Ruby’s Cafe

I was really looking forward to trying this place for lunch with my coworkers since all the pics of the food looks amazing but was so disappointed with my experience. We arrived and there were no available seats so we decided to order our food to go. The hostess said it would take about 15 – 20 min. We ended up waiting 50 mins for our food! 50 minutes! And each time we tried to go in to see if our food was done yet, they would say not yet and were quick to shoo us back outside to wait. No apologies for the long wait or anything. After already waiting for over 30 mins, then the hostess tells us that they’re out of one of the items we ordered which was lamb ragu. But at that point we didn’t want to put in a new order knowing it’ll probably take another hour. Again, no apologies for running out or not telling us earlier. Finally now I can review the food. I really don’t understand how the hell it took them 50 mins to make our food. We had the shrimp pasta, crispy chicken salad, fries, big breakfast bowl, breakfast bowl with salmon, and avocado toast. All pretty simple things and really shouldn’t have taken that long to make. Flavors were good and food tasted fine but small portions and overpriced for what they were. Also all the toast had burnt marks on them and the pasta was slightly undercooked. We were all left still hungry and unsatisfied. I understand it was during lunch time but it’s really unacceptable the amount of time we had to wait. If we had known it would take that long, we wouldn’t have ordered in the first place.

I work right next to this place and so far love every dish in their menu. Fantastic place for brunch; the egg sandwich is insane!

Service here is atrocious (10 minute wait for water, another 10 minute wait to pay our check) but the food definitely makes up for it.
Prices are extremely reasonable considering the portion sizes. Pastas are freshly made — the pesto smelled and tasted amazing — and they also have several salad and burger options which all looked good. I had the quinoa bowl which could have used a bit more seasoning for flavor, but it was packed with veggies, avocado, and chopped shrimp.
Seating space is limited but still cozy, especially in the summer time with the open air. Will definitely be back again to try the other menu items!

A great weekday brunch spot! I ordered the Breakfast bowl which was very good, but a little small on the portion size so I ended up ordering the banana bread as well. The passion fruit butter that accompanies it was amazing.
I’ve also had their Bronte burger for lunch on other occasions and it’s so good. You have to give it a try! All around good food!
The service was a little lacking for brunch though… we didn’t really know who our waiter was because several people kept coming over and taking our drink orders but somehow none of them accomplished to actually give us our iced coffees. Other than that, the service was okay.

I love this place! Waiter was super patient and friendly, talked about Tasmania.
Tried the watermelon beer (didn’t really taste watermelon) the BRONTE BURGER WAS AMAZING A++, juicy meat when you bite into it you’ll be like and delicious tasty sauce (spicy chili+mayo?)
The salad was ok! Tasted like a normal salad. Anything with Avo taste great.
3 girls shared 3 items, we all paid 13.3 $ NOT BAD! Considering trying new things.
Next time I want to get the egg burger!
One of my fav cafes, def recommend the BRONTE burger: D !!
The interior is nice and open window seats too.
They opening new spot around 2^nd Ave soon!

They expanded their dining area since I’ve last been here! Twice the size of the old Ruby’s. Much more spacious and there’s even AC now.
The Bronte burger is the only thing I believe worth the trip to Ruby’s Café. It’s the best I’ve had in the city out of the many imitations I’ve tried. For $ 12 this sandwich is huge. The beef patty is cooked medium rare and simply melts in your mouth with every bite. The sweet chili sauce is the perfect addition to pretty ordinary ingredients. But don’t be fooled, this burger is worth every buck!

Favorites:
Truffle fries or sweet potato fries
Shrimp pasta
Lamb Ragu
All my friends love the Rag Bol
Service was superb — host/​manager Romi made my birthday truly special! Brought out chocolate cake which happens to be my favorite. Advice: always get your own cake!!! You’ll regret sharing it :)

The waiting… It is worth it.
One of my favorite spots in the city.
The pasta is so good.
We had the quinoa bowl and the mushroom pasta. We share both and it was filling and delicious for a very reasonable price.
Keeping it simple with great quality ingredients and good flavors.

Ummmm… Can I tell you about this place!!!
This spot is very tasty. Small but tasty. Right in the best spot in Nolita (that’s North of Little Italy for my out of towners), this place will have a wait time but totally worth it.
I had the Quinoa Bowl which comes with Broccolini, asparagus, green beans, avocado, soft egg. AMAZING!!! Sooooo tasty. I will be back!
only gripe is that it also comes with Pine Nuts!!! So I found out upon eating this tasty meal that I am now allergic to these Little Crunchy Demons of Hate… here’s the thing, Ruby’s doesn’t write that the salad comes with Pine Nuts.
Lucky for me the little demons are big enough to pick out. Lucky me, no hospital for me!
Also the Bells Burger with Premium ground beef, tomato, lettuce and mayo. Is very tasty.

WOA THAT BURGER. Burger was amazing (and FYI halal people — it’s creek stone). Came with a few friends and amazingly was seated right away although I think a line formed after us to expect a wait. Location is perfect for walking around after. The restaurant itself is really cute and has a nice light and casual atmosphere. Coffee was excellent. Shared a burger and a breakfast bowl which were both amazing, although I more strongly recommend the burger. Fries were also INCREDIBLE. Prices were pretty average for the area and it seems like a good price for the food quality.
Note from a friend — heads up — the coffee is kind of small and doesn’t have free refills (although it’s strong enough that you don’t really need).

I have made numerous attempts to eat at this place on the weekend. All plans were always thwarted due to long waits… so I went on Monday around 11:30 and what a pleasant surprise this lunch was. I ordered the breakfast bowl with salmon. It was better than I expected. The combination of brown rice, braised greens, roasted tomatoes, sliced avocado with two almost perfectly poached eggs (They were great but I like them a little more runny) and the right amount of smoked salmon to add a nice amount of saltiness.
My friend ordered the avocado toast with egg which was liked but the only minor complaint was that the bread was quite thick.
I would definitely return but I am pretty sure that the weekends are out of my plan, going during the week was great but there was a line when we left. I guess they have their game together.

So I’ve been here about 4−5times and the food is consistently good. I know people rave about their burgers but I was underwhelmed maybe bc of the the hype. Don’t get me wrong, it was still a good burger. It just didn’t live up to the hype for me. However, I love their pasta! It’s simple yet delicious.
My favorite is the creamy chicken pasta. I’m not even a fan of white sauce but I can have this every time and not get sick of it. Their spaghetti is also very good!

One of my favorite restaurants in nyc!
BRONTE BURGER is to die for. Must get it. Must stop by rubys just to get this burger. The meat is soo juicy and flavorful. I dont know what is in that burger but It is sweet and just too good.
Get side of french fries with truffle butter.
Also their pasta is delicious! Rag bol is what i got. Killed it.
Portions pretty large. I get so full after eating at this place. It is a small place so be prepared to wait long.
Highly recommend !

My friend and I came here for brunch and today was a Sunday. Very packed. We arrived around 12:15 and was told the wait was about 30 min for 2 ppl. While waiting, we just saw more and more groups coming and waiting outside. We finally got seated after 50-min’s wait.
Food: very tasty. I ordered the Quinoa Salad Bowl ($ 11) and my friend got the Rag Bol ($ 13.5). My salad bowl has great portion that I didn’t expect. The broccolini was very crispy and fresh. The quinoa seeds were nutty and delish, although the texture was hard that you need to chew longer. The balsamic vinegar has a hint of pleasant sourness that makes your appetite go bigger as you eat.
My friend’s Rag Bol, i.e., spaghetti with veggies in tomato sauce, was as good as it looks. The sauce was very meaty and flavorful, while the noodles were well cooked.
Service: a little bit slow. There were about 7 or 8 groups of 2 – 4 ppl dining, 4 servers, including the guy who takes names at the door (who also makes coffee), and two cooks. After we ordered, we waited for about 15 min for our meals to come. No one checked upon us during the meal. All servers seemed super busy, rushing around here and there. We just wondered where all the fuss came from since this is such a small restaurant and 4 ppl, if experienced, definitely can handle such busy situation. While waiting for our table, we noticed that they were also doing take-​outs. Maybe they need to reconsider this offer since it’s obviously beyond their ability.
Overall, the food was delicious, service was a bit slow but friendly people, and very crowded place where you have to wait at least 40 min for weekends brunch.

Have to agree with other Unilocalers and give this place 4 stars as I only had the pleasure of eating at Ruby’s once whilst in New York, but would love to go back and try more of their menu as it all sounded amazing.
I loved this Australian inspired venue in my favourite area of NYC, Nolita. This place it fairly small, so I’m glad we didn’t walk straight on by. The staff were friendly and welcoming and the place has a laid back, hipster, vibe, with people happily working away on their laptops whilst enjoying a coffee in then window. We visited for breakfast and wisely chose two excellent dishes from the brunch items. My advo on toast was seriously the best I’ve ever had! The bacon perfectly crispy, amazing poached eggs and advo packed with lots of flavour (a ton of lime juice presumably — just how I like it!).
We enjoyed smoothies and coffee with our breakfast — both great! A girl sat close by was enjoying a bowl of spaghetti & it looked SO good that despite it being fairly early to enjoy something more of a lunch item I was seriously tempted to get it!
Will definitely be returning when/​if I get to return to my favourite city in the world!

This aussie-​themed establishment down in Nolita never fails to disappoint. Their brunch (or as they call it «Breaky») is amazing! I tend to rotate between the breakfast bowl and the big breakfast. I’m a huge fan of the roasted tomatoes as well as the hash browns (although their hash browns taste like they could’ve been stolen from Micky D’s i.e. they’re identical). Their bacon is a little on the greasy side — would prefer it to be slightly crispier.
Do not order the smoothies! They are overpriced drinks… depending on what you’re going for? I’m not totally sure how they fit into a meal? If you wanted a smoothie to supplement real food then i’d assume you’d hit up the juice press around the corner, otherwise the Ruby’s smoothies are too sweet and do not complement the meal.
For dinner: their aussie burgers are out of this world delicious. Hands down one of the best burgers in the neighborhood.

Excellent food, fun staff. The beef for their burgers is to notch. I got the Whaley without the bun and it was awesome.

I’m very happy with Ruby’s! The atmosphere is super trendy. Everything is reasonably priced and the burger is great. This place has never disappointed

Decent selection of totally ordinary pastas and salads with very reasonable portion sizes for the price/​neighborhood. I’d give it a 3.5÷5 were than an option. It’s probably best known for the burgers which I haven’t tried so can’t comment on the quality of those. The salads and pastas are definitely filling and available with various protein choices so can serve as a solid single-​dish meal.
Ruby’s attracts a touristy, international crowd which results in a wait that’s much often much than what the food or atmosphere merit. It’s not a bad choice if you’re in the neighborhood with a friend and want a casual single-​dish meal at an off-​time but don’t expect anything exceptional.

Decent burger joint but nothing to stand in line for. We had the kale salad, which was pretty good but not enough to be a meal so we shared as appetizer. The classic cheeseburger was kind of plain. The Bronte burger in my opinion is the best option, definitely what I would recommend. Fries or salad are extra. Decent variety of draft. Price is very reasonable.

Came here on a thursday night and I was the first of my friends to arrive so I tried to put my name down for a table. Unfortunately they don’t seat you until your whole party is there so I had to wait. They did not forget me though. Once my whole party was here, they seated us at the next available table. The place is very small and only has about 4 tables.
Been here a few times before and I’ve always ordered the bronte burger, but I decided to try something new this time so I asked the server for a recommendation. She told me shrimp pasta was her favorite so I decided to give it a try. I was very excited to dig in once the food arrived because I have been craving pasta, but it turned out to be a disappointment. The sauce was really watered down and did not stick to the pasta at all so every bite I took was bland. I had to add salt twice for the pasta to have some flavor. If I wanted some spaghetti with shrimp and salt I would’ve made some at home. The shrimp was the best part of the dish. They gave a generous amount of shrimp and the shrimp was huge and cooked to perfection.
Overall, I was not satisfied with my meal. Next time I should just stick to the bronte burger.

Lovely little spot — very intimate (i.e., not particularly spacious, and be prepared to share a small table with others). Great for a relatively quick, in and out meal. The lattes are as good as I’ve had; and as an avid coffee fan, their coffee granola is not to be missed! (A decent value, it sits atop a healthy serving of Greek yogurt with poached pear on top). My boyfriend likes their sandwiches, but found the side-​salad dressing a bit too acidic, so we’ll go with a side of fries the nest time around. Always packed, but the wait is worth it — never very long.

I had heard this place was good for dinner but ended up going for brunch. The Bloody Mary was nice and spicy. My friends really liked the juice. I had the BLAT — really good! The bacon was thick and there was a decent amount of avocado. I ordered it with an egg. Apparently the burger is the main attraction. my friend confirmed that the meat was really good. They have gluten free bread and pastas. We ate around 2pm and they had already run out of gluten free bread. Service was decent also, it’s a no frills place for the area. The price point is good and portions are decent as well. The plates don’t usually come with sides, so we ordered a side of truffle fries. It was a little cramped but for the area and the price it was well worth it.

These aussies know their food. Came here for dinner with an australian friend on saturday night after hearing numerous recommendations about their burgers. Had no problems getting a table for 2 despite it being peak time (although larger groups were hit with longer wait times). Typically chilled aussie eatery vibe.
I had the classic cheeseburger my friend had the bronte both with chips/​fries. I inhaled my cheeseburger and had to help my friend finish half her bronte because i’m a fat bastard.
The classic cheeserburger — somewhat like a happy marriage between a shake shack and the parker meridien burger — ample amount of well-​seasoned beef, generous amounts of melted american cheese and «special sauce» (that term always fills me with trepidation and nausea). Off putting terminology notwithstanding this is a good burger. Very good, as was the bronte. The latter being more like a steak sandwich than a burger — served in a ciabatta with very succulent, thick beef paddies with a delicious seasoning. I’m not usually a fan of chips/​fries but these were superb and worryingly more-​ish.

I had tried this place before several years ago but it didn’t really occur to me how delicious it was until I brought my boyfriend here today. He said to me, «This is the best burger I’ve ever eaten! It’s on my top 3 list of best burgers.» He is a burger fanatic and these words coming out of his mouth means a lot. He had ordered the «bronte burger.» I was very happy to hear that he enjoyed his burger here. We substituted the regular fries for the truffle fries. BEST truffle fries ever!!! It comes with some sauce/​mayo which is amazing with it. We also ordered the lamb ragu, which was really good too. Loved that the pasta was made al dente and very flavorful and tasted very fresh. It tasted very homemade, which I was happy about. I read on Unilocal earlier that some green juice was highly recommended. My boyfriend ordered some cucumber ginger drink thinking it was the green juice. It didn’t have much flavor not was it refreshing but the food made up for it!
It isn’t too pricey here for the quality of food, which is awesome. Also, the staff there is friendly and even though it looked like there was a slight wait when we arrived, we got seated right away. I did minus one star because we had to share a table with two other people, but I guess this means that they are that busy and delish to have people share tables with strangers.
Overall, sweet, tangy, savory, very tasty burger! plus pasta! I can’t wait to come back here to try some of their other dishes!

First off, let me just say the only reason that it’s 4-​star instead of 5-​star is because of the service.
I know that people in soho is hip and everything, but look, all the brunch places there like Egg Shop or Jack’s Wife Frida, they are all similar but have much better service. So there.
Of course weekend brunch is the busy time for them, we went around 2:15 and got seated around 3, not too bad. The food and drinks were really amazing, and real filling portion too. I had the green machine smoothie, adding dates in there really changed the whole game– I love it! You can get a kale smoothie anywhere but it wouldn’t be the same as what they have. My friend and I ordered a burger sandwich and the Rag Bol (special bolognese) — again, great flavor and good portion. Their mayo for fries were also amazing– I think they added some chopped herbs in it that made it special.
If you want to come, be patient and come in hungry!

I’m so glad that Ruby’s space expanded during it’s renovation. This place used to be TINYYYYYYYY and going to the bathroom required slithering by patrons nearby the kitchen and entering in a tiny closet. Either way, loved the place for its charm and food. This restaurant has a menu with Australian influence — something you may find typical in an Australian café… and you may also notice that it may not be a coincidence that all of the staff members are Australian. My favorite dishes are the Shrimp Avocado Salad (when I’m feeling healthy), Shrimp Pasta, and Mushroom Fusilli Pasta… actually all of their pasta are delicious. Great sangria here too! I recommend coming here before 7pm as there is usually a wait during the peak hours — but the wait is never too long as everyone that comes here knows to nosh and leave and not overextend their stay.

I recently stumbled upon this place with my friend because the original restaurant we wanted to try out had too long of a wait and boy was I glad we ended up here! I really loved the interior of this cute little restaurant, it had a really nice and comfy vibe. Also all their workers were really friendly and nice!
So what I had was the Shrimp Pasta and I absolutely loved it! They give you a very generous portion including the amounts of shrimps. You can also tell the shrimps were super fresh because they were cooked perfectly and gave you that crunch. Overall I highly recommend this dish if you are craving some pasta. It’s going to totally hit the spot! I also ordered the Homemade Basil Lemonade out of curiosity and it was very good and refreshing.
I will definitely be coming back soon!

I had really high expectations for this place because my friend said its one of the best burgers she’s had in NYC, and it was a solid choice. I got the classic burger with bacon (is a burger even worth eating if there’s no bacon?) and a side of fries.
This is by no means gourmet with all the fixings on top, but it was delicious and just what you’re looking for if you want a simple, but great classic burger.
The vibe is very casual with picnic table seating. The service was good and our food came out quick.

Lovely place with lovely faces (like seriously, almost everyone in there was so good-​looking) and of course, delicious food.
I ordered the bronte burger and it was super juicy and savory. I also got the truffle fries (yum) and brussels sprouts. The bsprouts’ flavor was amazing, but my only complaint is that they drenched it in a little too much balsamic. I had to pour some out.
Can’t wait to come back to try all their other burgers and menu items!

Well once again I went to this place because of the good reviews and guess what I wasn’t disappointed :)
We ordered 3 different burgers so delicious
Didn’t even take the time to take a picture sorry guys
You might wait a little bit so go early or late ;)
But they have benches outside ;)

You want a good juicy burger? This is your place.
Wait: they don’t take phone reservations. You have to put your name down and they’ll come get you if you wait outside. Fortunately they have a long wooden bench outside, but unfortunately chances are there will already be a line waiting outside. I got here on a good day and only waited 10 minutes before getting seated with a party of 3.
Space: it’s not big at all. I think it seats maybe 20 max, and tables are very close together.
Food: get the Bronte or whaleys burger. OMG. The patty was to die for. Bronte has a bit of spicy tang to it, whereas the whaleys has a bit of sweetness due to the pineapple. The whaleys burger also comes with fried egg. Add fries — they are truffle fries, which you can’t ever go wrong with. For sides, I’d recommend the Brussels sprouts! I want their recipe. It was so good and portion was bigger than your standard side dishes.
Service: they aren’t snobby like some of the other popular spots are around the area. Waitstaff were super nice and attentive, and speedy about serving water and the dishes. Lady at the counter could use a smile or two, but maybe she was having a bad day.
Overall, pretty epic! Now I have a go to burger spot in soho.

Love this place! Haven’t been here in a while and it’s just as good as I remember!
A bit of Aussie charm with a great vibe, delicious food and a well-​made latte. If you love what tastes like triple fried fries — it’s a must with the accompanying truffle aioli. The cheeseburger with some added bacon is tasty and the hubby is obsessed with the Bronte burger.
Do yourself a favor and get there.

If you live in or around Nolita, chances are you’ve been to Ruby’s. And chances are you’ve sunk your teeth into their Bronte Burger. But aside from that long panini style Aussie meat sandwich, the menu is littered with some of the most delicious salads you’ll find below Houston Street. My favorites include the chicken avocado salad, the shrimp avocado salad (are you noticing a trend here?), and their Tuscan kale salad. I typically never skip the roasted pumpkin as a side either. Such a nice fall treat. They also have a variety of pasta dishes with at least one that’s 100% gluten free.
Seating can be limited at peak times, so your best bet is to pop in a little after lunch time or slightly before/​after the dinner rush. While it’s still lovely out, nab a seat by the window and get an eyeful of the colorful characters that strut their stuff in this SoHo adjacent nabe.

Came here for a late weekday lunch with a friend and I must say, what a hidden gem! The space is very unassuming, simple décor, yet outstanding service and food.
What we ordered:
Chicken avocado salad — flavorful, light, healthy. Great for sharing!
Bronte burger — great flavor, had a hint of sweetness (possibly teriyaki?) overall delicious!
Truffle fries — a MUST!!! Do not skip this. The sauce is TDF (to die for ;)) I literally stopped mid convo after taking a bite because it was so delicious.
Watermelon mint juice — refreshing, great on a hot summer day.
Will definitely be back!

On any given evening or brunch time, you’ll see a large crowd hovering outside of Ruby’s waiting for a table. For that reason it’s not a go-​to of mine even though it’s right in my ‘hood… because when I’m hungry I wait for no man.
But if anyone has senior citizen tendencies like me, I highly recommend dropping in for an early brunch (really a breakfast) or an early bird dinner, because this place is tops. I loved the breakfast bowl, which came with poached eggs, greens, avocado, and tomato… and if you’re feeling frisky go ahead and order the salmon to put on top! It’s a wonderful pile of healthy, delicious food, and a nice departure from the over the top fatty or sickly sweet brunch dishes that I’ve gotten used to by now.
As for the space, it’s newly remodeled and very cute, but as you could probably tell by the crowds outside, pretty small. I love when it’s a warm day and they open their huge windows so it feels like you’re dining al fresco. A wonderful spot to visit if you (1) enjoy hanging around on the street or (2) are smart enough to come at off-​peak hours.

My Burger and the Chicken Salat were really outstanding. Be sure to go for the fancier burgers, the plain one is a bit boring.

Ein absolute Perle in New York. Rubys Café ist ein super süßes und kleines Restaurant in SoHo/​Nolita gelegen. Zwischen Shopping in den angesagten Designe Läden und im Apple Store ;) der Ort zum Entspannen.
Wir waren ca. gegen 6 Uhr abends dort und hatten Glück, dass wir einen Tisch bekommen haben. Denn eine Stunde später war der Laden gerammelt voll. Was auch daran liegen könnte, dass sie nur drei längere Tischbänke haben.
Das Essen ist der Knaller. Mein Freund hatte einen Beef Burger auf Ciabattabrot mit Ruccola und getrockneten Tomaten und ich habe ihn noch NIE so glücklich beim Burger essen gesehen. Die Pasta ist auch absolut empfehlenswert.
Betrieben wird das Rubys von den typischen New Yorker In-​Leuten. Sehr sympathisch, cool aber nicht überzogen.
Herrlich, ich würde am liebsten direkt wieder hin. Ein echter Geheimtipp, fernab von den Touri Fresstempeln!