East Coast Burger Company – Great idea but Hugely disappointing!
Tried East Coast Burger last night and fair to say they have some serious bugs to work out. Saying the food was ok is being charitable and it was SLOOOOOOOOWWWW. Maybe it would have tasted better if I hadn’t stood there waiting for 30-40 minutes for a single cheeseburger even though I ordered and paid for a double (got it TO GO so didn’t notice that until I got home). Fries were cold (not from the 3 minute trip home – the cheese wasn’t even melted on the patty) and the shake tasted like Hershey’s syrup – assumed a chocolate shake would be made with chocolate ice cream but shows what I know.
It’s trying to be something like Five Guys but the food isn’t nearly as good and the wait crossed the line from being “ok for a first day” to absurd around minute 20 or so – I almost just walked out without my food even though I had already paid. I assume they’ll work some things out but for over $20 for a burger, fries and shake I’m not sure I’ll risk it again – would be quicker and tastier to drive out to The Fireplace and I’m not going to do that either.
Agreed. Lobster roll was chunky and drippy. Hotdog burnt and ketchup was sour. Fries burnt to a crisp. Lots of people waiting for their food and only 3 tables full. They may want to rethink business plan quick because this soft opening is going to be hard soon! Shake was syrup and not sure what else, my kid wouldn’t even drink it so you know it’s bad when a kid turns down a milkshake!
Anyone can cook!
I’m sure the food will improve over time.
Yes, give it a chance. Or better yet, don’t give us a play-by-play about your dinner. I’m sure that they appreciate your feedback about the condiments. good luck with the food critic career.
I will be trying it with my family this weekend with an OPEN MIND, despite your review.
Best burger in town – Park West Tavern. Great food, great service
Best zeppoli’s too.
Sorry, but we walked out of Park West last week. Service was bad and slow. Placed glasses on the table with their fingers on the top of the rims. A pet peave of mine with waiters. Then never came back. I’ve heard mixed reviews…but there is not excuse for bad service.
Ridgewood is full of restaurants, but still have not found the perfect one.
#3 i think they make their own condiments, nimrod…which makes them fair game for critique…bottom line is that the food wasn’t good, it’s expensive (for what it is) and they are ridiculously slow. thin patty was a bit like a hockey puck but somehow that didn’t translate into melted cheese…overall D+
Eating out under $50: East Coast Burgers in Ridgewood
Friday, August 10, 2012 Last updated: Friday August 10, 2012, 11:03 AM
BY JEFFREY PAGE
SPECIAL TO THE RECORD
The Record
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The burgers at this recently opened place are first-rate, and keeping the cost of dinner under $50 for two is easy. On a recent visit there were a couple of kinks that East Coast Burger could easily work out.
For example, when I placed my order, I asked for the green chili cheeseburger cooked medium-well. The cashier said, “All our burgers are cooked medium.”
True, I later discovered, but she forgot to mention a big “however.” In fact, East Coast Burger will cook one to any degree of doneness a customer requests, Mike Ostrowsky, the son of one of the owners, told me a few days after I visited.
Another reason for cooking to medium unless otherwise requested is to prevent disputes about a burger being a little too well-done, or a little pinker than the medium-rare a customer might be used to, Ostrowsky said.
East Coast Burger Company
* 75 Franklin Ave., Ridgewood; 201-857-0277; eastcoastburger.com.
* Cuisine: Burgers, etc.
* Hours/days: 11:30 a.m. to 10 p.m. seven days a week.
* Credit cards: AE, D, MC, V.
* Wine/liquor: BYO.
* Parking: Lot.
All right, let’s eat.
For an appetizer, my friend and I split the goat cheese and beet salad ($9.50), which was extraordinary. The cheese was mild and plentiful, the beets crunchy and sweet. This wonderful pairing was served on a large plate of mixed greens and moderately spicy walnuts, all in a balsamic dressing. That salad was big enough to satisfy three people and good enough to make East Coast Burger a place to try.
Maybe that green chili cheeseburger ($6.95) wasn’t cooked the way I prefer but it was thick, juicy and possessing a rich beefy flavor unlike anything I’ve encountered in the franchises.
Moreover, the Monterey Jack cheese was mischievous, the green chilies pleasantly impish, and an accompanying serving of “ECB sauce” (mayonnaise, ketchup and a third ingredient Ostrowsky absolutely refused to identify) a welcome change from dreary old ketchup.
My friend ordered a veggie burger ($5.50), which was made with black beans and chipotle pepper. She asked if the chipotle was one of the ingredients in the burger itself or spooned onto it.
The cashier said that if she preferred, the chipotle could be served on the side. But when dinner arrived, my guest took a bite and discovered that the chipotle was, indeed, in the burger.
So it might have been a little zippier than she wished, but still, it was a tasty sandwich, thick with veggies and served with lettuce and tomato and, for an additional $1.50, with avocado.
Both burgers were fine, but here’s how they could have been a little more appetizing. ECB might consider serving its main attraction on more substantial rolls. As it turned out, they arrived on very soft buns that were sodden from the moisture emitted by the burgers. The result: messy hands.
We got a side order of sweet potato fries ($4), which were nice in their own right – crisp, tasty, thick – but also because they were not the inevitable french fries. Fries, plain or dressed in cheese, and onion rings also were available.
Here’s another suggestion for ECB:
The name of the place includes the word “burger,” not “salad,” yet our burgers – the featured fare – came on small flimsy cardboard trays with plastic flatware.
Yet the goat cheese and beet salad was served on a substantial square china plate. If the salad gets the royal treatment, shouldn’t the star of the show as well?
For dessert, we ordered ice cream ($2.75), which was served in paper cups whose walls began to collapse after being struck a few times with our spoons.
The tab, with tax and tip, came to $35.65.
Because the only time we saw a waiter was when he brought our order from the kitchen, I tipped at 10 percent. Later, Ostrowsky told me that there is a no-tipping policy.
Eating Out on $50 is a monthly restaurant feature. Two people determined to spend only $50 on dinner, drinks, tax and tip will discover just how much can be purchased for so little.
Tags: Food/Dining | Dining News
I’m looking forward to trying ECB this weekend. Soft openings are always tough as a new restaurant tries to get staff assignments and food timing down. I think it’s great to have an original burger joint in town rather than a five guys or windmill type establishment. The owner is going to have the freedom of adjusting his menu. Can we get a bullseye burger on the menu? fried egg, bacon, and swiss. don’t knock it, til you try it
I pretty much expected this place to suck at first. Never heard of East Coast Burger so I guess it’s not a franchise with a formula to hit the ground running. Should have been a Biggies Clam Bar!
I’ll give it a shot in a few weeks. Personally, I think the whole “gourmet burger” thing is played out, anyway. Burgers are burgers. Toppings provide the flavor and my specialty Sriracha Mayo will wow anyone’s taste buds. I don’t want to give away too many trade secrets, but it contains Sriracha sauce and Mayo.
I’m not likely to try it myself, as I just don’t like this kind of food.
Having read some of the reports above, I am shocked that time and training wasn’t spent in the time leading up to the opening. First impressions are so, so important, and it sounds like a shambolic amateur hour. Any new restaurant stands a slim chance of success, even in a strong economy, so it’s baffling why the owner(s) started with such poor service and product. I wish them the best of luck, but guessing from the apparent costs in constructing the place and the length of time it’s taken to open, I think luck won’t be enough.
Looks like it won’t be long until Gordon Ramsay comes in to “save” the restaurant
I was never thrilled about a restaurant being built on the site of a car dealership.
Too many toxic materials on that location for too many years.
Too many toxic materials?? I suppose you think the food people eat when they are tailgating before a football game is also contaminated, because they are standing in a parking lot.
The equipment is brand new and judging by the menu, they take pride in the ingredients. I think you would be surprised at how “toxic” some of the kitchens are in your favorite restaurants.
Funny how people who know so little about food make assumptions as if they really know food. first off there is nothing toxic about the site it passed all EPA tests. Second the beef is premium from Creek Stone farmshttps://www.creekstonefarms.com/ Chicken is from Goffle Brook Farms. Lobster and Ipswich clams are fresh not from cans. The ice cream is premium made fresh weekly. The burgers start at $3.95 for a 1/4lb premium hand pattied. Thats a bargain! How does that add up to $20.00? The service was a little slow but that is to be expected , they just opened! I met the owners and they know what they are doing. The Chef is a Ridgewood resident and a CIA grad and has cooked with the finest chef/owners in the world and has been involved with many restaurants in the world. Maybe the reviewer is too used to McDonalds… my family has eaten there 3 times since opening and we love it. We will be going back!
Wow, with all of this going for it, how come it so many people are hugely disappointed with the quality of the food and the service ?
It IS funny how some people make assumptions (some people like you). The way I read the “toxic” comment is that THE POSTER does not like THE FACT that the restaurant WAS BUIT on a site that had toxic materials in use for many years.
Nowhere did I read that they were saying that THE FOOD WAS CONTAMINATED.
It looks like YOU are the one making the assumptions.
Do you have a financial interest in this establishment?
i agree with this ^…ECB is totally cool….my kids loved it and we’ve been back twice to bring friends…LOVE all the details like the metal trays, homemade condiments,top notch ingredients,amazingly fresh ice cream (which made a D@mn good milkshake)!!!
we will be back again soon 🙂
Took the plunge over the weekend…all in all, not bad. The service has to improve though, the thing with the cards on the tables is just dumb. Get some waiters, this is Ridgewood!
Strike 1 is that they won’t make a rare burger. I guess I understand the health concerns (blah, blah, blah), but there are at least 5 other places within 100 yards where you can get a rare burger. Wash your hands, clean your kitchen, buy good meat, and you don’t have to worry about it.
Other than the hockey-puck burger (which really wasn’t that dry and tasteless after all), the food was very good. The fried clams especially…not at all like the rubber bands from HoJo’s (remember them!)
I do think they missed a huge opportunity with the decor. The building is obviously very quickly constucted and poorly executed. The outdoor spaces (like the outdoor surface of the building itself) are really unattractive to me. One thing that I have noticed in my travels is that coverting gas stations to restaurants is not unique to ECB and is a good idea. I’ve always seen it where they keep the big doors though. The idea is to slide them open when it’s warm out — the space inside takes on a really cool vibe that way.
We at ECB Love the idea of big doors that slide open, unfortunately the planning board did not. What is poorly executed? Hockey puck burger? We use the finest premium American beef from https://www.creekstonefarms.com/ . The clams are good because they are real from Ipswich. We like rare burgers as well but that did not fit in our model and quite frankly not necessary due to the way we cook our burgers. Thanks to everyone who came out to support us!
As far as my experience went, the fried were way over-cooked, the chicken tenders were completely bland and everything was very greasy. After having a burger my mom got sick later the same night. That may have just been that night, but whatever, for their prices you may as well go to any of the other ten places within a few miles that serves better, cheaper burgers and whatnot.
The decor is pretty lousy too IMO. It’s all barren and white and creepy- the only thing that’s not just the plain white walls and old ugly car dealership ceiling are two little creepy photographs tucked into a corner [one was of the old abandoned car dealership that used to occupy the building- in grayscale with one red car- and some other creepy photo of like a highway or something – also in sad, depressing grayscale-] as well as some TVs showing local new stations.
Why, though, has no one mentioed the creepy looping video they show of a dog and woman walking on the beach with flying cardboard cutouts of burgers and boats??! Haha! It is so weird!
I actually liked the place….To me, my cheeseburger was better than at Five Guys or Smashburger…Five Guys burgers sit in your stomach all day….I liked their special sauce, a bit spiy, and liked their sweet potao fries, but not the accompanying sweet pineapple dipping sauce…..I like that they use local ingredients such as Pickleicious pickles and chicken from Goffle Brook Farms…..I would give the place another shot
Tried this place last Saturday, I had the lobster roll and my wife tried the tuna burger both where a huge disapointment. After a long wait we where served our very pricy meal and a few bites in the owner/manager asked us “how’s your food?” so we told him the truth, the $15 tuna was fishy and tasted frozen and the lobster roll was watery and very small for $20. He responded with a attitude that did not sit well with us so we walked out and left half our meal behind, it was not worth eating so we wrote the forty something dollars off as a loss.
This building was a auto dealership for many years and the toxic nature of the work performed here can last for decades, they must have picked this abandoned property up for dirt cheep. You can’t escape the feeling that this place is doomed to failure and the poster defending this disaster has a bad attitude identical to the guy we spoke with at this burger joint.
+1 for Stripes on the atmosphere and the creepy looping video. I was saying the very same thing to my wife, that was really odd! So on the positve side a very nice Ben & Jerrys was right across the street, where we forgot the arrogant attitude & bad taste from East Coast Burger Company before our movie. The popcorn was good and a much better value than our awful meal, yuck!
Gordon Ramsay just let it die!
And the crappy burgers are a greesy mess, this place needs a serious reworking. Your right Mick, Ben & Jerry’s is the place to sit outside and eat some great ice cream.
And the crappy burgers are a greesy mess, this place needs a serious reworking. Your right Mick, Ben & Jerry’s is the place to sit outside and eat some great ice cream.
The owner of this place is a scumbag, attacking people on Yelp who critique it and having over 100 fake reviews written about the place.
If I was the owner of East Coast Burgers I would sue Mick L. for his actions. The guy says his wife got sick from eating at ECB, but than states that he was pondering going back there to eat. With whom , his wife?
my name is Mark Ostrowsky Owner/Operator
Now that we have our feet on the ground and worked out all the kinks
come give us a shot….. People that rated my restuarant in it’s first couple of weeks,,,
come on you should know better…. All I can say is don’t be a hater come in and judge for yourself
Be happy check it out
Mark
Ridgewood Orange Guy
I just ate here for the first and last time today. First of all, I was greeted by a snotty and rude teenager at the cash register. Secondly, for an Ahi Tuna “burger” it was $15 and change. The green chilli cheese fries were way overpriced as well, being around $6 or $7. The atmosphere was dull and ugly. The tuna burger was the most pathetic sandwhich I have ever eaten and had no flavor at all. Not to mention the bun wasnt even toasted. Actually I don’t even believe the fish was tuna. Whatever it was it must have come out of a microwave. The cheese fries were more like cheese whiz melted on top of fries with some green chilli goop thrown on top.
So overall, I spent $27 on some disgusting food which should have been no more than maybe $15 total. Don’t eat here.
#30 You are full of crap. We all know who you are Michael Latimer aka/ Mic L from Yelp. Go away and stick to your 7-11’s and bus stop reviews.
I’ve been here a few times and always order the green chili cheeseburger, which I felt was very good. However, last time in I ordered the teriyaki swiss mushroom burger and OMG it was delicious! Now, I’m not a big fan of paying $6-$7 for a burger, but this place is worth it.
Judge for yourself …. All burger salads and our real Lobster roll be your own judge that’s all I can ask
Thanks again
Mark