Newly re-opened restaurant at the River Ridge Golf Course in Independence. Sorry that Okoboji Grill closed - but very happy with Denali's. We hear that they hired away all the wait staff from Bill's - which recently closed. The have added a "party room" on the east end of the building - in what previously was an outdoor eating area with fire pits. The new party room and the large room on the west end were in use when we arrived. We had reservations for three on a Friday night and were seated promptly at a booth in the bar area. With the open ceilings and no carpet - it is LOUD in the bar. At the moment - they do not have a wine list - and - we may have been the first customers to order a bottle of wine. It was a red from Portugal - I don't remember the grape - but it was a good complement to our meal. All three of us ordered the Prime Rib special- medium rare. I chose the "loaded mashed" potatoes, Rick had the "regular" mashed and Mom had baked potato. Portions of prime rib were ample and prepared perfectly; tender - flavorful - delicious. The loaded mashed came with cheese and bacon - think - loaded baked potato. They were fine for something different - but for my taste - I'll stick with the more traditional baked potato next time. Even though we were celebrating Mom's 97th birthday - we opted for no dessert. Did not take a menu picture - but - in addition to the Prime Rib - they offer a variety of appetizers, sandwiches, salads, pizza, and entrees. Well rounded menu for a quick bite after a round of golf - or coming out for an evening. Welcome addition to the northeast Iowa dining scene. read more

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I have given these guys three times to improve and they just can't do it. Today I ordered a Rachel with baked potato. Who makes a Rachel without Thousand Island dressing? These guys. The turkey lacked flavor, so was way overpowered by the kraut. The baked potato clearly had been baked days before, then a weak attempt to reheat was made. It didn't even start to melt the butter. Mealy and gross. read more

We came for the Mother's Day brunch buffet and had a very disappointing experience. The brunch was advertised as running until 1:00 PM, and reservations were still being accepted up until that time. However, when our party arrived for our 12:30 reservation, almost all of the food was gone and nothing was being refilled, despite there still being 30 minutes left in service. The little food that was available wasn't even very good, and everyone in our group left hungry. The service was also extremely poor. After ordering drinks, we waited about 15 minutes to receive them, and by then we had already finished the minimal food we were able to get. Throughout the rest of the meal, we were largely ignored and had no idea how to even check out. While the manager did comp 50% off the buffet cost, we still paid full price for drinks. For a group of six, we spent around $80 and left disappointed, hungry, and frustrated. This event was clearly not planned well, and both the food quality and service need major improvement. read more

Had a nice lunch at Denali's. 1/2 price burgers on Monday- was a nice surprise. Burgers were good! Fries & tater tots crispy. Was a pleasant environment & friendly staff. read more

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Our tenderloins were so good! They were huge. The onion rings were tasty too. Love the patio dining too. read more

Denali’s On The River - Tenderloin and onion rings - American Near Me - Independence, Iowa

The ambiance was great! Food was ok. I had a salad and the cucumbers did not look good and were a bit slimy so I removed them. They also accidentally put a cheeseburger on our tenderloin we ordered. It was hidden under the tenderloin. The taps on the beer must have also been incorrect. Two of the beers we ordered were clearly not what was ordered. I would definitely try again simply for the ambiance of the place. The service was also really good. Just need some work in the kitchen maybe. read more

We were in town visiting and met up with family for lunch. My sister said she had been here before and it was good. Goes to show you different day, different results. They were busy and took awhile to get table inside which was ok. Decor is sports pub style and was inviting. What was not ok was service and food. Sat at table for a good 10 minutes outside by the river before we were even acknowledged by wait staff. We ordered immmediately and then moved inside a few minutes after that. About an hour later we got our food. Yes I did write and hour for a burger, chicken sandwich and 2 piece chicken. My sister ordered mac cheese side, it came in a small 4oz bowl and she said it had no taste and the consistency was like bad paste or glue, needless to say it was not eaten. The burger and bun was literally charcoal burnt. Worst burger ever, and I do mean it was one of the worst burgers I have had including those nasty school lunches. Took two bites not thinking the first bite was as bad as I thought, took second and then stopped punishing myself. We may have sent the food back but once the food was dropped at the table we did not see a server again for another 15 minutes, at that time we we ready to go. This is quite possible one of the worst food experiences I have had. We don't live in that area but if we did I would never go back there. read more

This review is for Candice: Great setting on the river, delightful and attentive service, large menu, large portions, and reasonably priced. Not the height of haut cuisine, but with measured expectations, it is worth the trip for this unique, out of the way restaurant. read more

This place is great! I guess I don't understand where some of the negative reviews are coming from. We are staying in town from out of state for a couple of weeks & have been here twice. Once on a Saturday night & once on a Tuesday. First night we came here I had a steak that I ordered rare & it was cooked to perfection! Nice sear & crisp on the outside but nice & cool middle. The waitress delivered it to the table & asked me to cut into to check if it was cooked to my liking & it was beautiful. Our waitress was nothing less than amazing! When we came back a second time, she remembered us & our drink & appetizer orders from last time. The 2nd time there I ordered the bourbon bacon burger & it was delicious. Highly recommend checking this place out if you are in town! I'm hoping to get the opportunity to eat here again before I leave town! read more

We were excited to try out this place. First appearance the place is very nice. We were a party of 15. While on the way there we all looked at the menu and decided what we wanted to eat. Much to our surprise we were handed a group menu which did not consist of anything we wanted from the online menu. I could understand if they were catering a large party for us but this was not the case. Big disappointment. The food was just okay, and reasonably priced. Not sure we will return. read more

Great meal and good service on the river. Drinks are decent and reasonable pricing overall

I've been here a few times, so thought I'd leave a review. Here's our latest experience: We were seated right away. Waitress & food came within a reasonable time. I enjoyed the view of the river. I got a mushroom swiss burger. No complaints-lots of pickles, seasoned nicely, very tasty. I always enjoy their kind of fries-they were not hot though. Side salad was also good with the blue cheese dressing. They put cucumbers, tomatoes, and onion on top. Daughter got penne spaghetti with meatballs. The meatballs unfortunately were over microwaved, and I just kind of cut up what I could in the inside of the meatball. Could be a bit of a choking hazard for a kid if I hadn't cut out the bad leathery parts. Really wish they'd just serve spaghetti noodles for kids-it's just easier for them to eat! Waters were late (unfortunately this seems to always happen here ) so I had to remind the waitress. She apologized & was very polite. The bathroom only had scalding hot water for washing hands. No cold came out at all, it only dripped. I've had a few other things on the menu that were just ok-hot beef sandwich, French dip, cheese balls are always good-I think their best items are the hamburgers though. I wish they'd put napkins on the table so you don't have to ask. Also, maybe some extra training for the waitstaff (lids for kids drinks, breaking change to be able to leave a tip and not just giving larger bills back, getting drinks right away, etc.). I would give a 3.5 out of 5! Will be back for the burger and fries! read more

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We arrived on a busy night. Once seated our order was taken in a timely manner. We tried the garlic steak and the brisket. Unfortunately they were out of lettuce so no salads. The app arrived after almost 50 minutes. About 20 minutes later we got our food. My brisket was still visibly frozen and cold. The fries were delicious as was the bbq. My husbands potatoes were visibly cold and in edible. The steak was lacking flavor and not anything special. If not for the awesome service of the bartender and other staff I would have left a lower rating. The location is a typical of a golf course bar. Loud and busy. read more

The view was wonderful from the out back patio. The food was mediocre. We ordered potato skins and they came out with just cheese. We asked about the bacon and our waitress stated that they were out of bacon. And then we had to ask about the sour cream. That they did have. It would have been nice when we ordered to know about the NO bacon. But then our meals came and I had a Chicken/Bacon/Ranch wrap. And this HAD bacon on it. Go figure. Would go back for the atmosphere and not so much the food. They were in the process of building a nice looking stage while we were there also. So maybe in the future some place go for LIVE music. read more

Lots of options and good food! Very friendly staff and the service is great every time we go!

First of all the good, beautiful looking place along the river. The service was ok but not outstanding. Now for the food. We got the cheese curds for an appetizer and the were good. There were only four of us, two of us ordered boneless wings with fries, sweet chili that were saucy and tasted decent but were warm at best. The fries were overcooked and were crispy like chips. The other were garlic parmesan and there was no sauce on them and they too were warm at best. Another entree ordered was the New York Strip medium rare with fries for a side, it came out well done and the fries were also over cooked. My son had the Southern Pulled Pork with potato wedges, he didn't complain, but he is also a 20 year old college kid and would eat about anything without complaining. I don't know how many there were in the kitchen but it took well over 45 minutes to get our food and they weren't even that busy at the time. I wouldn't have minded the wait if the food would have been fantastic, but that wasn't the case. We said something to our waiter and he did comp the steak which I did appreciate, but we will never go back again. But if you like overcooked food and don't mind waiting for it then this is the place for you. I wish I would have taken pictures of the disappointing food. The kitchen staff needs to learn how to prepare the food correctly. Definitely a waste of time and money, so save your time and money and go somewhere else. Also for the record, this is the first review that I have ever made. read more

We came in late on a beautiful sunny October day and my party of 4 were looking forward to eating lunch on the river. Clearly marked was a no smoking sign on the patio. There are always people who are special and not subject to rules. An elderly man was sitting at the next table smoking a CIGAR. one waitress it appeared for inside n outside so service was not great. Food was good. Manager did nothing to patron smoking cigar UNACCEPTABLE not sure if we will return as enuf help has been an issue every time We have been there. read more

Very inviting atmosphere - huge 6 panel tv behind the bar - can imagine the fun on game day ! generous portions- everything was very good - would definitely recommend n stop again. Lots of very unique menu options including pizza - was too full but the dessert menu looked like our next visit we will save room for some ! read more

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If you like to wait then this is the place for you. The service staff must have a room to hide from patrons, as there is never a host available, you have to stand there for awhile until they finally show up and seat you. Then get ready to wait for a wait person. Eventually you'll order an appetizer. I ordered the Turtle Eggs, which I have had before and they're good. But they were all out of those. So ordered food. The boneless "chicken wings" were lukewarm at best, but otherwise were tasty. The fries were cold. My wife ordered a sandwich and it wasn't very hot. Overall I've been disappointed with every visit. I only went the latest time because I had a gift card. I will say the place is nice, but a little loud (as most places are these days). Sadly, there's not many choices in Independence for restaurants. My hope is that Denali's will improve over time. I know good service staff is hard to find these days. read more

I really enjoyed the atmosphere. Both the restaurant seating and the bar area were organized and surprisingly clean. It is a golf course restaurant but was actually adapted to people that want good food and a friendly atmosphere. They make a "pork tenderloin" sold as Moms Pork Tenderloin in a partially made sandwich on Texas toast. It's actually a schnitzel and a very good one. Paired it with the potato salad and it was delicious. read more

Denali’s On The River - Mom's pork tenderloin - American Near Me - Independence, Iowa

Server stumbled and accidentally spilled 2 waters and a Bloody Mary on me. I was super understanding and reassured her it was ok and things happen, but my dress was splattered with red and I was absolutely soaked; if I stood up you would've seen through my dress. I sat on towels for the duration of our lunch and kept fanning my dress in the sun to get it dry. The food took about an hour to come out, the drinks were good and the food was fine; the live music was fantastic. We weren't offered any kind of compensation when it came to the bill. We did say something and she took $10 off our bill but tomato juice on a light blue $120 dress...I just feel like there should be more training when it comes to something like this. She was young and accidents happen but train your staff on how to handle these situations and to understand the worth of customer experience from a business perspective. Learning experience read more

Food has always been excellent! Family atmosphere but also great for date night. Excellent service and staff are great. I love the pizza, burgers, wings, salads, and the turtle eggs are delicious. read more

Good food, service and ambiance. Better than the prior restaurant that was there. Food was good and so were the drinks.

We came in later tonight 7:40pm- nice it was opened and very pleasant! Service was excellent and food/drinks were yummy even though help could have been ready to shut down on a slower night. Great and refreshing to find a restaurant with great help & super food! read more

Always a great place. Food and service was excellent. Big portions, you should not go away hungry.

Facility is fantastic. Very nice building with a desirable setting right along the river. That's about the only positives about Denali's. Service was terrible. Food was barely passable as food. Took 30 minutes to get an appetizer and the place was not busy. Hostess walking around with her bitch face on the entire time didn't help anything. First time there. And it will be the last time that we will go there. Better get a grip on the forward facing employees and the kitchen or there will be yet another name change. read more

Awesome service, food, and view! A must stop in Independence, IA. Great for large or small parties. Prime rib and pulled pork were a hit.

Ate at denalis yesterday- bourbon bacon burger wasnt great -didnt realize the onion strings would be the kind you put in green bean casserole - maybe a tablespoon of them- bun was certainly not house made and the burger was overcooked- my husband had a pizza also not good- ill have to say our waitress was wonderful- was it was because it was sunday night? read more

Had a reservation for 8 and they lost it and sat for 20 minutes and no one waited on us we left and they couldn't care less

The only reason it gets the one star is the atmosphere. Beautiful location right on the river. Service was horrible. Food took forever, I had to go to the bar to refill my own drinks. Waiter was absent for most of the hour and a half we were there. When the food finally did come the steak was bland and boring. Then the flies showed up. Horrible experience. Would not recommend. read more

Lots of food and drink options. Best patio and draft beer selection in the area. Upscale sports bar feel. Worth a stop!

awesome food ! great staff ! nice place , went on Mother's Day in the afternoon , service was great, can't say enough about the food . Very good and a large selection . read more

The cheese curds were amazing and are very cheesy. The wait was long but the food made up for it and even though the wait was long the waiters did a good job. The atmosphere was nice and the songs weren't too loud. I also liked the wood and stone aesthetic. Th burger patties were moist and had a nice crust. The fries were some of the best I've ever had. The burger wasn't super good but it was ok. Overall I would think that 4/5 would be a good rating. read more