Ribera Steakhouse (ステーキハウス リベラ, Stēkihausu Ribera) is a Japanese professional wrestling, boxing and mixed martial arts-themed steak house restaurant with two locations. The original location is in Gotanda, and there is a second, larger location in Shimomeguro. Professional wrestlers frequent the restaurant when touring in Tokyo, a rite of passage in the wrestling community.[1][2] In addition, some wrestlers receive a complimentary satin Ribera Steakhouse Jacket from the owners.
| Ribera Steakhouse | |
|---|---|
 A shot of one side of the exterior of the Meguro location | |
 | |
| Restaurant information | |
| Food type | Steak house |
| City | Gotanda |
| Country | Japan |
| Other locations | Shimomeguro |
History
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Chris Jericho credits wrestler Stan Hansen with "discovering" the restaurant in the 1970s.[3] Hansen, however, credits Bruiser Brody with being the first American wrestler to discover the restaurant.[1] In the late 1970s and early 1980s, American professional wrestlers began to frequent the restaurant when they were wrestling in Tokyo.[2] Over time, the owner began to cover the walls with hundreds of pictures of the wrestlers who ate at his restaurant.[2][4] The owner rotates the pictures to correlate with the wrestlers currently touring the country.[3] The restaurant is also decorated with other sorts of memorabilia such as title belts and trophies.[5]
The owners of Ribera Steakhouse give out the Ribera Steakhouse Jacket to selected patrons.[2] The jacket is satin and has a bull logo on the breast.[2] Road Warrior Animal popularized wearing the jacket with Zubaz pants.[2][6] Later, it became a rite of passage for American wrestlers to go to the steakhouse and receive their own jacket.[1][2] Ricky Fuji has said that in English Ribera means, "I'm a wrestler, and I've been to Japan."[3]
The restaurant features New York-style steaks in three sizes—1/2 pound, 1 pound, and 1 1/2 pounds—and sides such as corn, rice, salad, and soup.[5] There is also a Ribera Akebono eating challenge.[5] The challenger must eat 1.35 kilograms of steak and several side dishes in under 30 minutes to win 10,000 yen (approximately US$73 as of June 2022).[5]
A second and bigger location was built in Shimomeguro, and it is run by the original location's owner's son.[2]
See also
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References
edit- ^ a b c Sonny, Julian (2014-07-04). "The Legend Of Ribera: Visiting This Steakhouse In Japan Is A Rite Of Passage For Pro Wrestlers". Elite Daily. Retrieved 2015-04-18.
- ^ a b c d e f g h Linder, Zach (2013-08-07). "Wrestling's favorite restaurant: The oral history of Ribera Steakhouse". WWE. Retrieved 2015-04-18.
- ^ a b c Jericho, Chris (2007). A Lion's Tale: Around the World in Spandex. Grand Central Publishing. ISBN 978-0-446-58006-9.
- ^ Roberts, Jeremy (2009). Rey Mysterio: Behind the Mask. Simon and Schuster. p. 104.
- ^ a b c d Liew, Frank (2011-06-27). "Tokyo: Wrestle-mania". The New Zealand Herald. Retrieved 2015-04-19.
- ^ Melok, Bobby (2011-12-06). "Superstars recall Ribera Steakhouse, bring back Zubaz". WWE. Retrieved 2015-04-18.
External links
edit35°37′48″N 139°43′43″E / 35.63000°N 139.72861°E
- Ribera Steakhouse at Nortega.com