Food was excellent. Had the duck with cauliflower risotto. Bartendar Jaime is awesome! She prepares excellent cocktails and good for recommendations. Dinner menu begins at 4pm. Lunch menu prior to that time. Ask Jaime for the Margarita martini. It's not on the menu... but she knows! Thanks for an excellent dining experience Chef Jose! read more

River Oaks Restaurant - Duck Breast Cauliflower Risotto & Asparagus - New American Near Me - Memphis, Tennessee

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A fantastic restaurant. I had there salmon dish, and it was definitely five stars. It comes with asparagus and a cauliflower risotto, The salmon was perfectly cooked and had a delicious glaze on it. The service is excellent, And I'm looking forward to going back there again the next time I'm in Memphis. read more

River Oaks is considered to be a very popular local restaurant with a French flare. Always crowded and loud but manageable. Food is generally exceptional and on this Wednesday night I decided to try the two specials Corn Chowder soup and Fried Chicken. Started with a couple of appetizers that were delicious. A cheese pastry and cornbread muffin followed by a watermelon tomato cucumber salad with crunchy noodles and an olive oil based dressing making it superb. The ladies order as their entree the crispy lemon chicken pail lard and loved it. As I stated before I ordered the corn chowder but they dropped the ball and never brought it which was disappointing. However the much anticipated fried chicken that I heard people rave about with old fashioned mashed potatoes and green beans had arrived so I was content until I bit into the chicken. BIG DISAPPOINTMENT! Not only did it not have much flavor it was room temperature as well. Mashed potatoes wasn't anything special but green beans were delicious. The other gentleman had their burger which was delicious but the bun loses out because it can't contain the burger. Ends up just falling apart which made the burger hard to manage without getting very messy. I will go back but not for the Fried Chicken which didn't even rate in my top 10 just in Memphis. read more

I had lunch here yesterday and it was terrific! I ordered the Tenderloin French Dip that was pan seared to perfection and loaded with peppers and served on a baguette and was accompanied with bountiful portion of pomme frites (delightful french fries). It is my understanding that they only utilize local growers, which is a huge plus in my book too. The dining room is very elegant but has somewhat of a bistro feel to it so it does not come off as "stuffy". It appeared that they have a full service bar and extensive wine list. Our server was knowledgeable and provided attentive service which created an overall wonderful dining experience for us. read more

Grabbed lunch here on a Friday with my wife. Got the tuna burger - it was a little "fishy". My wife got quiche - said it was very good. Both our salads were freshly made. My salad looked like a Caesar but had a slightly sweet dressing. Service and atmosphere were great. We had a couple of gnats that dogged us through out our meal and took away some of the enjoyment. read more

This was my first time here. I don't think I would go back, by my own choice. Our server was friendly. We both ordered an entree and they were delivered to our table one hour and ten minutes later. The server apologized and offered us dessert, but it would have taken a long time and I don't usually eat dessert. Not the servers fault, but still. I got the halibut and I don't usually add salt, but I think they forgot to salt it at all, while cooking. It was very bland. The fish was pretty over cooked but the vegetables were fresh and the caper sauce had potential. read more

This was our first visit to the restaurant, and we were pleased!!! The fries are great, but the chicken paillard and chef's burger were amazing!!! Our server Jaime was great and that you for the recommendations...we will be back!! read more

River Oaks Restaurant - New American Near Me - Memphis, Tennessee

I have to offer this disclaimer first: I am going to skip over the service because I know someone who works there and probably got better-than-normal service. On to the food. The food is divine. I ordered the crispy ahi tuna, which had a light wasabi flavor and was served with a melt-in-your-mouth orzo pilaf. The portion looked small, but the food was rich. My boyfriend ordered scallops with homemade angel hair pasta. I have learned how to cook a perfect scallop, so it's hard to wow me, but these wowed me. (Hello there, #humblebrag!) We also split the crab martini appetizer. We were a small group of very happy, very full diners by the time we got to dessert. The key lime pie was not bad, but ohmygod the chocolate fondant and that's all I am going to say about that. For extra fun, get some cocktails. I never knew I liked a sidecar but apparently I like a sidecar. I can't say much for the noise level because I was here on a Monday night and it was quiet. Maybe it's louder on the weekends, I don't know. But the ambiance is pleasant and more casual than stuffy, and if I were traveling through Memphis I would surely stop by again. read more

This is one of the best restaurants I have ever visited. I had the warm goat cheese salad, the special fish dinner for the evening, and key lime pie. Everything was incredible. The fish was perfectly cooked and so flavorful. The key lime pie--- oh, the key lime pie. So, so delicious. The chef here is just brilliant with the flavors and the servers/bartenders know how to ask questions to offer you the best recommendations for your order. Other than the food, the service is impeccable. read more

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I love coming to River Oaks when I'm in Memphis visiting the family. Having been here several times, I've had the opportunity to sample a few of the entrees including the salmon, steak, duck two ways and sliders, as well as the warm goat cheese salad and spinach salad. The duck and salmon were excellent. The sliders needed more ingredients on them as the meat alone with small portions of cheese, sauce and caramelized onions didn't really create any unique flavors. Perhaps I shouldn't have ordered sliders at a place like River Oaks. They do a better job with the higher end dishes. The pomme frites however, are usually quite tasty, although the last time I went they were forgettable, probably because they needed salt and pepper. For dessert, I've enjoyed the key lime pie and the chocolate chip cookie. The food at River Oaks is definitely good but it doesn't necessarily WOW you. The service is excellent, as is the ambiance. read more

River Oaks Restaurant - Sliders - New American Near Me - Memphis, Tennessee

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I have been twice to River Oaks for ladies-who-lunch type luncheons. The food is very good, and a bit too classy for a regular lunch place. I always end up spending around $25.00 on lunch and one drink. The chef creates a prix-fix TV Dinner each day, with a special meat and vegetable combo. The tuna nicoise salad was good, and every time I go, I think how great the tuna burger looks! Very friendly servers and staff- I recommend asking for Emily. read more

We ate here on a Saturday night for our anniversary. First I will say that the atmosphere was very festive. Maybe too much for a anniversary dinner. However, it was right after Thanksgiving and there were lots of get-togethers going on. So, this is likely not the norm. The waitress was great and attentive but not over bearing. The food was wonderful. Our waitress suggested we try the special as an appetizer. It was ravioli with pork, with a cream mustard sauce with roasted turnips. This was absolutely delicious. Then My husband had a steak with mushroom sauce and I had the caramelized salmon. Both of our meals were very good and presented very nicely. For dessert the waitress suggested the Creme brûlée, which is my favorite. She told us to get one to share. It came on a long rectangular dish with fresh creme and berries. It was so yummy. I have no complaints about our meal or wait staff. It was all wonderful. The chef made his way around the room several times greeting people and talking food and wine. We are planning our next night out here very soon!! This is a gem that may go unnoticed where it located but definitely worth it. read more

First visit to River Oaks. I found the parking pretty sparse, restaurant was nicely appointed. Did not get to visit the bar, but it looked nice. Our server was a little overbearing/overattentive to my liking, not that he was not professional, just personal preference. We split the petite salad and was perfectly sized. I ordered the lamb, and well, the reason for four stars. The sauce and accompaniments were delicious, but the lamb was frankly overcooked above by request of medium-rare and tough. Guessing that due to the heat of my bowl it sat for a while? I tasted my wife's snapper and it was near perfect. I would probably go back, but was not wowed like I had hoped. :( read more

I just ate here for the 4th time, and once again, it was really, really good. The menu is varied and our group of 4 each had something different. All enjoyed their dish tremendously. Great wine list, full bar. Staff does a great job and the waiters definetly know the menu The owner/chef, Jose and his wife are on the premises and everything runs like clockwork. Do yourself a favor... read more

Fine French-style dining in Memphis? You bet! River Oaks Restaurant offers that and much more. I arrived and was seated promptly for lunch here and ordered the Chef's TV Dinner. This is a great meal that changes daily - you get four courses (including dessert) that can be pretty much anything the Chef is in the mood to make. My plate included some divine cod, a sweet potato pancake, a beet salad and a slice of key lime pie (the best in Memphis). I also had a good choice of wines to pair with the meal. The restaurant itself feels like a French cafe, as well. Service was spot-on and the best part is that the entire experience wasn't pretentious like many American French restaurants. read more

So sorry to do this as we loved Encore. However, we went for our 15th anniversary to night and it was just average. We had a server trainee and were served stripped bass instead of halibut without being told there was a substitution. We had a bottle of champagne and a bottle of wine so the tab was over $200. I don't think Jose was there. It was loud, the servers felt like that of a chain establishment and the atmosphere certainly didn't fit the tab. The standards certainly weren't what we've enjoyed from Jose in the past. All of a sudden it feels like a chain. read more

Literally the best rack of lamb I've ever had. I'll be back tomorrow to try another dish from the mouth watering menu. read more

River Oaks Restaurant - Lamb - New American Near Me - Memphis, Tennessee

What a great night out! The appetizer plate was amazing (assorted cheeses, two kinds of olives, roasted red peppers and assorted salumi); yummy bread. The private dining area was really cozy; warm colors, big windows, just the right size. First Course - Spinach salad was excellent - just the right amount of dressing, and a GREAT dressing at that. Second Course - At my table, 4 people, including myself, ordered the caramelized salmon over cauliflower risotto with asparagus - and all pronounced it perfect. The one diner who had the filet with green beans loved her meal as well (high marks from her neighbor, too, who also shared a bite) while the breaded lemon chicken paillard was deemed 'pretty good'. Third Course - Dessert choice of a molten lava cake w/ vanilla gelato and berries was a big hit (rich!), and the key lime pie got good reviews also. I'd definitely recommend this cozy restaurant, and would eat here again. I'm a big fan of terrific atmosphere, and this place has it in spades. Plus - I'd love a chance to sample other items on the menu..... read more

Excellent meal prepared by a fantastic chef. I had a very nice lunch there and I plan on visiting again soon. Staff was friendly and attentive and food was outstanding. read more

Neat little place in the same compound as the Park Place Hotel. Nice bar and good food. Never had a bad meal here and always accompanied by good service! My husband surprised me with a meal here on my birthday at the chef's table. Yes, eating in the kitchen (table for just two) was certainly a unique and fun experiance. Plus it was pretty cool and exciting to see how they churn out food for the packed restaurant in that little kitchen. Also nice to be able to communicate with chef Benjamin Vaughn. read more

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Easily one of Memphis' 5 best restaurants. When we are eating out East, it is hard to beat River Oaks. The sliders and the burger are fantastic bargains if you want to keep it casual. The crab cake appetizer is arguable the best crab cake in Memphis, and this from my wife, the certified crab cake nut. We ate here a month after a trip to Boston and the crab cake stood up to any we had there. I always get the tuna tartare and it has never let me down. If you like duck, get the duck 2 ways. It is one of the best dishes in Memphis. We had the scallops and halibut this time out and as always they were prepared very very well. Both dishes are light but flavorful. The wine list includes some standbys that even amateurs should recognize and some more adventurous choices. The wait staff has good working knowledge of the list, but never hesitates to refer the bartender if they are unsure. I'm still not sure if bread is served with dinner...we often have an early reservation and at least once we've been told it wasn't ready yet, though on our last visit it didn't appear at any table so perhaps they've dropped it. We had mediocre service on one visit many months ago but that particular server may have been new and may not have made the cut as we have not seen her since. Honestly the food was so good and the experience so unlike any other we've had there that we didn't hesitate to come back. read more

We tried again. This time, the duck confit salad was best I have ever had. Could be a meal. Sat at the other end of the bar but the ventilation is such that the dishwasher still wafts stinky steam across the nose of the patrons. read more

Had a great dinner tonight with colleagues. I had the lamb and it was fabulous. Becca was our server and she was very welcoming

I started with a house margarita. It was tiny and too much sweet and sour! Overpriced and one of the worst drinks I've had in awhile. We ordered the steak with fries. The fries were great and plentiful. That's about the best thing I can say about our meal. The steak had a weird taste to it and lots of sauce over it. The food was mediocre and overpriced. The service was not good either. Our waiter disappeared for 15 minutes when we were ready to leave. Go somewhere else and save yourself a lot of $$$. We spent $70 on a split mediocre steak and one drink and a few beers. read more

Was looking forward to dinner here with my family. The decor is nice, and it's a classy looking place, but dinner was a disappointment. I ordered the filet, and got green beans with it and some corn dish that was weird (Corn Galette). There were square pieces of what looked like tofu with the corn dish, I guess it was the souffle part of the Corn Galette..... but had no corn. The corn was one small "slice" of corn off the cob. There was 1 fingerling potato with it (they need to take the "s" off 'chateau potatoes' on the menu description), and 2 brussel sprout halves. The haricot verts, if you want to sound fancy, were just unseasoned and almost mushy green beans. Giving it a fancy name does not make it taste any different. All the sides were very underwhelming. Now on to my filet. Well, I ordered it cooked medium, as did my sister. Hers was well done, and mine was almost so. There was a little cup of some kind of gravy/sauce to dip your bites of steak in which was unidentifiable and tasteless. The cut of meat was great - but the execution was tasteless and bland, like everything else. My other sister ordered Halibut, and she asked for tartar sauce to accompany it. They didn't bring it with her fish, and she had to ask 2 more times for some, on the rare occasions the waiter stopped by to check on us, and the excuse was that the chef had to make it. Well heck, it took him well over 30 minutes to do so, and needless to say, she had nearly finished her fish by the time it arrived. My brother in law ordered Lamb. He said it wasn't very good. That's about all he said. He's a man of few words. Did I mention the long wait to order, the long wait to get food after ordering, and the long wait for the check to be presented, and then the long wait for them to complete the transaction? Definitely needs improvement there. We arrived at 6:00 pm and were seated immediately, and didn't get out of there until after 8:30. Lastly, the creme brûlée. I absolutely love creme brûlée! I've had some fantastic creme brûlée at many different restaurants (love it at Paulette's). I've never had creme brûlée that I couldn't eat, until now. Here, it was way too eggy. Nothing really creamy about it at all..... the texture was just way off (almost jello-ish), and it had no flavor at all - couldn't find a hint of vanilla and it was similar to the rest of the bland meal. I couldn't eat it and same with my sister (she's also a creme brûlée snob - she actually introduced me to it) - I imagine the looks on our faces at the first bite were the same..... sort of a WTF? look. Also, the presentation was boring - usually, when you get creme brûlée at a nice restaurant, they put an artful display of berries or something on there. Nothing here. All in all, we won't be back. For the price, the food was sub-par - you can give each dish all the fancy names you want, but when it comes down to it - it was just bland and uninspired. I've had a better steak at Outback, and that's saying a lot. Especially considering the cost. We were all disappointed. But now we know to cross this place off our list. Heck - this place was better when it was The Cockeyed Camel! I'm just happy the company was awesome, otherwise, it would have been a really crummy meal. read more

Food really not worth the bang for your buck. Service was slow. Took four of us 45 minutes to get meal. Sadly unimpressed.

This restaurant came highly recommended by many people and so it was a must try. As I enter the atmosphere was pleasant and the service was nice and I want to order what I thought would be an amazing meal. The short ribs with the butter nut squash purée sounded excellent on a cold fall evening. As you can tell by the picture it was not a butternut squash purée it was mash potatoes with green beans. As I spoke to the chef/owner he told me it was a butternut squash and mashed potato mix. As you can see by the menu I was a tad confused. He was very rude and his lack of empathy was disgusting. I do not recommend this place. read more

River Oaks Restaurant - New American Near Me - Memphis, Tennessee

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What a great little place. We are right next door staying at the Marriott, our Uber driver stated the food was good there, so we gave it a try. Started with the Charcuterie platter, very good assortment and a nice amount of food on it. We also had the three cheese tasting, which really came with four cheese. Next I order the Crispy Quail Breast and my wife went with the tomato, watermelon salad. Every thing was fresh and tasty. If we live here we would become regulars, since we don't all I can say is you need to try this place. Staff was very nice and friendly read more

Went last minute on a Friday night. Had the flounder special. I love to cook...and I'm pretty good for am amateur... ..but Jose's recipe is white fish perfection. I fogot to jot down everything under the perfectly seared fish.... (orzo...yellow beets...greens?) Everything from the nicoise salad to the tenderloin...perfect. one thing, would like a chardonnay priced between the $28 - $48. Oh, and to Tim P.... I'm sure the fish substitution was fine....why dock them 3 stars? It's a great restaurant...get a life. read more

They're really good at one thing: apologizing. I've tried to get take out here twice and both times I've arrived to be told the order was not put in. Still excited to hopefully one day try the salmon or key lime pie. Two stars for at least being polite and apologizing for the mistakes. I'll try again next week and report out. read more

I was super pumped to eat here. I was disappointed. The service was okay. I got the scallops. The scallops themselves were PERFECT but the veggies that accompanied them had to have come from the frozen food section at Kroger (peas, cubes carrots, cut green beans, and corn kernels). The creme brûlée was on point though. Just wish the staff cared about building new guest business as much as they cared about b.s.ing with regulars. read more

The food here is exceptional. My favorite is the Caramelized Wild Salmon with Cauliflower Risotto. I had a flounder special today with blackeyed peas and cauliflower mash that was wonderful. Hard to get in and out of, but worth it. read more

A mostly disappointing meal. I hosted a biz meal for 5. We were seated at a table made of 3 smaller tables that were pushed together. Each table was of a different height. No table cloths. In general, I don't understand the restaurant. Are they trying for fine dining, casual, gastropub? Between the volume and the very young staff, it felt more like a Chile's or Outback. The atmosphere is loud. Servers and food runners appear to be high schoolers or perhaps college aged. All of our dishes were delivered by food runners who seemingly had no clue as to who ordered a particular item. "Who ordered the xxxxx?" What made matters far worse was that they delivered our 5 entrees in 3 intervals. First 2 dishes were delivered by 1 food runner. 2-3 minutes later, another food runner delivered another 2 dishes. Finally, another 2-3 minutes later the 5th dish was served. Naturally, my guest who was served last encouraged the group to begin without him. Courses were served before the prior course's dishes were cleared. Replacement silverware was provided after a new course was served. In general, sloppy and unrefined service. As to the food, I was disappointed. Lack of attention to details and variations between that which was described on the menu to that which was served were observed. The group started with 2 shared appetizers. Both apps were served with soggy and limp crusted bread. The cheese assortment was uninteresting. Small slices, except for the bleu, all firm varieties. The meat assortment was ok and it included the meal's only highlight, a few pieces of a grilled artichoke (not described as grilled in the menu). Our salads were bizarre at best. There was nothing Caesar in their Caesar salad (except for the lettuce) It had a red pepper dressing as well as whole shrimp. The lettuce was served as a 1/2 head, left intact. The beet salad provided for another diversion from the menu's description to the actual product. It included the same intact half head of lettuce as was served in their "Ceasar" salad (despite the menu's description of chopped romaine), what appeared to be the same dressing as their "Caesar" salad, and a few small cubes of beet. Brown edged lettuce and the taste of inadequate washing were apparent. Underdressed and disappointing, much was left uneaten. As to the entrees, once they were finally served as noted above, some guests enjoyed theirs. I found my halibut to be mushy and lacking of a proper sear. The accompanying green beans were over salted and overcooked. The "edemame" (as they spelled it) were pretty much raw. There were soggy potatoes included in the veg assortment, despite there being no mention of them on the menu. All of the above was set in a very oily and somewhat deep bath of flavorless liquid. One guest asked for a doggy bag for his leftover steak. A few minutes later, before desserts and coffee were ordered, the server placed a tupperware container in front of the guest who made the request. No bag; just a fogged over plastic container. For dessert, 1 guest ordered an ice cream and Frangelico. Yet another food runner delivered the ice cream w/o the cordial. When asked- the food runner went blank and stared back. We had to ask him to alert the server. A few minutes later the guest was served a monstrous portion of Frangelico (a nearly full 8-10 oz cocktail glass). Everybody at the table stared in disbelief and then we all chuckled. 2 other guests and I shared their pumpkin cheesecake. If it was flavored with pumpkin, it was especially subtle. Otherwise, it was OK. The sweet potato chips served atop the cake were unanimously cast aside. I ordered English breakfast tea. The server confirmed aloud my selection. I was served Earl Grey tea. I asked for the variety I ordered and was told that there was none to be had. The server cleared the tea service and then an accident ensued resulting in the tea pot falling to the floor in the adjacent dining room. Some minutes later, the server found some of the tea I ordered and provided a replacement tea service. "A" for effort. After the tea was delivered, I had to ask for cream to be served. Dinner for 5, including 1 cocktail, wine, tax, and tip was $799 read more

Maybe we went on a bad night, because it was the night before Valentine's day, but everything about this place was terrible. My fiancé and I actually LAUGHED when we got back in the car. We looked at each other and said," Are you serious? Did that just happen?!" I honestly can't tell you what we had for dinner, because it was THAT unmemorable. They placed us in the back room where it was cold, dark and dreary. If you're going to uphold a "swanky restaurant" status, you can at least update your decor... Gag.... As we were leaving, not ONE restaurant worker thanked us for coming.... Long story short, we will NOT be back. read more

Tonight we dined here for the first time for a birthday dinner & it was less than stellar. We started with the Camembert cheese beignets with ratatouille which were delicious, he had the crab, apple & papaya salad with a passion fruit vinaigrette which was also very fresh & tasty, however the presentation just didn't work salad with multiple layers of complexity served in a dessert glass doesn't work, after asking our server how best to eat it, her reply "I guess you can dump it on the plate." The other option eat crab then apple then lettuce then tomato. We chose the dump it option...for our entrees we had the organic lemon chicken paillard with Parmesan salad & cauliflower risotto and the pork tenderloin wrapped in prosciutto served with a mushroom ragout. The chicken was a flavorless fried chicken cutlet with lemon slices on top & salad dumped on top to hide the protein (I can't blame them for wanting to hide a flavorless piece of overpriced fried cutlet) the lemons sauce on the bottom of the plate was sweet & in now way went with whatever the salad was dressed with. The cauliflower risotto was excellent & I was disappointed when our served cleared my dish without asking why 3/4 of my food was still on the plate. He had the the pork which was cooked to perfection, however the mushroom ragout was overly sweet and contained chunks of beef ala beef Bourgogne which took away from the mushrooms and the pork. Since it was his birthday we ordered the key lime pie and chocolate cookie. The pie was delicious and we were told they were out of cookies so disappointed we then ordered a scoop of almond ice cream which was ok. As we were having coffee at 9:15pm the restaurant cleared out, I was unaware in fine dining that this was code for turn off the music, turn up the lights (goodbye ambiance) & start clearing the bar & flipping all of the chairs onto the tables. Way to go staff he won't forget this year's birthday or the mediocre dining experience anytime soon!! Overall food was average, service was horrible but my glass of cakebread was excellent. read more

River Oaks Restaurant - Sat. night at 9:30pm & staff closed down. With these operational standards won't be long before those stools are up permanently! - New American Near Me - Memphis, Tennessee

OK, so I love this place. One of these days, I will make sure to dine here on a different evening so I can try the various specials. I have yet to be disappointed in anything except for the truly bizarre Caesar salad served. I mean, they do describe it as nontraditional, and the dish stays true to that description. Personal favorites include the beignets (and the most amazing Ratatouille EVER), the empanadas, fish tacos, beef bourguignon, and duck confit. I have got to remember to come on Wednesdays to try the fried chicken special. Save room for the Mojo cookie - I have spent hours in the kitchen trying to replicate the taste, but I'm about to give up and just keep an extra $12 in my wallet for "emergencies." Recently discovered that Chef Jose will do a cooking demonstration in their side room for groups around 20 - choose the items you wish to know how to make, he brings in a hot plate, and viola! Who's coming with me?! read more

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absolutely awesome - the wines are delightful, the food is incredible, the presentation is beyond amazing. highly recommend to try this at least once in your life. did i mention that the food was awesome? read more

This is one of our favorite restaurants in Memphis! After Encore closed I dreamed of that burger for years until one day I stumbled upon it one night at River Oaks!! Try the burger with blue cheese, I promise you will not be sorry. The tuna is also to die for. read more

I have ate and drank here before. They would not take my Canadian I.d or my Seattle I.d. I am 31 years old. Very bad experience! Guess they only like old rich white people smh ! read more

Awesome chef, bar and staff. Nice ambience. My second night dinning here this week!