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.
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"Excellent food and service. Menu is excellent..sushi as well. Fish .. fried rice. Japanese beer."
"We have made the Governor a staple for our weekend brunches because of the amazing food. It is definitely not your ma-and-pa greasy spoon, but rather a place that serves refined dishes with a cozier atmosphere. The modernized takes on classic dishes offer some intriguing new flavors packaged in a familiar appearance to all...especially the "fromlettes" (frittata / omelette hybrid). The service is consistently great for a diner and willing to run the menu with you. Always follow their advice and you're in for a treat. P.s. don't miss out on the lobster roll, when available. Higher price tag, but absurd amounts of lobster and delicious."
