I was looking forward to checking out River Oaks in downtown Madison. I've eaten at their sister restaurant in North Vernon and it was excellent, so I had pretty high expectations of River Oaks. Upon entering the restaurant, there were multiple empty tables. We were greeted by the hostess who began to take us to a back room. When we inquired about sitting towards the front of the restaurant, we were told that was not an option. Those were for people with reservations. We had reservations, scheduled our reservation over 3 weeks ago. So....not sure. The back room felt like an afterthought, overflow at best. It was stuffy and the tables were too close together. Our table on the day of the KY Derby. A large TV was hung on the wall but staff indicated the TV was broke and not operating. The restaurant just opened..... The food, we ordered 2 sharables and all carte steaks. One person ordered 12 oz filet cooked medium-well and his steak was more medium, all pink. Another person ordered the ribeye to be cooked to medium rare, which was good. Crispy on the outside, pink on the inside. I ordered a 12 oz filet cooked medium, my steak was raw on the inside. Not warm, cold and raw. I ate the outsides of it the filet as those were cooked more. No no one came back to ask us how our food was until the end of the meal. At that point, I asked for a box. We ordered creamed corn which was great and cacio brussels which was nothing special. Some brussel sprouts were too hard, some were too mushy. There was a little bit of charred brussel leaves at the bottom of the bowl; those were really good. Needed more seasonings. If River Oaks is trying to be a serious steakhouse, they need improve the experience. River Oaks prices the food like its a steakhouse; we spent $80/person (or $240 total). Other steakhouses with similar price points offer bread, salad, and have a much better ambiance.
Visit Restaurant Page
"Order the chicken Philly sandwich and thank me later!!Today my bf and I were looking for a new place to try out. I wanted a sit down restaurant, but he was just hungry and wanted something quick. Let me tell you, this choice did not disappoint!Sweet bbq chicken wings 5 starsMashed potatoes 5 starsBaked beans 5 starsFries 5 starsChicken Philly sandwich 6 starsCorn bread 3 stars Ok the cornbread was basic, but everything else was a home run. Best fast food option in the area."
"Excellent food and service. Menu is excellent..sushi as well. Fish .. fried rice. Japanese beer."
