A handful of alums from Gramercy Tavern have started to carve out their own corner of Ridgewood. It all started with Rolo's, an Italian-ish restaurant that doles out Calabrian chili butter-soaked polenta bread and the charred-edged Two Sheet Lasagna Verde from its wood-fired oven. Just a few steps down the street comes the next from the group, its doors opening in February 2024.
Marked by a red neon sign of an amphibian, Hellbender is described as a Mexican-American restaurant on its website but word of mouth says it's a bar with better snacks. Regardless, just know you'll find a strong lineup of cocktails and a short list of bites from Mexico to go with it, or vice versa.
Pushing past the curtain, the interior of Hellbender is relatively minimal: a laid-back, wood-heavy bar with blush-colored booths, globe lighting and a mix of high tops and long tables. The taxidermied jaguar, however, is the most eye-catching detail, lounging inside a glass case near the back of the room.
If you've come to eat, you'll get familiar with the menu from chef Yara Herrera, previously of Momofuku Ko and Sobre Masa. It's common to find chef Herrera in the dining room, personally serving foods inspired by her Mexican heritage. Tables are graced with bright red plates of chamoy-coated fruit, be it apples or Asian pears, or the massive empanada that invites picture-taking thanks to its three different kinds of cheeses stuffed inside. Her weekly rotating Jello dessert is also a fun find, iterations have included a tart lemon and bergamot and a PB&J-inspired jiggle.
Yet, Hellbender is functional too if you just come for the bar. Heavy on tequila and mezcal, the menu features Bitter Mai Tai’s with just the right balance of sweet and bitter, while the Disco Devil imbues a heat that continues to build long after it leaves your lips. So eat, drink and be merry—there is a bit of hell to be had here.