Ripe Kitchen & Bar: The Award-Winning Caribbean Destination Near the Bronx

Ripe Kitchen & Bar Introduce

Introduction / Overview

Ripe Kitchen & Bar is not just another restaurant; it’s a critically acclaimed Caribbean destination nestled in Mount Vernon, New York, serving as a beacon of high-quality Jamaican-inspired cuisine just north of the Bronx border. It’s an authentic Bar & Grill experience that expertly blends the bold, smoky flavors of the islands with a distinctly modern, stylish New York sensibility. Helmed by celebrated Chef Nigel Spence, a Culinary Institute of America alumnus and Food Network alum—who famously beat Iron Chef Bobby Flay in a jerk cook-off—Ripe offers a dining experience that is both casual and elevated.

The venue successfully combines several concepts: it is at once a cozy, romantic spot for dinner, a trendy bar for groups, and a dedicated Jamaican restaurant. The menu is a vibrant celebration of Caribbean flavors, featuring both traditional staples and creative spins on island classics, such as the widely praised Rasta Pasta and their signature Jerk Rib-eye Steak. Ripe has cultivated a reputation for being a true neighborhood gem that attracts local patrons, groups, and even tourists seeking authentic, flavorful, and award-winning island food. With offerings spanning from light Small Plates and healthy options to rich Comfort Food, Ripe ensures there is something for every palate and occasion, delivered with consistently fast service, making it a reliable and exciting choice for New York locals.

Location and Accessibility

Ripe Kitchen & Bar is conveniently located at a key spot in Mount Vernon, making it easily accessible for customers driving from Westchester or taking a short trip from the Bronx. The specific address is:

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

The establishment's location on West Sandford Boulevard benefits from the adjacent major thoroughfares and proximity to the New York City line, positioning it as the go-to sit-down Jamaican restaurant for a wide regional area. Accessibility is a key feature of Ripe; the venue offers **Wheelchair accessible seating** and a **Wheelchair accessible restroom**, ensuring comfort for all patrons. For those driving, the availability of **Free street parking** is a significant amenity in the New York metropolitan area, relieving a common urban stress. Whether arriving by car or local transit, Ripe's location is strategically positioned to be a convenient meeting spot for lunch, dinner, or late-night cocktails.

Services Offered

Ripe Kitchen & Bar provides a comprehensive range of services, catering to various dining preferences and events, which include:

Dine-in and Table Service: Full-service dining with a cozy, casual, and romantic atmosphere, perfect for a seated meal.
Outdoor Seating: Offering a garden or patio space for guests to enjoy their meals and cocktails when weather permits.
Takeout Service: Convenient ordering for customers who wish to enjoy their award-winning Caribbean food at home.
Catering Services: As a dedicated Caterer, Ripe can bring their signature Jerk Rib-eye Steak and Caribbean flavors to private events and parties.
Happy Hour: Featuring both **Happy hour drinks** and **Happy hour food**, making it a great after-work destination.
Full Bar Service: Serving a wide array of **Alcohol, Beer, Cocktails**, **Hard liquor**, and **Wine**, with a highlight on **Great cocktails**.
Reservation Acceptance: The venue **Accepts reservations**, with **Dinner reservations recommended**, recognizing that there can sometimes be a wait due to its popularity.
Family Amenities: Offering a **Kids' menu** and **High chairs**, confirming its suitability for family dining.

Features / Highlights

Ripe Kitchen & Bar distinguishes itself through a blend of culinary excellence and a warm, vibrant atmosphere:

Award-Winning Jerk Dishes: The centerpiece is the **Jerk Rib-eye Steak**, which famously earned Chef Spence a victory against Bobby Flay on Food Network’s Throwdown, making it a must-try local specialty.
Outstanding Beverage Program: Known for having **Great cocktails**, the bar offers tropical and classic mixed drinks, supported by happy hour specials that draw a lively crowd.
Vibrant Caribbean Atmosphere: The ambience is a unique mix of **Casual, Cozy, Romantic, and Trendy**, often described as a 'shabby chic hideaway' that successfully transports patrons to a relaxed, island state of mind.
Menu Versatility: The menu is fully equipped with options for everyone, including delicious **Vegetarian options**, **Healthy options**, **Small plates**, and hearty **Comfort food**, ensuring broad appeal.
Late-Night Service: The provision of **Late-night food** extends the experience beyond traditional dinner hours, making it an excellent spot for evening groups and social gatherings.
Efficient Service: Despite often being busy, the establishment maintains a reputation for **Fast service**, a valuable highlight for New York diners.

Contact Information

For local patrons in the New York area looking to make reservations, inquire about catering, or place a takeout order, here is the direct contact information for Ripe Kitchen & Bar:

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

Phone: (914) 665-7689

What is Worth Choosing

For any New Yorker seeking an exceptional dining experience that offers more than just a meal, Ripe Kitchen & Bar is worth choosing for its authentic culinary pedigree and unique atmosphere. The core choice for any first-time visitor must be the **Ripe's big-ass Jerk Rib-eye Steak**. Having been validated on national television, this 16 oz marvel, marinated in their signature jerk rub and grilled to perfection, represents the pinnacle of their fusion of Caribbean flavor and American steakhouse quality. It is truly a signature dish and a local legend.

Beyond the steak, the **Yard Gone To Italy (Rasta Pasta)**, celebrated in customer reviews for its delicious creamy sauce and combination of Jamaican ingredients with Italian preparation, is a close second. It's the perfect example of how Ripe takes inspiration without sacrificing flavor. Finally, don't miss the opportunity to try one of their **Great cocktails** during **Happy Hour**, which provides the full, vibrant bar and grill experience that Ripe is known for. Choosing Ripe is choosing a taste of the Caribbean, delivered with professional, fast service and an authentic, high-quality touch that keeps New Yorkers coming back.

Ripe Kitchen & Bar Menu

Small Bites
Cuban Plantain Boat
a roasted ripe plantain stuffed with a codfish vegetable medley- a sexy play on salt and sweet fidel's favorite.
Jerk Chicken Quesadilla
a soft flour tortilla stuffed with jerk chicken, pepper jack cheese, and grilled mushrooms. served with mexican sour cream and a tropical mango salsa. for the jamexican in you.
Strawberry Hill Codfish Spring Rolls
a customer favorite, asian style deep-fried rolls stuffed with plantain, codfish, roasted peppers, caramelized onions, and spinach. served with a vidalia onion mustard sauce.
Island Style Spicy Peppered Shrimp
peel and eat head-on, shell-on, florida shrimp steeped in a spicy scotch bonnet sauce 10 xtra-large shrimp.

Large Bites
Ripes big-ass Jerk Rib-eye Steak
a 16 oz rib-eye monster, marinated in our signature jerk rub, flashed on the grill, and crowned with a chandon beni sauce. it would please even fred flintstone. we dare you to finish it served with rice & peas or french fries.
Ripes Original backyard Jerk Chicken
our infamous jerk chicken is marinated for 24 hours in our own made from scratch dry and wet jerk rub, then slow cooked for 2 hours to create the irie-est jerk chicken north of port antonio, jamaica. none of that lame-ass, oven baked crap. comes with rice or hardough bread. 1/4 chicken.1/2 chicken.
Yard Gone To Italy (rasta Pasta)
a rastaman informed us we were not being politically correct, so we changed the name. another customer favorite (even the dang italians love it!) linguine with large florida shrimp, mushrooms, organic spinach, ricotta, and imported parmesan cheese in a heavenly, shrimpy, garlicky, cheesy sauce. you may substitute jerk chicken instead of shrimp.
The Jerk Chicken Salad
mixed baby field greens in a balsamic vinaigrette, with fresh imported parmesan cheese, and ripes original jerk chicken breast. you may substitute with dark meat.
Negril Style Curried Shrimp
large florida shrimp stewed in a rich and spicy curry, served with garden vegetables, diced potatoes and your choice of rice. you can substitute roti (when available).
Jamaican Beachside Style Fried Fish
always super fresh brazilian or floridian whole red, or yellowtail snapper, cooked whole with head and tail on, and served with a vinegary onion, carrot, and scotch bonnet julienne pickled sauce. a study in deliciousness.
Kingston Curried Goat
it is rumored that kingston, jamaica, affectionately called town by the locals, has the best tasting curried goat due to the animals affinity for digging through community garbage heaps, and taking leisurely strolls along the seaside. be careful, this is served just as it would be in jamaica, with bones and all, and a likkle spice! you can substitute roti (when available).

Side Bites
Mixed Baby Field Green Salad
Sauteed Organic Spinach
Rice & Peas

Ripe Kitchen & Bar Details

Service options
Outdoor seating
Takeout
Dine-in

Highlights
Fast service
Great cocktails
Serves local specialty

Popular for
Lunch
Dinner
Solo dining

Accessibility
Wheelchair accessible restroom
Wheelchair accessible seating
Wheelchair accessible entrance

Offerings
Alcohol
Beer
Cocktails
Comfort food
Happy hour drinks
Happy hour food
Hard liquor
Healthy options
Late-night food
Quick bite
Small plates
Vegetarian options
Wine

Dining options
Lunch
Dinner
Catering
Dessert
Seating
Table service

Amenities
Bar onsite
Restroom

Atmosphere
Casual
Cozy
Romantic
Trendy

Crowd
Groups
Tourists

Planning
Dinner reservations recommended
Accepts reservations
Usually a wait

Payments
Credit cards
Debit cards
NFC mobile payments
Credit cards

Children
High chairs
Kids' menu

Parking
Free street parking

Ripe Kitchen & Bar Photos

Ripe Kitchen & Bar Location

Ripe Kitchen & Bar

New York Westchester County Mount Vernon South Side West Sandford Boulevard

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

Ripe Kitchen & Bar Reviews

An average rating of ★4.3 from 953 user reviews.

ribeyerasta pastacod fishjerk steakintimatespring rollscrab cakesbartenderATMrenovation

★ 5★ 4★ 3★ 2★ 1

The spin on the Rasta pasta was delicious. Mushrooms, spinach… I loved it.
September 24 · Tanya Holland
This is my go to Jamaica sit down Jamaican restaurant in the Bronx area. I celebrated my nephew's birthday. Delicious food. Excellent staff.I will be at Ripe Kitchen on my next trip to New York.
September 16 · K Omari Fullerton
Jerk chicken n rice and beans very dry.. cod fish spring rolls sooo salty can not eat all of it! Rum punch excellent.. upset with the food though because it’s pricey not to enjoy it! Picture u see is what I threw away
April 26 · shyiera daniels
Friendly staff, lovely drinks and delicious eats. Crab cakes for the win. 🥇 Kerri knew the perfect recommendation for each of us. See you again soon!
April 11 · Brittany Griffith
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.
April 21 · Hunter Stidham