Update

Sorry to see that Gamburgers is now closed. Interested to see what may follow in this unique space. Head over to Mazzi Dogz if you need an American ethnic food fix, El Palacio del Pollo for Peruvian.

Review (Aug 2010)

- Finally stopped in at this old-style diner I always drive past in the Valley neighborhood of West Orange. The dining car layout reminds me of the Summit Diner – a narrow counter with booths along the windows.

A “Gamburger” is a hamburger with 3 slices of Taylor Ham on a Kaiser roll. The grill guy asked how I wanted my burger (“medium rare”), and it was served exactly that, with the burger juices and Taylor Ham grease oozing into the soft roll. A guilty pleasure. They serve breakfast standards, burgers, hot dogs and wraps, along with shakes and floats. That grill guy said they like to say, “Eat here today, eat healthy tomorrow.” I agree.

Links

Facebook

Update - February 2012

A Serenade by the Owner

El Rancho is hard to beat for its exuberant atmosphere and attentive service. When we go early for dinner on a Friday night with the kids, the place is empty and we have our choice of tables. Soon enough, more tables fill up and the owner starts playing guitar and singing Ranchero classics.

The food is still solid, with a wide selection of both common and less common Mexican dishes. Try the tamales, the excellent tortilla soup or the creamy thick sopa de frijol (black bean soup).

Review - February 2010

First discovered this place when it was called El Bandido. New ownership in March 2009 changed the name to El Rancho Grande, but the food quality, friendly service and festive atmosphere remain the same.

Sopa de Tortilla

Everyone gets a warm, cheese-filled soft tortilla as a sort of Mexican amuse-bouche. Decent homemade salsa and guacamole. A nice range of dishes from tacos, chimichangas and enchiladas to more interesting and tasty specialties like Huauchinango a la Veracruzana (fish filet with tomato sauce, olives, onions, and red peppers) and Tampiquena Naca (broiled steak with Mexican green peppers in a cream sauce). The kitchen is also willing to make dishes to order, like fish tacos for my wife. After dinner, a complimentary Sweet Chimichanga – a crispy flour tortilla stuffed with banana and served warm with maple syrup (Mexican maple trees?) – was a nice surprise.

Camarones

El Rancho is a stand-alone house with its own parking lot in the back. Maybe ten tables in a small dining room with nooks that make it seem larger. There is a full bar off to one side and the owner played Mariachi guitar the last Friday evening we were there. Yet another place supporting my theory that wall paintings signal good ethnic food. El Rancho’s walls are covered with colorful murals depicting, let’s say, eclectic visions of Mexico, including a few of the original restaurant’s Bandidos.  Moderately expensive and most customers aren’t Mexican, but El Rancho Grande is authentic and fun.

Try the: Queso Derritido con Chorizo (Melted Cheese with Mexican sausage), Chiles Rellenos (Stuffed Peppers), Camarones (Shrimp) Mexican Style

The Mazzi Dog

Review

EthnicNJ's Guest Reviewer Hard at Work

Guest review by James L. Baker (age 12)

“Like unusual hot dogs? Go to Mazzi’s. Like fountain sodas? Go to Mazzi’s. Like 1950s/1960s nostalgia decor? Go to Mazzi’s.

Mazzi’s is located next to the Luna Stage theatre on Valley Street in West Orange, just past Gamburgers heading north.

The menu features specialty “Dogz” like the Holiday (mashed potato, stuffing & gravy), the Jersey Shore (hot or sweet onions, sweet peppers), and of course, the Mazzi dog (a sauerkraut, onion and mustard combo). The Mazzi dog is a darn good monstrosity. The spicy mustard and the onions burned my mouth a little; the whole dog was tasty. The hot dog is juicy and the outside just the tiniest bit crunchy, but not on the Rutt’s Hut level. I recommend it. The Texas Wiener (chili, raw onions, spicy mustard) is good, but the Texas component, a spicy chili, is too thick for me.

Mazzi’s serves fries (Mazzi Fries) with a special seasoning that tastes like a mellower version of Old Bay. The review team ordered a cherry and a vanilla Coke. We prefer the vanilla to the cherry.

The Holy Guacamole and Baked Potato "Dogz"

The service is nice, friendly and quick. It’s a casual and obviously kid-friendly spot. I recommend the Baked Potato dog (cheese, mashed potato, raw onions, sour cream & bacon bits) or the Mazzi dog, as well as some fries and vanilla Coke. This is a great place if you like toppings on your hot dogs.”

James was kind enough to bring me two Mazzi Dogz to try after his visit. The Holy Guacamole (chili, guacamole, crushed nacho chips) is pretty good. The Baked Potato dog is over-the-top, decadent delicious. How can you not try a place with a Wall of Famous New Jerseyans?

Mazzi's Wall of Famous New Jerseyans

Links

Orange you glad you ate in Orange?
You Don’t Know Jersey

Links

The Star-Ledger

Update

Sorry to see that Miriam’s is now closed due to a fire that caused major damage on May 1, 2011. Fortunately, no injuries were reported.

Review (April 1, 2011)

Miriam’s Restaurant is one of the many blue collar Latino spots throughout New Jersey serving fresh homemade food, at fast food prices. Here, the food is Peruvian: rotisserie chicken, anticuchos (beef heart skewers), papas a la huancaina (potatoes in a spicy cream sauce), rice and beans. The menu changes daily. Order whatever looks good at the counter. Sancocho de Pollo (an excellent chicken broth with vegetables, short grain rice and a chunk of beef on the bone) is excellent – the perfect lunch on a cold and rainy day. There are tamales and desserts (Leche Asada – Peruvian flan) you can order to go and Inka Cola in the drinks case. Soup, meat, rice and beans, and a soda total less than $10.

There are about ten tables, and a loud television. The language at Miriam’s is mostly Spanish, but you can get by in English with some patience, and a smile.

Review

Fusion is a tiny Peruvian restaurant and bar on the first floor of a converted single family home on Main Street in West Orange. There are about ten tables, a few lounge chairs, and two disco balls on the ceiling. The salsa music was too loud when we visited on a Friday night at 7 pm. Excusable, except we were the only people in the restaurant.

More diners should visit Fusion for good food at a great value. The Tiradito Dos Colores – thin strips of lime-marinated fresh fish in two different cream sauces, one spicy, one less so – stands out. Homemade chicken soup is served with large chicken chunks, yellow Peruvian potatoes, noodles and a flavorful, cilantro-laced broth. The Arroz Chaufa, fried rice with scrambled egg and chicken, beef or seafood, is decent; not too greasy. The menu includes Anticuchos (grilled beef hearts), Aji de Gallina (shredded chicken with cream sauce and potatoes), and Tallarin Verde (spaghetti with pesto sauce). Flan is a good choice for dessert.

The menu and service are bilingual. The most expensive entrees are $12.95. A full bar means you can enjoy a cold Cusqueña or foamy pisco sour with dinner.

Directly across the street from Misty’s, Fusion is another no-frills West Orange spot that’s worth a visit for solid Peruvian food.

Links

Yelp

Pal's Cabin

Review

I’ve driven past this place for years, but had never thought to stop until Pals Cabin kept showing up on NJ best burger lists. Pals has occupied the top of the hill at the intersection of Eagle Rock and Prospect Avenues in West Orange since 1932, when it opened as a simple hot dog stand. Today, it’s a sprawling two-level restaurant and bar with multiple dining and private rooms.

The menu is just as extensive, ranging from calamari to Hungarian goulash, essentially a fancy diner menu. There’s no category for it on EthnicNJ.com, but you should try the “famous” cream of mushroom soup. It is excellent.

But we stopped for the burgers. The half-pound burgers, boneless chuck freshly ground daily, are nicely cooked to order – medium rare runs red in the center – with clear griddle marks.  The meat doesn’t seem to be seasoned at all, so if you’re like me, you’ll be adding salt. Sauteed onions are nicely done. Various cheeses are available. The french fries that come with it are very thick, almost quarter potato-sized, steak fries. One negative – the soft buns don’t hold up well after the first two bites. Bottom-line: a big, meaty, restaurant-style burger.

Worth a visit for the burger. And worth a visit for Pals’ distinct ambience. Sort of an elderly, formal, Western vibe. Cowboy prints adorn the wood paneled walls. Under a portrait of the doomed General, there’s a small booth for two called “Custer’s Corner.” The only thing older than the formally dressed waiters were most of the customers when we visited on a Saturday afternoon. If my Grandfather was still alive, he’d hang out here.