Ruby’s Bar and Grill is part of a series of tidbits from the chapters of my book Bars, Taverns and Dives New Yorkers Love, published by Rizzoli. You can order it online at Powell’s, Amazon, Rizzoli, and Barnes & Noble. Signed prints of the bars in the book are available here.
Some bars take a while to grow on you. Others get you the first time. That was Ruby’s for me. Walked in with my wife and two friends on a beautiful September afternoon, the front of the bar completely opened up to the boardwalk and the ocean breeze. The place was busy, but not so full we couldn’t all get seats at the long bar. First I noticed the dark, rich gleam of old wood everywhere, then that great, greasy carnival smell of onions, peppers and sausages sizzling on the grill.
We ordered a round, settled in and noticed the music from the well-stocked CD jukebox. Louis Prima, “Hey, Marie.” “Rock With You” by Michael Jackson. A couple of Sinatra’s mid-‘60s finest, a little country, a little rock n’ roll. And the hits just kept on comin.’ I slid off my barstool to check out the c. 1988 Rowe Ami juke, the now old-fashioned style filled with physical CDs, and the guy who’d been feeding it let me pick out a couple tunes on his dime. Dude now lives up in the Bronx, but grew up in Coney, and told me he travels all the way down most weekends to hang out with his old neighborhood buddies at Ruby’s. Then he bought me a beer. Now that’s a friendly welcome.
What to Drink at Ruby’s Bar: Start with the house beer, Ruby’s Amber, a rich, red American ale. Next drink: A Pink Mermaid, of course. You’re at Coney Island, home of roller coasters, carny games, hot dogs, freak shows, and that gigantic, fabulous costume extravaganza the annual Mermaid Parade, not midtown Manhattan. Lighten up.
Recipe:
Pink Mermaid
1.5 oz. vodka
.5 oz. triple sec
Splash each of sour mix, 7Up and cranberry juice.
Add all ingredients to a large plastic Solo cup loaded with ice. Stir with a plastic straw and serve.
Next up:
Red Lantern Bicycles, a peach of a multi-purpose spot in Fort Greene (which sadly closed in late 2017) and another chapter of my book Bars, Taverns and Dives New Yorkers Love, which you can order right here. Limited-edition signed prints of the bars are available here.