The WBC ventured up 9A to Croton, to Grouchy Gabe’s Grill. (ah, the alliteration!) It was thought that the grouchy-leaning members of our club would feel right at home at this establishment. We went, we ate some food, and, thanks to the intelligent observation of one WBC member, determined that there would rarely (if ever) be a reason to use the plural of “gluteous maximus” (which we decided would be “glutei maximi”).
8 Old Post Road South
Croton On Hudson, NY 10520 (Map It!)
Attendees: Reid, Pat, Shelley, Sylvia
The Case: Grouchy Gabe’s vs. The Westchester Breakfast Club
The Venue: A storefront deli at the main intersection in downtown Croton-on-Hudson.
The Facts: Grouchy Gabe’s is one of those places with sufficient charm that you are hoping the food is really fantastic. Unfortunately, despite the cute “grouch”-based nomenclature, the food did not stand up. I ordered the blueberry pancakes (as I always seem to do with the WBC) and a side of bacon. The bacon was sparse, but tasty enough; I appreciate them crisping it up for me. The pancakes, in terms of volume, were all I could have expected for $4. Namely, I got three slightly-larger-than silver dollars, well sprinkled with large blueberries.
In terms of taste, however, I would have done just about as well with some well-soaked cardboard. The pancakes were tough beyond the point of chewy, and even the bites with blueberries were bland almost to the point of tastelessness. The Tropicana “Grovestand” Orange Juice was fine, but I can hardly give Grouchy Gabe’s credit for that.
The Verdict: Perhaps I chose breakfast unwisely. Pancakes at a place that seems to pride itself on eggs may have been silly. But if you can’t make them palatable, don’t put them on the menu.
What I Had: Ham, Eggs, Cheese on English Muffin, Hash Browns
What It Cost: $6.00
Worth It: Yes but that’s not saying much
The Rating: Price – 3.5/5, Food 2.5/5 Overall: 2.75
The Details: Grouchy Gabe’s is a hole in the wall deli with indoor and outdoor seating in the heart of Croton-Harmon. The menu is written in chalk on a board above the grill, and includes dishes with names like “The Calamity Jane” and “The Spicy Grouchy.” I approached the counter and ordered a breakfast sandwich with a clever name. Unfortunately, I neglected to write it down, and I can’t remember what it was called. Shelley, however, does recall. “The McGrouchy Muffin.” Thank God she’s back. It was, essentially, a ham, egg, and cheese sandwich on an English muffin. I also ordered potatoes.
A few minutes later, the food arrived. I found the potatoes appealing, though a little too oily and desperately in need of salt and pepper. The breakfast sandwich was bland and bizarrely distributed on the muffin, making it a bit of a hassle to eat. It was not a bad meal, but it was entirely forgettable. Given the choice, I prefer the breakfast sandwiches at Starbucks, Dunkin’ Donuts, or McDonald’s to this incarnation at Grouchy Gabe’s. The only plus was the very reasonable price.
The Bottom Line: Skip it.
“Spicy Grouchy” isn’t the name of a member in a newly-formed Spice Girls. Rather, it’s the name of one of the dishes on the menu at Grouchy Gabe’s Grill in Croton, and is the meal name off the Grouchy menu that certain member(s) of the WBC think best suits me.
Let’s get to the review, shall we?
Grouchy Gabe’s Grill has a really casual atmosphere. Part diner, part cafe, it’s a small place, with the counter on one side and only a handful of booths (which are orange and plastic) and one round table on the other side. The back wall is occupied by a beverage cooler. The walls next to the booths are covered with art by a local artist (I assume the pieces on display rotate). There was one free booth when we arrived, which we promptly claimed. It was a cozy fit in the booth, but no one was excessively sweaty or anything so it all worked out ok, although I did have to sit next to Reid and his glaringly unshaven face. It was a good thing we were just 4 this morning; had Jeff been present, someone would have had to sit on someone’s lap. I’m not gonna say who…
The food selections are listed on chalkboards hanging behind the front counter, where you place your order. There was an assortment of typical breakfast fare, including pancakes, omelettes, and egg sandwiches. There was also an assortment of breakfast pastries (scones, muffins, and chocolate croissants) displayed in a case. I was contemplating the breakfast burrito, but since Sylvia also wanted to get it, I finally settled on the Greek Omelette. Just plain ol’ water to drink (although it was in a bottle labeled “Nirvana” water–I could feel the zen flowing through my body with every sip). Gabe’s provides a nice compromise because although you place your order at the counter, the food is brought out directly to your table (like at Nevaeh Cafe, as you’ll recall).
The food arrived pretty promptly. Our meals were served on paper plates, but the paper plates were placed on top of plastic black chargers–a slight attempt at “presentation”. But let’s face it, when you go to a place like Grouchy Gabe’s you go for food, not for an impressive presentation. Anyway, the omelette was on the larger side and wasn’t as fluffy as the omelette I had last week at The Boathouse. However, the spinach and feta were well distributed and the ingredients were fresh. The side of homefries consisted of slices of pan fried potatoes, as opposed to the little seasoned cubes of potatoes I’ve grown accustomed to. The potatoes were flavorful and the slices were a nice change of pace, but I thought they were a little heavy on the grease. The toast came pre-buttered, and was somewhat heavy on the butter. On the plus side, the bread was thick, hearty white bread slices, not the thin, Wonder Bread kind.
Gabe’s relies on the honor system (or maybe the people behind the counter are also super vigilant): when done with your meal, you go up to the counter to report what you had and pay. The price can’t be beat, my total charge came to seven dollars and change, including my Nirvana bottle of water and the chocolate chip cookie I grabbed on impulse while waiting in line to pay. The food wasn’t spectacular, but there was nothing wrong with it either. It was a simple, economical Saturday morning breakfast in a relaxed establishment. For those in the Croton area, Grouchy Gabe’s seems to be a good spot to grab a quick, casual bite to eat.
What is Grouchy Gabes? It’s a deli, but with a café personality…sort of. Whatever it is or aims to be, it is nevertheless a neighborhood fixture in the heart of Croton. And the best part about small towns is the free parking, and plenty of it (at least at 9:45am on a Sa’turday).
Upon walking in, you discover that the food is prepared and orders are taken on one side of the place, while the other side had 4 or 5 of the bright orange booths one usually finds in their local pizza joint. There was also a round table by the window with a cute checkered table cloth. Artwork (for sale, too) by a local artist decorated the wall.
When we arrived, the place was pretty busy, with lots of take-out orders being placed and many of the booths already occupied by families. We commandeered the last booth before wandering over to stare at the chalkboard menu located above the counter.
The menu wasn’t incredibly unique from any other deli. Breakfast sandwiches with fun names made up the majority of the breakfast menu. There were also omelets (on a separate menu located by the cash register, a convenient place for a menu), pancakes, and French toast available. Coffee was self-serve and on a counter by the entrance. For a deli, the coffee selections were numerous, and intriguing. They all seemed to say “fair trade” on the labels, too. I settled on a French roast, and lightened it with some skim milk out of a container that did not look like it had been in a fridge for awhile. The coffee was good anyway. Not as flavorful as, let’s say, Coffee Labs, but not as watery and gross as deli coffee tends to be.
I got a breakfast burrito (eggs, sausage, onions, and peppers, according to the menu), a medium coffee, and a cranberry scone (locally baked by “Baked by Susan”…I think).
Food arrived on paper plates on top of a plastic plate with a faux straw woven pattern around the lip. My breakfast burrito looked like a good size, but apparently it also came with cheese and salsa. Upon overhearing the interactions between the woman at the counter, and another person, the salsa was fresh salsa. But still, that’s not what the menu said.
The burrito was good, a little flavorless, but substantial. There was some sort of sausage-like product that was sprinkled within the burrito. Thankfully, like the sausage, there wasn’t much of the unmentioned cheese, but it was there. The burrito was actually dipped in salsa because after the first initial bites, there was no more salsa to be found. Towards the end of each half, it just became an egg and onion wrap.
The best part of the meal was the scone. It was light, and not overpoweringly sweet like the kind you find in your local Starbucks. There was a good amount of cranberries, and it was a good size, too.
The czar says: Not worth a special trip up to Croton. However, if you find yourself up in Croton to spend a day at Croton Point Park, or bike the 56 mile Westchester Toughman bike course or run its 13.1 mile run course (like I will a few times this summer), it’s a great place to either stop and refuel before ending the ride, since it is only about a couple of miles from the heart of the Croton Point Park, or come back to after the run. The egg sandwiches may be on the bland side, but after a 56 mile (or 13.1 mile) haul up and down those hills in the sun, your stomach will thank you for it.