Great food, excellent service. Beautiful ambiance! This restaurant was a wonderful experience for my family.

I must say I was very disappointed in the River Grille. My friend and I went there for lunch and ordered 2 burgers from the menu. The only caveat is that my fried asked for mozzarella instead of cheddar! Since they made pizza, it seemed like a no brainer! Take a tiny bit of cheese and sprinkle on a burger! We were told she couldn't have mozzarella because that is only for pizza! WTF we were willing to pay $30 for drinks & $40 for burgers! Our poor waiter was forced to try & convince the chef to make the cheese swap! Alas, we got nowhere so we decided to dine elsewhere! The ultimate insult was the manager actually defending this decision! He kept telling us if they use the cheese on her hamburger they could run out of cheese for a pizza! Also if others saw her mozzarella on the burger they would want it too! The amount of cheese used for the burger wouldn't even be enough for a pizza slice! He offered no apology or no discount on the $30 drink we ordered and paid for! read more

Labor Day weekend in Tahoe was packed, we called around and with a quick yelp search found this place! The venue is really home-y. They had live music, a fire pit with benches and outdoor seating along the river. Indoors they had a full bar and cozy seating where we got a river view. The food and drinks were served promptly. for starters we shared the Mac and cheese and the watermelon arugula salad. The Mac was very creamy and the salad was refreshing. I had their scallop dish with their mashed sweet potato base, cream sauce and asparagus. My boyfriend had the meatloaf. Both were divine. Best scallops I've ever had. The over all experience here was one of the highlights of the weekend up in Tahoe. read more

River Grill - Mac and cheese with watermelon salad - New American Near Me - Tahoe City, California

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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. read more

River Grill - View from our table on the patio - New American Near Me - Tahoe City, California

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This place says it is pet friendly, however I t is not. The staff is incredibly and unnecessarily rude. Would not visit again. read more

Delicious dinner with a view of the Truckee River. We had reservations and were seated quickly .. service was very good. I had the halibut and my husband had the ahi appetizer with the red pear salad. Just a lovely dinner with a beautiful view. We will be back. read more

Amazing appetizers and entrees. I go here every year for my birthday and it never gets old. The halibut special is always the best.

The outdoor seating was beautiful and the food was fabulous. Service was on point and they handled large group efficiently.

Great service and food! The waiter was very kind and everything came out in a timely manner. All the food we tried was great- especially the halibut. read more

To update my 2021 review. Table for 2 on weds Aug 23rd, 2023. Still a good place but we had a more than disappointing experience with the crusted halibut being far under done and the hoped for crusted top a soggy oily cheese my mess. The waiter finally asked if something was wrong, we laid out the problem. He simply replied "one of our heavier versions" and left table without offering what he could do to fix the situation. We have a table for 6 there tonight and thinking of going elsewhere Update to my 2014 review and still 5 stars. We eat here every summer. The vibe is the best and the food even better. Cocktails are excellent and prices reasonable unlike other "nice spots" in town. Fried Green Bean with Ponzu appetizer is awesome. Wait staff the same every year so the owner must be fair to them. read more

very nice people, good drinks......i got a caesar salad and the calamari, both very good.....i gotta go back for happy hour!

Dinner for 6, all of us enjoyed every meal. Halibut and filets. Chipotle sauce with the calamari was so good.

We were visiting Tahoe City during our kids Spring break but with our dog so we were just looking to take out. We stumbled across River Grill and since it was super close to the Tesla chargers decided to order take out. We were sooo happy with our choice. We ordered the filet and the salmon along with the beet and pear salads. It ended up being the perfect amount of food for us. We attempted to split everything between the four of us, but the kids (9 and 11) quickly wanted more salmon and filet. They also love the asparagus, mashed potatoes, and sautéed veggies. So my husband and I just ate a little of those and split the salads between us. They had a nice Smokey flavor and weren't over buttered. The salads were also great. We are big fans of beets so the beets salad was awesome and the pear and Gorgonzola salad was great two. The flavors are melded together perfectly. We will definitely plan a return visit. The host was super friendly when we called to order. He did need to make sure the kitchen was ok with additional orders for take out since the restaurant was packed on this Wednesday night! The food was ready super quickly. When we went to pick up the order the staff were very nice and prompt with getting us our food, paying, and off on our way. It really was packed, if you go to eat there make sure you have a reservation as even the bar was packed at 6pm. read more

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

This was our first time at this place. We arrived end of shift but still what a désastreuse experience. The server was ok but the food was definitely not worth the price! Way too expensive for frozen food. The bread was just warmed up and hard I wanna say WTF. Then the pasta of the Mac n cheese were over cooked. The short rib was hard filled with nerves. The bun of the burger tasted old and hard. The beets on focaccia was on flatbread and the server insisted on saying this was a focaccia. I forgot to mention the cocktails that were far from being well balanced, way too strong not really enjoyable. To sum up Do not waist your time and money here! We ended up paying 80$ + and we walked out frustrated. Im just updating to tell you my husband got food poisoning from the short rib.... just saying read more

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

Our party of 4 waited a long time the bread never arrived! 2 dinners arrived and the second 2 finally arrived very cold like right out of the fridge cold. Over the past 20 years we have always been pleased, something has changed and one of our party was up all night sick. Glenn read more

Dinner at River Grill was the best meal of our tripe to Tahoe, and really just one of the best meals I've had in recent memory. They were doing a brisk business on Sunday evening, but our party of four got a table with beautiful river view. The rosemary bread was soft and fresh...so delicious that we ordered a second basket. I took the advice of other reviewers and ordered the scallops with mushroom risotto. AMAZING. The scallops were sweet without a trace of grit. While I didn't love the accompanying tempura asparagus, this entree was till 5 stars. Others in our party ordered salads and raved that the added chicken was exceptionally moist and flavorful. We finished the meal with profiteroles for them and the brownie sundae for us. Brownie sundae was well worth the splurge, with decadent dulce de leche ice cream and rich chocolate chunks in the brownie. read more

this place is AMAZING. from the minute we walked in and were greeted by the manager (george) and host (emma) the whole experience was jus fantastic. the bartender (marilu) was super friendly while we waited for our table and our server (jeb) and the food runner (angel) made the meal more special. we had the spinach ravioli and lamb chops and both were incredible. that nights entertainment (randy) too has a fantastic voice. this place is special and i want management to know that george, jeb, emma, marilu and especially ANGEL are great at what they do and represent the restaurants brand well. thank them for me for a wonderful meal/night. i forgot to mention it was my birthday and they made it special. thanks much. read more

Great food small and nice ambiance- nice setting. Highly advise checking this gem out.

We rode to Tahoe for the day then decided to grab dinner. Riding over to one of our favorite cafés, we found the River Grill. Obviously we didn't have reservations ~ which on a Saturday night and a holiday weekend probably wasn't a great idea! BUT we were seated in thier outside dinning area right away ~ sweet! The atmosphere here is great. Live music on the patio. White lights circling palm tree trunks and candles on the tables. Perfect restaurant for an anniversary, birthday or any celebration. Although we were celebrating nothing, we totally enjoyed the relaxing ambience and the music! I ordered the beef ribs, but when they came they were pretty fatty. The corn that came with the beef ribs is like a Mexican corn seasoned with I'm not sure what. Not to my liking at all I requested to change to the fillet mignon. No problem! The fillet mignon was cooked perfectly. The demi-glaze sauce was amazing. The gratin potatoes are really good. Thinly sliced potatoes in a cream sauce with cheese, but not an over abundance of cheese. Delicious!! Dessert... The profiteroles we're calling my name! I would've preferred no caramel sauce on them, however they were still really good. The hubster had strawberry shortcake...scrumptious We'll be back! read more

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We have gone here for 3 years and recommended it to my mother in law to go for her birthday on a special trip with her grandson (our son) who is autistic and we called ahead to have her birthday dinner paid for and asked if they could bring her out the brownie dessert and sing her happy birthday. The hostess said yes and our credit card went through but they never brought the dessert out to surprise her. When we called to complain the manager said " we aren't dancing monkeys bro. We don't sing happy birthday". Literally word for word. Unbelievable that a manager (I believe his name was George) would speak to customers like that! Just tell us ahead of time you don't sing happy birthday! Very very disrespectful! We were just trying to make a special night for my mother in law and our son on his grandma's birthday. Night ruined. Thanks Bro! read more

Nice cool spot on the Truckee River, great ambiance and a nice view. The service was fast, friendly. I got the Halibut Chef's Special, which changes daily. The halibut was cooked well and not overdone. Wine selection is limited for glass wines and the server could have given a better pairing for the special. Food came out fast. Great date spot. read more

River Grill - Halibut - Chef's Special - New American Near Me - Tahoe City, California

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It's been a day since I've been to River Grill, because it's taken that long to process the dish to price ratio I experienced the night before. Butternut squash ravioli is not that hard to come across. Trader Joe's does good job with it. So, when I saw $27 for butternut squash ravioli on the River Grill menu, I was excited to see how they'd perfected this very common dish. Lo and behold, the sour sock stench I noticed upon my arrival to the restaurant was the very same scent as the 27 Dollar Butternut (or should I say ButterButt) squash ravioli I know had in front of my face. it tasted like milky sugar sauce drizzled over candied pecans on what i hope was actual ravioli. I'm sure it was but what I'm trying to say is, this place is really not good. And it's weird because every review I read is how much they love it. read more

The food was amazing and the service was very fast and welcoming. The setting is right on the Truckee River which just enhances the whole experience. They also suggested excellent wine pairings with our meals. read more

Pulling up starving and looking for a late Friday night dinner we stopped here at the start of our Tahoe weekend. Everyone was hungry and tired and 3 of us in need of cocktails, and joy! Manhattans, and martinis, both excellent. Boyfriend and I split a pear and goat cheese salad, and the salmon with cilantro rice. Both quite good, standard California fare but well executed. I also tasted some other dishes at the table, and everything was delicious- though on a weird note the halibut tacos were actually halibut wrapped in a flour tortilla like a burrito so that was a little weird. Still, the halibut was perfectly cooked, so hey, Tahoe tacos it is! Service was fast and friendly, and I imagine the view of the river when it isn't dark is lovely. A good place to start a Tahoe weekend. read more

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Tuna Poke app was so good! Big portion for an app that can often be skimpy. I would order it as a main course. We also had the corn chowder, jalapeño corn bread, pear Gorgonzola salad, tempura green beans, and the dynamite shrimp. They were all great. Would order all of it again. read more

We had no reservations, but no problem we ordered food to go and took it back to our rental. The staff was very accommodating, we had drink outside waiting for our order. We started with the delicious Caesar salad. I had the Halibut, my husband had the beef tenderloin, both delicious. Dessert..brownie and strawberry shortcake. Highly recommend, even to go it was delicious and serviced in a nice tote. Thank you for a great meal and great staff read more

Love this restaurant. Beef short ribs were excellent. Great service with friendly staff to boot. My wife and I have dinned there 3-4 times over the last year and have never been disappointed. read more

River Grill - An early Valentine dinner. - New American Near Me - Tahoe City, California

I can't say enough about this restaurant. The deck overlooking the Truckee river is magical. We ordered the dumplings , Caesar, spinach ravioli and scallops. The Caesar was just OK the other 3 dishes hit it out of the ballpark. We definitely will return. read more

Great dinner on the river! Service was top notch as were the enchiladas, shrimp appetizer, and brownie dessert. In the past we have enjoyed the happy hour in the bar. Glad we ventured out to the deck! read more

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Our waiter was very nice and gave good recommendations. We started the Mac n cheese and ahi tuna. Mac n cheese was so-so and my cousins didn't like the added tomatoes within it. It was an odd taste so I wouldn't recommend it. The Ahi Tuna was good and a big portion because you also get the veggie roll which is a big portion for a good price. Next, we had the pork chop with au gratin potatoes and broccoli was so good. Pork chop done to perfection and moist, and the au gratin potatoes were cheesy and so flavorful. We centered around our order by getting the au gratin potatoes. The waiter recommend the short rib and it of course came with au gratin potatoes and 2-3 asparagus. It was very flavorful and I recommend it ($38). The surf and turf was a great portion. We loved it--must get ($65). Two people got the burgers and added grilled onion, cheddar cheese, and substituted sweet potato fries with the regular fries. I highly recommend the sweet potato fries!! Plus getting a burger that automatically comes with a Caesar salad side and fries is the best combo out there. So much food, couldn't finish it all, and all went home happy. I recommend the lemondrop martini--strong but so good. read more

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Fries could of been more crispy the side bread was warm and very tasty. We ordered the giant prawn dynamite which served more shrimp than expected and was good could of delivered a little more heat. We then ordered the Johnny Burger which at medium could have been cooked a little longer otherwise all was good. Live music was good for those liking 60's- 80's music read more

I have been generous with my Tahoe reviews. Most of these restaurants are terribly over priced for the quality of food you receive. But being a destination area, this is to be expected. Locals probably dine out never, and those that I know are hard pressed to name any 'favorite restaurant.' They don't seem to exist. Such is the case with the River Grill. What this place has going for them is location! Situated right on the Truckee River, the al fresco dining is delightful on a summer evening, with views of the river and the alpine trees and grasses along the bank. Our dinners included Caesar salads, a $10 plus $2 if you want anchovies (say what?) plate, which were ridiculously underwhelming for the small portion of overdressed, warm, and wilted salad. The fried calamari was just greasy little nuggets, absolutely nothing special about it or its standard cocktail sauce. The halibut/bass fish special was cooked alright but so boring with its mashed potatoes and uninspired asparagus spears. Same sentiments for the filet plate, as well as the bone-in pork chop (avoid at all costs the super sugary root beer reduction. A total gastronomic failure, IMO). All proteins were cooked well, but all sides and sauces were a snooze fest. We could have been dining at an 80's steak house for all i know of mashed potatoes, asparagus spears, and unseasoned broccoli wedges. UGH! Service, unmemorable. The whole thing just reeks of apathy. Shame because they have such a splendid location and great potential for really putting on a great culinary show! Go to Tahoe for the lake and mountains, and not for the food. read more

I give River Grill high marks for its beautiful location on the Truckee River. Enjoyed sitting on the patio and watching the river flow (few rafting because of the lateness of the hour). The food was good but not memorable, and while I liked the halibut topped with mushroom sauce and accompanied by mashed potatoes and asparagus, I found it a little dear at $36. Clearly you pay a premium for the waterfront location. Not everything was expensive, however. Other items included a nice corn chowder, sweet potato fries, pork dumplings, watermelon salad, and burgers. All guests pronounced them good but not outstanding. I particularly enjoyed the ceviche with my glass of draft IPA. The rosemary-infused focaccia also lent a nice touch to the meal. I would probably return to enjoy the setting and the early evening ambience at River Grill. read more

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Excellent Service. We had the Salmon and the Halibut special of the day. Both great and that Halibut was Perfectly coocked. A few cocktails later next to the River view and and made it a wonderful night. read more

One of the best meals we've ever had. David was AMAZING, our food was so good, service was so fast. I would drive up here just for the food & service! We got the calamari, tomato basil salad, and two burgers. So much food. So tasty! read more

Not good anymore. My friend couldn't even eat his "prime rib" which was a well done pile of fat. Plenty of better options in Reno.

Loved this little restaurant! Sat on the deck overlooking the Truckee river. Great service and the food was just as good. If you are looking for a beautiful backdrop while eating dinner this is the place. read more

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

delicious pub grub and amazing view! very friendly service. we were there for lunch, so I don't know if the dinner menu is as good, but lunch was excellent. read more

We were a party of 7 adults and 3 children...the seating on the deck was very pleasant...the service was good and so was the food...we will go back again. read more