La Riv Wood Fired Italian — Restaurant in Georgetown

I'm not one to typically write a less than stellar review. But, I think management needs to tidy a few things up.

My wife and I decided to try this place out, finally.

The total meal came out to $220 after a 20% tip (I'm not one to reduce the tip for poor experience).

The atmosphere is really nice. I love the open kitchen and enjoyed watching the kitchen team hustling. And, they were hustling. Though the kitchen looked a little tight for so many people they seemed to flow well with each other.

The server seemed nice, but she wasn't as attentive as you'd expect from a higher end establishment. She seemed to hang out near the kitchen most of the time chatting it up with the rest of the servers and expeditors. She also spent a good amount of her time chatting with a couple at another table.

We ordered a glass of wine and a couple of appetizers to start. It took about 15 minutes to bring the wine out. Longer than it should have. It's not a huge place and the bartender didn't seem slammed.

I ordered the ribeye at medium temp and my wife ordered the fish. The fish is Mediterranean style - whole fish with skin, bones, etc. The ribeye was supposed to be 16oz, but didn't appear to be. It was much thinner than I'd expect from a $60 steak. When it arrived it was lukewarm or what most people would call cold when referring to a steak at that temp. It was a weird mix of medium, charred and cold. I sent it back and the server said it would be a priority and she'd have it out right away. Almost 20 minutes later the steak came out and it was much better prepared. It was very evidently not a priority and I had just told my wife I was going to cancel it when they brought it out. I took a couple of bites and asked to take the rest home. Though, it was still thin and, of course, my wife was finished with her meal. The fish was a little bland and a little dry.

The server apologized for the cold steak and made a little joke. I told her it was OK and asked for the check.

Funny enough, as we were walking back to our vehicle parked behind the building, one of the chefs was sitting outside and on the phone with someone and commented "I need to figure out this stove." We got a kick out of that.

This is considered to be a higher end restaurant. And, while I don't tend to ask for or accept a comp or a free dessert for bad service, it's certainly expected to be offered. The front of house manager should have also been made aware and visited our table (which is a very telling issue). But, no. Not here.

And, for the bad service, less than stellar food, and no attempt to remedy the various issues but a simple apology and a joke, we won't be back.

We still enjoyed our time despite the issues. And, again the atmosphere was nice and the square was...

I was eager to try this local gem in Georgetown, especially after hearing so many positive reviews. While there were certainly highlights, the overall experience left something to be desired.

Starting with the positives: Our server, Nizar, was a delight - attentive, friendly, and genuine. Chef Ester went above and beyond by treating us to a special dish and personally visiting our table. The ravioli was absolutely delightful, and I thoroughly enjoyed my cucumber martini. The bathrooms were clean, and my napkin was refolded upon my return from the bathroom. Additionally, the prices were reasonable, and the restaurant's polished aesthetic set it apart from others in the area.

However, there were some notable drawbacks: The temperature inside was uncomfortably warm, making it difficult to fully enjoy our meal. We actually skipped dessert and after dinner drinks because it was so hot. Our host never spoke a word to us, not even a smile, and the floor manager's casual attire and demeanor seemed out of place for the setting.

I was surprised to find basic ingredients like cocktail onions unavailable, and the martini my boyfriend ordered arrived with the wrong garnish and still had ice shards in it. Small details like the quality of the silverware and the soggy bruschetta detracted from the overall experience.

Additionally, the bright and open floorplan, while appealing to some, felt more like a cafeteria until the sun finally set. And the presence of a dog at a nearby table without a service identifier was unexpected and slightly off-putting. I love doggies, but not 6 feet from my food.

While there were certainly positive aspects to our visit, there are areas where this restaurant could improve to truly shine in the local...

Very mixed on this place, maybe we had the perfect storm of just a off night? We came in 9pm on Saturday for dinner. Our waitress seemed completely annoyed with our existence. Despite that, I have no problem paying premium for good food even if portions are small, but the chef plate with cheese was comical and did not taste fresh. I asked for a Shirley temple to start and got a flat, mildly pink, cup of room temp something that I nicely asked her to take as it was flat. Staying optimistic, our main plates came out. My husband got the 16oz ribeye, he was very pleased and it seemed to be cooked perfectly with great char on the edges, 10/10. But he also got the broccolini, which was a travesty. Again maybe an off night, but it was smoked or grilled only so they were hard and raw in texture, and tasked like you licked a grill, unseasoned otherwise, not prepped. Broccolini is expensive to buy and we absolutely love it, but we left the whole pricey plate untouched and let our waitress know they were not edible which she didnt reply just took it away with other dishes. I got the Pappardelle handmade pasta. I was hopeful, the dish looked pretty, but it was largely unseasoned, just a little heat is all I got, but the braised beef in it was fantastic, ricotta was hardly there to mention on the ingredients list, and noodles were okay. Seems like whomever is on the cooked meets was on their game, but everything else lacked. That was a hard $142 before tip with the food and experience being so disappointing we just cracked up laughing at how bad it was. Hopefully this is not the norm. I don't know if we'll try again despite the pretty...