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Have struggled to find a good meal during my visit to Reno. Had decided I wanted streak for dinner and so asked at my hotel for recommendations. I wasn't interested in a casino so this was the local recommendation. My overall rating for Rapscallion is: average.
I was dining alone so I sat at the bar. Service, of course, was good. Although I never did the get bread she offered and then proceeded to tell me was delish; a minor quibble. They have a second happy hour that starts at 8:30 p.m. so I took advantage of that by ordering the house wine as nothing stood out on the small wine list. No complaints there. The generous pour was nice. I ordered the tuna sashimi appetizer at $13. I felt it was a little overpriced, but was tasty. I ordered the sirloin for dinner ($26) and was looking forward to great flavor as the menu mentioned prime grade and aged. The flavor was missing. I was tempted to ask for salt but instead was glad I had asked for bernaise on the side when ordering (no charge). It was a generous portion but a bad cut. For a place that claims to age their steaks, I expect hand trimming and it could have been better. I ordered it medium and was served medium-rare. Not a huge issue but with each element added together, was disappointing. Sides of mashed and veggies were banquet quality. I ordered the caramel custard ($6) for desert without any expectations and was served what essentially was cream brulee.
The atmosphere was nice and I enjoyed a "local" spot. Overall, not horrible but nothing to get excited over either.
Rapscallion has always been a favorite for locals ... and a welcome get-away for tourists who want to escape the often boring hotel/casino restaurants. Both wait staff and kitchen staff are very responsive to special requests, and take great pride in making the dining experience "tailor-made." (NOTE: for a quiet, "private" dinner for 2 - 4, reserve in advance and request a "cabin.")
Having been a Rapscallion devoté for 25 years it is disappointing to realize that my most recent visit is my last. The paring down of the menu, the substantial reduction in the wine cellar, the increase in prices and down-sizing of portions are a lethal combination.
Wells Avenue has also been struggling with the downward spiral of the neighborhood, and there is cause for concern about walking near the restaurant after dark.
While Rapscallion STILL has the best selection of seafood in town, there are better ways to spend time (and money) while in "The Biggest Little City in the World!"
Quite a miss. My wife and I went here with great expectations, just before we were to see Henry Rollins down the street. This was a bomb, but Rollins was good. He did some excellent political stuff on the war and had some good reflections on the history of punk music, consumer society and the like. Oh, I almost forgot about Rapscallion! Well, the food is bad. How can a place that specializes in seafood have such bad seafood. The entrees are 1970s-ish style: old timey, unflavored, unimaginative concoctions. You could literally fall asleep while eating there. Old rickety booths do nothing for the decor. I get the point: you want to look like an old ship, well the food tastes like sea particulate that has been sitting on the underside of the hull. Skip this place and check out a Henry Rollins spoken word event instead.
A friend booked this place for a private party since it was the best seafood restaurant in Reno. (Warning to self - don't expect great seafood more than 200 miles from the ocean.)
We had a private room and what appeared to be a dedicated waiter. When I asked him to bring some bread after we had been seated for 20 minutes, he told me he would bring it when they picked up the menus after we ordered. (Huh?) Appetizers were calamari which were good and had a delicious mushroom sauce and a plate of artichoke hearts - also good.
Most of us ordered the Caesar salad, I requested anchovies on mine, which they did. I ordered the mixed grill - salmon, swordfish and prawn. I received a small piece of each of the fish and one (ONE) small prawn. The wild rice was dry and not very good. Service was marginal - if we had a dedicated waiter I would have expected him to be all over us.
The place has very narrow aisles and as we left other diners had to scoot in their chairs so that we could pass. If this is the best Reno has to offer - keep driving until you get to San Francisco!
The Cioppinio, Monkfish, Elk, and Foie Gras are some of the best I've had outside Sonoma County.
Parking can be a bitch
We dined here for Mothers day 3 years ago. I have yet to be back since. Whoever is spreading rumors that this restaurant is the best in Reno obviously doesn't have high expectations or they have nothing to compare it to. The food was ok, the tables were cramped, the service was minimal. If you want good seafood, go to Rockafellers in Silver Legacy.
One of my personal Reno favorites. Clam chowder is dare I say the best I've ever had! Their lemon drops are also at the top of my list. Diablo's on horseback is an appetizer I always have a craving for. Everything on the menu is great, I've been going there since I was a young girl..also one of my families favorites. The filet is my favorite, time and time again. Service is always 5 stars, the staff knows the menu and all really seem to love what they do. The custard for dessert is almost always my choice, I absolutely love it. Worth the money.
meh.
The trip to Rapscallions was preceded by a lot of hype from locals... especially from a woman we met at SFO who lived in Reno and said we MUST TRY IT.
Upon walking in, I noticed the hallway covered in photos of celebrities (C-list..cough) who raved about their meals. Ok, i had high expectations.
I had the linguini with clams. Did you catch that, Linguini WITH clams. What I received was clams WITH Linguini... I counted 22 clams on my plate. No grazie.
My friend had the shrimp scampi and it was completely overdone.
Here were the good things about Rapscallions:
*the service
*the wine-- Australian Tintara Shiraz
*Mudd Pie.
Well I had heard lots of good things about this place before i went and to be honest I was left wanting more. While the menu did boast a fair amount of good and unusual choices, when it comes downs to it there are other places I would go to eat a nice cut of meat or seafood. I will say to their credit that I ordered Bison...yep bison. It was pretty good just when I ordered it medium rare and had a plate of blood. I would go back I suppose but certainly not a place to frequent on nice occasions.
Disclaimer: My review is a bit biased, and here's why:
1) I didn't pay, my professor did. We went for an end-of-semester culminating event for a graduate seminar course.
2) We had private room.
3) The private room reservation for the large party came with a dedicated server.
4) Alcohol was continuously flowing from the moment I sat down until we left the place.
5) They insisted we drop a significant chunk of dough to make it worth their time. Which we did. Well, the professor did.
That said, the food was dee-lish. Appetizers were all great. I don't even remember what all was ordered (I arrive a bit later than the most of the group), but I enjoyed all that was on the table. I had the steak - at a seafood place? I know... but I was drinking red wine, and seafood would have been overwhelmed. My big chunk of cow was cooked to perfection. Others among us had seafood, and they all seemed to enjoy it very much.
By the time I got to dessert, I was quite a bit buzzed so I don't remember what exactly I ordered but it was something chocolatey, which went very well with the glass of port (because apparently I didn't have enough alcohol at that point).
Flawless service. Excellent food. The private room was simply great!
The appetizers and mud pie at Rapscallion are wonderful - the fish dinner - not quite so tasty. I ordered a sea bass which was flavorless - completely bland. For a place that is supposed to be a seafood house, I was expecting more.
I should have ordered dessert first, because the mud pie was to die for!
Stumbled onto this place while partying in the casinos when dinner time approached. My friends and I decided to go for seafood but did not want to eat in the "packaged" selections offered by the casinos. Did a quick search on my phone, which gave me a list of local seafood houses and decided to check this one out which was about 2-3 miles outside the downtown area. A pleasant surprise. A little hard to find though, it's in a darker, almost industrial part of town, but some of the more worthwhile places usually are. Upon enterring you forget about the dark neighborhood we were just in. It was warm, lots of wood and a classic seafood house feel. The signage stated "since 1977" so i assumed it was a local hangout upon which the locals supported (i'm all for that).
Started with the oysters on the half shell and was given 2 types, blue pts. and fanny bays. Both fresh and plump. It came with what appeared to be a side of ketchup and a side of horseradish (maybe to mix your own cocktail sauce) which I thought was a good idea, but I just do the squirt of lemon and tabasco deed.
The menu consisted of standard seafood fare but in one area where they list their fish, you can create your own dish, which is actually quite fun. First you pick the fish, ie salmon, seabass etc. then you pick how its going to be cooked, ie grilled, breaded and sauted, steamed etc. and then you pick a house sauce, ie picata, provencal, mango salsa. They also offer their house suggestions for the particular fishes which all sounded good also. I just enjoyed the interactive nature of the menu. I ended up getting wild salmon steak, grilled over fire with the mango salsa. The kitchen definitely delivers for all our fishes were cooked appropriately and skillfully.
Good wine list a bit on the pricey side. Full bar is a plus.
The dining area was a bit cramped though. I don't know if they were trying to maximize the seating to the space they had, but I felt like I was dining in a boxcar of a train. Maybe it was deliberate on their part. The bar area seemed like it had more room so I will probably dine there next time, and yes there will be a next time.
The best red snapper i've had. I ordered the "plain and simple". The steamed veggies were perfect. Normally they are either cold-or steamed to mush.
The wine list SUCKS though.
What people need to do is take a restaurant for what it is and what it's supposed to be. I see reviews all over the place here. What is clear is that people that listened to their parents or older folks that loved it were expecting something more...well, let's say contemporary. They complain about the darkness or the simpleness of the dishes. They are missing something. The experience is for a style of dining that may not necessarily be in vogue right now, but was considered very posh at one time.
Going into Rapscallion after a short flight on a private jet ride from the Bay Area, I was just happy to have the opportunity to do something like this. My cousin is a pilot and he invited me and some others on a last minute ride up to Reno for dinner, then right back on the plane.
I saw the place and knew a bit about what I should expect. And I wasn't disappointed. The fish was very good and something that was expected. No surprises. Yes, I like to be excited about my dining experience as much as the next guy, but frankly, I was there for a quiet environment with friends, family and god food. I enjoyed the mahi mahi (fresh and flavorful) and the martini was very nice too.
A very good experience....which is what I expected from Rapscallion. No surprises, which doesn't bother me when they are not expected. The waiter was good too.
I hate to sound like a vengeful bitch, but I just realized that this restaurant has way more stars than it deserves. This review is based on only one experience with Rapscallion, but that is because I would never, ever go back. This is the one place in my life that I have ever called out the manager and refused to pay for my food. Let me tell you the story of my worst restaurant experience ever.
It was Valentine's Day, a few years back. Husband and I had reservations for ten o'clock...probably not the best time for great service, so we were willing to be forgiving. We arrived at 9:40 and were asked to wait in the bar. The people who arrived before and after us had no reservations, and were also asked to wait at the bar. They were both seated before us, and in better tables. The table that our reservation got us shouldn't even have existed, it was so bad--a tiny two-seater directly next to the kitchen. Our romantic evening was ruined by the constant crowd of waiters and busboys squeezing past us to get to the hot line. Every waiter, that is, except ours, who took our order, brought us our drinks and appetizer, and promptly disappeared.
Due to our vantage point, I was able to see our plates come up under the heat lamps and sit there for the next 20 minutes. (We timed it.) I was about to get up myself and grab them when Husband flagged down a busboy to bring us our order. Of course, the dinners were, by that point, inedible, and that is when I went to find the manager.
Normally in a situation like this, the manager is apologetic and ready to do whatever it takes to make things right. Not here, though. The manager was rude and treated me as though I make a habit out of trying to get free meals, despite the fact that neither myself or Husband had touched our food. He grudgingly comped our bill and sent us on our way without so much as an apology.
I know a lot of people really like this restaurant, but I am unwilling to gamble my time and money on a place that was willing to treat even one customer so incredibly poorly.
The family goes up to Reno every year for the Italian festival, and then celebrates birthdays, anniversaries and the like. We usually have at least 7 people... Dark and full of personality this place was fun for a group! Lots to look at other than those relatives that you're wondering how the genetic pool could produce such a varied lot!
Foodies that we are it was rather nice to 1. find a place that didn't groan at the sight of a group..2. were quick on those additional drink orders, and 3.the food was actually good in a surprisingly clean way.
They treated us very well. I would say and have said to those traveling for business or other with groups this is one to try.
Under the high recommendations of the locals we had dinner here. It was quite comfortable except for the bar area which is part bar area part diners,which doesn't provide a ton of room to move. We had a reservation, and it was a busy night.I didn't like the fact that we had to check and recheck with the hostess about our arrival. She was a bit overwhelmed.
There was a wide variety of fish selections.I had the Seafood Grill which was quite good on a potato latke. I started with wedge salad which proved to be quite good even though it was simply a quarter of a head of iceberg lettuce with blue cheese crumbles and dressing.They had really good bread here too. I ordered a drink that has grapefruit as the ingredient...yes...it was freshly squeezed right in front of ya.
So...in summary...place is good...not fantastic. I think the worst part was the 1st impression of the hostess...and 1st impressions as we know mean everything.
Top Reno restaurant for seafood without a doubt. Great menu of many fish, and you get to choose the way you want them prepared from a list of 8 choices.
There are several Chef's special which were very interesting. We ordered the Chilean Sea Bass and the Halibut. Both cooked to perfection and very tasty with the sauces. Accompaniments included rice and vegetables. Had the steamed clams for the appetizer and they were superbly done.
Rapscallion has been around a long time in Reno, and still it THE place for great seafood. No Casino restaurant comes even close to the great food here.
Hint: for you romantic buffs, ask for one of their private dining booths. Very nice enclosed space that seats 2 or 4 persons. Nice touch.
Highly recommended.
I was under the impression this was suppose to be one of the better places in Reno. Unfortunately from the experience my party had I would have to strongly disagree! The food was so so and service was questionable and ingenuine. My wife's steak was far overcooked and after 3 attempts they still couldn't get it cooked "medium". My sturgeon was cooked properly but the seasoning was far too salty. The sides were average (about Red Lobster level). The salad was the same. The escargo was very good and so was the wine. The waiter and manager didn't seem to be concerned that we were dissatisfied with our meal after we voiced our displeasure and did nothing to correct the situation. If you are looking for a good local experience look elsewhere!
Rapscallion's is a diamond in the rough on Wells Ave. Food is creative and tasty and the daily specials and homemade soups are wonderful. A couple of times the service hasn't exactly been professional or personable, a surprise I hear from other locals, yet I will return because of the quality of the food and ambiance of the place (mahogany wood gives for an elegant feel). This place is great for a nice quiet and romantic date or a formal family dinner. 4/5 was due to lack of service. One occasion, the waitress had brought out a dirty food-crusted spoon for the clam chowder. No worries, a simple mistake that could have been fixed with a smile and an apology yet she stood there gawking at the spoon, looked at us as if it were our fault, seeing we could have dried the old food onto the spoon within a short amount of time . . . . really?!?! She then preceded to ask us, "I brought this out to you?!" multiple times as if trying to interrogate us and a whopping 10 minutes later finally brought out a clean spoon without a word. Well excuse me for not wanting an infested silverware . . . check your attitude and put your ego away, your a server, mistakes happen and it's how you deal with them that ultimately defines service. Maybe your a little burnt out, a casino coffee shop might be a more fitting job. I return to this place because that situation, and one other not really important enough to elaborate on, was made up by the great food and other visits in which service (in the bar) had been pleasing.
I fell like a Rapscallion in thinking the food might be good here. Thats what I get for thinking.
So this is what happen , I was staying at the Peppermill , and we got in a taxi to go downtown Reno for a long night of drinking, and we asked out taxi driver if he knew of a really good steak house in Reno, and he said Rapscallions. Next day , too hung over to go down to the casino and get something to eat we ordered room service. When the room service waiter dropped off the food, again we asked him if he knew of a steak house, and again Rapscallions was brought up. Since our time in Reno was almost up we decided to go to this place on our trip up here.
This place reminds me of a smokers lounge, wood paneling galore! The ambience is very relaxed and nicely dimmed for your dinning pleasure. The booths are very private and I recommend you wait for one of them if you get the chance. My dining experience included the escargot, French onion soup, fried calamari, and for the main course I had the rib eye with wasabi mash potatoes
The escargot were incredible, they had this smokey garlic butter sauce. They were plump, soft and not chewy at all! The onion soup was a bit salty for my own taste, but it had globs of melted cheese! The calamari were fried just right , so they weren't soggy or chewy. The main course was excellent , especially the steak, it was cooked to order and so full of flavor. I think that I would have skipped the wasabi mash potatoes and gone for the garlic potatoes, since the wasabi over powered the potatoes.
In all, I think I would return back here to try the other items in the menu, perhaps one of their fresh catch of the day . The service was top notch and very friendly.
Yum. Beautiful place - large bar, live entertainment, even on a Wednesday night. The food was great, scallops, steak, even Elk - (Hello, ELK?) a large selection of wines, you name it. Top notch service too. I enjoyed it. If you're in the part of the world, check it out.
My parents had been to this restaurant several times and had talked about how great it was so I was really looking forward to it when we went a couple months ago as the first meal on our vacation. We had to wait about 20 minutes past our reservation time, but that was no big deal as we were able to find a table at the bar and just sit, relax and catch-up. When we sat down and we took a look at the menu, there were so many things that looked good that we didn't know what to choose. The pasta my brother ordered, the sand dab my dad ordered and the potatoes served with my mom's fish were delicious. My salmon was overcooked despite requesting it to be cooked medium rare (which was just cooked by our servers definition) and just was not good. Fortunately, I could eat off the plates of the rest of my family so I didn't starve, but I was disappointed. I'm always disappointed when I have a less than great meal. The bread pudding that we ordered was awesome. We were all stuffed, but it was delicious. Overall, it was a good experience and I'd go there again, but don't be lured by the pancetta and mushroom salmon!
Reno, NV
Category: Seafood
Reno, NV
Category: Seafood
Reno, NV
Category: Italian
Sparks, NV
Category: Seafood
Reno, NV
Category: Breakfast & Brunch
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