Rips On the Lake — Restaurant in Mandeville

It had been about a year since I dined at Rips prior to Mothers Day 2019. I have been there with my kids; I have been there with friends; I have been there with my association. Each time, I enjoyed my dinner, which was always served fresh & full of flavor & the wait staff was always kind & accommodating. Based on my previous experiences & the menu, my mother & I booked our Mother’s day reservations at Rips. Of course, prior to our booking, we did our research (having had a horrible experience with a Mother’s day brunch last year, 2018 at another restaurant in our area) & were pleased with Rip’s wide variety of menu items that would appeal to everyone in our party, including children ages 1 through 11 years. During our research, never once did we see that Rips would NOT be offering a full menu on Mothers Day. When we called to make our lunch reservation, we were NOT informed of a limited menu. Upon arrival, we were seated on the restaurant’s balcony with a gorgeous view of the lake. Paper menus were placed in front of us, with the last sheet being torn from the stapled packet (as brunch had ended by the time we were seated). What remained was a disappointment. Unfortunately, the full menu was NOT available. This meant no spaghetti for my picky 6 year old who isn’t eating fried seafood. This meant no fried crab claws for my mom. This meant NO SALAD DRESSING & too bad if you don’t eat Caesar dressing. We were aware of the prices at this restaurant, having been there before, but I was not happy with the upcharges on the cups of soup or the lack of salad choice with the limited, high dollar entrée options. You would think that if they are serving a limited amount of items, they would at the very least PERFECT those items & make them their best... that was not the case at all. My fish was room temp, overcooked & the sauce was as if someone had it in a twist jar & just dumped it on top. I did not eat my meal & mentioned my concerns to the server, which didn’t phase her at all. & also, for the other moms out there with little ones, don’t bother going to this restaurant if you have a child in diapers because they offer the wet, nasty counter where everyone is washing their hands, for you to change a dirty diaper; that’s right, it’s 2019 & a restaurant with a kids’ menu is without a changing table. This place was by far the worst experience for Mother’s Day we have ever had, & that tops last year’s when they ran out of food on their “Mother’s Day...

Like everyone says, the view is awesome from the porch but that is the only reason I gave this place 2 stars. We never felt like we were welcomed from the beginning starting with the hostess who never smiled at us. (DISCLAIMER: unless you are a local - they seemed to smile and chat it up with them - or wearing Gucci). To be such an uppity place, the first impression was a miss with the menus. They were worn and dirty... definitely not a reflection of the pricing on the inside. When we were going to order chicken for my son off the kids side, the waiter quickly said he could not, that "she would get angry" (not sure who "she" is but guessing the owner). I know my son looks older, but he is only 13...1 year over the cut off, so I found it rude for him to assume and not at least ask first. On to the food, I didn't want a lot of food, so I ordered the hamburger...i know, why at a seafood place, but i thought with these prices, it would be an awesome one. Wrong. I ordered it well done, like I always do, but they cooked it well well done...it was like gray in the middle (besides tasting like meat that was not fresh). They did take it off the ticket and asked if I wanted something else, but I was not hungry after that. Oh, and the fries were undercooked like some others have said. My husband's oyster poboy was good but average and my other son's (younger one didn't eat) spaghetti ($17) was average. The regular seafood plates are probably good, but we will not be back given the unfriendliness. So for me, Rips...

If you are looking for gorgeous sunset views with fine dining and a great atmosphere, this is the place to checkout. I had no reservation, but the manager took care of me anyway. The sunset views were stunning far while I ate my meal out on the front porch deck with two long stairs cases going down on both sides. You could tell you were close to hurricane weather because all the buildings are up on stilts here right next to the water front. I had a good talk with the manager who retired from the hotel industry, and this is his retirement plan that married the owner late in life. They both love the place you can tell by the decor and atmosphere. I did find out that hurricane Katrina took the original building down, but they rebuilt it back. The restaurant has been in business for over 100 years. I had the grouper fish with shrimp for the main course. The sauce was made from scratch and was very creamy. I loved it! The green beans were seasoned different than I have ever had but very good. I also had the potato salad now that was a delicious treat with some Coleslaw in it. I topped the meal off with the cream Brulee that was browned to perfection with a strawberry and whip cream on top.

Do I recommend this restaurant? Absolutely! Why? I recommend this restaurant not just for the amazing sunset views, great food, or staff, but the location and story of the restaurant.

So, what are you waiting for ? Don't take my word for it go experience it for...