Ridge Steak & Ale

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  The food was alright but the environment and service was fantastic. They had some fun live music and the server that we had went above and beyond for us.

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  Posted on 01.30.12 Victor N.

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  We have eaten at Ridge Steak & Ale three times. Our first time was over a year ago and we had a phenomenal experience. The apps were perfectly done. The steaks, simply amazing.
  
  Then about six months ago or so we returned for pasta and had an awful experience. The cavatelli and broccoli was drenched in raw garlic. Even as a garlic lover I could not eat it. They had forgotten about our salads and never returned to fill up our drinks. It was a terrible experience.
  
  Then Sunday we returned. My husband had the NY Strip and I the blackened salmon. Our meal was out of this world. The mozzarella and tomatoes tower was so delicious. The bread was lightly crispy and warm. The entrees were superb. For dessert we had cheesecake and it was perfect.
  
  What I have learned is that if you want pasta go to an Italian restaurant because this place comes up short, but if you want really good steaks then Ridge Steak & Ale is the place for you!!

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  Posted on 10.17.11 Jeanette I.

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  If we didn't try the wings and calamari based on another's review, it would have been 1 star.  A friend's band was playing, so we decided to give it a try and go for dinner.  Listing them as Spanish is clearly a mistake, just by the restaurant name, and definitely confirmed when you walk in. It's new and clean, with a strong southwest decor.
  
  Setting the scene, it was not busy at all, maybe 6-8 tables and a handful at the bar.  It took a very nice, but confused woman, over 5 minutes to figure out where to seat us.  The waitress didn't come to the table for several minutes, and when she did, she was there grudgingly :( Not friendly, didn't read the specials, and after taking our drink order she told us we'd better put our order in b/c the kitchen was 15-20 minutes behind...
  
  The calamari and wings were good, but not enough to go back for...My husband ordered Mama's meatloaf and after literally two bites, pushed it aside. It was heavy and dry with a very salty, dark thick gravy. My brother had a dry, tasteless cheeseburger, and ate only half. He's no cook, and when you make a much better burger yourself...it's a letdown. His wife and I each had a salad, which were fine. My son had a burger from the kids menu and called it gross.
  
  The dressing on the side didn't come for either salad,  the ketchup had to be requested, nobody brought water or a bread basket to the table, we had to go up to the bar ourselves to fix a drink order because the waitress would disappear for lengths of time when we were needing service. At one point when my husband had gone up to the bar, he heard them discussing their alcohol shortage while the bartender cut an orange for my brother's beer.  
  
  All in all, they have a few major areas to work on if they're going to make it. Service was a huge downfall, food was below mediocre and they
  weren't prepared, missing menu items and alcohol. On a positive note, the bathrooms are nice and clean and they picked a good band...and
  removed the meatloaf from the bill.

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  Posted on 01.30.11 Cathleen F.

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  We decided to give this place a shot, and was very happy we did so.  It is still new and has a few bugs to work out, but overall we were very pleased.
  
  First off, the inside is very nice.  Nice Texas steakhouse type decor.  Good looking tables, chairs and overall feel.  The bathrooms and other areas are also high end and clean (hell, they have the same faucet as we do in our bathroom... with that kind of style they deserve another star!).  On the downside, I am kind of a freak about my cars, and having an unpaved driveway is a big turnoff in general.  But, I figure the paving is coming soon (I hope)!
  
  So now to the food.  I was expecting the "Taste of Spain" to include some type of Paella (I thought someone mentioned that to me), and was disappointed to not see it on the menu.  I love that, but hate having to drive to Newark to get it (see my previous comment on me liking my car... which includes it being there when I am done with dinner!).  They did have Sangria though, and it was very good.  $20 for a nice pitcher of red was a good price, and this was not watered down (which is all too common), and was not super sweet.  Overall, one of the better ones I have had.  Beer would have been my first choice, and their selection was great, but that will be for next time.
  
  I decided to have a couple apps to try them out.  First off, I could live on wings.  Secondly, I am typically very picky about them.  Well, I was highly pleased with these.  Meaty, crunchy and the perfect sauce to them.  Well done!  The calamari was also great.  Not tough, generous amount, cooked right and great flavor.  The sauce was good as well, but could have given a bit more with it.
  
  The main dishes were good as well.  I wanted something lighter, so had the shrimp and garlic.  Good shrimp, good sauce and the fries were good.  She had their steak sandwich.  I tried it as well, and it was very good.  Maybe a bit too much butter on the roll, otherwise really tasty.  The kid's menu was also really good, and my little boy had the burger.  I tried it, and it was actually really darn good.
  
  The service needed a bit of work here.  It was attentive, but I just think the waitress was newer.  That is forgiven though, and was really the bugs I mentioned before that needed to be worked out.  The hostess was very nice, and everyone in general was very nice as well.

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  Posted on 02.14.10 Mark P.

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  All new restaurants that just start up need some time before the good or bad word can be spread. I tried this place out on a whim and despite me and my date being the only ones in the place, I had a good experience. The beer was fresh, the atmosphere was modern and comforting, and the service was not nagging. Since we were the only ones there I figured that the waitress would be like a fly on ****, but she wasn't. I had a burger, which may have been one of the best burgers I have ever eaten. My date had tortellini which was also stupendous. I feel like this place could easily become a good go-to place for people who live locally. i will be giving it another go round sometime in the near future.

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  Posted on 02.09.10 Christopher D.

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