Eastern Seaboard Gettin’ Notiony

KaiserLu

Am I the only one who thinks this place has taken a serious turn south?

Load of the favorites gone from the menu, prices gone up, staff run off feet..

Used to be the best place in town!

bpmurray

Yep - it's become very ordinary.

delly

It has indeed, the restaurant review thread has many saying the same thing. It was the one place that I would go to in a heartbeat if I had a cause to celebrate, but would not even consider it now.

furiousox

Have a look at tripadvisor, the place is in serious decline.
Not sure what's happened but they've really lost their way.
Used to go there fairly regularly but wouldn't bother now.

https://www.tripadvisor.ie/Restaurant_Review-g186624-d1389930-Reviews-Eastern_Seaboard-Drogheda_County_Louth.html

blingrhino

I could nt agree more.

i was there recently after a long absence and was horrified at the changes plus mainly only craft beers.

In fairness the place was still packed and the food was nice that i had.

Lord TSC

furiousox wrote: »

Not sure what's happened but they've really lost their way.

My understanding is that the couple who owned it split up, and he was the head chef. He left, and they made some changes which, to be blunt, have been disastrous.

gamblor101

Has there been any change in quality at the Brown Hound Cafe?

IvoryTower

gamblor101 wrote: »

Has there been any change in quality at the Brown Hound Cafe?

havent noticed, those buns still amazing!

furiousox

So the seaboard has gone into examinership.

https://www.irishtimes.com/business/retail-and-services/court-appoints-first-woman-examiner-to-restaurant-business-1.3972285

Don't know why they decided to mess with what was a popular menu?
Looks like it has backfired on them.

It's already being discussed in the restaurant thread, but might be more appropriate to continue the conversation here?

IvoryTower

Brown hound still open today, do things usually close when this happens? It probably makes plenty of money on it's own

delly

IvoryTower wrote: »

Brown hound still open today, do things usually close when this happens? It probably makes plenty of money on it's own

Examinership is a process whereby a court appointment official is sent in to try and rescue the business from going under. The company still trades and very often comes out of examinership with loans restructured or written off, possibly rents reduced. There has been many an Irish retail company that have taken this route strategically, or feel forced to do it due to crazy rent situations. It's by no means as serious as receivership or liquidation.

IvoryTower

You'd imagine given their previous success that the rent may have spiraled over the years

Scotty #

Lord TSC wrote: »

My understanding is that the couple who owned it split up, and he was the head chef. He left, and they made some changes which, to be blunt, have been disastrous.

This is 100% inaccurate and should be deleted.

Homer

Scotty # wrote: »

This is 100% inaccurate and should be deleted.

In fairness the last bit is accurate!

Scotty #

They made some changes which haven't worked out. It happens to a huge amount of restaurants. Most restaurants who 'peak early' fade off again and this starts a 'we have to change something' mentality. I fit out commercial kitchens and I see this happen all the time. 66% of new restaurants in Ireland close within 12 months. It's very difficult to get the formula right.

He's still the head chef and owner though and they have not 'split up'. They possibly have a finger in too many pies, what with the East Coast Bakehouse, Brown Hound, etc....

IvoryTower

they're involved in the east coast bakehouse?

Scotty #

:rolleyes: Opps, wrong bakery.

MightyMighty737

This is 100% inaccurate and should be deleted.

KaiserLu

MightyMighty737 wrote: »

This is 100% inaccurate and should be deleted.

All of it?

furiousox

There's a sign in the door saying they're not accepting card payments at the moment, cash only.

catchup

furiousox wrote: »

There's a sign in the door saying they're not accepting card payments at the moment, cash only.

Ate there 2 weeks ago....same story. Never told me when I booked. Spoilt the night as I had to head off and find an ATM.

IvoryTower

Theres an ATM outside the shop beside it

barney shamrock

Well allegedly the word on the street is that ESB allegedly will close for good on Saturday week unless an investor is found.
The landlord allegedly was approached about reducing the rent but allegedly refused.

Seamai

I've always heard nothing but glowing reports about the place but a look at the current menu on their website wouldn't have me running there, it doesn't exactly get my gastric juices flowing and I'm pretty adventurous.

IvoryTower

It's not looking good. Hopefully the Brown Hound can stay open.

washiskin

They never used to post responses on TA, but I notice a very stinging rebuke to a customer 2 weeks ago. Posted the full menu too. Maybe if they had taken a bit of interest in feedback before now...... not that TA is a good example but .....

barney shamrock

For the first year or two of its existence it was the best restaurant in town imo.
After a while you could see a high staff turnover then prices increasing and portion sizes getting smaller.
Why they revamped the place and changed the menu to an Asian fusion vanity project is beyond me.
They seem well connected within the industry and a lot of their clientele came from Dublin and Dundalk as well as locally.
The new menu seems to be very unpopular but instead of listening to public opinion and returning some old favourites they ploughed on with a "we know best" attitude.
It would be a shame if it closes but I believe they had a winning formula and sabotaged it for themselves.

Jiveartist

Yup pure shame I used to frequent at least four times a month, when they did the place up was excited to go and see what my fav restaurant had in store, looked at menu, was so confused, then looking at the punters receiving there food with blank looks on faces, a boiled egg with fillet steak??? Yesh. Me and the missus were just so let down nothing took our fancy, so we rang the Indian next door to see if they could take us, we paid for our drinks and left with heavy hearts. It wasn't broken and it didn't need to be fixed, loved the old decor.

barney shamrock

What's that Indian restaurant like?
If we're going for an Indian meal we always go to punjabi house, never tried that one.

Jiveartist

The food is very high quality service a little slow but I don’t mind as food all cooked fresh, nice restaurant inside as well I recommend you try.

barney shamrock

barney shamrock wrote: »

What's that Indian restaurant like?
If we're going for an Indian meal we always go to punjabi house, never tried that one.

Clearly, we all have different opinions but in terms of quality of food, I think the Punjab House is well in front. Where decor is concerned, the Tamarind is better

And the Punjab House is within very easy staggering distance of the Railway Tavern.

Mylow

Jiveartist wrote: »

The food is very high quality service a little slow but I don’t mind as food all cooked fresh, nice restaurant inside as well I recommend you try.

We decided to try Tamarind again, lets just say we won't be making the same mistake again. The lamb dish was fine, however the chicken dish was dreadful.
I certainly wouldn't call pre-cooked chicken pieces served up in a Tikka Masala sauce high quality meal.

As for ESB, it was very good for quiet a number of years, but as the title of the thread says....got notiony.

Hopefully any issues with finances at ESB wont impact the refurb suppliers and the food and drink suppliers as most are local.

Jiveartist

Mylow wrote: »

We decided to try Tamarind again, lets just say we won't be making the same mistake again. The lamb dish was fine, however the chicken dish was dreadful.
I certainly wouldn't call pre-cooked chicken pieces served up in a Tikka Masala sauce high quality meal.

As for ESB, it was very good for quiet a number of years, but as the title of the thread says....got notiony.

Hopefully any issues with finances at ESB wont impact the refurb suppliers and the food and drink suppliers as most are local.

I'm surprised to hear that, I had Chicken Madras and chicken fell a part it was freshly cooked breast, I have not been back for sometime, never been to Punjabi House, I have heard nothing but good things so that's my next hit. Also one of my if not fav restaurants in Drogh is D'Vine, if your a steak lover I recommend you try it, In my opinion and friends I have brought have said best steak in the town. Great service always too.

Fingers Mcginty

That Tamarind restaraunt is gone downhill bigtime.
Went there a few weeks ago ....never again.

IvoryTower

thats a shame, im a big punjabi fan but i did like the odd taramind to change it up

PGE1970

+1 for the Punjabi House.

It does have a feel of an old school indian from the 70s/80s about it which I love.

The byob policy does mean that its probably not the most romantic of restaurants but the grub is great.

delly

Folks, just a polite reminder that this is the ESB thread, we have the restaurant review thread for general food related comments. I now also have my own notion for a good korma thanks to all your chatter, goddammit.

nodmeister

I heard the doors closed yesterday on Eastern Seaboard and Brown Hound, can anyone confirm if that's accurate?

kbell

Their Facebook page

IvoryTower

Ah well, shame about the cafe really.

barney shamrock

If the ESB reopened tomorrow with the original menu it would probably do OK.

gamblor101

nodmeister wrote: »

I heard the doors closed yesterday on Eastern Seaboard and Brown Hound, can anyone confirm if that's accurate?

The restaurant is normally closed on Tuesdays and Wednesdays.

Also noticed their website no longer has any mention of the Brown Hound http://www.glasgow-diaz.com/

furiousox

Drove by both premises earlier and there are signs in both confirming they are both closed for good with immediate effect.

Seamai

I've probably said it here before but the menu on their website reads very badly IMHO, everything sounds vile.

I feel sorry for the staff, particularly the long serving ones.

pconn062

A big, big shame. IMO the best restuarant there ever was in Louth. I feel sorry for the staff and the owners who tried to do something differet and push the boat out. But sadly it seems you have to serve chicken wings and burgers to draw people in.

Had my post wedding meal there, great memories.

furiousox

I think that yes, it certainly was the best restaurant in Drogheda (I haven't been to every restaurant in Louth) for the first year or two of it's existence but as I said before, they had a winning formula and somehow managed to balls it up for themselves.

They spent who knows how much on an unnecessary revamp, and also scrapped a popular menu and replaced it with an Asian fusion vanity project that seemed to be both overpriced and unpopular with their existing customer base.

I'm sorry that it's gone but I can't help feeling that it's self-inflicted.

whippet

When I moved out this direction originally it was great and we had friends who would travel from Dublin to go there - in the last two years or so I couldn't warm to the place - ordinary food with no atmosphere to compensate

gamblor101

I've been twice since they revamped the menu. First time it was quite daunting trying to read the menu. I didn't understand what most of it was. Had to ask the waitress to translate most of it. Ended up ordering the most english sounding main.
On both occasions the better half ordered the burger and after the last time said she didn't want to go there again as she will just end up ordering the burger again. The rest of the menu was to intimidating.

While we there the last time an elderly couple came in, sat down looked at the menu and left again after five minutes. I'm guessing the menu was hard to understand.

positron

gamblor101 wrote: »

I'm guessing the menu was hard to understand.

The only thing harder to understand than their dishes, where the prices they were charging... I mean, who wouldn't pay 40 quid for a steak in Drogheda, right?

IvoryTower

furiousox wrote: »

I think that yes, it certainly was the best restaurant in Drogheda (I haven't been to every restaurant in Louth) for the first year or two of it's existence but as I said before, they had a winning formula and somehow managed to balls it up for themselves.

They spent who knows how much on an unnecessary revamp, and also scrapped a popular menu and replaced it with an Asian fusion vanity project that seemed to be both overpriced and unpopular with their existing customer base.

I'm sorry that it's gone but I can't help feeling that it's self-inflicted.

They hardly revamped the place and changed the menu if they didn't need to, well it doesn't make sense to me. I'm assuming it wasn't making enough money as it was.