rutherford grill

friendly staff, efficient service,goodfood, awesome vibe and wine. stunning area, however a bit on the pricey end for us foreigners. we waited for about 45 mins to get a table which was definitely worth the wait.

recommended by locals. we spent a day of wine touring yesterday and as expected got chatting to our servers about places they recommended for dinner. each person we talked to recommended rutherford grill first — so we thought we better not miss out.
firstly they let you take wine in with you with no corkage fee-i recommend bv as it is right next door and agoodidea to enjoy a tasting and make your selection while you wait for your table.
we took all suggestions and ordered the grilled artichoke appetizer, ribs and cornbread. we thought sharing all would be plenty.
i had never had artichoke before — delicious
the ribs absolutely fell off the bone, they had a perfectly balanced smoky flavor and once we started we realized the gluttony would be winning this battle, sharing was no longer an option and we ordered a second plate.
we both love cornbread but this skillet cornbread was like none we had ever had before. it was super moist and complex with both a sweet and subtle spice.
there was absolutely no room left for desert but i've heard it is also very good.

update to my july 19th review. the general manager cameron shaw commented to my post and sent us a gift card for our 2 meals. we thought we would give them another chance as the food has been consistentlygoodfor over 20 years. because of a busy work schedule it was labor day when we tried again. hurray', "it's back to normally delicious". something was going on in the kitchen that day and hopefully that day only but if that was the first time we had gone there we would not go back.


-----20 jul, 2014-----

i've been going to the rg for over 20 years and the foods been great. this saturday my wife and i ordered our usual late lunch meal, chicago spinish artichoke dip and cheeseburger for me and the vegiburger for her. the dip never came and the burger lacked that tasty sauce and the vegiburger had little flavor and to much rice. we always get the mashed potatoes and they were great but everything was room tempeture and they weren't that busy. new management maybe not so good.

mothra says.....lunch, drinks, and sunshine. on a recent beautiful 82f napa valley afternoon, the four of us dropped into the rutherford grill for a lunch al fresco. edgar greeted us warmly and handed out menus; iced teas for r and m, and waters for k and i to start.

the rutherford grill is a classic napa valley restaurant and although extremely difficult to get a table (no reservations under a party of eight), the menu is every changing and the cuisine just down right good. no, not cheap. in fact many times, lunch for two with wine could run you $80.00. but on this day, i asked edgar for two orders of focaccia and olive plates, and a few minutes later, after learning the specials off of the menu, the four of us made our entrée orders. k and i chose a glass of white wine; a luli chard from coastal california. it was crisp and slightly citrusy somewhat like a sav blanc, a bit of tartness at the backend. not bad, but i am really choosey about my chards.... creamy and buttery is my choice. shortly thereafter, the olive plates arrived and the homemade focaccia, olive oil with creamy butter. this was really tasty and went nicely with the wine.

after some nice conversation, all of our entrees arrived: k’s gulf coast fish sandwich, hot and flakey halibut fish sandwich arrived on an egg bread hamburger bun, with lettuce, crescent city slaw and pickles, red onion. instead of fries, k chose the slaw. my grilled chicken salad was generous: julienned jicama, tortilla chips, 3 types of greens, corn, diced onions, cilantro, matchstick carrots, grilled chicken with honey lime vinaigrette and smooth peanut sauce. this was one really tasty salad and i had to have k taste it. although not her favorite sauce (not a big fan of the peanut sauce), she did like the salad. i tried her hot and flakey fish sandwich and that was onegoodhalibut sandwich. this menu has been sized down since the last time i visited. but the food is just asgoodand the service was great. i am looking forward to our next visit to the rutherford grill. mothra says....3.85 of 5.0

good food...server disappeared. very popular with the wine tour buses, and with bv winery next door it is recommended. about a 40 to 50 minute wait for lunch ended up about 20. we sat down, ordered some sparkling water, our server greeted us and informed of the specials, we ordered a special soup which was chicken enchilada...verygoodnice texture, i order the sashimi tuna salad verygoodlove the chunks in the salad, my wife ordered the cheeseburger, after we ordered never saw the server again until the food arrived, and than not even taking a bite out of anything, she stops by and asks "how is everything"!? than disappeared for the next 40 minutes until we were done, never asking for refills of water or just checking in with us. i don't understand why so many high end restaurants service is going down the tubes, the tip will reflect it, and my word of mouth goes a long way. not even worth talking to managers anymore, becausegoodservice is far a few between.

rutherford grill wine list review

given that spring has arrived more people are heading to the napa valley for a weekend getaway. therefore, we thought it was time to release our wine list review of the rutherford grill. the hillstone group owns the rutherford grill and the los altos grill. barry cothran oversees the wine programs at hillstone's restaurants and he does a fantastic job. pricing is only $5 to $25 over retail. if you are looking for a restaurant with a casual atmosphere,goodfood and a stellar wine list that won't break the bank, then check out the rutherford grill.

the list at the rutherford grill frequently changes, but as of the release date of this review, it had the 2008 larkmead, napa valley, cabernet sauvignon on the list for $72. fellow wine drinkers, it is nearly impossible to find wines from larkmead at retailers or in restaurants because they sell-out all of their wines through their allocation list. if you have not visited larkmead, then make it a point to do so the next time you are in the napa valley. this represents one of the top restaurant wine values on any list in the san francisco bay area.

the list is comprised of 174 selections (sparkling 6, white 64 and red 104), and given the favorable pricing we are only going to recommend 35 to 40 wines.

start your evening with the 2010 round pond, rutherford, sauvignon blanc for $36 or the 2009 dumol, lia, russian river, viognier for $44, and follow it up with the 2007 brewer clifton, santa rita hills, pinot noir for $56 or the 2008 larkmead, napa valley, cabernet sauvignon for $72.

as with all vinoservant reviews, you will see the price at the restaurant followed by the mark-up over retail (2007 schramsberg, brut rose, north coast | $48 | 1.4x | this translates into a retail price of $33).

vinoservant's top wine values at rutherford grill

sparkling wines

6 selections that range in price from $42 to $68

2007 schramsberg, brut rose, north coast | $48 | 1.4x
billecart salmon, brut reserve, non-vintage | $58 | 1.3x


white wines

64 selections that range in price from $32 to $66

2009 pride mountain vineyards, sonoma, viognier | $42 | below retail
2009 dumol, lia, russian river, viognier | $44 | below retail

2009 grieve family, napa valley, sauvignon blanc | $32 | below retail
2010 round pond, napa valley, sauvignon blanc | $36 | 1.6x
2009 rudd, crossroads, sauvignon blanc | $38 | 1.6x
2010 duckhorn, napa valley, sauvignon blanc | $46 | 1.7x
2010 spottswoode, napa valley, sauvignon blanc | $52 | 1.5x

2010 monticello, estate, chardonnay | $30 | 1.1x
2009 beau vigne, russian river, chardonnay | $32 | 1.1x
2010 rombauer, carneros, chardonnay | $54 | 1.8x
2009 darioush, napa valley, chardonnay | $56 | 1.4x
2009 shafer, red shoulder ranch, carneros, chardonnay | $58 | 1.3x
2009 brewer clifton, santa rita hills, chardonnay | $58 | 1.6x
2009 kistler, les noisetiers, sonoma coast, chardonnay | $58 | 1.0x
2008 dumol, russian river valley, chardonnay | $66 | 1.1x


red wines

104 selections that range in price from $32 to $98

2007 brewer clifton, santa rita hills, pinot noir | $56 | 1.2x
2007 olivia brion, wild horse valley, pinot noir | $58 | 1.3x
2009 belle glos, las alturas, santa lucia highlands, pinot noir | $58 | 1.4x
2008 boheme, taylor ridge, sonoma coast, pinot noir | 464 | 1.2x
2009 sea smoke, southing, santa rita hills, pinot noir | $90 | 1.5x

2008 davis family, russian river, zinfandel | $42 | 1.4x
2007 nickel & nickel, ponzo vineyard, russian river, zinfandel | $56 | 1.3x

2007 ilaria, napa valley, syrah | $42 | 1.4x
2008 shafer, relentless, napa valley, syrah | $78 | 1.4x

2006 altamura, napa valley, sangiovese | $62 | 1.2x
2000 marchesi di gresy, gaiun, barbaresco | $70 | 1.4x

2008 regusci, stag's leap district, merlot | $48 | 1.4x
2007 paradigm napa valley merlot | $58 | 1.3x
2007 paloma, spring mountain, merlot | $70 | 1.4x

2008 fisticuffs, napa valley, cabernet sauvignon | $38 | 1.5x
2009 vineyard 29, cru, cabernet sauvignon | $56 | 1.2x
2007 montagna, tre vigneti, cabernet sauvignon | $62 | 1.2x
2008 chappellet, signature, cabernet sauvignon | $68 | 1.4x
2007 leviathan, cabernet franc | $68 | 1.4x
2008 larkmead, napa valley, cabernet sauvignon | $72 | 1.0x
2009 caymus, napa valley, cabernet sauvignon | $78 | 1.3x

great vibe...great food and friendly staff. we sat at a comfortable booth but i'll be back to log sometime in their bar area. come ongoodfood and the game what could be better??

great place to eat.goodfood all around. start out with the corn bread, you won't be disappointed. or if they are in season get the blue cheese potato chips. ribs are fall off the bone and have great flavor. the french dip is great. it is like biting into butter. the chicken dip isgoodtoo for the non beef/pork eaters. if you still have room try the oreo ice cream. home made oreo cookie, ice cream in a chocolate sauce.