Ricky’s Rice Bowl
544 N Frederick Ave, Gaithersburg, MD, 20877
Ricky’s Rice Bowl Menu
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Address :
544 N Frederick Ave
Gaithersburg, MD, 20877 - Phone (301) 963-2695
- Click To Get Directions
Opening Hours
- Mon :11:00 am - 9:00pm
Specialities
- Takes Reservations : No
Delivery : No
Take-out : Yes
Accepts Credit Cards : Yes
Good For : Lunch
Parking : Private Lot
Bike Parking : Yes
Wheelchair Accessible : Yes
Good for Kids : Yes
Good for Groups : Yes
Attire : Casual
Ambience : Casual
Noise Level : Average
Alcohol : No
Outdoor Seating : Yes
Wi-Fi : No
Has TV : No
Waiter Service : No
Caters : No
WE SERVE THE FOLLOWING STATES
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Sarah T.
I've seen some mixed reviews so let me just say, if you're looking for a nice sit down asian restaurant, this is not the place. It's a great cheap, healthy asian restaurant. The food is good, although I could reproduce the same in my own kitchen. It's nothing spectacular, but I'm pretty sure it's not meant to be. It's just average, fast, healthy, but still pretty good. It's been a staple of mine for a few years and now that I'm back in town I'm excited to try their new editions to their menu. It's definitely the perfect lunch hour food!
(5)Rob L.
As someone said below, the formula is simple: fresh-grilled meats over steamed vegetables and rice, with a choice of sauces. Is this the same 4 stars I'd give a fine french restaurant? Of course not. But for freshly-prepared simple meals at a reasonable price, Ricky's food is quite tasty and a great alternative to the endless row of fast food choices on the route 355 strip in Gaithersburg.
(4)dave h.
Not a fan of this place. I used to work for the Starbucks in the shopping center and we used to call this place "Ickies lice bowl". This was years ago, maybe they have gotten better since then.
(2)Haiku review guy ..
Delicious value "Peanut chicken for you, sir?" Yes, with broccoli
(5)Sahil R.
I've been coming to this place since high school, and it never fails to dissapoint! The large Teriyaki Chicken Bowl is nearly two meals worth of food, and every bite is delicious. It's a no frills place which just focuses on serving excellent food, and they are great at what they do. Not only is the chicken on point, but the steak, shrimp, and even the vegan tofu options are great. The people that work there are extremely friendly, and after nearly 10 years as a customer, I don't plan on slowing down in terms of coming here anytime soon. If you're in the mood for asian food in the Gaithersburg area, Ricky's is the move.
(5)Aaron S.
We wanted something quick to eat, so we decided to come here. Once we entered, we didn't see any customers. I usually tend to avoid restaurants without customers because that's a big red flag. However, we were in a hurry, so I didn't mind. I ended up ordering the Large Curry Chicken Bowl. Large Curry Chicken Bowl: I ordered it with brown rice, which is an additional $0.30. It came with some cabbage, carrots, broccoli, diced chicken breast, and topped with Japanese curry. It was just okay. Overall, the place is just alright. This place reminds of Flamebroiler and Waba Grill back in CA. There's really nothing much to say since it's like a basic meal that anyone can make at home. However, I thought that the food was extremely overpriced. For $10, I thought I'd actually get a LARGE bowl. It seemed like a regular, medium bowl. This place is good if you're in a hurry and want to grab a quick bite, but I'd rather use the $10 to buy groceries and cook if I have time.
(3)Jay A.
Darn good food and an excellent value for the money. The meat and veggies are always fresh and the large bowl is a LOT of food for the money. The Curry and Teriyaki seasonings are equally good. During lunchtime the tables don't get cleaned as regularly as they probably should, but the restaurant and the bathrooms are impeccably clean. Try this place, you'll love it.
(5)TJ B.
I've been eating here occasionally since they opened 10+ years ago. It's not amazing, but I can't give it less than 4 stars because it has delivered consistent, fast, quality, made-to-order lunches for many years. When they opened there was nothing around but franchises and it was nice to have something a little different. The "large" is a solid portion of food and you leave with a full belly. The thing is, there is nothing truly memorable about the food that gives you cravings to come back. I'm not sure what it is but it all ends up tasting the same. I never crave Ricky's. I just end up in that strip mall every once in a while and figure I'll eat there. They really need some standout sauces with unique flavors or ingredients to pull me in more often. You can see them cooking everything fresh and I like that they have rainbow trout as an option. It's fresh grilled for you. The steak is okay...a mix of tender pieces and some chewy ones. Chicken is fine. Haven't had the shrimp that I recall. Brown rice is an option which is nice. They have a weekly special which I usually get, but again, it all seems to taste the same. They need to mix it up with new unique sauces, new veggies, perhaps options to get your food over noodles or a salad. But, in the end, it's a good meal. You won't leave unsatisfied.
(4)Arjun N.
This is the most wonderful place I have been to. I have been a customer for 5 years now. I talked to the boss, and he says that ''everything is made by scratch" I can tell you that they always work hard! Tip THEM!!
(5)John C.
I've been going to Ricky's for lunch pretty much once a week since the early 90's. Healthy fast food that isn't really like typical fast food. Good quality rice in a bowl with fresh and not overly cooked vegetables and a good portion of fresh grilled meat, fish, or tofu. The sauces are good too, they have a selection of standard sauces, the teriyaki is a good stand-by if you're not sure what to get. They have great weekly specials, plenty of flavor and usually on the spicy side but not too spicy, I almost always get the special. Everything is cooked fresh. Their order and food prep process is efficient, usually only a very short wait to get your order although sometimes they get pretty busy. Staff is friendly as they focus on their job. Decor is basic seating, not going to impress anyone but works for a quick lunch or dinner, usually plenty of seating and no problem with parking.They have a couple of tables outdoors on the sidewalk for when the weather is nice.
(5)Mukur H.
3.75. Its a hike from work, but we decided to give it a shot as some co-workers recommended it. I like it quite a bit. I went with a recommendation from a fellow yelper and ordered their special, which happened to be the orange chicken. I got it with brown rice for an extra 30 cents and a blondie. Total with a drink came out to $12. The chicken, beef... all meat for that matter is grilled fresh in the open kitchen. I love the charred flavor! The sauces are all apparently home made. There is a condiment table in the center of the dinning area with hot sauce (srirachia) hot oil, soy sauce and mustard among other things. I dig the hole in the wall type of atmosphere and the friendly service. So the dish was delicious and there was enough food in the large serving to feed a family. I had to add some hot sauce and hot oil to get it to the heat level I wanted, but besides that it was great! The brown rice and the vegitables in the box were also well cooked and seasoned. Blondie was a pre-made blodie you get at delis but none the less it was good. The unsweetened tea was freshly brewed, i could tell since it was hot when i poured it out into the cup. I like this place, the only problem I saw was that the line got really long as soon as people started charging the meal on a credit card (i was part of this problem too ;)) as the process took long. This was the better chinese food I have had in the Germantown/Gaithersburg area.
(3)Tim T.
i try to find reasons to dock this place a star, but i can't. there's something about the teriyaki sauce they put in the rice bowls that makes me come back for more. i usually eat here once every few weeks. the prices are reasonable, and you get a lot. They add steamed veggies, which are nice. I always see the owner, and he's always nice.
(5)Eva O.
While I applaud the concept, the food just doesn't taste any good. I like wacky Asian fusion thing going on. Lots of different options with the meats, veggies and sauces. But it's obvious they don't marinate their meat or season the veggies at all. Just cooking it and topping it off with a "flavorful" sauce doesn't make it flavorful. The Seoul Chicken Bowl was just okay. Props for having brown rice though and not charging extra like some other places seem to be doing. I think worth another try to choose a different bowl, maybe fish.
(2)Kaylee B.
I've been coming here for a couple of years, and I usually get the same thing - Peanut Chicken Bowl with white rice, Yum! The broccoli, carrots and cabbage are very fresh, and the chicken is grilled and chopped up nicely. The peanut sauce is sooo good, has a little bit of a kick, I love it! The rice is very fluffy and moist. I've also tried their teriyaki and sesame garlic bowls, which are good as well.
(4)jea y.
I've been coming to Ricky's for over 15 years. They are absolutely consistent to this day. The mowi wowi wings with seoul sauce is mouth wateringly tangy and sweet. Terriyaki steak and chicken bowls are the perfect combination of flavors that bring out the natural taste of the meats with subtle sweetness from the marinades. I personally like to douse the stuff with duck sauce and the hot sauce but that's just my preference, i like to sweat :) This isn't greasy Chinese food, everything is grilled fresh. I only wish they had a location closer to Rockville, but they are more than worth the drive.
(5)Isabella S.
I've been eating at Ricky's Rice Bowl since I discovered it back in highschool. The food, is phenomenal. I always ordered the same thing: peanut chicken bowl, extra sauce. The place itself is clean, which is a big deal for me. The service is great, every time I order, whether it be by phone or in person, they all know me by name. I had to give a 5-star rating. Fresh, fast, and healthy. And their SPRINGROLLS... the best you can get.
(5)Archie M.
I thought I was going to get a Yoshinoya type rice bowl. Disappointed. And it's a bowl of greasy food. Not a fan.
(1)Eunice K.
it's simple... but they do it right. i have to admit that i'm a sucker for the garlic sesame steak with brown rice. i've tried their seoul & teriyaki bowls but by far, garlic sesame is the best. i haven't tried the peanut sauce one that i've heard highly about... but, i'm not a fan of nuts so i don't think i'm missing out too much. the only thing that keeps me giving it a 5 star is that sometimes their desserts are soggy for whatever reason.
(4)Scott M.
Food is great, prices are even better. Highly recommend.
(5)Amy M.
I'm confused by comments here about Chinese food and overwhelming sauces. This is clearly a Japanese restaurant, and the marinated meat has lots of flavor on its own, so just get the sauce on the side if you don't want an overly saucy dish. Oh well, here's my two cents: I'm from Western Washington state, where teriyaki places are nearly as numerous as coffee huts. We haven't found anywhere in this area since moving here 6 years ago that rivals our favorite teriyaki places back home. This one might be it! But I've only been once so far. (And as to one reviewer's comment about the cooks at Ricky's being "Mexican" -- the teriyaki restaurant I worked at back home was part of a chain owned by Koreans, with mostly Mexican kitchen staff and Vietnamese/Korean/Thai wait staff, and it's THE most popular teriyaki place up there. I'm not saying these counter-service-type teriyaki places are authentic Japanese food -- I haven't been to Japan -- but they ARE a delicious interpretation of teriyaki, and much faster/cheaper than going to a fancier, sit-down sushi place for teriyaki). I had the teriyaki chicken bowl (comes with white rice and veggies) and a spring roll. The chicken was moist and flavorful (all breast meat), the veggies light and not overcooked, the rice perfectly sticky. It's simple teriyaki the way we're used to it. Japanese places typically have potstickers, not spring rolls, so I was curious about Ricky's roll -- it definitely has more of a Chinese-style egg roll wrapper, but the filling was fresh and flavorful, and it was fried nicely (not too greasy). I enjoyed it with a little sweet sauce and hot mustard from the sauce bar. On the rice bowl, I ended up putting a little mix of soy sauce and sriracha on the veggies and rice, but the meat certainly didn't need any adornment. I'm about 5 months pregnant and have been sick much of the time, and chicken has been among the foods that make me wretch. But I finally got over the sickness, and for some reason, chicken FINALLY sounded appetizing again last night. I'm so glad, because, I mean, I reaaaaaally loved this chicken. I almost ate the whole bowl but am glad I have some leftover for lunch today. :) I can't wait to bring my husband here and start trying other menu items. I'll come back to Yelp to change my review if my opinion changes. But so far, I recommend giving this a try.
(4)Rachel F.
my husband orders the fish, he says it tastes really fresh, like when you go backpacking and cook your fresh caught fish on the fire, skin an all. I get the chicken, we've had the beef too. never picked a bad sauce; flavors are great, though they can sometimes be a little watery. spring rolls are nice and crunchy. prices are fair, the large bowl is big enough to eat two meals from. I wish this place delivered though, because it's usually cold in here and the tables tend to be sticky. we go back often, even so.
(4)Nina S.
What a find! If you're like me and love sesame chicken, but know you shouldn't be eating it, Ricky's has your solution: grilled chicken and steamed veggies along with brown rice in sesame sauce. Delicious! The fried tofu was also outrageously good. I enjoyed it with brown rice and the Seoul sauce which is their spiciest sauce. Delicious! Ricky! Bring your rice bowl to Chinatown, DC!!!
(5)stephen m.
I love their teriyaki fish bowl. It's fresh vegetables (broccoli, carrots, cabbage), rice, trout, and an amazing teriyaki sauce. Everything is fresh and delicious. This place has produced fresh, consistently good food for years.
(5)Greg H.
Ricky's rice bowl is one of the greatest places in the area for a delicious, inexpensive, and filling meal. The secret to Ricky's is to ALWAYS get the special. It doesn't matter what the special is that week, it's always delicious. Unlike the other dishes on Ricky's menu, the special is marinated in a sauce, instead of being grilled, then having the sauce put on it. This results in a much more tender and savory chicken or steak. It also means you have to wait longer for your meal (As the special is usually cooked only when it's ordered), so if you can, order via phone about 5-10 minutes before you arrive. Then you can just stand in line to pay, pickup and eat. Ricky's also allows customization of your food. Want brown rice? It can be substituted (though I don't think it's as good). Want only broccoli? Just ask. Don't want veggies at all? Ricky will put extra rice. I always feel bad for regulars who never order the special. Just do it! You'll thank me.
(5)Bella S.
Nice, cheap and fast just like most others on Yelp say. Got the Mauie Wowie wings with Seoul sauce and they were perfectly cooked. Z got the Peanut Chicken bowl and was definitely not impressed. The peanut sauce did lean on the smokey side. I got the Steak and Broccoli bowl which had pretty nice steak and great broccoli but somewhat watery teriyaki sauce in a huge puddle at the bottom. Still, I liked it.
(3)John C.
They follow a simple formula here: rice, steamed fresh veggies, grilled meat, and sauce. Meat is fresh off the grill all day, but the veggies seem to be best at the lunch rush. The teriyaki sauce is not too strong. Cheap, fast, and healthy. My favorite combos are peanut tofu and teriyaki fish (grilled to order).
(4)Dave P.
Ahhh, Ricky's. The chicken seoul bowl is almost old enough to drive! I first encountered Ricky's while working at NIH in Bethesda in 1994. The original Ricky's, alas, is no longer there, but the menu and tastes live on in G'burg Square. On a sunny day, the line would be out the door, and Ricky himself (or a facsimile) manned the counter, and greeted quite a few of us by name. There was a Ricky's in Reston for a while, and I personally tried to keep it well funded. Note the past tense. My absolute favorite, bar none, is the seoul sauce. I don't know what's in it, but it's good enough to draw me up from Sterling for a bowl once in a while. I relish the days when they do Bulgogi as a daily special, be it chicken or beef. The teriyaki sauce is okay, but I find it a bit too sweet for my tastes, especially a bowls worth. The decor is rather kitschy, they sell t-shirts. There are a slew of chain restaurants in the area, so kitschy decorations aren't out of the ordinary, but a family owned business that serves good food is. Give it a shot. Note that this would be a 5-star review save for the following two things: 1) They have a minimum charge of $5 for a CC transaction -- this is against the rules for both Visa and MC (not sure about discover), but I'm not calling them on this. 2) They charge extra for additional sauce. A seoul bowl should be doused in it, not spritzed.
(4)Jim C.
RRB is exactly as advertised: fresh ingredients grilled and/or stir-fried placed on rice and covered in your choice of house-made sauces. All is good, nothing bad. I'm partial to the "hot" Seoul sauce. Peanut sauce is good too. It's not Chinese food, it's not "Asian" food. It's sort of a fusion food. These places are a dime-a-dozen in LA. Every strip mall has one. There must be ten different chains out there. The reason for the popularity? Simple, fresh food.
(3)Darrin L.
Always quick service and tasty food. Lunch, dinner always good. Beats the ordinary 'counter service' places.
(4)Jon M.
It is a good little place for a quick low-cost meal. The flavor is good and the sauces are taste. Is it 5-stars, no; is it better than ok yes. And it is filling, with no health side effects. I had the curry chicken, which is mild like Japanese curry, and my friend had the peanut chicken, I found it wasn't too sweet.
(3)Dave C.
It's all about expectations. I'm looking for fast, fresh, and inexpensive. This is not the best Asian cuisine, but it is very tasty and consistently good. If you're not sure what to order, get whatever is on special. I've never gone wrong with that approach.
(4)An N.
Happened to walk by on the way to Carter's during my lunch hour. I thought the name is rather catchy so I decided to get lunch here. Big mistake. I ended up eating only half my lunch. I got chicken and rice but it tasted like fish. I would rather eat at the food court at Lakeforest Mall than to eat here again.
(1)Tim R.
Ate here once. No reason to do it again.
(2)Richard M.
Here's the deal. If you want fresh, quick, and healthy food, this is the place. Everything steamed and grilled served over rice with a choice of sauce. I get the brown rice for 30 cents extra but it doesn't soak up the sauce like white rice does. I agree with the other guy who said get the special. Whatever it is, just get it. They rotate every week but always good. If you get the large, make sure you have a place a nap afterwards - it's pretty filling. Oh, and if you care about service, like I do, these guys really know how to take care of customers with a smile.
(5)lisa y.
Lived off this for lunch when it was in it's Bethesda location. It's sorely missed! Great asian food, I wouldn't say all that, but they are good. I had the Chicken Seoul Bowl, plenty of chicken and rice and veggies. Eggrolls, not as good as my dad's, but sometimes you just have a craving for a greasy egg roll.
(3)Esther O.
Can't believe I haven't reviewed already! I'm a total fan of Ricky's Rice Bowl. Always good, always fast, always fresh, always YUM. Now they have brown rice, so I can have a tofu and veggies bowl with brown rice and be a happy camper. :-)
(4)Daniel R.
Something about the almost crazy psychedelic red interior and pictures of angry samurai and sumo warriors makes me uneasy in this place. Like i'm about to get jumped by the Cobra Kai. Then again, I'm not hear to meditate, just eat rice bowls. The couple i've tried weren't bad, but they weren't life changing or orgasmic either. $11 for a healthy-ish lunch if you don't mind the slightly creepy vibe the place gives off. No hard feelings, I may come back for lunch sometime since I work right across the street.
(3)Jeffrey S.
I've been going to Ricky's for almost 20 years. Never had a bad meal. Great food, great prices, and great customer service. The owner Sonny is very friendly and is always there. Overall a great place!
(5)Nicole P.
Not a big fan of Ricky's. I had passed by it a million times from Borders to CVS and back to the car, and have drooled over the menu just as many. So I finally decided to try it out. And I was really disappointed. The food wasn't very good, not much flavor. I could make better at home. And personally, I'd much, much rather go to a mall foodcourt Sakura and get some teriyaki that's full of flavor (and lard, but that's not the point). I really wouldn't recommend wasting your money there. If you at this shopping center, go to Quiznos or Borders or Panera. **edit** I've changed my rating from a 2 to a 3. I was passing by today, and thought, hmm. Time to give it a second shot? I had the chicken bulgogi, which did not taste a bit like bulgogi, but it was hot and spicy and not bad. SO! Thus, I change my rating for a decent meal. (but again, tasted nothing like bulgogi!)
(3)Ron U.
Great food. I visit the DC area once in a while and always try to stop by for a meal.
(4)Sarah T.
I've seen some mixed reviews so let me just say, if you're looking for a nice sit down asian restaurant, this is not the place. It's a great cheap, healthy asian restaurant. The food is good, although I could reproduce the same in my own kitchen. It's nothing spectacular, but I'm pretty sure it's not meant to be. It's just average, fast, healthy, but still pretty good. It's been a staple of mine for a few years and now that I'm back in town I'm excited to try their new editions to their menu. It's definitely the perfect lunch hour food!
(5)Rob L.
As someone said below, the formula is simple: fresh-grilled meats over steamed vegetables and rice, with a choice of sauces. Is this the same 4 stars I'd give a fine french restaurant? Of course not. But for freshly-prepared simple meals at a reasonable price, Ricky's food is quite tasty and a great alternative to the endless row of fast food choices on the route 355 strip in Gaithersburg.
(4)dave h.
Not a fan of this place. I used to work for the Starbucks in the shopping center and we used to call this place "Ickies lice bowl". This was years ago, maybe they have gotten better since then.
(2)Haiku review guy ..
Delicious value "Peanut chicken for you, sir?" Yes, with broccoli
(5)Adam S.
Awesome place! I go here about every week now and yet I get the same thing Tofu Veggie Bowl with peanut sauce. In your bowl you can get either brown or white rice, then you pick your topping with includes chicken, beef, veggies, tofu, and fish (maybe a couple other things I forget). Then you pick between 4-5 sauces to add to the top. They give great portions and food tastes excellent, plus its really not that bad for you. Highly recommended for a cheap, healthy eat.
(4)shari t.
love this place i always get the rice bowl sometimes switch up the sauces in it cuz they are all great
(4)Nicole L.
I driven past the restaurant a dozen times sometime I thought it could be an interesting place to eat but I was never excited enough to remember to go there. We had a training and was taken to lunch someone suggested Ricky's. Walking in it's like a fastfood joint style tables and chairs in the front and ordering in the back. The gaudy decoration of japanese banners and print was quite loud and didn't make sense especially when rice bowl originated in China, the owner is Korean and they don't serve sushi. The only japanese thing is the word TERIYAKI. LOL at my own joke. The menu is very basic choices of meat, rice, and sauces. Let me expand: Meat - chicken, beef and fish or vegetarian, Rice - fried rice, steamed rice and brown rice, sauces - teriyaki, korean and peanut sauce I think. It reminded me of the mall foodcourt but it's slightly better. The food is not as greasy. There are regular and large portions for ordering. I got the tofu/vege bowl with addition of chicken and peanut sauce. The tofu was very crispy and the sauce together reminded me of the indonesian gado-gado. I have to say I like it alot - the combination of chicken, tofu and cabbages with the sauce is delish! I ordered the bowl with brown rice which is additional $0.50 (not sure cos I didn't pay for lunch)- another plus for me. The asian place in Mont. Mall charges $1.50 for subsitution of steam with brown rice. That's daylight robbery. More reason I like Ricky's. The hot sauce was typical preservative-added Vietnamese hot sauce- I am just getting tired of that siracha hot sauce, it tasted like chemical and often make me sick but I had no other choice. Simple crushed red peppers in oil would work much better for me.I really like the drinks they sell - lots of organic and low sugar teas such as Tazo and Anteadote. The ANteadote green tea has no sugar and no calories. It was delicious.
(3)Renan A.
I am a big fan of Ricky's. It is good, fresh food. I have found that people usually love it, or dislike it. There is no middle ground. I luv it
(5)Jennifer D.
I'm a total fan... I love that you can order the bowls without any rice... for $.75 more you can order double steamed veggies, no rice... Love that! It's hard to find tasty, healthy food served hot for lunch and about as quick as it gets. I love that it's not a chain and that the employees really seem to care about the customer and making them happy. I will be a regular... I only discovered this place last week and I've been twice. I'm looking forward to trying all of the other sauces.
(4)David S.
OK here we go.... I met a friend for lunch Friday around 2pm. We both ordered the steak teriyaki and we were both disappointed. 2 bowl 2 drinks 20 bucks? WOW!! If it was good I wouldn't mind but I've had better rice bowls coming out of a box in the supermarket. I will not waste my time or money at Ricky's again. The food was sub par but the service was excellent and the restaurant was clean.
(3)Aleksandra V.
I LOVE this place. It's cheap, fast and tasty! Mmmmmm. I always get the Chicken teriyaki with Xtra veggies, no rice (tryin to watch carbs) and it's awesome. Consistently great taste. Hey for fast food, it's above and beyond the expectation.
(4)Harris N.
Not so much. Can't really tell you what I didn't like, but it's just low quality food with bad service. textures, smells, tastes were all below what I expected, and I wasn't expecting that much from a fast food place.
(2)Daryll H.
Most people aren't into this place at all, but the Large Teriyaki Chicken Bowl is of my favorite foods. This is the only thing I miss about living in suburban Maryland. Well, this and a girl I used to know, but that's a story for another day.
(5)Lu L.
I never write reviews, but I was excited to try this place based off the reviews. Other than the quick service and the gentleman that took our order, nothing was good about this place. Rarely do I take just a few bites of food and just give up. I wouldn't suggest this place ever to anyone.
(1)Kimberly T.
I went was I was running errands one day. I haven't been there in a really long time. What I remembered was that they only accept cash. The whole processes was about 10 minutes or less. I went to the counter and ordered Korean Steak Bowl with Brown Rice, in a small/ regular. I ordered it to go. I only waited a short amount of time to get my food. When I got home, it was still hot the food was cooked perfectly. I wish bowl had like kimchi since it was a korean steak bowl. But it was great sauce over the meat and vegetables which were steamed and rice at the bottom. It was a little hard to mix everything at first but I really enjoyed it. I would definitely go again.
(4)Jay G.
I have been a regular of Ricky's for many years since my brother introduced me to it. Love the food, great service, and really nice people work here. Great customer service. Love this place because with the grilled chicken, brown rice, and steamed veggies, you can eat very healthy. My favorite is the grilled chix teriyaki. My downfall there is the spring rolls, which I love too. Great place, great food, great people!
(5)Kassie E.
I hate to do this but theres just SOMETHING about this place I cant quite put my finger on which i dislike....I title my review Theres Something About Ricky... So I deposit my cracked screen at iFixit in this G-Burg Soccer Mom Plaza Trap. Ross, Bed Bath Beyond and Mattress store? A mom's dream plaza! While im waiting for my phone to be fixed I meander along the Plaza...Oooo Ricky's Rice Bowl? Lets go! I walk in and its reminiscent of a horrible 1980s diner. The decor is AWFUL. Its like someone mixed stereotyped asian decor with acid jazz from the 90s. If Ken and Barbie decorated an Asian restaurant THIS would be it. But yall know Im greedy Id eat there even if there were little red devils biting the ears off of angels drawn on the wall in blood. (Kidding) So I order the steak and chicken peanut bowl. Im skeptical cause Im like what is this some original knock off of the ShopHouse? (I know ShopHouse came after Ricky) To my pleasant suprise the food is not bad. But its not overwhelmingly good either. I guess going to the ShopHouse ruined my unbiasedness but the bowl was tasty but underwhelming. Im not sure if Im sold. It didnt make me want to go out of my way like I do with Panda Express, and MUST HAVE RICKYS BOWL NOW! No I dont think Ill ever be doing that. I think this mainly has to do with the decor and presentation of the food.
(3)Shawn H.
I've been coming here since they first opened. Nothing has ever changed-- other than how many people were standing in line. Rice, vegetables, meat, and great sauce. Ricky's does one thing very well...in at least 15 ways! Their food is fresh, served hit over good rice, and the flavors are exquisitely done. Long Live Ricky's Rice Bowl!
(5)S A.
I didn't like the place as soon as I stepped in. The place has no air condition because they are prob trying to save money. They are not thinking about customer comfort. Once I got the food it was actually tasting good, until I found a big old cockroach crawling out. Haven't been back since. Rickys rice bowl is ranked.
(2)Luwei G.
Food was awesome. Steak tasted good and had enough vegges. But I don't like the smell inside the restaurant.
(4)Tracey S.
So the food is average but the establishment is filthy!!! I swear I needed a shot just leaving the place. I don't think the tables abs floors have ever been cleaned. Save the tetanus shot and eat somewhere else!!
(2)Jin L.
Solid and quick asian-inspired food. Tried both the teriyaki steak as well as the seoul steak bowls and personally enjoyed the teriyaki more. Regular sizes are good enough to be full and you'll walk away feeling you ate a decently healthy meal with a nice balance of meat, rice, and vegetables.
(3)Chris A.
If you want good healthy food. You come here. Very simple. The teriyaki chicken is amazing!
(5)Jessica M.
I've been coming to Ricky's for almost 10 years and they are just as good now as they were back then. I initially got the tofu bowl with sesame garlic sauce, but after trying the peanut sauce there was no going back! They give you a large (even the regular size) portion for a great price. If they ever go out of business I will be the saddest person along with many of my friends who have frequented this place over the years. Never a disappointing meal!
(5)Dan B.
I've been eating at Ricky's since the early to mid '90s at the Bethesda location and then the G-burg location thereafter, and have noticed many changes. In my opinion, pretty good food, but over the years, the prices keep going up and more disturbingly, the serving portions keep getting smaller. The current "large bowl" is what a medium use to be. This is know as the "shrink ray effect" and is really pissing me off. It's one thing to raise prices--I get that--but to play games with the serving size, that falls more under deception (it's a sneaky way of implementing a price increase and hoping your customer base wont notice--well I have! ), IMO.
(2)Jorge R.
Been coming to this place since the late 90's and it's been consistently good. Came by today after a few years and they didn't skip a beat. Chicken peanut bowl was perfect and the steak teriyaki was excellent, beef was medium not cooked to death.
(5)Chris H.
Very good food, its a little pricey but you get what you pay for, staff is very friendly, the only thing i would complain about is dirty bathroom. ..was very filthy
(4)Muhammad Z.
Healthy and tasty food. Love to eat here. And the staff specially the manager is so cool and nice guy. I love their chicken rice bowl.
(5)M. P.
Ricky's is OK. Not that great but not the worst ever. Decent I'd say. Stopped by for lunch....wow.....hadn't been here for a while. Clearly they haven't been putting much into the place. it hasn't seen a paint job or any other work in years. Another red flag - at lunch time, there was nothing cooking on the grill, stove, whatever. Nothing. No meat grilling. Totally void of cooking. A bit of a red flag....seems that they've cooked it and been keeping it in a warming tank. A bit McDonalds-esque considering they used to fresh cook the orders. Staff was also rather rude. The guy running the counter had his iPod in and once they prepared my to-go order, just tossed it on the counter with no thank you, eye contact or anything.
(2)A J.
It's okay...not the worst but far from the best. Also they charge for extra teriyaki sauce.
(3)Mega E.
Excellent food !! Good price excellent quality Sam and other guys excelkent customer service
(5)Deidre C.
Stopped in today after an appointment at the Kaiser Permanente down the street. I'd been eye-balling Ricky's Yelp page for a while and was excited to give it a chance. I got the Seoul steak bowl and a spring roll. Hubsters got steak yakisoba and a spring roll. Both bowls had a crazy-generous amount of steak in them. Hubby loved his yakisoba; I only liked my bowl. The Seoul sauce was not quite what I was expecting but was in no way terrible. The spring rolls were fantastic! Hot and stuffed full. The hot mustard on the condiment island is AMAZING. It will definitely clear your sinuses. All in all, a decent, quick, cheap place to grab a bite to eat.
(4)silvia r.
I dream about this place, its sooo good! I moved from md to nyc a few years ago and everytime i step foot on Md soil you can bet this is my fist stop (no kidding!). Terryaki chicken bowl for the win!!!!
(5)Collin W.
I usually don't rate places but I had to for this one. The food is really good and reasonable price can't ask for more.
(5)Brettney C.
I ate here for the first time a few weeks ago and got the steak teriyaki bowl and liked it. My only complaint was that it was a bit dry and I couldn't really taste the teriyaki. I work down the road and thought I'd try it again for lunch today. I got the chicken teriyaki bowl this time with extra sauce on the side. Complete opposite. The chicken was very dry and so were the veggies. I hadn't even opened the extra sauce because I got down to the rice and it was swimming in the sauce. I was really hungry and tolerated the meal, but there was a very odd taste to it I couldn't quite place. It kind of tasted like how a fish/seafood market smells. I eventually couldn't get past that odd taste and threw it out. The lady a few orders before me ordered a fish and shrimp bowl.... could be why mine tasted like a fish market.
(2)Adrian S.
Fantasic place !!! Simply put, this place is great. Food is great, service is great. Try thr Peanut Steak bowl with fried rice or the Chicken Seoul bowl. I've been coming here since the late 90's. I wish there were more locations in the DC Metro area. This food is GREAT !!
(4)Daniel C.
Remember that Asian style Lean Cuisine you keep in your freezer for drunken emergencies, or terrible house guests? You know, the one that you heated up when you were blackout drunk at 3AM when you were 19 years old. Imagine in your infinite drunken wisdom that you heated up FOUR of them at once, and then transferred them to a large plastic vessel. Now transport yourself and your crappy pile of food to an even crappier location than your crappy dorm room. Welcome to Ricky's Rice Bowl.
(1)Katie C.
SO GOOD! My husband and I stumbled upon Ricky's Rice Bowl as it's near our CVS. He came home one day and said "you've got to try this!" My favorite is the steak and veggies. You can be very flexible with your order and get double meat, pick and choose your veggies, ask for more sauce, etc. The servings are pretty big so I always have some left over for lunch the next day. Very, very good!!
(5)Braden J.
Some of the people I know absolutely love this place, so if you are thinking about trying this place out you probably should because you may turn into a super fan like many of my coworkers. For me this place is just okay (A-OK I guess). I usually go with the Teryiaki or Sesame and Garlic Chicken with fried rice (an extra 30 cents: ballers only). The chicken is pretty tender and the vegetables are good, but for me sauce is everything and I am not all that impressed with it here. The sauce always seems very light and watered down. When I have something with teriyaki sauce i really want it to be thick and full of flavor. The sauce at Ricky's reminds me more of a nice broth with subtle flavor. So try this place out maybe you will love it, but personally it isn't nearly up to snuff with the rest of the Asian style restaurants in the area.
(3)Vicki T.
Great place for a quick fast healthy meal. It's really great for me since I am a vegetarian, I get the tofu bowl and it is so yummy! I almost always get carryout, the service is fast and friendly. The decor of the place has not changed since it opened, but if you look past that I think you'll enjoy your meal.
(4)John H.
The food is above average. Service is average. Portions are a bit skimpy for the price. My biggest problem with this place is the location. The parking situation is hopeless and you will encounter some serious ratchetness in that shopping center.
(3)Angie N.
Amazing food, very fresh and cheap! But don't let the price fool you, the quality is high. They have a lot of delicious options, you can find a lot of vegan and vegetarian friendly combinations.
(5)Kim A.
LOVE their food. It's simple, yet absolutely delicious. Generous portions are perfect for lunch or dinner. Basically everything is vegetables and/or meat on top of either white or brown rice. My favorite is the chicken and broccoli teriyaki; the teriyaki sauce they use is amazing. An assortment of additional sauces are on the counter, but I love the food as-is. I just wish there were more locations, or that I lived closer!
(5)John E.
This is my go to place in the area! Always fresh, consistent, and delicious. All the sauces are excellent, though the peanut one is my favorite. Sonny is a great dude and so are the guys in the kitchen. Seriouslly, give this family owned place a shot over any of the chain restaurants in that area; it's definetly the best place to eat at there!
(5)Sevy B.
Perfect for vegetarians! LOVE the peanut sauce, always get tofu w/vegetables and extra sauce. Have tried teriyaki but always go back to the peanut sauce! Usually do take out but last time we ate in and wow, the tofu was even better, crispy little puffs! They do use fresh vegetables, I've seen them delivered! Love the selection of beverages in the cooler, try something new just about every time! Ginger salad is great, too, with the fresh ginger dressing -- really different. The delicious white rice sticks together for chop sticks, too. Have never had a bad experience here.
(5)Daniel G.
Pretty good food for the price, usually get take out. Quick and easy, tofu in the peanut sauce is amazing. Taste fresh, the brown rice is delicious. Staff is friendly, huge serving size. Recommend to anyone who is looking for a quick/tasty Asian eat.
(4)Michael R.
I have been coming to Ricky's Rice Bowl ever since I came to this shopping center. I took a chance and boy was i rewarded. I usually go here to support them as opposed to a more commercialized chipotle,boston market,panera (in same shopping cntr) You'll blow a lot more money at those places and pay too much for crappy food.. Ricky's rice Bowl has fresh vegetables and cabbage as well as brown or white rice. The best thing is the variety you can get shrimp, chicken, tofu, or beef/steak. The food and sauces are unbelievably good and they have a sauce bar which sweetens the deal for me. It's cozy and friendly service. You can eat there or outside which if it's a nice day why not? Anyway the owner Ricky is a very nice man and very thoughtful about all people. It is kid friendly and they have a lot of great stuff for all to enjoy. Just can't say enough about it. So if your nearby and want a reasonably priced lunch check it out. My favorite is the peanut chicken bowl, but everything there is great. Also i've never had a bad experience there and i've been coming for 8 years and counting..
(5)Rachel B.
Omg no. I got the seoul bowl...I don't understand at all. The sauce was pinkish and the taste was like a terrible sweet and sour mess. My boyfriend got some other bowl (unfortunately I don't remember exactly which one), which he ended up throwing out. This place has terrible food. I don't know what the owner is doing, but I vowed never to go back there again.
(1)Anita C.
Wow, this is terrible. As in I'll-never-visit-again terrible. I was looking forward to trying this place because it sounds great: pick your protein, pick your sauce, you can have brown rice, stir fry it with veggies. Check, check, check. In short, Ricky's Rice Bowl serves cubes of dry chicken or steak and ladles tons (tons!!) of sticky, sweet sauce over it. The sauce tastes extremely artificial and is very thick. I ordered a half chicken, half steak bowl with brown rice (extra 30 cents) and the Seoul sauce. It was so, so terrible. My boyfriend ordered the chicken bowl with peanut sauce. And the peanut sauce that some people like? It's terribly, awfully artificial. I felt like I was eating peanut-flavored rice at one point. We shoved as much down our throats as we could and quite literally, got the heck out of there! Sorry, Ricky's. I really had higher expectations for some cheap, hot, fast food. The sticky, heavy, artificial sauce really did you in.
(1)sonia g.
don't let the occasional emptiness of the place deter you - their food is good and consistent every time. love their peanut chicken bowl, more veggies, less rice + hot sauce = so good. even the small size is too big for me, while being very reasonably priced. great service.
(4)Jeff B.
I have always used Ricky's Rice Bowl as the butt of my jokes, but no more! Ricky's Rice Bowl is a vegan-certified restaurant. I just became vegan so now I'm pretentious. Is this vegan? Oh, I'M VEGAN, I can't eat that. Look at me and my reduced carbon footprint. I'm saving the world from animal abuse. Look at me. I can get my protein from these flaxseeds. I ordered the tofu bowl, which comes with fried tofu and vegetables atop a large serving of either white or brown rice. I don't understand why people would ever choose brown rice over white rice. True Azians eat white rice. I choose white rice because I want my rice stripped of all of its nutrients. You can get a small rice bowl for like 7 bucks or a big rice bowl for like 8 bucks. I went with the small bowl, and I added a teriyaki sauce. The hot sauce they serve at the condiment station is not Sriracha, but rather it is a faux-hot sauce. The inside of the restaurant is very casual and is sort of an eyesore, but don't let that stop you! Parking is plentiful.
(4)David S.
I think they put an addictive chemical in the sauce. Its simple concept i have been going since high school. I always get the large and could have been full with a regular
(5)Lindsay K.
I'll start off by saying that this place is not super fancy, and just by looking at their menu, nothing will blow your mind. However, I love what they serve and how they cook their food. They're able to give you a quick, healthy (well, relatively) meal that's still delicious. No, it's not going to taste like Sarku or some other Asian food court restaurant, so it might not be what you'd expect. But I personally love it. I typically get the chicken seoul bowl--grilled chicken topped with a spicy sriracha-based sauce on a bed of fresh vegetables and rice. It's always hard for me to stop eating because the combination of everything really hits the spot. It's simple yet satisfying and consistently so. I've been coming here for many years now and will continue to do so.
(5)Laura I.
Food is Fantastic, and their employees are so nice! One night I had a craving for some Ricky's and called ahead to make sure they were still open. I found out that they were closing in 10 minutes, and when the employee heard disappointment in my voice he asked what I wanted, and said that he would make it for me if I could arrive in the next 15 minutes. Obviously I agreed and hopped in my car to get my dinner. As I arrived the staff was so kind, even though they were tired and closing up for the night (and stayed 5 minutes late for me!) :)
(5)Jose F.
My roommate took me here for the first time and it definitely won't be my last. The teriyaki chicken is ridiculously good.
(5)Robert A.
We really enjoy the food here. The people who work here are usually very friendly. The reason why I am not giving them 5 stars is because of the wait. Last time we went it was early evening, not too crowded. We ordered 2 large steak bowls. We were being very patient while waiting for our food even though we saw 4 people who came after us get their food. Finally, we went to the front to see what was up and even though there were 4 people in the back not a single one looked our way to help us (it took them a good several minutes for them to say anything) Eventually someone asked what we need and we told them our situation and he said sorry and told us that we were next. (by this point we have already been waiting 20 min) Then, another lady who came in after us got her food and we didn't get our food for another 10 minutes!! It's not like we ordered a lot.. Just 2 large steak bowls. This isn't the first time this happened here Maybe it's just our luck!
(4)Liz N.
For $7 it was ok.. and it's extra Ok that they don't charge extra for brown rice.. I got the Seoul Steak bowl thinking it'd be bulgolgi-esk... buttt.. not at all. The steak was tender and cooked to medium well to perfection, but it just lack any depth of flavor. I filled the bowl up with hot sauce, their "spicy oil" which I think is really only "sesame oil", and some hotsauce.. so that was even worst. Don't see myself coming back any time soon.
(3)Fenny L.
About 15 years ago, there was a Ricky's Ricebowl in Bethesda near my family's shop...and I ate there CONSTANTLY. it wasn't that it was especially delicious...I mean, even then, it was a bowl of rice with some prices of meat and drenched with "teriyaki sauce"...but I was young, dumb, and counted any meal that wasn't ramen as a major win (hey, I was a poor college kid working for peanuts). Fast forward 15 years...15 years without eating Ricky's, to an evening where we were out of power (thank you stupid thunderstorm!), and my husband and I went on the hunt for cheap eats...and stumbled upon Ricky's. My husband was Ricky's curious...and despite my warnings, he was convinced that it wouldn't be that bad. Yup. Not much has changed in those 15 years. It's still a bowl of rice with some prices of dry chicken and a ladle full of sticky sweet sauce. Why doesn't he ever believe me?!? But I will say, the food was served hot, fast and cheap.
(2)John N.
1 out of 5 stars!! Though this place might entice you with it's smell...it will repulse you with its food. Its Chinese food!! How badly can you mess up Chinese food?? Apparently its pretty easy because this place is pretty bad. I work in the area and I was sick of going to my normal places. I had heard that this place was bad and was told not to go to it but against my better judgement, I gave it a try. Tried the Steak and Broccoli bowl with fried rice. Seemed like your standard beef with broccoli. Took one bite and was perplexed by what I was tasting....Was this Gold Bond medicated foot powder?? Not that I know what that tastes like...... that's another story for another site. Anyways, the food was bland and it was not good at all. I usually eat anything and everything, but I ended up throwing away half the food cause I didn't want to eat it anymore. I know what you must be thinking, soy sauce can make anything taste good....especially Chinese food. It actually made it worse!! Nothing can save this food.
(1)Sara C.
I don't know what that one person is yapping about with regard to crappy meat but the meat is what impressed me the most. We normally go chicken (curry or Seoul) but I went with the steak Seoul bowl once and now I'm hooked. The steak was legit steak. And when I picked it up, I saw them slapping a bunch of raw chicken breasts on the grill. So I KNOW they're cooking this stuff up as fresh as you can expect from a fast foody type joint. I wasn't a fan of the peanut sauce but my husband defended my calling it a "bowl of disappointment"...even so, I know deep down he is well aware it was not as good as his go-to curry. (Exemplified by the fact that the time we ordered, post-peanut, he went back to the curry). But I also love that you can get brown rice. I give it five stars based on what you get vs what you're expecting. This isn't gourmet food, people, so don't get all high and mighty about it. It's glorified Chinese take-out and it's delicious. Enjoy!
(5)Andrea R.
I've been going to Ricky's since I was in high school. I'm in my 30s now and this is still one of my favorite places to grab a quick but nutritious bite to eat. The food is consistently good and healthy. The staff are awesome and it's a good place to grab lunch for vegetarians and carnivores alike. If you're in the area, stop at Ricky's! Great for eating in or carryout and the owner has managed to keep prices very reasonable over the years.
(5)Robert C.
I wanted to give this place a 0 star, but yelp wouldn't let me post my review. That's how bad this place is! From the time I stepped into the place, I knew it's gonna be bad. Here're some of the red flags: 1. We're the only Asians in this place ( and this is an Asian restaurant lol). 2. There're so many Japanese themed decorations & paintings; they're trying way too hard. 3. They got a bag of rice as 1 of their displays.... Common now, I have one at home too! 4. All the chefs're Hispanics. 5. The food's all cooked in the same way, but they just put different sauce in the end. We tried Seoul Chicken and Teriyaki chicken ($7 for regular bowl after tax). They're complete trash. Like I said before, the food's made the same way, but they put different sauce on top. The portion's relatively small, there's not much meat or rice. The rice's sooo drenched in sauce, it doesn't even taste like rice anymore. I feel like I was drinking sauce the whole time there. The food's so bad, even the frozen Teriyaki Chicken that I buy from Costco taste better than these. The only positive thing: No MSG, but they have to make it somewhat flavorful by flooding the dishes with sauce. One of the worst restaurant I've ever been in years. You guys are better off with Panda Express.
(1)Jen J.
Ricky's delivers consistently good, cheap, great tasting food. He could spruce spruce up the place a bit but the food is good, so I don't think I care about anything else. The peanut chicken or steak and teriyaki chicken or fish are my recommendations.
(4)Katelyn K.
We were out in Gaithersburg and were hungry but couldn't agree on a restaurant. So we pulled into the lot with intentions of going to Panera Bread - as usual Panera Bread was overcrowded, so we decided to try somewhere else in the shopping plaza which is how we found Ricky's. We were surprised how empty it was right around lunch time, but figured why not. The service was decent (it takes a while to cook, I understand). He had the broccoli and steak, which was good - they used real steak grilled then sliced rather than just mystery beef. And I had the yakisoba, which was good, but I am not sure why my noodles came with rice. The flavor on everything was really good though.
(4)B. H.
The best on the block ! Healthy , and yummy Chicken teriyaki or peanut chicken bowls ! Never fried chicken , grilled to perfection . Love this place. Even after The other chicken place opened up at the end of the shopping center , Ricky's still destroys any and all competition ! Thanks for being so caring with what you serve ! We need a punch card !!!
(5)Dan G.
Ricky's Rocks!! Absolutely love their food. Been going here for years and food is always delicious. Often get their specials. Their sauces are tasty. Beef or chicken Guglioki(?) has just enough spice. Tofu veggie bowl w/ peanut sauce--always good. Portions are generous. Skip the junk fast food and try RIcky's. You'll be back.
(5)Chris H.
I'd give it a three only because the price can be somewhat unreasonable, in my opinion. The food isn't anything special but it's good. The ingredients they use are authentic and you can see them cooking it. The large is enough to feed me twice, so that's how I usually rationalize the price of it. My favorite, hands down, is the steak & broccoli w/ extra peanut sauce. My friends really enjoy the Seoul sauce but nothing tops peanut sauce. You also can't go wrong with adding a bit of Sriracha hot sauce.
(3)Andrew F.
I have been coming to this place at one location or another probably since I was ten years old. After spending a lot of time on the other coast and having a rough go of moving back east, it was incredibly comforting to know that Ricky's was still operating. I've tried most of his sauces and variations on what is to me the "original" -- the chicken teriyaki bowl. But for me, the chicken teriyaki is not only still an amazing value and the best deal around, but simple "comfort food" that is always delicious and because the quality has never varied over the years, has the effect of taking me back to my childhood when we would get take out from Ricky's as a treat and sit around the kitchen table as a family enjoying a great meal while giving my mom the "night off." The owner has said numerous times that he worries about his ability to stay open and maintain low prices in the face of rising rents. I hope he will always find a way -- or at least open a food truck and bottle/sell his sauces. Because when Ricky's closes it will be a sad day for me and many other longtime customers.
(5)Glenn F.
I love this place. I agree with others, get the special! The bulgolgi chicken and orange chicken specials being my favorite. They marinate the meats overnight with their specials so the meat has tons of flavor. I also love their Seoul wings!
(5)Nicole W.
Specials are listed on the left wall facing the door. Make sure to take a look. Not too many options, souel sauce had a nice kick but an ingredient i just couldn't place and tasted a little off. The veggies were a little weird and boiled a bit too long. Quick preparation, but i don't think i'll be trying this place again.
(2)Doo P.
This place is cheap, hot & fast... That is the only reason I give it two stars. The food looks like frozen TV dinners even the black plastic bowl it comes in. But, to be honest I've had better frozen food in the microwave.
(2)Daniel H.
Good place to go.I just wish you could get plain chicken or steak,rice and veggies though. When you get it, they still put teriyaki on it.
(5)Grace T.
I love their peanut chicken. I only wish they had a punch card for a free bowl like Quickfire does a few doors down.
(4)Adam S.
Awesome place! I go here about every week now and yet I get the same thing Tofu Veggie Bowl with peanut sauce. In your bowl you can get either brown or white rice, then you pick your topping with includes chicken, beef, veggies, tofu, and fish (maybe a couple other things I forget). Then you pick between 4-5 sauces to add to the top. They give great portions and food tastes excellent, plus its really not that bad for you. Highly recommended for a cheap, healthy eat.
(4)shari t.
love this place i always get the rice bowl sometimes switch up the sauces in it cuz they are all great
(4)Dave C.
It's all about expectations. I'm looking for fast, fresh, and inexpensive. This is not the best Asian cuisine, but it is very tasty and consistently good. If you're not sure what to order, get whatever is on special. I've never gone wrong with that approach.
(4)An N.
Happened to walk by on the way to Carter's during my lunch hour. I thought the name is rather catchy so I decided to get lunch here. Big mistake. I ended up eating only half my lunch. I got chicken and rice but it tasted like fish. I would rather eat at the food court at Lakeforest Mall than to eat here again.
(1)Tim R.
Ate here once. No reason to do it again.
(2)Richard M.
Here's the deal. If you want fresh, quick, and healthy food, this is the place. Everything steamed and grilled served over rice with a choice of sauce. I get the brown rice for 30 cents extra but it doesn't soak up the sauce like white rice does. I agree with the other guy who said get the special. Whatever it is, just get it. They rotate every week but always good. If you get the large, make sure you have a place a nap afterwards - it's pretty filling. Oh, and if you care about service, like I do, these guys really know how to take care of customers with a smile.
(5)lisa y.
Lived off this for lunch when it was in it's Bethesda location. It's sorely missed! Great asian food, I wouldn't say all that, but they are good. I had the Chicken Seoul Bowl, plenty of chicken and rice and veggies. Eggrolls, not as good as my dad's, but sometimes you just have a craving for a greasy egg roll.
(3)Esther O.
Can't believe I haven't reviewed already! I'm a total fan of Ricky's Rice Bowl. Always good, always fast, always fresh, always YUM. Now they have brown rice, so I can have a tofu and veggies bowl with brown rice and be a happy camper. :-)
(4)Daniel R.
Something about the almost crazy psychedelic red interior and pictures of angry samurai and sumo warriors makes me uneasy in this place. Like i'm about to get jumped by the Cobra Kai. Then again, I'm not hear to meditate, just eat rice bowls. The couple i've tried weren't bad, but they weren't life changing or orgasmic either. $11 for a healthy-ish lunch if you don't mind the slightly creepy vibe the place gives off. No hard feelings, I may come back for lunch sometime since I work right across the street.
(3)Jeffrey S.
I've been going to Ricky's for almost 20 years. Never had a bad meal. Great food, great prices, and great customer service. The owner Sonny is very friendly and is always there. Overall a great place!
(5)Nicole P.
Not a big fan of Ricky's. I had passed by it a million times from Borders to CVS and back to the car, and have drooled over the menu just as many. So I finally decided to try it out. And I was really disappointed. The food wasn't very good, not much flavor. I could make better at home. And personally, I'd much, much rather go to a mall foodcourt Sakura and get some teriyaki that's full of flavor (and lard, but that's not the point). I really wouldn't recommend wasting your money there. If you at this shopping center, go to Quiznos or Borders or Panera. **edit** I've changed my rating from a 2 to a 3. I was passing by today, and thought, hmm. Time to give it a second shot? I had the chicken bulgogi, which did not taste a bit like bulgogi, but it was hot and spicy and not bad. SO! Thus, I change my rating for a decent meal. (but again, tasted nothing like bulgogi!)
(3)Ron U.
Great food. I visit the DC area once in a while and always try to stop by for a meal.
(4)Nicole L.
I driven past the restaurant a dozen times sometime I thought it could be an interesting place to eat but I was never excited enough to remember to go there. We had a training and was taken to lunch someone suggested Ricky's. Walking in it's like a fastfood joint style tables and chairs in the front and ordering in the back. The gaudy decoration of japanese banners and print was quite loud and didn't make sense especially when rice bowl originated in China, the owner is Korean and they don't serve sushi. The only japanese thing is the word TERIYAKI. LOL at my own joke. The menu is very basic choices of meat, rice, and sauces. Let me expand: Meat - chicken, beef and fish or vegetarian, Rice - fried rice, steamed rice and brown rice, sauces - teriyaki, korean and peanut sauce I think. It reminded me of the mall foodcourt but it's slightly better. The food is not as greasy. There are regular and large portions for ordering. I got the tofu/vege bowl with addition of chicken and peanut sauce. The tofu was very crispy and the sauce together reminded me of the indonesian gado-gado. I have to say I like it alot - the combination of chicken, tofu and cabbages with the sauce is delish! I ordered the bowl with brown rice which is additional $0.50 (not sure cos I didn't pay for lunch)- another plus for me. The asian place in Mont. Mall charges $1.50 for subsitution of steam with brown rice. That's daylight robbery. More reason I like Ricky's. The hot sauce was typical preservative-added Vietnamese hot sauce- I am just getting tired of that siracha hot sauce, it tasted like chemical and often make me sick but I had no other choice. Simple crushed red peppers in oil would work much better for me.I really like the drinks they sell - lots of organic and low sugar teas such as Tazo and Anteadote. The ANteadote green tea has no sugar and no calories. It was delicious.
(3)Renan A.
I am a big fan of Ricky's. It is good, fresh food. I have found that people usually love it, or dislike it. There is no middle ground. I luv it
(5)Jennifer D.
I'm a total fan... I love that you can order the bowls without any rice... for $.75 more you can order double steamed veggies, no rice... Love that! It's hard to find tasty, healthy food served hot for lunch and about as quick as it gets. I love that it's not a chain and that the employees really seem to care about the customer and making them happy. I will be a regular... I only discovered this place last week and I've been twice. I'm looking forward to trying all of the other sauces.
(4)David S.
OK here we go.... I met a friend for lunch Friday around 2pm. We both ordered the steak teriyaki and we were both disappointed. 2 bowl 2 drinks 20 bucks? WOW!! If it was good I wouldn't mind but I've had better rice bowls coming out of a box in the supermarket. I will not waste my time or money at Ricky's again. The food was sub par but the service was excellent and the restaurant was clean.
(3)Aleksandra V.
I LOVE this place. It's cheap, fast and tasty! Mmmmmm. I always get the Chicken teriyaki with Xtra veggies, no rice (tryin to watch carbs) and it's awesome. Consistently great taste. Hey for fast food, it's above and beyond the expectation.
(4)Harris N.
Not so much. Can't really tell you what I didn't like, but it's just low quality food with bad service. textures, smells, tastes were all below what I expected, and I wasn't expecting that much from a fast food place.
(2)Daryll H.
Most people aren't into this place at all, but the Large Teriyaki Chicken Bowl is of my favorite foods. This is the only thing I miss about living in suburban Maryland. Well, this and a girl I used to know, but that's a story for another day.
(5)Sahil R.
I've been coming to this place since high school, and it never fails to dissapoint! The large Teriyaki Chicken Bowl is nearly two meals worth of food, and every bite is delicious. It's a no frills place which just focuses on serving excellent food, and they are great at what they do. Not only is the chicken on point, but the steak, shrimp, and even the vegan tofu options are great. The people that work there are extremely friendly, and after nearly 10 years as a customer, I don't plan on slowing down in terms of coming here anytime soon. If you're in the mood for asian food in the Gaithersburg area, Ricky's is the move.
(5)Aaron S.
We wanted something quick to eat, so we decided to come here. Once we entered, we didn't see any customers. I usually tend to avoid restaurants without customers because that's a big red flag. However, we were in a hurry, so I didn't mind. I ended up ordering the Large Curry Chicken Bowl. Large Curry Chicken Bowl: I ordered it with brown rice, which is an additional $0.30. It came with some cabbage, carrots, broccoli, diced chicken breast, and topped with Japanese curry. It was just okay. Overall, the place is just alright. This place reminds of Flamebroiler and Waba Grill back in CA. There's really nothing much to say since it's like a basic meal that anyone can make at home. However, I thought that the food was extremely overpriced. For $10, I thought I'd actually get a LARGE bowl. It seemed like a regular, medium bowl. This place is good if you're in a hurry and want to grab a quick bite, but I'd rather use the $10 to buy groceries and cook if I have time.
(3)Jay A.
Darn good food and an excellent value for the money. The meat and veggies are always fresh and the large bowl is a LOT of food for the money. The Curry and Teriyaki seasonings are equally good. During lunchtime the tables don't get cleaned as regularly as they probably should, but the restaurant and the bathrooms are impeccably clean. Try this place, you'll love it.
(5)Jessica M.
I've been coming to Ricky's for almost 10 years and they are just as good now as they were back then. I initially got the tofu bowl with sesame garlic sauce, but after trying the peanut sauce there was no going back! They give you a large (even the regular size) portion for a great price. If they ever go out of business I will be the saddest person along with many of my friends who have frequented this place over the years. Never a disappointing meal!
(5)TJ B.
I've been eating here occasionally since they opened 10+ years ago. It's not amazing, but I can't give it less than 4 stars because it has delivered consistent, fast, quality, made-to-order lunches for many years. When they opened there was nothing around but franchises and it was nice to have something a little different. The "large" is a solid portion of food and you leave with a full belly. The thing is, there is nothing truly memorable about the food that gives you cravings to come back. I'm not sure what it is but it all ends up tasting the same. I never crave Ricky's. I just end up in that strip mall every once in a while and figure I'll eat there. They really need some standout sauces with unique flavors or ingredients to pull me in more often. You can see them cooking everything fresh and I like that they have rainbow trout as an option. It's fresh grilled for you. The steak is okay...a mix of tender pieces and some chewy ones. Chicken is fine. Haven't had the shrimp that I recall. Brown rice is an option which is nice. They have a weekly special which I usually get, but again, it all seems to taste the same. They need to mix it up with new unique sauces, new veggies, perhaps options to get your food over noodles or a salad. But, in the end, it's a good meal. You won't leave unsatisfied.
(4)Arjun N.
This is the most wonderful place I have been to. I have been a customer for 5 years now. I talked to the boss, and he says that ''everything is made by scratch" I can tell you that they always work hard! Tip THEM!!
(5)Lu L.
I never write reviews, but I was excited to try this place based off the reviews. Other than the quick service and the gentleman that took our order, nothing was good about this place. Rarely do I take just a few bites of food and just give up. I wouldn't suggest this place ever to anyone.
(1)Kimberly T.
I went was I was running errands one day. I haven't been there in a really long time. What I remembered was that they only accept cash. The whole processes was about 10 minutes or less. I went to the counter and ordered Korean Steak Bowl with Brown Rice, in a small/ regular. I ordered it to go. I only waited a short amount of time to get my food. When I got home, it was still hot the food was cooked perfectly. I wish bowl had like kimchi since it was a korean steak bowl. But it was great sauce over the meat and vegetables which were steamed and rice at the bottom. It was a little hard to mix everything at first but I really enjoyed it. I would definitely go again.
(4)Jay G.
I have been a regular of Ricky's for many years since my brother introduced me to it. Love the food, great service, and really nice people work here. Great customer service. Love this place because with the grilled chicken, brown rice, and steamed veggies, you can eat very healthy. My favorite is the grilled chix teriyaki. My downfall there is the spring rolls, which I love too. Great place, great food, great people!
(5)Kassie E.
I hate to do this but theres just SOMETHING about this place I cant quite put my finger on which i dislike....I title my review Theres Something About Ricky... So I deposit my cracked screen at iFixit in this G-Burg Soccer Mom Plaza Trap. Ross, Bed Bath Beyond and Mattress store? A mom's dream plaza! While im waiting for my phone to be fixed I meander along the Plaza...Oooo Ricky's Rice Bowl? Lets go! I walk in and its reminiscent of a horrible 1980s diner. The decor is AWFUL. Its like someone mixed stereotyped asian decor with acid jazz from the 90s. If Ken and Barbie decorated an Asian restaurant THIS would be it. But yall know Im greedy Id eat there even if there were little red devils biting the ears off of angels drawn on the wall in blood. (Kidding) So I order the steak and chicken peanut bowl. Im skeptical cause Im like what is this some original knock off of the ShopHouse? (I know ShopHouse came after Ricky) To my pleasant suprise the food is not bad. But its not overwhelmingly good either. I guess going to the ShopHouse ruined my unbiasedness but the bowl was tasty but underwhelming. Im not sure if Im sold. It didnt make me want to go out of my way like I do with Panda Express, and MUST HAVE RICKYS BOWL NOW! No I dont think Ill ever be doing that. I think this mainly has to do with the decor and presentation of the food.
(3)Shawn H.
I've been coming here since they first opened. Nothing has ever changed-- other than how many people were standing in line. Rice, vegetables, meat, and great sauce. Ricky's does one thing very well...in at least 15 ways! Their food is fresh, served hit over good rice, and the flavors are exquisitely done. Long Live Ricky's Rice Bowl!
(5)S A.
I didn't like the place as soon as I stepped in. The place has no air condition because they are prob trying to save money. They are not thinking about customer comfort. Once I got the food it was actually tasting good, until I found a big old cockroach crawling out. Haven't been back since. Rickys rice bowl is ranked.
(2)Luwei G.
Food was awesome. Steak tasted good and had enough vegges. But I don't like the smell inside the restaurant.
(4)Tracey S.
So the food is average but the establishment is filthy!!! I swear I needed a shot just leaving the place. I don't think the tables abs floors have ever been cleaned. Save the tetanus shot and eat somewhere else!!
(2)Jin L.
Solid and quick asian-inspired food. Tried both the teriyaki steak as well as the seoul steak bowls and personally enjoyed the teriyaki more. Regular sizes are good enough to be full and you'll walk away feeling you ate a decently healthy meal with a nice balance of meat, rice, and vegetables.
(3)Chris A.
If you want good healthy food. You come here. Very simple. The teriyaki chicken is amazing!
(5)Dan B.
I've been eating at Ricky's since the early to mid '90s at the Bethesda location and then the G-burg location thereafter, and have noticed many changes. In my opinion, pretty good food, but over the years, the prices keep going up and more disturbingly, the serving portions keep getting smaller. The current "large bowl" is what a medium use to be. This is know as the "shrink ray effect" and is really pissing me off. It's one thing to raise prices--I get that--but to play games with the serving size, that falls more under deception (it's a sneaky way of implementing a price increase and hoping your customer base wont notice--well I have! ), IMO.
(2)Jorge R.
Been coming to this place since the late 90's and it's been consistently good. Came by today after a few years and they didn't skip a beat. Chicken peanut bowl was perfect and the steak teriyaki was excellent, beef was medium not cooked to death.
(5)Chris H.
Very good food, its a little pricey but you get what you pay for, staff is very friendly, the only thing i would complain about is dirty bathroom. ..was very filthy
(4)Muhammad Z.
Healthy and tasty food. Love to eat here. And the staff specially the manager is so cool and nice guy. I love their chicken rice bowl.
(5)M. P.
Ricky's is OK. Not that great but not the worst ever. Decent I'd say. Stopped by for lunch....wow.....hadn't been here for a while. Clearly they haven't been putting much into the place. it hasn't seen a paint job or any other work in years. Another red flag - at lunch time, there was nothing cooking on the grill, stove, whatever. Nothing. No meat grilling. Totally void of cooking. A bit of a red flag....seems that they've cooked it and been keeping it in a warming tank. A bit McDonalds-esque considering they used to fresh cook the orders. Staff was also rather rude. The guy running the counter had his iPod in and once they prepared my to-go order, just tossed it on the counter with no thank you, eye contact or anything.
(2)A J.
It's okay...not the worst but far from the best. Also they charge for extra teriyaki sauce.
(3)Mega E.
Excellent food !! Good price excellent quality Sam and other guys excelkent customer service
(5)Deidre C.
Stopped in today after an appointment at the Kaiser Permanente down the street. I'd been eye-balling Ricky's Yelp page for a while and was excited to give it a chance. I got the Seoul steak bowl and a spring roll. Hubsters got steak yakisoba and a spring roll. Both bowls had a crazy-generous amount of steak in them. Hubby loved his yakisoba; I only liked my bowl. The Seoul sauce was not quite what I was expecting but was in no way terrible. The spring rolls were fantastic! Hot and stuffed full. The hot mustard on the condiment island is AMAZING. It will definitely clear your sinuses. All in all, a decent, quick, cheap place to grab a bite to eat.
(4)silvia r.
I dream about this place, its sooo good! I moved from md to nyc a few years ago and everytime i step foot on Md soil you can bet this is my fist stop (no kidding!). Terryaki chicken bowl for the win!!!!
(5)Collin W.
I usually don't rate places but I had to for this one. The food is really good and reasonable price can't ask for more.
(5)Brettney C.
I ate here for the first time a few weeks ago and got the steak teriyaki bowl and liked it. My only complaint was that it was a bit dry and I couldn't really taste the teriyaki. I work down the road and thought I'd try it again for lunch today. I got the chicken teriyaki bowl this time with extra sauce on the side. Complete opposite. The chicken was very dry and so were the veggies. I hadn't even opened the extra sauce because I got down to the rice and it was swimming in the sauce. I was really hungry and tolerated the meal, but there was a very odd taste to it I couldn't quite place. It kind of tasted like how a fish/seafood market smells. I eventually couldn't get past that odd taste and threw it out. The lady a few orders before me ordered a fish and shrimp bowl.... could be why mine tasted like a fish market.
(2)Adrian S.
Fantasic place !!! Simply put, this place is great. Food is great, service is great. Try thr Peanut Steak bowl with fried rice or the Chicken Seoul bowl. I've been coming here since the late 90's. I wish there were more locations in the DC Metro area. This food is GREAT !!
(4)Daniel C.
Remember that Asian style Lean Cuisine you keep in your freezer for drunken emergencies, or terrible house guests? You know, the one that you heated up when you were blackout drunk at 3AM when you were 19 years old. Imagine in your infinite drunken wisdom that you heated up FOUR of them at once, and then transferred them to a large plastic vessel. Now transport yourself and your crappy pile of food to an even crappier location than your crappy dorm room. Welcome to Ricky's Rice Bowl.
(1)Katie C.
SO GOOD! My husband and I stumbled upon Ricky's Rice Bowl as it's near our CVS. He came home one day and said "you've got to try this!" My favorite is the steak and veggies. You can be very flexible with your order and get double meat, pick and choose your veggies, ask for more sauce, etc. The servings are pretty big so I always have some left over for lunch the next day. Very, very good!!
(5)Daniel G.
Pretty good food for the price, usually get take out. Quick and easy, tofu in the peanut sauce is amazing. Taste fresh, the brown rice is delicious. Staff is friendly, huge serving size. Recommend to anyone who is looking for a quick/tasty Asian eat.
(4)Braden J.
Some of the people I know absolutely love this place, so if you are thinking about trying this place out you probably should because you may turn into a super fan like many of my coworkers. For me this place is just okay (A-OK I guess). I usually go with the Teryiaki or Sesame and Garlic Chicken with fried rice (an extra 30 cents: ballers only). The chicken is pretty tender and the vegetables are good, but for me sauce is everything and I am not all that impressed with it here. The sauce always seems very light and watered down. When I have something with teriyaki sauce i really want it to be thick and full of flavor. The sauce at Ricky's reminds me more of a nice broth with subtle flavor. So try this place out maybe you will love it, but personally it isn't nearly up to snuff with the rest of the Asian style restaurants in the area.
(3)Vicki T.
Great place for a quick fast healthy meal. It's really great for me since I am a vegetarian, I get the tofu bowl and it is so yummy! I almost always get carryout, the service is fast and friendly. The decor of the place has not changed since it opened, but if you look past that I think you'll enjoy your meal.
(4)John H.
The food is above average. Service is average. Portions are a bit skimpy for the price. My biggest problem with this place is the location. The parking situation is hopeless and you will encounter some serious ratchetness in that shopping center.
(3)Angie N.
Amazing food, very fresh and cheap! But don't let the price fool you, the quality is high. They have a lot of delicious options, you can find a lot of vegan and vegetarian friendly combinations.
(5)Kim A.
LOVE their food. It's simple, yet absolutely delicious. Generous portions are perfect for lunch or dinner. Basically everything is vegetables and/or meat on top of either white or brown rice. My favorite is the chicken and broccoli teriyaki; the teriyaki sauce they use is amazing. An assortment of additional sauces are on the counter, but I love the food as-is. I just wish there were more locations, or that I lived closer!
(5)John E.
This is my go to place in the area! Always fresh, consistent, and delicious. All the sauces are excellent, though the peanut one is my favorite. Sonny is a great dude and so are the guys in the kitchen. Seriouslly, give this family owned place a shot over any of the chain restaurants in that area; it's definetly the best place to eat at there!
(5)Sevy B.
Perfect for vegetarians! LOVE the peanut sauce, always get tofu w/vegetables and extra sauce. Have tried teriyaki but always go back to the peanut sauce! Usually do take out but last time we ate in and wow, the tofu was even better, crispy little puffs! They do use fresh vegetables, I've seen them delivered! Love the selection of beverages in the cooler, try something new just about every time! Ginger salad is great, too, with the fresh ginger dressing -- really different. The delicious white rice sticks together for chop sticks, too. Have never had a bad experience here.
(5)Michael R.
I have been coming to Ricky's Rice Bowl ever since I came to this shopping center. I took a chance and boy was i rewarded. I usually go here to support them as opposed to a more commercialized chipotle,boston market,panera (in same shopping cntr) You'll blow a lot more money at those places and pay too much for crappy food.. Ricky's rice Bowl has fresh vegetables and cabbage as well as brown or white rice. The best thing is the variety you can get shrimp, chicken, tofu, or beef/steak. The food and sauces are unbelievably good and they have a sauce bar which sweetens the deal for me. It's cozy and friendly service. You can eat there or outside which if it's a nice day why not? Anyway the owner Ricky is a very nice man and very thoughtful about all people. It is kid friendly and they have a lot of great stuff for all to enjoy. Just can't say enough about it. So if your nearby and want a reasonably priced lunch check it out. My favorite is the peanut chicken bowl, but everything there is great. Also i've never had a bad experience there and i've been coming for 8 years and counting..
(5)Rachel B.
Omg no. I got the seoul bowl...I don't understand at all. The sauce was pinkish and the taste was like a terrible sweet and sour mess. My boyfriend got some other bowl (unfortunately I don't remember exactly which one), which he ended up throwing out. This place has terrible food. I don't know what the owner is doing, but I vowed never to go back there again.
(1)Anita C.
Wow, this is terrible. As in I'll-never-visit-again terrible. I was looking forward to trying this place because it sounds great: pick your protein, pick your sauce, you can have brown rice, stir fry it with veggies. Check, check, check. In short, Ricky's Rice Bowl serves cubes of dry chicken or steak and ladles tons (tons!!) of sticky, sweet sauce over it. The sauce tastes extremely artificial and is very thick. I ordered a half chicken, half steak bowl with brown rice (extra 30 cents) and the Seoul sauce. It was so, so terrible. My boyfriend ordered the chicken bowl with peanut sauce. And the peanut sauce that some people like? It's terribly, awfully artificial. I felt like I was eating peanut-flavored rice at one point. We shoved as much down our throats as we could and quite literally, got the heck out of there! Sorry, Ricky's. I really had higher expectations for some cheap, hot, fast food. The sticky, heavy, artificial sauce really did you in.
(1)Jeff B.
I have always used Ricky's Rice Bowl as the butt of my jokes, but no more! Ricky's Rice Bowl is a vegan-certified restaurant. I just became vegan so now I'm pretentious. Is this vegan? Oh, I'M VEGAN, I can't eat that. Look at me and my reduced carbon footprint. I'm saving the world from animal abuse. Look at me. I can get my protein from these flaxseeds. I ordered the tofu bowl, which comes with fried tofu and vegetables atop a large serving of either white or brown rice. I don't understand why people would ever choose brown rice over white rice. True Azians eat white rice. I choose white rice because I want my rice stripped of all of its nutrients. You can get a small rice bowl for like 7 bucks or a big rice bowl for like 8 bucks. I went with the small bowl, and I added a teriyaki sauce. The hot sauce they serve at the condiment station is not Sriracha, but rather it is a faux-hot sauce. The inside of the restaurant is very casual and is sort of an eyesore, but don't let that stop you! Parking is plentiful.
(4)David S.
I think they put an addictive chemical in the sauce. Its simple concept i have been going since high school. I always get the large and could have been full with a regular
(5)Lindsay K.
I'll start off by saying that this place is not super fancy, and just by looking at their menu, nothing will blow your mind. However, I love what they serve and how they cook their food. They're able to give you a quick, healthy (well, relatively) meal that's still delicious. No, it's not going to taste like Sarku or some other Asian food court restaurant, so it might not be what you'd expect. But I personally love it. I typically get the chicken seoul bowl--grilled chicken topped with a spicy sriracha-based sauce on a bed of fresh vegetables and rice. It's always hard for me to stop eating because the combination of everything really hits the spot. It's simple yet satisfying and consistently so. I've been coming here for many years now and will continue to do so.
(5)Laura I.
Food is Fantastic, and their employees are so nice! One night I had a craving for some Ricky's and called ahead to make sure they were still open. I found out that they were closing in 10 minutes, and when the employee heard disappointment in my voice he asked what I wanted, and said that he would make it for me if I could arrive in the next 15 minutes. Obviously I agreed and hopped in my car to get my dinner. As I arrived the staff was so kind, even though they were tired and closing up for the night (and stayed 5 minutes late for me!) :)
(5)Jose F.
My roommate took me here for the first time and it definitely won't be my last. The teriyaki chicken is ridiculously good.
(5)Robert A.
We really enjoy the food here. The people who work here are usually very friendly. The reason why I am not giving them 5 stars is because of the wait. Last time we went it was early evening, not too crowded. We ordered 2 large steak bowls. We were being very patient while waiting for our food even though we saw 4 people who came after us get their food. Finally, we went to the front to see what was up and even though there were 4 people in the back not a single one looked our way to help us (it took them a good several minutes for them to say anything) Eventually someone asked what we need and we told them our situation and he said sorry and told us that we were next. (by this point we have already been waiting 20 min) Then, another lady who came in after us got her food and we didn't get our food for another 10 minutes!! It's not like we ordered a lot.. Just 2 large steak bowls. This isn't the first time this happened here Maybe it's just our luck!
(4)Liz N.
For $7 it was ok.. and it's extra Ok that they don't charge extra for brown rice.. I got the Seoul Steak bowl thinking it'd be bulgolgi-esk... buttt.. not at all. The steak was tender and cooked to medium well to perfection, but it just lack any depth of flavor. I filled the bowl up with hot sauce, their "spicy oil" which I think is really only "sesame oil", and some hotsauce.. so that was even worst. Don't see myself coming back any time soon.
(3)Fenny L.
About 15 years ago, there was a Ricky's Ricebowl in Bethesda near my family's shop...and I ate there CONSTANTLY. it wasn't that it was especially delicious...I mean, even then, it was a bowl of rice with some prices of meat and drenched with "teriyaki sauce"...but I was young, dumb, and counted any meal that wasn't ramen as a major win (hey, I was a poor college kid working for peanuts). Fast forward 15 years...15 years without eating Ricky's, to an evening where we were out of power (thank you stupid thunderstorm!), and my husband and I went on the hunt for cheap eats...and stumbled upon Ricky's. My husband was Ricky's curious...and despite my warnings, he was convinced that it wouldn't be that bad. Yup. Not much has changed in those 15 years. It's still a bowl of rice with some prices of dry chicken and a ladle full of sticky sweet sauce. Why doesn't he ever believe me?!? But I will say, the food was served hot, fast and cheap.
(2)John N.
1 out of 5 stars!! Though this place might entice you with it's smell...it will repulse you with its food. Its Chinese food!! How badly can you mess up Chinese food?? Apparently its pretty easy because this place is pretty bad. I work in the area and I was sick of going to my normal places. I had heard that this place was bad and was told not to go to it but against my better judgement, I gave it a try. Tried the Steak and Broccoli bowl with fried rice. Seemed like your standard beef with broccoli. Took one bite and was perplexed by what I was tasting....Was this Gold Bond medicated foot powder?? Not that I know what that tastes like...... that's another story for another site. Anyways, the food was bland and it was not good at all. I usually eat anything and everything, but I ended up throwing away half the food cause I didn't want to eat it anymore. I know what you must be thinking, soy sauce can make anything taste good....especially Chinese food. It actually made it worse!! Nothing can save this food.
(1)Sara C.
I don't know what that one person is yapping about with regard to crappy meat but the meat is what impressed me the most. We normally go chicken (curry or Seoul) but I went with the steak Seoul bowl once and now I'm hooked. The steak was legit steak. And when I picked it up, I saw them slapping a bunch of raw chicken breasts on the grill. So I KNOW they're cooking this stuff up as fresh as you can expect from a fast foody type joint. I wasn't a fan of the peanut sauce but my husband defended my calling it a "bowl of disappointment"...even so, I know deep down he is well aware it was not as good as his go-to curry. (Exemplified by the fact that the time we ordered, post-peanut, he went back to the curry). But I also love that you can get brown rice. I give it five stars based on what you get vs what you're expecting. This isn't gourmet food, people, so don't get all high and mighty about it. It's glorified Chinese take-out and it's delicious. Enjoy!
(5)Andrea R.
I've been going to Ricky's since I was in high school. I'm in my 30s now and this is still one of my favorite places to grab a quick but nutritious bite to eat. The food is consistently good and healthy. The staff are awesome and it's a good place to grab lunch for vegetarians and carnivores alike. If you're in the area, stop at Ricky's! Great for eating in or carryout and the owner has managed to keep prices very reasonable over the years.
(5)Robert C.
I wanted to give this place a 0 star, but yelp wouldn't let me post my review. That's how bad this place is! From the time I stepped into the place, I knew it's gonna be bad. Here're some of the red flags: 1. We're the only Asians in this place ( and this is an Asian restaurant lol). 2. There're so many Japanese themed decorations & paintings; they're trying way too hard. 3. They got a bag of rice as 1 of their displays.... Common now, I have one at home too! 4. All the chefs're Hispanics. 5. The food's all cooked in the same way, but they just put different sauce in the end. We tried Seoul Chicken and Teriyaki chicken ($7 for regular bowl after tax). They're complete trash. Like I said before, the food's made the same way, but they put different sauce on top. The portion's relatively small, there's not much meat or rice. The rice's sooo drenched in sauce, it doesn't even taste like rice anymore. I feel like I was drinking sauce the whole time there. The food's so bad, even the frozen Teriyaki Chicken that I buy from Costco taste better than these. The only positive thing: No MSG, but they have to make it somewhat flavorful by flooding the dishes with sauce. One of the worst restaurant I've ever been in years. You guys are better off with Panda Express.
(1)Jen J.
Ricky's delivers consistently good, cheap, great tasting food. He could spruce spruce up the place a bit but the food is good, so I don't think I care about anything else. The peanut chicken or steak and teriyaki chicken or fish are my recommendations.
(4)Katelyn K.
We were out in Gaithersburg and were hungry but couldn't agree on a restaurant. So we pulled into the lot with intentions of going to Panera Bread - as usual Panera Bread was overcrowded, so we decided to try somewhere else in the shopping plaza which is how we found Ricky's. We were surprised how empty it was right around lunch time, but figured why not. The service was decent (it takes a while to cook, I understand). He had the broccoli and steak, which was good - they used real steak grilled then sliced rather than just mystery beef. And I had the yakisoba, which was good, but I am not sure why my noodles came with rice. The flavor on everything was really good though.
(4)B. H.
The best on the block ! Healthy , and yummy Chicken teriyaki or peanut chicken bowls ! Never fried chicken , grilled to perfection . Love this place. Even after The other chicken place opened up at the end of the shopping center , Ricky's still destroys any and all competition ! Thanks for being so caring with what you serve ! We need a punch card !!!
(5)Dan G.
Ricky's Rocks!! Absolutely love their food. Been going here for years and food is always delicious. Often get their specials. Their sauces are tasty. Beef or chicken Guglioki(?) has just enough spice. Tofu veggie bowl w/ peanut sauce--always good. Portions are generous. Skip the junk fast food and try RIcky's. You'll be back.
(5)Chris H.
I'd give it a three only because the price can be somewhat unreasonable, in my opinion. The food isn't anything special but it's good. The ingredients they use are authentic and you can see them cooking it. The large is enough to feed me twice, so that's how I usually rationalize the price of it. My favorite, hands down, is the steak & broccoli w/ extra peanut sauce. My friends really enjoy the Seoul sauce but nothing tops peanut sauce. You also can't go wrong with adding a bit of Sriracha hot sauce.
(3)Andrew F.
I have been coming to this place at one location or another probably since I was ten years old. After spending a lot of time on the other coast and having a rough go of moving back east, it was incredibly comforting to know that Ricky's was still operating. I've tried most of his sauces and variations on what is to me the "original" -- the chicken teriyaki bowl. But for me, the chicken teriyaki is not only still an amazing value and the best deal around, but simple "comfort food" that is always delicious and because the quality has never varied over the years, has the effect of taking me back to my childhood when we would get take out from Ricky's as a treat and sit around the kitchen table as a family enjoying a great meal while giving my mom the "night off." The owner has said numerous times that he worries about his ability to stay open and maintain low prices in the face of rising rents. I hope he will always find a way -- or at least open a food truck and bottle/sell his sauces. Because when Ricky's closes it will be a sad day for me and many other longtime customers.
(5)Glenn F.
I love this place. I agree with others, get the special! The bulgolgi chicken and orange chicken specials being my favorite. They marinate the meats overnight with their specials so the meat has tons of flavor. I also love their Seoul wings!
(5)sonia g.
don't let the occasional emptiness of the place deter you - their food is good and consistent every time. love their peanut chicken bowl, more veggies, less rice + hot sauce = so good. even the small size is too big for me, while being very reasonably priced. great service.
(4)Nicole W.
Specials are listed on the left wall facing the door. Make sure to take a look. Not too many options, souel sauce had a nice kick but an ingredient i just couldn't place and tasted a little off. The veggies were a little weird and boiled a bit too long. Quick preparation, but i don't think i'll be trying this place again.
(2)Doo P.
This place is cheap, hot & fast... That is the only reason I give it two stars. The food looks like frozen TV dinners even the black plastic bowl it comes in. But, to be honest I've had better frozen food in the microwave.
(2)Daniel H.
Good place to go.I just wish you could get plain chicken or steak,rice and veggies though. When you get it, they still put teriyaki on it.
(5)Grace T.
I love their peanut chicken. I only wish they had a punch card for a free bowl like Quickfire does a few doors down.
(4)John C.
I've been going to Ricky's for lunch pretty much once a week since the early 90's. Healthy fast food that isn't really like typical fast food. Good quality rice in a bowl with fresh and not overly cooked vegetables and a good portion of fresh grilled meat, fish, or tofu. The sauces are good too, they have a selection of standard sauces, the teriyaki is a good stand-by if you're not sure what to get. They have great weekly specials, plenty of flavor and usually on the spicy side but not too spicy, I almost always get the special. Everything is cooked fresh. Their order and food prep process is efficient, usually only a very short wait to get your order although sometimes they get pretty busy. Staff is friendly as they focus on their job. Decor is basic seating, not going to impress anyone but works for a quick lunch or dinner, usually plenty of seating and no problem with parking.They have a couple of tables outdoors on the sidewalk for when the weather is nice.
(5)Mukur H.
3.75. Its a hike from work, but we decided to give it a shot as some co-workers recommended it. I like it quite a bit. I went with a recommendation from a fellow yelper and ordered their special, which happened to be the orange chicken. I got it with brown rice for an extra 30 cents and a blondie. Total with a drink came out to $12. The chicken, beef... all meat for that matter is grilled fresh in the open kitchen. I love the charred flavor! The sauces are all apparently home made. There is a condiment table in the center of the dinning area with hot sauce (srirachia) hot oil, soy sauce and mustard among other things. I dig the hole in the wall type of atmosphere and the friendly service. So the dish was delicious and there was enough food in the large serving to feed a family. I had to add some hot sauce and hot oil to get it to the heat level I wanted, but besides that it was great! The brown rice and the vegitables in the box were also well cooked and seasoned. Blondie was a pre-made blodie you get at delis but none the less it was good. The unsweetened tea was freshly brewed, i could tell since it was hot when i poured it out into the cup. I like this place, the only problem I saw was that the line got really long as soon as people started charging the meal on a credit card (i was part of this problem too ;)) as the process took long. This was the better chinese food I have had in the Germantown/Gaithersburg area.
(3)Tim T.
i try to find reasons to dock this place a star, but i can't. there's something about the teriyaki sauce they put in the rice bowls that makes me come back for more. i usually eat here once every few weeks. the prices are reasonable, and you get a lot. They add steamed veggies, which are nice. I always see the owner, and he's always nice.
(5)Eva O.
While I applaud the concept, the food just doesn't taste any good. I like wacky Asian fusion thing going on. Lots of different options with the meats, veggies and sauces. But it's obvious they don't marinate their meat or season the veggies at all. Just cooking it and topping it off with a "flavorful" sauce doesn't make it flavorful. The Seoul Chicken Bowl was just okay. Props for having brown rice though and not charging extra like some other places seem to be doing. I think worth another try to choose a different bowl, maybe fish.
(2)Kaylee B.
I've been coming here for a couple of years, and I usually get the same thing - Peanut Chicken Bowl with white rice, Yum! The broccoli, carrots and cabbage are very fresh, and the chicken is grilled and chopped up nicely. The peanut sauce is sooo good, has a little bit of a kick, I love it! The rice is very fluffy and moist. I've also tried their teriyaki and sesame garlic bowls, which are good as well.
(4)jea y.
I've been coming to Ricky's for over 15 years. They are absolutely consistent to this day. The mowi wowi wings with seoul sauce is mouth wateringly tangy and sweet. Terriyaki steak and chicken bowls are the perfect combination of flavors that bring out the natural taste of the meats with subtle sweetness from the marinades. I personally like to douse the stuff with duck sauce and the hot sauce but that's just my preference, i like to sweat :) This isn't greasy Chinese food, everything is grilled fresh. I only wish they had a location closer to Rockville, but they are more than worth the drive.
(5)Isabella S.
I've been eating at Ricky's Rice Bowl since I discovered it back in highschool. The food, is phenomenal. I always ordered the same thing: peanut chicken bowl, extra sauce. The place itself is clean, which is a big deal for me. The service is great, every time I order, whether it be by phone or in person, they all know me by name. I had to give a 5-star rating. Fresh, fast, and healthy. And their SPRINGROLLS... the best you can get.
(5)Archie M.
I thought I was going to get a Yoshinoya type rice bowl. Disappointed. And it's a bowl of greasy food. Not a fan.
(1)Eunice K.
it's simple... but they do it right. i have to admit that i'm a sucker for the garlic sesame steak with brown rice. i've tried their seoul & teriyaki bowls but by far, garlic sesame is the best. i haven't tried the peanut sauce one that i've heard highly about... but, i'm not a fan of nuts so i don't think i'm missing out too much. the only thing that keeps me giving it a 5 star is that sometimes their desserts are soggy for whatever reason.
(4)Scott M.
Food is great, prices are even better. Highly recommend.
(5)Jim C.
RRB is exactly as advertised: fresh ingredients grilled and/or stir-fried placed on rice and covered in your choice of house-made sauces. All is good, nothing bad. I'm partial to the "hot" Seoul sauce. Peanut sauce is good too. It's not Chinese food, it's not "Asian" food. It's sort of a fusion food. These places are a dime-a-dozen in LA. Every strip mall has one. There must be ten different chains out there. The reason for the popularity? Simple, fresh food.
(3)Darrin L.
Always quick service and tasty food. Lunch, dinner always good. Beats the ordinary 'counter service' places.
(4)Amy M.
I'm confused by comments here about Chinese food and overwhelming sauces. This is clearly a Japanese restaurant, and the marinated meat has lots of flavor on its own, so just get the sauce on the side if you don't want an overly saucy dish. Oh well, here's my two cents: I'm from Western Washington state, where teriyaki places are nearly as numerous as coffee huts. We haven't found anywhere in this area since moving here 6 years ago that rivals our favorite teriyaki places back home. This one might be it! But I've only been once so far. (And as to one reviewer's comment about the cooks at Ricky's being "Mexican" -- the teriyaki restaurant I worked at back home was part of a chain owned by Koreans, with mostly Mexican kitchen staff and Vietnamese/Korean/Thai wait staff, and it's THE most popular teriyaki place up there. I'm not saying these counter-service-type teriyaki places are authentic Japanese food -- I haven't been to Japan -- but they ARE a delicious interpretation of teriyaki, and much faster/cheaper than going to a fancier, sit-down sushi place for teriyaki). I had the teriyaki chicken bowl (comes with white rice and veggies) and a spring roll. The chicken was moist and flavorful (all breast meat), the veggies light and not overcooked, the rice perfectly sticky. It's simple teriyaki the way we're used to it. Japanese places typically have potstickers, not spring rolls, so I was curious about Ricky's roll -- it definitely has more of a Chinese-style egg roll wrapper, but the filling was fresh and flavorful, and it was fried nicely (not too greasy). I enjoyed it with a little sweet sauce and hot mustard from the sauce bar. On the rice bowl, I ended up putting a little mix of soy sauce and sriracha on the veggies and rice, but the meat certainly didn't need any adornment. I'm about 5 months pregnant and have been sick much of the time, and chicken has been among the foods that make me wretch. But I finally got over the sickness, and for some reason, chicken FINALLY sounded appetizing again last night. I'm so glad, because, I mean, I reaaaaaally loved this chicken. I almost ate the whole bowl but am glad I have some leftover for lunch today. :) I can't wait to bring my husband here and start trying other menu items. I'll come back to Yelp to change my review if my opinion changes. But so far, I recommend giving this a try.
(4)Rachel F.
my husband orders the fish, he says it tastes really fresh, like when you go backpacking and cook your fresh caught fish on the fire, skin an all. I get the chicken, we've had the beef too. never picked a bad sauce; flavors are great, though they can sometimes be a little watery. spring rolls are nice and crunchy. prices are fair, the large bowl is big enough to eat two meals from. I wish this place delivered though, because it's usually cold in here and the tables tend to be sticky. we go back often, even so.
(4)Nina S.
What a find! If you're like me and love sesame chicken, but know you shouldn't be eating it, Ricky's has your solution: grilled chicken and steamed veggies along with brown rice in sesame sauce. Delicious! The fried tofu was also outrageously good. I enjoyed it with brown rice and the Seoul sauce which is their spiciest sauce. Delicious! Ricky! Bring your rice bowl to Chinatown, DC!!!
(5)stephen m.
I love their teriyaki fish bowl. It's fresh vegetables (broccoli, carrots, cabbage), rice, trout, and an amazing teriyaki sauce. Everything is fresh and delicious. This place has produced fresh, consistently good food for years.
(5)Greg H.
Ricky's rice bowl is one of the greatest places in the area for a delicious, inexpensive, and filling meal. The secret to Ricky's is to ALWAYS get the special. It doesn't matter what the special is that week, it's always delicious. Unlike the other dishes on Ricky's menu, the special is marinated in a sauce, instead of being grilled, then having the sauce put on it. This results in a much more tender and savory chicken or steak. It also means you have to wait longer for your meal (As the special is usually cooked only when it's ordered), so if you can, order via phone about 5-10 minutes before you arrive. Then you can just stand in line to pay, pickup and eat. Ricky's also allows customization of your food. Want brown rice? It can be substituted (though I don't think it's as good). Want only broccoli? Just ask. Don't want veggies at all? Ricky will put extra rice. I always feel bad for regulars who never order the special. Just do it! You'll thank me.
(5)Bella S.
Nice, cheap and fast just like most others on Yelp say. Got the Mauie Wowie wings with Seoul sauce and they were perfectly cooked. Z got the Peanut Chicken bowl and was definitely not impressed. The peanut sauce did lean on the smokey side. I got the Steak and Broccoli bowl which had pretty nice steak and great broccoli but somewhat watery teriyaki sauce in a huge puddle at the bottom. Still, I liked it.
(3)John C.
They follow a simple formula here: rice, steamed fresh veggies, grilled meat, and sauce. Meat is fresh off the grill all day, but the veggies seem to be best at the lunch rush. The teriyaki sauce is not too strong. Cheap, fast, and healthy. My favorite combos are peanut tofu and teriyaki fish (grilled to order).
(4)Dave P.
Ahhh, Ricky's. The chicken seoul bowl is almost old enough to drive! I first encountered Ricky's while working at NIH in Bethesda in 1994. The original Ricky's, alas, is no longer there, but the menu and tastes live on in G'burg Square. On a sunny day, the line would be out the door, and Ricky himself (or a facsimile) manned the counter, and greeted quite a few of us by name. There was a Ricky's in Reston for a while, and I personally tried to keep it well funded. Note the past tense. My absolute favorite, bar none, is the seoul sauce. I don't know what's in it, but it's good enough to draw me up from Sterling for a bowl once in a while. I relish the days when they do Bulgogi as a daily special, be it chicken or beef. The teriyaki sauce is okay, but I find it a bit too sweet for my tastes, especially a bowls worth. The decor is rather kitschy, they sell t-shirts. There are a slew of chain restaurants in the area, so kitschy decorations aren't out of the ordinary, but a family owned business that serves good food is. Give it a shot. Note that this would be a 5-star review save for the following two things: 1) They have a minimum charge of $5 for a CC transaction -- this is against the rules for both Visa and MC (not sure about discover), but I'm not calling them on this. 2) They charge extra for additional sauce. A seoul bowl should be doused in it, not spritzed.
(4)Jon M.
It is a good little place for a quick low-cost meal. The flavor is good and the sauces are taste. Is it 5-stars, no; is it better than ok yes. And it is filling, with no health side effects. I had the curry chicken, which is mild like Japanese curry, and my friend had the peanut chicken, I found it wasn't too sweet.
(3)