rutherford grill

rutherford grill is 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 arestaurantspecialty and will delight your taste buds. to top it off, the grill foregives the corkage fee if your bottle if wine is from the valley. how appropriate us that? go, you will not be disappointed.

this place seems like an overpriced burger joint. the service was impersonal. therestaurantwas over air conditioned . i'm sure that there are other restaurants in the napa area that are more charming. the service wasn't personal, felt like they were trying to turn over the table to the next customer. there is no outdoor seating.

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 valleyrestaurantand 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

it's the little things. my wife and went to thisrestaurantand 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 fired grill at 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 thisrestaurantto make a difference in my experience. and yet it was lost.

there is frequently a wait at this local outlet of the hillstonerestaurantchain. the outside patio is relaxing or you can always try to sit at the bar (same menu, great service). for lunch, you can’t go wrong with the cheeseburger, chicken sandwich, or prime rib french dip.

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 arestaurantwith 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 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 toprestaurantwine 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 therestaurantfollowed 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 rutherford grill is 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 otherrestaurantthat makes it better.

just terrific!. this is arestaurantthat pays as much attention to making you enjoy your evening as it does to making your taste buds thank you for bringing them there. comfortable and delicious. our entrees were prepared to perfection - best ribs i've had. even the outdoor area is made to make you comfortable and at ease (an open fireplace, and comfortable teak rockers). it doesn't get better than this.
5/5 stars.

best in napa. love, love, love this restaurant. we spent a week in napa, enjoying the wineries and the food. our favoriterestaurantwas rutherford grill. we love the food, atmosphere, wine, staff, etc. the grilled artichoke was heaven, and the dessert was perfect ending to a perfect meal. be sure you end your day here....you will love it.

rg veggie burger is a sin. i dream of this veggie burger. there is nothing like it remotely on this planet or at least where i live, indy, & where i have traveled. it's been 9 months since i've had it & i still can't stop thinking about. i've even written therestaurantasking them for the recipe. no such luck. i know they are known for their prime rib sandwich (which is also just as tasty) but please, i'm begging you, you've got to try this burger.