Great vibe, very nice ambiance, very clean and nice service . Food was delicious... loved the lighting and decor. Would def about it

I had a really frustrating experience here on 4/10/2026 , especially considering we had a reservation. We were seated right by the door, which was uncomfortable with constant traffic and drafts, and not at all what I'd expect when booking ahead. I politely asked if we could move to a booth since there were clearly some available, but the server told us no because a party was coming in at 5. The response came with an unnecessary attitude, which made the situation even more off putting. What really didn't sit right with me was being told that booths have to be selected through "open seating" on OpenTable. That's simply not true l checked the app myself, and there is no option to choose a booth when making a reservation. It felt like we were being given an excuse rather than an honest answer. Overall, between having a reservation and still getting one of the worst tables, plus the dismissive service, the experience was disappointing. Better communication and a more respectful approach would have made a big difference. read more

WELCOME TO RIVERSIDE! Had the pleasure of going to "The State"day 2 of their soft opening. Thank you Clayton & Hillary for a great experience! We had the Poutine as an appetizer & The State cheeseburger cooked medium perfectly & cocktails. GREAT customer service and quality food. Thank you Billy for bringing a great addition to downtown Riverside. read more

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We had an amazing first time here! We tried the Brussels sprouts, poutine, onion rings and the double smash! Burger was good! Fries were not greasy they were really good, the onion rings were our fav! They are nice and crispy and really big! They were all very satisfying poutine was not our fav but it was still a good shareable option. Mackenzie was amazing!!! She was super knowledgeable, friendly and truly made our night so much better! Ask for her when you go I promise you won't regret it! Thanks Mackenzie for all the options, I have a list of drinks I like and do not like read more

I was so excited that The State is now here in Riverside. I used to visit the one over in Redlands whenever I was in the area, so I never got to enjoy the food and ambiance as much as I'd like. Gary and the staff here were exceptional when we went to check out the new location in Riverside. The setup here is really great, friendly and attentive service from our waitress. I wanted to try something out of my norm this time and went with the Blackberry Barbecue Burger. It was SO good and will probably be the item I choose to order here in the future. Super happy they're in the area, will definitely be back in the future. Thank you. read more

When ordering some of the most expensive dishes, they were small but, most importantly, very tasteless. At least if I get a small expensive portion, make it really delicious. The steak was seasoned poorly and was lukewarm when I received it. The temperature on my steak was perfect. But others in my table with medium and medium rare were definitely not. The medium steak looked more cooked than mine. They were out of a lot of ingredients for their meals and had to substitute for other things. I did enjoy the drinks and the waiters were nice. Definitely wouldn't come back for the food, but drinks were good. read more

Alright, hear me out: I've eaten at the Rancho location and things were good. Ate at this location tonight, and I had the steak frites. It was flavorful. However, the rest of my table wasn't so lucky. My husband got the Maple Glazed Chicken with the risotto and... it was terrible!!! The risotto was too watery, and tasted of nothing but garlic (which I normally wouldn't complain about, but this time it's all I tasted). The chicken was bland, had absolutely no notes of maple or sweetness. On top of that, the chicken had a strange aroma. Almost as if it was sitting out at room temp or was rotten. We asked our waitress to smell the chicken and she confirmed that it smelled funny. She was very sweet, and offered him a different dish and to comp the meal. The whole experience, unfortunately, was not worth it. From the wait, to the food, to the way it was handled by the manager, I don't recommend coming here for a while. Hopefully they improve their food quality and get more organized in the future, until then I will not be returning and don't care to find out. read more

Stopped in to get a couple drinks with my husband. The two bartenders (especially the female bartender) were so great. They answered several questions that we had about our drinks. It was such a fun night and I will be back!! 10 outta 10!!! read more

I was very excited to come to this place because it is a newer restaurant here in Riverside that seemed a bit more high end than the usual restaurants here locally. I tend to eat out a minimum of 2 to 3 times a week with my family, and unfortunately, this place did not tickle my fancy so to say. The bartenders were great doing all they can, especially since it's a newer restaurant. The only concern I have I came there at 2 PM on a Friday to enjoy the 11 to 6 happy hour and the drinks were not exactly spelled out properly for people to understand. it says six dollar well spirits. I assumed if you order a well drink, the drink you ordered would be $6.00 dollars. But this is not the case. The reality is you get charged for just the shot and the additional mix costs the same amount of money. Which in my case ended up being $16 for a small margarita, the bartender was great. He comped the margarita for me. But it would be a good idea that the management of this particular location spell it out in a little bit more detail for its patrons. Overall great ambience and I will definitely give this spot another shot. Hopefully the next experience is a bit better. read more

The State - Good food Berger and salad. - American Near Me - Riverside, California

Terrible. Walked in at 9PM and they really told me they were all booked up with reservations for a TABLE FOR 2. We were told we could only sit at the bar. Just for the entire restaurant to be almost completely empty by 9:30 ON A FRIDAY. Racist? Classist? Hmm can't really be for sure. Definitely won't be back or recommend to anyone. Lame behavior from the staff. read more

I would highly recommend trying this restaurant. Emma our waitress was amazing and had the most amazing customer service as well as great food suggestions. She was attentive and very kind as well as honest. The best waitress we have had in a long time with amazing recommendations. There was nothing we did not like. Wish we had room for dessert. For starters our table got the following: Bruschetta - comes with four amazingly flavorful delights. Everything to the arrangement to the flavor was on point. We had four people in our group and there were four that came with the plate. Thankfully we only ordered one because the portion or the main meals were filling. We however contemplated ordering another since you could taste how fresh every ingredient was. Our table also got some refreshing drinks that consisted of: Whistle Pig Old Fashioned, Dirty Martini with extra green olives, Gin and Tonic, and The Girl Next door. The Girl next door was an amazingly not to sweet but just enough sweet and refreshing. Main Menu: Velouté Chicken - Amazing flavors as well as great portions. I could not finish the dish, so I took it home. However, all of the flavors combined were the perfect portions. 14/10 Would recommend. My dish. Spinach & Artichoke Grilled Cheese - Was super flavorful and just the right amount of all the flavors. 12/10 Pesto Chicken Sandwich (sub with Sourdough Bread) - The pesto sauce was delightful. Did not make you feel overly stuff bit was filling. 12/10 Cajun Shrimp Macaroni & Cheese - everything had the right consistency. 12/10 would recommend. Please note we made a reservation before had. It was not super loud and all the staff were very accommodating. I wish I took photos, but everything was so delicious that we ate it all before we thought to take photos. This was on a Saturday night at 7 PM. read more

Our food and drinks were great!! We had the chicken!! Great service too!! Try the bruschetta- so good! read more

Absolutely loved everything about this place! Food was 10/10. Please try the onion rings and meatballs they are the best I've ever had. The service was great, our waitress was so kind and gave us many recommendations. To top it off it's beautiful inside the restaurant. I am adding this spot to my regular spot list. 10000% recommend. read more

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Great food! Especially the appetizers!! My favorite will always be the bacon wrapped dates *chefs kiss*. The prices are fair. I wish the drinks were better tho. They're known for their whiskey cocktails and the best one I've had was the Fools Gold (pls bring it back!!) read more

If you live in the IE/Riverside area you have to come try The State. My husband and I stumbled across this gem in downtown Riverside a few months ago. Excellent food and service, great Happy Hour! We had the smash burger, pesto chicken and Veloute chicken. My husband said the smash burger was the best he has ever had. I enjoyed it all. Lol We will definitely be coming back. Thank you Mona for your service and your hospitality! read more

Been here on two different occasions! I like that it's in the downtown area near the bars & other restaurants. It's cute inside and the service has been great on both occasions! The food was yummy & the drinks were pretty good! Nice addition to DTR! read more

Julian our server was great, amazing attitude we all got along with him super well! Just the vibe we needed at 10:30 Friday night before we go out! Julian recommended the smash burger and we told him not to play with us and he did not! Smash burger was the best and the Brussels were amazing too! Julian was great he doesn't play ask for him!!!! This is the first time we've had good service here honestly, so thank you for changing our minds we will be back! read more

The State - Bacon wrapped dates, short rib tacos, Brussels, and smash burger! - American Near Me - Riverside, California

We waited about 25 mins after being seated to finally have a waiter acknowledge we were there. The service was horrible. We ordered 4 items and only two were served. I really had better expectations since the rancho location had always met expectations! I live in riverside and was excited to have a closer location. Thank you to the hostess. She was the only one with any empathy for poor service ! read more

The State - American Near Me - Riverside, California

This place is my new obsession! The food is good the drinks are good the service is great! Hands down my favorite spot in downtown Riverside! Love it here!!! read more

The State - Poutine french fries braised short rib cheese curds and gravy topped with chives. - American Near Me - Riverside, California

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I am so happy this place opened in Riverside. It is exactly what we needed. I enjoy the other locations in Rancho and Redlands. The service was great. Decor on point. My food and drink were solid. I will go back. read more

The State - American Near Me - Riverside, California

Came here during friends and family. The location is great, very open and spacious dining room right on the corner of University and Main. The food and drinks were amazing! We got the short rib tacos and barbecue burger for entrees, and enjoyed them very much. Great job to all the staff here :) read more

The State - Short Rib Tacos and Bourbon BBQ Burger - American Near Me - Riverside, California

It was just before 9 PM on a Sunday, so I expected it to be quiet. What I didn't expect was to feel so unwelcome. The staff were standing around chatting with each other, and it wasn't clear whether we should seat ourselves or wait. When someone finally approached us, the server seemed visibly annoyed and just handed us a cocktail menu, stating it was "last call" since they close at 10. All I wanted was to enjoy a simple birthday dinner with one drink--just two of us. But the attitude and energy completely killed the vibe. I ended up leaving and going home. I even took the day off to celebrate, and this just ruined it. I understand it was close to closing time, but there's a better way to handle customers--especially when they're coming in to celebrate something special. I hope management takes this as an opportunity to improve guest service, because no one should feel like a burden when all they want is a nice evening out. read more

New favorite spot.Great food and happy hour options! Monday mules are my favorite will definitely be back

Service was great and the ambiance was nice but the food was cold so I could not enjoy.

Went to with coworkers after work. We were seated quickly. Our server was very attentive. Food was amazing. Will definitely be back.

I brought my gf here to eat 01/07/2025. Upon arrival the host informed her and I that we would need a reservation to eat here. I found that puzzling considering usually we got to The State in Rancho Cucamonga every other week & have no issues getting in without a reservation unless for the speakeasy. The host who was a bit tall and blonde (I don't know her name so here's a description) implied that if we were to wait that it would be a 2 hour wait which is an insane estimate of time especially being there were clearly so many open seats. My girlfriend and I walked out for a moment to decide on another location & before leaving I walked back in and a guy host told me I couldn't wait... aha I told the host to take my information so that in a scenario we can come back two hours later so we can enjoy ourselves & the blonde female had to quickly correct the male and let him know that she told me it was 2 hours. Again; INSANE. The girl acted as if she took my phone number and name however I didn't receive a text message nor an update even 2 hours after. This was from 5:30PM-7:30PM & nothing came through. We'll be back soon, hopefully they're not as "busy" read more

The best thing about the State is the atmosphere. A breath of fresh air from the chain restaurants and hole in the walls typical in Riverside. The food was good. Had a smash burger which had really good flavor, and the fries were cooked and seasoned well. Drinks were good as well - had an Old Fashioned. My criticism is the service. It was very slow, but that is typical for a new restaurant. Clean that up and this place will be a fantastic experience. read more

Great atmosphere designed for nighttime but perfect for lunch as well! Look for the daily specials and don't forget dessert!

The food for me, I try and eat very healthy and everything had a clean taste the bun the hamburger the veggies on the burger. I added a salad as a lemon vinaigrette dressing really good everything tasted healthy and good and I give this place five stars. They have happy hour pricing during the week. It looks I think from 11 to 5 and so I got the STATE burger and it was Tuesday so I got the eight dollar margarita which was also very good. read more

I'm always excited to try out new places so when I heard The State was opening in my hometown, I had to check it out for myself! I made reservations for Sunday and were seated immediately. Our server Thomas was really nice and accommodating. He greeted us within 5 minutes of sitting down. Our drinks and food came out in a timely manner, and everything was delicious! Definitely coming back again soon. read more

The State - House Margarita & Forbidden Fruit - American Near Me - Riverside, California

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My experience at The State was pretty humiliating. I had a reservation for 6:00, it's 7:19 as I write this. While they delivered our dessert, we're asked if we needed anything else. My sister ordered a drink, and the floor manager, Laura, told us she couldn't take the order because they needed the table for a big party. The weird part? The restaurant had plenty of open tables and no one waiting. Between Laura and the other male manager on duty, the whole experience was just uncomfortable. I definitely won't be coming back to The State. read more

So happy I don't have to drive to Rancho anymore! Dined here Thursday evening & everything from the food to the service was excellent. We ordered the crispy Brussel sprouts to share and they were magnificent. We tried the short rib tacos & the steak, both cooked to perfection. The restaurant was also very clean inside and I really enjoyed the ambient lighting. Bathrooms were also clean which is also really important. 5/5 can't wait to be back! read more

Shannon was wonderful. Great service. Will return for her. Great food. Arrived for wine Thursday which was a wonderful surprise.

Attended soft opening we sat at the bar served by Clayton, old fashioned and dirty martinis made to perfection. Food and service top notch. Welcome to Riverside and we are excited to return. read more

The State - Blaton Old Fashioned - American Near Me - Riverside, California

Ambiance and service were excellent. We had the poutine as an appetizer. Good portion, delicious dish. We got Mama's Meatballs and the Chicken Voloute for our entrees. Both were very good. The Brussels sprouts were undercooked but still edible and good, just a little too crunchy. We had The Capone and the Basil Bourbon Lemonade, both well crafted cocktails. We ordered a second round that never came. Our server was on top of it, but the bar was behind. It wasn't her fault. We finished everything so we just ended up canceling the second round. We had the bread pudding for dessert and it was pretty bad. It was burnt and more like French toast than bread pudding. It was burnt throughout to where it was bitter on the outside. Not good at all. Four stars because the server (Jessica) did a great job and everything but dessert was good. It's their first day open at this location. I have no doubt that any issues will be ironed out promptly. read more

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I've eaten at The State twice now and it's beautiful. I was really excited for this addition downtown as we need more upscale restaurants like this to succeed downtown. I will start with the ambience and aesthetics: it's stunning. I wouldn't change a thing about the decor. It's gorgeous. Love the lights, the wallpaper, the high ceilings. It's so beautifully done. This leads me to my first disappointment: I came here on a Saturday night to celebrate my wedding anniversary with my husband. We dressed up and were excited for a nice dinner and when we were seated it felt less upscale placing a brown paper napkin on my lap. I also think the experience could be elevated by white tablecloths. Also no more QR code menus please. It's such a drag. Paper menus would even be better. Even if only for dinner service on Friday and Saturday. It's such a beautiful place and these three seemingly small details really drag it down a notch. I know it must be so hard to make a profit in the restaurant business so just my two cents. Now on to the food: the bruschetta and the bacon wrapped dates were a 10/10. I ordered the New York strip steak medium rare. It was cooked properly but it was a very tough and low quality steak. I was pretty surprised for such a nice place. It was like a steak I'd expect from Dennys. With that said, it wasn't super pricey but I'd prefer to pay $10 more for a better steak. I'd give this place 3.5 stars. I'll be back. I hope they improve. I'm rooting for them. Please consider physical menus and linens for Friday and Saturday night! It will elevate it so much. read more

Amazing. Atmosphere, food, staff. Great vibe. I freaking ate goat cheese. All in all a great place to get some food and a great drink.

The State (any location) is always great and has a great ambiance. Now for the food, you have to try the Octoberfest Smoked Bratwurst! I really hope it makes the main menu after its special of the month, Please! Our waitress Melissa was attentive and more than happy to answer any questions we had. Glad to have a place open on Monday in Downtown Riverside. read more

Wow. My buddy and I love good whiskey and this establishment delivered. Great ambiance, service and food. Oh, did I mention the vast varieties of top shelf Whisky, scotch and bourbon? I really only have one comment: Take a date, take a friend or just take yourself. One way or the other, get your a$$ there! read more

My pork chop was divine - perfectly tender and flavorful; the veggies were roasted to perfection. The crème brûlée's texture was a little off but still tasted ok. Would definitely go back when in the area! read more