Ripka’s Beach Cafe

It is what it is… but it’s better than it looks. I am obsessed with clams, so I tried the raw bar clams and at $ 1/​pp it was really good. The beer is over priced, but they sort of have you by the balls. All of the cooked food is mediocre, but I did not go here expecting gourmet. Again, it is what it is. Hot dog and fries = perfect for a day at the beach

Love Ripka’s Beach Café i remember when it was Stew Leonard’s Grill before for On The Beach standards really great food they have good burgers and Sandwich’s and things and they also have good options for the Kids to and for those who don’t eat Meat they have something for you to they have Seafood

I have truly enjoyed everything I’ve gotten here so far. The DUKE sandwich is awesome. I have had Naomi’s Tuna Wrap and the Courier which is a curry wrap. All nicely flavored. I work local, I can see them from my office back door so when I get the opportunity I will head over there or get delivery.
My co workers love the burgers, and the fries are always tasty. The NE clam chowder which I had recently had good flavor and enough clams to satisfy me. They are open year round so if you enjoyed them all summer why stop? Head down there for lunch fall, winter and spring.
I would call first though if you’re heading down for a late lunch.
I’m looking forward to trying one of their brunches or events.
Today I had a «special». Salmon, fresh and grilled, on a Portuguese roll with chipotle sauce, thin sliced tomato and cucumber. What a treat. I know when it’s busy there’s a wait but it’s so worth it! Decent portions, good prices and nice people to boot!
Head on down.

This is my favorite place to go on a Friday night to sit and relax and enjoy our beautiful beach. The food is great, and although it can get very busy and it may take a little longer, it is definitely worth the wait. The owners are very hard workers and take great pride in their business. The Café has quickly become a welcomed member of our business community and I applaud their efforts. Come on down and have a nip and a nosh… you wont regret it! (They also cater parties that are phenomenal!!)

Been here about 6 times, fried clams are always cooked perfect, staff pleasant.
Food is A cut above, better then expected.
I prefer Ripka’s to Overtons for a burger or hot dog.

After an afternoon on the beach with friends we settled in at Ripka’s for a clambake followed by a concert. It was the best way to spend a beautiful summer day. The staff here are friendly and polite, the food was tasty. We will be back.

Honestly– if you’re looking for beachside food, bring a cooler with you or stop up the street at Nik’s Place or swing by Stew’s to get some grab and go food. This place was a serious disappointment– and the food and staff are clearly to blame. The staff is not competent, and not customer friendly. We waited 25 minutes for a soup that they forgot to prepare with our order, and watched them prepare it in a microwave once they realized, leaving the plastic spoon in it while it was heated up.
Later on, I asked for an ice cream bar– it took 15 minutes to get it. I opened it up, and it was melted… and I asked,“is it supposed to look like this?”. The response I got was, «uh, yeah. It was kept in a box».
What a joke.

Great location, views, food, and its right on the beach!
Having been here several times the food is consistently very good. I’ve had everything from the staples of hot dogs, hamburgers to the fried shell fish to just ice cream. They only have 3 or 4 beers on tap, however the choices usually include an IPA or toasted larger or something else equally as good. They also have several bottles to choose from as well. Serving sizes are good and prices are reasonable.
Expect to wait when they get slammed though. This is especially true during an evening concert or holiday weekend lunch. It’s just a numbers thing, can’t expect immediate service when you have 50 or more people all ordering at once. Suggest you order a couple of beers and enjoy the views while you wait.

Update. Went back tonight for dinner on this perfect evening. The rolls were stale, the Philly cheesesteak was dry and bland, the Mac and cheese was ok but they dumped what I think was nacho cheese all over it and it was very unappetizing. Maybe I ordered wrong or maybe I overestimated them. The fries were good though.
I can’t believe it took me this long to try this place! For a beachside food joint, this place is awesome. Prices are extremely reasonable. They have burgers and hot dogs, sandwiches as well as a fantastic variety of seafood! Lobster rolls, raw bar, fried seafood platters. They also have beer, wine and cocktails– bloody Mary’s anyone? The restaurant is clean inside and out and our food came out quickly at dinner time. The outdoor seating is great, nice view of the park, the pier, the beach… Why pay through the nose to eat at Sunset Grill? Never again. We had a crab cake sandwich, cheeseburger, a side of steamed potatoes that was huge, a soft drink and a beer for just under $ 30. Have you ever been to the beach restaurant at Compo beach in Westport? You’ll spend $ 20 per person and they don’t even serve alcohol, and there is garbage everywhere. Forget that place! This is our new go to! :)

I saw an ad for Ripka’s one night on cable a while ago & have been meaning to stop by. What a great beachside stop! Not your average crab shack by any means. Unbelievable menu — fish tacos & curry chicken wrap were phenomenal. Nice outdoor seating area with park & LI Sound views just added to it. So glad we found this place inside Calf Pasture Beach. Adding Ripka’s to our rotation for sure!

Food took forever to come out receipt time 11:50 food arrived at 12:25. Lobster roll was full of shells, bacon on a stick was more like fat on a stick. Will not be ordering here again! Staff looks miserable.

Raw bar at the beach? What’s not to like? Excellent clam strips, clam bellies, gazpacho in addition to raw local oysters. I shouldn’t say it’s surprising to find this level of quality in a concession stand… but it is :) Highly recommend.

Ripka’s café is conveniently located within a few steps of the beach and is the only option in a mile radius of calf pasture beach. The menu was pretty large for a beach side consession stand. The service was friendly and quick however the food was a bit disappointing and on the pricey side given the quality. I had a lobster roll and would not order that again. Lots of meat but lacked butter and was on a lettuce bed which I don’t like. The burger was just kind of bland. I will eat here again for the convenience factor but won’t take my chances on the higher priced seafood. Can’t go wrong with fries and hot dog!

This place rocks. Its apparently been here for 2 years and if anyone knows what this place was like before… greasy over cooked burgers and burnt hot dogs to accomoany a beach that was not a nice place. welll its all done a 180…
The park is clean and the new fishing pier is awesome.
To boot Ripkas has my fav. oysters…raw…fried and «Screamin»…a fried oyster on the half shell with a kick… really good.
The owner works the line and the crowd… very outgoing.
I came in for Sunday Brunch… grabbed a make your own bloody mary… my wife a fresh squeezed oj mimosa. …eggs benedict with smoked salmon and an awesome burrito… sitting on the porch overlooking the sound. .
This is a gem… although if your not a resident parking gets steep in the summer…
The guy at the counter said I can tell the parking dudes that I am eating at Ripkas and as long as I eat, show them a reciept in an hour ot so I can get my moola back.
Im stoked. Beers margaritas… raw bar… and I heard they had a band under their big top tent last week…
Yea. .fast good food… but I heard its a zoo mid season. …still worth the trip

This place is great fresh food good service right on the water excellent view five stars by me you can spend the day at the beach and eat delicious food at the end of the day free concerts doesn’t get better if you’re in Norwalk and want to have a good day come here

I really like this place. The food is good and fresh, and the raw bar is awesome. And — they have alcoholic beverages too!
I had the tilapia soft tacos, which were a special today. $ 9 — good portion size and really tasty!

I love this place! I’ve been here a handful of times and haven’t had the same experience as other reviewers at all. I found the owner to be very friendly and the staff to be fairly friendly as well. The food is great, although since I don’t eat seafood I’m a little bit more limited in my choices– I especially liked their Sunday brunch breakfast burrito. I think this is a big improvement from the places that have been at Calf Pasture previously.

Spent a few hours at the beach. Took a walk over to Ripka’s. Ordered the Tuna cranberry wrap. It tasted very good and contained very little mayo (a plus). Also met owner Clyde. We was friendly and very nice. I’ve been coming to this beach for 40 years. This restaurant is the best menu the beach has seen. Why all the complaints?

Have to agree with the other reviews… staff is lazy and incompetent. If they are out of most of the food on their «specials» list then they should cross it off. Not that hard to do given its a chalkboard. When my food wasn’t ready after 30 minutes I was told the order never got through to the kitchen but they would take care of it right away. 15 min later still no food and they all looked at each other puzzled… I demanded my money back. So much for a relaxing day with my kids. Both were crying as we waited but I dont blame them I wanted to cry myself.