To be fair to Rippington's, my friend and I use to eat brunch here on a regular basis (and the occasional lunch and dinner). We really enjoyed their brunch menu, especially the French toast.
However, ever since they put in that awful monstrosity of a bar in the middle of what was a quaint, historic dining area, we have never been back. Not only did it destroy the character we loved about Rippington's, we couldn't have a conversation because of noise resonating from the bar.
It's a shame that the owners felt they needed alcohol to entice patrons to taste their food. For us, the ambiance of the original Rippington's was what kept us coming back.