This spot is pretty great. I've been twice now and will certainly be back. Some dishes are better than others, but they are generally delicious, and the ambiance is lovely. The most recent time I went was for my anniversary with my boyfriend. It was such a wonderful experience and the food was good. We got the seafood arancini (good, not great), spinach celebration salad (tasty), BBQ shrimp pasta (good, but HUGE), and they treated us with a slice of flourless chocolate cake and champagne for dessert (perfection). Plus, the service was wonderful! read more

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For a $10 side Caesar salad, I would have expected way better. It was subpar, wilted, nothing but ribs my mother, and you could tell it had been sitting out. The stuffed red fish was absolutely delicious. The crème brûlée was the best I have ever had. Love love love getting cotton candy at the end of the meal. Put Miller light beer on your menu. read more

I expected so much more. I ordered the four cheese pizza and two Creme brulees as anniversary dinner to go. What we got was NOT Creme brûlée and the pizza was undercooked and falling apart And had zero flavor. Would not recommend and will never return. read more

Ruffino's On The River - Seafood Near Me - Lafayette, Louisiana

We had a party of ten last night. I was able to make reservations without a problem. We were celebrating Birthdays and Promotions. The ambiance and decor were very pretty. Taylor was our waitress and she was very knowledgeable about the menu. The drinks were very tasty and the food was delicious!!! We had appetizers duck fingers, Oysters, Crab cake cheese cake and crab bisque soup. The service was impeccable and everyone was friendly. At the end they gave us their famous cotton candy on the stick. To celebrate us I gave the names of the people we were celebrating and we have cake on the plate with our names on it. The ladies were surprised!!!! EVERYONE ENJOYED THEIR FOOD!!! We will come back again because we are from New Orleans. Their theme is "Celebrate Life" and we did read more

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Good service and atmosphere are great especially if hanging out with friends! The food is good but I felt the salad was a little on the smaller side when compared to other nearby similar restaurants YES, I recommend! read more

Came in for a business meal- the ambiance was perfect. The service was excellent and the food was great. I had the filet and gulf shrimp which were excellent. Dessert was a "sin pie" which wasn't worth getting. They surprised us with some cotton candy for the table which was a fun way to end the meeting. read more

Still craving the Oysters.... Perfect answer when looking to kick off a great night out in Lafayette! Scenic white table cloth restaurant along the river with a great selection of Cajun Seafood. Everything we ate was top notch & amazing. Favorite dish was an appetizer of Oysters - I couldn't get enough. The menu is up there in price but equal to the value of the food and experience,  you won't be let down. UNIQUE: They end the meal with complimentary cotton candy, a cool touch to complete the night. Would come back! read more

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We go to Ruffino's pretty often as it's close to home and tables are usually available on short notice. We recently visited for brunch with the kids. The pros of Ruffino's are a great atmosphere and pretty solid service - some of the newer servers can be a bit unpolished but all seem to be trying hard to ensure a good experience for the guests. Also, for being higher end, it is surprisingly kid friendly. The noise level (pretty loud) and bar booths are great for families. The kids love making their own pizzas. And of course, the cotton candy at the end of the meal is a hit with kids and kids at heart. The cons are food related - sometimes it takes quite awhile to get the food, or there is a really long wait between courses. The food itself is also somewhat inconsistent- when it is good, it is great but sometimes fish is overcooked, veal is greasy, etc. I also find the wine list to be a little on the pricey side. At brunch, the bottomless mimosas are a great deal, and my husband went for his usual manhattan. I started with a Caesar and had a crab omelette for my entree. The other adult entree was the steakhouse burger. The kids got spaghetti and meatballs and a build your own pizza - pepperoni this time. On this visit, the meal was timed well and all food was well prepared. read more

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The meal was delicious. They had an army of servers, but they stayed in the background. Delightful

Very nice restaurant. They even have a dress code (just look nice). Restaurant has glass windows overlooking a river. Food was great and service too. We got blackened grouper with a side. read more

Great service and good food. Nice presentation. They treat everyone with that special touch. read more

One of my favorite restaurants to dine at here in Lafayette! Their food and service is always spectacular. Not to mention that their wine is always at the perfect temperature and their cocktails are delish! If you are a huge pizza fan, you must try their wood fire pizza. I usually always get that as my meal and their sensation salad as my app and split it with someone. I always change the dressing on the salad to their Italian buttermilk dressing. It is Ask to sit in their Solarium room. The view is beautiful! I have a reel on my Instagram page of my recent dinner there. If you'd like to check it out, my user name is @brittanyhulin read more

Ruffino's On The River - The view from their Solarium room - Seafood Near Me - Lafayette, Louisiana

I've been to Ruffinos many times since I've lived in Lafayette. It's just so hit or miss on the flavor of the food. I always get the corn and crab bisque which was good this time as always but our entrees really missed the mark. One thing was their special Cajun chicken pasta which really didn't have great flavor. My wife got their gulf fish special which had orzo pasta with crawfish and jalapeño sauce which I was expecting to blow me away but was very meh. I guess next time I go if I go would be to stick with the fish Katie or the pork thcoupitoulous as those appear to be the safest entrees in the menu. read more

Our first time trying this place. After reading reviews and seeing the pictures we had to give it a try. The ambience was outstanding, the service was outstanding and the food was only ok. They need to enhance their flavors it all seemed a bit bland. The dip for the bread was awesome but a different style bread maybe not so hard it would have been more enjoyable. The pizza and steak was good the chicken parmesan needs more flavor. read more

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They took down my review of the truth of the NON- Italian dishes! Unfair! The dishes are not Italian point blank the pizza is NOT pizza but that's everywhere in Lafayette!!! The Veal Parmesan was thick flaky breaded crust with ONE a slice provolone! HUH? Really? Come on Man!!! read more

Ruffino's On The River - Cotton candy for dessert? Are we at a street fair? - Seafood Near Me - Lafayette, Louisiana

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JA wonderful evening of wine,dinner ans AMAZING service from Taylor and Rafael!! Out first visit to Ruffinos!! WE will be back !! Thank you Taylor and Rafael!! read more

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This place was good! We came for a special date night on our vacation. The drinks were good and strong. We started with the corn and crab soup which was delicious, but small for the price. She got the fish of the day and I got the appetizer sampler (off menu) for my meal. It came with bbq shrimp (well done), pork cheek (the benton's bacon jam was the real star of that dish), arancini (pretty good), and the crawfish (crab?) cheesecake. The cheesecake was the real star for me, as it was something I've never seen before! Overall, I'd come back but I would say there's a small discrepancy in the portions/quality/price ratio which is keeping me from giving it 5 stars! read more

Ruffino's On The River - Corn and crab soup - Seafood Near Me - Lafayette, Louisiana

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Too fancy for its own good. Pompous really. We were only in town for a couple of days and wanted some good Italian food. This was Meh. Food is not worth the price tag. Service was ok at best We had a meal just down the road at Marcello's and it was WAY better. read more

The service was bad and the food was lackluster. Don't was your hard earned money! The best think is the atmosphere! ​ read more

Fount this amazing restaurant on our way to a different Cajun spot. Enjoyed our meals, and I highly recommend. The baked oysters and main dish Katy Fish were superb. read more

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I spent my birthday 9/4 here. Everything was wonderful. The staff was so welcoming from the time we walked through the door. Jake and Braydon were exceptional and took great care of us. The food we thoroughly enjoyed. We will definitely be back read more

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I was part of a promotional business group and the food was very good. I rarely go to the best restaurants, but I think the food would be better for regular diners. read more

Great service always. The pizza is delicious. Cotton candy at the end is a fun touch. Greag atmosphere.

Great service and great food. They were able to accommodate 12 rambunctious ladies for our Galantine celebration. The Bubble Bath Martini was a great addition to the Ambiance. read more

Nothing special about the food but palatable however the manager of this facility is so lacking in tact and courtesy that this place hardly qualifies as part of the hospitality industry. So many better places to dine in Lafayette. read more

I made such a big deal about coming here on my birthday. It wasn't as great as I expected. Our table had the popular appetizers like crab cheesecake and shrimp dogs and they were very good which is where the entirety of this rating comes from. The drink selections aren't bad either. The entrees fell so flat for us. My sister's barbecue pasta had barely any sauce. The sauce for my chicken marsala completely lacked any salt, couldn't taste anything. The chicken was good however. My friend's veal parm, not bad but a pretty small portion of spaghetti. That's the cheap part, why skimp? From reading other reviews it seems that they are not consistent on who they give cotton candy to. We didn't get any. Other problems with service include taking too long to rid of those bulky menus that took up so much space on the table and not once refilling our water glass. This is not a cheap place to eat so I'm thoughtful about everything. read more

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Such an awesome place to eat. Everything we have gotten here is top notch. The river views and river walk are amazing. Mine and the wife's go to spot in Lafayette read more

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Wow wow wow... What can I say? The food at this Ruffino's isn't a step above. The mixed drinks were fantastic! The alligator and crab cheesecake was the best- that sauce is amazing. Finally, the steak was perfectly cooked... a great experience. Highly recommended. read more

Ruffino's On The River - Seafood Near Me - Lafayette, Louisiana

Wonderful place for dining and wonderful atmosphere. I will have return again and bring a guest.

***JANUARY 2022 UPDATE*** We decided to give Ruffino's another shot after our unfortunate experience in October. What a turnaround! We came away so impressed by the food, staff, and management this time. Our two waitresses were fantastic and attentive, and the food was outstanding. THIS is what we heard about Ruffino's originally, and I'm so happy to find out that our previous experience was a complete fluke. We will absolutely be back. read more

Father's Day lunch reservation.....service was slow coming but was on point once they came. Enjoyed BBQ shrimp and the wife enjoyed the sensation salad with grilled chicken....a young couple came in with the young man wearing a cap.....a manager came over and asked him to remove his cap and he quickly complied. After our meal I found that manager and thanked him for doing that. We are slowly losing manners and etiquette in the younger generation. Recommend highly. read more

Very well done in all aspects. Well trained wait staff and most of all, the food. We enjoyed a nice spinach salad and another recommended salad. We were told a smaller dinner size portion was available, which we ordered. I ordered the small filet with béarnaise on the side. My wife had a fish - broiled in a very nice sauce. Both our entrees were perfectly prepared and served hot and on time. My only complaint was the béarnaise had a little too much hot in it? It had some cayenne pepper in it. All in all, this did not distract from the 5 stars I have the restaurant. read more

Love Ruffinos! This one in Lafayette, on the Vermillion Rivet is no exception to the delish rule. The layout is very cool with the bar across the back and a patio out to the left. The dining areas are separated into a fee large rooms which makes every table feel cozy and private which I find very nice for intimate dinners. The food is as always just fabulous as are the cocktails and service staff. Very well run establishment. I highly recommend. read more

I wanted to come to this place for my birthday Sunday January 29th. Unfortunately they didn't have any reservations available when I called. That's okay saved me a two hour trip from New Orleans. Every body at this place is TRULY AMAZING AND WONDERFUL PEOPLE I saw a video on tick tock where one of their employees car was stolen and EVERYONE PUT TOGETHER AND BOUGHT HIM A NEW CAR . THIS PLACE IS ONE BIG FAMILY. The video made me cry and I'm a small business owner myself and I couldn't think of a better place to spend my birthday at than around a bunch of loving caring and AMAZING POSITIVE PEOPLE. I never been to this place but I'm sure the food is good because It's a lot of LOVING PEOPLE COOKING IT. read more

We had a great time at Ruffino's. I took my guests, who were visiting from Ohio, there and they loved it. The wine was very smooth, the service was excellent and it was a very enjoyable visit. I hope to go back again. read more

So sad... this establishment used to be 5 stars and now it's mediocre at best. Service? Negative (-) stars!! Food and drinks- 1. . We walked in, greeted, sat at the bar. The pear martini used to be made with grey goose, and that's no longer the case. Not only that, it was wayyyy too sweet. We also ordered the satsuma Moscow mule and it was sweet as hell. We told the bartender we didn't want anything sweet and she didn't listen, obvi! We ordered the cauliflower pizza as well and it didn't arrive for at least 30 minutes. And by the time the pizza arrived, it was cold. Wtf bartender?! She had 2 other tables and was just not attentive or lazy --- I'm not sure which. I'm done - this is the last time I'm going to Ruffino's. read more

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This was our first visit here and we will be back!!! The view near the floor to ceiling windows was so very pretty. Our servers were knowledgeable and prompt. But, the FOOD and cocktails were outstanding!!! A definite MUST if in Lafayette for a nice dinner! read more

Beautiful view, portion controlled pre-cooked food The dining area looked out on the river with trees and a beautiful view. Place was lovely inside, at least appearance'. Even late in the evening when it was uncrowded, it was too noisy for even limited dinner conversation. Between the tasteless elevator music and the reverberating acoustics, it was uncomfortable for anyone looking for a quiet dinner. It went downhill. I ordered eggplant Parmesan, a routine dish for an Italian restaurant but one of my favorites. It was served room temperature with the eggplant that apparently had been purchased pre-cooked still cold in the center. The sauce was so watery there was a puddle of off-color liquid in the corner. The string cheese was on melt in a pile on top of the eggplant. The plate was warm but not hot to the touch. After two or three minutes the waitress noticed the plate sitting on the edge of the table and came over and asked if it was a problem. I asked if it to be served hot, please. She took the eggplant and disappeared into the cooking area. When she returned a few minutes later it was somewhat larger puddle of reddish liquid in the corner of the plate which was now quite warm to the touch but still not hot. The first bite of eggplant was still cool and the pasta was not hot either. I said it aside and had a portion of my wife's fresh crispy Sensation salad with crumbled Pistachios the cava salad flash and Gorgonzola dressing. They even brought a separate serving of Caesar salad dressing since I prefer that to Gorgonzola. The bread was generous, not quite fresh, and also cold. The best part of the bread was the garlic and olive oil serve for dipping. I'm sure there must be excellent things on the menu, but the idea of a customer rejecting the meal twice and not being attended by a manager really surprised me in a 4 1/2 star, 3 $ restaurant. Well I didn't sample them, the presentation of the Fried eggplant in the eggplant Parmesan, Made me believe the chicken Parmesan and veal Parmesan would be very similar. read more

Excellent service and food as always. We had the sampler and lamb lollipops. My blueberry martini was super sweet. The veal Michael is always so good read more

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Food was subpar. Service was okay. Ambience was okay. We have dined here several times and everything was fabulous. I doubt we will travel 3 hours again for this experience. read more