Underground Ramen & Taco opened its doors in Rockland County on Friday, July 2. The restaurant, located in Chestnut Ridge, is located at 811 Chestnut Ridge Road.
Hank Barrett opened the location with David Benitelli, who also owns Harvest Moon Caterers. Barrett said he and Benitelli saw an opportunity when the location became available.
He said they saw that they had a niche by opening a place that offers a blend of ramen, tacos, and vegetarian meals.
“With a lot of hard work, everything kind of fell into place," he added.
Some items on the menu include Asian tacos, jerk chicken ramen and a Shoyu ramen dish with jerk chicken, garlic croquettes, and crispy plantains, Barrett said. Other popular dishes include their pork belly bao buns and miso ramen.
Barrett said one of the challenges the business is facing is finding workers. He said currently, they are employing family members and have had to limit hours.
"It is frustrating," he said. "It’s not just frustrating for me. It’s frustrating for the whole industry.”
However, he added that business has been steady, and they hope in the fall the restaurant can begin to offer specials and brunch once they have more workers.
“So far we’ve been pretty fortunate with the feedback we’re getting from the customers," Barrett said.
The restaurant is open Tuesdays from 4 p.m. to 10 p.m., Wednesday through Saturday from noon to 10 p.m., and Sundays from 4 p.m. to 8 p.m.
The restaurant can be reached at 845-262-1283.
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