open sunday & monday
From 11am - 2pm (or until sold out)
As we continue to let demand dictate the speed in which we grow, we’re still in the process of finding the groove that works for us and the community as well.
For the time being, we will be open on SUNDAYS and MONDAYS from 11am until 2pm (or when sold out), and we’ll be featuring our Signature Prime Brisket, Carolina Pulled Pork, and Tamed Caribbean Jerk Chicken.
We’ll also feature our popular Calypso Baked Beans, Carolina Apple Slaw, and house-baked Honey Cornbread. For BBQ sauces, all three varieties will be available…Classic Inland, Pineapple Bourbon, and our blazing hot Drunken Reaper.
OUR STORY BEGINS
After 18 long months of complete renovations, we managed to turn an empty shell into our own lil’ BBQ haven.
We held our very first pop-up on June 8th, and while I was terrified and equally excited to share these flavor profiles, the positive feedback has been so motivating.
We’re going to continue to introduce ourselves to the community with random pop-ups until we can gauge popularity, demand, and the best days to open.
We’re currently featuring three of our handcrafted BBQ sauces, including Classic Inland, Pineapple Bourbon, and Drunken Reaper, which is blended with the brutally satisfying heat of Carolina Reaper peppers.
Now that we’re opening on more of a regular basis, we’ll not only offer several ‘anytime’ options, but we’ll also showcase new coastal BBQ flavors from the Hawaiian Islands, the Caribbean, and the Carolinas on a rotating basis.
Everything we serve…from our mains to our sides to our craft BBQ sauces…is prepared daily in-house using fresh produce, quality ingredients, and premium meats. All of this combines to create a vibrant taste and amazing flavors.
Thank you all SO MUCH for your support and kind words. We’re in it for the long haul and look forward to bringing even more coastal flavors to the area.
We look forward to welcoming you to Riptide Coastal BBQ!
RIPTIDE BBQ Q&A
Here are answers to some common questions I’ve received during our 18-month build. Have a question? I’m here to help! Please message hello@riptidebbq.com and I’ll get back to you asap!
WHY ARE YOU ONLY OPEN A FEW DAYS A WEEK?
While I absolutely LOVE this place, it’s in addition to my real job and my family. We’ve always been family-first, and as our daughter enters her senior year of high school, we need to work around her soccer season and school obligations. Once her Fall season concludes, we will be able to add more days.
We opted for Sundays and Mondays based on community feedback saying there aren’t a lot of local lunch options on those days. So, until we can better gauge demand, we’re going to roll with lunch service unless we do a special evening pop-up event.
Can’t make it for lunch? If you can’t make it during our lunch hours and need to grab your order in the evening, we can arrange a later pick up. Just email eat@riptidebbq.com and we’ll make it happen!
WILL YOU EVER BE OPEN EVERY DAY?
No, but hear me out. 🙂
First, we’re not a franchise or a chain restaurant with a deep bench of managers and employees. We’re a family that has called Seneca Falls home for more than 14 years, and “family first” has always been our mantra. As such, there will be occasions when we close due to family needs or commitments.
Second, because everything is prepared in-house, we need to set aside days for prep, ‘real job’ obligations, and relaxation (ha! what’s that like?).
HOW DID THIS ALL COME ABOUT?
The super fast version? It’s been a dream of mine to have a food truck as a lil’ side hustle since I first worked on one at 10 years old. I loved every second of it and that nostalgia never left my mind. Fast forward several decades, I decided that life was too short to go through it with the regret of never starting. So, merging my love for coastal flavors with my love for slow-smoked bbq, I decided to let the dream guide me.
Unfortunately, there were more than a few hurdles:
- While I could stand fully upright in a food truck when I was ten years old, I’m 6’8″, and I simply couldn’t stand up fully in the trucks I visited.
- Food trucks are typically seasonal, especially in our climate, and I wanted to be able to go all year ’round.
- With a food truck, you still need a commissary kitchen…a place to store and prep and call your home base.
These in mind, I decided to keep the food truck concept, but do it in a building so that I could 1) stand up straight; 2) operate all year; and 3) have everything in one place. So, while our hours and pop-ups and processes will mirror those of a food truck, we hope to eventually expand to typical restaurant hours. Demand will tell.
(I promise this was the super fast version).
WHAT IS COASTAL BBQ?
In short, it’s BBQ based on popular flavors from island and coastal regions around the world. While nothing can compare to the kind of authenticity you’d enjoy while standing on their beaches, we’ve long been inspired by their cuisine, techniques, and ingredients. And *this* is what we try and share through our slow-smoked BBQ.
Our rotating menu will feature dishes and flavors from the Hawaiian Islands, the Caribbean, the Carolinas, and more…even Louisiana when we heat up our iron kettles to prepare jambalaya. Our coastal BBQ will bring delicious flavor profiles using only fresh produce, premium meats, and in-house seasonings, sauces, and marinades.
DO YOU HAVE THE BEST BBQ IN THE WORLD?
Three of the most controversial topics out there are politics, religion, and BBQ…not necessarily in that order. We’ll certainly work hard to slow-smoke our way into your hearts with fresh produce, prime meats, and coastal and island-influenced flavors, but there are hundreds of amazing BBQ joints around the country, including several in our own area, and they’re all inspirations to me.
BBQ is subjective. No matter what’s served, or by whom, some may say it’s too smoky, whereas others may think it’s not smoky enough. Some may think a dish is too spicy while others are wanting even more heat.
At Riptide Coastal BBQ, you’ll experience our own twist on coastal and island favorites. Flavors will range from citrusy to spicy, from sweet to heat, from smoky to savory, and from mild to tongue-melting.
We’re excited to bring our concept to you and hope you embrace our dream just as much as we have.
DO YOU OFFER DELIVERY?
Not yet. Shortly after we hold our grand opening, delivery will become available, but we aren’t able to provide it during meat-up events.
Once we start offering delivery, we don’t plan on using third-party apps like Door Dash or Grub Hub. The mark-ups are pretty crazy in relation to the reliability, and we’d rather provide value whenever possible, so we’ll be sourcing our own delivery options.
DO YOU OFFER CATERING?
Yes and no. Yes in the sense that we can provide and package anything from our full menu for your occasion or event with enough notice. And no in the sense that we don’t offer full-service catering. We can have all the trays and boxes ready for you, but the serving, plates, and utensils would be up to you.
DO YOU OFFER GLUTEN FREE OPTIONS?
All menu items (except our regular sandwich buns) are prepared without any gluten-containing ingredients. Even our honey cornbread is gluten free, but you’d never know it. If you happen to follow a gluten free diet, no worries, gluten-free buns will be available.
Please note that while our pre-packaged treats and chips are also gluten-free, they may contain other potential food allergens (i.e. nuts, dairy). See each product’s packaging for full details.
DO YOU HAVE INDOOR SEATING?
While primarily intended for takeaway, delivery, and catering, we do have limited seating available. With three 2-person tables and a bar counter, we can accommodate up to 10 people inside, but we do plan on adding a few outdoor tables and chairs when the weather cooperates (which isn’t too often in the Finger Lakes).
Be part of our journey!
Since the day we first brought a 2×4 into the space to begin our build, we’ve had one thing on our mind…you! We hope to earn your kudos and recommendations through delicious slow-smoked BBQ, fresh sides, and housemade sauces.
We hope our laid back vibe and friendly service will earn some smiles…even when the lines are long or our food is sold out. We’re kinda navigating this journey together…so please bear with us as we get our ‘sea legs’ and determine how to adjust our opening days and times based on interest and demand.
We look forward to welcoming you and we look even more forward to having you with us as we learn, grow, and perfect our processes.