It’s not easy to find food for delivery in Easthampton that goes much beyond pizza, subs or Chinese takeout. But for the past year and a half, a beacon of hope has shown its light of fabulous variety through the murky perpetual night of soy sauce and mozzarella cheese.
Riff’s Joint, located on Union Street, will pack so many options into a delivery container than even the pickiest and most epicurean late-night (or afternoon) dialers will find it hard to not fancy at least one option. Pizza, burgers, sandwiches, wraps, salads, subs, chili and quesadillas all come in an average of five varieties, with such imaginative flavor combinations that they must be visited weekly by the ingredient fairy.
A fan of the Vietnamese food aesthetic? The Banh Mi Burger is made with garlic chili mayo, pickled veggies, cucumber, lettuce and fresh cilantro, a “riff” on the traditional baguette sandwich. Like Cuban? Try the Little Havana Wrap, with roasted pork, spicy chorizo sausage, Swiss cheese, pickles and mustard, pressed on a hoagie roll (and being from Philly, I give these guys extra props for calling it a hoagie roll)!
How about a Mexican-style Caesar salad (the Julio Caesar Salad) with romaine lettuce, chipotle-lime Caesar, parmesan, grilled onion, roasted poblano peppers and crisp tortilla strips? Add a little steak, chicken, veggie chili or black bean patty for an extra $2.50 and you’ve got quite a meal. Another highlight of the Riff’s option machine: sweet potato fries.
Though Riff’s staff don’t locally source their ground beef, they do take care to use only all-natural, hormone- and additive-free Meyer Natural Angus ground beef, and roast their own whole turkeys for their New Yorker Sandwich and Alamo Turkey Wrap. They also make their own veggie burgers from black beans, onions, peppers, salsa and bread crumbs.
While Riff’s may look like a chain (its striking, brightly colored logo, designed by Easthampton’s own Pro Mark Graphics, is quite eye-catching), it’s not. Its co-owners, Rich Lyman and Jeff Cahill, were the force behind the once-treasured Myers Eatery in Northampton, and in fact still run Myers Catering, which has been chugging along since the ’90s. Both have spent most of their lives in Easthampton, and their combined names RIch and jeFF provide the somewhat mundane answer to the question of where the restaurant’s name came from.
Though cherished most (by us Advocate staff who live in Eho, anyway) for its free delivery (with a $10 minimum purchase), which ranges from Easthampton and Southampton to Northampton and Holyoke, Riff’s also has a dine-in/take-out option. Lyman says that the bulk of their business is still non-delivery purchases, for which they owe a lot to the patronage of students from nearby Williston-Northampton School. He admits that business is tougher in the summer when the students are gone, and that perhaps they’d be doing a bit better if they had the year-round foot traffic of downtown Noho, but acknowledges how economically tough it’s been for everyone in the last couple of years and is grateful that Riff’s is doing as well as it is.
Students or no, the summer is a good time to pop in for some spicy chicken wings or one of Riff’s uncommonly crisp and refreshing San Pelligrino Limonata lemon sodas. You can also bring your own beer and wine if you’re dining in, and can surf the web anytime courtesy of Riff’s free wifi.
