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Ripple Ray’s is located at 3123 W. Cary St. in Carytown.
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The mural near the stage inside Ripple Ray’s
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The bar inside Ripple Ray’s has been completely renovated.
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Ripple Ray’s is adorned with swirls of color and star-shaped chandeliers.
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There are foldable two- and four-top tables inside Ripple Ray’s to create extra space during live music nights.
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The mural inside Ripple Ray’s features a skyline of Richmond and the famed Dead Rock along the river.
The Grateful Dead made its first appearance in Richmond May 25, 1977, bringing rock ’n’ roll energy and a faithful following of fans to The Mosque (today’s Altria Theater). The raucous, improv-heavy group returned to town for fall concerts from 1983 through 1985 at the Richmond Coliseum. And though the band played its last gig in 1995, diehard Deadheads will say the music never stopped. The tunes are playing locally once more at Ripple Ray’s, a dive bar and restaurant inspired by the seminal jam band, opening in Carytown Friday, Jan. 17.
Located at 3213 W. Cary St., Ripple Ray’s is bringing new life to the former Town Hall and Weezie’s Kitchen space. The venture is helmed by owner Katie Jarvis, a D.C. native experienced behind the bar, formerly clocking in at fast-paced Richmond establishments past and present such as Baja Bean Co., Bandito’s Burrito Lounge, F.W. Sullivan’s, Lady N’awlins and Town Hall.
After moving away from the city for a time, Jarvis, 36, says she had the itch to return to Richmond. Serendipitously, she saw the Town Hall building had hit the market. “I fell in love with the space back then,” says Jarvis, who worked at Town Hall for two years. “When I heard they put it up for sale. I was like, ‘I have to do this.’”
For the past year, Jarvis has put her psychedelic, tie-dyed touch on the building, completing extensive renovations in the kitchen and bathrooms. Star-shaped chandeliers dangle from the ceiling, a “Be Kind” sign hangs behind the bar, and collapsible tables are easily folded into the wall for music performances.
“Ripple” is one of the most popular songs in the Grateful Dead’s vast catalog, one that many fans and fellow musicians played following the death of founding bass player Phil Lesh at the end of October. The song’s lyrics soulfully speak to the subtle impact people can make on one another and the relationship between life and death.
The name of the bar and music venue is not only a nod to the song, but also to Jarvis’ father, Ray, who died when she was young. A Vietnam Veteran, he was also an active scuba diver, and Jarvis says he had an ability to cause “a ripple effect.”
“Music has saved my life in more ways than one,” she says. “It connects every walk of life and people. It’s a common thing that people can just connect with and they feel.”
Entering Ripple Ray’s is like being transported to your hippie uncle’s music den, with an I spy-worthy display of Grateful Dead motifs throughout, from skulls wearing rose crowns to a massive gold-framed painting of the band’s frontman, Jerry Garcia. Made with Lebanese cedar, the 18-seat bar features a wave of colors running through it, cascading hues of pinks, blues, purples and greens.
At the back of the restaurant is a stage with rainbow-splattered school bus backdrop and pages from the 1960s novel “One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest” plastered on the wall. Aboard the bus is a terrapin playing a banjo and a dancing bear behind the wheel. There is also a giant wolf badge — modeled after the cartoon wolf on Jerry Garcia’s guitar — and a Richmond skyline featuring the famed Dead Rock, a rock along the James River rapids at Belle Isle painted with a “steal your face” skull, a symbol of the band.
Jarvis says she hopes to fill the void left by Cary Street Cafe, a neighborhood bar and music venue that was a hangout for local musicians before shuttering in 2021. Her goal is to re-create a place that encompasses a similar feel — solid bar bites, consistent live music and a hub for the community.
“Ever since Cary Street [Cafe] closed, this town has been missing something,” Jarvis says.
Ripple Ray’s plans to offer an all-day “Hippie Hour” and an industry-favorite “Hippie Meal,” aka a shot and a beer, for $5. Imbibers will find a blend of local and domestic offerings.
On the food front, appetizers, or “Micro-doses,” as they’re listed on the menu, include chicken wings; loaded tots dubbed Lot Tots; and basil chimichurri, crispy fried caper and blistered tomato vinaigrette-tossed Brussels sprouts, called Europe ’72 Brussels. Shakedown Sliders are a sampling of mini sandos with fillings including salmon cake; brisket burger; pork belly; and shroom delight, a housemade mushroom patty with tomato and onions. Vegetarian diners can also find crispy fried cauliflower served with Buffalo, honey barbecue, Chesapeake dry rub or adobo sauces.
Jarvis says they have a smoker out back, lovingly named “Bertha,” and they plan to smoke everything from brisket to pork belly and salmon. Handhelds include the Mama Fried Chicken sandwich, Dire Wolf Brisket Cheesesteak and a vegan mushroom patty called Trippin’ on Shrooms. Among the entrees, find a seafood-heavy polenta, sausage and peppers, a smoked brisket platter with mac and cheese and green beans, and more.
Jarvis says she wants Ripple Ray’s to be a welcoming, music-centric neighborhood spot with live music, open mic nights and an approachable menu, and that she’s simply enjoying the ride.
“When I first moved to this town, what I fell in love with was those mom-and-pop type places that you walk in and you’re like, automatically family, like it’s your second home,” Jarvis says. “I’m trying to bring that back, and I want this to be a safe space for people. I want it to be a home for people. And I want people, you know, to be family.”
For its first month, Ripple Ray’s will be open daily from 4 p.m. to 2 a.m., then Tuesday through Friday from 11 a.m. to 2 a.m. and Saturday and Sunday from 10 a.m. to 2 a.m., with brunch on the weekends. On opening night, live music starts at 9 p.m. from Wolph, followed by a performance from The Hashbury Collective on Jan. 18.