I have to say I've always loved Rick's even before it was revamped. It's a legit neighborhood bar, where you actually tend to run into your neighbors. I'd often go for a cold brew on a weekend afternoon.
However, until recently, the one thing that I didn't like at Rick's was the food... sure the burgers were cheap but everything else was terrible.
Now, it's a totally different story. The new menu is actually really good, without being pretentious. It's still bar food, but of far higher quality. I can eat a full meal there and not feel gross. And if you can believe it, their kale salad is amazeballs. It seriously beats the pants off of the now ubiquitous kale salad that's everywhere. Not too bitter, not overdressed and a little bit of spice. It's killer.
Even more incredibly, Rick's is still a great neighborhood bar, with good people, which I thought would never co-exist with something like a kale salad. Truly best of both worlds.