Blogston Proper

Has the East Coast Grill Gone Downhill?

A few weeks ago we brought you the news that longtime ECG owner Chris Schlesinger would sell the 27-year-old restaurant to chef Jason Herd and general manager Robin Greenspan, and James Lozano. But now a group of loyalists have taken to Chowhound to debate the current quality of the spot. Are they resting on their laurels and burning their patrons in the process?

One sad Hound took to the board to report on changes at the restaurant, tracing the place’s rise and fall on the board: “Once upon a time, in the not-too-distant past, East Coast Grill was the darling of this board … very much the (not a, but rather THE) board favorite. But more recently (say in the last 5 years; perhaps a bit longer), many people concluded that ECG has jumped the shark, that it no longer was as fresh and excited and consistently delicious as we all once thought it to be.”

Among the new offenses: inauthentic smoked ‘n grilled pork belly banh mi, served on a soft roll instead of a crusty one; catfish tacos doused in wet slaw, with an overly pungent pineapple flavor; and off-season grilled corn on the cob.

“I am sincere when I say that I want ECG to be the success for the next 25 years that it was for its first. I just think it’s going to take some dedication by the new owners to get it to where it needs to be,” the poster writes.

Is ECG losing out to newer, more innovative spots in the Inman Square ‘hood? Is it a mere changing of the guard? If you’ve been lately, let us know; we’re still recovering from Hell Night.

Related: Yup, Chris Schlesinger Will Sell the East Coast Grill

Has the East Coast Grill Gone Downhill?