Our party of 6 recently went to The River Grill while staying with friends who live in Tahoe City. This is always our go to place for a special dinner. The cocktails were made well, food was delicious as usual, but we were disappointed with the service. Normally we go and get excellent service. This time our server (Joshua (Jigga on the receipt)) was not as efficient & friendly as others have been. He did not return to our table very often, seemed put off that we wanted to have cocktails before ordering dinner and would not recommend dishes when asked as he said everyone's tastes are different and he does not know what we would like. Our bill came to over $635 with cocktails, appetizers, main dishes so we would have expected better service. I know help is hard to find but that should not be an excuse. We will still return for the good drinks and tasty food and hopefully get a different server next time. I'm still giving 5/5 as maybe this was a one off on service. read more

Food and drinks were awesome! Service was fantastic! Our server was attentive and quick with our requests. Will definitely be coming back if we're ever in the Tahoe area. read more

First time here and I love it!!! The outdoor patio is facing the truckee river, they have live music and it's super cute! we had quite a bit of food. The tempura shrimp was delicious lite battered and well dressed. The seared tuna portion was great but flavor was okay they could use a little more torch or a hard sear for flavor. The lamb was delicious just not enough 5 pieces. Now the corn chowder I wanted to cry when I saw milk and corn this was far from being a chowder.. maybe they ran out of it and make this thing and they served it to us....I couldn't believe the chef and server let this go out of the kitchen. Maybe 86 next time instead of serving milk and corn with dry muffin. read more

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I'm gonna have a difficult time with this review. I had a good/not-good first experience for dinner here. I will be fair and start with the good. All four of us loved the taste of our entrees and of the appetizers. Our server (Jigga) was excellent and attentive. The atmosphere was nice with a great view of the Truckee River, just 20 feet away from our window table. The bathrooms were clean. On the flip side, we were greeted rather rudely upon walking in. We arrived early especially to grab a drink and relax during happy hour. There were four of us and 2 bar stools, so we sat at one of the three empty high-tops next to the bar. The bartender told us we couldn't sit there and that we had to order drinks standing at the bar and then cash out before being seated for dinner. Our table in the dining room was waiting, but we still had to pay for drinks at the bar before being seated. It was very confusing the way things were handled, especially considering this restaurant is rated $$$ on Yelp. Long story short, we stood at the bar until our tab was settled. Then we noticed that we were not charged the happy hour pricing (we still had another 20 minutes). We brought it up with the bartender and she said, "you have to ask for the happy hour menu if you want happy hour prices." So immediately we felt unwelcome and as if we were being treated like "one-visit tourists". She didn't even offer to change our tab to reflect the happy-hour pricing. Unfortunately the bar confusion left a sour taste over much of the entire dinner, which otherwise would have been a fairly decent night out. Three-stars for the happy hour experience , and 4 stars for the restaurant. read more

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Yelp advertises that they allow dogs. We were turned away at the entrance and told they do not allow them tonight. Fortunately Bridgetender across the river allows dogs. read more

The location was great, we stopped here only for desert after eating dinner at another location whose desserts did not look like they compared. The service was amazing, our server was very attentive even though we only got desserts and he was kind enough to add extra extra strawberries after I mentioned that I was bummed out they didn't have their shortcake. We were seated immediately since they had seats available at the bar and it was right at the window overlooking the beautiful river. We were bummed we didn't eat their, there desserts were so good we could only imagine how good the food was. My husband is not a sweets person and he ended up ordering his own and loved every bite of it. read more

River Grill - New American Near Me - Tahoe City, California

River Grill overlooks the Truckee River and is close to the Lake Tahoe Dam. We made a reservation for a Wednesday evening. When we arrived, we were sat inside next to a window with the river view. The staff was very welcoming and attentive throughout our entire visit.  The menu features a great mix of starters, soups and salads and mains including seafood and steaks. We ordered the summer white corn chowder and the Alaskan Halibut, which they are known for. We did a split plate for the Halibut, which was $8 more for the entree and totally with it! It was a perfect amount of food for two people and came with potatoes and asparagus in addition to the Alaskan Halibut. Both the chowder and Alaskan Halibut were delicious! I enjoyed my experience and meal and will be back to visit when in the area in the future! read more

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What a find! The atmosphere is quaint and cozy. The service is amazing! Loved our waitress. We had the pear Gorgonzola salad to start. Highly recommend! For dinner my husband had the grilled steak with prawns linguini. Very good! I had the grilled salmon and will get again. Everything was seasoned to perfection!! My compliments to the chef. read more

Came in late, around 8:30. Service staff was super friendly and attentive. Ordered the pear and gorgonzola salad and clam chowder. Both great. I really appreciated our server who gave us tips on where to go in the area and just generally nice conversation. Id come back to try more. read more

We just had the best night at The River Grill. Poke nachos appetizer for the win! Butternut squash raviolis and Halibut special with a bottle of Flowers Pinot along with great service and a beautiful view of the river. Perfect evening read more

The food was excellent and our server Matt was spot on with all his recommendations. We had the halibut and scallop entrees. From start to finish they aimed to please. read more

I was seated fast and serves was perfect they even gave us a free ice cream steak was perpectly cooked defenely going to go back

Service The food was great, I have no complaints about the chef. But the waitress, Kira, was awful. The restaurant's policy stated that for more than 6 people, an 18% tip was added, but our table was for 5 people, meaning it wasn't mandatory. However, when we went to pay, the waitress rudely told us, with an annoyed expression, that next time we absolutely had to leave an 18% tip. Out of courtesy and politeness, we didn't say anything, but we felt humiliated by her comment and will never go back there. read more

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. read more

River Grill - New American Near Me - Tahoe City, California

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While the food was good, the service could not have been worse and the management was completely not worried about it.

Had a great dinner here. The atmosphere was cozy and nice, and our table was next got the fire place and holiday decor. Food was great too!

We have eaten here many times. This was a below average experience. Just a short wait for our table. Didn't get the most ideal table BUT we were only 2 and the river tables seat more. My wife had wine already from the bar so I ordered a cocktail. Nothing less than 20 minutes for it to arrive and I had to prompt our server. She blamed it on the back bar but I have been here for years. Same great guys always here.....my guess is she forgot. Food came out. Wife's meal was fine. My halibut was room temperature at best. By the time I was 1/2 done it was cold. Server never checked on us until we were almost done. Server was working 5 tables but she wasn't efficient. Many times she walked by or close by and never spoke to us. Yes she was busy but not impossible by any means. We'll be back and chalk it up to an off night. read more

What a great meal tonight. Can't speak for all the dishes but the Seared Ahi was tender and cooked perfectly. But the short ribs with scalloped potatoes stole the show. Short ribs were perfectly seasoned and grilled. The Bordelaise sauce a perfect compliment. Honestly, the scalloped potatoes were the best I've had in my life. A bit tangy sauce and potatoes not overcooked or undercooked. Will be back but not soon enough. read more

River Grill - Seared Tuna - New American Near Me - Tahoe City, California

The restaurant was so great. The service and food were excellent. I had the scallops and they were done so tasty. Our first time at the restaurant and we will be back! read more

Had wonderful food and the outdoor patio is so cute to sit outside in the summertime!

The food is always delicious, service impeccable, and I love their decor! George took great care of us and gave us the best seat...next to the fireplace and Christmas tree. The crème brûlée is made in house and we have never had a mediocre meal here. Great for families and a decent sized restaurant! read more

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First the Good: Beautiful setting! The restaurant is well laid out with nice outdoor seating. The wait staff were delightful and efficient. However, the food we had was so-so. My wife had the bean-burger (which was fine) with Caeser and fries. I had a Caesar salad with chicken. The fries tasted old with lots of tiny pieces (bottom of the frozen bag). The Caesar salad was basically tasteless. One of the worst Caesar dressings I've had. The chicken breast was obviously precooked and reheated. It was very dry. I assume this to be an anomaly as others seemed to be enjoying their meals and the high previous YELP ratings. But, we left the restaurant somewhat disappointed. read more

One of my favorite, if not my favorite, places in Tahoe City is the Bar & Grill for a casual bar bite for happy hour or dinner with friends. The variety is solid, and everything from vegetarian to seafood choices is great. Everyone from your group can find something they will enjoy. Happy Hour at the bar is my personal favorite. Bartenders are outstanding and provide excellent recommendations. All staff I have encountered here are very friendly, helpful and efficient. Book your reservation now! read more

Best place in Tahoe. Charming atmosphere - winter or dimmer - super friendly service (which can be hard to find up here) and consistently delicious food. Everyone is always so welcoming. We had the salmon and two appetizers and left completely happy. read more

We ate here like two months ago, and it was good, and noisy, and crowded. I would have liked more if it were less crowded and less noisy. And also better, but still pretty good. We had fish iirc. It has dawned on me that they don't actually grill the river here despite the name. Grilled river would expand the menu. read more

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 read more

River Grill - New American Near Me - Tahoe City, California

Well, I hate to say this but I have ZERO complaints. River Grill is just so good. Delicious food, awesome service and a fun vibe. Every single member of my party of 8 loved their dinner. My mom and I ordered our favorite cocktail (extra dirty vodka martini) and they totally delivered. We also brought a nice bottle of wine and the $20 corkage fee was definitely fair. If you're looking for a scrumptious dinner without a snooty environment, visit River Grill! read more

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Cute little local place with great seating on River. Very good menu and nice enough staff. However the dishes are hit and miss. Prawn appetizers were good but Salmon was not fresh and chewy, but rice was great. Desert seemed pre-bought. read more

I think the last time I was there was in 2007 for my rehearsal dinner before my Tahoe City Gatekeepers Museum wedding! I took my son, who is nearly 13, and we enjoyed it immensely. He had the salmon and I had the beef tenderloin, and we both loved our entrées. The service was great and our waiter was a sweetheart. I purposely ate only half of my meal to save room for dessert. We couldn't agree on one to share so we got two and they were both ginormous. My son had the strawberry shortcake which he never had before and decided he doesn't love strawberry shortcake. It looked beautiful to me and was about 6 inches high. I ordered the brownie sundae and it was "life-changing"! Apparently they bake little marshmallows into the brownie, which was subtle but delightful. The ice cream they use is called dulce de Leche, and it has blobs of caramel in it, along with caramel-filled little chocolate pieces. I need to find it to have at home! They said it was Blue Bunny. Overall, we had a great experience! read more

River Grill - Desserts! - New American Near Me - Tahoe City, California

We had an 8pm reservation for 3 people on a Wednesday night. We showed up at 7:45 asking if we could be seated early or get a drink at the bar. The hostess told us the table would be ready in 15 but we could get a drink ay the bar while we waited, however there was no standing room at the bar to order a drink so we gave went outside to wait. The hostess called us around 7:50 to let us know our table was ready. We ordered: Shakey lemon RG.... 2 beef tenderloins Halibut special Shakey Lemon drink was very lemony and a bit tart for me, the RG drink was similar to a mojito and tasty. One beef tenderloin was ordered medium rare and the other medium and we got one that was rare/raw and medium rare/rare. It was actually rather concerning how undercooked one was to the extent that we could not eat it all. While the actual halibut was good, the corn salsa and red pepper coulee was not great and really had no sustenance. My friend actually said the coulee was similar to the taste of acid reflex. 4 hours after eating my friend was throwing up and actually went to the extent of saying it tasted the same coming up as it did going down earlier The reason we are giving 3 stars instead of 2 is because our waiter was super attentive and friendly, and the rosemary bread was delicious but the rest of the food was way overpriced and severely undercooked/under welcoming. We spent almost an hour and a half looking at every restaurant in the Kings Beach area before deciding on this one, and it was quite disappointing. read more

River Grill - Beef Tenderloin - New American Near Me - Tahoe City, California

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A group of six of us sat next to the warm fire and had an excellent meal. We started with the Peppered Seared Ahi Sashimi, Tempura French Green Beans, Macaroni & Cheese, and Ahi Poke. We all agreed the Poki was our favorite of the four, I'd recommend and order it again. Than most of us ordered the Alaskan Halibut or Braised Short Ribs for dinner. Portions were big and I swapped the mushroom risotto for the mashed potatoes. Food was delicious and our server was very nice and accommodating. read more

River Grill - Alaskan Halibut with Mushroom Risotto and Asparagus - New American Near Me - Tahoe City, California

Food was great! We had burgers, salmon, and the fettuccine. Service was excellent! Ambience was super -- the Trucked River is right outside and was looking good! read more

Great service and wonderful food. We had the special of the night - Halibut. Delicious. Desert was the best. Will be back... read more

River Grill - Our view while dinning - New American Near Me - Tahoe City, California

Yummy green beans. Bar service was lovely and attentive. Live music was fine, but I'm picky.

Amazing food and service . Tooks us same day big party . Everyone was super nice food Great. Will be back

Our party of 4 adults dined here on 7.9.23 at 5:45 pm. The weather was perfect and we had a lovely table next to the Truckee River. Our party enjoyed the Mozzarella salad, pear salad, halibut, pork chops, tuna, and a burger. The service, food, and setting were fantastic. Live music played in the background while we dined. This location will be a must when we visit the Tahoe area next summer. read more

River Grill - Seared Tuna - New American Near Me - Tahoe City, California

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Just had dinner and couldn't be more pleased. From the moment we walked in with Kendra and Annie, the experience couldn't be any better! We were fortunate to have Kira as our server and Merrin to help her, their service was fantastic. We enjoyed the tuna poke and the fried calamari. Thank you so much Keira, Merrin, Kendra, and Annie, much appreciated. read more

Worse than terrible. Pro tip, add ketchup and salt to your filet to make it edible, was also wondering when they'd serve me the other half of the filet, it looked butterflied and overcooked. Dirty martini came without olives because he wasn't sure if I wanted olives, no I would prefer cherries dummy. Service sucked, ambiance great. read more

Great service! We had a nice window table overlooking the river. We even saw an otter swimming. Food was excellent. The beet salad was the best my husband ever had. Halibut was definitely a must try. Brownie sundae was the perfect ending! read more

Excellent service, pretty very Tahoe, my new favorite place for dinner and drinks. My alfredo was okay but the ahi looked amazing.