The Ripa family comes from the Marche region of Italy . . . a resort region on the Adriatic Sea known for its great food. Harry Ripa, founder of Ripa’s Restaurant opened his first business in the late 1940s on Main Street in Depew where he became known for his superb baked stuffed shrimp. In 1953, Harry purchased an old school house, which is our present location, and renovated the building. In 1955, he opened as Ripa’s . . . his “Dream–come-true”! The gondola and zodiac signs you will see on the walls were hand molded by Uncle Harry and his good friend, Giovanni Ferrantino, and continue to be a major part of the décor.

In 1966, following the sudden and untimely death of Harry Ripa, the business was re-opened under the ownership of Harry’s two nephews . . . Ray and Ennio Ripa. Since then, two more major renovations have taken place and we’ve grown into a 120-seat restaurant with a full service bar. In 1988, we added a separately staffed banquet facility, including kitchen and bar, to accommodate up to 240 guests. At the same time, we completely renovated the existing restaurant kitchen and bar.

In 2001, after many years of working part-time for his Dad and his Uncle, Ray’s son Tony joined the staff as full time Manager . . . the third generation. And, in 2012/2013, we completely remodeled the restaurant and banquet room.

We still make our own pastas and sauces right here according to original family recipes, as well as other notable specialties and popular items. The Baked Stuffed Shrimp, which Harry Ripa made so popular, are still prepared to his original recipe. Our unique Char-broiled fish (“imitated by many but duplicated by none”), our extra thick Char-grilled pork chops and Roseann’s homemade gnocchi have earned us accolades and local awards and contributed to a menu that has earned Ripa’s a steady fan base for over 60 years.

We can host your wedding reception, reunion, shower, anniversary, birthday, communion/confirmation receptions, business meetings, memorial receptions and all of your celebrations. We are known for our attention to detail. If it’s important to you, it’s important to us! Call and talk to Tony to discuss your next event.

Until then, please know that we remain faithful to Uncle Harry’s dream . . . "A commitment to bring people together, serving quality food in warm and friendly surroundings."

We look forward to seeing you soon...Buon Appetito!

Sincerely,
Ennio, Ray and Tony Ripa

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