My boyfriend took me here for dinner on my birthday, he had heard about it from a friend and neither of us had been there before. We walked in and it has "us" written all over it. I was very happy we came here. The drinks were great, my boyfriend was very impressed with their Bloody Marys and the food was awesome. I had the BBQ Kabobs and they were so tender and delicious. Â When we get the chance to get out on our own again, we'll definitely be making our way back here. Glad this place is around. :D
Review Source:On a Saturday early lunch this place was jumpin, it appeared to be a busy early morning breakfast crowd because it thinned out by Noon. Â This place was extremely loud even when it thinned out so it was either a happy crowd or the acoustics are terrible. Â If you are looking for a quite breakfast I suggest sitting outside. Â The atmosphere inside was a cowboy motif, not an impressive front but inside it had a ton of character.
We started with a Bloody Mary and the jalapeno poppers. Â The Bloody Mary although rated high on Yelp was just OK, not good enough to have a second. Â Unfortunately I like mine with a bit more kick and horseradish is a requirement in my Mary which this one didn't have. Â One thing it did have however is a ton of goobers (celery, olive, asparagus). Â The jalapeno poppers are number one on my list of best poppers and I will definitely be back for these. Â They were different than what I expected but more like how I make them at home. Â It was a whole jalapeno stuffed with cream cheese but with the addition of a stringy cheese, maybe mozzarella but it was also seemed a touch sweet so it could have been Swiss but I'd lean towards the motz. Â Then a slice of bacon was wrapped around the entire jalapeno and baked. Â They were EXCELLENT! but spicy so if you are a bit wimpy then watch out. Â They have a kick but a jalapeno's spice can vary and since you are eating an entire jalapeno you have to assume it will be hot. Â We ended our lunch with a Mushroom Swiss burger and a Philly cheese steak. Â I wouldn't repeat the burger, although the bottom bun left me with greasy fingers the sandwich itself was a bit dry and I needed to dip it in mayo. Â When I have to add condiments to a burger it is never my favorite. Â The Philly was better, the meat inside was outstanding, having a smoked flavor of sliced beef, maybe brisket. Â To me it tasted more like a sliced beef & cheese sandwich vs. a typical Philly.
Next visit I would try the French dip instead to add some moisture to the bread with the aujus but still enjoy the flavor of the beef. Â The other dish that I need to try is the eggs benedict and maybe I'll venture off my normal choice for the Mexican version with a chipotle hollandaise and chorizo.
They are really nice here...but the food.. eh!
- side salad -- I loved THAT (fresh with blue cheese)
- Rib Eye -- BOOOOOO It was awful, it was so tough it was either NOT a rib eye or it was the cheapest rib eye that a restaurant could find
- Fish & Chips: Â Fish was good, CHIPS aka french fries were terrible
I'd go back just to try breakfast, since the reviews were good :-)
First time in. Wait was about 45 minutes, but it was mothers day (my bad). the place looks like it would be fun at all hours. the food was pretty good, homestyle fries and they have this fried platter,have to come back and try that.
Wife had the eggs benedict, enjoyed it, my son had a burger and fries (really enjoyed the bun), had to ask for extra bbq sauce since it seemed a bit dry to him.
I had the blueberry pancakes and I have a mixed review. the fact they use fresh blueberries, so you get a mix of tart and sweet is a plus, that's how we do them at home. I did enjoy them, obviously certain parts of the pancakes with lots of berries were better than bites with minimal to no berries (only a few of those). But their pancake batter seems pretty heavy, I'm not sure what it is, but since I don't use syrup, it was really noticeable to me. Others may enjoy the heartiness of the pancake, but I would like the batter to be a bit lighter.. Â But again fresh berries makes these just like home made, so def order them if they are offered.
We are going back to try them out for dinner.
Just happened to run into this spot when I needed breakfast one morning.
Super breakfast menu, but I gotta get back here for the appetizers. Â There's an Avocado thing I am dying to try.
Impressed by the decor and ambiance, food looked and smelled good at breakfast time, I'll let you know about the BBQ later.
I stopped by The Riata last night for dinner which was a Saturday  and was satisfied. The server was very polite and attentive. I ordered Russ's burger and was very surprised, it was the best burger I've had in a long time. The only down side to my visit was that I went with some close friends and was unable to talk to them because of the noise level, but I understand it was a Saturday night. Overall, good experience.
Review Source:The first time I stopped by The Riata, I thought it was okay. I guess it is a good thing I, unintentionally, waited to write a review because my next visit was way better than the first. The only negative is that I do not live in Livermore anymore, so The Riata is not in my neighborhood. Fortunately for me though, the bf does work in Livermore, so I can occasionally tag along with him and hit up this spot to hang out.
Best part about The Riata: Victoria! No, that's not a name of any item you can get there but an awesome bartender who whips out delicious things that make me wanna stay...forever.
Her Bloody Mary's are finger licking good, not that I devour this cocktail with my finger but I think that paints an image of it's outstanding drink award. If not, then just imagine a drink you have to keep coming back for and apply it here; hey I've been back many times since.
If  you're not a Bloody Mary kind of person just ask her to make you something. She made this holiday drink, which normally I am not a huge fan of fancy drinks, unless it comes as scotch or whiskey (the good stuff please) neat, but her holiday drink was awesome!
Forget the tables, grab a seat at the bar and enjoy!
I would give 5 stars for service if I could! We had a large party and the Riata accommodated us and our server was an absolute doll! She kept our drinks filled and our orders straight and was quick to get food out quickly to our late arrivals.
5 stars for the Bloody Mary's. They were delicious!
I took one star off for my food order. I ordered the Mexican Eggs Benedict. As a self proclaimed Eggs Benedict snob, I know how I like mine. My eggs were slightly over cooked. The yolks should be runny and I only got about half of a runny yolk, while the rest was hard boiled. There also wasn't enough hollandaise sauce. My friend had the regular Eggs Benedict and hers was pretty sauced up, but my chipotle hollandaise was very chintzy. Overall flavor of this dish was really good which is why I still gave 4 stars. The country potatoes were divine.
We split an order of biscuits and gravy and they were pretty good. I also tried a bite of the pumpkin pancake my friend had and it was very tasty.
We will definitely be back for breakfast. You can't beat the Bloody Mary's!
My husband and I have only been here for breakfast, but the several times we've been here everything has been amazing. I've had the eggs benedict which is AMAZING and there egg sandwich, which may not be as good as the eggs Benedict but was still really good. My husband had the steak and eggs and an omelette. He really liked them both a lot but really liked the omelette. They also have a good selection for kids for breakfast and there Mickey mouse pancakes are not only huge but delicious!  And seeing what other people say about the biscuits and gravy I cant wait to return and try it. I'm always hesitant about the gravy, now I'm super excited. We  want to come back for lunch/dinner just haven't had the time yet.  We will be back for sure, don't let a few poor reviews steer you away this place is great!
And everyone is right the bloody Mary's are awesome!!
Sorry. I've got to take a star away from Riatta after my initial review. After three or four more visits, the service is still poor, and the female manager (owner?) doesn't seem to care. Our last meal there was by far the worst we've experienced at Riatta. My neice couldn't eat her sandwich. I don't like the down hill trend...
Review Source:This is a GREAT place we just discovered on a sunny afternoon. Â The atmosphere here is DEFINITELY a down home, it-is-what-it-is, local eatery. Â The service was very nice and quick. Â They were quite busy too.
The food was fantastic! Â I ordered the Reuben sandwich. Â When it came with thick slabs of meat, I was a little taken aback by it. Â But, the meat wasn't tough or chewy, but instead it was tender and full of flavor. Â It is quite possibly one of THE best sandwiches I have had in a great long time! Â
We definitely need to start coming here more often. Â They have live music on Saturday and Sunday evenings too. Â
THUMBS UP and keep up the great work! Â Keep the traditions alive!
Following up with my rave review of Riata, again ive been coming here for years and years but recently there is a new waitress that is so rude it makes me not want to go back. Shes horrible and basically tripped me and ran over my bf. not to mention some lady screaming at us that they aren't seating (even though they had plenty of tables opened). We explained of they were behind we didn't mind waiting and sitting at a table (which we've done before and don't mind since we're pretty regular here).
There are a handful of wait staff that I absolutely adore and who know us by name. I also really like the food so the only reason we come back is the burgers/breakfast and the handful of wait staff. :/ as time goes on the people get worse.
Best biscuits and gravy in LIvermore. I have tried a lot of places and they all have packaged gravy and packaged biscuits. Riata has homemade gravy and homemade biscuits.
There coffee is not that great but thats ok. I usually get an omelet that is pretty good and hash browns are also solid.
If you go on a Sunday morning be prepared to wait cause it seems like everyone in Livermore comes here on Sunday morning.
I had the corned beef Ruben for lunch one day with fries. It was tasty, a bit greasy. Also had the bacon wrapped jalapenos, which were actually pretty awesome. Not too spicy and had plenty of cheese.
I have been here several times and will continue to return.
I'm rating the Riata on Breakfast alone and for that this place gets a solid five stars for the following:
* Best Bloody Mary's in Livermore
* Outrageous Veggie Benedict
* Very Friendly Staff
* Qualifies as a 'Dive Diner' (In a good divey way)
* The Biscuits and Gravy
I have yet to have a bad anything here. Â We went here again on Sunday and was surprised to be seated right away. Â Apparently the big crowds were expected after Easter services. Â The food servings are always generous but not in the disgusting Black Bear Diner way. Â If you ask for a Spicy Bloody Mary you know exactly what you're going to get along with that pickled asparagus spear.
The specials always sound delicious. Â My husband ordered the apple pancakes and said it was like eating an apple pie in a pancake. Â My daughter, Candace G always gets the Biscuits and Gravy. Â She's even been known to ask if she can leave work early so she can make it to Riata while they are still serving breakfast when she gets a gravy craving.
There is lot's to look at if your dining companion is less than pleasing on your eyes including all of the Rodeo Memorabilia and History on the walls. Â You can sit at the counter, a table, or the bar. Â I guess it depends on the experience you want. Â It does get crowded and noisy but this isn't that international house folks. Â It's a diner. Â You can also sit outside if you'd like. Â They leave a bowl of water just in case you've brought any furry friends along.
Visited The Riata Diner and Tavern with my fiance after a fun filled evening spent at the farmers market.
We were seated right away and was greeted by a friendly waitress. We ordered two salads and 2 baked potatoes. The food was mediocre at best.
The prices were OK and so was the service but I am not so sure about the food.
I am not sure if we will be back!.
I've been dining at The Riata for years. The food is always excellent and the service is always good. As with any restaurant, if they're slammed then things can be a little slow. Having actually worked in the hospitality industry, I know what it can be like when things go crazy, so I guess I am more forgiving than some. Having served
I love their Bloody Mary. I love the blueberry pancakes. I love going for Brunch on the weekends. The Mexican Benedict is a personal favorite.
If I had one thing to wave my magic want and change, it would be that the coffee is not strong enough; an espresso machine and the option of a shot of espresso in my coffee would zing my zang to ZangoLand! This is a tiny detail and not enough to make me bump them down a star, but maybe that's because I'm not a persnickety little git.
The Riata is a small restaurant tucked into downtown Livermore. It's small but well-appointed with it's Western decor and real Old Livermore vibe. I generally come here when I want a hearty dinner or lunch...they make the most delicious pulled pork in town! The service is always friendly, I've never had to wait since I've never seen it real busy, and it's always clean.
During the summertime they have a booth set up every Thursday at the farmer's market and I almost always get a sandwich here when I go. You can get sandwiches for $7-8 and meat plates for just a few bucks more. It's a great option if you're on the go and don't have time for the sit-down restaurant. Plus, who wants to be holed up inside a restaurant when you can sit outside for dinner with the family while music is playing and the weather is nice (man I love the farmer's market!).
Also, they often send out coupons in the mail so keep a look out for them!
This place must have checked its reviews because it has since improved.
We've entered our cars at the local carshow and went as a group of 15. The service was better and the food improved. The highly rated breakfast item was chicken fried steak. Our out of town group was impressed, and so was I. It still is small as a mouse hole though.
Last night at 10:00pm on the dot my bf and I were walking up to the Riata to grab a late dinner. (They say they close at 11, so we thought we had plenty of time). The host was at the door area, being nearly yelled at by a busty black-haired super tan woman who was in charge, or the bartender maybe? After she's done with him she starts walking away and YELLS "The kitchen is CLOSED" to him... so then he finally turns to us, & we're still standing there just waiting to be greeted and he says "hey it's just alcohol now." No HELLO?! No nothing? I wouldn't have cared if it was closed if they could at least be apologetic about it. Or at least say hi?! Wth is that about? I suggest they correct that attitude.
OH so what did we do for dinner instead, u may ask?? We called FIRST ST. ALE HOUSE and placed a to-go order! Apparently their kitchen was still open and they were happy to help :)
I don't eat meat. Well, OK, I eat seafood. But I'm pretty sure at a place like The Riata, they don't even really consider seafood "meat." This is cowboy country.
For starters, there are animal hides on the walls. There are animal hides on the ceiling. There's dead animal skulls, etc., etc. You get the idea. I just can't give four stars to a place decorated with dead stuff. But ...
I came here recently for breakfast with Michelle S. and was pleasantly surprised. They have several non-meat menu options and even a vegetarian-specific egg option. She and I both ordered the fried egg sandwich, and when asked how we wanted the eggs (fried, right?) ... we said scrambled. Ha. I got mine with swiss cheese, she had sausage and American cheese. We both seemed to enjoy them. They're not the fanciest thing ever, but it's not the fanciest place ever. And the hash browns were good too. Technically I ordered the country potatoes, and they brought hash browns instead, and the server offered very nicely to switch it, but I just went with it.
Service was friendly, and you even get a lemon slice in your water without asking. Fancy. It didn't hurt that we had a buy-one-get-one coupon for breakfast (probably woudn't have tried it otherwise). But I gotta say, dead decor aside, I would give this place another try. Yee haw.
My most recent visit involved dinner. I really wanted to sink into the bbq. I do love some delicious ribs and all of the lovely, fattening sides that go along with gnawing on some bones! But, alas, I was on a date. A first date. Sauce stains on your shirt and a smile full of bbq remnants does not scream "second date". So, I had the steak. Much less messy.
But who knows? Maybe I can get this guy to a point where he won't mind seeing me with sauce smeared all over my face! It will probably be about the same time when I can fart in front of him.
I've been to the Riata before and had never been impressed with their food, but I went yesterday and had a burger and fries and was quite impressed.
The Riata wasn't a place I would have recommended in the past, but after my last visit I'm changing my tune and saying this place has improved greatly and you should give it a try.
This place became my bar away from my bar.... I stayed in the area for 2 weeks. A colleague of mine turned me on to this spot! In a week I felt like a regular. The bar staff and the help are great! I had drinks with the Waitress(Rita), The dishwasher(Stephan), and the bussboy(Chad) all at different times and one day all at once! Off the clock of course. Good people!!
I had dinner there several times. My first night I ordered the Tri-Tip! It was a bad cut or something so I switched to the Riata Ribeye! Sweet redemption!! (See my photo) Awesome steak with the applewood smoke flavor from their smoker! I had it twice in a week, both times well worth it!
Jalapeno Poppers from fuckin heaven!! ( See my other photo) Not as spicey as I'd like...... but they're wrapped in bacon! Shut up and get some!
Since my mom was away on Mother's Day, my brother and I took her to a belated lunch at The Riata recently. Â Thanks to their BOGO coupon in the mail, this was a fairly easy choice.
I'll start off by saying that The Riata's decor definitely isn't my style. Â Although I'm a Livermore native, I'm not interested in horses or rodeos. Â But, I do like down home grub, so that was a selling point.
Since I love tri tip, I ordered the Beef Dip Sandwich. Â It was decent, but the real focal point was my brother's Prime Rib Sandwich. Â It was an enormous steak between two slices of bread. Â I have no idea how a person could eat that, and my brother didn't either.
In the future, I would probably order some kind of fried appetizer and beer and skip the entrees.
Staff super friendly and attentive! Â The two guys there were ON! Â They got our order, refilled drinks, brought napkins and checked on us several times! Â Good Guys!!! Â Wasn't too busy and just missed breakfast by 15 minutes.
DH ordered the Prime Rib sandwich w/ onion rings.
Said it was alright, could of used a side of au jus and more fixin's. Â The lettuce, tomato and onion came on the side and so just bread and meat. Â
I ordered the Fish N Chips. Â Chips were good! Â Fish was so battered that I couldn't stand the smell of fried foods before I was finished. Â Ended up taking the batter off and just eating the fish. Â Coleslaw had a weird sweet taste. Â Never had coleslaw like that before and did not like it. Â Not even DH -who usually orders coleslaw he didn't like it either. Â
We didn't order drinks or anything but out bill came out to $30!! Â
Damn that is a pricey lunch! Â
Service was great but can't say that will be enough to bring me back here.
I have walked by this place for 4 months and finally went in to check it out. Â I felt like I was in The Good Ole' Town of Livermore. Â Or shall I say what Livermore use to be when "Real Cowboys" lived here! Â I think there are some left???
Our server was very kind. Â She did everything by the book!!!
I had the Fish and Chips, they were pretty good. Â The batter is so filling, I loved how thick it was. Â The oil for the fries may have been a bit old, but it doesn't matter when you like the crunchy ones! Â The coleslaw is delicious! Â I think the secret sauce is maple syrup, YUM!!! Â I usually throw the slaw to the side, but I ate it all!!! Â We also tried the Special, Smoked Chicken, $7.95, yes, $8 bucks for dinner!!! Â A nice surprise, the Specials are usually more!!!! Â
This is a good ole' place, with a good ole' bar with some good ole' Locals!!!
Had lunch here the other day and it was okay. Â My Mom had been raving about their prime rib sammie (which she got for the second time in a row) and I opted for the California Chicken sammie. Â My sandwhich was pretty decent, but nothing mind blowing. Â I opted for their potato salad, rather than fries and it's quite obvious that they make it themselves...none of that Costco crap that seems to show up everywhere.
We got there early expecting a lunch crowd, but it never came...ever. Â I counted 8 other diners @ the most, which was kinda sad since the place can accomodate many more than that. Â Our waitress, however, was really sweet and I enjoyed her chatty nature.
Bottom line: Â I'd go back if I'm not looking for anything to knock my socks off.....and I have a coupon.
My roommate was headed to Livermore to pick up a woodworking tool and dragged me along under the pretext he would take me to the place with the best pulled pork he's ever had.
Amateur.
Lunch was obnoxiously loud so we opted to eat on the patio where we were promptly forgotten about. A passerby asked if we had been served, then ran inside to get someone. Being forgotten about must be a normal occurrence.
Our sandwiches came out with awesome steak fries and nasty coleslaw. I'm a big fan of coleslaw but this was special, and not in a good way.
I can't even say the pork was piled on focaccia bread because it wasn't really a pile. More of a smear of pork with sauce on the side! The taste wasn't the worst but the pork was dry and not really appetizing.
The fries alone caused +1 star. I have a feeling that there may be a few hidden treasures on their menu, just stay away from the meat products. Their weapon is the deep-fryer.
Solid 3 stars. Atmosphere is very casual--I couldn't believe the first time we had breakfast there and there were people at the bar! But, I cannot judge them...
Classic bar and grill food. The burgers are fresh and made to order, and the salads are big. Breakfast is the classic american diner food as well. The cheese "moons" are nothing special. If you're walking around downtown and get hungry, go ahead and stop here. But no need to go out of your way.
I am upping them.
Because of Lisa, the owner.
I walked in on a whim, last moment, if you please...
To ask for a donation for the Mat Classic Wrestling Tournament Coaches Room.
She asked what I was looking for.
I said "whatever, a tri-tip"(they are famous for them).....pause
She became very friendly and said, "oh you're looking for food"!
"how about an appetizer?" she querried. "A great big platter?" and motions the size with her hands.
"That would be GREAT!"
"Nothing like last minute."
"Uh yeah. Wrestling season is a hurry up and go thing" feeling a bit sheepish.
I picked them up, huge lasanga sized tin pan, hot steaming riblets, yum.
Yes, I had about 4.
Hey, I organized the whole thing...
And BTW, they were the first to go..
Thanks Lisa!
EDIT --
Went by & the place was dirty, tables were not clean, which was odd because there was only one other couple in the place, someone could have cleaned up. Â We realized it didn't smell very nice, so we left with out eating...
I will not be going back.
This is a rustic, NOISY place without much class in the heart of downtown. Â It's not one of the "new" places downtown, and that's one of the problems, high ceilings and cement floors with old wooden miss-matched tables and chairs make for a loud and cramped environment. Â However it is a non-chain, establishment with a couple of 'good' beers on tap, and a couple local good wines
Our server came quickly and took our order, but seemed to have issues telling us much about the food, or how it was prepared. Â A better quality food then expected came after a while, and for tavern dining it wasn't bad, but it was pricy!! My other friend had the pulled pork sandwich, I feel that's the best thing on the menu. Â I'll be going somewhere else as there is nothing to bring me back again anytime soon.
Went to the Riata today. It was $34.00 for:
An average club sandwich with good coleslaw,
a mediocre chicken salad sandwich with ok fries,
Chips and Salsa, and 2 Diet Cokes.
Did I mention it was $34.00? For lunch? Two sandwiches, two sodas, chips and salsa? I hope you get the point ... like others said, way too pricey for what you get.
Well, I just got back from the Riata. After a fun-filled night of drinking margaritas with the boyfriend, I was hoping for a wonderful filling breakfast that would make me feel less hung over (so what if it's 1pm? It's breakfat time to me!) He said he's heard good things about the Riata, so off we went.
Walked in, and I liked the ambiance immediately. It's a very rustic country type of place but, unfortunately that is all I liked. It took 5 minutes after we were ready to order, menus closed, for the server to leave her post at the bar, chatting with the regulars to even realize we were ready. Â I ordered the chicken fried steak and eggs, and it was just okay. The steak was obviously the frozen, prepackaged kind, and the country potatoes were overcooked and lacked flavor. Â The gravy was the best thing on my plate, and it wasn't that good.
My boyfriend got the corned beef hash and eggs and it was literally gross. Never order that, please. The potatoes were the same as mine, and the corned beef was dry and underseasoned. He took a few bites but couldn't eat it and ended up finishing the rest of my steak, because I was over it about 1/4 of the way through.
The server never came back to see if we needed more coffee or water, and we ended up paying $30 before tip for 2 breakfasts, one coffee and a juice. Not worth it.... don't get me wrong, I am perfectly willing to pay that much if the food and service is good, but this place was not good. Â I don't suggest it.
P.S. Felicia G and Jenn E look like made up reviews to me. Posted on the exact same day, two 5 star ratings that both have nature pictures as their main pic, and they both have only reviewed this place. Hmmm, looks like someone's trying to get their star rating up...
I really enjoyed eating at the Riata. The food is fantastic (highly recommend the Chinese chicken salad or the Tri-tip). The drinks were great. The service was 100%. Wasn't too expensive, I really felt like I got my money's worth. I will definitely be going back!
p.s. they have the BEST cherry bombs EVER!!!! :)
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