The Victory Park Tavern. I wish nothing for the best for the latest incarnation and it’s crew, so much so that I will look past the previously chopped salad being used on the Tavern Burger as the lettuce and tomato accompaniment, (that’s nit picking, the burger was pretty good) but, when customers are looking for bar seating and forced to sit in high top Siberia because someone who apparently is involved in the management of this fledgling enterprise decides that setting up his laptop at the bar and effectively taking up two seats while he bites his fingernails and eats and seems blithely unconcerned about where the paying customers want to sit, I want to scream and throw things. Call me triggered, but this place has the bones to create something out of. They need a hook, maybe a wild game menu, maybe music, maybe a back office for laptop man, I dunno.
Lol. Did they sell it or just rename it?
I was wondering if the new manager was Jens husband. Hey CJ you got her number why don’t you give her a call!?!?! 
Imagine waking up to her every morning? Holy shit
:)
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I really miss wyb. Rumson doesn’t have too many spots and this was one that had some charisma.
Guess it’s a rebrand after word gout out about the Greggie nomination.
I assume since they kept chef and prob same owners it will try another soulless trendy neuveau joint with no hook whatsoever to differentiate between them, salt creek, Georgica, new fromagerie, blu grotto, or Angelica’s.
Looks like just a rename the url for the website is still RusselllandBettes.com and no mention of management change. We will see.
They should really do something to put themself on the map. As you know, I live close by and pass this place plenty of times. It’s never railed from what I see. In fact, it is kind of depressing going by and reminiscing of the wyb days. I am always a fan of places that have a “go to” dish.
If only a humbe blogger like myself wielded such power…
Every time I pass there en route to Barnacle Bill’s, I say to myself, “One of these days, I have to try them.” Yet every time I am in the area, I drive straight past and head to Barnacle Bill’s.
Interesting. I live down the road and drive by every day and haven’t heard a thing about it. They have been renovating the front facade for a couple weeks now thought was to finally put up permanent signage but I guess not. Still haven’t been there and don’t see it happening any time soon
I’d love to see a great place in Rumson, but I am sitting this one out. Until given the green light by at least three of my fellow HOs I am eating at Surf, or Val’s when in town.
I have a really unique idea, what if they did a steakhouse where people could pick their desired cut by the oz so they could get exactly what they wanted?
what if they also offered cheese and crackers?
I was getting ready to call them and see what’s going on but R + B’s Instagram has pictures of the renovation so it must be same owners/staff, just a rebranding.
Now that would be revolutionary
That had a unique thing going there. I’m not sure why they botched it up.
Do you guys think the rebranding is due to low revenue?
When I moved to this area 25 years ago there was Murphy’s, Danny’s (always sucked and never a true steak house) then places like Pour House, Grist Mill or Gertrude Browns where you could “get a steak”.
There weren’t a lot of places to get a GOOD steak. So from that perspective they were the place to go for the area, plus they had a unique experience. As the years moved on places like The Manhattan Steak House, Ashes, Brennan’s, Mike and Nelly’s all sprung up and upping the steak game. Not that What’s Your Beef was ever bad, they were always “good”.
I think competition directly and indirectly had hurt them, hell besides current steakhouses in the area everyone from Buona Sera, Raven Peach, 19West, Catch and how many others have prime steaks!
I agree. Wyb was always a fun place. The food was not spectacular but it was kind of a unique place and I thought they had an equation that worked. Granted we don’t oversee their books, so who knows what kind of profit they turned with added competition coming on board.
It’s kind of sad that “old school” places are being updated. I don’t know if I’m alone but I like the old vibe of wyb, grist mill, red store, barnacles, barhs, etc. It’s fun to think about decor/architecture that is older than I am and the history of the place. How old is the wyb building?
Speaking of updating and old becoming new, I hear a name like “Victory Park Tavern” and for some reason my brain immediately conjures up a place with no character. That’s not exactly fair, but that’s how my brain works sometimes. I never went to Russell and Bette’s, but at least that name has character. It is unique. Victory Park Tavern does nothing for me. It is just so generic. A hangout for millennials or neck-bearded hipsters with overpriced craft beers and horrible food. A “scene” more than a restaurant. I could be 100% wrong but I am not talking about reality, only what hearing the name of a business does to us.
