| rev:text
| - Basis for my starred ratings (which skews heavily to the food or drink):
1 star: Never again.
2 stars: Poor food, poor experience, extraordinary measures in order for me to come back.
3 stars: Average, nothing really special, nothing particularly bad.
4 stars: Very good, would definitely return.
5 stars: A favorite, one of the best.
Best raw bar in Phoenix. There, I said it. Little Cleo's comes close, but I think Buck and Rider just edges them out.
Point of comparison is mostly to oysters, and when it comes to oysters, no one has beat out Hog Island in SF and 167 Raw in Charleston. Buck and Rider comes very close to these, and for this and various other reasons, deserves its 5-star rating.
The first time we went, visited with another couple so we got to try a little of everything. The stone crab claws we got were excellent. And on a side note, 1/2 off all raw items at the bar during happy hour, which is a long happy hour here. Another nod to the 5-stars.
Also ordered the mussels and mini-lobster rolls. Mussels were above average, and despite the fact that these lobster rolls were over-sauced, they are pretty darn tasty. Don't expect a truly authentic Maine lobster roll because you'll be disappointed, but with a little open-mindedness, these little guys can rock your world.
Entrees were the scallops, crab cakes, loup de mer, and Hong Kong style halibut. My friend said the scallops were some of the best of her life, I agreed they were delicious. The crab cakes were full of actual crab meat, so bonus points there. My wife always orders loup de mer wherever she sees it and she said it was also one of the better ones she has had, to which i concur. Finally, the halibut, which i ordered. The fish was thick and cooked well, so credit there. But in terms of the overall flavor of the dish - too much soy sauce. It was the most one-dimensional "Asian" style sauce I've ever had. That, and very minimal bok choy on the side, which soaked up all the soy sauce flavor, as did the rice, making kind of a salty mess. If the sauce were to improve, I would rate this single dish as excellent but otherwise, it is mediocre to almost poor.
But all that being said, after a few visits, we still love this place. The vibe is cool, the staff is friendly, and the food, with only a couple exceptions, has been excellent. Here's to hoping they keep up their raw bar standards.
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