Say cheese please!!!! After so many years of eating this amazing cheese I find got to experience a trip to the mother ship!!! The store is small but packed with big flavor. They have a few cheeses to sample, lemon was interesting, I fell in love with the 20 year old cheese. Had to pick one of those ups! I also got some 12 year old cheese, salt water taffy and maple syrup for gifts back home. What a local favorite, so many shoppers came in as I got my treasures! Seems everyone knows who the big cheese is in this town! read more

See all

This is a must stop for when we visit the Clayton area. Serving local cheese, jam, coffee, and bulk candy. It's clean. It's a little hard to navigate and move around on busy weekends. Tourist pricing for all items. Kids like to watch the cheese cutters in back after picking out their items. The cheese curds are a must try if that's your thing. read more

See all

Cute store. It's was very busy inside. They have all sorts of snacks and treats for sale. They have all their cheese available to buy. My four star reflects that literally there is no way to tell the difference in their cheeses. No samples, no taste. So dropping 16 dollars on a chunk of cheese you may or may not like is a little crazy. I mean can you tell by appearance the different taste of a 12 year aged cheese to a 14? Asking the employee stocking the cheese.. a shrug of the shoulders, I dunno is the response. I have had the cheese curd before so I bought those and a 16yr cheddar.. hopefully I like it read more

1000 Islands River Rat Cheese - Outside - Cheese Shops Near Me - Clayton, New York

I wish this little cheese shop was in my hometown, Savannah! A gem of a shop that has a delicious variety of local cheeses and products. Their fried cheese curd, with marinara, is a must try. Fantastic! We had a difficult time deciding on the cheeses and salami for our evening cruise charcuterie tray! A large variety of cheeses are found here, as well as: *original Thousand Island Dressing, $8.50 a bottle *variety of sausage and salami *Fresh clams, $7.60 per dozen or $125.95 per bag *cheese spreads, $4.25 for 8 oz *Fried cheese curd, $6.99 *variety of aged cheeses *bagged, fresh cheese curds, $4.25 for 8 oz 1 lb $7.99, Flavored cheese curds, $4.50 *large variety of crackers read more

See all

This is a 'must stop' in Clayton. My niece loves their Cheese curds. They make the cheese on site and you can watch from a little window in the back of the store. Since I am not a cheese girl. I was able to enjoy browsing their non cheese products. They sold a variety of jams, candies and chocolates. I picked up a bag of chocolate covered cherries. Yummy! read more

See all

They must have listened... as its just marketed as 1000 Islands River Rat cheese now (not Gold Cup Farms which never existed...). The best cheddar found in the country...10 year old cheddar too...well worth it. Improved much since last review. read more

Excellent, excellent, excellent pimento cheese spread!!!!! Opened it yesterday and we could not stop eating it. Can't wait to get back to Clayton someday and purchase more. Wish we had purchased more when we were there. read more

Cheese curds!! I think if you know, you know. If you don't - I feel slightly sorry for you. Either way; they have the best cheese curd money can buy and an awesome selection of other goodies including various cheese spreads, Croghan bologna and assorted other spreads, jams, and oils as well. This was our first trip to their "home" store, but it's a clean, inviting store with all of the things that are unique to the Central/Northern NY tastes that are savory and delicious. Pricing isn't cheap, but it is quality stuff that we haven't seen anywhere else. If you haven't tied it before, I highly recommend stopping by and giving it a whirl. I think you'll like what they have to offer. read more

My hubby loves this place. It takes some time to get used to the SqUEEK of their famous cheese curds if your not already. Just this past year they ventured into fried cheese curds. They're very good, BUT need to let the grease drain a little longer. read more

1000 Islands River Rat Cheese - Cheese please - Cheese Shops Near Me - Clayton, New York

Home of the original 1000 Island dressing. Yes it is...and it is good. They have other great items, like their cheese curds. However, since I do not live there or near a location that has their items available for sale, I have to resort to mail order service. The first year I order from them, I took advantage of their "free shipping" and enjoyed a lot of their items. This year, I attempted to make another order (ordering over $70 of product) and was going to use their free shipping offer; however, it is not free shipping due to some items (perishable) which they charged me almost $40. Don't get me wrong, they didn't surprise me with a undisclosed charge, they did email me and allow me to make the decision. But, my problem is that I was set on enjoying their food, so I sucked it up and agreed to pay. I will never order from them again, because I felt like it was a bait n' switch concept, because it wasn't clearly stated. But whomever was handling customer service gave a snotty response, yes it is...well, I didn't see that, or I would have know up front. That is the only reason I am giving them the rating I am giving them. Strictly based on their form of customer relations. I'm sure they will not miss my annual spend, but wanted to make sure people are clear on what free shipping means to them. read more

Best cheese I have ever eaten. A bit pricey but worth every dollar for the best cheese ever!

Awesome cheese shop which features some of the best locally produced cheeses!! This the the cheddar cheese capital of the world. Everything from mild to xxxxx sharp cheddar. Locals go crazy for the regional favorite which is fresh cheese curds and they sell a ton of it here. They also have lost of imported cheeses. Tons of dried fruits, nuts, jams and candy. Also plenty of 1000 Islands and River Rat merchandise. read more

See all

We make a stop at the River Rat Cheese store every visit to the 1000 Islands (at least twice a year)--it's tradition! River Rat cheese products come from a farm in nearby Adams, NY (according to the knowledgeable staff), and by the flavor and texture of the cheese, you know this is not your typical processed cheddar. The cheese is soft and creamy--the real deal! They have just about every kind of cheese you can imagine, sold in about 6" long bricks ranging in price by pound (generally expect to pay about $5-6 for one brick). Some of my favorites are the Hot Horseradish (mild-moderately hot, wonderful smokey horseradish flavor, very creamy); Hotsy Totsy Pepperjack (mild-mod. hot, also very creamy); Hot Habanero (which is an orange-y color and VERY hot!); and the Mean 'n' Nasty (very sharp with just the slightest of "crystals" in it, but not pungent or unappetizingly strong). They even have 8- and 12-year-old cheddars, which are just a little more expensive (about $11-14). And, of course, they sell their locally famous cheese curd (if you're at a loss for what to do with this, consider deep frying it!). There are tons of other specialty cheeses and meats on the refrigerated shelves, but mainly we stick to the River Rat cheese (how much better could it get?). There are back-to-back shelves full of Gold Cup Farms (the River Rat brand) candies, chocolates, nuts, trail and party mixes, pretzels, etc. I always get the chocolate-covered raisins (my fave) because the chocolate is sooo creamy and rich, and there's always more chocolate than raisin. Am also a fan of the dark chocolate-covered cherries and raspberry cordials (the brandy cordials aren't bad either!). These also range in price by weight; a typical half-pound(ish) of candy might cost around $4. They even have molded chocolates in the shape of the Thousand Island Bridge! Along some of the walls around the store, you'll find specialty and locally made jams, hot sauces, dipping sauces, mustards, local maple syrup, New Hope pancake mix (yum!), and of course Thousand Island salad dressing. There is also a section of River Rat merchandise, including T-shirts, sweatshirts, baby bibs, and plush rats. The merch is a bit on the expensive side (I think the baby bibs are like $9.99), and often they are out of the XL clothing sizes (sorry, men in my life). They also sell those decorative wooden freighter replicas you've probably seen in someone's cottage on the River. My favorite parts of this store are 1) the smell (you know, the unmistakable fart-like smell of a cheese store!) and 2) the samples. By the window in back looking into the "cheese room" (where the magic happens), there is a table stocked with several containers of River Rat cheese samples. Grab a toothpick from the dispenser and taste the 4 or 5 varieties of cheese cubes. Next to those are the freezers where you can purchase ice packs for keeping your cheese cold during travel, which is great if you forget to pack and/or freeze your ice packs and have a long trip ahead. The River Rat cheese store is located on a side street in Clayton near the Koffee Kove restaurant. Parking is metered in downtown Clayton except for on Sundays. The store does great business but is never so busy that you can't move or wait in long checkout lines. Definitely worth a stop if you love cheese or know someone who does. (Don't forget to give them your email address to receive a catalog for gift orders around the holidays!) read more

1000 Islands River Rat Cheese - "River Rat" campfire in storefront - Cheese Shops Near Me - Clayton, New York

Received my crud cheese order this week! SUPER fresh and tasty! Just like we can get in Quebec! We love it! Amazing!

Nice cheese but a terribly unfriendly staff that were downright unpleasant to be around. It was like pulling teeth to get any "help" and what I'd dig get was seemingly begrudging given. I'm appalled. read more

This store is a must stop at when I am in the Thousand Islands Region. I have been going to this store since I was very young. I am a sucker for their toasted onion cheddar cheese. I have just recently been trying their cheese dips. So good. Especially the port wine one. My favorite thing to do is buy some cheese, crackers, and a drink from there then go sit by the water and eat my new snack. I have one of their long sleeved shirts and one hoodie. Love them both, so comfortable. Best part is their prices, I never feel deterred by any price tag. read more

This is 100% a must stop here every time my wife and I come up to stay. Cheese is fantastic and the shrimp cocktail sauce is bonkers good. Prices are fair and it's in a great walking spot near the river. Love this place. Not much else you can say...if you like cheese: go here read more

1000 Islands River Rat Cheese - So. Good. - Cheese Shops Near Me - Clayton, New York

A wide assortment of everything! Very clean. Friendly customer service. I go back every time I'm in the area!

I still have no idea what a River Rat is but I'm sure glad this place exists. They have a lovely sampling counter inside and you can help yourself to all of their popular flavors of cheese. After sampling every one of their cheddars and cheese curds, I ultimately decided on taking along with me a bag of their original cheese curds to snack on for the rest of our road trip. I like the squeakiness of the cheese curds, and it's the right amount of saltiness and flavor. I highly recommend them if you're passing by the Thousand Islands area. If you're not a fan of squeaky cheeses, their Mean n Nasty Cheddar comes a close second to the curds. And if you're lactose intolerant, they have a great selection of other edible souvenirs like caramels, chocolates, monkey munch and other nutty snacks. read more

This place was AMAZING! I'm from VA so the trip up north was already really nice and the weather was beautiful in Clayton. First off, the store was clean and the employees were friendly. And when I thought that it couldn't get any better, there were free cheese samples. Some of the best cheddar cheese I've ever put in my lips. The fried cheese curds were amazing too. You can't get cheese like this in VA. The smoked cheese that I bought was amazing with crackers, sausage, and pepper jelly. Ten thumbs up for this place! read more

1000 Islands River Rat Cheese - Outside the store with fried cheese curds - Cheese Shops Near Me - Clayton, New York

Loved the cheeses. I got the jalapeno cheese and wished I bought more. They also have a great selection of chocolate covered nuts and snacks. Check their hours because they close pretty early. read more

We received Cheese Curd as a Christmas Gift last year and I fell in love. This place was a must stop on our trip in the area. Sadly, it's not available in the DFW area. Pricey to ship back home but we did take some back on the plane. read more

Love this store! Cheese is excellent and they have a variety of old time candy for the kids and young at heart. Samples of their most popular cheeses. Very nice staff as well. read more

I really wanted to like this place since I love cheese shops. However its a scam given they simply resell cheese. If I could give this place 0 stars I would. I would stay away by all means. In the end I bought some cheese curd and just about threw up. Rubber, not squeaky and hard. Maybe if they made their own it would be fresh daily as they claim. Very unsatisfied. Skip it and go to the chain store and buy Mcadam for great lakes cheese cheaper and knowing that its properly handled. read more

The 3 year aged xxx sharp cheddar is the best sharp I've ever had. My favorite used to be Black Diamond but I like this better. I see you can buy the 40 oz online now which is awesome. Great job. I'll have to grab some curds when I'm in town next month. Great job. read more

Pretty sure this is the best cheese available in the Us. They make and age fabulous cheddar on site (you can watch them in the back). They also import amazing cheese from abroad - even my snooty British friend was impressed with the selection of Stilton from his favorite uk creameries. Grab some croghan bologna while you're there. read more

Liked this place...fun place and big variety! Great choice of cheese. You can view the packing are and it is very clean. Fun packaged candy and nice logo shirts. read more

Just a cool place to go to find odd and weird food like gummy fried eggs or eatable rocks. You have to check it out for yourself.