La Riv Wood Fired Italian

Our waitress was very attentive and gave us a lovely meal. Whoever thought of grilling the wedge salad should get a raise. It was amazing! Everything was on point and paced out between courses. A very delicious experience!

Cate Johnston

We recently visited La Riv Wood Fired Italian, and it was a wonderful experience! The staff was friendly and accommodating, and the ambiance was warm and inviting. We ordered the Carne pizza and Spaghetti Carbonara—both were outstanding. The pasta was rich and flavorful, and the pizza crust was perfectly crisp and delicious. It was hard to choose between dishes, but next time I’ll definitely be trying the Shrimp Scampi! Highly recommend this spot for anyone who loves authentic Italian food.

Chris Norris

Great quality Italian food - we had the short rib pappardelle and truffle mushroom ravioli. You could tell the pasta was fresh and the short rib was melt-in-your-mouth. Excellent wine list and topped it all off with the delicious bread pudding. Will be coming back!

Jeff Cortez

Food was excellent! Took the family there on Christmas Eve and we had a fantastic time. Never felt rushed, waiter was super attentive, food was the best, great cocktails and wine. Perfect setting for a dinner and then to walk around Georgetown square and soak in the lights and ambiance. Thanks for a great dinner!

Rodney Hair

My love and I had an excellent dinning experience. The food was exquisite, the cocktails were perfect and the night was excellent! Our server recommended incredible delights and im glad I've chosen the octopus. You should try it too!😉 My compliments ☺️ 💛

Judy Berkowitz

My husband and I enjoyed a delicious New Year’s Eve dinner at La Riv. The food and service were excellent as usual. I took away one star simply because it is a bit noisy.

MarivicB

We had a fantastic experience at La Riv. It was our first time and we were impressed with the ambiance, food and service. We arrived early for a Thursday evening reservation but we were seated immediately and were able to choose the table. The cheese board and shrimp appetizer were good, the main meals were excellent. The wine was good too. The prices are high but definitely worth it. Great restaurant in a good location. Highly recommended.

Shelley Hawthorne

Donny was our server and he was the best! The food was incredible. I loved the ambience as well. We celebrated our anniversary.

Rachel Wilson

We dined here tonight and were so surprised by this place! We are very picky when it comes to authentic Italian and have lived all over this country on both coasts and traveled in Italy and eaten a lot of Italian food. This place is legit. We got the burrata salad and it was so fresh and so delicious! We also got the focaccia bread and it comes with a delicious marinara and a smoked butter that is really good. We got Cacio e Pepe and it was authentic and delicious! It was advertised with DOP pecorino and the flavor was perfect. The homemade pasta is good and was cooked perfectly. My husband got the gnocchi and they actually pan fry it and it’s crispy. The sauce isn’t heavy on the cream and it’s not very spicy but it has great flavor too. He got a tequila old fashioned that was really good (a little sweet but simple and well done). We skipped dessert because we were in a hurry. Service was wonderful and our server was cheerful and attentive. We will be back!

Zack KC

My wife and I ate dinner here. The octopus was so delicious. So was the beet salad. The short rib tagliatelle and gnocchi were outstanding. The tiramisu and bread pudding were also so good. Good service too despite it being packed.

Dee Arnold

Our waitress was very attentive and gave us a lovely meal. Whoever thought of grilling the wedge salad should get a raise. It was amazing! Everything was on point and paced out between courses. A very delicious experience!

Brianna Kudro

My friend and I went here last night and were lucky enough to find two seats at the bar open. PS: make a reservation if you have more than one or two people. Once at the bar we were greeted immediately & provided menus by the guests next to us. We had water immediately and then we ordered one drink each for our meal. I ordered an Old Fashioned ($14) and my friend ordered a Cucumber Martini (I think $12-$14). Both drinks were great & the other drinks the bartenders were making looked delicious as well. I ordered the Pappardelle ($36) & she ordered the Spaghetti ($22 I believe) & added three meatballs (+9). She also ordered a side of Ciabatta bread ($6), however, they were out, so she had to order what they did have - Focaccia ($10). Unfortunately she had to pay an additional $4 for them being out, however, the Focaccia was still amazing. It paired well with both of our meals. The portions were good for both. Mine was a smaller portion, but still a good one-size serving and her spaghetti was about 3 servings - she was able to bring about 2 servings home with her. The guests next to us ordered the fig pizza and it looked amazing. Overall, the atmosphere was great, not too loud or quiet, the service was on point and the food came out quickly, leaving it still warm when it got to us. I will definitely be back soon. PS: they have gluten free options.

Karen P

We are always well taken care when we visit La Riv! From the cocktails, to fresh food and wonderful service, we always leave happy after a visit! You must try their macaroni and cheese, they even make it GF for my allergies! Steaks and rib pasta are always delicious 😋

stevie chatellier

Sat at the bar and had a pleasant, attentive server, Rebecca. My husband and I ordered 3 small appetizers plates and a burrato salad. Octopus, ahi tuna, steak Tatar. As appetizers were half price happy hour. They were all delicious, and topped with micro greens. Our bartender Rebecca was so pleasant and also Robert! Definitely going back soon.

David McConville

This was our first visit to La Riv, and it was exceptional! We started with the focaccia bread, followed by the octopus, then the grilled wedge salad. My wife had the salmon (cooked perfectly) and I had the short rib pappardelle (tender and flavorful). We added a bottle of Chianti Riserva from their extensive wine list. A few things stood out for us … (1) the arrival host was very pleasant and welcoming, (2) our server gave us great advice on selections, (3) our food was staged perfectly and we didn’t feel rushed at all. We thoroughly enjoyed every course and the atmosphere was very nice. Overall, our experience was excellent and we will be back!

christopher Ryan

Heidi was the best waitress. We had an amazing experience. We showed up early and the staff was friendly And accommodating. We sat at the bar, had a glass of wine and was seated time regardless that our group was late. Food was the best and flavorful. Can’t wait to try again. Everyone in our group has a great time and enjoyed their food!

We really like this place. It’s a HIGH FOUR STARS for us. Dim lighting cozy booths and bar seats and a staff that has great personality and really cares about their profession. Oh, and the food is consistently great. We are stuck on the meatball and polenta appetizer and pizzas but have enjoyed many dishes and always go back. Not great for kids, but not bad, good for date night. Creative but classic cocktails and scrumptious desserts. The noise level is just right for semi-intimate conversation and bigger parties can all hear each other. If I could change one thing it would be add an eggplant dish but so many good eats keeps us coming back. See ya again soon, La Riv.

As we continue trying different restaurants in downtown Georgetown, we made reservations at La River Wood Italian Restaurant. After about a 15-minute wait, we were seated near the front door. The atmosphere was welcoming, and the staff overall seemed pleasant. Our server was Paul. While looking over the menu, it felt like the restaurant catered more toward wine enthusiasts, as the wine selection seemed more extensive than the food selection. Having traveled to Italy and visited many Italian restaurants across the U.S., I expected more traditional Italian options. I was also surprised they didn’t have lasagna, and when I mentioned it, I was told it was more of an Americanized dish than Italian—which I personally disagree with. For dinner, I ordered the Italian meatballs and spaghetti, but unfortunately it was very bland and under-seasoned. Normally I finish everything on my plate, but this time I couldn’t. My wife ordered the fish, and she felt the same way—it also lacked seasoning. Both dishes were presented well, but no one offered parmesan cheese, seasoning, or anything extra to enhance the flavor. Service was decent overall, but the biggest issue was the long wait for our food—over 45 minutes. After checking with Paul, we were told the fish takes a long time, but that hasn’t been my experience. I later spoke with the manager, who was very professional and checked on the delay. He discovered our order hadn’t been entered in a timely manner and offered to comp our meal, which we appreciated. He also brought out extra meatballs while we waited—though they were also bland—and we were given a slice of red velvet cake, which was okay. Based on this experience, we’re willing to give the restaurant another try in the future—possibly with different friends to get a second opinion—especially since it was clearly busy and popular. People must enjoy it for a reason, though from our visit, the food selection and flavor didn’t seem to be the main draw.

We had a nice table and a wonderful server. The octopus as starter was nice. My Papadelle were a bit cold, but could be because of the burrata. My partner‘s pasta were also good, but a bit too oily and actually too much bacon. I was surprised how fast everything was served. We haven’t even had our drinks while the starter was already served. It is a nice restaurant. Food was good. Service was great. Just a few more options would be nice. I like small plates, but a few more entrees would be nice.

Becky Shelton

We really like this place. It’s a HIGH FOUR STARS for us. Dim lighting cozy booths and bar seats and a staff that has great personality and really cares about their profession. Oh, and the food is consistently great. We are stuck on the meatball and polenta appetizer and pizzas but have enjoyed many dishes and always go back. Not great for kids, but not bad, good for date night. Creative but classic cocktails and scrumptious desserts. The noise level is just right for semi-intimate conversation and bigger parties can all hear each other. If I could change one thing it would be add an eggplant dish but so many good eats keeps us coming back. See ya again soon, La Riv.

J C

As we continue trying different restaurants in downtown Georgetown, we made reservations at La River Wood Italian Restaurant. After about a 15-minute wait, we were seated near the front door. The atmosphere was welcoming, and the staff overall seemed pleasant. Our server was Paul. While looking over the menu, it felt like the restaurant catered more toward wine enthusiasts, as the wine selection seemed more extensive than the food selection. Having traveled to Italy and visited many Italian restaurants across the U.S., I expected more traditional Italian options. I was also surprised they didn’t have lasagna, and when I mentioned it, I was told it was more of an Americanized dish than Italian—which I personally disagree with. For dinner, I ordered the Italian meatballs and spaghetti, but unfortunately it was very bland and under-seasoned. Normally I finish everything on my plate, but this time I couldn’t. My wife ordered the fish, and she felt the same way—it also lacked seasoning. Both dishes were presented well, but no one offered parmesan cheese, seasoning, or anything extra to enhance the flavor. Service was decent overall, but the biggest issue was the long wait for our food—over 45 minutes. After checking with Paul, we were told the fish takes a long time, but that hasn’t been my experience. I later spoke with the manager, who was very professional and checked on the delay. He discovered our order hadn’t been entered in a timely manner and offered to comp our meal, which we appreciated. He also brought out extra meatballs while we waited—though they were also bland—and we were given a slice of red velvet cake, which was okay. Based on this experience, we’re willing to give the restaurant another try in the future—possibly with different friends to get a second opinion—especially since it was clearly busy and popular. People must enjoy it for a reason, though from our visit, the food selection and flavor didn’t seem to be the main draw.

We visited this restaurant on New Year's Eve. I ordered the Chilean sea bass special with sweet potatoes and spinach, which was delicious. My husband ordered the spinach ravioli. My daughter ordered the rigatoni Bolognese which was also very good, but wished it had more homemade pasta. It did take quite a bit of time to get our entrees, as the place was busy. The sides of potatoes, fingerland potatoes, the truffle sauce was very bland as was the macaroni and cheese. I definitely wouldn't get those sides again. The red velvet cake dessert looked like a grocery store cake. That tiramisu was good.

Diane Gura

We visited this restaurant on New Year's Eve. I ordered the Chilean sea bass special with sweet potatoes and spinach, which was delicious. My husband ordered the spinach ravioli. My daughter ordered the rigatoni Bolognese which was also very good, but wished it had more homemade pasta. It did take quite a bit of time to get our entrees, as the place was busy. The sides of potatoes, fingerland potatoes, the truffle sauce was very bland as was the macaroni and cheese. I definitely wouldn't get those sides again. The red velvet cake dessert looked like a grocery store cake. That tiramisu was good.

I have always loved the Caesar salad and pizza at and have dined there several times. Unfortunately, my last experience was beyond disappointing — it was infuriating. Our waiter was rude and made the entire evening uncomfortable. When I ordered bread, fully aware that it is not complimentary and prepared to pay for it, he felt the need to point that out in a shallow and condescending way the bread was not free. It was unnecessary and disrespectful. What upset me even more was the lack of attention to our table. He never once came back to check on us, yet we clearly saw him providing attentive and friendly service to his other tables. My party couldn’t help but notice the difference. I don’t want to assume it was because we are Latino and the other tables were not, but the contrast in service was impossible to ignore. We were also planning to order two mac and cheese dishes to go, but he took so long to return to our table that we eventually gave up. I had to ask twice for my Caesar salad, and whenever I tried to get his attention, he acted as if he couldn’t even see our table. I cannot believe the level of poor service we experienced. It was disrespectful, dismissive, and completely unacceptable. After several good visits in the past, this experience has left me angry and extremely disappointed.

We celebrated Father's day here, my husband really like Italian food, so every now and then I hunt for new places to eat. My husband says it's ok but for me it's not what I expected. It's quite a lil formal restaurant which we really like. However, the food is not that flavorful. We are expecting more flavor and for the price we hope to have a good serving but we are all wrong. About the service, he's a nice guy but inattentive. I know it's a busy day but we saw him many times just on the side of the kitchen. For the restaurant that requires you to have 22% tip as minimum we expect a superb service. We are good with tipping especially if the service provided is excellent.

Rackz R

We celebrated Father's day here, my husband really like Italian food, so every now and then I hunt for new places to eat. My husband says it's ok but for me it's not what I expected. It's quite a lil formal restaurant which we really like. However, the food is not that flavorful. We are expecting more flavor and for the price we hope to have a good serving but we are all wrong. About the service, he's a nice guy but inattentive. I know it's a busy day but we saw him many times just on the side of the kitchen. For the restaurant that requires you to have 22% tip as minimum we expect a superb service. We are good with tipping especially if the service provided is excellent.

I wanted to treat myself and I had never eaten La Riv before now. Utterly disappointing. I ordered a side of Mac and Cheese and Meatballs al Forno and BOTH were covered in fresh basil. I hate fresh basil. Why in the world would mac and cheese be covered in in fresh basil?!? Minus the basil, it was incredibly bland for a cheesy dish. $40 for 1 person and I can't even eat it. The meatballs were so tough and rubbery.

We had dinner at La Riv recently and left feeling disappointed, mainly due to the service and how a very reasonable request was handled. To start with the positives: the bread was delicious, though quite expensive for what it was. The entrées were nicely portioned, but unfortunately all of them were overly salty and quite dry. All four of us tasted each dish and agreed. We didn’t want to waste the food, and honestly the only reason we decided to take the entrées home was because my husband will eat just about anything — otherwise we likely would have left them. When we asked to have three of the four entrées boxed, we also asked whether the sauces were made in advance or individually. Because the dishes were already quite dry, we asked if we could have a small amount of sauce to help reheat them later. We were very clear that we weren’t asking for full portions and would have happily paid for it. The response was a flat “no.” What made this especially disappointing was the lack of flexibility or concern. Our server hadn’t noticed that most of the food went untouched, and there was no attempt to offer an alternative or any kind of service recovery. We’ve eaten at many restaurants — including much higher-end ones — where a small accommodation like this would not be an issue. Overall, the food was average and the service felt indifferent. For the price point, we expected more attentiveness and hospitality. Unfortunately, this experience makes it unlikely we’ll return.

Mara LaViola

We had dinner at La Riv recently and left feeling disappointed, mainly due to the service and how a very reasonable request was handled. To start with the positives: the bread was delicious, though quite expensive for what it was. The entrées were nicely portioned, but unfortunately all of them were overly salty and quite dry. All four of us tasted each dish and agreed. We didn’t want to waste the food, and honestly the only reason we decided to take the entrées home was because my husband will eat just about anything — otherwise we likely would have left them. When we asked to have three of the four entrées boxed, we also asked whether the sauces were made in advance or individually. Because the dishes were already quite dry, we asked if we could have a small amount of sauce to help reheat them later. We were very clear that we weren’t asking for full portions and would have happily paid for it. The response was a flat “no.” What made this especially disappointing was the lack of flexibility or concern. Our server hadn’t noticed that most of the food went untouched, and there was no attempt to offer an alternative or any kind of service recovery. We’ve eaten at many restaurants — including much higher-end ones — where a small accommodation like this would not be an issue. Overall, the food was average and the service felt indifferent. For the price point, we expected more attentiveness and hospitality. Unfortunately, this experience makes it unlikely we’ll return.

Absolutely unacceptable experience. This is supposed to be an Italian restaurant — and on Valentine’s Day they were OUT OF PASTA AND PIZZA. How does an Italian restaurant run out of pasta and pizza on one of the busiest dinner nights of the year? We were forced to order something we didn’t even want, and the bill came out to over $150 for two people. For that price, I expect quality, preparation, and professionalism. Instead, the food was disappointing, the service was careless, and the entire night felt like a waste of money. To make it worse, we were still hungry afterward and had to go to McDonald’s. Honestly, McDonald’s delivered a more satisfying meal that night — and that says everything. Valentine’s Day is supposed to be special. This place completely ruined it. If management doesn’t fix the staffing and planning issues, they will continue losing customers. We definitely won’t be coming back.