Ruby River — Restaurant in Reno

I have read through the reviews here and am truly surprised at the positive ones. We have eaten here three times and never had a good experience. We came this time because we were given a gift card. This restaurant is part of the Sizzler corporation, so basically you're getting a Sizzler quality steak at a finer dining price. Rib Eye is the cut I eat everywhere, so I know the cut well. Ordered the larger one so it would be thick and, therefore cooked a proper medium-rare. I can only conclude that the kitchen staff do not know how to cook steaks. Mine was closer to medium-well, dry and tough and my boyfriend's medium-well was cut into three pieces, I'm presuming to check doneness. It was also very thin, like something you might get on a steak sandwich. The baked potato, was over-baked to begin with, you can see the brown inside from being in the oven too long and hard, not fluffy at all and whoever in the world thought breading and deep-frying a potato was a good idea? Ugh! The salad was satisfactory, had the wedge, not extraordinary and the service was fine. We always tip 20% and did so this time, but server was just average, he didn't enhance our meal at all. As we were sitting there, I mused to my boyfriend that I was surprised this place hadn't closed during covid, but I'm guessing people just don't know what a good (reasonably priced) steak looks like and/or the bar makes up for the difference. I suggest you try the Steakhouse at Western Village. Great steaks, impeccable service and incredible atmosphere. It is a hidden gem in Northern Nevada. And absolutely puts Ruby River to shame, but so do many, many...

We were there (6 people) for a company Christmas get together. I've been to this Ruby River in the past and there was never any issues with food or the service. Things have changed. While the food still tasted good and mostly ok, (my wife's asparagus was overcooked and my french fries had spent a little too long sitting in the pass) it wasn't the same as it was in the past. Perhaps the restaurant is just trying to recover from the last 2yrs of COVID and survive the current "Bibenomics" but portions were not like I remember and certainly not as pictured in their menu.

The next issue concerns the overall experience. Instead of seating us in a corner or off to one side we were seated around the corner from the entrance where we had to endure the constant coming and going of the other patrons. For most people this would probably not be an issue. However being late December it was quite cold and the noise coming from the front door opening and closing was a distraction. The seating was also almost in the center of the room. Again, probably not a problem for some but was an issue for me personally. I've never liked sitting in the middle of the room and that issue has only been made worse since I have to use a cane. So thanks to the cold and being in the middle of the room, I spent the entire time wearing my heavy winter coat with my cane between my legs to keep it from becoming a hazard for the staff and other patrons. Bottom line, for now Ruby River offers nothing you can't get from any casino restaurant...

First off, the food is amazing. The waitress was amazing. It's a nice atmosphere. I really enjoyed it.

Why I didn't give it 5 stars: I asked for a gluten free menu from the seater and she brushed me off, telling me to ask the waitress. The waitress knew some details but we ended up having to Google it together to find it. The seater wasn't very nice and it either.

The women's bathroom was gross. The one toilet had dried blood or something on it. The sink was dusty and had a dirty washcloth on it with gobs of soap and dirt in the sink. The sprinkler system was falling out of the ceiling and covered in cobwebs. The vent was falling out of the ceiling and covered in dust. And the fan wasn't on so it smelled off.

Would I go again? Absolutely. The food was truly good. I had the wings and the sauce is a mix of a BBQ and hot sauce and it was so good!! And gluten free without the sauces that come on the side. My coworkers had the shrimp cocktail (gluten free but I didn't try it) And the sauce is homemade at the restaurant. They said it was good with a bit of a soft spicy kick. I got the one gluten free steak without bacon and it was amazing. I ordered medium and it came medium-rare but it was so good.

Also, I got a gin and tonic and it was a very generous serving. I was surprised.

Overall a very successful and enjoyable dinner. Alyssa was our waitress and she was fabulous and so helpful. I'm only sad I won't get back there until...