Center years ago before they built Tanger II. I would drive all the way in from Queens, New York and do a huge holiday shopping all at once. Since I would spend the whole day, of course I would eat lunch there too. There are no restaurants in the Outlet Center, just an Applebee's across the street. You can't walk to the Applebee's so if you are in the middle of shopping, you don't want to lose your parking spot in order to drive there. You end up eating at the food courts.

Well, I never liked eating at the food court in Tanger I. There aren't a lot of options to choose from. Tanger I food court only sells pizza, cold sandwiches, yogurt, a couple of other items. They don't have a McDonalds or anything like that. The bathrooms are suitable, I can't really complain about them. They are kept clean and well stocked. Tanger I food court is so small. If it gets crowded, you feel like a sardine.

Tanger I food court does not have high chairs. How am I supposed to bring my two year old there to eat lunch if there is nowhere for him to sit? Why should he have to sit in his stroller to eat? How uncomfortable for him to have to eat that way. When I asked for a highchair, the staff just looked at me funny. I had to put my son in a regular chair, well guess what, he fell off. He could have really hurt himself if I wasn't holding on to him as a precaution.

Now moving on to Tanger II food court. Love it! I absolutely love the food court at Tanger II. Let me first start by saying that sometimes I will go to the Outlet just to bring my son there for dinner and to walk around. The best part about this food court is that they actually have highchairs for my son. What a concept! They also have McDonald's. My son loves to get happy meals from McDonald's. I usually get something from the Italian food vendor. They have delicious pizza. The slices are huge. They have to many more food vendors to choose from. You can get anything from McDonalds, to Chinese, to Pretzels, to salads, potatoes, and the list goes on and on.

The food court at Tanger II is huge. There are so many tables that even if it gets really crowded, you still can find a table to sit at. I have never had to wait for a table to open up. This food court also has an indoor playground for children. After my son finishes his lunch, I take him to the playground and he can run around and have fun. There are seats so I can sit and be comfortable while he plays. Outside of the food court are kiddie rides. There is a train he can go on or just watch the other kids go around. There are freestanding rides that cost 50 cents. He loves to go on those.

The bathrooms in this food court are also extremely clean. They are much bigger than the bathrooms t the food court in Tanger I. There is a changing station so I can change my son's diaper. There is also plenty of room to bring my big stroller too. Inside the food court, there are arcade machines. This is good if your kids are a little bit older than mine is.

Overall, I can't say enough good things about the food court at Tanger II. The staff is always cleaning the tables, sweeping the floors, or taking out the garbage. I didn't really notice this as much at the food court in Tanger I. If you visit the Outlet Center, you should definitely go to the food court at Tanger II.