The owner of Grumpy’s EAT BIG, a new pizzeria in Saddle Brook, always dreamed of running his own business. That’s why Marcelo Segura, a 31-year-old originally from Peru, didn’t hesitate signing a lease during a pandemic. In fact, “I’ve never given it a second thought,” he says. Now, he’s serving up specialty pies and giant-sized pizzas with a smile.
Marcelo says he is always in a good mood. But don’t talk to him before he has his morning cup of coffee. One of his friends even joked with him a few years ago, asking “What would you call your restaurant? Grumpy’s?” Of course, the fun word stuck with him, and so his pizzeria’s name came easy. Grumpy’s EAT BIG is an 800-square-foot space with seven tables and about 24 chairs inside. Marcelo also hopes to offer outdoor seating during warmer weather.
More from Best of NJ
Not The Average Pizza
Since he isn’t Italian, Marcelo admits “The food is a little different from most pizza places”. For instance, his cooking takes influence from his time making food with his grandmother in Peru. “The way that I season my sauces and the things I do for my meatballs is different,” he says. “Even the approach I take to the dough is different than traditional Italian pizza.”
Regardless, Grumpy’s EAT BIG focuses on fresh and quality ingredients. “Consistency is really what we are striving for,” he adds. “You can have a great place, but it’s only as good as its worst meal.”
Eating Big
Patrons never leave hungry after a meal at Grumpy’s. “We didn’t put ‘EAT BIG’ in the name for nothing,” Marcelo says. For example, the early fan favorite meatballs are 4 ounces each. “That’s our hidden weapon. We put a lot of love into the food here,” he explains. Likewise, the spaghetti and meatball entree comes with six 4-ounce meatballs. Cheese lovers are also in luck when it comes to the pizza pies. “I put as much cheese as I can fit on the pizza without it going over the side,” he says. Because of this, Marcelo cautions, “If you don’t like cheese, tell us to go light.”
Specialty pizzas are the signature dish at Grumpy’s EAT BIG. So far, popular picks include the Drunk Chicken Parm, Veggie Haters, The Big Grump (Marcelo’s favorite), and the Spinach and Artichoke Dip pizza. But the sliders are also popular, and come with a variety of fillings. They include shrimp parm, eggplant parm, chicken parm, and meatball parm, as well as braised steak cheesesteak and 6-ounce cheeseburger. In contrast to sliders, even the biggest eaters will have a tough time taking the 32-inch Pizza Challenge. In fact, the “challenge is always available and we are always ready to cook that giant pizza,” Marcelo says. Of course, he encourages any and all challengers to show up ready to eat.
Visit Grumpy’s EAT BIG at 522 Saddle River Road in Saddle Brook. (Click here to seem them on Google Maps.) To learn more, Click here to visit their website | Follow them on Instagram | Click here to give them a call.
Click here to find the latest restaurants open in New Jersey.
Grumpy’s EAT BIG FAQs
All Photos: © Grumpy’s EAT BIG