OMG Burger & Brew of Long Valley, NJ

After driving by several times over the past few months – we finally decided to check out the new OMG Burger & Brew Restaurant over in Long Valley, NJ (actually Washington Township).

(Note: We review restaurants differently than most people are accustomed to – see our methodology at the end of the article.)

OMG Burger & Brew – Off the beaten path

For starters – let’s talk location. OMG is located where some would say is “off the beaten path.” That is hard to say in NJ, but regardless, this section of the Garden State is quite a drive for people other than those living in the immediate surrounding vicinity.

That could be a good thing for patrons, as over-crowding does take away from experience at times. A fine line to traverse, as you want all local businesses to have enough business to thrive. See map below.

Brief OMG History

Without getting into drawn-out details – OMG Burger & Brew is owned by the proprietors of the Long Valley Brew Pub just down the road.

This new restaurant opened up in November 2018 and features some of their own crafted beers – as well as other local brews from the region.

They obviously focus on hamburgers – and get much of their ground beef locally. We recall they get their meat from Arctic Foods over on Route 57 in Washington Borough (correct us if we’re wrong!)

The whole restaurant industry – no matter where you go – is like it’s own complex soap-opera web. Lots of gossip and envy in that field. Some find it interesting. We don’t get too hung up with those details. As long as it’s not a massive chain – and the owner(s) still have their heart and soul in the daily operations – and they improve the local community, right?

Initial observations at OMG Burger & Brew

The building itself – is quite nice. Both exterior and interior. We like that open-air feeling quite a bit. The exposed beams give it a nice aura. We’re not sure how loud it gets when fully packed, though.

They have an upstairs section as well – but it is strictly used only during colder months – when the outdoor seating is not in use. Odd zoning rule – due to the number of parking spots they have. The government always getting in the way, gosh darn it. Why couldn’t they just have a capacity limit – regardless of where people want to sit? It sure would make the interior less cramped at peak time. But who thinks logically anymore?

The outdoor area was okay – nothing profoundly special, other than getting to eat and drink in the fresh air.

Overall – it was pleasing, but not something that would continue to wow you beyond the first visit. They did a good job, and you can be thankful for their efforts and good taste. But the food and service are far more important.

Dining room and bar

Like we said – the interior felt spacious, thanks to the high ceiling. Had a lodge-like vibe. If I had to guess – capacity might have been around 100 inside – maybe 20 at the bar.

One thing we were quite satisfied with – were the tables and chairs. Very sturdy, and a great size – even for tall men like us. We like when restaurants don’t overlook these very important aspects of keeping their customers comfortable.

The bar felt wide open. We used to be frequent bar-goers in a previous life. Not so much anymore.

The food at OMG Burger & Brew

Since we don’t frequent restaurants too often, it was interesting to see what was “trending” at this relatively new spot.

As a low-carb aficionado – we studied the menu trying to figure out the best way to get a taste of their offerings. We also had family in tow, so there was other action to observe as well.

They offer two methods of getting a burger.

One, you can “build your own,” by following some steps (meat, bun, toppings, etc.) Or you can choose one of their already curated burger creations. Note that they offer plenty of other items besides hamburgers. Burgers are just their cornerstone. See the entire OMG menu here.

The order for the table was:

• Jersey Burger (topped with egg and Taylor ham). We chose lettuce instead of a bun. Kept the fries (to “taste.”)
• OMG Burger (with their onion rings and “special sauce”)
• Kids burger & fries
• Spicy sauteed green beans
• Cauliflower Crust Pizza

The Verdicts:

• Jersey Burger was good, but we forgot that we swore off trying to use a floppy slice of lettuce as a bun. It’s a slippery mess. Never try to replicate a bun. Use fork and knife instead! The meat was a notch up from most restaurants – but we still swear by Pat LaFrieda and Schweid & Sons burgers at the supermarket. They just have a better overall flavor. (We intended to just “taste” just a few of the shoestring french fries. But ended up eating them all. A big mistake when you’re low carb. They’re addictive. Even without condiments. Luckily we worked it off with four hours of hardcore landscaping after we got home. Temptation sucks.)
• The OMG burger was fantastic, said the person who ordered it. They loved the entire dish, including the fries. “The sauce made the burger.”
• Kids enjoyed their meal as well. What kid doesn’t like burger and fries?
• The spicy green beans were cooked perfectly – and had a nice kick to them, without being overwhelming. Some folks felt it was too spicy. We disagreed.

We saw a table next to us enjoying buffalo wings. They looked amazing. Even though chicken is lower on our list these days, we’ll definitely order those if we visit again in the future.

Cauliflower, Gluten-Free, and Fake Meat Burgers

As mentioned above – we ordered the gluten-free cauliflower pizza as well. This brings up some very important points.

We had a previous VLOG about Cauliflower Hijacking. In it – we talked about how for low carb people, cauliflower was big. So was the original cauliflower crust pizza. Because it was just cauliflower, egg, and cheese. TRUE low carb.

But in 2019 and beyond, most things that have the word “cauliflower” in it – are just GLUTEN-FREE. They are NOT low carb. They’re packed with HIGH-CARB rice flour or other gluten-free flours that will spike your blood sugar way above just plain old wheat flour crusts. And that’s what the Cauliflower Pizza at OMG was all about. Just like that over-rated OPRAH Pizza. Kind of disappointing. And misleading as well.

Also on the menu at OMG are the option to get Impossible Burgers and Beyond Burgers. These are those FAKE plant-based hamburgers that are simply just awful for you. Regardless of how frighteningly similar tasting to real meat. We tried them in the past – and we knew right away something was wrong. Like the 9 ways to Sunday they can sneak MSG into them. We recommend avoiding them at all costs.

But the proprietors were not stupid in including them. Because many ignorant customers are following that popular trend and are getting sucked in. Smart business move, that’s for sure. But if we owned this place – we’d refuse to cater to the trending nonsense. Send those plant-based lemmings somewhere else. Burgers and “Plant” should never be in the same sentence. That is just the way we feel. We’re not comfortable with this overwhelming (and fake) “plant-based” phenomenon. Something ain’t right about it!

Overall – a decent spot for grub

Even with our nit-picking, we still think OMG is good. It’s nice to have a place to go with friends and family if you’re in the mood to take a night off from the kitchen.

The staff was friendly and helpful – had no issues whatsoever.

As far as prices, they were a bit on the higher side based on what we got. The value could be a little better. And we didn’t even get to scope out the alcohol end of the establishment.

“Eating out” isn’t really our thing these days. So our viewpoints may very well differ than yours. But we enjoy expressing our unique perspectives nonetheless.

So instead of a “star” rating – or “points,” let’s just say this: Will we eat here again sometime in the future? The answer is sure, why not! (Equivalent to a positive review on this website!)

Map & Contact: OMG Burger & Brew of Long Valley, NJ

Phone: 908-867-7778
Web: omgburgerandbrew.com
Hours: 11am to 10pm daily

How NJroute22.com Restaurant Reviews Work

It helps to know how publications like NJroute22.com review businesses, places, and things, right?

Here is a general list of what our mindset is (or you could call “methodology”) when forming an opinion on restaurants:

1. Most importantly – This publisher lives a low-carb, keto, carnivore life. We cannot personally vouch for or recommend foods that are high-carb – regardless of how delicious they may be. Our reviews will always mention meals from a carb-free perspective. However, we will try to include comments from fellow diners who do not eat the way we do (even us – if we “cheat.”)
2. Secondly – we’re also not big “foodies.” And by foodies, we mean we’re not people who eat out frequently and post “Instas” about every bite we take. We strive to prepare our own food at home almost all the time. It’s more affordable, healthy, and you’re in control of exactly what goes into your food.
3. That said, we may have a slightly cynical attitude towards eating out. We do understand why people do it – as it can be a big time saver (and even “fun!”) We do our best to find a balance and respect other people’s decisions. We’re not total buzzkills.
4. Pragmatism and value. In general, we feel that eating out (especially often) is both lazy and excessive. And most of the time is unhealthy. It’s a hard stance to take because it goes against the majority of the population. However, we used to eat out a lot – and still have a curiosity about the countless eateries that are out there.
5. Unemotional. We not too long ago realized that no food morsel should really ever be considered “amazing.” Interesting, sure. Tasty, okay. But we treat food as fuel most of the time and try not to let feelings and emotions cloud our judgment. When you realize how many “flavor enhancers” there are – and how some (sugar, MSG, carbs) can artificially trick you into positive feedback – or overeating – you become cautious.
6. Realistic. Much of the restaurant industry is hype and fanfare. People like comparing notes – or being the first to discover some great new place within their circle of influence. Touting places is not our thing – unless they provide a profound value (and/or excel at almost everything). We also like to talk about the basics. It’s hard to impress us with the superficial.