Ric's Grill
Categories: Restaurants Steakhouses Restaurants Seafood Steakhouses, Seafood [Edit]
4154 Village Green RR 4Whistler, BC V0N 1B4
(604) 932-7427
- Hours:
Mon-Sun 4 pm - 11 pm
- Good for Kids:
- Yes
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Parking:
- Garage, Street
- Attire:
- Dressy
- Good for Groups:
- Yes
- Price Range:
-
$$$
- Takes Reservations:
- Yes
- Delivery:
- No
- Take Away:
- Yes
- Waiter Service:
- Yes
- Outdoor Seating:
- No
- Good For:
- Dinner
- Alcohol:
- Full Bar
- Noise Level:
- Average
- Has TV:
- No
- Caters:
- No
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- Yes
- Dogs Allowed:
- No
19 reviews for Ric's Grill
19 reviews in English
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Review from J T.
Whistler, BC
12/28/2011
So I've read pretty much all of the bad reviews here and I decided to put in my two cents..
We went in just for a few appies and decided on the Tuscan Brandy Tiger Prawns, Crispy Calamari, Sesame Ginger Chili Chicken, and the espresso pie. I thought everything we ordered was absolutely delicious! I wanted to bathe in the prawn sauce, and the fresh grated ginger on the chicken gave it an amazing freshness. The serving of calamari was very generous, so probably the best value for money there. -
Review from Scott H.
4/23/2012
Gotta say, a little disappointed. This is the second time we've been here and the experience was consistent in its mediocrity.
First visit I had the organic New York Strip, sounds awesome, doesn't it? It wasn't. Second time I had the Prime Rib (my buddy had it the first time and it looked awesome), my order was slightly overdone. This is a chop house, how do you get 2 standards so wrong? For appies I had the escargot, again a little overdone.
I will give them props for the stuffed potatoes (from someone who doesn't like potatoes) they were pretty good, and any place with Sapporo on tap is an attractive place for me, but overall the experience was meh. -
Review from Holly K.
We had a Living Social coupon for Ric's with our hotel room. I wasn't sure what to expect from them. We were not disappointed at all. When I booked the hotel they told me to make my reservations there immediately and I thought, wow there must be a giant line at the door every night. Not so much, we rushed down there at our 5:30 reservation and only one other family was there. We left at almost 7:30 and it still was not sold out seating by any means, they were crowded with large groups though from Living Social.
I had the 6 oz Sirloin steak and it was tender, cooked perfect and I added a lobster tail for $9 more. It was not in the least bit fishy tasting, very buttery and a decent size. We each got an appetizer, per that coupon, otherwise, we'd have stuck with one, but one of the selections was the chili chicken bits, holy kittens of fire they were hot, my tastebuds still weep for their lost comrades.
Then because I felt invincible and threw a personal challenge to myself I ordered the escargot. I wasn't sure what to expect, but they came on top of mushrooms swimming in butter sauce, served with bread. It was actually really tasty and didn't cause regrets, so I can highly recommend them.
I am not sure how they got low ratings from some people, because they are pretty good and service was pretty quick. We had dinner for two for $50 that included dessert. We got the Oreo ice cream pie, there is plenty to share for two people.
It was a fun night with good service.Listed in: Steak and more Steak
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Review from Jenn S.
9/27/2011 1 photo
Wanting to sit right by the fireplace, we ended up also sitting near the back door of the kitchen. Our supposedly romantic dinner was accompanied by every single sound that came from that kitchen, and there were a lot of sounds. Sit elsewhere to avoid that noise.
We had a good enough meal and our server was very nice. -
Review from eus l.
3/22/2011
Not sure why there are so many bad reviews for this place. It is one of the more reasonably priced steak restaurants in the whistler village. We came here for the steaks, and they were very good.
Prime rib was very tender, and the au jus was tasty with a little hint of herbs. The cuts were slightly fatty though. The stuffed potatoes were good too.
I ordered the ribeye, which was incredibly flavourful and perfectly grilled. It was quite impressive how they kept it medium rare, and not dry.
The crab and shrimp stuffed mushrooms were good, but a little too pricey for what we got
We didn't have any service problems like the other reviewers. Would have gotten 5 stars if it were cheaper. But for an excellent non chain restaurant in the whistler village, this is one of the best. -
Review from Shirley C.
Burnaby, BC
1/16/2012 1 Check-in Here
Snooty hostess who thinks she's too hot to help because she's blonde?? Waitress is out to lunch and couldn't get our order right but the French onion soup is yummy!
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Review from Vincci L.
6/1/2010
Large groups please do not come here. I have been here on 2 occasions, both in large parties, and both times was almost a zero star.
First experience: Work dinner for around 35 people. Reservations at 7pm. We were seated in 3 large tables. The server was attentive at first, taking our drink orders. Came back some time later for food order. Long story short, the appy took about a whole hour to arrive, and each course was separated by at least 1/2 an hour. Although all 3 of our tables arrived at the same time, it seemed as though the kitchen was doing the orders for one table at a time, ie one table was eating their dessert while the other was eating their appy. Dinner ended at 11:00pm. No apology. Not impressed.
Second experience. Came here with a bunch of girls for a stagette dinner. A group of 12 of us, should be simple enough? No. Again, drink orders taken immediately, then server disappeared for a long time.We ordered from their set menu. The appy forever to come, so some girls ordered more drinks while we were waiting. The drinks never came, until we had to ask them again. Food finally came, not great considering what they were charging us. One of the girls got a medium rare (it was bloody!) instead of medium.
When we told them about it, they told us, "Well, this is the Ric's medium. But we'll change it for you if you want to." This is the guy who seemed to be the manager, and he wasn't very polite about it either.
Overall, there's something seriously wrong with their kitchen/ management in terms of dealing with times for the food and satisfaction of their customers. I know I will be going elsewhere next time I'm in Whistler. -
Review from Rachael T.
Toronto, ON
1/16/2010
I had arranged for our work team to have a dinner at Ric's because the prices werent way over the top and the decor and atmosphere from the pictures looked great. Although our team showed up late, I was pleased to know that our reservation was still kept. However, I would have rather waited 10 minutes to be seated at a proper table for 5 instead of being squished into a 4 person banquette with an extra chair on the end. After all, there were 4 men eating that night... and then me.
Our waiter seemed attentive in the beginning............ and then slowly and slowly seemed to vanish into thin air. The first couple of drinks came out and then as he took drinks for others as they arrived.. they just never showed up until way later...... I ordered an apple ginger mojito cocktail when we placed the food orders and it didn't come out until about 5 minutes before the main course showed up.. not to mention that the thing tasted like pure bar lime and mint that was overly sweet and nothing apple and ginger about it.
The food was another story.... one of the guys ordered an appetizer of soup and it took FOREVER to come out.. in this tiny tiny bowl........then our waiter.. who finally decides to make an appearance again only has bad news that the prime rib has been over done to medium and offered the rib eye in stead.... apparently their new cooking grill / system that had been implemented was having a few glitches... as a customer, I just want what I ordered.
I ordered a salad and replaced the chicken with the shrimp and scallop...... nothing special really. If you tell me that "seasonal berries" are offered, then I would prefer not only having strawberries on my plate... because you can state on the menu - "with strawberries." Other comments that were given at the table were:
"My salmon was about 8 minutes over cooked"
"My steak was more like a medium rare than a medium"
"The rib eye is definitely no prime rib"
No one was impressed and it definitely was a bad start to our conference we were attending. I was actually embarrassed to have selected this restaurant and hoped that I didn't make a bad impression by making the decision to go to Ric's. Although a few of the drinks were comped due to the food mishap, it's not going to change my mind of the food at the restaurant. -
Review from sybril s.
2/8/2010 3 photos
We went there for dinner a little before 6pm on a Saturday night. We were the first table in the restaurant that evening and we sat by the little fire place.
Ambience is fairly nice, perfect for a romantic dinner since it's pretty quiet there (or maybe because it wasn't crowded?)
We got the fresh shucked oysters and a caesar salad as appetizers. The oysters were local (the waitress said) and they were very flavorful. They had this grated horseradish looking thing on the side, but they're sweet with a hint of horseradish taste at the end. Also accompanied on the plate was some vinegary sauce... veeeeeeeeeeery sour but I guess you aren't suppose to use alot of it... Caesar salad was excellent, should've asked if they have anchovies...
Main course was the 12oz ribeye steak with stuffed potato. The steak was incredibly delicious. The meat is super flavorful and very nicely marbled. Never had Canadian beef and I guess I've been missing out!! Stuffed potato was okay... Tried a Canadian cab/merlot blend... we got the 1/2L and it was plenty for 2 for a quick dinner. It's different but not too bad.
Definitely will come back for more Canadian steaks!! -
Review from Matthew B.
8/10/2010
I wanted to give this place a really good rating, but the service killed it.
The location is hard to find, as it is inside a hotel. There are no clear signs marking the location, so it took us a few minutes to find it. When I asked for directions at the upstairs bar, I was simply told it was downstairs; not that it was in the hotel.
When we walked in, the atmosphere was wonderful, and we were promptly seated.
Our waitress came right away, delivered water, and took our drink orders. We looked over the menus for a few minutes, and then made some choices. We had some questions, and in talking with the waitress it was clear she did not know the menu because she was unable to answer specific questions about the plates, the ingredients, or how the food was prepared.
We were served bread that was nice and warm, full of flavor, and tasted like it just came out of the oven. It was some of the best I have ever had.
Our soup and salad came, and the soup (clam chowder) was great. It was light, and full of flavor. The cesear salad, was dry, and served without enough dressing. I asked for extra, and it never came. While the dressing was nice, the dry salad killed this for me.
Our meals came and they were wonderful. The steak was cooked to perfection, and the peppercorn sauce was delightful. The shrimp and scallop fettucini was light, and the cream sauce was not overwhelming. The scallops were overcooked.
I had to get up twice to get water. The waitress was no where to be found except for when she brought the bill and took our orders. There were no regular bus boys delivering water, clearing plates, or there to provide service. This place could have been great, but the lack of service killed it for me. I am not opposed to paying $80.00 for dinner, but I expect top shelf service. This place was simply not prepared to serve dinner. -
Review from Larry L.
3/25/2011 4 photos
I thought I had written numerous reviews of Ric's Grill but not on Yelp it seems. Any past reviews that I did do, with the exception of one was pretty good. Better than A-OK but not quite a glowing recommendation.
Tonight was a special evening as we were bringing people from Japan to dine here. They wanted to have a Steak dinner and I knew that Ric's would promise as delivered. In our line of business we have many tourists that ask where is a good place to eat. We try to offer suggestions based on personal and referred experiences.
The service was very good. A tad slow, but normal if it were for a group of adults and not kids. We were a group of seven, two of them toddlers. So we were also a group looking for quick service within a dining experience. In other words, a bit faster would have been nicer. Especially since it wasn't a busy time of night and the dinner rush had come and gone. We ordered and waited.
Bread basket came in about a half our after we ordered and it was appreciated. They loved the bread and the butter as they were getting quite hungry. About 20 minutes after that the child's food came out and then 3 to 5 minutes afterwards the adult's food arrived.
I had the Rib Eye 10 oz steak and I must say that it was well seasoned. I asked for it with extra veggies instead of the veggie and potato combo they usually come with.
Everything was quite good.
Interestingly, I was asked the question about one of the other steaks that was described as robust. After having a taste of that dish, I would concur that it was a good description, if only part of the description.
People I take out for Steak who have never really had a steak dinner usually order the cheapest cuts of meat and ask for it well done. They get cardboard hard slabs of meat and they don't enjoy the experience of the meat.
Tonight they all ordered medium rare and two out of three enjoyed it. The young adult who wanted Steak in the first place found her piece of meat a bit hard to cut, but did enjoy her meal. A good first experience I think.
We had another who had ordered a large Rib Eye and wanted it rare. It was suggested to be ordered med rare which in hind sight was a good thing, so the fats in the meat would cook and tenderize with the steak. We both got rare and regardless, it was very good. Nicely seasoned and still tender!
The group was a bit restless and wanted to finish the meal and pay the bill and go home.
We got the bill, during which I was talking about how since the Olympics, restaurants were charging tips automatically and not always letting the consumer know about it. In some cases this was good, but in many, not so good. Customers would unknowingly pay twice!
Coincidentally I noticed a Service charge that exceeded 15% and had to ask about it, because we weren't sure exactly just what it was? When I asked, it was indeed what we were discussing and the very premise of why people tip and not tip.
The service was indeed slow, but not terribly and the staff were all very friendly and professional. Happy medium, here in that department. The food was enjoyed by all. Kudo's for that! However when we were not advised of the extra service charge, it did not warrant a tip at all. In fact, I had to challenge this. All the while I had been reading reviews online as well as their announcement below:
"Ric's is #1 in Restaurants in the Whistler Chamber of Commerce 'Servus Challenge' Experience great food and certified exceptional service!
I was informed that Whistler being a touristy town, had a lot of customers that didn't know about tipping. The problem with this and all over BC is that tipping is not mandatory. That is what a tip is for! It's more of a courtesy and a way of saying thank you for that excellent service. If none was given and the dining experience was less than ok, then a tip is really not warranted.
I've heard arguments from all sides including the ones that collect the taxes from the tips.
There are a lot of pro's and con's. to this and the arguments in blogs can be challenging at best.
But in the end, if you are going to be charged a "Service charge" aka TIP. Then you should be forewarned. And if you are being charged, the service MUST be exceptional expedient and cordial.
They reversed the charge and I did tip them, but not 16%. I tipped them 15%.
If this were any other day, or for previous times that I have dined here. I would have given them a four out of five.
For tonight, it was a three stars out of five. I'm just hoping that they start to live up to the standards that they are striving towards and that this tipping of so called large groups is done in accordance to the group that will be charged. Not based on the premise that "tourists" may not always be aware of tipping and that it should be a mandatory charge for those "just in case" scenario's.
I will still recommend Ric's. I really do like this place. -
Review from John C.
11/1/2008
My girlfriend is a concierge for a Whistler resort so she occasionally gets a hookup with local restaurants vying for her approval and recommendations. Ric's Grill offered us a nice dinner at a nice discount last night and boy, was it ever worth it. In fact, it would have been worth full price!
This time of year is the slow season in Whistler, so Ric's was very quiet, but our server was attentive and completely on top of our needs. I know from my own experience as a server years ago that it is the slow nights where it's hard to focus and provide good service, so I was impressed that our server was able to stay sharp.
Their scotch selection is reasonable, offering some pretty good stuff. I like the fact that they offer doubles for a small price hike, not a doubling of the price. Our appetizer was a Shrimp and Crab stuffed mushroom that was out of this world. You could feel the calories just oozing into your body, but what a way to go.
Each of us ordered a variety of steak dinners. The server suggested I upgrade my New York striploin with some peppercorn sauce, yet another winning suggestion. Each steak was cooked precisely how we wanted it and both were perfect cuts of meat. Considering we're both essentially vegetarians who go out for a steak about 4 times a year, it's important to have it done right.
Overall, a great experience in one of Whistler's better higher end restaurants. My girlfriend will be recommending it to her guests and I'll recommend it to the Yelpers out there. -
Review from Rose C.
Whistler, BC
4/7/2011
The starters here are really good. Had the oysters and the tuna mmmmm are they good! The Rib Eye Steak here is great as well. Juicy goodness. Cooked right and had so much flavor. Loved the Stuffed Potato and the mushrooms as well. Dinner was a pricey but well worth it but what place in Whistler isn't? lol. Overall it was well worth the money spent.
Comment from Sunny G. of Ric's Grill 4/14/2011
Thanks for your kind words, Bella. Hope you can make it back… More » -
Review from Derek J.
4/14/2010
A group of friends and I noticed an ad for Ric's in a Whistler newspaper for a $27 2-course menu, an offer starting that day. The place looked good so we decided to make a reservation for 5 that night. We asked the hostess whether the deal was valid that night and she said yes, and that the deal was either an appetizer and entree or dessert and entree, your choice.
Once we showed up, we asked our server for the special $27 2-course menu, only to have him tell us there was a typo in the ad and it didn't start until tomorrow. No offer to make an exception or compensate for this in any way. We politely said we would go somewhere else, and he said no problem.
They turned away a $200 bill (w/drinks) and 5 potentially happy customers for a deal they would do tomorrow?! On a night where you're busy but not packed (it was later in the evening)? What sense does that make? It's not like we were obnoxious, loud, poorly-dressed clientele. If you absolutely cannot give us that deal, at least comp us some drinks for the restaurant's mistake. Talk about bad business practice. Luckily we didn't let it ruin our night and got a table somewhere else. -
Review from carmella M.
10/3/2010 2 photos
Asked around for a good seafood place when we were in whistler and was told about Ric's. After walking around insearch for this place down stairs and around corners we FINALLY found this little hidden treasure. We just made in time the cut off for walkins at 6pm, After being seated and exhausted from a full day of excursions we were very pleased to relax in the atmosphere they offer. Menu we were able to get our seafood and were very pleased service is great, food is great and pricing is very reasonable. But they gotta improve directions once you get down the stairs to them you only see the sign nothing else saying enter through hotel lobby.
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Review from Rick S.
8/5/2010 1 Check-in Here
Fantastic service. Shorter wait time than some other restaurants. Their 8 ounce filet was pretty small and average for $38. The salmon was a liitle fishy and not as good as some other BC salmon we had.
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Review from Chris G.
Oakville, ON
3/1/2010
Wow lot's of negative reviews of this place but I have to be honest, this was quite possibly the best steak I have ever eaten and the caesar salad was amazing. I had to remind myself to eat slowly to savour it. Service and ambience were pretty good and we had no complaints. A little pricey but everything seemed to be in Whistler.
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Review from Mariusz B.
12/27/2009
My family had a dinner there, at Whistler Village location. I had an onion soup and sirloin steak+lobster, my wife had roasted chicken Madiera (original menu spelling, should be Madeira I think). All would be fine, except the taste of meats + sauces in both mine and my wife's dishes was overshadowed by too much salt (vegetables were fine though). Oversalting is IMO disqualifying the chef of this over average priced restaurant, do they taste while cooking? No complaints about service, place was pretty crowded and we were attended to properly, and we were offered a complimentary dessert to compensate for our disappointment over main dishes.
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Review from Jennifer H.
Vancouver, BC
6/14/2010
seems like there is a lot of unhappy reviews of this restaurant. but seems like they are mainly with big group of people. we were only a party of 2 and i thought everything was great. we had to wait for a table for the main dining area, as it was a busy saturday (lots of visitors/stagetts n etc). so we opt to start out at the bar area, where there were a table of two. I was STARVING....lol....so ended up just decided to order first and ended up finishing our food there, as it was quite a nice comfy place to eat. i decided to order the green curry with chicken on rice. and my partner went for the 3 course dinner for $35, asian chicken for appy, ribs for main and then a chocolate mouse for dessert. I was very happy they served bread while we waited for our food, which came in a timely order. the appy was a decent size not very huge, so i was worried our mains won't be a good portion size, but boy, was i wrong! They were a very nice size and we were both happy and full after our main course! :) My curry was very delicious! Loved how the chicken wasn't dry, and i loved this mango salsa they had on the side, was sooo refreshing and tasty! the only thing i wasn't too pleased about is that they put the curry right on top of my rice, i prefer to have it separate so my rice don't get too soggy or absorb all the sauce (making it too saucy)....i'm quite picky tho, so its prolly fine for everyone else! :p the ribs was very delicious as it was gone within seconds by my partner! lol....i'm not a big fan of pork, so i can't comment on it much. and then the delicious chocolate mouse came in and my partner loved it! He was making MMmmm sounds with every bite! :) i was too full for anything anymore! So overall service was decent. we got a table in the bar which was actually very nice and cozy and I had a very happy dinner from Ric's Grill, where I will def go try again and see if they are consistent! :)
