What it's like: Rick's Cafe Boatyard

Hello cyber-friends!  I've really got to work out a posting schedule I can stick to.  Obviously "I'll do it when I have time" is not the way to go.

 Poor Lewis & Clark Landing...

Last weekend I zipped down to Rick's Cafe on (nearly in) the Missouri river for dinner with my family.  None of us thought to call ahead and make a reservation, so I was impressed they were able to seat our party of eight pretty quickly.  That could be due to the fact that the Qwest guard-dudes near the Gallup campus were telling people Rick's was under water...  We informed the manager so he could politely ask the Qwest people to stop turning customers away.

The restaurant:

• I thought it smelled like fish, and not in a good way.  Other people I've talked to about my experience said they prefer to sit in Rick's large outdoor seating areas to avoid the aroma.
• It was stuffy.  Somehow I doubt they have air conditioning.  Probably a good explanation for why people would just rather sit outside--no fishy smell, and although it's still muggy at least you get some fresh air circulating around.
• The bathrooms were clean-ish for a Saturday night.  The stalls are so small you can't walk in and close the door behind you without wedging your legs around the toilet.  The stall door literally almost touches the porcelain.  Come on.
• They have live music and a bar out on the deck.  Yet another reason people reserve those tables.

The food:

• I had a delicious shrimp scampi pasta.  Almost everyone at the table enjoyed their meals.  FYI, the island chicken with pineapple that you expect to taste like teriyaki actually tastes like curry.  I am not a fan of curry. We ordered shrimp cocktail for an appetizer--it came with a deliciously intense cocktail sauce.  Horseradish = YUM.
• While the food was good overall, it was also overpriced.  The shrimp cocktail was $11 for five not-so-jumbo shrimp.  I had the same medium-sized shrimp in my pasta (again only five of them) for $19.

The service:

• Our waitress did a great job for being as busy as she was.  She was kind enough to put up with our late-arrivals and meal-sharing shenanigans.  I sympathize with waitstaff because I work in a customer service position and I know how stressful it can be.  And I have wonderful friends who work in some fine Omaha dining rooms.  I see their facebook posts after a hard night--getting stiffed on their tip, dealing with the people who linger two hours after their dinner taking up precious tables, etc.  Tip your waiters!  I usually do 20% or so.
• The other waiters walking around were not so professional or polite.  I have talked to other people who've encountered the same thing.
• The manager was very nice and apologetic when he heard my parents had trouble finding the place, thanks to the Qwest Center guards.  It was later in our dinner that he checked back with us to tell us the story of how he drove over there (in Rick's Cadillac, I think he said) and asked one of the guards how to get to Rick's Boatyard.  The man said, "If I'm not mistaken, Sir, they are closed."  The manager replied, "I assure you we're not.  Now may I have your dispatch number so I can inform the rest of your staff that they can stop killing our business?"  Awesome.

All this said, I won't be in a big hurry to return to Rick's Cafe, unless it's to sample some music, drinks and a breeze on the deck.  Maybe after this 100 degree heat subsides.

Have you had similar experiences?  Or the opposite?

Rick's Website