11 replies to this topic

[Rail Paul]

Elisa Ung has a note on NorthJersey.com that the Florida chain of brew, wings, fajitas, and burgers will be opening on Route 4 next year.

That adds another burger place in a short space that already includes Bobby Flay's and BuCu. Miller's Ale House looks like a big operation, with dozens of locations in Florida and a few in the northeast.

Although the beer list seems tilted toward Miller Brewing products, the company's story says the business was founded by Jack and Claire Miller

North Jersey

Miller's Ale

[E.L.A.]

I've been to a couple of the locations in FL. I liked the Jupiter Ale House. Nice place. Nice experience. More than once. A departure from your basic run of the mill pub grub. Not just a local hangout kind of place, or a band scene, etc. I went to the Kirkman Ale House in Orlando, but it was game night and the place was a zoo!

You are right, a lot of places popping up in a short drive area. I think Cheeseburger Cheeseburger is leading the way and they seem to be doing super. Excellent burger. Top notch. An alternative to simple fast food is needed, especially when you can't drive a far distance to go to your "favorite" burger place. I like Bobby Flay's. Haven't been there in a while. Haven't tried BuCu yet. Cheeseburger Cheeseburger is excellent so when I am nearby I'll go.

I am looking forward to see what this place is like. If it's the same model, it's far from just a "burger joint" kind of place. It should fit well -- sports bar, good crowd, bands perhaps, different mix of food, drink, etc. I hope it does well.

[Rail Paul]

I stopped by the Jupiter Ale House earlier this week, and I definitely agree with your comments.

Much more than just a bar with food. There was an extensive menu, with steaks, fajitas, local fish, and many many beers on tap. Very good prices, starting a $2.25 pints of Miller and working up to 23 oz jumbo steins of Blue Moon for $6, and pitchers of just about any beer. More TVs than I'd like, but still a very reasonably priced establishment. Louder than I'd like, but not unbearable.

[Rail Paul]

The Paramus NJ location has disappeared from the Miller's Ale House home page. I wonder what happened.

Anybody know? I'd think they knew what a liquor license costs in New Jersey before they made their announcements.

Locations

[E.L.A.]

Does anyone know what happened?

[menton1]

Looks like the space went to a Health Club. The adjacent space, if that's what the reporter meant, is changing from a Fuddrucker's to some Tex Mex fast food joint. Perhaps the lease fell through. Or, there was no liquor license available. Fuddrucker's didn't have one, I don't think.

[Rail Paul]

Looks like the space went to a Health Club. The adjacent space, if that's what the reporter meant, is changing from a Fuddrucker's to some Tex Mex fast food joint. Perhaps the lease fell through. Or, there was no liquor license available. Fuddrucker's didn't have one, I don't think.

Looks like there might be a health club and a retail liquor license, based on the filing from which the Record drew.

Public Notice

[menton1]

Didn't see anything about a liquor license in that legal notice, Paul. Did I miss it? Don't think it's Miller's, the notice referred to a "fast casual dining with drive-up", doesn't sound like Miller's MO.

If there is a license, who had it before? Who's selling it?

[Rail Paul]

Didn't see anything about a liquor license in that legal notice, Paul. Did I miss it? Don't think it's Miller's, the notice referred to a "fast casual dining with drive-up", doesn't sound like Miller's MO.

If there is a license, who had it before? Who's selling it?

I screwed up on that. I saw a liquor transfer, but picked up the wrong link.

However, I noticed the Miller's Ale House corporate website now has a restored reference to the Paramus location, east of the Bergen Mall. "Off route 4, in front of the Lowe's Home Center" they say. Coming, Summer 2012.

With a date that close, and a specific location, I'll take a look next time I'm in the area.

Down the page

[E.L.A.]

Opening...

[Rail Paul]

Elisa Ung offers a negative review. Lots of salt, widely available beers, and amateurish service. They liked the bistro burger ($10) and the steak sandwich. Thus endeth the good parts. One star. That's pretty rare.

At the sprawling branch of the Florida-based chain, we found extremely low prices, an impressive selection and even bigger portions. But we also found a lot of dishes that weren't even worth what we paid for them — the food was consistently grossly oversalted or otherwise sloppily executed. All of it was capped off by friendly but amateur service and occasional long waits for a table.

It's impressive that you can order a huge "seafood, lobster and clam bake" for a mere $18.99, one of the menu's priciest items. But you'll feel like you threw most of that money out the window once you see the pile of chewy clams, mussels and crab cooked well past oblivion and the corn that was so soggy it was like gnawing on Old Bay-flavored sludge. (Only the lobster tail escaped unscathed — it was actually quite succulent.)

Fajitas are a sure bet, right? Not here — our steak was so salty it was nearly inedible, the chicken had sailed past blackened into the burned stage,

Miller's

[JonJacob]

Pete Wells has paved the way for restaurant reviewers to write terrible reviews about easy targets.