In the Genoa area for our daughters' soccer game, we joined forces with another family to celebrate the girls' win at Rayz Cafe. With the restaurant packed and nine of us in our group, we expected a long wait, but were pleasantly surprised when the speedy staff were able to clean and re-arrange several tables, and seat our party in under ten minutes. After allowing us extra time to review the menu, our waitress Jayne was completely nonplussed by either the size of our party, or the fact that we were two separate bills, with everyone sitting all jumbled together between our two families. My crew ordered the Nacho Supreme with jalapenos for my wife, the beef and bean chimichanga for me, breaded shrimp dinners for both of my daughters, and the 10-piece wings (with hot BBQ sauce) for my son.
The atmosphere in the restaurant was great, with multiple dining areas spread around the front and sides of the centrally located bar. Interestingly enough, a full-sized motorcycle was parked on top of the shelves holding the bar's liquor bottles. The dining room we were in was open and airy with high ceilings and huge windows looking out over Main Street. The walls featured various sport paraphernalia, including jerseys from local high school teams, as well as flags from noted national college teams. Flatscreen televisions were perched in the corners, as well as over the bar. High-backed wooden booths ringed the room, while four-person tables and comfortable chairs were liberally distributed everywhere else.
Given how busy the restaurant was and the size of our party, we had steeled ourselves for a long wait for our food, but all things considered, it started coming out in a pretty reasonable period of time, with our waitress bringing out plates in groups of twos and threes after only about twenty minutes. When my daughter's plate was jostled on delivery, causing two of her shrimp to fall to the floor, our waitress -purely on her own and without any input from us- had the kitchen cook up replacements. Now that is what I call good customer service! Taste-wise, we all enjoyed our food, with my daughters describing their shrimp as being good sized (rather than the tiny shrimp they have had elsewhere), while my son praised the chicken-flavoured inferno in his mouth from the hot wings. My wife really liked her nachos, while I very much appreciated the good size and taste of my chimichanga.
When our bill arrived, the total before tax and tip for our entrees and five waters was $48.09, which felt really good considering the amount of food we received. Even though a note at the bottom of the bill indicates a gratuity of 18% may be charged for tables of eight or more, I was pleased to see that our party of nine was not charged an automatic gratuity. Likewise, I was also happy to see that the restaurant did not try to 'nickel and dime' us to death, with no extra charges for either the ranch or second side sauce with my son's wings.
For excellent service, good food at a reasonable price, and a great atmosphere, I rate Rayz Cafe as being Very Good, and will definitely be back! read more