Good Eats in Paramus

I will be traveling to Paramus this week on business and would like some good eats suggestions. Some place where a woman would feel comfortable eating alone but not too pricey.

[edh1713]

Just went to Mantra this weekend and the food was delicious! Good kofta, chicken makhani (butter chicken), vegetable samosas, rasmalai - I can just go on and on. Not a very large restaurant, but very nice. It's right on Route 4 in the same shopping center as the Macy's Furniture Gallery and Thomasville.

In Paramus itself, Napa (or Napa Valley) Grille in the Garden State Plaza was quite good when I was there; but that's been some time. Pier 17 on Route 17 northbound adjacent to Paramus Park Mall has been there a long time and serves very good seafood. From my point of view, it's at least as good as the trendier (translate more $$$$) places on 17 south and on Terrace Ave. in Hasbrouck Heights. And, I agree that it's hard to beat Park and Orchard.

El Cids right on Paramus Road! The best steaks and seafood in the area.

[brewpubber]

I agree. El Cid usually has a wait during the weekend and it can get frustrating when they keep putting you off and saying justing ten more minutes 5 times. But the surf and turf and well worth it..Steak- great quality. Lobster tail- also worth the price.

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El Cid Restaurant
205 Paramus Rd, Paramus, NJ 07652

[menton1]

Lobster tail at El Cid-- FROZEN

[tommy]

The steak is nothing special either. Unless your preference is quantity over quality.

[menton1]

Any word on that new steak place in the mall? (With the "e" at the end of the name! ) :)

[NJfoodLover]

Do you mean Capital Grille?
If so I have not had the chance to eat at this location but I have dined in Scottsdale, Providence, outside Chicago and Minneapolis and all time the food was consitantly very good. The service is always excellent as well.

[tommy]

Two reasonable assumptions can be made without ever setting foot in the place:
1) it's sophisticated (it spells "grill" with an "e", which is a sure sign).
2) the steak and seafood is better than El Cid's

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El Cid Restaurant
205 Paramus Rd, Paramus, NJ 07652

[NJfoodLover]

While I think El Cid is just fine it is not Amazing. The food is decent for the price. Capital Grille is much better food but the prices are much higher.

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El Cid Restaurant
205 Paramus Rd, Paramus, NJ 07652

[tommy]

You can get decent enough lobster at El Cid. You can buy better steak 5 minutes away at Fairway. I've found that El Cid is quite pricey.

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El Cid Restaurant
205 Paramus Rd, Paramus, NJ 07652

Agree that the area mentioned at Paramus is a dining desert. I am, however, fond of Park and Orchard in Secaucus just off 17. I have been going there for years for its innovative and eclectic menu. Considering your options in Paramus, I think its worth the trip.

[ryanov]

Ouch, Secaucus? That's East Rutherford.

Bergen County is, unfortunately, a dining desert. However, I can recommend just one place, about 10 minutes from Paramus, Baumgart's Café in Ridgewood. Funny name for a restaurant serving California-style Chinese food and homemade ice cream, but still good. Just take Route 17 North to Linwood Avenue (McDonald's, Metropolitan Plant Exchange, and Ski Barn on the right side) towards Ridgewood. Make a left turn on E. Maple Avenue (Graydon Pool on the right, park on the left) then a right turn on Franklin Avenue. Baumgart's is a few hundred feet up on the left side.

158 Franklin Avenue
Ridgewood, NJ 07450
201-612-5688

The Forum on Route 4 west and The Coach House on Route 4 east are very nice, popular diners that serve good food at a very reasonable price. They are clean and not run down either. Pleasant interiors. There's also a Houston's in Riverside Square on Route 4 west. They serve a very good chicken salad and other entrees. Garden State Plaza where Route 4 meets Route 17 houses a Napa Valley Grille, California Pizza Kitchen and an Italian restaurant named Papparazzi.

And that tells you the story: Paramus is pretty much a black hole for good food. It's really rather surprising, because there are excellent restaurants all around it.

I highly reccomend Caruso's Tuscan Grill on Route 4 West, about 3/4 mile east of Route 17. Excellent
"Coco Pazzo" style northern Italian, nice dining space, good service.