Rick’s On the River

HOG Fish holy smokes it was good and something you don’t get many places. Grant it it was a special so probably not available often but wow it was good. I also love the fried oysters.
Definitely worth trying

I came here looking for oysters. I didn’t find that, but I found a good place to eat for a reasonable price.
My palate for oysters isn’t very refined so I can’t speak to whether or not they are high quality oysters, but I definitely didn’t like them and they weren’t typical. However, this place offers great food at a reasonable price. We ordered a dozen oysters, 10 chicken wings (naked and dry rubbed), and the chips and french onion dip. The chips looked great on Unilocal and tasted even better in person. The wings were also excellent. I asked for a little extra dry rub on the side because I like mine extra salty. We got out of there for about $ 30 between two people.
The waitress, I believe her name was Morgan, was really nice and patient (I waited about 15 minutes before my friend joined me). The atmosphere is really cool as it is on the river, and if you’ve got the money you can boat over. As a peasant, there is a lot of parking and you can sit outside (and swelter in the heat) for a beautiful view of the hillsborough river.
Overall, don’t get oysters and enjoy the chips and wings. I am looking to try the smoked fish dip and fish sandwhich next time.

The location of is great and the water taxi comes up to the dock. This is a great place to grab a drink and if you are in the mood for fried seafood, the oysters and clam steps looked very good. We were there on a Friday night and the band was excellent.

Live music, Water front dining, excellent service, awesome bartenders, and the best catfish in West Tampa. The catch of the day is my usual meal when I go to Rick’s.

This is my work’s happy hour place. I love the location, right on the river, plenty of outdoor seating to catch the breeze on warm days. We almost always have the same amazing waitress on Friday nights, she is so friendly, knows us by name, knows our orders. It is a great place. The food is typical bar food (not my favorite) but they have good cheap drinks and great service.

I’ll never be back. From the plastic silverware to the greasy «grilled» fish… major disappointment. Do not describe fruit as fresh when it’s from a packaged fruit cup!!! I get the boating environment, I lived on one for 4 years, but this is by far the worst boatie spot I’ve ever tried. Bloody Mary’s made with tomato juice only, no spices or condiments… I could go on…

The atmosphere is awesome. Really loud, but you kinda have to talk loud. It is really packed and its quite busy. The food is so-so…ok for the price… it has nice dock that has boats for you to pay to ride. Not alot of parking. But family friendly. It is like a hooters but with fish intentions. Really a hot spot for dates and family get togethers. A place for men to hang out and for women too… a casual dining spot.

The food was okay, the service was fine. Definitely a cheap option, and I would say that is the only positive aspect of dining here. Average at best.

Hit this place up on a sunday afternoon with a buddy and were entertained by the barstaff and the drinks. I had coconut shrimp and a handful of blue motorcycles and both were great. Our bartender Amber was fun and attentive. Ill certainly be back!

Yummy jerk fish Caesar wrap! I really enjoyed my wrap & the view outside is amazing.quiet.peaceful & relaxing.

This place has been a spot for my family and I for years. This place is not fancy and doesn’t try to be something it’s not. Which I LOVE. You seat yourself, menu is simple and to the point. Which I also LOVE.
Now the best thing on the menu in my opinion is the raw oysters. They taste super fresh .
The reason this place isn’t getting 5 stars is based on the fact their wraps are ok and the cheeseburger looks more like a kids burger, which was a let down. I’m all about getting your money’s worth and those items doesn’t seem to do that.

Best part about this restaurant is boat access. We were able to dock the boat and come right up to the restaurant– it’s super convenient. We had a great afternoon sitting in the outdoor area. Our waitress was prompt and friendly and the food was simple yet fresh and delicious.

Every town with a river needs a Rick’s On The River — a popular seafood restaurant with boat access. Now there is a water taxi from downtown coming to Rick’s on its route to the Art Museum and Stratz Center.
The food is good; the prices average; and the service is friendly and fairly quick even when the place fills up. Warning: on the weekends and some nights the outdoor tables will all be occupied and you’ll have to eat inside, which is a shame when it is a beautiful spring afternoon in Tampa.

Nothing really special. The good thing about Rick’s is that they’re cheap. The ambiance is kind of like a bar type kind of place. Low lit with tvs on sports and a big bar in the middle of the restaurant. They don’t have specials, like a certain kind of special sandwich or appetizer. A lot of the things you can find on their menu, you can find elsewhere too and probably taste better. But it’s okay for cheap food. I ordered 10 wings for 8.99 and it was okay. Then got a grouper sandwich which tasted fine. Again, nothing out of the ordinary. Some of the staff are friendly and some are… A bit off. Not a place I’d go back to.

This is a great place to go for happy hour, or on the weekend. It is really a Tampa treasure in my book. You will see a mix of people, from boaters to locals in this casual hang out. Outside is usually the place to be, but when we went yesterday it was a cool out and also a little early so it was not busy (which is rare.) There is also an inside dining area but we stayed outside.
My coworkers and I rented some eboats up the river and took them to Rick’s for a quick stop over. It was the first time I came to Rick’s via boat and it was fun!
Rick’s is known for their oysters and a lot of my friends love oysters. Also, if you ask for the Thai chili sauce you will get their homemade sauce. Some of my friends have ordered it in the past and it was really good. On this trip the group I was with got several orders of oysters. I will eat them, but raw oysters are not my favorite. I tried one of the steamed oysters topped with bacon though and it was awesome! I am a big fan of the deviled crab so I got one of those.
Service is usually slow because it is packed but this visit service was fast! The servers are always friendly though and in the past when we have gone for happy hour after work, we knew it would be busy and weren’t really concerned about slow service.
Also, they often have live music outside.
This is a place for everyone.

Great service, perfect view of Hillsborough River, and delicious food… what else can you ask for?
Rick’s is a place I’ve been waiting to try for a while. After hearing great things from friends down in Tampa, I finally had the chance to head down to Rick’s this weekend. When we first walked in, you could literally smell the seafood (which hopefully meant it was fresh). I ordered the shrimp poboy with cajun fries. I’ve had my fair share of poboys throughout my days and I would definitely say this would rank in the top 20. The fries had a nice kick to it, which complimented the sandwich pretty well.
However, the only reason I would rate this 4 instead of 5 stars is because Rick’s is pretty off the beaten path. In order to get to Rick’s, we had to take multiple turns and almost got lost. Thankfully, they posted signs near the end, but it’s not an easy location to find.
tl;dr — Overall, definitely worth stopping by and trying their food.

I met friends at Rick’s one evening when they were in town visiting. They wanted a waterfront dining establishment in Tampa and were close by. I have tried Rick’s once in the past and was not really pleased with the food provided so I wasn’t exactly thrilled at this choice. The restaurant is the epitome of casual bar food. Although all bar food, there is a good variety of options from which everyone can choose. For those trying to be a little healthier like I, many of the menu options can be ordered grilled. I chose the blackened fish sandwich which was basa. It was served on a soft bun with lettuce and tomato. The tartar sauce was a pre-​made condiment given on the side. The sandwich was ok. The blackening seasoning had flavor and wasn’t too spicy. The entrée was served with a choice of fries or chips. I chose fries. The sandwich was roughly $ 10 which was affordable for dinner. My friends ordered a fried chicken sandwich and a philly both with fries. They thought their choices were ok but nothing spectacular as well.
Overall we enjoyed the setting more than the food. It wasn’t bad but I have had better quality bar food elsewhere. Our server was awesome and took care of our every need with speed and courtesy. The prices and the portions are good and the view of the water makes this place a good stop for an afternoon drink and bite to eat if you aren’t very picky.

Fun outside, casual atmosphere on the river with a view of both downtown and the river. Outdoor music a la Buffet style. The menu is varied and cheap and the food is fresh and nicely prepared. Servers are friendly and attentive despite the restaurant usually being packed. They also do a busy happy hour. And one of the few places in Tampa that you can drive your boat to.

They served me beer in a plastic cup …
So it’s a divey kinda bar? Maybe? Kinda … dive bars have gruff service. Service here was fab.
Clean bathrooms too … takes the shine off the notion of it being a dive bar.
It’s right on the water. Location is fantastic. Drinking on the water is a good idea.
I guess it’s in «a bad neighborhood?» It seemed OK to me … but I spend a lot of time in SW Washington DC. I had no problem.
Had a neighborhood bar kinda vibe to it.
I hate seafood. Yuck. But my dining companions thoroughly enjoyed theirs and raved about the oysters and other fried sea creatures. I say yuck, but they insisted it was all grand.
I had a burger, it was OK. Had a piece of grilled chicken too, was also OK.
I demanded my beer in a glass glass … they obliged (this isn’t Savannah after all!).
Def worth a stop.

Rick’s on the River is marina, bar, and grille. It’s located near a not so great neighbor hood. I am not completely sure why I had Rick’s bookmarked, but when my husband told me to pick something to eat for lunch I looked at my Bookmarks and chose Rick’s. I guess it was the complete opposite of what he wanted so he didn’t enjoy it. He just told me to pick and not what he actually wanted. Ugh. Men! Grump.
I thought he would want a simple no frills lunch and eat some fresh oysters over looking the river with a Corona in hand. We are in Florida and this place screams Florida. Back home he wants a cheap lunch, but no I guess he wanted to throw a couple hundred down for lunch since we are on vacation. He complained that there was nothing seafood on the menu. I guess he had a stick up his ass for lunch on this day because I seen plenty of seafood. It was just a simple menu. Mostly fried seafood, oysters, and sandwiches. Ricks is a divey place.
Anyway, I got the smoked fish spread and deviled crab. Not to be confused with devil crab. Devil crab is well you know stuffed crab. Deviled crab is a Tampa thing. It’s what Tampa is known for. Deviled crab is a crab meat croquette. It’s stuffed with spicy veggies and crab and then deep fried. I enjoyed both my meal! It was good!
They also have a famous fish sandwich which I believe was Grouper and Florida is known for it’s Grouper. Took him to Lobster Haven and he complained it was a Maine restaurant and we are in Florida. I take him to a Florida restaurant and he still complains.
Mr. Stick up his ass got fried oysters. We’ve been married 9 years so I can pick on him a little. He’s a good guy, but for this review he’s Mr. Stick up his ass. Plenty to choose from. Maybe not what he wanted at the time.
Would I be back? Yes, and drag Mr Stick up his ass along with me whether he likes it or not.