The Ritz • Martha's Vineyard — Restaurant in Oak Bluffs

The Ritz’s bartending team was exemplary: warm, quick-witted, and unfailingly attentive. They greeted each patron with warmth and quick wit, treating everyone as a guest rather than a transaction—precisely the kind of attentive service that hospitality research identifies as pivotal to a memorable evening. They treated patrons as guests, not transactions, and somehow kept a lively crowd even when no one was ordering. They checked in on me (I was alone) and even introduced me to a friend—textbook hospitality. At the door, a different story. An older gentleman, a bouncer, fed up with counterfeit IDs, vented at three PYTs who looked about nineteen. Two IDs cleared; the third produced only a photo. Her friends suggested a passport; she balked and they left. The bouncer’s irritation then spread to patrons of all ages, souring the entry before anyone reached the bar. The real disappointment was the karaoke. This is one of the island’s few weekday options—prime chance to create small-town magic for locals, seasonal workers, and lookie-loos. Hosting karaoke well requires authentic enthusiasm and respectful engagement—encouraging singers of varying levels while keeping the room alive and happy, even when singing a thoroughly depressing love song. Some will go a step further and even harmonise with you while you sing (shoutout to a few select places in Brooklyn, Boston, Cali and Florida!) to ensure you sound good instead of sounding akin to a yowling feline. If you are incapable musically of such feats, one would assume that basic decency and courtesy and respect would be present.

At the Ritz, far from it. Johnny and friend offered instead a rotation of apathy and forced exuberance. The only time they seemed genuine is when they were talking down to individuals, and saints help the odd patron who dared ask when their song was up - Johnny rudely asked a young man why it mattered (intrusive much) and they were deliberately skipped. The older gentleman had an uncalled for attitude peppered with condescension that diminished rather than uplifted. Maybe standards are allowed to be kept low since the crowd has no taste - which brings us to the next contextual factor; the clientele.

The clientele skewed young and insular. Conversation among under-20s flowed mainly when motives weren’t musical; the prevailing courtship move was to sit too close and stare as if you were a television running music videos about the problems of the powerful. For a culture that valorizes non-familial, non-communal ties, the deficit in basic EQ was…...

TLDR: A gratuity that I didn’t leave was added to my check after eating here.

My friend and I visited The Ritz Cafe on 6/22 and 6/23. The first day we visited, service was fine and the drinks were fine. We had no complaints. We visited the next day for brunch and the service was horrendous. It was notably busy so our food and drinks took a bit longer, which we weren’t concerned with as we were having a good time. However, the server for the tables next to us was very attentive and ours was the opposite. We maybe saw her twice, including the few times I looked back to see if we could get the check and she stared at us from across the room and made no attempts to come over. Two other people brought our checks as well as took our cards while she stood around. She never came back to our table. To add a cherry on top, when the charge actually posted there was an extra $12 added that I did not leave. Good thing I kept my receipt :). The same happened to my friend. We enjoyed the food from the loud kitchen but I don’t revisit places that steal from me so needless to say I will never return. My friend and I tried to call multiple times but no one answered and the voicemail is...

not much of a drinker infact I hate the taste of alcohol, beer wine are the worst, tanic reds the top tier 🤢 so I do not go bars kipping much these days. Its a sad fact even drunk friends get annoying and trying at times when your sober, so I have been to the bars multiple times.

Most , no locals would , well, call this a dive/local bar. In fact the demographic is mostly multi summer season vacationers, the local island crowd and wash ashores. The atmosphere is dive- the mood is -dive, the energy can feel dampening, music mostly on the awful side.

The big difference is the drinks are not dive bar prices, they use full strength liquor no water, and it's clean and we'll worn - not cheaply thrown together. so while it feels like a local dive, like the rest of the islands business it still fits the rest of the island narrative, luxurious (not to be confused with opulance) yet home / small town vibe.

it's like undercover luxury, just how comfort foods can be a luxury , but literally just be the best chicken and...