TL;DR: You know right from the get go what you are in for from the title alone. This is some hearty, substantial fare that will satiate anything close to the most animalistic of carnivorous appetites. That is all the advertisement that is needed.
Albeit not the first description most would consider when discussing this place, Ribs and Burgers is a big call back to how a pub should be with its food. Keeping it simple, keeping it meaty, and pairing it with some nice beverages in the meantime. It is the sort of place that you rock up to on short notice, and all ambient sounds, the smell of slow-cooking meat from the kitchen, and a general atmosphere of absolute friendliness will beckon you in before you know it. Nothing here that is too showy or trying to be something its not. If you're a fan of big bits of meat, then this will your sort of place - tender, filling meat, and an earnest all-round comfort abound those who venture in.
It was time again to meet my friend for dinner, and there is a bit of a deal going on between us. With each dinner out, there is an alternate drop with who decides the place - in other words I can chose one, then she gets the next, and after her one there it is up to me, and she has the next call: just keep going like that. This time around the ball was in her court. Her idea was to hit up Trafalga Lane, as she had heard about the number of great pop ups which occurred around there. After coming around to my house, picking me, and finding a good park nearby it, all that was left was to investigate the options.
After going up and down the lane, looking at each of the choices - it was still her decision alone to decide which one it would be. A burger seemed to be tempting to her (it always is a good choice), and this was the place to go.
A lot of the time in critiquing decor, or describing it, credit has always gone into making a place look either characteristic or being as pristine as you could get. Yes, that is not the case here ... bear a little bit. Given the choice between pristine and swish, or choosing something a little rustic, my preferred one often goes to the latter since it more often allows character to seep in. That is the case right here.
But rustic does not mean that it looks like garbage, particularly not at Ribs and Burgers. That is because of the way it has been designed. It is down to the touches, with what look like decorative clamps around the place, exposed lighting to give it that mood, and for the most part some of the seating is a lot like a diner. Bonus points come from me when either the sounds of the kitchen can be heard from the counter, or that you can see what is going on in the kitchen. Both are present at this location of Ribs and Burgers.
To describe the service, it is not a hit or miss affair per se. Instead, it is a little hybrid of some great service with a fair bit of it being all up to you. It is counter service, however they do beckon you to sit down first before perusing the menu. After you place your order, the version of the table number given is nifty. It is a tin bucket, that has the number of its side, and has all the contents you would need. That is the cutlery, some serviettes, and a couple of sauce bottles. If there are not enough serviettes (there are not, if you use your hands), right inside the door is a basin, plus plenty of paper towels. Even with the self-service, they have it set out really well; most places just seem to be lackadaisical in that vein. Another example is with the waters, they bring you the glasses initially and afterwards it is bottomless drinks.
Most of the meals that get requested will have bones in them here. They plan ahead really well, and alongside the hefty slabs of meat, a bucket is placed. That is a small touch, which in many ways does wonders.
I'm not sure if this is a sister restaurant to Ribs and Rumps. Whether or not it is, the menu with Burgers is much more modest. Where Rumps was like a full scale restaurant, this is more akin to a specialty eatery. Let's just say, that meat-lovers would be pretty satisfied here. The main thing to come here for is the ribs, and when ordered large it is a full rack - three kinds of meat are the options.
Other cuts of meat are on the menu, simply in the same kind of preparation as the ribs. There is still your token steak, some of the white meat cuts, wings as a starter (always, always a delicious choice), plus we haven't got to the burgers yet. So many burger places are trying create their concoctions beyond what they really are - burgers, a bit of meat, some cheese,, and a few salad vegetables with maybe extras thrown in. That is all you need, and that is the mentality right here. Never straying from that, the selection is about a dozen covering beef and chicken in their menu. In a similar vein, a couple of wraps are in a previous section. Going a little more exxy (on average), the wagyu burgers still keep it simple. They will always have some sort of special going on, which they will let you know about by having posters up on the wall. Plus, some sides, snacks, and salads (*shudders*) finish it off, completing the dynamics of the meal.
When it comes to something to drink, the one beverage that is on their readable menu is thickshakes. On tap, and in the bottle, they do have a range of craft beers, and ciders to pair with the meals. There is also a range of wines, mostly red, with several whites and roses thrown in for good measure. In addition, sodas are present for those who don't drink alcohol. Akin to the entire idea here, it is kept pretty simple and low-key.
Even with a little bit of indecision looking at the menu, it was pretty quick that I figured with the moniker of the restaurant we were at I may as well incorporate ribs into my order. But with the several varieties on hand, that had another small obstacle. How the decision came about - let's just say with food, I am pretty easy to egg on with going for broke - the St. Louis ribs were the cheapest at a large size (the only size with them). Each one can get a slider burger added on for a deal cheaper than ordering it on its own, and with this cut of ribs it would still come out cheaper than any other. So away I went. The choice of side with the ribs was some fries, and it was the beef slider I went with: on the beef patty, some cheese, onion, pickles, and a trio of sauces - the golden cheeseburger has taken an upgrade, I see.
Boy are they generous with how many ribs you get in this order. It was said to be a full rack of ribs, and as far as a pig would go - this might well be that. At least half a dozen ribs are lain on the block of wood in front of you. A smoky barbecue baste covers the ribs all the way through. Not one bone was left clean, which was apparent from the start the tender texture the rack had; it could be pulled apart with the fingers, or if it were cut with a knife (heat is the real factor, not messy fingers) that knife would go through it like butter. The meat was really tender, and soft, going down the shoot like it was butter. Accompanied was a rich, and fruity basting sauce that complimented it well.
On the side, both the fries and the slider did their job. The order of fries did not reflect merely a small addition that most places do, but possibly was the same size as a general order from the menu. These basically had the perfect trifecta with any memorable fries: they were hot, had a tasty seasoning all-over them, and were crispy. When that occurs, no sauce is needed. With the beef slider, it was good. Not that much to say about it with the small size - if the taste of the beef patty is an indication of their burgers, then it is good news. The beef was a good cut, and cooked well, the mixture of cheese, onion, and pickles went well, and maybe nix one of the sauces since three is overkill on a big burger, much less on this size.
Hell, it has almost become customary in my book when going to a place like this - something semi-American, or a steakhouse - to get some wings as a starter. From what I recall, it was the smoky wings that were chosen, which are paired with a ranch sauce for dipping. These wings are somewhere between fried and otherwise, getting a crisp texture on the outside done perfectly. Likewise with the ribs, not a bone was left clean from me due to how tender the meat was. The sauce on the side was pretty nice as a compliment, the creaminess of the ranch complimenting the slight spice of the smoky sauce.
This is one of those cases where if you aren't a big meat eater, there is no point presenting a case forward for you here. It ain't your thing, and that it that. But for the big carnivore, it would take little convincing to persuade you to come this way. I am in the meat lovers camp, so it was good enough by me. Just a word of advice before going, make sure you aren't wearing white when you go here, since it is going to get messy. Fingers will get sticky, and a good time shall be ensured by all.
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