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Category: Steakhouses [Edit]
Neighborhood: La MesaMon-Tue. 4:00 p.m. - 12:00 a.m.
Wed-Sat. 4:00 p.m. - 2:00 a.m.
Sun. 4:00 p.m. - 12:00 a.m.
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I had only been here once which was for one of the Yelp Elite events . I really couldn't base my review on that event so I waited it out till I went on a regular night.
I never understood the concept of paying to cook your own food and up until a couple days ago, the idea seemed completely stupid. But, I was thoroughly impressed after the Yelp Elite event enough to want to give it a try. This place is great for large parties and we ended up deciding on it for my birthday dinner a couple nights ago. This is how it went...
+/-
+ you pick your own meatses, grill them up to your taste. The communal grilling area can be fun depending on the company parked next to you. You get to laugh at the foolz burning a perfect steak. The cuts of meat are generous and of good quality. My rib-eye was tasty, shame I overcooked it a tap. Smart move on their part cause there are no sent back cuts due to lack/over cooking. You jack it, it's your fault.
+ The Turquoise Room has a very special vibe to it. Even if you have no desire to have dinner you can just order sides over your cocktails. Totally a chill vibe.
+ great music selection in the jukebox
+ All of the side dishes are really tasty. the portions are huge and served so they can be easily shared with a table of 4. The notable for me is the mac n' cheese. I don't care for baked beans and even those were good.
+ the drinks at the bar are poured with a very heavy hand. No joke. The drinks are stiff.
- the location... la mesa? sucks. but considering the space they have now, it's worth the drive out.
+ the bacon chocolate cake. Look, I know how some people feel about the idea of meat in a dessert... y'all don't know what you are missing. Swine and chocolate are one of my favorite combinations. Do not underestimate the power of swine and chocolate. You will be pleasantly surprised.
- Hearing anything from the waiter that starts with: "Sorry, but we're out of....". Especially when it is my birthday, I want the damn bacon chocolate cake and they're out of it. Total downer :(
++++ the waiter tricking out some chocolate cupcakes with bacon and caramel and a candle to make up for said "we're out of". The fact they went above and beyond says a lot. This isn't the first time the Riviera staff has done this for me either.
Overall, Riviera has got a good thing going on as far as I am concerned. The staff could be a tad friendlier but I am not letting it affect my review because service can be hit and miss. The Elite Event staff was amazing so I know they have more to offer in that department.
"As good as it gets" is just about all I can say about our first dinner at The Riviera.
We received excellent service from the bar (but beware -- the drinks are stiff!) and our server was absolutely awesome (Kevin, I think?), but of course at this place, the food is what earns the most stars. Having loved Turf Club's steak and ambiance, but not the crazy overcrowded grill, dining area and bar, The Riviera did not disappoint. It is more than a new location -- it is a new life for this establishment.
The ambiance was fabulously hip with still a hint of cheesiness, the music (jukebox and live singer later in the night) were aces and the addition of side orders kicked so much ass I don't even know where to begin. Okay wait, I do -- THE MAC AND CHEESE MADE MY LIFE COMPLETE. There, I said it. I want to divorce my husband and marry the mac and cheese from The Riviera. Are you happy now?
I ordered the surf and turf, which is a 9 ounce sirloin and a perfectly-stacked seafood kabob with swordfish, red onions, green and red bell peppers and covered in a light terriyaki sauce. Devine!
My man had the porterhouse (28 ounces, yes, REALLY) and our dining companions had a variety of cuts from filet mignon to rib eye and New York strip and every single one of us left smiling. My husband had one hell of a full belly the rest of the night, but he was determined to show that steak who was boss (and the steak clearly won). The garlic mashed potatoes are no joke (don't plan on kissing for a few days) and the sauteed mushrooms were melt-in-your-mouth-able.
Maybe because it was a weeknight and our reservation was at 8:30pm, but the place was not very busy at all and we were so excited to see there was actually room on the grill and room to stand around the grill as our meat sizzled to perfection.
I could not have asked for a better first experience at The Riviera, and take note that we will be back. And hopefully my husband will order a more reasonably-sized steak next time. Otherwise, I am filing for divorce and hooking up with that mac and cheese as promised!
I was a newbie coming to this place, and I neede dhelp cooking my surf and turf meal. My steak came out pretty tasty, but the swordfish on my kabob was absolutely BOMB. We ordered the garlic mashed potatoes, mushrooms, and mnac & cheese to share and let me tell you they are NOT kidding when they say order to split, those portion sizes are massive!! My favorite was mac & cheese, guaranteed to induce coronary's or at the very least food coma.
The atmosphere was nice, although I'd prefer less mood lighting at the tables so I could see my food. Friendly fellow diners, and our server was top notch!
Hey! Let go to the Riviera!
The WHERE!
The Riviera!
Wheres that? Well its not the one in France, that's for sure!
Right here in La Mesa is where!!!!
Why, what so good about the Riviera!
Well, let me tell ya all about it!
Grill your own steak, bacon chocolate cake, stiff cocktails, and music.
Joe C. the great La Mesa Social Club organizer AKA The Czar. Organized a night at the Riviera for Warren on a humpday or as they were spelling it on the threads..."hupmday". Thank you JC! You've out done yourself again!
Tina C. and I had had so much family stuff to do before our evening out, we almost didn't make it, but man o' man were we ever so glad we did! I must admit we were exquisitely late and better late than never! ahahahaaaa
We arrived to see many familiar faces of JC, Warren, Mother Helper, good ole Rev, Miss Vannessa, and new faces such as Kim, Misty, one pretty girl I didn't get a chance to met along with lo and be hold our Ambassador Danny and his friend from out of town.
Since I was exquisitely late for dinner, I decided to have a side car martini and dessert. That side car was the BEST I have ever had! The Rev ordered the chocolate bacon cake; to my surprise it was surprisingly delicious! I loved the way the bacon enhanced the chocolate Yum! We also shared the smores a winner with the group, the chocolate creme brulee; very tantalizing to the mouth with a crispy top that melts in your mouth to a soft custardy like middle that had a nice chocolate maltness to it uuuumm uuuummm!
Never made it into the Turquoise room where a band was playing, but it sure sounded good. I know a couple of time JC and I were singing and grooving to the music.
Enjoyed meeting new yelpers, had great deep conversations that led until the light flickered twice. I'm sure we all could have kept going. Just goes to tell ya this place is great!
So whether your in for dinner, or for just dessert, or to listen to a band with stiff drinks, The Riviera is my number one choice of a choice for a sultry evening.
This place is awesome. Why? Because they serve crap that will kill you. It'll be the best death you could ask for. Slow and most likely painful. I'm talking heart attacks. Because that's how serious this place is--like a heart attack.
If you've never grilled before in your life, you could screw yourself into getting a bacterial infection, but none of it matters. What really matters is the bacon chocolate cake and booze.
This place is for real drinkers, not pansies. It's for real eaters, not those McDonald's loving types. It's for real people, not poseurs.
It's for the meat eaters of society, not the lame-ass vegans. They aren't welcome at the Riviera Supper Club. You have to like your meat red and your drinks stiff. Man up and eat and drink like a pro.
Ah! A week after a fun evening excursion with some terrific fellow Elites, it's time to share some REV thoughts on the Riviera!
This place brought reminders of a restaurant with a similar "cook your own steak" concept when I visited Waikiki back in 2006. Well, you can not only put your steak on the large grill, but poultry, fish, veggies, and your bread as well - I would say beware of the overcook on the bread, as some found out!
As the group got to see the variety of meat, fish kabob, etc. offerings, there was no doubt that this place serves high quality food at a very reasonable price. Certainly since it's a "Do it yourself" place, that probably helps keep the price down as well. In the end, nobody complained about their main courses!
There is excellent space for groups and the servers are more than willing to move tables around to facilitate for them. Just beware of low-hanging lamps!! You may take a few lumps from them as one among us discovered!! :) The country music in the background was a plus for atmosphere as well - though the band later on was a tad loud.
For me, it was a dessert night!! I had the bacon chocolate cake - it was so large I had to share it!! Plus we needed an Elite consensus on this Riviera specialty. We all liked it - but the overall winner was the smores!! Creme brulee came in second!! The desserts here are pretty first-rate. You'll have no fear in ordering any among these three or, I suppose, their other desserts too.
For our group, some liked it so much that they stayed through late evening closing time! For the Rev, I had to get my rest for another day at work in the morning. But I certainly would love to come back here again!!
Recommend: HIGH
Yep...this place is just A-OK.
They fixed everything that was wrong with the Turf Club. Quality of meat, the sides, and the drinks is fantastic. Thumbs up for the service too.
It's a bit pricey for cook-your-own meat. Plus, they still need to improve on the decor. I suspect that it's a work in progress, but they need more than paint and makeshift kitsch on the walls.
The larger grill is nice, and they are very generous with seasonings, extra napkins, silverware, etc. BUT...the lights above the grill are too bright. They cast a nasty glare onto our booth. Either dim the lights or lower the edge of the hood above. The bright light was a bummer.
Overall, we had an enjoyable night, but I don't know if it's worth the treak across town.
This place must be owned by the same people who own the Turf Supper Club in Golden Hill. At least now the grill is big enough but I do wish it was even bigger cause it does get crowded.
Children are only allowed in there from 4pm to 7pm. I did see families cook and enjoy their meals in there.
SOOOO good. So i am not a big meat eater but i was craving meat this day.
We went as a big group for a friend birthday. I wish they had smushed the tables together.
Anyways, the facade of the restaurant does not tell the story of what is inside. Its great! I love the atmosphere. The bar is pretty cool as well.
My sirloin was fantastic - yes, I seasoned and cooked it myself. The baked potatoes are MASSIVE - so definitely split any of the a la carte items. The mac and cheese is supposed to be da bomb too.
For a group of 10 ppl, it came out to be $30/pp even with drinks.
I WANT TO GO AGAIN.
I recently came here with a group of yelpers who hold it down out this way. It's the suburbs, but there are lots of cool spots out here, and my Yelp peeps in La Mesa know how to party.
The concept of cooking your own food at a restaurant never really had made sense to me. I always felt if I was going to pay 30 bucks for a piece of steak, I shouldn't have to do anything but work on a nice ass groove in my seat till it was ready. Well, the Riv completely changed my opinion of this. That shiz is pretty darn fun!
I have always been a pretty crap-tastic cook, but the grills at the Riv allowed me to be Bobby Flay for a day. To say I cooked my filet mignon well would be an understatement. I'm talking excellence--I might have a new career perfect. Seriously, If Emeril Lagasse would have seen how beautiful this baby turned out he would have chunked in his pants! I have to give my man Warren W props for coaching me through it, but damn I guess I'm a master of the grill. (Of course note that they season all the meat for you)
The rest of the food was pretty stellar as well. Other notables include the green beans, which were lightly flavored and served with pine nuts. The mac n cheese was cheesier than my pickup lines at a singles mixer. The mashed potatoes were good, but be warned of the abundance of garlic they have in them. I tasted the flavor in my mouth 2 mornings after the fact.
I'm not sure if this is an everyday thing, but the night we were there, they had a live band in the bar area. They were playing country music so it wasn't really my style but, I always say any live band is better than no live band.
I'll def be back to this place. It's a fun spot to grab dinner, drinks, and discover your inner chef.
It's rare that I visit the same places in San Diego when I come down, just because there are always new places to try. But I did happen to come by here again with some of the Yelp crew for a nice little hump day happy hour!
Beginning: Happy Hour Specials at the bar,$2 off.
Cocktails at the bar while waiting for the rest of the group to arrive. I had an Art Snob, it reminds me of the VO and 7 my dad would drink when I was a kid, yes,I stole some sips. The drink consists of ginger ale, Knob Creek, bitters and twist of citrus.
Warning! All the drinks are packed with a punch and sure to get you messed up. My second one was too strong to drink but I'd rather have that than the opposite. Don't be afraid to tell them, the waitress was really understanding.
Middle:
I ordered the baked potato for my dinner. Wasn't in the mood to grill but have tried it before and it's really a fun way to go out and eat with friends. The baked potato was very good, the best part was some kind of seasoning on the outer skin? I didn't share the potato though it's large enough for two and comes with all the toppings.
End:
Saving up for the S'mores Casserole. I should of realized by the name that I would not be roasting these mellows, but that's what I was picturing. Inside the dish it's layered with the graham crust, a thick chocolate filling and melted marshmallow cream on top with some coco powder sprinkled on top. Ooohhh my, this is heaven in a dish. Large enough to pass around to a few people as well.
The place has a nice, close intimate feeling and good for large groups also.
Dear Riviera,
I suck at grilling. I am so, so, very absent-minded, and thus unequipped to eat at your establishment on my own unless I'm prepared to eat charcoal. Therefore, I am sadly limited to dining at your establishment only when I am present with grill-friendly, time-conscious company.
However, your bar makes up for my dire lack of grilling talent with your potent drinks that make my liver want to slap your bartender with a restraining order.
Fuck, after a few drinks at your bar, I don't think I would even notice, care, or remember that I even ordered dinner.
*muah*
Holy shit! Some foresight into what may or may not work for a business relocation! I can't believe it!
I'm looking at you, Liar's Club. Sure your old location was a bit tough to visit. Parking at the beach sucks. But then you uproot and move to Alpine? My imaginary brother could have pointed out how stupid of a move that was.
But The Riviera... You guys got it right. And thank god for that. Not only is your establishment fucking awesome but your chances of folding up like the Liars Club who decided to set up camp in the middle of nowhere are nearly 0%.
The Riviera is just what La Mesa needed. A cool bar. Finally.
Unfortunately it came well after I moved the hell out of there. Now, living in La Mesa as a person between the ages of 21-30 doesn't mean you're restricted to Shenanigan's Pub or the godforsaken Hearth House. What it means is that you have a stellar place to go cook yourself some food (You know, Turf Club roots) and to get an extremely well poured drink in a glass that's honestly bigger than it probably should be. Also, this bar might have the coolest bartenders in all of the metro area. Some of which worked at the Casbah and in other places around town that were all equally awesome establishments. Now that they're all under one roof, it's like some bartender Captain Planet shit.
Reading through all the "OMG IT'S IN LA MESAAA UGHHHHH...." reviews just proves to me that the rest of SD is just bummed that The Riviera isn't in their area.
The Riviera will thrive in its new environment and to know that, is awesome.
Cool atmopshere and the community grill was pretty cool. But seriously, how are the side dishes not ready for 5-10 mins after our party was done cooking our steaks and chicken. Mashed potatoes had a little too much garlic for me. Plus not everyone had utensils when our food was brought out and we had to wait a few mins for that. Maybe I'll try the Turf Club next time. Chocolate cupcake with bacon on it was surprisingly good.
How could I have not reviewed this yet? I thought I had. I was here back in March for the Yelp Elite Event and really enjoyed it. The steak was excellent, as was the chocolate-bacon cake, the ambiance was pleasant, and I was pleased to find we had such a nice place so near to where I live. There is an off-street parking lot but it's not real big so you may have to park on the street if it's full, as I did that night.
Flash forward to last Wednesday night when a group of the nicest Yelpers you'd ever want to socialize with went here for Happy Hour. We all had a wonderful time, both with each other and at the establishment. I never heard a bad word about any aspect of the placer( except that boy the drinks were stiff!). We spent half an hour or so at the bar waiting for everyone to show up and then got seated in the dining room.
I was going to get the steak but made a last minute decision to get the seafood kebab. What a perfect choice! It came with two skewers, not just one, and had a combination of albacore and swordfish along with some pretty strong onions and nice red peppers (green, too, I think). I had never grilled seafood over an open fire like that but as had with the steak, they turned out just perfect. And so melt-in-your-mouth tender and flavorful I was ready to go back and get hem again the next day. I also ordered the Mac and Cheese as a side dish to share, which was rich and cheesy and good but not as creamy as I personally like. And I had to opportunity to sample the garlicky mashed potatoes (Mmmm) and three different desserts that others ordered. All three were outstanding--the S'Mores (we thought it would be hot but it was cool and creamy), the Chocolate Creme Brulee (crunchy on top and smooth as silk underneath), and their famous Chocolate Bacon cake (not everyone's cup of tea, but I like it and so did others).
The service was excellent and we stayed till after midnight with animated conversation, diagrams being drawn on napkins, and several pitchers of water being imbibed after we were done with the alcohol.
I can't wait to go back!
What an awesome change from Habana.
Prompt service, good meat selection, and superb sides.
My son and I ordered the Porterhouse and Ribeye. Nice cuts of meat, grilled it to perfection. The sides - Mac 'N Cheese and Sauteed Green Beans (with pine nuts) - equally divine...the total package to a great meal.
For dessert, ordered the Bacon Chocolate cake to go...since everyone woots about it. I have to say I really like it...something about the sweet and salty mixture...very unique and scrumptuous.
I was very taken with the atmosphere, little changes here and there from the previous estab made a heck of a difference.
I will go back...especially for the meat and the Mac 'N Cheese. I truly enjoyed myself.
I haven't had the chance to eat here yet so there will surely be a follow up review to come.
Stumbled in here with some friends after the amazingly disappointing Octoberfest in La Mesa. (Seriously shits weak!)
The Riviera has probably the trendiest bar in the area. Most of the bars seem to cater to college kids or bums. They pretty much all suck...
Not this place. Our drinks were stoat and came out quick. My Vodka Tonic came in a tall glass (thank you) and tasted like a triple (thank you for taking my mind off Octobersuck). The Guinness actually tasted good. Maybe enough people in here actually drink the holy water to keep the keg rotating.
The staff was friendly and the atmosphere was warm and dark. A little reminiscent of James Dean with the dark red and comfortable booths. Noticed a lot of greaser ink filling the bar stools.
Ill be back, I hear the food is great.
Having been semi-regular patron of their previous incarnation (there was a marmalade cat that would sit on the bouncer stool, scary bouncer!), I was somewhat skeptical about their move to La Mesa.
Riviera Supper Club is even more awesome! Gone are 2-hour waits for a table and Budweiser lamp with little horses (the lamp lent the place character). New are side dishes and desserts! Nicer decor! Also 90% less Al Green, boo!!
Surf & Turf - Sirloin steak was good, but the Seafood kabob blew my mind. The server said the seafood kabob was swordfish or mahi mahi, what it was was squirting buttery juice. What kind of fish does that?!? It was amazing.
Horseradish garlic mashed potatoes - not very garlicky, horseradish on the side. It was perfect and didn't need anything else.
Sauteed green beans - Very fresh green beans topped with pine nuts. We really cleaned the plate.
Bacon chocolate cake - IT WORKS. I've had a couple of other bacon chocolate things, but this was made with great chocolate cake and generous amounts of thin crispy bacon as a garnish instead of part of the icing or cake. I think this is how bacon chocolate anything should taste.
Cocktails - I usually get the Esquire with Ketel One vodka, but this time I wanted to test the bartender's mettle with a Sazerac. It was served in a regular glass on ice...what the heck.
Service - We sat in the bar area and pretty much got ignored. Lose one star for service or the lack thereof.
All in all, I highly recommend Riviera Supper Club. It's got a kitchy feel and they have a Tiki night on Wednesdays. But I still wish they would play more Al Green.
Dayam. Some people are real serious whiners. If you have such an upscale palette, why the hell are you at Riviera? Self-criticism on the food would be too much since you have to cook it yourself, so you have to shred on any other detail? Yelp yourself about it.
My kabob/mac n cheese/garlic bread was perfect, waitress/cake was sweet and drinks/time were great, my friends and I are fun. My friends and I are fun, so the place we are at is fun. Riviera was a great time. Fin.
The Riviera is the best La Mesegas has to offer.
It combines a Vegas vibe with a corner/hole in the wall bar feel.
I had the "KANSAS CITY" NEW YORK STRIP and was thoroughly impressed. The meat --which was brilliantly seasoned with garlilc and kosher goodness-- came out with a nice sized piece of garlic bread on the side.
It cooked to perfection on the grill and had me thinking of John Candy... and his scenes from "The Great Outdoors." This cut of beef was beyond delicious.
Oh, did I forget to mention that we also had a massive serving of mac & cheese? I apologize... this was (perhaps) the best version I have ever devoured. The cheese was crumbled, melted and packed into the small gravyboat-looking dish.
We were so full that we didn't even get to try the bacon chocolate cake... yes, I said bacon.
I give this place a solid 5 stars and definitely look forward to my next visit.
Of course anyone that used to go to the Turf is gonna compare that experience with the Riviera. I suppose that is fair. And if I lived closer to Turf, I would probably never come out this way. But as it were, the Riviera and the Turf are probably about the same drive for me and I see a lot of upsides at the Riviera, starting with the roomier location and the abundance of parking. And then there are the sides and the desserts. I was never quite content with a crappy iceberg lettuce salad and splitting a veggie kabob if i wanted vegetables. Now I can get super rich and cheesy mac and cheese and green beans sauteed with pinenuts. Hello upgrade. Not to mention the desserts - bacon chocolate cake and creme brulee make my sugar tooth happy.
So given a choice, I am coming here when I want to have a cook-my-own-steak dinner. And I am also comforted in the fact that I have taken a few people here that never went to the Turf for comparison and they just dig on the classic/retro vibe and love the food.
P.S. If you dig on tater tots, they have 'em, they just aren't on the menu. We'll keep it our secret, okay?
Food was good, service good. No paper products in ladies room. Very noisy, although that was part of the ambience. I did send back a side item for being undercooked, and it returned in the same condition.
Just took the family out to this restaurant recently and came back a happy camper. If you liked Strip Club in Gaslamp, but don't wanna spend the amount they charge there, then i highly suggest this place. This restaurant is a quaint little steak house situated in a quiet area in La Mesa. Because this is a small steak house, the wait time was about 45min, but we killed some time drinking and chilling at the turquoise room(the bar). When we finally got seated, they handed us the menu which was small and simple. One side of the menu was the cut of meats, and the other side was the sides. All the cuts of meat are the same ones you'd practically find in Strip Club's menu, but $10 cheaper. I went with the Texas rib-eye for the appetite i had that night. Although the dining area was small, and theres only one grill to share amongst the whole dining room, i didn't see that as a problem because most customers were on and off the grill that fast. When they hand you your raw steak on a platter, it also included untoasted garlic toast. They provide you with the spices and sauces for your steak off to the side of the grill, and once you dress your raw steak the way you want, then its grillin time and its up to you to decide how you want your steak done. One side dish is good for 2 people, but since there was 4 of us and i was paying, my fam took the liberty of ordering 3 sides. We got the four cheese mac n cheese, onion rings, and potato wedges. Perfect complements to the steak. Highly recommended, and i'd make another trip out to La Mesa just to eat here again.
No complaints here.
Great service and nice cuts of steak. I'm not a big fan of cooking my own food at a restaurant, but my porterhouse cut (28 oz.) was real good. The vibe of this place is real cool and definitely a nice place for groups.
I walked in late on a Friday night and was a bit confused by what I found. Is this a restaurant??? Is it a bar??? Is it both??? There were more people in the Turquoise room (aka: the bar) than in the actual restaurant part of the establishment. In fact, there was a sign saying,"Please see bartender to be seated." Initially, I was a bit turned off by that. I mean, they couldn't have someone available to seat us at a place that was supposed to be a restaurant? But the bartender was very nice and told us to sit anywhere we liked and that our server would be with us shortly. I expected to wait quite a while and was pleasantly surprised when our server was at our table not too long after. She was great! And despite the fact that we were literally the only people not hanging out at the bar, she made sure to check on us regularly. We were well taken care of.
Now for the food....
......
......
Oh...slurp....sorry, I was drooling and daydreaming of the meal I had. I opted to fork out the big bucks and get the porterhouse because I was SUPER hungry. Good LORD that steak was huge! And apparently, I cooked it perfectly because that was honestly one of the best steaks I've had in a long time. It totally hit the spot. They made it easy though as they seasoned it perfectly.
Our server also was kind enough to tell us that the sides were hugemongous and that one would be more than enough for the 2 of us. And she was right. We got the mac and cheese and it was great!
I also liked the feel of the restaurant. We went kinda late and the crowd there was definitely more of a 20's - 30's kinda crowd. Very chill, relaxed vibe. Not a place to take grammy if she wants a steak. But maybe in the daytime it's a bit different. I definitely wouldn't mind hanging out and having a few drinks here as well.
2 things i know for sure:
#1 best bartenders in east county, dare i say, all of san diego. Josh and Melody deserve badges of honor: both pour heavy AND remember your name!
#2 the food never disappoints. never has green beans and mac'n'cheese satisfied so greatly! the tater-tots (not on the menu) might even make you cry...
I almost don't want to write a review about this place because I don't want it to get popular... but that wouldn't be right.
The place is very retro 1960's ,but fully restored and really cool. The steaks are cooked by you and your friends on a huge indoor dining room grill. All of the seasonings and utensils are provided.
The happy hour steak is a killer deal at $7. But the sides will hit you hard in the wallet ($6 each). BUT, they're all big enough to share. The baked potato was enormous and came with all the fixings including real bacon bits. It is a meal, itself.
Topped off with a 25-ounce happy hour beer and you're set.
At the time I was there, it felt like I was in a Quentin Tarantino movie. It was really cool - and most importantly, delicious and fun.
3.5 stars
Now I usually don't believe in second-chances sometimes, but let me give the owner props for taking my negative past experience to heart more than many business owners do. I appreciate your act of kindness towards my return to the restaurant and the concern for your customers does not go unnoticed. Upon returning, I am thankful to see the Riviera in a new light, not just its quality, but the staff.
The menu in this place is mouth-watering and delicious! It threw me off when ordering a hamburger when they came uncooked and I realized that I was in charge of my own hamburger destiny. My boyfriend took to the man-grill and fixed them up with how we think they should be tasting. There are a large assortment of condiments to use for any taste buds.
Be sure to really work the burned food off of the grill from careless people before! We had a bit of trouble with the grill because we are newbies to that kind of thing, but our burgers were the most delicious!
Food portions are very large!
Pay attention and take the advice on the menu when it says the sides are big enough to share, because they are! One order of salad was the perfect amount for two people while leaving room for meaty deliciousness.
As far as the atmosphere is concerned, for large groups this seems to be the spot! The grill is enormous so there is plenty of room for everyone in the party to cook their food at once and mingle with others; however, if you're a party of two, this may not be your first choice of restaurants unless you are both grill-side. Not knocking it, just recommending.
Our server, Michael (if I remember correctly) was very wonderful to us and checked back enough with us without being overwhelming!
For two people to have large fresh hamburgers, salad, and drinks it was a hair over 25 bucks. Not bad, not bad.
I haven't had their food but they did do an awesome job of hosting the El Camino Car Show in their… Read more »
We went here for my brothers birthdays, be prepared with a large group the seating is kind-of iffy.
The wait staff was attentive and friendly I liked it leaving there, I thought I would really enjoy coming back. It is different from the norm.
I mean i'm not a restaurant junkie .. ( ok maybe a little bit) but how many places do you go to where you cook your OWN meat?
Come here if your sick of the norm and want a chill/vegas like feel =]
I can't say enough good things about this place. I fell in love from the moment I stepped inside and sat my ass at the bar. The bar staff is amazingly warm and welcoming, and always on top of things. Doug, Steve, Jack, you guys keep my drinks flowing - I thank you. A few key things.
Plenty of Parking
Full Bar
3 Beers On Tap (most others in can/bottle)
Cook Your Own Meat
BACON CHOCOLATE CAKE
Good / Friendly Staff / Sexy Hostesses
Good Atmosphere
Jukebox
The old Turf Club: stiff drinks, Marlboro smokers blocking the entrance, long waits to get a table.
The Riviera: stiff drinks without the waits and smokers, but add $15 to each tab
Pros:
1. This DIY grill restaurant is great if your guests aren't really familiar with each other -- gives people something to do.
2. Large tables are perfect for large groups.
3. Interesting concoctions reminiscent of hipsters going old school.
4. Not as grimy or crowded as the old Turf Club (see below)
Cons:
1. Not enough ventilation -- extremely hot on a La Mesa day! Be prepared to stink after leaving this place.
2. A bit pricey for DIY for a piece of meat and garlic bread. Sides are extra. I think the best deal is the surf and turf for $13.50 - sirloin and seafood kabob with salmon and veggies and the $6.50 horse radish mashed potatoes.
3. Not as grimy or crowded as the old Turf Club (see above)
Literally the best cooked steak I ever get, anytime I go here... my compliments to the chef ;) But honestly this place has a great atmosphere, the cuts of steak are high quality. My service and side dishes are always incredible. Drinks are really strong so it makes them worth the price. I REALLY WISH THEY WOULD BRING BACK THE CREAMED CORN.
Best new hang out in the EC...thank you thank you!! The Musts of the Riviera Experience:
-Potato wedges
-Esquire
-[Entre of Choice, make sure you add the Riviera Steak Sauce]
-Bacon Chocolate Cake
Cleaner, nicer and all around better than Turf. Please bring back the yummy apple crisp!
We went here to celebrate my brother-in-law's birthday. I like the concept of ordering your food and grilling it yourself. You can make it the way you like it! You can add however much sauce, salt, and pepper as you like. The sides are large enough to share. I like the mac & cheese.
**Oh they have a daily happy hour. Very good drinks!**
The Riviera is my dinner location now nearly three times a month. The prices are fair. The drinks are stiff. The bartenders (Doug, Stephen, Chino) are fucking rad! And the side dishes are the fucking best. Some days I go to the Riviera just to orders a table of side dishes and deserts if I don't feel like grilling.
But PLEASE DEAR GOD BRING BACK THE CREAMED CORN!!!
The Riviera is the epitome of a 5 star all around great venue!
love love & more love.
i'm so, so, so happy something like this exists in la mesa now, because you know what? i live in la… Read more »
I really wish I liked this place more, and I really really wanted to like this place more. Maybe it was the fact that we were a party of 30 for a 30th birthday party....Maybe it was the fact that like an early reviewer said, it feels like im attending a north park high school reunion (so true!), or.....Maybe I was expecting too much greatness. Unfortunately, it didn't quite work out that way.
Sadness:
1. I got the rib eye and truthfully, it was a fatty piece of meat without any real seasoning that I would have marinated with at home. My boyfriend got the big man's porterhouse and shared a similar sentiment though he ate the whole thing because he's a fatty. Also, a weird piece of bread that does not taste good when grilled..one thought, why?
2. Seasoning, seasoning, seasoning. All they had was steak sauce, Worcestershire and teriyaki.....no no and what, where are we an asian steak house?!
3. Cooking time. Luckily, the love of my life is a meat master (thats what she said, haha!!), but there were alot of people who had no idea how long to cook anything and the wait staff never told us, maybe because it was a party of 30 but regardless, my friend Jenn asked how many people get sick from undercooked meat, and i'm curious too! Also, i'm in nursing school and an obsessive hand washer and after starting to grill, and touching my steak with my hands, ew.
4. Their beers on tap selection at the bar. A San Diego bar without a local brew. Nuh uh.
5. Some of the side dishes. Macaroni and Cheese= bleh. Beans= meh. And running out of mashed potatoes in the middle of dinner service= what?
Awesomeness:
1. The decor and the bar area. Retro chic is fun and adorable.
2. Creamed corn and tater tots! Yum! Like, orgasmically good creamed corn that tastes like liquid butter. mmmmm
3. Good times with friends while feeling like you're grilling out and camping in nice clothes is always fun.
4. Three words: Bacon chocolate cake. Sooooo good. I thought it would be great and it totally lived up to that.
All in all, maybe I will come back with like 26 less people and have a totally different experience, but I am really glad I didnt have to pay for it!
This place has the potential to be awesome, but they just don't follow through enough. So i went here on saturday night with a birthday party of around 30 people. I'm not counting points off for the slow service, that can only be expected with a group of that size. My review is only for the food.
I ordered the ribeye and it comes out on a piece of wax paper with a piece of bread. I know the set up I gotta cook it myself, and i'm okay with that, but it didn't have anything on it... I go up to the grill and it has worcestershire sauce, steak sauce and teriyaki sauce to use as seasonings... NO GARLIC or anything. We have to get the salt and pepper off our table to even get that. So that was a bit lame, not to mention the meat was pretty fatty. Also even on the menu there is no guide to tell you how long to cook a certain cut of meat for rare, or medium or well done... no waiter tells you that either which really makes me wonder how often people get sick from under cooked food. It's so dark in there you can't really tell.
Onto the sides.... i'll start with what was really good, the tater tots (OMG amazing seasoning) the cream corn (it was like butter) and the baked beans were pretty good but just everyday good. The mac & cheese was just bland and the fries were too potatoey for me. They were out of the garlic mashed potatoes? WTF!!! so i didn't get to try them.
Onto dessert, the bacon chocolate cake was outta this world good! what a combo, bacon and cake mmmmmm so good. The s'mores casserole was really gross!!!! i know surprising... i would have thought it the other way around but that's how it was.
I would have given this place 2 stars for the lacking in spices and overall blandness of some dishes BUT i didn't pay for it, so i gave it an extra star.
Since I did all the heavy lifting, I can't give Riviera more credit other than providing delectable prime grade fatty beef! What can I say, I cook a mean steak so of COURSE I enjoyed my meal!
Still. I don't have the heart to give it a 2.
The concept is novel enough; a big smoking grill centered in the middle of the dining room to ensure we all walk away smelling like cheap Korean BBQ (I should NOT have worn a dress that was DRY CLEAN ONLY) and plenty of squirt bottle sauces for a mix/match marinade to complete the beef.
It's surprising that the steaks are just dumped on a plate, naked without the benefit of even minimal seasoning. I wish I had known that before I started to cook it. Also, it would've been nice if the server had provided some critical details, such as the temperature of the grill and general cooking time for us first time newbies.
After cutting into a raw center ribeye, I reluctantly returned to the grill only to overcook it to a rosy pink. I was disappointed that all the blood had been burned off.
This is why you pay other people to cook food especially in their kitchen.
i am super sad. Why? Because I had been here for a special gathering once and had Excellente food and fun. AND...Chocolate cake with BACON.
So, I promised my wife I'd take her here for our anniversary. And like a good Capricorn, I keep my promises. EXCEPT....
It wasn't that great. My cut of meat was Very fatty. Our sides didn't come til we were half done with our meat. There was a "family" ( a guy, two women, and four kids from HELL) who absolutely ruined the atmosphere (the kids were climbing on furniture, running around, hiding under tables), and there was a group of folks who thought they were barbecuing in the apartments common area. WTF?
The worst part? The cake was DRY!!!!!!!!!!!!! I had been Raving about this cake and my wife tasted it and said No. Crap. I almost did not get anniversary sex. Fortunately I am very suave and saved the evening.
If I had not had such goodness there previously I wouldn't go back. The server was really cool and did a great job, but it wasn't worth it. However...I know there is the potential for greatness. Maybe it was an off night. (It was during the week.) I will give it another shot sometime. but dude, my cake better be Moist!
Neighborhood: Golden Hill
Category: Steakhouses
San Diego, CA
Category: Mexican
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Category: Thai
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