Ruxbin

Recommends

Jeff Rapp

Joined 3 years ago

Very Fun BYO Spot. Can one city ever have too many fun and delicious BYO spots? My answer is no, and you can add Ruxbin to the list. Walking into Ruxbin puts you in a good and cheerful mood. The decor is stunning and thought provoking with newspaper, old cookbooks, and stage lights adorned on the walls. The larger four-top tables feature re-fabricated theater chairs in bench form. And then of course there's the bathroom, a surprise worth experiencing without forewarning. But this is just the vibe of the place, fun, energetic and unique. Luckily the food stands out even after the sensory overload after walking in the door. (P.S. Ruxbin does not take reservations and only seats ~30 so arrive early to avoid disappointment)

The menu is appropriately small and straight forward with four starters and about five entrees. Try and save room for starters after enjoying the bowl of popcorn presented (way better than bread); I know a few people that could eat popcorn all night. We started with garlic fries and their K-Town Empanadas. It was a tough choice since everything looked appealing. We were very happy with both dishes and did not send back a single fry. The empanadas were delicious and covered with a unique Chimichurri Crème Fraîche (can't go wrong at $7).

Our main course selections were chicken & waffles, braised short ribs and pan seared trout. The general consensus was Ashely and I ordered the best dish of short ribs. They were fantastic. The meat was "fall off the bone" tender with enormous flavor. The sauce packed a subtle punch to enhance everything on the plate, including the sides of brussel sprouts and goat cheese grits.

I did not get a thorough review of the dishes Geoff and Erica ordered, but given the extra interest on the ribs I assume they were not as good. I tried Erica's trout and agree that it was uninspiring and adequate. Geoff's chicken and waffles looked fascinating, as I have never seen or eaten that before. I didn't hear any complaints or raves from this corner.

There are two dessert choices and we tried the bread pudding. It was pretty tasty but not earth shattering. The pudding was nice and soft and not overly sweet, but still lacked meaningful flavor. I'm not a dessert or bread pudding expert, but this was mediocre.

I highly recommend checking out this new, hip and energetic restaurant. Come early and bring your wine, and enjoy the the food, vibe and decor (can't miss the bathroom). There are never enough fun neighborhood BYOs and I'm pleased to welcome one more.

my blog: jjrappeats.blogspot

Doesn't Recommend

RBM1

Joined 3 years ago

Terrible customer service. My friends and I had a very bad experience at Ruxpin. I ordered a hanger steak med well and was informed by the waitress that they recommend that it be served med rare. As a steak eater, I am aware that most chefs prefer to serve this cut med rare but I prefer my steaks cooked a bit more. I told the waitress that medium should be fine. The appetizers arrived-they were excellent.

When our entrees arrived the steak was med-rare-pink with blood. I sent it back asking for it to be cooked a bit more so that it was just pink in the center. They asked me if I wanted another menu item-I said that I was fine-I just needed the meat cooked a little more. Instead of cooking my entree for a little longer-they instead fired up another steak. This took 20 minutes. Everyone at the table was finished when they delivered my entree. It was even rarer than the original. I could not eat it. I said I would take it home and cook it but then we decided to just ask for it to be taken off the check. This where everything went to hell. The manager started yelling at us that she had offered me something else and that she stood by her chef and that they wouldn't ruin the meat.

For the record-if I had known upfront that they would not cook my food to my specifications-I would have certainly ordered something else. As it was I didn't eat dinner. I am not sure what the rant about standing by the chef had to with anything.

It is very simple. If you are not going to cook the food the way a customer orders it then say so-If the waitress had said the chef refuses to cook a hanger steak anything more than medium rare I would have ordered something else-but she said they would cook it medium and said they would fix it when I sent it back which they didn't.



After a heated debate-they ended up taking it off the bill. We all left upset and really disappointed that a new neighborhood restaurant with so much promise had such attitude.

Recommends

Carly Boers

Joined 4 years ago

Citysearch Editorial Review. This whimsical Noble Square eatery is a treat for the eyes and a field day for the taste buds. First, a wave of visual stimulation: The restaurant’s 28 seats, populated chiefly by casually clad neighborhood couples, enlist recycled church pews as booths. Timeworn cookbooks perch along the orange walls, salvaged tin and wood are resurrected as wall panels, and the glass wall from an old DJ booth commands attention from the upper corner of the candlelit room. And then there’s the grub: a seasonally rotating hash of Latin, French, Mexican and Korean flavors that pays homage to the owners’ previous home turfs and heritages. Standouts from the compact menu include the jicama and grapefruit appetizer and the flavorful miso-marinated fried tofu entree.