Cancel

    Open app

    Search

    Hellbender

    4.3 (106 reviews)
    Closed 5:00 pm - 10:00 PM

    Hellbender Photos

    Business Info

    HELLBENDER ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Hipster
    Trendy
    Outdoor seating

    You might also consider

    Recommended Reviews - Hellbender

    Your trust is our priority, so businesses can't pay to alter or remove their reviews. Learn more about reviews.
    Yelp app icon
    Browse more easily on the app
    Review Feed Illustration

    Reviews With Photos

    Queso Fritos
    Jessica G.

    The food here is 10/10, no wonder it's hard to get a reservation for weekend brunch. my friend and I got there 15 minutes before opening and there was already a line outside. Get the pancake, it's a must!

    Chicken milanesa
    Jenny J.

    Service was great and friendly. Had a reservation and they sat us down promptly. Parking wasn't great --street parking. The streets are very narrow but that's not their fault. They had specials [mostly seafood]. Menu seems to change often. Didn't love the menu this time. The ceviche kind of just tasted like a cucumber. The chicken milanesa had great flavor but you just get chicken for $32. Got the beans on the side but eh .. they needed cheese or something. Lump crab quesadilla was fine. Best part was my michelada -- very happy with that. Very limey and spicy and tajin-y. The brunch menu seems very good would rather try that. Cute regular place with a cool tiger on the wall.

    Cynthia L.

    Lives up to the hype. My friend and I used to live in this area and I am reminded about the parking situation in Ridgewood. Other than that the textures and flavors are completely unreal. I've never drooled over such a place after my first visit this badly for the past few years.

    100% lived up to my high expectations! The service was great and prompt, but not in a rushing way. The food stellar. We had the chips and guac (a Mexican restaurant MUST) and the Tuna Carpaccio to start. Both were delicious and the perfect entry point to the meal. The appetizers and cocktails came out simultaneously and complimented each other. I recommend the Mezcal centric ones. For entrées we had the arctic char and pork chops. The pork chops were perfectly tender and had a rich, decadent unctuousness due to the brown butter it was cooked and soaking in. The arctic char was cooked PERFECTLY and so well flavored. It paired wonderfully with the pea tendrils giving it an herbaceous earthiness that accentuated the delightful salinity of the fish, which which somewhere between salmon and trout flavor wise. You need to complete the experience by getting the poblano infused rice and refried beans and OF COURSE their exceptional heirloom masa tortillas tying it all together. Can't wait to come back for brunch next and try those masa pancakes!

    Shrimp Tacos
    Carin R.

    Cute local bar and restaurant in Ridgewood. It's smart to make reservations especially for brunch and dinner times. The tables are pretty close together so keep secrets till later. The food is comforting and thoughtfully done but felt portions were on the small side. We ordered the egg tostada, shrimp tacos, and a side of potatoes to share. I loved the adorable little cow milk pitcher. It just made me smile. The servers were kind and attentive even though they were pretty slammed.

    Oyster mushroom tacos
    Vishnu G.

    The food is alright, but the portions are quite small and the prices are very high. This is probably a spot to grab a drink and a small plate instead of a full meal. There's a decent selection of small plates for vegetarians. The oyster mushroom tacos ($14) were very flavorful, and nice fusiony flavors from the sesame and Thai basil. The tortillas tasted fresh as well. The empanada ($23) was the only vegetarian large plate, and totally missed the mark. The pops of Thai basil made things interesting, and the salsa verde on the side was nice and tart, but overall it's just a bunch of cheese in a fried corn shell. I really don't think this item works as an entree. The bill came out to $48 after tax and tip, which is pretty outrageous. The tacos were tasty enough to improve my overall impression from disappointed to just mixed.

    Pancakes
    Keshia C.

    The service was great and I came here under the recommendation of a random doom scroll on YouTube. However, the soft scramble tostada was very greasy with chili oil. That was a turn off for me but the fried oaxacan cheese was good. The pancakes were okay!

    Chilaquiles 10/10
    Patricia N.

    Walked in for brunch on a Friday and got seated right away. Endive salad was very refreshing and it was a big portion. Masa pancakes were so different and very tasty. Perfectly crisp with a soft center. Chilaquiles were my favorite! Perfectly season and all around well balanced. Would be back to try their dinner menu.

    Lauren S.

    I almost don't want to write this review, because I want to still be able to get a table here, but... Wow. Hellbender is a gem. Came here for a friend's birthday dinner and was amused at all the things that seemingly didn't go together: the name "hellbender" itself, the giant leopard statue in the wall, Mexican food... what do these things have to do with one another? It doesn't matter. It works. We ordered almost everything and shared, so I got to try a good portion of the menu. Every dish was outstanding. The only one I wasn't enamored with was the mushroom tacos, but my friends loved them, so I think it was just a matter of taste. The fish here deserves recognition, because it's so incredibly fresh that the flavor is just better than other places where you can get seafood. Plus the bright Mexican flavors and creative combinations of ingredients are what really makes this place stand out. The drinks were delicious as well. I honestly can't wait to come back!

    Heirloom Masa Pancakes
    LeeLee S.

    We went for brunch and had a wonderful time! My husband was dying to go. We had been following Hellbender on instagram for a while so finally my husband made a reservation. We got there a little early so we went over to the bar and got a drink before being seated. When our take was ready they were able to transfer our bar bill to our table bill. There were so many dishes we wanted to try so we ordered a bunch of food and shared it. We loved everything we got. It's a very cute restaurant, service was great as well as the food and drinks. We would 100% go back.

    Pancakes
    Gab G.

    Big fan of Rolo's and was excited to try their other spot. Made a reservation for brunch and had a fantastic meal here! I tried: + Fried oaxacan cheese + Heirloom masa pancakes + Soft scramble egg tostada The fried cheese and the pancakes were the best, but the tostada was also great. Cocktails looked awesome. Will return for dinner.

    Mushroom tacos
    James S.

    Food: 3.5/5 Service: 3/5 Ambiance: 3/5 Value: 3/5 The crispy lamb shoulder was ok but underwhelming considering it was named one of the "Best New Dishes Of 2024" by The Infatuation. It was mostly green beans. Some lamb pieces were tender, some were dry. Mushroom tacos were alright. Hibiscus soda was decent but maybe slightly too sweet. It is a very loud restaurant. Very dark too. Server disappeared on me when I wanted to get a box to go and check out the dessert menu. $75.78 including tax and tip for what I got was kind of pricey too.

    Alan S.

    Eating at Hellbender, I feel like I'm at the hippest restaurant of an up-and-coming Midwest downtown. Toledo maybe? But for New York standards, dinner was a little underwhelming after we made the trek out to Ridgewood. The entree-sized cheese empanada was the best of what we ordered, and tasted a bit like a pizza fritta. The oyster mushroom tacos were slightly hard to chew, and the fried queso fresco starter was unmemorable. I am glad we stuck around for dessert. The churros paired with whipped cream and blueberries served as an excellent nightcap.

    See all

    7 months ago

    Fakest, blandest food in ridgewood, go anywhere else. Service is also bad with inattentive staff

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    1 year ago

    Helpful 3
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 2

    1 year ago

    Helpful 2
    Thanks 1
    Love this 1
    Oh no 0

    1 year ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    2 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    1 year ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 1
    Photo of V K.
    0
    2
    0

    9 months ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    11 months ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0
    Photo of Jake R.
    2
    148
    3

    1 year ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 1
    Love this 1
    Oh no 1

    11 months ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    5 months ago

    food amazing , server was so great my partner wanted to hire him for his restaurant in Manhattan

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0
    Photo of Sean M.
    25
    14
    1

    2 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    2 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 1
    Love this 0
    Oh no 2

    1 year ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    2 years ago

    Helpful 13
    Thanks 1
    Love this 6
    Oh no 5
    Photo of E J.
    0
    183
    0

    1 year ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    2 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 1

    1 year ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    2 years ago

    The food is so delicious. Do NOT skip out on those churros and homemade whip cream the vibe is cute for girls night or a date

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 1
    Oh no 0

    1 year ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0
    Photo of Bianca M.
    388
    53
    0

    2 years ago

    Helpful 7
    Thanks 3
    Love this 3
    Oh no 6

    2 years ago

    Food was good. If you're a beer drinker the glass doesn't match the "usual" beer glass Service was good

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    2 years ago

    Great space! Super fun food! So glad to have a new place in the neighborhood. And finally somewhere to get a bite to eat after 9:00

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0
    Photo of eleni g.
    300
    19
    3

    2 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0
    Photo of Eric S.
    449
    40
    0

    2 years ago

    Great energy. Great people. Cool spot - so much potential. Food and drinks really on point. Music and vibes are fun.

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    2 years ago

    Amazing ambiance and design. Great margaritas and the best Henny Colada you'll ever have

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 3

    Page 3 of 3

    Ask the Community - Hellbender

    You might also consider

    Verify this business for free

    People searched for Mexican 105,315 times last month within 15 miles of this business.

    Verify this business

    The Bad Old Days

    The Bad Old Days

    4.3(64 reviews)
    0.4 miRidgewood
    $$

    According to the Internet, this is the #1 bar in Ridgewood, so I decided to check it out with BF…read moreafter dinner at Rolo's. The bar is a bit on the smaller side in terms of seating, but it has a TON of personality. I loved the eclectic decorations and knickknacks around the seating areas and the bar. The bartender had the TV tuned in to Jeopardy, so my inner (or extremely obvious?) nerd was beaming. In terms of the drinks themselves, I tried the cocoa orange whiskey (?) infusion on the rocks, and my BF had the chipotle paloma. We would both say they were solid, definitely not at "craft cocktail" level, but decent. This bar has a fun + dive-y feel - the kind of place where you get a beer, a plate of chicken nuggets, and watch trash tv with your neighborhood crew (I think they actually do have people who have a weekly Bachelorette viewing during the week). Definitely worth checking out if you're already in the area and looking for ~vibes.~

    I've spent a decent amount of time in Ridgewood and unsurprisingly, much of that time has been here…read moreat The Bad Old Days. I've had a number of drinks here and it's been a great meeting spot for late night occasions, especially ones that revolve around a good drink. No doubt it's one of the more underrated nightlife venues in the borough. The setup feels like something out of a Brooklyn type bar - pseudo hipster vibe, casual environment with the whole board games and stacks of books all within a space that is well divided to give a different feel in each corner of the small'ish interior. Like a living room extension but with adult company. Of course, the bar is the most prominent thing in the room and it's a great place to chill as a solo patron. Groups can congregate in the lounge-y areas but the feel is remarkably different depending on where one choses to hang. On a beverage front, there is no shortage of quality drinks to be had. The cocktails are well made and not expensive; the bartenders do a good job of making sure each drink carries a certain kind of potency before leaving the bar. The happy hours are lovely as well, combined with a good deals ($5 shot + beer special, $5 cocktails, etc.) and even better hours (2-8pm!). Lastly, I appreciate a good name. Bad Old Days can be interpreted in many facets, but I think this establishment prides itself on good company and somehow rewards us with simple, good drinks. Bring a friend or three, enjoy the random movies that get projected onto the wall, and enjoy a late night capper in a quiet part of an emerging part of Queens.

    Photos
    The Bad Old Days
    The Bad Old Days - Library

    Library

    The Bad Old Days - I'm loving the 'BAR' sign outside.

    See all

    I'm loving the 'BAR' sign outside.

    Rolo's - Double cheeseburger

    Rolo's

    4.4(516 reviews)
    0.1 miRidgewood
    $$$

    Returned for dinner after a few years and it's still 5 stars for me. This time, I tried:…read more + Calabrian chili butter polenta bread + Leafy green and herb salad + Rigatoni + Lasagne verde bolognese + Pork tbone + Rhubarb almond tart + Black Forest ice cream cake Top highlights were the lasagne and pork. Salad, rigatoni and desserts were also great. Can skip the bread.

    Overhyped? Hell yeah. Worth the schlep all the way to Queens? Eeeehhh, not really…read more Service was...odd. Felt so unnatural and choreographed. Every staff member was super young--barely legal or not even. Every interaction felt like staff were practicing their lines, playing a role in a play, and us, customers, were just cast. Waiters and buss boys were speaking to us like we were dumb/deaf/on the spectrum/high/drunk. It was so disconcerting. Never had such weird experience. Made me so uncomfortable. We were the first ones in the door with 11am reservation on a Saturday. The place filled up quickly. High noise level. Not the best for large groups. The burgers sell out quickly, as only 68 are prepared daily, so we snagged those right away. So delicious. Double smashed cheeseburger--simple and satisfying. Very rich. Would return for this again. French toast was disappointing. Looked pretty but tasted of nothing. It wasn't French toast in a traditional preparation: it was bread pudding cut into a slice and drizzled with syrup and served French toast style. The texture was of a moist but bland bread pudding. Utterly disappointing. Skip. War potatoes (crispy potatoes that are served as a side, with a dollop of super spicy sauce) were very tasty. Double or triple fried to a crispy perfection. Love me some perfectly crisp potatoes. These are super caloric, so prepare for some heartburn after. Ask for war sauce on the side because it is SPICY. House made pistachio gelato was superb. So many pistachios--I'd eat this daily and would return for this!

    Photos
    Rolo's - Beautiful bar

    Beautiful bar

    Rolo's - Mrs. Crispy

    Mrs. Crispy

    Rolo's - Sweet cream cherry crumble

    See all

    Sweet cream cherry crumble

    Hellbender - mexican - Updated May 2026

    Loading...
    Loading...
    Loading...