It’s been a long time since I’ve been back at Hellbender, and wow. I swear it was even better than the first time I’ve been! It’s a classic NYC spot in Ridgewood, and it is worth the trip. What started as just a bar became a full-blown restaurant because of how popular the food got.

***Honeymoon $17 & Devil Disco $16***

The cocktails here are a **MUST ORDER!** My personal favorites are the **devil disco**- spicy tequila, aperol, coconut, passion fruit liqueur, lemon, and **honeymoon**-white rum, midori, falernum, branca menta, honeydew, coconut, lime, and mint.

***watermelon and spicy pineapple margaritas $15***

But I'm going to throw out that all their margaritas, whether you get it spicy or not, are FABULOUS!

***Chamoy Watermelon $9***

Time to talk about what you have to order. First off, you better come hungry! Starting with the **chamoy watermelon, guacamole,** and fried Oaxacan cheese, all three are just perfect. I could rave about this chamoy watermelon all day… It’s simple but refreshing, light, and a delicious way to start your night.

Moving onto the guacamole, I’m normally a bit picky with my guac, but wow, it was perfectly chunky, seasoned, and they make their chips in-house!

***Fried Oaxacan Cheese $14***

The fried Oaxacan cheese is a hellbender staple, and YOU MUST ORDER THEM! They are not only the perfect bar snack, but a **superior version of fried mozzarella sticks.** Ooey-gooey goodness is what these are, perfectly battered and fried, making it the perfect bite here at Hellbender.

***Summer Melon Aguachile $20***

Now moving onto the bigger plates, we started with the summer melon aguachile, which, I am not going to lie it was not my favorite bite of the night. The fish was super fresh and prepared well. I think I just do not love the flavor of honeydew and felt it overpowered the dish a bit! But if you are a honeydew melon lover, this is probably going to be a perfect bite for you!

And if you guys have learned anything about me from reading NABI, I LOVE TACOS! The lamb tacos were just perfect. The lamb was seasoned and cooked to perfection, and the housemade corn tortillas with their spicy, zesty avocado salsa are so flavorful and delicious. Now I got to say I was shocked and quite blown away by their mushroom tacos… hear me out, guys… If I ever went vegetarian, I gotta say these tacos would have me back here so often! The mushrooms had great flavor, mixing with the tahini and lime, creating a delicious bite, and were really worth ordering!

***mushroom (top left) $14 / lamb (bottom right) $16***

My next opinion will be a bit controversial to those of you who love this spot… I did order the pork ribs al pastor, and it was good, but out of everything, I wouldn’t care to order it again? Do not get me wrong, it’s spicy, flavorful and the pineapple adds the perfect touch of sweetness, but I don’t know. It just did not blow me out of the water? I would have preferred it on a taco rather than rib form, I think. But if it’s your first time here, definitely get them because it is a staple, and please let me know what you think! The meat is super tender, falls off the bone, and don’t sleep on the spice because it definitely has a kick.

Finally for dessert, we have their iconic churros, and guys… I LITERALLY WOULD DIE FOR THESE CHURROS! Oh my goodness.. They were deliciously coated in sugar, fried to perfection, and this blueberry compote was the best addition to balance this dessert. When you come here, I do not care how full you are, just trust, and get these churros! I am not even a churro lover, but wow, these really changed my mind.

Overall, my experience at Hellbender was amazing and worth the long train ride to Ridgewood. This is one of those classic New York spots that I think everyone should visit, not only for the friendly staff and delicious food, but this area has quite a few amazing restaurants that people need to add to their lists.

HELLBENDER

Punch That Ramen!