Ripe Kitchen & Bar

Ripe Kitchen & Bar is described as a "glorified hole in the wall" by its owner. It surely is, and it's a whole vibe!

Ripe is the vision of chef Nigel Spence, a Jamaican native who complete his degree at the Culinary Institute of America, following with time working at the Food Network, most notably Bobby Flay. In fact, his Jerk ribeye steak beat Bobby on his own show.

On my first visit, I had to try the steak, which according to the menu has sold close to 150,000 plates.

The steak is 16 oz. It's a mix of lean and fat, and the menu is VERY clear about that. I would say the steak is probably about half and half, or maybe 60/40. I stuck to the lean, but that's a me thing, not a them thing. The flavor is something I can't describe, maybe because I've never had jerk flavor on a charcoal grilled steak before.

I thought it was delicious--grilled and seared on the outside, medium to medium rare inside. I requested medium, and it might have been a little on the rarer side of that, but it really was just perfect.

It came with tasty rice and beans as well as a refreshing green salad.

I also got a side order of spicy fries, which were hot and seasoned, in a huge portion.

I had the rum punch, which is quite strong. I was surprised, but their mojito is one of the best I've had. All of their drinks are simple--nothing fancy--tropical--things that make you feel like you're on island time.

The decor also makes you feel like you're on island time--bright reds, plants, photos of Jamaica. Spence has said in his own words that this will never be a white tablecloth establishment; he wants it unpretentious and wants his crowds tipsy and inclined to sing and dance at any moment. This is more than a restaurant, it's a community!

Prices are super crazy reasonable. The steak meal was 32 dollars. Drinks 13-15.

Service laid back, but welcoming. You could tell they didn't care who you were or where you came from, they were just glad you were there! The owner/chef himself bussed my table and was there helping his staff, and that means a lot to me.

The menu also has oxtail (only certain days), Rasta pasta, jerk chicken, a jerk chicken quesadilla, various iterations of plantains, shrimp, curry. I think next time I'll either try to quesadilla or the pasta (which can be served with shrimp, chicken, or vegetarian).

The parking is street parking. The outside is pretty unassuming and you can pass right by if you're not paying attention. On warm evenings they open their patio and have live music, otherwise they play reggae overhead. I went around six on a Saturday and was seated immediately, though there were already several tables occupied (it's a fairly small place). I spent a couple hours there and by the time I left, several more people had come to the party.

It was all locals here. And everyone besides me was Black. That tells me I was in the right place. Can't wait to go back.

The ambience in this place was very cool. Island flair all the way... with an at home feeling.
Service was mediocre. Only 2 servers there and it was a busy Fri night. We got there about 8pm. Our server was very friendly, but we had to ask for some basic things (like water or napkins), several times.
Food menu was very limited but food was perfect. My daughter ordered the oxtail and I had the jerk chicken. The jerk chicken gave me that back home vibe of when you order on the beachside! And the sauce was amazing!
Appetizer was the fish "egg rolls" but I wasn't a fan.. a bit too salt and a heavy fishy taste.
Can't comment on the bar drinks because I was the driver so no alcohol for me that night LOL.. I did order the homemade fruit punch which was ALSO GREAT! A bit pricey tho at $9..
Only con I had for this place was the music.. There was one speaker up front by the bar, but if you are sitting in the dining section at the back, you can barely hear it.
I will definitely try this place again and hopefully give it a 5 star review!

I was immediately charmed by Kheri, the hostess. She pointed out menu favorites and updated me on the one item that was not available. I was interested in a late afternoon snack, and so had the "small plate" of perfectly seasoned ribs. Three good-sized ribs from which the meat really did fall off the bone were presented on a bed of crisp, fresh mixed greens.

The drink and food arrived quickly and both were perfect separately and as a combination.

I really like classy, family-friendly places. I have fond memories of being out at local favorites with my parents, and encourage such businesses with my patronage.

First, let me start by saying rape is cash only. There is an ATM machine in the back but it's not free unfortunate. This is unfortunate for many reasons. Parking can be a bear here, depending on when Go, however, the food is delicious. Service however is slow and I mean slow because whether it's intentional or not, they simply don't have enough people working and this was a Saturday so it took about 30 minutes to be seated 20 minutes to get water definitely 25 minutes or more to get that drink which wasn't worth waiting for and then the food arrives and you realize it's delicious and you kind of let it go away. The ambience is just OK not too much to speak of. There is an outdoor area but it wasn't open yet and that might've added a little bit more to the experience. I definitely think they could do a better job with customer service

I'm not sure where the listing went for Ripe Kitchen & Bar but they're back and I'm sooooo happy! I was craving some West Indian food and since I need to order meals months in advance with my mother *side eye* the fam and I decided to order some Caribbean takeaway. Hubby mentioned the other day that Ripe was back and opened in a limited capacity. They closed down during the pandemic after an unfortunate fire. That had been in the badk of my king for a few days so this was a Greta opportunity.

Hubby and I took our Little to D&B for some electronic fun and when we left, we made called in our order for pick-up. Kheri answered and was super friendly on the phone (and in person). I wasn't prepared for a 30-40 minute wait on the order but we made due and killed some time before heading over to the restaurant. They're located only 10 minutes from Co-op City so it's worth it for us to order take out for pick-up and drive it back home. The travel time did not hurt the meal in the slightest.

Once we arrived to the restaurant, we could see from outside that they have done some nice renovations. The front bar area is currently serving as their only dining area but that will all change by 11/18/22, when they will be fully renovated and open to max capacity.

If you're picking up, there's a clearly marked sign near the entrance to what will be their larger indoor dining area. Kheri assisted me, rang me up and rang me up and was very pleasant, smiling during the entire transaction. This was already a 180° difference from what I've experienced on a few occasions at this restaurant. My order was ready and we were set to go.

Everything was still warm and tasty at home. Their menu is super limited but everything is still very good.

Grub Rundown:
Buffalo Soldier Jerk Wings - very tasty. Not spicy at all. The horseradish bleu cheese sauce that accompanied the wings pairs well. We all liked it.

Negril Style Curry Shrimp - I ordered this with white rice and it was great. It's very spicy so make sure you ask to adjust for your tolerance. Mih yardie, so mih like ieet.

Yard Gone To Italy (Rasta Pasta) - I got this for babes. I asked ahead whether it was spicy and was told no. It is not spicy at all. We're working on increasing my babe's tolerance for spice but we have to go little by little. She's getting there but in the meantime, this dish was perfect for her.

Ripe's "Big Ass" Jerk Ribeye Steak - Both the fellas got this dish and it was perfectly prepared. We asked for mid-temp for both and they were executed as requested. They were paired with rice and peas and tipped with their Chadon Beni sauce, which is out of this world! Spicy, for sure, but worth the extra sips of rum punch.

Rum Punch - Thanks to Covid, we're still able to purchase to-go drinks and I picked up two rum lunches for hubby and I to have with din. They are still great but which they filled up the cups to the top. You can definitely taste the Wrey & Nephew because they don't skimp on the rum so definitely order one for yourself.

Im excited that Ripe is back and I'm happy to have them so much closer to us now. I'll definitely be coming back to dine-in. The food and drinks are great and the vibe is forever Irie!

Super cool ambiance outside & in. We ordered the rum punch to start off with & it did not disappoint! It was strong but not too fruity either. We didn't order entrees we shared some small bites, the jerk chicken quesadilla, the Cuban boat (sweet plantain with stuffed codfish) & the jerk wings (duh). This spot is a hit!

The wings were tossed in their version of a Buffalo sauce with their blue cheese dressing on the side. Extra saucy, nice and crispy.

Cuban boat was well paired together & that sauce on top was such a delicious combination. Worth trying.

The jerk quesadilla wasn't bad, I didn't love it. It needed more chicken in the quesadilla there was more mushrooms than chicken.

Overall, this was a delicious spot. Our server was super friendly. I would recommend you tell a friend to tell a friend!

Jerk steak is the best! Great service and ambiance is on point. The codfish egg rolls are THE BEST!! (Last time I was there, about a month ago, they no longer sell them ) You should still check them out. Oh and it cash only so go to the bank first.

Great food and drinks. Atmosphere dimly lighted has this hip small industrial feel. Check it out :)

So I heard about this restaurant through a friend and they talked about how good the food was I'm such a foodie so of course I had to try. What can I say my friends know good food cause baby our food was everything and more. The waitress took our order she was very nice and attentive she asked us if we wanted to order any drinks we ordered the bed room Billie's supposed to be the strongest drink on their menu. When we got our drinks it was soooooo good and yes very strong right up my alley love me a strong drink I feel like I get my monies worth but her service was A1 and she made us laugh. the only thing I didn't care for was how limited food they had on their menu other than that everything was perfect. When we ordered I ordered the oxtails and my boyfriend ordered the steak the waiter warned us how big the steak would be and it was definitely a decent size. My oxtails was soooooooo good omg it was falling off the bone tender and juicy just the way I like them who ever the chef is shout out to you cause you really put your foot in those oxtails I'll definitely be back for more. My boyfriend said that was one of the best steaks he's ever had and he goes to steak houses every month with his friends he loved the pesto it gave the food and authentic taste and the rice and peas was made to perfection. The ambiance was so on point the lighting looked pretty they even have out door seating if you wanna catch some sun it's a decent size restaurant and definitely some mouthwatering food I highly recommend you check this restaurant out I know I will definitely be back !!!!!!!

The food is always on point whenever I go to Ripe. Ripe is one of my favorite places to eat. Ripe gives you that Caribbean food you always want and can't give up. The service is always A 1 always. The place is a great vibe and it's chilled and I feel totally at home when at Ripe. Make sure to stop by people. I will Always be a custom here forever. I've been coming here for years and will continue to do so.