Had a fantastic beach barbeque wedding at Ripka’s this August. Clyde and his staff literally handled every single little thing, from the ceremony site, to the table settings, all the food, down to the wedding cake. I didn’t want to deal with any of the picky details, just told him to make it nice, and it was beyond amazing. Our guests could not stop raving about the food, and so many said it was the best wedding food they’d ever had. We wanted a casual but delicious menu, and we got it. We had burgers and hot dogs, which we wanted, but also upscale appetizers like bruschetta, an amazing raw bar that people went crazy over, and some excellent entrees and sides.
Clyde also basically functioned as a wedding coordinator in addition to being the reception site. He handled setting up the ceremony site in the park itself, which was gorgeous, and right next to the reception which was so convenient. He worked with outside vendors to do flowers and the cake so I didn’t have to handle any of those issues. He coordinated with Norwalk and the beach staff to make sure my guests could park. His staff also went above and beyond, catered to all the guest’s needs, refilled drinks without being asked, and were very pleasant and helpful.
The location was beautiful and provided us with a great opportunity for gorgeous wedding photos. Our guests also loved being able to walk around the beach, pier, playground, and other areas during the wedding. I’ve added a bunch of photos to Ripka’s to show the food and the wedding/ceremony location. I highly recommend Ripka’s and Clyde for a casual but excellent beachside wedding.
Stopped here last Sunday and was surprised to find very good food at the beach. I had freshly shucked oysters that were delicious and served just right with cocktail sauce, horseradish and a vinegars sauce. The other food looked great too - lobster rolls, clams, huge plates of French fries, ice cream.
Great raw bar choices at the beach.
I generally find Ripka’s a bit over priced($2/shrimp??), but the quality is excellent for a beach cafe and it never disappoints. I love to get some raw bar selections and some cold Corona cans($6) to sit and watch the water.
I also love the clam roll, lobsticle(tempura fried lobster tail) and chicken fingers.
They make lots of mixed drinks, too. A+
Went there for dinner and had a hot lobster roll and raw oysters. The lobster roll was lobster meat, carmelized onions and lettuce in a soft, fresh half-sub roll. What I liked about it is that it was not doused in butter and that the natural flavor of the lobster came through. The oysters were just amazing — plump and very fresh. Best seafood stand I’ve been to so far.
My husband and I wanted to kick off Memorial Weekend with a lobster dinner. We called Ripkas and asked if we could order and pick it up at 8:30. We were so pleasantly surprised by the service, the price and the delicious dinner. It was like bringing home our own little clambake. For $22 we got a big aluminum tray with a perfectly packaged and delicious dinner. Lobster, potatoes, corn on the cob and corn bread. Lobster was hot and cooked perfectly. A real treat indeed!
Good food, friendly and fast service. French fries were awesome and chicken fingers were crispy and tasty. Great prices too. Good selection of brews on tap. Definitely will be back!
I have truly enjoyed everything I’ve gotten here so far. The DUKE sandwich is awesome. I have had Naomi’s Tuna Wrap and the Courier which is a curry wrap. All nicely flavored. I work local, I can see them from my office back door so when I get the opportunity I will head over there or get delivery.
My co workers love the burgers, and the fries are always tasty. The NE clam chowder which I had recently had good flavor and enough clams to satisfy me. They are open year round so if you enjoyed them all summer why stop? Head down there for lunch fall, winter and spring.
I would call first though if you’re heading down for a late lunch.
I’m looking forward to trying one of their brunches or events.
Today I had a “special”. Salmon, fresh and grilled, on a Portuguese roll with chipotle sauce, thin sliced tomato and cucumber. What a treat. I know when it’s busy there’s a wait but it’s so worth it! Decent portions, good prices and nice people to boot!
Head on down.
Surprisingly good food. The oyster “Poor Boys are to die for as are the shrimp. There are then usual burgers and dogs, plus you can order beer and mixed drinks.
After an afternoon on the beach with friends we settled in at Ripka’s for a clambake followed by a concert. It was the best way to spend a beautiful summer day. The staff here are friendly and polite, the food was tasty. We will be back.
Great location, views, food, and its right on the beach!
Having been here several times the food is consistently very good. I’ve had everything from the staples of hot dogs, hamburgers to the fried shell fish to just ice cream. They only have 3 or 4 beers on tap, however the choices usually include an IPA or toasted larger or something else equally as good. They also have several bottles to choose from as well. Serving sizes are good and prices are reasonable.
Expect to wait when they get slammed though. This is especially true during an evening concert or holiday weekend lunch. It’s just a numbers thing, can’t expect immediate service when you have 50 or more people all ordering at once. Suggest you order a couple of beers and enjoy the views while you wait.
