Ricky’s Rice Bowl

My family is mourning the closure of this fine establishment. Ricky’s Rice Bowl was a part of my childhood — from the strange art and interior design, to the rice pudding that comes with kids meals, to the island of limitless duck sauce and chopsticks, this place was more than just a neighborhood restaurant. I wish I could buy a Yoshi Spring Roll Bowl just one more time and be charged for extra teriyaki sauce. I didn’t even have a chance to say goodbye, one day there was a just a sign on the door. RIP Ricky’s. RIP candy dispenser in the entrance. I will find you, sumo wrestler sweatshirt.
Please bottle and sell your sauces.

Love the tofu peanut bowl with brown rice! Please reopen!

A great shame that this wonderful fast food place, but serving healthier fare than the normal ones, has closed. The steak teriyaki bowl was awesome!

This is my «memorial review» since Ricky’s has recently closed. I want to pay tribute to my affection for this place and all the great meals I ate here. The food was always delicious and abundant, the meat and veggies fresh and well cooked, the sticky rice just right to soak up the in-​house made sauces. All of the sauces were great but the peanut sauce, as so many others have said, was the best I have ever had (and they would serve you double sauce for a small extra cost). It may not have been super authentic Japanese cuisine, but there are plenty of places to get that; Ricky’s was its own thing, Asian style «good fast food», fresh, light, healthy, served fast, consistent and always super tasty. I was never once, in ten years, disappointed by a meal here. Even after moving out of town we always dropped by here for lunch when we were in the area, and are terribly sad that it’s gone. Sayonara Ricky’s! Hope you reopen in a new location soon. (And must say: I don’t understand why anyone critiques the décor of a strip mall lunch spot! come on! this isn’t Dupont Circle, you know?)

I took a friend to Ricky’s Rice Bowl on our way back from hiking Black Hills Regional Park. We had worked up an appetite trekking through some icy post-​snowzilla trails and I pulled into the shopping center, preferring not to go to the mall to grab some quick grub.
We went in and it was empty but no biggie, some great places are. He ordered then I ordered and though I am very smiley I was greeted with grim expressions and we felt unwelcome. We got our food sat down and ate, food needed something — meat was fresh yet flavorless but the rice was wet and basically made up the whole bowl– you will be paying for rice if you go here.
After getting home I looked at my receipt and without a drink the two of us paid more than the prices should have been. I was charged an extra dollar and a half per bowl.
I don’t enjoy reviewing negatively — usually I take the time to praise great places but I couldn’t help feeling like I was intentionally charged more and with bad attitudes like we weren’t worth their time.
When you walk in the stickers on the door boast « Unilocalers love us» but for real? The place was empty, haunted by 90s décor and cold.

My friends and I have been coming to Ricky’s over the past 10 years, so I will try to keep my review as short as possible, while still doing this place justice. This place is a Gaithersburg staple. Everyone knows about this place. Vegans/​Vegetarians as well as omnivores alike can find something amazing here.
Reading the not so positive reviews you learn 2 things, that people aren’t crazy for décor, and that the curry sauce isn’t what people expect. Let me start off by saying, this place is a local restaurant that opened in the 1980’s, and the quirky retro feel gives this place such an uplifting vibe to me. You think people complain about the stupid metal sheets hanging on the wall of Chipotle? Heck no, they’re there for the food. Also I have never tried the curry sauce (only non-​vegan sauce there) so I cannot speak on that behalf.
With that out of the way, I normally get the Tofu Peanut Bowl. This has not changed for me since I started coming here in high school. This place is a bowl place (hence the name) and in my opinion, they have the best peanut sauce ever. After trying this sauce, everywhere else you go that you order peanut sauce, you will be sorely disappointed. If you’re not into that I recommend the Garlic Sesame, but more people like the Teriyaki.
If you try this place, you will most likely find the owner working at the cash register. He is there every single day working his butt off. He gets two days off, Christmas and Thanksgiving. He is a very nice and pleasant guy if you have a conversation with him, and he treats all his workers will respect.
At the end of the day, if you know me and my passion for Chipotle (which there is one in the shopping center), I will pick this place over Chipotle every single time.

Came based on all the reviews… Thanks for nothing… Perhaps this one star review will help achieve some balance…
Ordered their curry steak rice bowl. I took 4 bites, tossed it, and went to Chipotle next door. The steak was tough as hell and tasted like cow with a hint of curry. Yes, I am bitter I wasted 8 bucks.
If you read this review and still want to try them, all I can say is «I told you so».

I have been a fan of Ricky’s since they had the Bethesda location and it keeps getting better. I am so happy that they understand the importance of fresh ingredients and that you can opt to have the protein with vegetables only, skipping the rice altogether. In all these years I’ve never been disappointed by Ricky’s Rice Bowl. The portions are huge and the food is delicious. The manager is helpful and appreciative of the business. I hope they stick around for a long time to come.

I suppose this place would be quite good if you are not Asian. This place is located in a strip mall just south of the Sam’s Club in Gaithersburg. When you first walk in, it definitely gave out a retro-​cafeteria feel, and it was a bit confusing, but you were supposed to walk all the way to the end and place your order there.
It was all just rice bowls here, and you choose a protein, then a sauce. I got the steak with curry sauce for my rice bowl. Every bowl has the same veggies on it. The curry was actually quite bland, and there were not any curry flavor in it, just a light yellow sauce on the meat, definitely not Japanese or any other countries with curry in their cuisine. The steak meat was a bit tough and lacking in the seasoning as well. It was a very bland dish overall, and I ended up using some spicy sauce to get through half of the bowl, and then threw the rest away.
In my book, Ricky’s Rice Bowl should be called «Shady Asian Food Court», but if you grew up with these foods, then you may enjoy it. The locals did warn me against this place, I guess I should have listened to them. Service was probably the only Asian thing here with the typical poker face staffs.

Stumbled across this gem. If you’re into fitness like me and you want a healthy alternative, you found the right place. Meat, rice (they have brown rice), steamed veggies, and fresh homemade sauces all in a bowel. Very filling and decently priced. Regular chicken bowls ranges from $ 6.95−7.25 and that was more than enough. Staff is very friendly and helpful as well. No complaints here. 5 stars from me. Also they use no MSG here, meats are fresh and all the sauces are made here which are all pluses in my book.

A few months ago I tried out Rickys Rice bowl based on the already available reviews here on Unilocal.They have a menu with tofu and veggies and are apparently «vegan certified» so I decided to check it out.
Since that first visit I have been back many times and have become a fan of this place and its owner! I urge everyone to try this place out and if you like it become a regular — the owner will remember you and your order and he’s a really nice guy.
If you’re a vegan or vegetarian and ask what is vegan/​vegetarian on the menu he actually knows what he’s talking about and will tell you exactly what sauces are vegan and which ones aren’t! I believe all the sauces are vegan except for the curry sauce.
I always go for fried tofu with white rice and peanut sauce. The peanut sauce is so amazingly good, it gets me every time. I’ve also tried their spicy Seoul sauce and I believe they recently added a new sauce: sesame garlic.
For you meat-​eaters you are good to go here, wide variety of meats or just veggie bowls for a healthier choice.
The price is great for the amount of food! I always get a large bowl (which is a lot of food) and it comes out to about $ 11 with a soda.
The only downside to this place is that it seriously needs an update. The colors, decorations and set-​up in here is very outdated and unappealing. Good to dine in in a pinch for a casual lunch before heading back to work, but not for a long sit-​down, its definitely a casual place. But it is kinda ugly! However I suspect that the rent is so high in such a busy plaza and high profile spot that it might be difficult to find the money to renovate the place. I always get to-​go anyway.
Because it looks outdated, it can feel dirty, but I haven’t seen any serious evidence of filth, so I think it might just be how you feel looking around the place.
This place isn’t ‘fancy’ but the food is really yummy for a quick bite!

I’ve been going to Ricky’s since the good ol’ Gaithersburg High School days. I’ll admit the décor inside is kind of tacky, but I think that just adds to the charm (and I always find myself tempted to buy one of their t-​shirts). Plus you’re really here for the food.
I usually get the peanut chicken bowl over brown rice. Its a huge portion of meat and rice with broccoli, carrots, and cabbage. That peanut sauce is addicting! This is also a popular spot for vegans. If you’re in the area and looking for a quick, cheap and tasty lunch then you should definitely try Ricky’s!

I stopped by here for the first time and ordered the curry chicken rice bowl while my wife ordered the chicken and vegetable rice bowl. We each ordered the regular-​sized bowls and was happily surprised to see the generous portions.
Although the food was pretty good, it definitely wasn’t anything special. The food seemed healthy and thr sauces were not overly salty or too sweet. The only difference between my dish and my wife’s dish was the addition of the curry sauce. I suspect that most dishes on the menu probably taste like this.
The bowls have large chunks of grilled chicken breastfeeding atop mixed veggies and freshly steamed rice. They cover it with sauce and if you want to add any hot sauce, soy sauce, etc., there is a condiment station where you can help yourself.
This place is quick, convenient and offers tasty food, but it’s definitely not anything particularly special. You’ll leave satisfied but if you are looking for more variety and authentic flavors look elsewhere.

Is it me? Lol I’ve heard so many good things from this place so I decided to take a look and eat here… strange it was empty no one in there. The gentlemen that was in there was polite and helped us. I ordered the shrimp teriyaki and white rice!!! My shrimp is burnt and tastes gross… the rice and veggies are good… I cant say I will be coming back again. Im disappointed because everyone said it was amazing but I beg to differ. Maybe other items on their menu are better?

Thumb’s up:
Food
Good for getting all kindzz of gainzzz (muscle gains)
Fast
Thumb’s down:
Price

I’ve been coming to this place since high school, and it is always amazing!
The large Teriyaki Chicken Bowl is nearly two meals worth of food, and every bite is delicious. It’s a no frills place which just focuses on serving excellent food, and they are great at what they do. Not only is the chicken on point, but the steak, shrimp, and even the vegan tofu options are great.
The people that work there are extremely friendly, and after nearly 10 years as a customer, I don’t plan on slowing down in terms of coming here anytime soon.
If you’re in the mood for asian food in the Gaithersburg area, Ricky’s is the move.

We wanted something quick to eat, so we decided to come here. Once we entered, we didn’t see any customers. I usually tend to avoid restaurants without customers because that’s a big red flag. However, we were in a hurry, so I didn’t mind. I ended up ordering the Large Curry Chicken Bowl.
Large Curry Chicken Bowl: I ordered it with brown rice, which is an additional $ 0.30. It came with some cabbage, carrots, broccoli, diced chicken breast, and topped with Japanese curry. It was just okay.
Overall, the place is just alright. This place reminds of Flamebroiler and Waba Grill back in CA. There’s really nothing much to say since it’s like a basic meal that anyone can make at home. However, I thought that the food was extremely overpriced. For $ 10, I thought I’d actually get a LARGE bowl. It seemed like a regular, medium bowl. This place is good if you’re in a hurry and want to grab a quick bite, but I’d rather use the $ 10 to buy groceries and cook if I have time.

I’ve been eating here occasionally since they opened 10+ years ago. It’s not amazing, but I can’t give it less than 4 stars because it has delivered consistent, fast, quality, made-​to-​order lunches for many years.
When they opened there was nothing around but franchises and it was nice to have something a little different. The «large» is a solid portion of food and you leave with a full belly.
The thing is, there is nothing truly memorable about the food that gives you cravings to come back. I’m not sure what it is but it all ends up tasting the same. I never crave Ricky’s. I just end up in that strip mall every once in a while and figure I’ll eat there. They really need some standout sauces with unique flavors or ingredients to pull me in more often.
You can see them cooking everything fresh and I like that they have rainbow trout as an option. It’s fresh grilled for you. The steak is okay… a mix of tender pieces and some chewy ones. Chicken is fine. Haven’t had the shrimp that I recall. Brown rice is an option which is nice. They have a weekly special which I usually get, but again, it all seems to taste the same.
They need to mix it up with new unique sauces, new veggies, perhaps options to get your food over noodles or a salad. But, in the end, it’s a good meal. You won’t leave unsatisfied.

I hate to do this but theres just SOMETHING about this place I cant quite put my finger on which i dislike… I title my review
Theres Something About Ricky…
So I deposit my cracked screen at iFixit in this G-​Burg Soccer Mom Plaza Trap. Ross, Bed Bath Beyond and Mattress store? A mom’s dream plaza! While im waiting for my phone to be fixed I meander along the Plaza… Oooo Ricky’s Rice Bowl?
Lets go!
I walk in and its reminiscent of a horrible 1980s diner. The décor is AWFUL. Its like someone mixed stereotyped asian décor with acid jazz from the 90s. If Ken and Barbie decorated an Asian restaurant THIS would be it.
But yall know Im greedy Id eat there even if there were little red devils biting the ears off of angels drawn on the wall in blood. (Kidding)
So I order the steak and chicken peanut bowl. Im skeptical cause Im like what is this some original knock off of the ShopHouse? (I know ShopHouse came after Ricky)
To my pleasant suprise the food is not bad. But its not overwhelmingly good either. I guess going to the ShopHouse ruined my unbiasedness but the bowl was tasty but underwhelming.
Im not sure if Im sold. It didnt make me want to go out of my way like I do with Panda Express, and MUST HAVE RICKYS BOWL NOW! No I dont think Ill ever be doing that.
I think this mainly has to do with the décor and presentation of the food.

I’ve been coming here since they first opened. Nothing has ever changed– other than how many people were standing in line.
Rice, vegetables, meat, and great sauce. Ricky’s does one thing very well… in at least 15 ways! Their food is fresh, served hit over good rice, and the flavors are exquisitely done.
Long Live Ricky’s Rice Bowl!