rutherford grill

rutherfordgrillis a great way to cap off a day of wine tasting. the ribs (babyback) are so good. the meat literally falls off the bone without any veins or grissel to contend with. try the artichoke appetizer. the side dip is a restaurant specialty and will delight your taste buds. to top it off, thegrillforegives the corkage fee if your bottle if wine is from the valley. how appropriate us that? go, you will not be disappointed.

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 rutherfordgrillfirst — 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 a good idea 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.

rutherfordgrillis a nice change from the ultra-expensive restaurants you see up here, but beware that it's extremely popular and if you're not here at 11:30 sharp, you can expect an hour wait. the outside patio is appealing, but road noise ruins the ambiance.

no customer service. called to make reservations for my daughters 21st birthday. we had a party for 11. i was put on hold and than hostess came back saying they do not take parties over 7. i asked what was the possibility of them making an exception. the hostess than was quite rude and said no parties over 7. we went over to silverado spa and resort where they were very happy to take the reservation. gave us a private room at no extra charge..the food was amazing...they went above and beyond to make my daughters birthday memorable...rutherfordgrillyou better take notice with the customer service you have been dishing out ...our family and anyone i can talk out of going will never be back...i have a clientele of over 200 people. i plan to get the word out to them of how i was treated.

mothra says.....lunch, drinks, and sunshine. on a recent beautiful 82f napa valley afternoon, the four of us dropped into the rutherfordgrillfor 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 rutherfordgrillis 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 one good halibut sandwich. this menu has been sized down since the last time i visited. but the food is just as good and the service was great. i am looking forward to our next visit to the rutherford grill. mothra says....3.85 of 5.0

poor customer service. i made a reservation at the rutherfordgrilllast week. my wife and i arrived 15 minutes late and they had cancelled my reservation. the hostess said that she could put us into the rotation for a table, but it would be about 1 and a half hours. they say the customer has to give them a 15 minute allowance for a table, but they do not give their customers the same courtesy. i realize that it is my fault for not being exactly on time, but it also took about 10 minutes to even get a parking spot. i would never let them have a cent from me.

it's the little things. my wife and went to this restaurant and the meal was great, however we were staying at the hotel next door which had a real wood burning fireplace. i wanted to light a fire when i got back, so i asked the waitress if there was anywhere to buy firewood. she said not at this time. when we were walking next door to our room, i realized it was a wood firedgrillat this restaurant, so i knocked on the door in the back where the kitchen is and said i would pay $20 dollars for three pieces of wood so i could light a fire in my room. the associate said i will need to check with the manager. the manager came to the door and when i explained what i wanted said, "no". what a small inexpensive way for this restaurant to make a difference in my experience. and yet it was lost.

rutherfordgrillwine 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 rutherfordgrilland 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, good food and a stellar wine list that won't break the bank, then check out the rutherford grill.

the list at the rutherfordgrillfrequently 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

perfect lunch when in wine country. even though rutherfordgrillis a little pricey, it is worth the expense to show your relatives or a client a great meal when hopping around wine country. on the way to st. helena, sit outdoors and enjoy the culinary creations that range from ribs to lamb to some of the best prime rib i have ever had. their au jus/sauce is a must try item. if you like ribs, make sure you enjoy their spicy sweet corn bread. i only know of one other restaurant that makes it better.

everything was phenomenal, from appetizers, to entrees, to sides and dessert, nothing needed any seasoning or sauce or had to much!!!! rutherfordgrillfor life!!!

great food in napa. during my recent vacation to the area i ate at the rutherfordgrillwith friends we all ate different dishes but all of the food was excellent and not too pricey considering it was napa. the menu changes often so you will always be in for a new treat. they also have an extensive wine list to complete the meal. and don't forget to leave room for dessert.

classic simplicity. tonight's dinner was at the rutherfordgrillin rutherford in the napa valley. the appetizer we had hoped for chips with the bleu cheese dip was not on the menu so we had the chips with the jalepeno dip and a roasted artichoke. i had the bangers and mash entree and my friends had chicken with red pepper butter, and a flank steak. we finsihed by sharing a key lime pie. it was all excellent and not too pricey for napa. the rutherfordgrillis highly recommended.