Duke Ocean Grill, on the site of the former IGA supermarket in Tappan, has been coming soon for quite some time, but its management now predicts a mid-to late October opening. The establishment is an ambitious undertaking if only for its sheer size. Once you pass through the grand entrance, flanked with an impressive waterfall wall, you enter the sleek and spacious dining room, which seats 400. It features a huge conveyer-belt sushi bar, a raw bar, and, of course, a drinks bar. A separate banquet room accommodates up to 200, although it can be subdivided for smaller groups. Then there’s a mezzanine party room, outfitted for karaoke, with a capacity of 50. The menu is not yet finalized, but promises to feature crowd-pleasers ranging from sushi and other sorts of seafood to pasta to steaks that are carefully aged on premises. Pricing is also still to be determined, but Duke Ocean Grill management says that they aim to provide a Manhattan-quality dining experience at suburban prices. 37 Route 303, Tappan. No phone yet. — Jill and Deven Black
7 Comments
Hi Liz…..Any updates on an opening date?
Hey Michael S, Left a message with the owner. I’ll let you know once I hear back.
Nov 5th will be the grand opening
any know if they are hiring????
Hi Liz,
My husband and I ate there two nights ago. FABULOUS, professional and informed wait staff, highly professional from every point of view. They have special drink nights. We went on the spur of the moment so knew nothing about the place, expecting only seafood. They have everything. We shared a porterhouse steak. Perfectly done. Our large martini’s were only six dollars or six fifty.That’s how we found out they have special drink nights.
The place is huge, to huge for my liking, but at the same time done so tastefully, I soon forgot the “huge cafeteria” feeling I got upon seeing the dining room. I would write more but out of time right now. We’re going back this evening with guests. The owners have realized most people have the impression they are strictly sea food, so “and Steaks” is being added to the name. This is a top shelf restaurant.
My boyfriend and I went to Duke Ocean Grill on Monday night and I have to say the service was terrible, the food was a disaster I could not even eat my salmon. I took one bite and that was it. My boyfriend however had the red snapper and he never puts salt on anything and had to put salt on it. Neither of the fish was fresh! We ordered appitizers and they did not come at the same time the waiter forgot about our california roll and still charged us. The quail tasted like metal, overall it was a mess! If they would have put as much time into the food as they did decorating it would have been wonderful, and another thing it was hard to tell if it was a steak house or a sushi bar there was only two steaks on the menu from what i remember and a lot of sushi. I do not think they have what it takes!
I visited Duke’s Ocean Grill back on their opening weekend in November and I’m pretty sure I won’t be coming back. Our party of 4 consisted of my parents, my fiancé and I. Our first impression was that it was a fancy seafood grill but that moldy/fishy Asian supermarket smell was still in the air and caught us off guard. After checking out the limited and somewhat strange menu, three of us ordered the Mahi-Mahi of which only mine came out cooked. One plate was blood red the other was half cooked and jello-like, so two of the fish were sent back to the kitchen one to be recooked and the other exchanged for a diner quality pork dish. My Mahi-Mahi was just so-so, with little to no side dish provided. Overall for an average of $40+ per meal with a drink, served by a new-hire high school student, nobody was impressed. The decor of the place is impressive but the quality of food and service was embarrassing. There is no way a restaurant of this size and price can survive without excellent dishes and a professional staff.