Unfortunately I didn't get any pictures of the food because I was so hungry. However, my partner and I got a 1/2 a dozen of the Rick-a-feller oysters and1/2 a dozen of raw oysters. The raw oysters were so flavorful & not too océany. The rick a feller ones were pretty good as well. The bartender did great on recommending the wings. Which were also delicious. She suggested non breaded. They were crispy and juicy! They had live music that definitely caught and kept my attention. I'd come again. read more

The people are so nice! This is a great place for oysters and a wrap. It's by the water which is a bonus. We are dealing with a log if people that just don't feel they have to pay and according to the staff the police are just too busy to deal with law enforcement. They got creative and just post images of the thieves on Facebook, may be the only good use of Facebook. read more

We wanted somewhere inexpensive with some type of water view today, so I checked my Yelp app and it suggested this place. I have to say, Yelp did it again! We sat outside on another ungodly hot day here in Florida. There was a slight breeze and plenty of outdoor fans to help keep us cool. We sipped cheap beers and enjoyed some Dark & Stormy's. We found ourselves a little hungry, so we ordered a dinner platter of Coconut Shrimp, which came with French Fries on the side. The appetizer of shrimp comes with 5 and for only $1 more, they give you fries. It's kind of a no brainer. Let me tell you, they were DELICIOUS!! 6 drinks and food came to about $47. Not bad!!! Afterwards we took a little walk through the harbor. All in all, a positive experience. I would return!! read more

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We went on a Saturday (after a holiday) around 1130a. They were just opening for lunch. Restaurant and Bar located on the water boat slips for docking your boat. Pirate Water Taxi also has a stop here. The food here is typical for a beach bar type of place. A lot of fried foods on the menu and typical bar fare. this place is been here a very long time and the locals call it home :) They have both indoor and outdoor seating. There is plenty of outdoor seating to enjoy the view. They also have quite a few fans to help circulate the air. The wait staff was very accommodating. I had the naked wings with the jerk rub seasoning. They were very hot & tasty! One of my friends had a wrap and it was quite good, too! read more

Rick's On the River - Fish Wrap - New American Near Me - Tampa, Florida

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Don't even sit down. They already want you gone out the door attitude with like 6 ppl outside. 9 drunks inside. 2nd time here. Yeah. 2pm no oysters?? How? Nobody is here. So I go for shrimp. Only popcorn or coconut. Wow. No variety. Go for it. 5 shrimp tasteless. Coconut. Taste like a freezer no service. Had to get my own condiment's. Waitress has a I don't give a sh+ t attitude. I tip very well.. not today. Horrible places skip it and go to taco Bell. Nothing to be desired here. Can't even enjoy my beverage. They just want you gone attitude. I'm in jeans and a t. Alone. This is what it's like here? won't be back. Telling the bass pro angles that I shop around for with there torments, just skip it and get drunk 1st... First place ive been to while living in Tampa bay thats down to earth. Nice American spot for people wanting to relax. Wear what ever you want. Cut off jeans t. Or dress up. Its an old fashioned type atmosphere. Lots to love here. Ppl are wonderful. Service sucked. Had to get my own wine after waiting 30 mins on my 2nd glass. Lol yeah that s the crappy part. Cant have everything. I guess read more

We come here all the time, and I've just never been impressed with really any of it. Sure it's on the water and supposed to be laid back and I get that this is just a casual restaurant but that doesn't mean you can't step up and make it a destination. The food is sub par at best and priced just a bit higher than average. The oysters 'rick' efeller are never cooked the same, either raw or way overdone and there is never enough cheese or garlic on them. Drink prices are a bit above average with domestic pitchers at $9 and mixed drinks at $6. Service is hit or miss. We had to wait long periods for food/drinks sometimes, and sometimes it's on point. Sometimes the waitresses are nice and sometimes it seems like they wouldn't care if you got up and left. And if it rains, you WILL get wet outside.... even with the big awning. However, all that being said.... They do have live music which is usually very good, although a bit too loud. So if your out in flops for a low-key lazy Saturday afternoon and want to mingle with the locals, this isn't a bad spot, just don't expect too much. read more

Came for dinner tonight with two friends. The food was very good, service was decent but a bit slow. It appears the service people cover a lot of area in there so I can not fault her. There was live music- I can't say too much positive about that this evening- it wasn't very good. I do have to say the drinks were made well and my oysters were very fresh. I'd suggest some fresher horseradish - but that's my only suggestion for the fresh oysters. The outdoor area was gorgeous. I love all the oyster shells absolutely everywhere. Though I wasn't blown away by the evening- I will go back as I enjoyed the area and it's close to where I'm staying. It was good enough to warrant a return visit. read more

Rick's On the River - My bakers dozen of fresh oysters (partially eaten- sorry! I just couldn't wait!) - I'd highly recommend! - New American Near Me - Tampa, Florida

Great view on the river, went to watch the fire works from armature, and we could see. Food is decent and priced right. Clams were amazing! read more

Rick's On the River - Clams app - New American Near Me - Tampa, Florida

Stopped in there while I was away on business. Had the luxury of meeting Natalie who I must say was so amazing. She had that midwestern charm and is a huge asset to this business. I have another very important meeting there in mid June. I will be back for not only the hospitality but the food and vibe as well. Thanks Natalie you gained our business for sure. read more

food was very bad!!! service also slow and bad!!! will not return here. location was great . right on the hillsbough river.

A staple in Tampa. It's a little big hole in the wall or shall I say hole in the river located in west tampa. Super chill and a surprisingly great place to see a beautiful sunset. Love their fresh oysters, cheap pitchers of beer, people watching ops, and outside seating for sunset views. Love this place :) read more

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Great place... miserable bartenders. No smiles almost like if you're not a regular you're invisible. Ok though saved me money.

Rick's on the River is a quintessential Hillsborough River hot spot. It's neat that the back porch is situated on the river bank and it provides a beautiful and serve water view. The patio/outdoor bar is expansive and allows for many people to sit outside. Rick's on the River is known for their friend seafood and oysters raw or cooked on the half shell. I also discovered by recommendation and by my table mate getting and devouring it that they offer a pretty great burger as well. A recent canoe paddling excursion led us here one early Sunday afternoon. The patio was buzzing with activity. Our server, Erica, was most attentive, helpful, and efficient. Erica's service was excellent and she was quick to get us drink refills. No sooner did we put our orders in, our food was being brought out what seemed like moments later and the food nice and hot. I was especially impressed because there was a large party sitting near us so I envisioned our orders might take awhile. I was thinking about springing for raw oysters which I love but something about being on the water paddling for 10 miles deterred me from ordering them. When I was there the market price was $13.99 for a full dozen. I attempted to get a fried oyster platter to be told that they were out of them. I decided to fall back on the fried clams--and please use this as a disclaimer from a NE native, please do not expect these to be clams you would get in NE. They weren't horrible but they were clan strips and heavily breaded. Although not one to usually order fries out, these fries were nicely cooked and seasoned. The coleslaw that comes with the fried seafood plates was lightly dressed. A big hit at our table was the coconut shrimp. My husband ordered the tropical (?) salad with fried coconut shrimp and he really enjoyed it. He was sweet and shared his shrimp with me and they were tasty and cooked correctly (not overdone). Another out-of-tower from Mass. who stopped by to meet up with her friends who were paddling thoroughly enjoyed the coconut shrimp herself. I had a great time during my afternoon respite stop at Rick's on the River. I am not a fan of fried food but will perhaps order the oysters when I return. There is complimentary boat dock parking for diners and they offer a ramp for $10 boat launch. Rick's on the River is a cute and rustic place. read more

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We had a wonderful time, brought my cousin from Ohio and he had a great time. The food was awesome and the atmosphere was very friendly.

Yum good food for sure. I would come back because it is a cool atmosphere. Thanks for a good time.

My first time ther and I wasn't disappointed, I got the fish wrap blackened and it had such great flavor, my girlfriend got the lemon pepper wrap, and she thought it had just the right amount of seasoning, not to spicy. The loaded fries were delicious and a good amount, I almost didn't finish my wrap. the drinks were very good.. We sat outside and was able to see the river and watch people boat around. I'd recommend this place, good drinks, food and atmosphere. It was about 30 minutes from my home, but it'll be worth the drive. read more

Been coming to Ricks for over 20 years. Sad to say it's not the Ricks I used to know. New manager Anthony has no idea of the culture and the local clientele who have supported Ricks for decade's. Ken's dad would be disappointed. read more

The food was ok. The servers took to long to give us water cups. The fries and Onion ring are soggy and the fruit cup was not what i was expecting. Location was the only thing convenient and the view is good, but don't recommend coming to eat. read more

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Cute, uber casual spot right on the river by a tiny marina! We were driving from Orlando to Tarpon Springs and wanted to make a quick stop in Tampa to grab lunch on the way... we Yelped best spots along the river and found this little gem! You won't find the most unique, fancy, upscale seafood dishes here... but you will find fresh, quality, standard seafood options! We tried to coconut shrimp, which was fresh and had great flavor - the dipping sauce was fantastic! We also tried the jerked fish Caesar wrap, which was delish and cooked perfectly. Great outdoor seating area, friendly staff, quick service and good food. No complaints here! read more

Rick's On the River - Outdoor seating area - packed for lunch midday on a Friday! - New American Near Me - Tampa, Florida

Service was quick, accurate and friendly. We sat outside where you can catch all the action on the river docks. The beer was cold and the food was hot and fresh. At the table we had fish n fries, grilled cheese, fish spread and jalapeño poppers. All good, we'll be back. read more

Rick's On the River - Jalapeño Poppers Fish Spread and a beer. - New American Near Me - Tampa, Florida

The service was always horrible, but the food and the atmosphere were great. Now the food is terrible (low quality) (low flavor) and the service is still horrible, and the view is not a boat club. I have been going to Rick's for over 20 years and sorry to say. NO Mas... Horrible, the only good thing is the location. DO NOT WASTE YOUR MONEY. read more

We stop by after a afternoon on the water out in Tampa and had a wonderful fried fish sandwich, basket of coconut shrimp . Service was good Take advantage of happy hour and of course the live music that they have. We opted to sit outside and watch the Setting sun in the beautiful skies over Tampa Bay. read more

A nice casual spot along the water. They have a boat dock if you're traveling via the river (which is complimentary to dock at). The outdoors seating is plenty! The tables have signs on them that you spin that basically say "need service" or "don't need service" to alert your service or be left in peace. Food focuses mostly on seafood, but there are a few other options like burgers, etc. I usually get the Green Mussels - they were the best in the area, especially for the price! But unfortunately they are off the menu, hopefully only until Mussels are back in season. So this time I got the Blackened Fish Sandwich with Cajun Fries. The fish was well seasoned, very flavorful! However the cut of fish was thin and on a long French bread, I was expecting a thicker fish filet. The Cajun fries were great, hot and fresh with plenty of their Cajun seasoning. This place is a hidden Tampa spot, but once you find out about it you'll keep coming back. A friendly casual atmosphere, with good food at a great price. read more

Rick's On the River - New American Near Me - Tampa, Florida

Food was good it's a good ambiance, me an my bf went for a quick Sunday lunch. Definitely recommend if you're in the area, you can also catch the water taxi from here so it's pretty cool. read more

Rick's On the River - New American Near Me - Tampa, Florida

Great spot to grab a beer and enjoy the water. Every restaurant in Florida has Smoked Fish Dip, but it is exceptional here. Burger was above average and the Grouper sandwich was top notch. Love the signs indicating whether or not you need server assistance. What a great idea! read more

I deleted my original review thinking Gary the manager would rectify it but I see his white pride was too much for him to admit when he was wrong. I'm a frequent patron at ricks simply because they are affordable. But affordability is not even enough to deal with blatant discrimination. Twice in the past week I've dealt with dismissive attitudes from not only Gary but the other manager a large white man with gray hair. The first time I mentioned waiting for a waitress for to long I was told I sat at a dirty table. Today after waiting for almost 10 minutes and being ignored by all the hollister looking employees, I was finally approached by someone who was told that I just got there to which she was able to call BS. She said she had saw me sitting at the table and saw me being ignored. She confidently suggested I speaker to Gary the manager who would be able to correct the situation but he had the most dismissive passive aggressive attitude that I could only expect from a white man in today's climate. He asked me what did I want him to do about people walking past me and being ignored and if I wanted him to go back in time to fix it. Because my child was with me and Gary was all but threatening to trespass me I left it alone. Only to be told by our waitress that Gary was reviewing the tapes to see if we were ignored and not once did he come address it once he saw he was wrong. Instead I was given a 2.50 discount on my $61 tab. The reviews themselves show that black people are treated differently here unfortunately Gary has no problem letting Tampa know he doesn't need black money and there's plenty of money in the area to support him. Also, the waitresses don't charge the same prices for drinks. A drink I paid $8 for on Friday night was $12 today. read more

I stopped by here to meet a couple friends for drinks and dinner on Easter since we all live far from home and couldn't be with our families. The food was amazing and they had live music which was super cool too! We sat out on the water for a couple hours and hung out and had a few drinks. It's a super relaxing casual place and it was definitely worth the 35 minute drive to get there! read more

The fried oyster basket was great. I got double slaw instead of fries. I live the slaw there. We sat outside. Cold beer and good service.

Service and Food not good!!! Even with the "need service" signs on the table. There seemed to be a lack of effort overall. Even at a non-peak time. read more

I went here to have a nice dinner with my boyfriend and we were not impressed. the service was SO SLOW. I ordered a drink and a quesadilla, they came out 30 mins later (keep in mind there were about 10 total people in the entire restaurant eating). by the looks of my food, you would have thought it was made yesterday and had been sitting under a heat lamp since. my boyfriend ordered the fish and chips and he said they were okay, but nothing to write home about. we also ordered the popcorn shrimp because they were out of oysters, and the dipping sauce must have expired months ago. my boyfriend got two drinks. and our total bill was 70$. ridiculous read more

So I normally don't right bad reviews . BUT! Today I felt a certain way and was treated a certain way! I sat with a friend at a table. Two other couples came in after me and both of European disecent. The waitress saw me sit and also noticed that no one was serving us. I tried four times to get someone's attention. NOW I have been to this establishment numerous times. I even pay to use there boat ramp and have never had an issue. But today the trash waitress with the blond hair and yellow/green tank top decided she wasn't gonna serve the Caribbean folks. She kept looking and ignoring also served the couple that came after us. Finally I got someone's attention and we got our drinks and food. I even gave a tip. Don't let this happen. The last thing you want is the wrong idea being sent out. Fix the problem!! read more

We came to ricks just to grab a drink to-go to enjoy at the river. Unfortunately we were met with terribly rude service at the bar from Rachel S. As we ordered drinks we were cut short as we ordered each drink and she provided us with sass as well as poor service. read more

Rick's On the River - Miami Vice - New American Near Me - Tampa, Florida

Nothin' fancy, fer sure. But, it's a place to meet with friends, have a nice, cold beer, maybe some wings and enjoy the boats that cruise along the river. Service was quick tonight, even though it was very busy. My beer was cold. I was relaxed with friends. Mission accomplished. read more

Rick's On the River - Saturday night. Chillin' like a villain. ;-) - New American Near Me - Tampa, Florida

Atmosphere was great, food delicious and got to see a dolphin. Parking not the best but we found a spot!

Upon entering Ricks on the river I noticed a variety of people eating and drinking and seemed as though I would have no problem enjoying my meal and drink while I conversed with new faces . I'm going to get straight to the point and say food was not to my liking but service was excellent as well as the drinks . Would recommend but not for a bite . read more

We are waiting for service for the past 15 minutes. Three different servers came to the table, none of them took the order. It seems this is a place for " known" customers. read more

Rick's On the River - Front porch - New American Near Me - Tampa, Florida

my go-to spot on a Sunday afternoon for oysters (raw & Rick-efeller). the river view is great. my first time here i was docked out front boating for the day and only had drinks from the outside bar. now, I come for oysters and catfish & chips. parking is always easy and service is great. read more

So much better this trip than ever before. Was getting my boating lesson and stopped for lunch as docking my boat was part of the lesson. Might as well eat lol Service was excellent, oysters super fresh not gritty. Could use extra horseradish and cocktail sauce but just need to ask for it. Fried oysters were delicious and Cole slaw was very good. I can be a Cole slaw snob but it was fresh, cold and well seasoned. All in all a good meal for a great price. I'll be back read more

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Always love this place. Nice weather today sitting outside by the water. They have great oysters cooked and raw. And prices are good. It is nice to sit outside when it is sunny and just watch the boats go by while enjoy some oysters and a cold beer. read more

Rick's On the River - New American Near Me - Tampa, Florida

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Updating my review from 2013. If you have kids, particularly those which may be picky eaters or have special dietary requirements, don't bother going to Rick's. My wife and I have been coming here regularly for the better part of fifteen years, including after becoming parents, and the kids menu has never had anything our four year old would eat. As of 2018, they have a policy, whether new, or newly enforced, of no tolerance for any outside food for kids. We stopped somewhere else on the way to Rick's, and of course planned for our own food and drinks to be exclusively Ricks; they asked us to throw our daughter's meal away or leave. We asked to see the manager Mark; he brushed us off in a nonchalant way like it was the first time we'd ever been here. I have to say, more than anything else, that was the part of the experience which really left me surprised and sad. I'm not lying when I say that Rick's was the first place we went out to eat after our daughter was born, at age two weeks. I take a picture holding her in front of a Rick's On The River painting by the managers office every year just to have a funny time lapse of her growing. I've had a few birthday parties here, and thrown office Christmas parties here for groups of 20-40 people. I guess when you come to know the staff, and have enjoyed great memories with friends at a place for more than a decade, you expect slightly different treatment; perhaps a one time exception but this policy will be enforced next time you're here, or a genuine sorry but these are the rules. What I never expected was two different service staff rudely saying throw that food out or leave, and then a manager I'd come to enjoy saying hello to, and shaking hands with, on every visit, shrugging his shoulders and spending five seconds to tell me those are the rules before continuing on his way. The whole thing felt like some awkward middle school breakup, like did that really just happen? In any case, not much else for me to say. I have fond nostalgic memories of time spent at Rick's, but apparently that chapter has come to a close. Notes from my previous review; liquor drinks are still expensive, but still reasonably strong, Harmony has been gone for years, women's bathroom still fairly nasty. read more