
Rippers
The Rockaway boardwalk is the new Bedford Avenue, if Rippers is anything to go by. Launched in 2011 by the crews behind Roberta’s and the Meat Hook, this rowdy, neon-hued snack shack attracts tattooed folks fresh off the A train. Huddle under galvanized-steel shade structures for juicy, grass-fed burgers on Martin’s potato buns ($7.50), snappy, all-beef Meat Hook franks with zippy kraut ($4) and cold pineapple-coconut smoothies ($6). The patty-joint fare demands a bit of a wait—potatoes are cut right before frying—and lines regularly wind down to the sand, but a kitschy ’80s soundtrack (the Go-Go’s, the Buggles) and a communal beer funnel keep spirits sunny. 718-634-3034, 86badvibes.com.—CI