Jester’s Dive Bar

Locals and visitors alike recently bid a fond farewell to Ric Rutherford’s venerable Rio Station restaurant and are saying a fond hello to Jester’s Dive Bar, Rio Grande’s new eatery on Route 9. Owners Bill and Megan Bumbernick, who opened Jester’s in April of 2023, also own Surfing Pig and The Swine Bar in Wildwood. Initially, the Bumbernicks thought of demolishing the Rio Station building, but walking into Jester’s today, we see that the original building was given new life and most notably, new light. They removed the separating wall between the dining room and the smallish bar, and now it’s a huge open space, well-lit but still cozy.

My dining companion Reginald and I arrived early on a Tuesday night and sat in one of the large booths in the dining room, sort of at the center of things. Little did we know it was Jester’s popular/regular Trivia Night; more on that later.

We had pre-gamed and perused the menu prior to our arrival, and I knew exactly what I wanted to order. Reginald, as always, deliberated longer than my 30 seconds—and then longer after we arrived. Jake, our affable, cool server, walked us through the menu and took our drink order: a root beer and a Heineken Zero. Selections made, we waited with bated breath for our “small plate” and soup-to-share, the Jester Steamers, and the French Onion Soup.

The steamers arrived in a huuuge shallow bowl and were mounded high with cute littleneck steamers in a pond of a lemon, garlic, and white wine sauce, with lemon wedges. This was also served with toasted ciabatta bread, for the dipping. The Jester Steamers were tender, tasty, and for an appetizer, very generously portioned. This along with soup or a salad would certainly serve as a full meal. Note that the appetizer selection has much to offer, like Loaded Tots, Buffalo Chicken Dip, and even a seared Ahi Tuna starter.

Next, the French Onion Soup was a delicious, melty crock of goodness. I mean, can a restaurant ever go wrong with this soup on the menu? Why, yes. Yes, it can. It has to be done right. The broth must be house-made, not Better-Than-Beef Bouillon paste. The onions must be soft with the outer tough layers shunned and unused. The cheese (in my humble opinion) needs to be gruyere. Oft seen is parmesan, mozzarella, and even provolone, but it’s the nutty flavor of the gruyere really makes the soup art. So, in the ways FOS can go south, Jester’s version does not.

Just about halfway through our soup and steamers, it began. Trivia Night. I thought we’d be on the Annoying Bus while trying to enjoy our dinner, but we decided to join in. We grabbed our answer sheet and pen and tucked in for the festivities. We were on it. We answered all the first-round questions correctly. And then all of the second-round questions. Victorious. But we left, agreeing to come back on another Tuesday because we were so buoyed by our smarty pants-ness.

For our entrées, I chose the Sliced Brisket Platter, which comes with three huge (approximately ½-inch) slices of juicy house-smoked brisket and two sides. I chose coleslaw and baked beans. You can choose other sides from their list, which features cornbread, fries, tots, onion rings, and cucumber salad. Back to the brisket. Holy smoky yums. Perfectly wrought. Tender, moist, and over-the-top delicious. Even with all the other menu choices (tacos, burgers, wings, sammies, sloppy joes, salads, and cheesesteaks) I would dub the brisket platter “my usual” and was delighted to take half of it home for next-day grazing.

Reginald decided on the BBQ Ribs and Tips Platter, choosing sides of cornbread and cucumber salad. This would be three fall-off-the-bone BBQ ribs and “Burnt Ends.” The ribs were nothing short of succulent, and the burnt ends of brisket were amazing. It was like BBQ pork belly well-done. Well done in every way.

Now bursting at the seams, we thought we could fit just a few more bites. And those bites would be dessert. Carrot Cake dessert bites. Cream cheese icing on perfectly moist cake ended a most enjoyable Jester’s experience.

Jester’s Dive bar is always lively. The parking lot—you will see if you go—is always full. And for good reason—Jester’s has a lot to offer. There’s of course Tuesday Trivia Night. And there’s the live music lineup (always 8-11pm) which is listed on their website. The Animal House Band plays every Friday, and local favorites such as Subliminal Message, Fat Mezz, and Fuzzy Bunny Slippers.

Be sure to take advantage of their Happy Hours, Monday-Friday from 3-6pm, and their all-day Sunday Funday Happy Hour, offering lunch and dinner specials. Even without discounts, their pricing at any time is very reasonable.

So, go! You won’t be disappointed. Not even joking.