River Grill — Restaurant in California

We researched different steakhouses in the North Lake Tahoe area decided on River Grill due to the views and options of seating next to the window with a view of the river, when we arrived at our reserved time we were seated up against a wall at a table that was only big enough for a child. There was at least 5 to 6 empty tables by windows, so we asked hostess if we could move, she was annoyed we asked but moved us to a pub style table in the back corner of the bar seating area. My husband asked her if we could be moved to one of the many EMPTY tables by the window in which he was told no that is only for parties of 3 or more, mind you at least 4 tables had parties of 2 sitting there. So at that point we asked for a manager, she came over we expressed our interest in a window seat she then told us same thing as the hostess when we pointed out the other tables she said we’ll let me go check. Comes back and says nothing she could do because they are fully booked. Our reservation were for 5:30, we said fine we were still going to stay and eat, by the time all this took place it was almost 6pm and still No one has been seated in any of the tables. We proceed to order choosing clam chowder to start with, the one waiter described it as a traditional New England chowder. That soup was the soupiest clam chowder I had ever seen.The cut of the day was a 17oz New York strip we ordered medium it came out medium rare in many places throughout the fatty tough steak, the mushrooms were ok but had a weird flavor, the mashed potatoes were good. The best part of our dinner and experience here was the bread/rolls!! Our waitress was nice. So all in all we waisted our money and time on this place and needless to say we will not be back. If you are looking to have dinner with view or even a nice dinner this is NOT the...

This place is pretty good. Pretty standard variety of dish types, great taste, okay vibe inside. The prices are definitely reflective of the Tahoe area. I would not recommend come here if there is only seating inside. The inside ambiance reminded me of a summer camp mess hall. Just a bunch of tables, no intimacy, no real aesthetic. We had a window with a view of the river which was nice, but I would knock a half-star off this review without the view. The outside on the other hand looked amazing. Live music, awesome vibe. Called 3 days in advance for a reservation on a random Wednesday evening and they still could not accommodate an outdoor table, which was understandable but disappointing.

Seared Ahi Sashimi was okay. Fish was pretty fresh, a little fishy. Soy sauce came in a maple syrup container which made it hard to dip, which was odd. There was also unexpectedly a grilled veggie wrap of some sort included. Basically coleslaw wrapped in a spinach wrap and thrown in a panini press. Nothing about that screamed "ahi sashimi" to me, but here we are.

The Rack of Lamb was awesome, highly recommended. Portions were small for USA standards (think 4 big bites of lamb), but the meat was delicious. Demi was perfect, potatoes were good. Asparagus was cooked well, but anything else would be shocking.

Scallops and Tempura Asparagus was good. Scallops were fresh enough, risotto was delicious, but the tempura was not tempura. It was standard/bland beer batter. Asparagus is not a flavorful vegetable to begin with, so this literally just tasted like "fried nothing". Would...

This has to be the most delicious and gracious restaurant in Tahoe City and beyond!

We met George, the assistant manager, at another location on the first day we arrived in Tahoe City from Santa Fe. We were so happy when he told us about The River Grill. He encouraged us to try his restaurant, which we did, and we returned there three times during our recent one week stay!

The ambiance was very special located on the beautiful banks of the Trucker River with gorgeous views from our table side window.

Everything was fabulous especially the Alaskan Halibut dinner which C had three times. My husband had the pork chop dinner and two other meat choices which were also scrumptious! The oven baked warm bread, Caesar salads and drinks were yummy and service was impeccable! We did not have dessert but were told by others that they were over the top!

Being from Santa Fe, where great restaurants are found everywhere, we can tell you that this restaurant outdoes many of them. We are so happy that George was kind enough to refer us to this Tahoe City goldmine‼️

Sincerely, Tom and Carole Bowker Santa...