Ray's on the River

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#1 of 151 Restaurants in Sandy SpringsSteakhouse, Seafood, $$$$

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Ray's on the River

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About

As an Atlanta Tradition since 1984 and situated along the Chattahoochee River, Ray's on the River offers serene views while enjoying a menu filled with fresh seafood flown in daily, prime cut steaks, regionally grown vegetables, and a Wine Spectator award-winning Wine List.

Features

CUISINES

Steakhouse, Seafood

Meal types

Lunch, Dinner, Drinks

Special Diets

Vegetarian friendly, Vegan options, Gluten free options

FEATURES

Accepts Credit Cards

American Express

Discover

Free Wifi

Full Bar

Gift Cards Available

Highchairs Available

Jazz Bar

Live Music

Mastercard

Outdoor Seating

Parking Available

Private Dining

Reservations

Seating

Serves Alcohol

Table Service

Takeout

Television

Valet Parking

Visa

Waterfront

Wheelchair Accessible

Location

6700 Powers Ferry Rd, Sandy Springs, GA 30339-2939

Parking Available, Valet Parking

Is this a sushi restaurant?

Yes

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Hours

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Closed now

• Opens at 11:30 AM

Sunday

11:00 AM - 4:00 PM5:00 PM - 9:00 PM

Monday

11:30 AM - 10:00 PM

Tuesday

11:30 AM - 10:00 PM

Wednesday

11:30 AM - 10:00 PM

Thursday

11:30 AM - 10:00 PM

Friday

11:30 AM - 11:00 PM

Saturday

12:00 PM - 11:00 PM

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4.4

1,520 reviews

Excellent

996

Very good

270

Average

116

Poor

Terrible

SouthernBelle069

Marietta64 contributions

Ray's By the River: In a Class By Itself

Aug 2023 • friends

We recently visited Ray's for dinner and it was exceptional. We were seated at a lovely table with a great view of the river, We were pleasantly surprised with the steak/shrimp specials for the evening. All four of us indulged. The value for the money was unbeatable, especially when compared to overpriced steakhouses in the vicinity charging almost twice as much. We also ordered she- crab soup, oysters, and caesar salad. They were all outstanding. Ray's has never disappointed. Our meal was enhanced by the wonderful waiter duo of Justin and David. With so many people complaining about service after COVID, their service was just the exact opposite They were professional, knowledgeable, and delightful to interact with. Between the incomparable location on the Chattahoochee River, the food, the value, and the service, this establishment is unbeatable.

Written August 21, 2023

This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

CruiseAficionado

50 contributions

Lobster extravaganza

Aug 2023 • couples

For my 76th birthday we celebrated at Ray’s on the River. We hadn’t been there since the 80’s and went on a Monday to avoid the weekend crush. After arriving at 5:00 for a 5:30 reservation and checking in with the hostess we went to the bar for “happy hour” which had just been resurrected the day before. It included drink specials for the different days of the week and “bites”. We didn’t care for the Monday “mule” drinks and got a martini and rye on the rocks. Troy, the bartender, even offered me a choice of ice cube large or small which was a first. We opted for a couple of gulf oysters on the half shell as appetizers for $1.50 each which were delicious. When we checked in we asked for a booth facing the river and we were led to table 28. The booth had a dark plexiglass surround which was put there during Covid and looked so good it was retained and added to the booth’s sense intimacy and privacy. Our waiter Ion (pronounced Yawn) gave us the specials and asked if we wanted to see a wine list. My wife ordered another martini instead and I had a sparkling water. While perusing the menu I inquired about “market prices” for the 2-4 pound fresh lobsters and was told they may be out of the 2 pounders but he would check. This led my wife to shout “you are not getting a 3 pound lobster”. LOL. Thankfully a 2 pounder was available for a market price of $80. It came fully split down the middle which enabled me to effortlessly pull both sides of the tail completely out of the shell. I was given a lobster cracker to break into the giant claws. Needless to say the entree was enough and I did not order any sides. Ray’s has a rather unique wedge salad in that it is not a traditional slice of iceberg lettuce but instead was Gem romaine and delicious. Since we advised I was celebrating a birthday a card stating that we we celebrating a special occasion was placed on the table which resulted in several staff stopping by to acknowledge the occasion including the assistant manager Bryson and the events manage LaToya. We asked LaToya whether Ray’s had a frequent diner program and she signed us up to Ray’s dining club card on the spot. It entitled us to a 10% discount. The quality of food and service was superb and we will definitely be coming back. BTW I was offered any desert on the menu as complimentary for my birthday. We chose the crème brûlée which was the best I have ever had.

Written August 22, 2023

Cruiser37074468594

1 contribution

Want a good server, ask for David!!

Nov 2024 • family

We went to celebrate birthdays for November. It was last minute and we had a party of 12 (ended up being 13). The booking site, OpenTable, kept saying no availability. I called Group Reservations on Thursday for a Friday reservation and received a call later that afternoon saying they would confirm with a credit card to hold. I happily obliged. Fast forward to our arrival. We were seated as soon as our party arrived and our server, David, arrived promptly. He went over the specials, gave a few recommendations, confirmed who were the birthday guests and took our drink orders. David was working several tables but every time he passed by, he would stop and check on everyone. If something wasn’t right, he corrected it. He was an awesome server and very accommodating. Some of the food that came out the kitchen was luke warm, but it was delicious. The crab cakes were my favorite and the scallops melted like butter. We finished off with the butter cake and blueberry sauce — yummy!

Written November 11, 2024

William L

Douglasville59 contributions

Tasty food but quality was lacking and price was too high.

May 2024 • couples

My wife and I visited Ray’s On The River on May 5, 2024 for brunch. I had visited before but this was my wife’s first visit. The experience was not what I expected and I told the staff about it during our meal. I ordered brisket hash and the majority of the meat was fat. I pointed it out to my waiter and he brought out a larger serving of meat which I appreciated but still lots of fat. I realize brisket has fat and that makes it taste good but the percentage of fat was unacceptable. My wife’s lobster omelet had very little lobster for the cost (about a tablespoon of minced lobster). The rest of my meal was tasty but the prices they charge are very high - which is indicative of the current economy I guess. We won’t be visiting Ray’s again.

Written May 6, 2024

Stacey S

Sandy Springs201 contributions

Vegetarians Need Not Dine

Nov 2023 • business

I brought 6 people to the restaurant for a business meeting. If you are a vegetarian, vegan, or anyone with a food restriction do not go to this restaurant. The menu has 0 dishes for vegetarians. When I asked about vegetarian options I was given 2 choices. I selected one, a pasta with eggplant. Then I was told they were out of eggplant and they would use other vegetables. Then they came back and told me they were out of pasta. Thus, there was one choice. You can imagine what I told them to do with their one option. Bottom line, the chef does not care about you if you are not a carnivore and shows a complete lack of imagination when it comes to vegetarians. The night prior we went to a similar restaurant that is a nearby clear competitor of this restaurant. I took the same business people. The difference, the chef cared about all the patrons and had several customized vegetarian options. Bottom line, there are better choices out there. Find one.

Written November 12, 2023

CobaltConnection

Dublin7046 contributions

Very good food

Mar 2025 • business

Having dined at Ray's for 15 years, we knew that great service and delicious food was in store. Used Open Table for reservations (highly recommended). Very friendly and professional hostess staff. Due to extreme storm conditions and Prom night, the staff was overwhelmed. Service was slow, but our food was delicious. Ryan, the manager, contacted me and offered apologies. A class act and well received. Our group looks forward to returning.

Written March 18, 2025

Rbbyers

6 contributions

Very poor service very poorly run, but good food

Oct 2024 • couples

I took family and friends to this restaurant for my wife’s birthday. Our server got my drink order wrong twice. He also got my entrée order wrong. He would just not pay attention to what was being said. My drink order was Greag goose on the rocks with a lime. I got a lemon and the lemon tasted like it should’ve been thrown out three days earlier. I ordered a black peppercorn steak and he gave me a blackened steak. So of course I told everyone to start their meal so they would not have a cold meal by the time I got mine. I caught up three weeks early to reserve a table with the Riverview. I was told they cannot reserve particular tables only that there would be a table reserved for the amount of people. When we arrived, there were empty tables with river views available, but I was told those tables were reserved. When I said, I called three weeks to reserve a table with a Riverview. I was told that was not what they do. Too bad because the food was good, but everything else was bad.

Written October 15, 2024

CSNJB

Pensacola10 contributions

Great evening at Ray’s on the River.

Aug 2023 • couples

We have been visiting Atlanta this week, and Ray’s on the River came highly recommended. It did not disappoint! David was our server, and he was knowledgeable about the menu, answered our questions regarding choices, and was fun and easy to talk to. The bar is excellent, and my husband loved the Old Fashion. I tied the Pink Sangria, and it was refreshing and enjoyable. We started with gumbo which was fantastic. We live in the Panhandle of Florida, so gumbo is a favorite of our, and this gumbo rivaled any we have had. I had the crab cakes which were chucked full of grab, and my husband had the salmon with King crab on top. Both were delicious. We usually bypass dessert, but their special tonight was too tempting. It was a warm lemon cake topped with ice cream and blueberries. It was worth the calories. The setting for this restaurant is beautiful, and the entire staff was warm and friendly. When we return to Atlanta, we will definitely make this restaurant our favorite night out.

Written August 18, 2023

Cassidy S

4 contributions

Best Restaurant in ATL

Dec 2024 • business

I brought my boss here for our holiday dinner. Rays on the River is my top favorite restaurant in Atlanta. You can’t get a better view, better food, or better service. We had the pleasure of being served by David and Aaron who were extremely attentive and knowledgeable. I can’t wait to come back!

Written December 18, 2024

matthewsM963OU

Augusta2 contributions

Rays

Jul 2023 • family

Rays is a favorite, however some food and drink and service was not up to par on Wednesday 7/26. Had a dirty martini - it wasn’t ‘t cold when served also did not have blue cheese olives was told they would bring out but never did. Also ordered Brussels sprouts as a side - they were overcooked and mushy. Crab cakes were great.

Written July 31, 2023

cielo44

21 contributions

Look elsewhere for Thanksgiving

Nov 2023 • couples

Very disappointing. 20+ minute wait for a table past reservation time. The restaurant was clearly overwhelmed - long wait for cocktails and wine, crowds at the buffet, shortages of things like soup bowls. Even the valet parking struggled to cope with the crowds. Better Thanksgiving dinners are available in Atlanta.

Written November 23, 2023

Chris B

2 contributions

Great food and service - horrible parking.

Apr 2024 • family

We have consistently gone to Ray;s for our anniversary and other special occasions since 2018 and would recommend them to anyone. The food is great, service is top notch!!!! Only reason they did not get a 5th star is their parking lot. First, when we entered the parking lot, a young man stepped in front of our car setting off the emergency braking system, surprised my wife and I didn't get whiplash. We were able to park in disabled parking, but when we left, a valet had squeezed a BMW SUV in the area designated for wheelchair accessibility. This violates the law, specifically Title VII of the Civil Rights Act not to mention other local laws (I specialize in EEO Law). A person in a wheelchair would not have been able to get in their car. The valet's must be trained on the importance of one - don't step in front of cars, that's a real bad idea, had he stood off to the side, I wouldn't be writing this. Second train management and the valets on the importance of following the law on disabled parking and disabled accessibility. It won't take much for a legal issue to arise for discrimination. If the valets are squeezing cars into parking spots, that raises the question as to whether they respect their customers property. I can't trust the valets at this restaurant.

Written April 27, 2024

Trishalla

Marietta2 contributions

Horrible 30th Anniversary Dinner

Nov 2022 • none

This was Our 30th Wedding Anniversary Dinner. My husband and I were so looking forward to a Great Seafood Dinner. We were so Bummed Out. Our table was on the Window and would have been beautiful on the River except it was Dark and their Outdoor Lights obscured what would have been a Romantic View. I Ordered a Starter of Oyster Rockefeller and it was just ok, Not spectacular, but just average, food ratios off with too much Spinach, for a $20 Price. A Bread Basket for $7 was the only really good food we had. My Entree was the Lobster Scampi Linguini. The Lobster tasted as if it had sat next to fish that had gone Bad, as well as severely Overcooked. A Terrible bad taste for a $45.00 Lobster Experience. My Husband Ordered the Honey Glazed Salmon, it was almost Raw in the Middle. I sent the Lobster back and told them I didn't want anything else to eat as it was such a bad taste that it had killed my appetite. My Husband sent back the Salmon and they Recooked the same piece He said it was the worst he had ever had. The Manager came and compted the Lobster dish and pushed for a free Appetizer and dessert, to try and make it Right. Finally, I agreed. The Barbeque Shrimp Appetizer was also overcooked, but I let that ride. By this point, my Husband didn't insist on getting his money back for the terrible Salmon. He should have. The Manager was very apologetic, but later I understood that others have had equally bad experiences, recently.. All of this and a Ruined 30-year Anniversary Dinner Still Cost my Husand $118.54

Written November 5, 2022

Pat H

29 contributions

Thanksgiving… no thanks!

Nov 2024 • family

No thanks for Thanksgiving! Shuttle for overflow parking a disaster.. old people, old bus, not a good scene! Buffet itself had very good food but the plates were practically non existent and crowd overwhelming… have attended for 8 straight years but this one will be my last! Sad!!! Gramma of many!!

Written December 5, 2024

Alexis C

Atlanta4 contributions

Best anniversary ever (David and Kurtis are the best)

Aug 2024 • couples

Celebrated an anniversary here the other night and we could not have chosen a better place. Our waiters David and Kurtis were just perfect. It was our first time so they informed us about the restaurant and how meticulously the ingredients are prepared and cared for. I really appreciated the eye contact and confidence demeanor from them both. We put in our appetizer and it came out very quickly. We both had some questions about the menu and they took the time to talk to us and explain different aspects. Our waiter even talked to us about his personal experiences and preferences, which he was absolutely right about. And to top it off, when we were between two desserts he gave us both and on the house <3 thank you David and Kurtis for making our anniversary one we won’t forget!!