Rye House

Rye House

11 West 17^th Street

New York City

212-255-7260

Last night I went with a good friend from The Box to Rye House, a new spot just off of Union Square.  It was awesome.  When we went in, co-owner Julio Herencia sat us… He was really friendly and hospitable.  He told us all about how they have only been open for 55 days, how well things are going, and even all about how everything on the menu is made fresh and in-house.  Not only did he hook us up with a Creole Daiquiri because we “had” to try it, but he even told us a cool story about meeting Tito from Tito’s Vodka when we noticed it on the list. (Tito’s Vodka is probably the best vodka ever if you’ve never had it- tastes like water and there’s no hangover…)

The drinks we decided to try were The Mansfield, Apple seed Cobbler, and the Creole Daiquiri, all of which were awesome.  The Creole Daiquiri was our favorite though, Julio recommended having just one… we had about six.

The menu at Rye House is very American, “Pittsburg Style” according to Urban Daddy.  Now, while they do have a Pittsburg Sandwich on the menu, with bites like boiled peanuts, corn dogs, and a crayfish po boy, I would consider it more of an east-coast American place rather than just Pittsburg.

To start, we shared the Sloppy Joe Sliders and the Rye House Corn Dog.  Both were really good and the presentation was, with a little improvisation, ummm…. Entertaining?  I also think it is a really cool move to have a corn dog on the menu.

Next were some boiled peanuts and an onion tart.  The onion tart was ok and the boiled peanuts were just really fun, a treat I last had on the side of a highway in South Carolina.

We finished with the Pittsburg Sandwich, a Sausage and French Fry combo that was new to me but also pretty tasty.

The décor of Rye House is modern but cozy.  The front seems like just a bar but the back opens up into a full dining room, complete with high-sided banquette booths, which make eating feel a little more private than usual.

I will definitely go back to Rye House and definitely recommend it anyone who wants to try a new place.  It’s a great spot and around Union Square, where, in my opinion, there aren’t many other new/trendy/different options.  Our entire experience was so nice. The atmosphere is welcoming, the food is a really nice interpretation of things we’ve all grown up with, and the drinks are delicious. We left feeling really happy and satisfied.

Drinks and dinner at Rye House: yessss please.

BY: LAUREN BROWN