Livermore Restaurant - BBQ and Catering

We call our restaurant The Riata Diner and Tavern to commemorate the ranching traditions of California and the Livermore Valley. We're located in downtown Livermore, California.

The Riata offers breakfast on Saturday and Sunday and lunch and dinner everyday except Monday. Choose from ribs, steaks, burgers, sandwiches and much more.

We also have a Little Folks Menu for the kids. Please join us for a wonderful eating experience, we look forward to serving you!

View and print our menus here

Check our daily specials here

Looking for Catering in the Livermore area, Riata can help!
 

What is a Riata?

Many years before the advent of nylon, California’s vaqueros used other forms of rope to handle livestock. Some of these ropes were made from horsehair or grass. Others were braided from rawhide. These were called riatas. A common riata used for ranch work was braided from 4 or 6 strands {or plaits} of rawhide taken from a single hide. The averaged from 60 to 100 feet in length and held up better in rough conditions than other ropes of the times.

Riatas can be made with more strands, but these are more commonly used for showpieces as they are too bulky to use for roping. The style of roping inspired by the riata is an art form kept alive by a handful of cowboys trying to preserve California’s vaquero traditions.