Rick's Cafe Boatyard
(317) 290-9300
4050 Dandy Trl
Indianapolis,
IN
46254
39.8273
-86.3002
Neighborhood: Pike
Reviews & Ratings for Rick's Cafe Boatyard
26 reviews
What users are saying:
Showing 1-10 of 26 reviews
Great Spot
by john77
July 02, 2004
Great food, great location. Service can be spotty when the place is packed, which it frequently is on nice summer evenings. Don't go if you're in a hurry. Take your time and enjoy yourself. The food is consistently excellent.
- Pros: Food, View, Atmosphere
The Chef by Jodi W. at InsiderPages
Contributor
December 08, 2008
I'm just wondering if the Chef for Ricks is still Mike Hibbeln...
If so.. I can not imagine the food being anything but spectacular! I have known him since 1984 and he was great back then!!
Overpriced Red Lobster / Lower your expectations by Keith K. at InsiderPages
Contributor
October 05, 2008
Everyone told us how great the place was. In reality it is nothing more than an overpriced Red Lobster. The calamari appeared to be processed/form molded with actual Cheeze-Whiz as the dipping sauce. The refused to cook any meat rare or med-rare (which says alot about the kitchen staff and quality of meats). The wine list is terrible.
I have no problem paying for a quality meal, but the food and drink is nothing special. You would get better service and quality at a Chili's or Applebee's.
I feel sorry for the people of Indianapolis, because to them this is a great restaurant. They have no clue what they are missing. People need to lower their expectations and raise their credit limits if they plan on enjoying ( I use that term lightly) a night out at Rick's Cafe Boatyard.
Worst Service Possible
by DCS08
September 17, 2008
Visited on a Sunday afternoon expecting to sit outside listening to live music. Instead, due to cloudy weather that morning (it WASN'T and DIDN'T rain while I was there or later) the musicians played inside much to our disappointment. While the music was great, the food and service were terrible. Once the waiter finally made it over to the table to take our orders, he then disappeared and we had to ask for another server. In total, we had FIVE different servers wait on the four of us during our two hour stay. And then we had to ask for drinks because nobody seemed to care our glasses were empty. Needless-to-say, I'm never going back and neither will the guests who were with me. Overrated. Overpriced. Poor management.
- Pros: It's on the water.
- Cons: Service is awful.
Better Choice than the other Seafood Restaurants
by 1stBigMac
February 16, 2008
If you like the taste of seafood and taking someone along who doesn't, Rick's Cafe Boatyard is a recommendation to consider seriously. It was funny as I also checked into the reviews of Rick's and was concerned about comments of slow and poor service. I looked at the dates to see how recent they were. Six years ago can not possibly reflect the current business philosophy.
I am happy to say it doesn't. Rock's had already filled in its prime reservations slots which made me take one an hour earlier than I wished. I came with three lovely ladies and even though we were twenty minutes late, we were seated right away. No arguments. No problem. We were waited on quickly, food came out quickly, hot and delicious. My salmon roulade was perfect. The board-roasted whitefish drew a wonderful praise as did the Shrimp Scampi and Chicken Parmesean. Never went thirsty and the deserts (cheesecake and creme boule) were eaten down to the plate even though we all claimed we had no more room for any food.
Although the place was packed, we stayed with drinks and talked and laughed as the band played in the background. We should have left much earlier but enjoyed the restaurant for two and half hours without so much of having the check placed in front of us. When the check came, it was good to see that I would be paying about 35% less than I would downtown Indianapolis.
My only complaint? I like to finish my meal with an expresso. I was told Rick's machine was not working. When I asked the waitress "Where is Rick?" half-jokingly, she pointed him out for me. Easily approachable, Rick heard me out and said he would have that rectified. We'll see.
Regardless, I will return again and again. The menu is pretty large to get a feel at one sitting. So, if you want downtown cooking but the outside, quiet views then you need to try Rick's Cafe Boatyard. Remember that everything is ala carte so you pay a little more. Just enough, however, to make it special.
- Pros: Menu selection, quick service, your pace - not theirs, value and experience
- Cons: Parking can be cramped on full evenings but valle is available. Expresso would be nice
Beautiful Setting by Jeannie B. at InsiderPages
Contributor
December 03, 2007
Dining on the deck on beautiful Eagle Creek Resevoir is a relaxing treat. The food is really, really good. I'd say it's a bit overpriced, but something nice to do every once in awhile.
Give yourself some time
by belindashort
October 21, 2007
The food and drinks were pretty good, I had the mahi-mahi sandwich which was a bit dry,and my date had the New York Strip which I sampled and it was excellent. Hickory smoked and cooked the way he asked for it.
I'd stick with the specials (drink-wise) or the seasonal beer. Our service, especially on the deck was very, very slow. We would have stayed outside for an extra cocktail, but we waited nearly 20 minutes for the first drink, and the deck was dead. That's the only reason I took off a couple stars.
A friend of ours used to work there and warned us of the slow service before we went, but we weren't expecting to be there for as long as we were. One thing that helped was the live jazz music in the bar.
All in all, I'd go back, but I'd be prepared to spend most of the evening there.
- Pros: Steak, ambience
- Cons: Slow service
Great place for food. by John P. at InsiderPages
Contributor
October 15, 2007
Our expectations were met and exceeded.I really enjoyed the flat iron steakOur service was very good.Our dinning experience was a terrific value.Will eat there again.
Don't go for the service or the food
by spencer54
August 31, 2007
The only reason to go here is for the location, which is unbeatable. The food is OK, but not that special, and the service is indifferent. And if you drink out on the terrace they give you plastic cups, which does a good job of killing the atmosphere. I knew a waitress who worked here, and the strories she told about the management explained why the staff are not always on top of things. Rick seems to have an attitude, and it unfortunately shows.
- Pros: The location
- Cons: The manager and the food
Great food wonderful service
by santelt
July 08, 2007
Rick's fresh music and live seafood speaks to this Indianapolis institution's focus on food and ambience. A great place to dine and our server Jasmine anticipated our every need. Wonderful summer Sunday afternoon.
- Pros: Great food and service
- Cons: None
Ricks Forever
by barryml
April 25, 2007
I have the fondest Memories of Ricks Cafe. I have travelled all over the US and I still remember Ricks!!! You go to Ricks for the food and ambience, not for fast food. So if you are in a hurry, I'm sure there is a McDonald'ds nearby. Enjoy eating here again and again. I now live on the West coast, so go there and eat for me!!!! The food is great, the specialty drinks are to die for, and the ambience is so relaxing. One of my favorites across the country. See if they still make a sweet tart drink at the bar, and tell them Michele with a post on City Search says HI!!!
