Great food again tonight. Scallops delicious. Cheese beignet appetizers great. The Mojo big choc chip cookie and Ice cream for dessert. Very very disappointing service tonight. Waited 10 minutes before anyone even acknowledged we were at a table. Then was not told a word about the menu, no specials, nothing ! Very lackluster but adequate service during the dinner though one person's in our party's dinner came out 15 minutes after everyone else's. For a $300 dinner with tip the service should be much better. Our last visit the service was excellent so not sure if it's just an off night or what. read more

I am consistently disappointed by restaurants when I visit my parents in my hometown of Memphis so I was skeptical when my Mom suggested River Oaks, former home of the Cockeyed Camel for dinner. It was really good. In fact, it was so good we are returning tonight. Great menu, great food, great service, great wine list and a good cocktail. Atmosphere nice too. read more

I had been here before and expected it to be like my last meal: amazing. Instead mine was mediocre. Started off with the empanadas. I was expecting baked.... But they were fried... They were ok, I've just had the real thing in Argentina and these were not the dough balls of goodness. Had special of the day... flounder with curry sauce... Again not mind blowing. Hubby had the burger .... He said it was amazing. His fries.... Awesome. I ordered wrong! read more

I had so looked forward to eating here and was so disappointed. It was extremely loud. Could not have a conversation without shouting. The food was mediocre at best! My steak was cold and needed seasoning. Creame brûlée's was lumpy and had no taste. The sugar shell was good but the cream anglaise was lumpy and had no flavor. So unhappy read more

We have beena great fan of Chef Guitterez for a long time. In fact, I had the privilege of dining at his kitchen at Chez Phillippe! Thanks also for your wondeful preparation at Encore. While the preparation at River Oaks Inn is adequate, albeit not up to your prior standards, the service is horrendous. We dined at your restaurant today, despite having reservations, our tables were moved around multiple times, even though there were open tables. The attitude of the manager was arrogant and the the hostess was spacy. Are you guys in the game with standards of elite restaurants? There are some even in Memphis such as Erlings. Try to improve. Suresh I read more

Too loud & disorganized to be so expensive. Clueless hostess. They lost me at the door. I walked out after several minutes of being adrift in the chaos..... read more

The food was delicious! The cauliflower risotto was incredible! The ratatouille was heavenly. The service at the bar was terrible! From 5pm to 6pm there were 3 of us eating at the bar and the bartender disappeared for 10 minutes. The three of us talked, but wondered what happened to the bartender and wondered why none of the other employees helped since they weren't busy. Bottom line is that the food is great and the service is lousy. There are too many good restaurants in Memphis to waste your time and money here. read more

The restaurant is a bit nondescript from the exterior, but don't let it fool you. The inside is pure class, intimate and welcoming. A nice bar immediately greets you and a variety of various sized dining spaces are throughout. We were a party of 10, and while the separate room we would have preferred was occupied, the staff did their best to make our large party work. Service was outstanding, the appetizers were works of art and excellent (the Tuna tar-tar is perfect!), the wine list was solid, the cocktails poured correctly, and the entrees were terrific. Large gourmet burgers, ample salmon filets, the the filet and tenderloin special was to die for. I highly recommend River Oaks when in the area. read more

Had a business dinner and took 1hr to receive food. Once the steaks arrived they were not prepared medium rare as requested. Our server was very apologetic however when she brought the manager over he stated they had a large party and the kitchen was under staffed. We were hungry so we chose to eat the food anyway but he insisted they do not comp any food "it was their policy". So if there is a large party expect to get bad service and deal with it because they do not treat customers like customers should be treated. read more

I've been here twice this week. Last night I ordered takeout and tonight I ate at the bar. I am so bummed I waited this long to try it. It looks a little pretentious from the parking lot ,however don't let that scare you as the prices are not too high. Most entrees are under $30. I had the halibut last night and it was delicious. Tonight the rack of lamb with cheesy orzo. Everything has been perfectly seasoned and cooked. I will continue to come back! read more

Nice place. Nice atmosphere. Nice selection. Nothing here blew me away, but very friendly service and solid food (especially the soup) at comparatively low prices for the quality earn River Oaks an above average rating. read more

I'm staying in the Four Season's Sheraton Hotel across from River Oaks Restaurant. Upon checking-into the hotel I requested a list of places that would deliver as I decided I was going to stay in and catch-up on some work. The young lady at the front desk told me I can order room service that was prepared by the establishment outside of the hotel. I ordered the Steak Frites Entree, after 45 mins of waiting it was a wast of time and money. The entire plate was cold, the frites were soggy and the steak was tough and tasteless. I do not recommend River Oaks Restaurant and have no plans on returning. read more

Love this place. We stumbled in on Valentine's Day without a reservation, and was told all they had was the bar (first come, first served). But we sat on the corner near the door, so it felt very cozy and romantic. We enjoyed everything about the meal. The bartender was awesome at recommending her favorites. The gruyere fritters were very good fresh, but don't take them home (they do not reheat well). The salmon was delicious!! I don't recall what my husband had, but I do remember he liked it. Their wine selection is very good, and they did a port flight for us for dessert. Yum.... Parking was a challenge, but that was likely due to the holiday, as it seemed like ample parking on a normal basis. We'll be back, for sure. read more

Love sitting at the bar. Excellent food- selection for any type of eater. The chef is fantastic. Noise can be an issue depending on the time; it's a pretty small spot. Certainly a hidden gem. read more

Been there twice this week Bartenders are awesome Crab cakes are legit Steak frites is amazing Sliders are so juicy!! I would def go back when im back in town! read more

Saturday Evening Horror Show. After waiting on our main course for an hour and a half we cancelled our meal. No one seemed to be in charge or could even tell us when the dinner would arrive. The manager insisted on billing us (for food never delivered to the table) and finally said the restaurant would cover the food charges, however, my party would be responsible for the payment of three (3) drinks. He even stated that he would Call the Police if we refused to pay. Thats about as Low as it gets. I wouldn't suggest this place to anyone based on my Horrible Experience of this evening. Enter at your own risk, Bon Appetite'. read more

This is our "go to" restaurant. The food is excellent, the service is superb. Our recommendation is, go there and enjoy yourselves. You will be absolutely satisfied!! read more

A "go-to in the clutch" dinner venue when we're indecisive on date nights. Food: Has always been consistent and very, very good. I wouldn't put it in the excellent/spectacular category, but we've never left feeling like we've had a terrible or mediocre meal. Solid, solid. And, I think dinner for two with wine is reasonable price-wise considering the quality of the food. Decor/Atmosphere: Yes, it occupies a strange little building basically sitting in the Four Points motel parking lot at Poplar and 240. When we were moving to Memphis seven years ago, some friends sent us here; it took us while to find it because we just never expected it to be where it is (these were the pre-phone-GPS days). Inside it's nice, comfortable, non-intimidating. As mentioned in other posts, the interior isn't anything super-special, but that's why we like going here regularly. Good food in a comfortable space. Sitting in the bar area or at the bar to eat is works out well too if the dining room is cramped. Service: Waiters and staff are very friendly. They are competent, but never have left feeling like they were the world's best, most informed waitstaff. Counterintuitively, it's part of the "charm" for us in that there isn't pervasive stuffiness there. Overall, it's like an upscale neighborhoody place you'd find off the beaten path in urban environments like NYC etc. Sometimes, you want a full-blown formal experience when dining. Others, you want a really good meal in a relatively unpretentious setting. We feel like it's more of the latter, and that's a very good thing. read more

Honestly, we ended up making a reservation here because just about every other restaurant was booked solid on Valentine's Day weekend, but it was a delightful dining experience. The cuisine & wine selection were varied & quite reasonably priced for the quality. We will definitely not overlook this place again when we are in Memphis. read more

Our second time here. It's hard to choose one item from the menu. My ceasar salad was fantastic tonight. Halibut was a nice mixture of the fish and olives and vegetables. Tamara was a great waitress. We would recommend it and will be back. read more

Hadn't been here in a long time, but went the other night and sat at the bar. Had a great experience. Crispy tuna tartare was spot on, followed by halibut entree that was nice with great accompaniments. Dessert was the molten chocolate cake; again a winner. Bartender was a sweetheart. I'm much more likely to return soon. read more

Wow. We had been driving all day and stayed at the four-points hotel next door and just wanted to get a decent meal. Positioning ourselves at the bar, we were greeted by Tanya who cheerfully made sure we didn't wait to be taken care of. My wife ordered scallops and I ordered a burger. The huge Scallops were fresh, not frozen. These were the best we have ever had and cooked to perfection....clear inside and with the consistency of butter. My burger was awesome. I only regret not going so pedestrian....Can't wait to go back and try the other dishes. This meal was more expensive than I was looking for, but worth it. I will make sure to find a way to dine here if I get any where within a 100 miles! read more

Dinner on Saturday night... Great food with friendly, prompt and professional service. Crab cakes, Grouper and Flounder are all highly recommended. read more

Great food; great service; great atmosphere. They have a very nice menu, but it changes only rarely. To offset this, however, they have a nice list of wonderful specials each day. Highly recommend. read more

The food was good, but mysteriously bland and unexciting. The service was terrible! We were a duo between two parties of four and we were ignored. We had to ask for bread, ask for our side dishes and wait for our drinks to what seemed like the end of times! The waitress will get the rest of her tip when we get the bread we asked for, half-way through dinner. read more

We dine at River Oaks a few times a month, and it gets better each time. With Jose Gutierrez involved you can assume the food will be EXCELLENT. What puts this place "over the top" is the friendly atmosphere. If you go there often enough, it will feel like a private Country Club, especially with the amount of repeat customers that frequent River Oaks. We especially enjoy dining at the Bar Bistro tables and meet and greet customers as they come in-just fun!!! Just great food-fun-great service-what more do you need!!! Frank Saitta read more

i spent my thanksgiving holiday with my in laws in Memphis, TN. it's located in this out of the way area off of Poplar Avenue-hidden on a very easy to miss road that leads you to this cozy little restaurant. we were greeted by the owner and chef, Jose Gutierrez, seated by a super friendly hostess and immediately had water poured by an extremely accommodating waitress. a must try is the house salad with the super yummy dressing...it had a hint of honey mustard, a sprinkle of olive oil - i say sprinkle because the dressing was not runny, super fine parmesan cheese for taste and texture...i'm sure it had a few other secret ingredients that gave it it's delicious flavor. seriously, this salad is AWESOME. we had bread and butter to accompany the yummy salad. the bread was fresh and the butter was mixed with garlic. i know, i know...it's just bread and butter right? but let me tell you, this bread was right out of the oven..still warm and it melted the garlic butter perfectly just so it gives you the perfect combination of bread and butter in your mouth. it was the bread and butter of all bread and butters. now on to the main course. when the waitress went around the table to take our order, everyone asked for her recommendation. she gave her honest answer to each dish we asked about. she didn't give us the generic answer, "everything is good". i ordered the special, flounder grilled with spinach. it was yummy! overall a great dining experience! highly recommend! read more

We are new to Memphis and have found River Oaks the only consistently good restaurant in town. Had cousins in town and took them to dinner. We were sat in the back room with the neon red exit sign shining in our faces, no atmosphere at all! We had very good appetizers and then mains arrived. I ordered steak frites, it arrived and looked amazing, the sauce was good. The meat tough as old boots. We complained and it was whisked away, then returned with the same piece of meat cooked a bit more??? It exited the table again without a word of apologies from our hapless waitress. So sorry to burst the bubble. What a shame read more

Had an incredible dinner experience all around! Service was extraordinary and the food was first rate. Butternut squash soup was loved by my dinner companion and I thought the cauliflower risotto was delicious! Also delightful was the steak and brussel sprouts. I live in California but look forward to eating here again when I visit! read more

Had a good dinner here. Would actually give it 3.5 stars. Nice restaurant. Service was good. Had short ribs rounded with carrot puree which I liked. Dessert which was an apple tart not so good - did not like their version with what seemed like an integration of apple sauce. Went with two colleagues and they both rated it the same ...Nonetheless I suspect it is one of the better higher end restaurants and would go here again. read more

A very busy Tuesday night. This restaurant happened to be in the parking lot adjacent to my hotel. I cannot believe the good luck of stumbling across this place. Being 1 solo traveler, I sat at the bar. The hostess was very nice and offered up the bar as a suggestion. The bar offers the full dinner menu. I had the Nicoise Salad and a glass of Meiomi Pinot Noir. I love Nicoise salad and try to order it at finer establishments when I see it on the menu. The salad (which I forgot to take a picture of because it was so appetizing) came artfully arranged with a platform of romaine lettuce in the center; a bridge of perfectly crisp green beans and red bell peppers balanced delicately on top. The rare tuna was displayed around the perimeter of the plate and was cooked perfectly. The combination of the olives, fresh tomatoes, and the greens was brought together by the salad dressing in such a way that I finished the entire plate in a very short amount of time. It really is a sizable portion and the price is fantastic ($16 for what looked like $16 of tuna). It was a little bit loud at the bar, but that is to be expected. The staff at the bar was fantastic. I thoroughly enjoyed myself and will probably go back every evening for dinner. read more

The green gazpacho was simply spectacular!! My husband and I both had the filet, which was perfectly cooked, and loved the veggies which accompany the steak, but we did not care for the sweet, teriyaki-type sauce served over the steak. In the past, I have had the halibut which is also spectacular!! The bed of veggies which accompanies the halibut is very interesting and delicious. For dessert we had creme brûlée and again, I can only describe it as spectacular. Everything I have had at River Oaks tastes fresh, with no hint of frozen "restaurant supply" so common in other high-end chain restaurants. read more

Had lunch here recently. Wow! I was blown away. Had the salmon sandwich and fries. Enough food for two to split. A little pricey for lunch but I cleaned my plate. read more

Unexpected jewel. Unpretentious service with exceptional, locally sourced food! Caught in bad weather at a nearby hotel and were steered in your direction. Highly recommend! read more

wonderful "nice dinner out" restaurant - grouper is outstanding - and the camembert beignets are not to be missed

Best lunch specials in town, I have a hard time deciding between the pasta special, TV dinner or fish of the day, always happy with whatever I get. Have followed up with dinner of scallops (fabulous) & angel hair pasta in the same day. Always consistent, have never went on a off day! read more

Wow just had the most fantastic lunch ever! The chef's tv dinner was fun and delicious. Great attentive service. Will be back often

Had a lunch, and a great dinner next day. Every dish absolutely solid. The burger is superb. Nice to have a nice inexpensive hotel next door, if you lack a designated driver. Getting in from the freeway can be a little tricky in heavy traffic. read more

We went to River Oaks last week with another couple. We ordered four entrees, dessert and glasses of wine. The food was good but not exceptional. When the waiter arrived with the dessert he was carrying bread for an adjoining table. We had not been offered bread. The waiter said that customers had to ask for bread because then the restaurant was assured the bread is not wasted. I do not know why they would not be assured of this waste problem if the waiter asked us if we wanted what we assumed was coming in the first place. read more

River Oaks is one of the finest dining experiences in Memphis. The food is absolutely delicious, complex layers of flavor and texture, and to top it off it is exquisitely prepared. The Chef is creative and masterful, in the delivery of this culinary experience. My wife and I enjoy River Oaks regularly and we have been delighted at "every" meal. The staff is also great with careful attention to your experience. read more