Alas, The Macedonian Grill Has Gone Out of Business
(Update: July 22, 2018) I hate to think that a restaurant review by Boomeresque is the kiss of death, but after 10 years, Jimmy, a/k/a Dimitrios Constantine Dounoulis, decided to change careers. However, the location is now owned by another family, this time, Mexican-American, and they have opened the Brigantine Bistro. (Review coming. Or you can try another of our favorite Brigantine restaurants, The Crab Shack.)
Brigantine, New Jersey is the barrier beach town to which we escape as much as possible from May through September. In other words, we’re shoobies. On a recent Friday afternoon, we drove the 80 minutes from Center City Philadelphia to our refuge from the big city. A quick scan of the contents of our Brigantine refrigerator revealed some frozen turkey hot dogs and a few bottles of beer. It only took Mr. and Mrs. Excitement about a minute nano second to decide it was a good night for a restaurant dinner.
We headed to one of our favorite Brigantine restaurants, the Macedonian Grill. There were a few families in the outside dining area, but we went inside and were invited to “sit anywhere” when we arrived at 5:40 p.m. Had it been a Monday through Thursday evening, we would even have qualified for the early bird special. Yes, we are THAT exciting.
Dimitrios Constantine Dounoulis opened the Macedonian Grill in Brigantine in 2005. Macedonian Grill regulars (and there are a good number of them) call him Jimmy—short for “Jimmy the Greek”. He is very much hands on in the kitchen and is also visible in every other aspect of the business. Jimmy’s wife, some of their five children and other family members also help out.
On his website, Jimmy describes the Macedonian Grill’s cuisine as Mediterranean-American fusion, but if you want a cheese steak worthy of South Philly, you can order that too off the diner size extensive menu. I like their Philly cheese steak wrap for lunch, but if you share that information, I might never be able to show my face in Philadelphia again.
Prices seem to have gone up some, but are still lower than many other options “down the shore”, especially given the very generous portion sizes and that you can bring your own alcoholic beverage. On this occasion, I ordered the lasagna Parmesan which contained more ground meat and less pasta than what I consider typical lasagna. My partner in ridiculously early dinner eating ordered the chicken kebob platter ($18.99). Our dinners came with soup AND salad and bread and butter. I ordered split pea soup which I thought was quite tasty, but by the time I finished that and my salad, I ended up taking home most of my lasagna.
Mr. Excitement’s dinner was not quite what he was expecting despite it being clearly described on the menu. The chicken was served on a bed of rice topped with sauteed onions and peppers and a lemon white wine sauce. He also walked out with enough for the following day’s lunch. My dinner also came with dessert which meant choosing from the impressive dessert cooler. I chose baklava which also made the trip home with us. By the time I had some of it as a midnight snack, I was underwhelmed enough to leave Mr. Early-to-Bed his share. In all fairness, I might have been spoiled by the consistently excellent baklava we enjoyed on our recent trip to Turkey.
Our favorite Macedonian Grill meals are breakfast and lunch. The omelets are big enough for AARP members to share. We always enjoy the chicken souvlaki platter which is served with french fries ($9.99) or a Greek salad ($10.99). The Greek specialties are usually a good choice at this restaurant. The Macedonian Grill menu also identifies healthier options than Philly cheese steak wraps, and has a kid’s menu.
The restaurant welcomes families and will put tables together to accommodate larger groups.Take out and delivery are also options. We used the Macedonian Grill for catering once and were pleased with the service and food.
Parking has never been a problem. The Macedonian Grill has its own parking lot next to the restaurant and if that is full, we have always found street parking. There is a dining patio in front of the restaurant with umbrellas for shade. I was told that dogs are welcome at the outside tables and we did observe one canine happily nestled in his person’s lap. I made this inquiry especially for Montecristo, a travel blogging long haired chihuahua who will be visiting Brigantine again this summer.
Fast facts:
Address: 3015 Brigantine Blvd, Brigantine, NJ 08203
Telephone: (609) 264-8801 Website: http://www.macedoniangrill.com
BYOB, Credit cards accepted
Open: 7:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m.
Dress: Beach casual. No dress code. Dogs are allowed in the outside eating area.
(I have no relationship with the Macedonian Grill. Opinions are my own.)
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I like to eat early, it’s a healthier option. That’s my story and I’m stickin to it. 😉
Why didn’t I think of that excuse for being at the Macedonian Grill for dinner at 5:40 p.m? 🙂
I love the photo of Mr. Excitement poised over the menu in the Macedonian Grill. I bet he actually has it memorized. Your time at the Brigantine Beach sounds fabulous (and much like a day at the lake in Minnesota).
Philadelphians head “down the shore” in the summertime. I imagine it’s a ritual akin to Minnesotans heading to the/a lake.
I think it’s comforting to find a favorite eatery in a place that you vacation on a regular basis. The Macedonian Grill sounds like it fits the bill quite nicely. Is 5:40 early for dinner? Really? Uh – oh….
EVERY night is a good night for a restaurant dinner as far as I’m concerned. Fun post. Those photos make me want to hit the beach.
C’mon down, but I’m not sure if they have your favorite food groups at the Marathon Grill—broccoli and cheerios. 😉
Everyone knows to be healthy, you aren’t supposed to eat after 6:30 in the evening – thus you were right up there with all the wise people. Why yes, it is a fact! I read it on the internet (smile) AND when Oprah had control, that was one of her rules! We had a wonderful German restaurant we used to eat at on the coast every Thanksgiving but alas! The man decided to retire – the nerve! So we stick with the “all you can eat shrimp” at a place we hit every vacation – her husband catches it, she cooks it – we groan before we leave. Good time had by all –
Thanksgiving? In a German restaurant? Interesting. Shrimp in sight of the see. Definitely.
I learned a new word from this post – shoobies. Macedonian Grill looks like a great restaurant.
This sure sounds like a Greek-style New Jersey “diner” in disguise—from the large portions to the dictionary-like menu. And picking the dessert is the icing on the proverbial cake! Wish the Macedonian Grill was closer:-)
Well, it’s a New Jersey Greek style diner—-with sea breezes and sand.
Since moving to Florida my dining time has become earlier to take advantage of the good deals. I too tell myself it’s healthier to eat longer before going to bed! When my sister and I were kids our parents took us to Brigantine beach for a couple summers. I remember we rented an apartment with a player piano and I thought that was fabulous! It was nice to bring back those memories!
You’ve sold me on a visit to the The Macedonian Grill next time I am in Brigantine, NJ! Sounds yummy.
Aw!!!! well now I can’t wait to go!! I can’t believe you asked about the patio pet friendliness just for Montecristo! That totally made my evening. Can’t wait to be down by the shore … summer beach time beckons! This will be a great addition/update to my Brigantine post!
There are actually quite a few outside dining options for Monte in Brigantine. I think he’ll be very happy on his return visit.
Never heard of a shoobie before. When we hit the ocean we eat seafood, seafood and more seafood. Maybe a Greek restaurant for breakfast- sort of like the diners of my youth.
I’m pretty sure “shoobies” are a South Jersey thing.
I had to stop off for a few minutes from my blogging leave of absence to read THIS post!! I saw a food/restaurant review and said what??!! That is awesome, Suzanne. You did a great job and the Macedonian Grill would be right up my alley. I love owners like Jimmy that are seasoned and interactive – my favorite kind of restaurant. The lasagna would most definitely have been my choice and there would have been no leftovers. Btw…I can do a lot with frozen turkey dogs and beer LOL 🙂
Thanks, Mike! Coming from you, I take that as a real compliment. When you visit Brigantine, the Macedonian Grill will be on our list of places to eat—-after you finish the turkey hotdogs and beer. 😉
The Macedonian Grill lasagne looks tasty and very filling. I’m a fan of early-bird specials, pre-theatre menus, and happy hour does make me happy.
I’m also a rather early diner. I don’t sleep great if I go to bed with a lot of food in my tummy. I remember when I was in Spain I was often the only diner at 6 or 7pm. I would definitely go for one of the Greek options. We have a lot of Greek restaurants in Halifax, and my favorite makes a mean souvlakia.
Spain is definitely a real struggle for Americans in terms of dinnertime—as in, the time for dinner. I think the key is to eat a hearty lunch and just stick to a few tapas for an early-ish dinner out.
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