Ripe Kitchen & Bar

I recently visited Ripe Kitchen & Bar near the Bronx, and it turned out to be a really memorable dining experience. The restaurant has a warm, intimate atmosphere with dim lighting and a relaxed island vibe that makes the place feel cozy and unique. The food focuses on authentic Jamaican and Caribbean flavors, and everything I tried was rich and satisfying. One of the standout dishes was the jerk ribeye steak, which is actually one of the restaurant’s most popular items. The seasoning had a great smoky jerk flavor that paired perfectly with the tender meat. The drinks were also a highlight. Their rum punch and tropical cocktails complemented the food really well and added to the overall Caribbean atmosphere. The menu includes other favorites like oxtail, jerk chicken, and Rasta pasta, gi

Food was amazing! I had the Jerk Ribeye. Wifey had Oxtails. Atmosphere was nice. Will definitely be coming back again.

Friday November 7th was my first time at the restaurant. Myself and 5 members of my family went there for my birthday dinner. There was no wait time to be seated as per reservation. Here is what I have to say: 1. For an expensive restaurant no one welcome you. Attendants were quite militant. 2. For starters we ordered codfish spring roll and It was Extremely salty. 3. Big Ass Steak: I ordered medium well and I got well done. In addition, 1/3 of the steak is fat. Serving a customer steak with so much fat is indicative of lacking attention to details. 4. Jerk chicken: this is clearly not jerk chicken. It is salt and pepper. …it has no flavor and the size of the wings (very large) is an indication of poor quality. 4. Fried fish: while the texture is good it has absolutely no seasoning. 5. C

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 charcoa

My first experience here was wonderful. My significant other introduced me to this restaurant, and I was blown away by the customer service, the quality of the food and drinks, and how efficient everything was. Unfortunately, my second—and final—visit was the complete opposite. I wasn’t greeted when I walked in, and after I seated myself, the bartender/hostess dropped off a menu and a glass of water before walking away. When she returned with utensils, I asked her a question, which she answered quickly before leaving again. I ended up sitting there for about 15 minutes, waiting to place my order and debating whether I should just leave and take my business elsewhere. This second experience was terrible, and I will not be returning.