RD Benders

Ask for the fish of the day and the month’s wine

This establishment is the quintessential new age social experience. The tapas pairings with the drink selection are the perfect satisfaction of the pallet. Make sure to ask the sommelier for the cheese pairing to your liking. The ambiance is superb. My only complaint would be that the ’78 château tasters little dry. Other than that, it was an outstanding experience.

This place isn’t pretentious. It’s a seedy dive bar but it used to be a favorite place to end a wacky night in. Matt was always fast, friendly and made good drinks. He left. I don’t know what is going on but last few times the bartenders have been awful. Some new guy was coked out of his gord trying to take peoples drinks away when they weren’t done yet, grinding his jaw and making regular patrons wait 10 minutes while he flirts with girls. Another girl has no idea how to make anything, she was friendly but zero braincells. It seems the process of ordering drinks and hanging out has become a total excruciating chore. I won’t be going back for a loooong time.

greatest dive in bergen county

I’m waiting for Bar Rescue to take over this place, epitome of «dive bar». With that being said, the staff has always been very nice and accommodating.

After growing up in the suburbs of New Jersey, I have tried to expand my horizons by moving closer to and working in Manhattan. However, several of my friends remained comfortably removed from the city. As much as I tried to convince these friends to visit me in Hoboken, the parking hassles tended to turn them off. So, I was occasionally roped into traveling back to the ‘burbs, even after insisting that there was a lack of nightlife there.
My friend insisted that we go to her local dive bar, RD Benders. She warned me that it was not my typical evening spot, nor was it even really hers, but that the trashiness of it would make for a fun evening. Well, she got that right!
The crowd here was mostly made up of older locals, with a few patrons in their twenties who were taking advantage of the cheap drinks. Upon our arrival, we discovered that on Saturday evenings they offered all of their drinks for $ 1. My friend ordered some white wine, which was served at room temperature and out of a massive liter bottle. I would definitely not call that a quality selection… I was debating about ordering a mixed drink, but when I spotted the dusty liquor bottles hidden beneath the bar, I decided to opt against it. Beer was definitely the safest option.
The bartender that evening was very friendly and invited us to have several shots with him. Later in the night, he even let my crazy self dance on the bar! Or perhaps that was his goal with all of the complimentary shots??? Hmmm…
As the evening wore on, my friend and I grew hungry. I was weary of ordering food from a place that specialized in serving beverages, yet had alcohol bottles coated with fuzzy lint. However, the Breaded Chicken Fingers were actually sheer perfection. Rather than grizzly thigh meat riddled with veins, these strips were essentially cut from a moist chicken breast. The crisp crust provided a satisfying crunch with each bite.
The casual vibe at Benders got taken up a notch when the customers manned the comprehensive electronic jukebox, which featured top rock music from the past few decades, as well as classic hip hop and pop songs.
My friend and I finally decided that it was time to head home, so I asked the bartender if we could settle the tab. He glanced at me and said, «Just give me $ 12.» My jaw dropped, and I questioned, «$ 12?» He gaze me a puzzled look and asked, «Yeah, why? Is that too much?» Even in my drunken haze, I knew that our multiple beers and shots, plus the chicken tenders, had to have cost more than that. I was not going to argue, though. I was starting to see why my friend loved this place so much, and why she often wanted to spend time in the suburbs.
We enjoyed that evening so much that I actually went back with her a few weeks later. The subsequent visit was on a Friday evening, which was just as eventful. The night’s coin toss special gifted all correct calls with a drink on the house. We even got to mingle with a man dressed as an 80’s fitness instructor — headband and all.
RD Benders was pure D-​List, and I have to admit I kind of liked it…

What a lovely, charming, and romantic bar. Coming in from the biting cold, we were met with a remarkably warm ambience. To our immediate left was a grand piano being put to great use. We proceeded to the coat check and were escorted up the stairs to a cached away corner of the bar. The tables are were candlelit and the lighting is otherwise dim. The colors, the classic detailing, it all lends to a wonderful sense of romance.
Service was very attentive, but i have to say. The French staff should be more careful when speaking to each other, as some of us «do» speak French.

Great food for the price (most menu items are $ 2.99 or less). Free lunch delivery weekdays (11 – 2), ask about dinner and late-​night deliveries. Benders is what it is and always has been. Cheap beer, cheap food, darts bar.

Tiny and crowded late night. Cheap food served until pretty late. Opened until 3AM nightly. Lots of people empty out of Ridgewood’s bars that close 2AM and head to Bender’s. Outside area for smoking.