East Coast Grill & Raw Bar

Reviews 6

SA

Sam Melnick

Coming here I really wanted to be blown away. The reviews were great, the menu looked great, and everything was in line for an amazing meal. However both times Ive been here I feel like I have not made the best choices and have second guessed my decisions. I feel like I could go here and have an amazing amazing meal, but each time Ive had a good meal, but wishing I had ordered maybe something different. Therefore I reserve my right to switch this to a 5 if I can find that allusive perfect East Coast Grill dish. I came here with my lady friend on a Friday night expecting there to be a long wait, but it took us longer to find parking then to get seated (big plus). We were seated pretty close to the kitchen, which was a bit warm, but still fun to watch the cooks work. I had a scallops appetizer (I believe was a special) It was very good, small, but I look quality not quantity in my apps. I then ordered the pulled pork sandwich for dinner. Now I am a pulled pork connoisseur, I live for pulled pork. This pulled pork was moist, it was a good serving size, but unfortunately it was a heavy vinegar based sauce. I prefer more tomato based sauces or at least not overwhelmingly vinegar based. So if you like a vinegar based bbq sauce this pulled pork sandwich is the way to go, if not, stick with the dry rub ribs. My girlfriend had the Peppered Tuna, which was very well cooked and a good piece of fish. Little too much pepper, particularly for someone with troublesome stomach, but still solid. The second time I went to East Coast Grill I went for the bowl of seafood. Again a good meal, lots of seafood, several different types, but just not amazing. The people I were with had the ribs and seemed to enjoy them greatly. We also had the buffalo shrimp (alright, probably would go with something more unique next time). Things that looked great: anything braised (lamb or pork), the vegetable medley (looked delicious), and the tuna taco. I will be back to East Coast Grill. Their menu is way too interesting to keep me away because of a couple of questionable ordering choices.

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CR

Cristina Ruiz

What do you get when you combine vodka, tomato juice, at least 3 different salsas, horseradish, BBQ sauce, picked cauliflower, celery, capers and brussel sprouts? No, not a salad for alcoholics. Its the most delicious Bloody Mary every to grace this earth, prepared by yours truly at ECGs Build-Your-Own Bloody Mary Bar. What a way to start the day! $9 for a small and $11 for a large BM. Trust me, man. Get the upgrade. Its a hefty pour of the strong stuff, and then you can go to town, mixing and sampling from the cornucopia of spicy, pickled offerings on the bar. There was about half an hours wait for 2 on Sunday around 11:30, and the entrance was pretty cramped with others waiting for tables, servers squeezing past with plates, and people in line waiting to mix their Marys. Not gonna lie, I mightve gone back to the BM bar a few times to refill my glass. Consider it a boozy appetizer! Once seated, I went with Amilcars omelet, which came out quickly (thank god!) and was very tasty with a well-seasoned filling of black beans and two spicy sauces on the side. The chunks of guava paste were a sweet, unexpected touch that I really enjoyed. I wish there were more! Everything on the regular brunch menu as well as the specials sound interesting and yummy. The vodka in my empty stomach may have contributed to this feeling just a bit, but Ill definitely be back to craft another crazy concoction and spice up my brunch routine.

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TE

Terran Lane

By the owners of Highland Kitchen in Somerville, and with a similar set of flavors, but a focus on grilled and smoked meats. The most distinguishing feature is that they actually take hot (as in picante, not caliente) seriously, which is super-rare in New England. Their "hell wings", for example, have a strong initial tang to them that builds into a warm fire that leaves you sweating, but really brings on the endorphin rush. But, critically, theyre not *just* hot - they are richly flavorful. The wings themselves are smoked and the flavor permeates the meat, and the sauce is far beyond the lazy "vinegar and chile" sauce that passes for wing sauce at most places. Similarly, the hot sauce for the ribs is not just fire, nor just vinegar, but a spectrum of flavors that complements the smoked meat well, without drowning it out. These people know how to handle heat, which is a rare find here. On the down side, the ribs were still tough - they had clearly not been smoked long enough, and the meat lacked that lovely "melt in your mouth, fall off the bone" effect that real BBQ places get. Red Bones in Somerville, for example, has much better ribs. Finally, the fried chicken just isnt that impressive. New England just needs to give up on fried chicken, Im afraid. If you havent lived south of the Mason-Dixon line, you just dont get it.

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LE

Lee Movic

Once a year (sometimes more, then sometimes they take an entire year off...), East Coast Grill puts on "Hell Night." It is a reservation-only, 2 or 3 night affair where they swap our their entire menu and replace it with spicy dishes. It. Is. A. BLAST! The process begins with making the reservation, accomplishable only by phone or in-person. The phone process can take hours (or longer, if unsuccessful), but it absolutely adds to the occasion. This time, September 30, 2014, I was a guest of a reservation secured in-person. My first time, I was worried that everything would be inedibly spicy, but they actually do a good job coding the menu to indicate spiciness, and there is even a wimps section of the menu. Milk (A.K.A. "The Antidote") is $2.50/glass, though I remember it being much more expensive on previous occasions. Suffice it to say, its a great evening with friends that enjoy spicy food. Get the "Russian Roulette Meatballs", plenty of sides of cornbread, and the "Pasta From Hell" (Which, this go round, was substituted with an equally devilish Thai Noodle something or other). It is a raucous, uncomfortable evening in the best way. ECG also has a DIY Bloody Mary bar on the weekends, but thats a different trip entirely.

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RO

Rochelle Greayer

First -- they never called back to confirm reservation for a birthday dinner. Fish and chips at $23 should knock my socks off -- instead the fries and fish appeared to have been cooked in very old oil (both were a nasty shade of not good brown). Fries were awful - soggy, greasy bad attempt at fresh cut (which they were not fresh -- again with the brown grossness). The dumplings were too salty to ingest. My beer was skunky, the watermelon was not fresh and tasted awful (how do you ruin a slice of watermelon?) And finally the banana split was just off because the grilled bananas (which were clearly meant to be a spin on bananas foster) where not just grilled (which could have been ok) -- but they tasted like they were grilled on the same pan or grill that the bbq ribs were grilled on....spicy bbq meat flavor in my banana split sunday is not good. Service was weak, sporadic and hapless.

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PA

Parry Blade

I have learnt about this place from the Man Vs Food Boston episode. I went there on a Saturday evening for dinner and had to wait for 1 hour. DIRTY PLACE: The place is very very noisy, crowded and dirty. We got a small table that was not clean and there were stuff lying on the floor (food, napkins, water, drinks, cutleries!) and everyone was walking over them. SERVICE: The staff does not bother to clean the tables or the floors. We waited for 30 mins for the waiter to come and take out order. FOOD: We ordered Texas Style Sliced Beef Brisket Platter ($ 16.50) and it was the most terrible brisket I have ever had. The meat was stale, rubbery, very chewy and of course tasteless. My husband got chocked! The brisket was served with watermelon which had gone bad and was smelly. We left the food and did not finish it. After all the reviews and the long wait, this place is a big No No to me!

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