Ripe

151 W Sandford Blvd, Mt Vernon, NY 10550, USA

Address:	151 W Sandford Blvd, Mt Vernon, NY 10550, USA
Phone:	+1 914-665-7689
Site:	riperestaurant.com
Rating:	4
Working:	Closed 4–10:30PM 4–10:30PM 4–10:30PM 4PM–12:30AM 4PM–12:30AM 4–10PM

Location

Photos 100

Reviews 6

Kimberly Perry

What a disappointment. As a faithful customer for the past year Ive always experienced some sort of tension with the waitresses but had excused the behavior because they are young. This time was the worst. It was my birthday and there were 8 people in my party. It was THE most horrific experience with a disrespectful waitress. Not only did we wait over a half hour for water, we waited an hour and a half for our food.....but it gets even worse. While waiting patiently , a friend noticed a HAIR BALL on her napkin, no.. not a hair strand/strands but a hair BALL. Looked as if one of the waitresses racked their weave with her fingers and left it on the napkin. I approached the young lady with the most weave in her hair and pointed out the hair ball, she looked and replied with "ok" while walking away to serve a party in the back yard. By this time, I’m fuming on the inside but still kindly asked her to pick it up. Since it was my birthday and the food is usually awesome ( so i thought) we decided to stay and ask for the manager. HA! what a joke. After explaining the whole ordeal to him, his response was almost the same as the young waitress. "ok, i will talk to her" Really sir..manager?? How about asking her to apologize? A discount? Some sort of compensation for the extremely long wait, no water and a HAIR BALL on the napkin. Nothing. So disappointing. I loved the red snapper and passion fruit Mojito, TO bad WE will NEVER dine there again. PS. Still trying to make an excuse for their behavior. I thought the lack of communication stemmed from our cultural difference but NO, the majority of my party were Jamaicans and they were in total shock. Almost forgot: we were charged for a soda we did not order. On purpose? Ugh, I still cant believe it!

Celeste Brown

I learned about this restaurant from a friend/co-worker who speaks very highly about this restaurant. After hearing about it so much from her I decide to stop by one Thursday after work. We arrived at 5:00p when they opened because my friend warned that it could get crowded very quickly and that they took cash only. The restaurant resembles local food spots that you might see in Jamaica - very simply made of wood and not fancy at all. Once you enter you walk into the bar area and can either dine there, order take out or wait to be seated. The drink and food menus were very simple. Also, because it was weekday we were able to order mojitos at half the price. The mojitos were offered in various flavors (I chose Mango) and it was VERY strong but got sweetened the closer I got to the bottom of the glass. For appetizers, my friend ordered the codfish spring rolls and I ordered the jerk chicken quesadilla. I wasnt impressed with either appetizer but the quesadilla was best out of the two in my opinion. For our entrees, my friend ordered the rasta pasta with shrimp which I have had at footprints in Brooklyn but this version blew footprints version out of the water. It was absolutely delicious and the shrimp complimented it perfectly. I am not a steak lover but after seeing all the yelps about the jerk steak I had to give it a try. I personally havent had a steak like that in a longtime. It was very meaty and extremely tender but not overly seasoned. It comes with a salad and rice and peas or white rice. I didnt care much for the rice and peas at all. I am definitely returning for that steak and the rasta pasta although I would love to try the oxtails also. Before leaving my friend and I had already made plans to return with our other co-workers.

Dean Joseph

I was there this past weekend and was very disappointed. But first I will say that the food was good and I see why its popular. I ordered the Jerk Steak which was delicious but I should have asked for medium well instead of well done. My mistake. Now I will share my disappointments, the place looks a bit run down and needs some maintenance. Along with it being small spaced it felt a bit claustrophobic in there. That ruined the ambience and vibe. The wait time was descent but since its a small place I can understand. I also feel that the food is overpriced for such a small space when it is so popular. Finally me and my GF placed an order which took a while. But the customers next to us ordered the exact same meals but they got there after us! I dont want to make this a racial thing but the customers was white. Even the couple next to us ordered the same meals and they was there before us. And they even got served after the white group got their order. This was very disconcerting to both of us as we arrived first. Even if race was not a factor we ordered before they did which is not fair. Needless to say I will not be going back after that happened. Its a nice local place but I will never go back and I love to support my fellow West Indians in my community. I was very let down.

Monirick3

Seems disrespectful to call this place a hole in the wall... Just show up with cash in hand, order a Big Ass Jamaican Jerk Steak and some rum punch, and thank me later. Its a party in your mouth for sure. Its got a nice outdoor patio in the warmer months and the cozy inside is dimly lit. Great place to take a date or visit with some friends. I have never made reservations, but you may want to depending on when you go. Even if you decide to go without reservations and have to wait a little, it is well worth the wait! If you forget your cash, they do have an ATM. I have taken four different sets of friends to RIPE as well as brought food home for my family, and the consensus is in: as long as you like spice (if youre ordering jerk) and can afford to spend approximately the price of three general admission movie tickets, then this place is for you. Portion size will not disappoint either. I learned of this little gem by watching some late night segment that Bobby Flay was on. Although, Flay has earned his accolades, he isnt exactly the singular reason I was sold; it was moreso the food porn :)

Jessica Ferreira

The experience was like no other. Both Courtney and Spirit were attentive to all of their customers. These ladies were even engaging with a baby and the couple next to us. They made my husband and I feel like family. It was our first time at RIPE and Courtney gave us her favorite suggestions and was patient with all of our questions. These ladies were in sync with their service. The drinks were PHENOMENAL, both the mango mojito and the rum punch!!! That coconut and garlic fish was beyond DELICIOUS. Make sure you get the rice and peas... oh and the maduros... plantains. As well as the cod fish spring roll. This has become our OVERNIGHT FAVORITE place to go to... we went three nights in a row... and it was great every night.

Jason Martin

The food here is phenomenal; they really know how to throw in down in the kitchen. On the other hand, the customer service is horrid for no reason. For a restaurant to have so much respect for its meals, the owner should really put an emphasis on explaining to their employees the meaning of customer service. The young Coolie/Indian girl that they have worker there is in for some real life lessons if she carries on like that in her everyday life; the girl needs some correcting and training on the importance of customer service. I could easily say that its a Jamaican establishment, what should I expect? Im just saying that the food shouldnt be the direct opposite of the service provided.