Ruby's Cafe & Bar

(212) 925-5755

219 Mulberry St
New York, NY 10012 40.72226 -73.99615

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Neighborhoods: NoLita, Downtown

RUBYSCAFE.US

Hours:

Daily 9:30am-11pm

Last updated 8.14.11

Category:

Restaurants

What People Are Saying About Ruby's Cafe & Bar

Featured Review

Melanie Berliet

Contributor

Most afternoons, a small crowd surrounds the entrance to this Nolita favorite, where diners are willing to wait for tasty items like hearty salads and burgers denoted with Aussie-inspired names like the Bluey (served with sweet chili and lemon mayo) and the Whaley (topped with pineapple and a fried egg). Communal wooden tables are well-suited to the friendly atmosphere of lively chatter. Generally, the entire place is staffed by one waiter and a cook, so service may be slower when it’s busy. Though it's always great for lunch, don’t overlook Ruby’s for dinner; options like penne with sausage…

Editor's Tips

Fun Fact:
Ruby’s is owned by the same people behind Bondi Road, the Sunburnt Cow and the swankier West Village spot, Kingswood
When to Go:
The space is small, and in colder months there’s a perpetual chill every time the door opens.
Know Before You Go:
There’s a smoothie of the day on the menu.
The Extras:
Delivery is available to Soho and Nolita, but whether you dine in or takeout, Ruby’s is cash only.
ambiance
100.0% positive
  1. We had great service, amazing food, great atmosphere.
dessert
100.0% positive
  1. have the meat pie which was very good.
  2. It is a great place to sit down, and enjoy some coffee and dessert.
drinks
75.0% positive
  1. It is a great place to sit down, and enjoy some coffee and dessert.
  2. Fresh music, great food, young staff and excellent coffee add to a seductive brunch/lunch/ and (soon to be drink) establishment.
  3. Slack Service, bad coffee.
  4. The coffee is great and alcohol is byo.
food quality
93.47999572753906% positive
  1. Fresh music, great food, young staff and excellent coffee add to a seductive brunch/lunch/ and (soon to be drink) establishment.
  2. However this is not the place to go for the laid-back authentic experience that people love about Australia.
  3. have the meat pie which was very good.
  4. My friend loved her salad.
  5. love the food here, and despite the influx of models and hipsters I think it's worth a visit.
  6. We had great service, amazing food, great atmosphere.
  7. The staff of Australians are friendly and funny -- the food is incredible and very reasonably priced.
  8. Its adorable and the food was AWESOME.
  9. My boyfriend enjoyed a delicious prosciutto and mozzarella panini sandwich.
  10. It's really too bad there food is so good because their service is just so completely horrible.
  11. The food sucked.
  12. Awesome food and chilled out place
  13. Happy to say the food was amazing, cute Aussie names for the burgers, not too cheesy.
  14. The menu specials were outstanding: I had a fantastic pumpkin and arugula salad with goat cheese, balsamic vinaigrette, and pine nuts.
  15. Great food (sticky date and salads to die for!
  16. This place has the best burgers in the city.
  17. love the food here.
  18. If you are looking for a cute little place to eat, with good food and the occasional Aussie accent then check it out.
  19. Great food, HORRIBLE SERVICE!
  20. The pasta is also great.
  21. great sandwich
  22. have been there several times and the food is always great.
  23. If you want great food, and no frills it's definitely worth a try.
menu variety
100.0% positive
  1. The menu specials were outstanding: I had a fantastic pumpkin and arugula salad with goat cheese, balsamic vinaigrette, and pine nuts.
overall
100.0% positive
  1. great neighborhood place -- still seems possible to get a seat quickly.
  2. Have been there twice now, and it is a real nice friendly place.
  3. great little place for lunch.
  4. It is a great place to sit down, and enjoy some coffee and dessert.
service
65.38000106811523% positive
  1. Have been there twice now, and it is a real nice friendly place.
  2. The service was good, well average at least.
  3. admit this place does not have great service.
  4. I've gone to this place 3 or 4 times now and EVERYTIME I eat there, the servers are just completely rude.
  5. Service was bad (we had to plead with the waitress for cutlery, napkins, water, salt and pepper).
  6. We had great service, amazing food, great atmosphere.
  7. However this is not the place to go for the laid-back authentic experience that people love about Australia.
  8. It's really too bad there food is so good because their service is just so completely horrible.
  9. Both of them far more interested in picking up the local girls than giving friendly service.
  10. Fresh music, great food, young staff and excellent coffee add to a seductive brunch/lunch/ and (soon to be drink) establishment.
  11. The staff of Australians are friendly and funny -- the food is incredible and very reasonably priced.
  12. The waitstaff here is EXTREMELY rude - we had to ASK to be seated - once we were seated he was NOT friendly.
  13. Too bad others had bad service, we didn't experience this at all.
value
100.0% positive
  1. love the food here, and despite the influx of models and hipsters I think it's worth a visit.
  2. If you want great food, and no frills it's definitely worth a try.
5 Star Rating: Highly Recommended

09/02/11

Yummy !

by SHARINGisCARING

Casual, great burgers and salads !

3 Star Rating: Average

07/05/08

Good Food, Very Average Aussie

by Bowlesy84

When i came to New York i was very surprised to find that there was a place to find a little Aussie community. I got rave reviews about Ruby's and took a couple of people to take a look. Happy to say the food was amazing, cute Aussie names for the burgers, not too cheesy.

However this is not the place to go for the laid-back authentic experience that people love about Australia. One of the guys was British for one and the other although Australian thought he was all that and a bag of chips. Both of them far more interested in picking up the local girls than giving friendly service. We did get what we asked for in a timely fashion, so can't complain there.

So if you are looking for a little taste of home, or looking to find out what all the fuss is about, this is not the place. If you are looking for a cute little place to eat, with good food and the occasional Aussie accent then check it out.

  • Pros: Good Food, prompt service
  • Cons: Not a good Australian Experience
5 Star Rating: Highly Recommended

01/06/08

Great customer service Best burgers anywhere

by voice2

Fantastic , sensational............

I don't know what people are talking about the staff are extremely pleasant and polite and service is fast and good.

Looks like there has been some changes there as a new group of staff are now working there and they have made it a very pleasurable place to hang out and eat.

The food is amazing the best burger I have ever eaten in my life! I'm addicted !

I will be back there for sure! for my next burger fix :)

  • Pros: fast and friendly service with Best burgers anywhere
  • Cons: dont take credit cards
1 Star Rating: Poor

10/17/07

Are you kidding???

by Halcyon Design LLC

So my work associate and I decide to google Ruby's because we heard how great the tuna panini is. I checked out the website and made a point of taking a look at the delivery map to be sure they delivered to our office. Indeed, we were well within the 'zone 1' delivery area so we called and ordered lunch. The woman who answered the phone said they didn't deliver to our area. Not wanting to get into it with her, we apologized and said we must have misinterpreted the map on their website. I offered to go pick it up instead.

It was quite a walk, but we were hell-bent on trying these tuna paninis.

When I got there, the frazzled waitress asked what I had ordered and then proceeded to PICK IT UP OFF THE FLOOR OUTSIDE THE KITCHEN DOOR!! Yes, it was wrapped and yes it was in a small handle bag, but c'mon, people-- no shelf space? can't keep it on the counter by the register? There's just no excuse I can come up with why you would keep a customer's lunch on the floor.

I quickly paid for the lunch ($19 and change) by handing her a $20 bill. She paused and asked if I wanted my change.

DID I WANT MY CHANGE??

Clearly she needed it more than I did and I walked out.

So let me get this straight:

You suddenly on a whim decide you don't deliver to a location that is within your delivery zone.

You make me come pick it up and upon my arrival you pick it up off the floor and hand it to me.

And then you want to keep my change??

Here's the thing:

NYC is a big city. Lots of restaurants. And yes, the sandwich was good. Very good. But don't for one second think that a tasty sandwich will compensate for shoddy service, attitude from a waitress that works in a dive, or poor manners.

Clean up your act, Ruby.

  • Pros: Good tuna panini
  • Cons: Absolutely everything else about the place.
5 Star Rating: Highly Recommended

06/07/07

Yummy :)

by shaboomy

My friend and I were looking for something cute and affordable for lunch today, a quick diversion from work, and we stumbled upon Ruby's. Its adorable and the food was AWESOME. I had a burger with sweet chili on it, with cheese, served on ciabbata and it was EXCELLENT. My friend loved her salad. The service was good, well average at least...we clearly didn't experience what others on here did. Anywhoo...great little place for lunch. I've already recommended it to some friends in town.

  • Pros: Adorable atmosphere, tasty eats, affordable
  • Cons: they don't take credit cards

The Details on Ruby's Cafe & Bar

Place Categories:

  • great food
  • great horrible service
  • bad service
  • great music
  • delicious mozzarella panini sandwich
  • fresh young staff
  • great neighborhood place
  • bad coffee
  • delicious prosciutto
  • amazing aussie names
  • fantastic arugula salad
  • great pasta
  • cool surfesque vibe
  • nice chilled
  • great atmosphere
  • outstanding menu specials
  • amazing latte
  • great frills
  • rude waitstaff
  • great little place
  • love ruby
  • very good meat pie
  • recommended highly
  • love people
  • just completely rude servers
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