104 W. Erwin
Tyler, TX
http://www.rix.com/index.php
Rick's is one of the 'fancy' restuarants in Tyler and is located on the Square in downtown Tyler, just west of Broadway. My wife and I stopped in for my birthday. The outside is a beautiful older downtown building and you are greeted by a friendly hostess. There is valet parking available. I was expecting it to be a nice steakhouse, but the decor and vibe was more like that of a sports bar. There was a table there with a couple of kids and a huge big screen TV. Perhaps Rick's sin is trying to be too many things at once.
The spread: The menu is impressive. There seems to be a focus on local ingredients and cuisine throughout the menu. There are some interesting one of a kind dishes, as well as your standard steaks and seafood. The only problem I have with the menu is that it is a little over ambitious and a bit schizophrenic. There doesn't seem to be a central theme to the menu, but they are definitely trying.
The verdict: We started off with the stuffed poblanos. The stuffing was very tasty, however, the whole dish was overpowered by the heat level from the poblanos. Every once in a while you get a hold of a poblano that is as hot as a jalepeno, and this was this case. I barely finished it, and my wife could only take one bite before giving up. We also had the crabcake and it was a disappointment. The crab tasted a little fishy as though it was previously frozen or a little off and the 'cake' was a little gummy. For our entrees, my wife had the petite filet and I had the bone in ribeye, both were overcooked (I asked for medium rare and got medium, wife asked for medium and got medium well). The ribeye was well seasoned and flavorful, but the cut was a little more fatty than I would have liked. My wife enjoyed her petite filet. For desert we had the chocolate molten cake and it was the highlight of the night. Rich, creamy, oozing chocolate. YUM! We had a nice server and the service was adequate, it just wasn't top notch. Overall, I was disappointed with Rick's. I will definitely give them another try, but for the price, I expect a much higher level of service, higher quality food and a 'nicer' atmosphere.
Edible Tyler Roses: 3 of 5
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