River Grill
American · Carnelian Bay
About River Grill
En River Grill, junto a las tranquilas aguas de Carnelian Bay, te invitamos a disfrutar de una experiencia gastronómica americana inigualable. Nuestra terraza de dos niveles, con música en vivo en temporada, es el escenario perfecto para saborear deliciosos platos de "surf 'n' turf" elaborados con i...
En River Grill, junto a las tranquilas aguas de Carnelian Bay, te invitamos a disfrutar de una experiencia gastronómica americana inigualable. Nuestra terraza de dos niveles, con música en vivo en temporada, es el escenario perfecto para saborear deliciosos platos de "surf 'n' turf" elaborados con ingredientes frescos y de la mejor calidad. Ven a descubrir un ambiente acogedor y una cocina que te encantará.
What Customers Say About River Grill
River Grill is a highly-rated restaurant known for its beautiful riverside location, live music, and excellent service. Many reviewers raved about the halibut special, crab cakes, and overall food quality. Some found the inside ambiance less appealing than the patio.
Popular Dishes
Best For
Tip: Request a table on the patio to enjoy the river view and live music.
Features
What to see nearby
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Explore the area around River Grill
River Grill is located in Carnelian Bay, surrounded by cultural and historical points of interest. Here are some of the most notable places nearby.
Historical Heritage
- Watson Log Cabin (A 737m) — building in California, United States Lugar inscrito en el Registro Nacional de Lugares Históricos
Parks & Gardens
- William B Layton Park (A 124m) — park in Placer County, California, United States of America
- Tahoe City Public Beach (A 450m) — park in Placer County, California, United States of America
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Frequently asked questions about River Grill
River Grill Carnelian Bay Reviews
We came here on a Monday night and sat at the bar. Bartender recommended the lamb chops and they were 5/5. May be the best lamb chops I’ve ever had. Not that I have lamb a lot but there was really nothing left to be desired. Maybe the potatoes were a tad salty, but not too salty to where it was bothering me. Cook was done well - my wife got medium + and I asked for medium rare. This is the best food we’ve had in Lake Tahoe so far. Would definitely come back and get the lamb again.
The best meal we’ve had in the Tahoe area all week long. Just perfectly done — my halibut with tomato shallot sauce was out of this world. Going to try and make it at home, it was very impressive! The potatoes gratin were perfect, and the rosemary bread and butter was also divine. Thanks for feeding us so well on our honeymoon. 🥰
Our favorite place to have dinner and relax some drinks after working. Food and service are wonderful 😊.
One of the best restaurants in Lake Tahoe! We’ve been coming up to the lake for over 30 years. Many of the restaurants are overcrowded, overpriced and underwhelming. This place is outstanding. The service was impeccable, the heirloom tomatoes & fresh mozzarella salad was well presented and delicious- a new take on caprese. The halibut and the rack of lamb were top notch. And it was a lovely setting along the river. Can’t wait to go back for another truly memorable dining experience.
Really great service. Super knowledgeable server with great recommendations. We had the poke appetizer which was everyone’s favorite and could make a light meal. The ravioli and sea scallops were amazing. The halibut was good but like the other dishes better. Two of us ordered the bourbon berry and did not love it. Would suggest another drink. Overall amazing location, service and meal.
Halibut perfection with awesome potatoes augratin. Asparagus cooked perfect!! Will be back soon even with 1-1/2 drive. Worth it!
Our group was fully satisfied with the food quality as well as the service.
Beautiful location on Truckee River. We sat outside on Georgeous patio and watched hawk hunt for dinner as we dined on fabulous salmon in buerre blanc and perfectly tender filet with ginger sweet mash! Yummy! Cant wait to come back!
Went for a date with my boyfriend. We had the blast. I ordered halibut special dish and my boyfriend got the steak. It was delicious. Great food, excellent service!
Some of the nicest folks you’ll find on the lake. Delicious pear salad- they let me do a half portion because it’s huge - which I forgot to photograph because I was hungry. Then I had the cheddar crusted halibut which at first I was a little bit appalled by - how could you do that to a perfectly good piece of fish - but in the end it was very tasty. And came with mashed potatoes and asparagus cooked exactly the way they should be.
I ordered a salad with dressing on side, but it came with dressing, so I had them remake it. And they were extremely nice about it. The view was excellent, with the river right below the restaurant. And the crab cake appetizer was really good. And the scallops main dish was delicious as well. Around 6:30 PM, they had live music as well, and there was some young children dancing along. It was quite cute!
We went there to celebrate our anniversary and we were very happy with everything. Beautiful sunset and great food. I got the spinach ravioli and my boyfriend got a burger. Both of us enjoyed our meal. They had live music playing and plenty of drink choices. Hope to be back when in town again.
Wonderful food with a nice river ambiance.
Great spot right on the water and live music in the evenings! Ordered the crab cakes and mozzarella and tomatoes salad to start both personal faves of ours (sorry forgot to snag a photo). For entrees, we enjoyed the halibut which was the special for the evening and cooked to perfection as well as the steak-no complaints! Great service and atmosphere, will definitely come back any time I visit Lake Tahoe:)
Great spot right on the water and live music in the evenings! Ordered the crab cakes and mozzarella and tomatoes salad to start both personal faves of ours (sorry forgot to snag a photo). For entrees, we enjoyed the halibut which was the special for the evening and cooked to perfection as well as the steak-no complaints! Great service and atmosphere, will definitely come back any time I visit Lake Tahoe:)
We went there to celebrate our anniversary and we were very happy with everything. Beautiful sunset and great food. I got the spinach ravioli and my boyfriend got a burger. Both of us enjoyed our meal. They had live music playing and plenty of drink choices. Hope to be back when in town again.
I ordered a salad with dressing on side, but it came with dressing, so I had them remake it. And they were extremely nice about it. The view was excellent, with the river right below the restaurant. And the crab cake appetizer was really good. And the scallops main dish was delicious as well. Around 6:30 PM, they had live music as well, and there was some young children dancing along. It was quite cute!
Some of the nicest folks you’ll find on the lake. Delicious pear salad- they let me do a half portion because it’s huge - which I forgot to photograph because I was hungry. Then I had the cheddar crusted halibut which at first I was a little bit appalled by - how could you do that to a perfectly good piece of fish - but in the end it was very tasty. And came with mashed potatoes and asparagus cooked exactly the way they should be.
One of the best restaurants in Lake Tahoe! We’ve been coming up to the lake for over 30 years. Many of the restaurants are overcrowded, overpriced and underwhelming. This place is outstanding. The service was impeccable, the heirloom tomatoes & fresh mozzarella salad was well presented and delicious- a new take on caprese. The halibut and the rack of lamb were top notch. And it was a lovely setting along the river. Can’t wait to go back for another truly memorable dining experience.
Really great service. Super knowledgeable server with great recommendations. We had the poke appetizer which was everyone’s favorite and could make a light meal. The ravioli and sea scallops were amazing. The halibut was good but like the other dishes better. Two of us ordered the bourbon berry and did not love it. Would suggest another drink. Overall amazing location, service and meal.
The best meal we’ve had in the Tahoe area all week long. Just perfectly done — my halibut with tomato shallot sauce was out of this world. Going to try and make it at home, it was very impressive! The potatoes gratin were perfect, and the rosemary bread and butter was also divine. Thanks for feeding us so well on our honeymoon. 🥰
We came here on a Monday night and sat at the bar. Bartender recommended the lamb chops and they were 5/5. May be the best lamb chops I’ve ever had. Not that I have lamb a lot but there was really nothing left to be desired. Maybe the potatoes were a tad salty, but not too salty to where it was bothering me. Cook was done well - my wife got medium + and I asked for medium rare. This is the best food we’ve had in Lake Tahoe so far. Would definitely come back and get the lamb again.
We came for dinner on a Friday night on a holiday weekend and were sat with no wait! We had the best waitress, Kira. Loved the butternut squash ravioli and had one of the best burgers I’ve had in a while! Wish we could have seen the view in the daylight!
We came for dinner on a Friday night on a holiday weekend and were sat with no wait! We had the best waitress, Kira. Loved the butternut squash ravioli and had one of the best burgers I’ve had in a while! Wish we could have seen the view in the daylight!
Landed in this place for a date night dinner. This spot has the perfect vibe—an outdoor patio right on the Truckee River, live music, and super cute surroundings. We ordered a quite a bit of food, and most of it hit the mark. The tempura shrimp was light, crispy, and delicious. The seared tuna had a great portion but could’ve used more flavor—maybe a better sear. The lamb was tender and tasty, but the five small pieces left us wanting more. Then came the corn chowder, which was… milk and corn with a dry muffin. Definitely not chowder. Honestly, it should’ve been 86’d. Even with that one miss, we had an amazing evening. Great atmosphere, friendly service, and mostly solid food. Would come back for sure! ❤️
Very pretty setting. We same for happy hour (5-6pm) which has a very short menu - not standout. Margaritas were good. Pork dumplings were excellent. Bread pudding was okay, not great.
Beef filet and short ribs taste great. The Alaskan halibut did not meet my expectation though. Cozy ambience and attentive service.
Landed in this place for a date night dinner. This spot has the perfect vibe—an outdoor patio right on the Truckee River, live music, and super cute surroundings. We ordered a quite a bit of food, and most of it hit the mark. The tempura shrimp was light, crispy, and delicious. The seared tuna had a great portion but could’ve used more flavor—maybe a better sear. The lamb was tender and tasty, but the five small pieces left us wanting more. Then came the corn chowder, which was… milk and corn with a dry muffin. Definitely not chowder. Honestly, it should’ve been 86’d. Even with that one miss, we had an amazing evening. Great atmosphere, friendly service, and mostly solid food. Would come back for sure! ❤️
Solid food, nothing spectacular but good enough. Our party had very satisfactory pan-seared tuna, grilled halibut, and pork chop. My order of short ribs suffered from the widespread American tendency to de-fat everything and hope that attracts more diners. Service was amiable and food delivered fast (it’s a short menu, so minimal final prep is needed). The location at a key junction, with tables overlooking the Truckee River, is a plus for visitors.
Solid food, nothing spectacular but good enough. Our party had very satisfactory pan-seared tuna, grilled halibut, and pork chop. My order of short ribs suffered from the widespread American tendency to de-fat everything and hope that attracts more diners. Service was amiable and food delivered fast (it’s a short menu, so minimal final prep is needed). The location at a key junction, with tables overlooking the Truckee River, is a plus for visitors.
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 not recommend.
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 not recommend.
Food was only OK. Service was great. But what I’m most upset about is the fact that the guy that owns this restaurant makes their female servers wear skirts!!! Even in 0° weather in snowstorms, they have to wear tiny little skirts. It’s so ridiculous that we’re all sitting here in Hudson layers on and the female waitresses are walking around with tiny little skirts on. Not coming back. Do better.
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55 W Lake Blvd, Tahoe City, CA 96145
Carnelian Bay, CA 96145
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