MANAYUNK

Originally Published in Manayunk.com Magazine

By Leo Dillinger

A wise man once said, “Anything worth doing, is worth doing right.” And Rich Rivera, pitmaster at Rubb, understands that better than anyone.

Rich and his three kids (Tammy, Brandon, and Lauren) don’t need to brag about the excellence of their restaurant. Whether it’s behind the bar or back in the kitchen, the work speaks for itself. Rubb is not merely a place to consume food and drink. It’s an experience for any connoisseur of barbecue, beer, or brown spirits.

After “Q crawling” across the country with his family and tasting the finest BBQ that each state has to offer, Rich crafted a style to call his own. “Rubb” is certainly indicative of the simple method that they use to cook their meat.

“The only thing I can say about our style is that it’s dry rub, low and slow,” Rich said.

And when Rich says slow, he means slow. Their pork is smoked for 12 to 14 hours. Their brisket? 16 hours. By keeping the temperatures low on the beef and pork smokers and maintaining a five-ingredient limit, the kitchen staff emphasize exceptional flavor in their food without overwhelming your taste buds. This is also why you won’t find any BBQ sauce on your meat. Sure, you can add sauce once your meal has reached the table, but the Rivera family recommends first trying the food as is to truly appreciate the savory goodness. After eating a half rack of the St. Louis ribs without adding one drop, I couldn’t have been happier to heed their advice.   

The food at Rubb is always fresh and never frozen. In fact, the only freezers in the entire establishment are the Kold-Draft ice machines located behind the bar. They order the finest Angus beef, Berkshire pork, and free-range, organic chicken and cut them on site in the butcher shop beneath the restaurant. From hand-cut fries to homemade mac and cheese, every aspect of the meal is treated with the respect that your food deserves.  There’s no need for processed proteins or factory-made fixings in this kitchen.

“Our concept is simple,” Rich told me. “Buy the best available ingredients as fresh as possible and execute.”

Every delicious barbecue meal should be paired with one of the numerous drink options Rubb has to offer. With 24 world-class beers on tap, 100 different bottled beers, and a liquor shelf loaded with 200 of the finest brown spirits, Rubb has one of the largest drink selections in Philadelphia.

“The bar in general is focused on the next level of presentation and execution, whether it’s the barware or the way we make our drinks or the ingredients we use,” Rich said. “We’re not trying to compete with Main Street. We’re trying to compete with the city.”

The numerous amenities behind the bar allow the bartenders at Rubb to craft the perfect cocktails. The juices are freshly squeezed. The simple syrup is made in-house. The Rivera family assured there’s no free pouring drinks as they showed me the best tools in the trade.

There are weighted tin shakers, strong enough to withstand the high-end cocktail ice. The seamless Japanese mixing glasses with a pineapple cut bottom actually cooks the cocktail as it’s being stirred. There are 3 oz. glass beakers used for pouring singles and doubles with accuracy. Let’s not forget the prohibition-style glassware that the drinks are poured into. As they revealed one top-of-the-line apparatus after the next, I began to see the bar more like a chemistry lab

The craft beer selection is just as impressive. You’ll find bottles of beer that you’re familiar with, but the real thrill lies in the exploration of Rubb’s uncharted beer-drinking territory. The esoteric beers on tap reflect the many styles across the brewing spectrum that fluctuates throughout the seasons. It doesn’t matter if you prefer pilsners or pale ales. There’s always something new to try.

“We try to make sure we cover as many beer styles as possible,” Rich said. “What we have here, if you like that style, you’re going to like that beer.”

At Rubb, Rich and his family want their customers to have a dining experience that will keep them coming back for more. With fresh, high-caliber barbecue and an endless array of drink possibilities, there is enough at Rubb for anyone to leave satisfied.

“This is a fun family concept that’s everybody food.” Rich said. “I don’t care if you’re three or 83. Barbecue is good ole American everybody food and it’s a perfect concept for a family business.”