This was our second time here, and we had a similar experience on both visits. Service was great. Views of the river are amazing. Food was OK but way overpriced. The calamari was not crispy, the Caesar salad (full size) was small. The food was under-seasoned. We're not coming back a third time.
Yuquan Wang
Charging gratuity is typically standard practice, but it shouldn't apply to to-go orders, especially with a minimum of 18%. The receptionist claimed it was a restaurant policy but couldn't provide any evidence. Moreover, she tried to mislead us by suggesting we didn't need to add extra for to-go orders to avoid tipping. Overall, it was a disappointing experience.
Service: 1
Adam S.
This place is a solid. Good food, good service. My salad had pears and candied pecans. Loved the taste, it all blended together perfectly. The Alaskan Halibut is the signature dish. The fish was a bit dry, but the lemon sauce made up for that. We topped it off with a bottle of Malbec. Altogether, a good meal. The menu had some good choices, the short ribs and pork chop looked very good. One of my friends had the short ribs and enjoyed them. The waiter was a bit of a cut-up. He had a young daughter with him, about 4 years old. The waiter told us his wife was at the bar. Then, little Ruth said "drinking water". Quiet place, good for a date night or a good meal with friends. Recommended.
Hannah Jin
Beef filet and short ribs taste great. The Alaskan halibut did not meet my expectation though. Cozy ambience and attentive service.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 4
Service: 5
RICHARD (Rick)
We had a very enjoyable family dinner last night. Food and service were very good. Holiday decorations made it a festive atmosphere.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Macadamia Crusted Halibut, Sussies Brownie with Ice Cream
David Macdonald
Nice watching the Truckee River while enjoying a meal.Parking: Can be full at times.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 4
Service: 4
Recommended dishes: Any Salad, Rack of Lamb, Burger
James O.
Wow this spot is my fam celebrated my daughter's 20th birthday and we all ordered a variety of food, my ribeye was one of the best I've ever eaten!!! BUT the Tiger Shrimp w/walnut honey glaze...was the star of the night! OMG I get around and I've never had better-fresher shrimp in my life #facts 4.5
Kristine W.
Was greeted quickly by a friendly staff member and seated right away. Full bar and great wine list. We ordered our drinks and they were quickly served. The waiter was excellent and had our meals out quickly as well. Over all a great experience the food was delicious and would definitely come back or recommend to others. Cheers
Mayla K.
Always good food and excellent service. Eat here frequently! I always have seafood dishes.
Tim Taylor
Best food in town with the best staff!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Pork Dumplings, Any Salad, French Onion Soup, Dessert Profiteroles Brownie Sundae Strawberry Shortcake, Spinach Ravioli, Rack of Lamb, Macadamia Crusted Halibut, Burger
Great place to eat or just have drinks. The first time my wife and I tried River Grill was back in the late 1970's when we'd stay at River Ranch, Stanford Ski Chalet or Russell n Pines in Tahoe City and ski at Alpine Meadows. After 4 pm we'd head to the bar at River Ranch for drinks and free pop corn. If we stayed long enough, free live music started (usually Chuck & Gene) and we'd ask for a bar menu that included Hawaiian short ribs. The place hasn't changed. Just a fun place to enjoy good drinks, good food, the Truckee River and good service.
Jenny Buckman
We researched different steakhouses in the North Lake Tahoe area decided on River Grill due to the views and options of seating next to the window with a view of the river, when we arrived at our reserved time we were seated up against a wall at a table that was only big enough for a child. There was at least 5 to 6 empty tables by windows, so we asked hostess if we could move, she was annoyed we asked but moved us to a pub style table in the back corner of the bar seating area. My husband asked her if we could be moved to one of the many EMPTY tables by the window in which he was told no that is only for parties of 3 or more, mind you at least 4 tables had parties of 2 sitting there. So at that point we asked for a manager, she came over we expressed our interest in a window seat she then told us same thing as the hostess when we pointed out the other tables she said we’ll let me go check. Comes back and says nothing she could do because they are fully booked. Our reservation were for 5:30, we said fine we were still going to stay and eat, by the time all this took place it was almost 6pm and still No one has been seated in any of the tables. We proceed to order choosing clam chowder to start with, the one waiter described it as a traditional New England chowder. That soup was the soupiest clam chowder I had ever seen.The cut of the day was a 17oz New York strip we ordered medium it came out medium rare in many places throughout the fatty tough steak, the mushrooms were ok but had a weird flavor, the mashed potatoes were good. The best part of our dinner and experience here was the bread/rolls!! Our waitress was nice. So all in all we waisted our money and time on this place and needless to say we will not be back. If you are looking to have dinner with view or even a nice dinner this is NOT the place to go.
Atmosphere: 1
Food: 2
Service: 2
Kirsten Kaye
Beautiful setting, delicious food and exceptional staff. They really looked after us and made my kid feel welcome. River views or cosy up by the fire.
The food is AMAZING! the service was great too. The Tahoe area is lucky to have this restaurant. We had a fantastic meal (the corn chowder was to die for) here in July. It has a good atmosphere and sitting on the patio was so nice we got to see all sorts of wildlife around the river.
Jenny M.
We researched different steakhouses in the North Lake Tahoe area decided on River Grill due to the views and options of seating next to the window with a view of the river, when we arrived at our reserved time we were seated up against a wall at a table that was only big enough for a child. There was at least 5 to 6 empty tables by windows, so we asked hostess if we could move, she was annoyed we asked but moved us to a pub style table in the back corner of the bar seating area. My husband asked her if we could be moved to one of the many EMPTY tables by the window in which he was told no that is only for parties of 3 or more, mind you at least 4 tables had parties of 2 sitting there. So at that point we asked for a manager, she came over we expressed our interest in a window seat she then told us same thing as the hostess when we pointed out the other tables she said we'll let me go check. Comes back and says nothing she could do because they are fully booked. Our reservation were for 5:30, we said fine we were still going to stay and eat, by the time all this took place it was almost 6pm and still No one has been seated in any of the tables. We proceed to order choosing clam chowder to start with, the one waiter described it as a traditional New England chowder. That soup was the soupiest clam chowder I had ever seen.The cut of the day was a 17oz New York strip we ordered medium it came out medium rare in many places throughout the fatty tough steak, the mushrooms were ok but had a weird flavor, the mashed potatoes were good. The best part of our dinner and experience here was the bread/rolls!! Our waitress was nice. So all in all we waisted our money and time on this place and needless to say we will not be back. If you are looking to have dinner with view or even a nice dinner this is NOT the place to go.
This was our second time here, and we had a similar experience on both visits. Service was great. Views of the river are amazing. Food was OK but way overpriced. The calamari was not crispy, the Caesar salad (full size) was small. The food was under-seasoned. We're not coming back a third time.
Charging gratuity is typically standard practice, but it shouldn't apply to to-go orders, especially with a minimum of 18%. The receptionist claimed it was a restaurant policy but couldn't provide any evidence. Moreover, she tried to mislead us by suggesting we didn't need to add extra for to-go orders to avoid tipping. Overall, it was a disappointing experience.
Service: 1
This place is a solid. Good food, good service. My salad had pears and candied pecans. Loved the taste, it all blended together perfectly. The Alaskan Halibut is the signature dish. The fish was a bit dry, but the lemon sauce made up for that. We topped it off with a bottle of Malbec. Altogether, a good meal. The menu had some good choices, the short ribs and pork chop looked very good. One of my friends had the short ribs and enjoyed them. The waiter was a bit of a cut-up. He had a young daughter with him, about 4 years old. The waiter told us his wife was at the bar. Then, little Ruth said "drinking water". Quiet place, good for a date night or a good meal with friends. Recommended.
Beef filet and short ribs taste great. The Alaskan halibut did not meet my expectation though. Cozy ambience and attentive service.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 4
Service: 5
We had a very enjoyable family dinner last night. Food and service were very good. Holiday decorations made it a festive atmosphere.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Macadamia Crusted Halibut, Sussies Brownie with Ice Cream
Nice watching the Truckee River while enjoying a meal.Parking: Can be full at times.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 4
Service: 4
Recommended dishes: Any Salad, Rack of Lamb, Burger
Wow this spot is my fam celebrated my daughter's 20th birthday and we all ordered a variety of food, my ribeye was one of the best I've ever eaten!!! BUT the Tiger Shrimp w/walnut honey glaze...was the star of the night! OMG I get around and I've never had better-fresher shrimp in my life #facts 4.5
Was greeted quickly by a friendly staff member and seated right away. Full bar and great wine list. We ordered our drinks and they were quickly served. The waiter was excellent and had our meals out quickly as well. Over all a great experience the food was delicious and would definitely come back or recommend to others. Cheers
Always good food and excellent service. Eat here frequently! I always have seafood dishes.
Best food in town with the best staff!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Pork Dumplings, Any Salad, French Onion Soup, Dessert Profiteroles Brownie Sundae Strawberry Shortcake, Spinach Ravioli, Rack of Lamb, Macadamia Crusted Halibut, Burger
Restaurantji Recommends
Great place to eat or just have drinks. The first time my wife and I tried River Grill was back in the late 1970's when we'd stay at River Ranch, Stanford Ski Chalet or Russell n Pines in Tahoe City and ski at Alpine Meadows. After 4 pm we'd head to the bar at River Ranch for drinks and free pop corn. If we stayed long enough, free live music started (usually Chuck & Gene) and we'd ask for a bar menu that included Hawaiian short ribs. The place hasn't changed. Just a fun place to enjoy good drinks, good food, the Truckee River and good service.
We researched different steakhouses in the North Lake Tahoe area decided on River Grill due to the views and options of seating next to the window with a view of the river, when we arrived at our reserved time we were seated up against a wall at a table that was only big enough for a child. There was at least 5 to 6 empty tables by windows, so we asked hostess if we could move, she was annoyed we asked but moved us to a pub style table in the back corner of the bar seating area. My husband asked her if we could be moved to one of the many EMPTY tables by the window in which he was told no that is only for parties of 3 or more, mind you at least 4 tables had parties of 2 sitting there. So at that point we asked for a manager, she came over we expressed our interest in a window seat she then told us same thing as the hostess when we pointed out the other tables she said we’ll let me go check. Comes back and says nothing she could do because they are fully booked. Our reservation were for 5:30, we said fine we were still going to stay and eat, by the time all this took place it was almost 6pm and still No one has been seated in any of the tables. We proceed to order choosing clam chowder to start with, the one waiter described it as a traditional New England chowder. That soup was the soupiest clam chowder I had ever seen.The cut of the day was a 17oz New York strip we ordered medium it came out medium rare in many places throughout the fatty tough steak, the mushrooms were ok but had a weird flavor, the mashed potatoes were good. The best part of our dinner and experience here was the bread/rolls!! Our waitress was nice. So all in all we waisted our money and time on this place and needless to say we will not be back. If you are looking to have dinner with view or even a nice dinner this is NOT the place to go.
Atmosphere: 1
Food: 2
Service: 2
Beautiful setting, delicious food and exceptional staff. They really looked after us and made my kid feel welcome. River views or cosy up by the fire.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Dessert Profiteroles Brownie Sundae Strawberry Shortcake, Spinach Ravioli
The food is AMAZING! the service was great too. The Tahoe area is lucky to have this restaurant. We had a fantastic meal (the corn chowder was to die for) here in July. It has a good atmosphere and sitting on the patio was so nice we got to see all sorts of wildlife around the river.
We researched different steakhouses in the North Lake Tahoe area decided on River Grill due to the views and options of seating next to the window with a view of the river, when we arrived at our reserved time we were seated up against a wall at a table that was only big enough for a child. There was at least 5 to 6 empty tables by windows, so we asked hostess if we could move, she was annoyed we asked but moved us to a pub style table in the back corner of the bar seating area. My husband asked her if we could be moved to one of the many EMPTY tables by the window in which he was told no that is only for parties of 3 or more, mind you at least 4 tables had parties of 2 sitting there. So at that point we asked for a manager, she came over we expressed our interest in a window seat she then told us same thing as the hostess when we pointed out the other tables she said we'll let me go check. Comes back and says nothing she could do because they are fully booked. Our reservation were for 5:30, we said fine we were still going to stay and eat, by the time all this took place it was almost 6pm and still No one has been seated in any of the tables. We proceed to order choosing clam chowder to start with, the one waiter described it as a traditional New England chowder. That soup was the soupiest clam chowder I had ever seen.The cut of the day was a 17oz New York strip we ordered medium it came out medium rare in many places throughout the fatty tough steak, the mushrooms were ok but had a weird flavor, the mashed potatoes were good. The best part of our dinner and experience here was the bread/rolls!! Our waitress was nice. So all in all we waisted our money and time on this place and needless to say we will not be back. If you are looking to have dinner with view or even a nice dinner this is NOT the place to go.