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great room...gorgeous views...family feel...attentive service...great wine....yumtastic.
(sorry yelpers...i'm feeling a little brain dead)
People thought this was:
I imagine the good reviews of this place end up being because people are so hammered by the time they get here that they've lost control of most of their facilities.
This place is surely gorgeous and the bar inside is a great place to spend an evening. The food is fairly standard and though you won't be dying to eat here again, you'll enjoy your evening.
The patio has a great view and is the perfect spot for the after-rafting drink. The bartenders outside are friendly and the drinks are decent enough (The Class V goes down nice on a hot day, it's like a Rum Shake).
Why 2 stars? Because the patio grill is where it all falls down. If you're not hungry and don't order, you'll find it entertaining. You'll get to marvel at 9 people behind the counter, 4 orders in the queue, and then watch people wait 45 minutes for a plate of nachos. Really? 45 minutes for nachos? Yup.
Whoever manages the grill should be embarrassed by the performance there. I know, overall, that you don't think "great service" when it comes to nearly anywhere in Tahoe, but this place takes it to the next level.
I raft the river a lot and have ended up here a lot and have yet to have the grill get my food out before I was already wishing to leave. This last time, it wasn't even that busy and it still took the requisite 45 minutes for nachos. I also ordered 2 orders of fries and that only took 25 minutes. Imagine my joy when I got my fries then my nachos after another 20 minutes!
No wonder they have a tip jar at the order counter, if you were asked to tip after you got your food they'd go broke.
So, stay away from the grill is the bottom line. Maybe they don't care about the grill because there's not enough profit margin there, but if I was able to get food in a timely manner when I ordered it, I'd stay longer, which means I'd order more drinks too.
When you get out of your raft, head back up on the bus to Bridgetender or River Grill and enjoy yourself at a place that is at least attempting to keep your business.
People thought this was:
Review of the restaurant: food is well prepared, satisfying after a long day of hiking or skiing. Drinks were decent, although honestly my memory is a bit foggy after many shots of tequila on their deck that night! The view of the river is wonderful - if you decide to visit this fine establishment, do sit outside on their deck. Helpful with the kiddies too, as the river provides a welcome distraction, and a fair bit of background (white) noise.
Great food, great staff and great rooms. If you stay here it is a short trip from anything that Tahoe has to offer. Make sure you get a room with a balcony and the river. I was sad to leave, i wish that my itinerary was not as full as it was when I was there so that I could have had a day to just relax and enjoy the patio.
People thought this was:
This review only pertains to the fine dining restaurant.
Is the Chef crazy or just Lazy? Far too many dishes used a thin cream style corn. The Cream of Asparagus Soup, was tasteless, and had the corn added. The Pork chop was dry, but for the cream style corn that it floated in. The Venison also lay in a bed of cream style corn. Have you ever had flavorless raw Venison? Well go to River Ranch.
Dinner was $120. Way too much for way too little quality.
I can only speak for the outside grill. Which, was an awesome atmosphere for a family of 4 that just spent an hour floating down the river. Don't expect award winning BBQ. Be happy with good BBQ when your sitting next to the beautiful Truckee river. Yeah you might need to wait twice as long to order as you would at McDonalds, but the food is way better than than fast food. Remember these kids are working hard to pay their rent and survive till ski season, so treat them with respect and they will do the same.
After a great full day of snowbarding, it was time to eat. Around Alpine, there aren't too many choices for restaurants and this was the one my friend made reservations for.
The service was solid. They were nice about us being late too because one of our cars had double back and pick up more people. Our seat was in possibly the darkest room in the entire restaurant. I couldn't even see the person sitting across from me until my eyes adjusted.
I went with the pepper steak, medium rare. The cooked it just right and the steak was just right! Didn't really taste much flavor or pepper as I'd hope though. Everything else on the plate was so-so. The veggies and the potatoes were definitely not given as much consideration. I also got to try some of the two duck dish which tasted good for what I got.
I guess there aren't many choices in the area, but its better than I expected. I'd be okay with a nice burger (it'd be awesome if there was an In-N-Out there) or something after a day of skiing, since you spend so much money just getting up there anyways.
People thought this was:
This place is great because it serves multiple purposes. It's casual enough that its a fun place to stop and have h'orderves after river rafting, but the River Ranch is also nice enough that it becomes a romantic spot to enjoy dinner outside along the Truckee River. I would highly recommend saving room in your stomach during dinner, so that are able to indulge in the peach and strawberry cobbler (plus the bread that they serve to accompany the dinner is highly addicting, thankful my boyfriend pulled the bread basket away from me so I didn't devour the whole loaf!).
Summertime haven!
What a cool spot to laugh yourself silly as you simultaneously feast on yummy burgers, fries or nachos, enjoy a cool refreshing beverage (full bar), and watch as river rafters make ungainly attempts to get themselves out of their rafts and onto dry land at this popular disembarkation point.
You will be hard-pressed to avoid laughing at either the apparel (some of these folks should cover up a little better!), the water craft, the clumsy, drunken uncoordinated rafters who fall into the water repeatedly, the dogs, or the other diners, most of whom seem to be Cal alums.
Plus, if you're lucky, all accompanied by live music!
Love it! Pure fun!
People thought this was:
Disclaimer: post skiing hunger +endorphin high = slightly distorted reviews...
Went in right before Christmas after a long day of lapping granite chief in powder. Got seated, was immediately presented with a basket of fresh, hot AMAZING bread. Honestly, I could have eaten this all night and skipped the meal.
Feeling like I had to order something to go along with the bread, I asked the waiter what the best thing on the menu was. "the lamb chops" he replied without hesitation. God was he right... These things were amazing - just the right amount of pink, melt in your mouth tender, with a beautiful crust that tasted like crunchy heaven. Honestly it's meals like this that make me truly appreciate a day of skiing. Oh, and they make a mean bloody mary.
Pros: Bread, lamb chops, drinks
Cons: I could only eat 3 baskets of bread before getting full...
The Bottom Line: I will return and order the exact same thing
This review is based on the summer's patio action. Their patio sits right above the flowing Truckee river and the views and sounds are awesome. However don't expect tranquility b/c the rafting trip that starts in Tahoe city (about 3 miles up stream) ends on their patio, thus tons of wet kids and their parents fill up this place.
There's an outdoor grill that basically serves up burgers and dogs which are okay but a little pricey for what it actually is ($7 for a 1/4 lb.er with cheese and no fries) but there is such a thing as paying a premium for being up in this Tahoe country. There's a full bar which serves up some decent beers and appropriately outdoorsy drinks as a Seabreeze ($7) vodka, cranberry juice and lemonade (slurp).
Cool tunes on the loud speakers, sun in face, shades on, roaring river next to your table and the mediocre over-priced burger all of a sudden seems to be no big deal. The big picture is what this place paints and oh what a picture it is.
*clix dis*
http://www.yelp.com/bi...
People thought this was:
After hours on the river, finish off the trip with rootbeer floats and nachos for the kids and an icy beer for yourself. The lemonade is refreshing and the burgers are very good. Pricey food.
People thought this was:
My favorite place for Apres Boarding!
After a day in the freezing cold, I take my aching bones and plop down in front of the fireplace at the River Ranch Lodge, where the bourbon and beer flow. I love its authentic log cabin feel, cozy couches, dim lighting and huge floor to ceiling windows overlooking the pristine snowy river.
Comfort food and warm whiskey bevs with hot chocolate, coffee or tea are sure to thaw even the coldest of souls. Go full force and try the roasted elk, rib eye or rack of lamb, or just kick back like I do and enjoy their famous nachos, spicy buffalo wings and calamari.
It's pricey, but I suck it up for the food, the atmo and the view. Can't wait to try the BBQ here in the summer after raftin' down the river!
People thought this was:
I am only reviewing this place for their Apres Ski Happy Hour and their Apres rafting scene in the summer.
1. After skiing me and about 10 friends went here after skiing Alpine. They have all kinds of great drinks, and appetizers. The ambiance is cool overlooking the half frozen river and reminiscing about our wild summer rafting adventures.... there is a big cozy fire place and lots og pretty good looking people. Of these 2 things I cannot complain.
2. In the summer after a day on the river, it's a slightly younger crowd. But plenty of patio seating and you can order such delicious food as nachos and burgers etc...
The only weird thing about this place is the funky girls bathroom. It's like a room with 2 toilets and only 1 door, so you can't really leave till the other person, usually a total stranger, is done...it's just weird.
Oh well when you gotta go you gotta go!
People thought this was:
I've stayed here a couple of weekends and done the apre-ski thing many, many times. I have not eaten a meal here other than appetizers.
That said, I've never had a bad experience here. Well, maybe a couple too many Irish Car Bombs (it's a drink, if you're calling the Counter Terrorism Unit. But if you do, ask for Jack Bauer. He's a friend of mine.), but that's my fault and not River Ranch's. The servers have always been attentive and the appetizers we've gotten have been pretty good.
The rooms are comfortable. Nothing special. Room rates were on the lower side when I called around and this definitely was not on the lower end of places I've stayed (don't stay at the Travelodge) so I think they provide good value for their rooms. I've always made my reservations on Thursday or Friday so I don't know if they have specials to try and fill up the space for the weekend.
I'd give this place 3.5 stars if I could, but . . . I'll stop now before I get banned! ;-)
We stayed here in a lovely room on the Truckee River in 2001 and thought we'd come back for a few days of much needed rest. This time, we arrived around noon on a Tuesday, it was a bustling college party scene, with a busy outdoor bar and grill. The view from the terrace is the stream of happy river rafters ending their journey next door to the hotel. We returned from an early dinner that night in Tahoe City and decided to have a nightcap in the hotel bar. The restaurant and bar were completely empty.
Our room was clean and had their signature "mountain cabin" decor. Unfortunately, our bed was terribly uncomfortable and we barely slept that night. We decided to change hotels the next morning. I also thought I'd find a blow dryer in the room and when I didn't, I called the front desk at 8 a.m. to ask if one could be sent up. I left a voice message. No one called me back after an hour. When we went to the front desk to check out, my husband mentioned that the bed had been very uncomfortable and that no one had called back about a blow dryer. The front desk person said rather testily that she'd never had any complaints before about the beds being uncomfortable and that if we'd wanted a blow dryer we should have come down to the front desk to ask about it. She said they don't keep them in the rooms because people steal them. Hmm...okay. There are so many other choices of places to stay in the area.
My review is just for the dinner we had there last week.
We are locals, and had 2 for 1 coupons, and looked forward to a pretty good meal here that would be cheaper than the usual exorbitant prices. River Ranch generally has a good reputation up here, but it is known to be hit or miss sometimes. I think we got miss this time around, which I think is rather inexcusable for such a highly priced restaurant.
I ordered the Elk Loin, and was disappointed when it came out because it just didn't seem very fresh. I liked its gaminess, but it seemed to have been frozen a long time, then let sit for a while after it had been cooked. My mother ordered the Pepper New York Steak, and actually had to send it back because it was cooked well and also seemed old and left out (she ordered it Rare). Her replacement was pretty tasty. My girlfriend ordered the Rack of Lamp and it was pretty good, but I've had better for sure. My grandmother's Fillet Mignon was the only dish that was really good from the beginning.
Given the cuts of meat, I know that I could do a heck of a lot better job than the River Ranch did. The following night, my girlfriend and I went camping and we cooked cheap steaks for dinner which tasted far superior to our River Ranch meal.
Bottom line: For the price, River Ranch should be consistently great, and it was not.
People thought this was:
Since everyone else here commented so far on this place in the winter, I'll comment on the summer scene.
The good sized patio is a great place to hang out on a nice day. Arrive by river raft (River Ranch is the destination for Truckee river rafting), or car--- and relax outside with a cocktail and possibly even live music. The feeling is casual and a great place to stop, relax and enjoy Tahoe.
This is also a good place to go to after skiing. It is a stone's throw from both Squaw and Alpine.
Great setting - sits right next to Truckee River, literally. Went there for dinner. The peppercorn steak was excellent, the chicken was 'so-so', their garlic mashed potatoes were yum-my. But the absolute best thing of the night was their Peach Cobbler ala mode. OH MAN it was soo good. I ate the entire bowl myself and wanted more!
People thought this was:
Great food and that wonderful lodgy atmosphere is just what I need after a day of skiing! In the restaurant, you can get cozy with your friends by the fireplace, get a table by the windows overlooking the Truckee River, or you can sit at the bar and enjoy one of many tasty "hot" drinks. Ok, if butterscotch-spiked hot chocolate isn't your thing, they have a full bar too.
The menu offers a somewhat standard lodge/american cuisine - the lunch fish tacos are yummy and filling, and they have an elk loin that might be interesting...
The food's a little on the pricey side ($15-$25/entree) but in the norm for this area/type of restaurant. It can fill up on busy ski weekends, but they do take reservations.
A safe date place for sure - mine approved!
Remember the Scooby Doo episodes where they're at the old ski lodge and old Mr. Kratchet is running around in a Yeti outfit trying the scare them into selling the resort? Neither do I. But there's something so completely SKI-CHALLET-LIKE about this old-school inn and bar in Tahoe. If you're headed to the lake, you have to stop in for (cue the trumpets) BEST... Yeah, I said: B_E_S_T NACHOS above 6000ft. Also, when you go, sneak around the bar to the fireplace and cuddle up in the small tables that surround it.
If you're feeling like a true Gen X'er, throw on the orange ascot, high-neck sweater, dorky glasses or bellbottoms and tell'em to make your Scooby snack a double!
Based on summer time patio only...
What an Awesome location! I stopped in here on a Friday early afternoon to get a beer and some lunch. Never having been here before I didn't really know what to expect but it sure did look crowded.
As I walked through the entrance to the patio I was astonished at the beach party like atmosphere in front of me. There were people young and old in various stages of undress and music bumpin from the speakers. I had a race the next day and was somewhat disappointed that I didn't have the time to sit back and have a few drinks and just do some serious people watching. My disappointment was quickly gone when I ordered a beer and was charged $6 for a 12oz draft... WHAT A RIP!
The menu on the patio is limited to being a burger joint; burgers, fries, nachos and dogs all for a premium but the location nearly justifies the high prices.
If you are looking for a quiet and civilized place then don't come here as the drinking ban on the river must not be strictly enforced. We had a bunch of rookies sitting at the table behind us that were falling out of their chairs, cussing loudly and just being typical disrespectful drunks. Kids will be kids I guess and it didn't really bother me but if I had my wife and kid with me it would have been another story entirely.
With all of that said I did notice a proper sit down restaurant inside but cannot comment on what was offered there. Night time and winter appear to be a different scene entirely.
I will absolutely go back one of these days when I have some more time to kill. 3 stars due to the excessive prices. Add fries with the burger and drop the beer price by a buck and it's a 4 bordering on 5.
Summary: Great Location, nice facility, expensive prices... all in all a pretty fun spot.
Cozy hotel, perfect after spending a day on the slopes. The rooms are clean, and bed was comfortable, though the pillows were kind of too-puffy and synthetic. Definitely a better option than other chain hotels in the area, and the price is comparable to any of those. Dinner in the restaurant was good, too. Lovely views of the river, I'm sure this place is a good option in summer as well. No online reservations, but that might actually be a good thing because we were able to get a room there on what seemed like a busy ski weekend.
People thought this was:
This place is super cute. Get a seat by the window for a beautiful view of the river rushing by. The food is ok, but better than most food I've had in Tahoe. In fact, it was better than any food I've had in Tahoe. That's not saying much. The drinks were stiff and the atmosphere was perfect. That's enough. And, they had kids' menus. Nice.
It was ok. It's cool that this is where the rafting trip ends and most people are pretty hungry so it's a smart idea. It just doesn't give much choice. It's typical burger american food type place that's a bit overpriced in my opinion. We shared buffalo wings and fries but weren't too impressed by the food like the raves we've heard about it. I think we would've enjoyed munching on the wheat thins we brought on the trip more so than the food here.
People thought this was:
Great atmosphere along the Truckee River. Upscale lodge type feel. The center bar is great for an apres ski drink and the seating around the bar overlooking the river is pretty cool. The Elk is the signature dish (did not have it), but the Ceasar Salad, Rib Stack appetizer, and Pork Chop were great. Others with me had the New York Strip. OK... Just remember it is not a steak house per se.
People thought this was:
Ooooh no. Don't go here. I've been skiing up in Alpine Meadows for over 10 years and my parents live here. River Ranch is by far the rudest establishment I have ever visited in my entire life. My sister was sooo mistreated and literally mocked by the waiter! Maybe he was drunk on the job? When I asked to speak with the manager, he was a bumbling fool, and he actually pushed me as I was walking out. I should have called the police to file an assault report. The experience was so bad it was hard to believe. If you want to be treated decently by people whose job it is to do so, then don't eat here. There are so many other wonderful restaurants in the area... don't waste your time here. I sure won't again. My parents have a tendency to let all the neighbors know about this kind of thing, so I don't even know how important this yelp post is... maybe to tourists it will help?
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Olympic Valley, CA
Category: Hotels
Tahoe City, CA
Category: Hotels
Tahoe City, CA
Category: Hotels
Olympic Valley, CA
Category: Hotels
Tahoe City, CA
Category: Hotels
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