During my last visit, I enjoyed my Jalapeño Burger so much, that I had to come back and try something else. Again, I sat at the bar, just feels good. When the bartender greeted me, he was the same one as my last visit. To start out, I ordered a Civil Life craft beer. When he brought me my brew, I told him how I enjoyed the Jalapeño Burger and wanted to try something different. He didn't miss a beat, he immediately recommended, the Pork Tenderloin Sandwich. He told me it was his personal favorite. The tenderloin was huge and crispy. As like most pork tenderloin sammies in the area, it was bigger then the bun. It came with pickles and onion for a garnish and that made the sandwich complete. As my side, I went with Curly Fries. They were a nice change from the typical fries, but I'm a traditional French Fries type of guy. So next time, I'll go back to the regular. I've only dealt with the bartender and I will say, the service is always good. If you don't sit at the bar, there are plenty of table and hightop's to gather around. Big bonus, when the weather is good, there's a deck facing the river to get your party going. read more

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Enjoyed the atmosphere inside and the comfortable sitting at the bar. Good beer selection on tap with some local favs and typical domestics. Several TVs for watching football. Service was great, though we did not eat. read more

Great Grafton eatery with a river views! Inside there's tons of tables, a full bar, and a 21+ gaming area. Outside there's a covered balcony overlooking the river with about 15 tables - ranging from 4 tops to 6 tops. Under the balcony there are 4 massive sized swings that are so fun, about 15 more tables and a full bar. The atmosphere is a vibe, fun and funky - netting hanging above the balcony with decor throughout. The bathrooms are really clean. Now onto the food, you've got to try to hit cheese balls served with ranch and marinara. They are so yummy and the ranch is AMAZING. The pork tenderloin is fabulous and served with incredibly fresh lettuce and onions. The chicken strips are really good too, and you should probably try the sweet potato fries! They have super large drinking cups which we really appreciate! read more

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They were busy, and it was a surprise, so they were understaffed. Completely understandable! But the server did a great job and I didn't hear anyone complain. The food was ready faster than expected and it was great! I had the Maui Wrap, which all their wraps can also be salads, so I debated on that. It would have been great either way. My partner had the Pony Shoe and really enjoyed it. Lots of seating inside and out with a great view of the river. It was a nice day for a ride so we rode our motorcycles. Plenty of parking for them too. We will be back again for sure. read more

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We wanted to have fish from the Mississippi River and the only thing on the menu is Buffalo fish. There were so much breading on the fish I can hardly taste the fish itself. Also all that breading made the fish very salty and dry. Location was really great though. read more

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Great food, cold beer, and great service! We got buffalo fish and catfish, fritters, and shared them. We got a couple of sides, which were also excellent. And don't forget the cheese cubes! They give you a lot of them and they are delicious! Our server was also the bartender, and he was very efficient and friendly, and was taking care of a lot of customers! The other servers around were also very friendly! And don't forget the wonderful view of the Mississippi river! read more

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Went there for beer and appetizers after we hiked at Pere Marquette. I had Yuegling draft beer. And it was good and nice hospitality. Thank you read more

Drifters Eats & Drinks - American Near Me - Grafton, Illinois

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We stopped in here for appys and drinks on a day in Grafton. The location is a little further up than the main strip of bars/eateries. The view of the river is really nice. We ordered cheese balls and pretzel sticks - both were really good. Service was quick and friendly. read more

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Second trip here and they did not disappoint. Today we had the classic burger. It's a half pound and cooked perfectly with all the trimmings and fries. We also had the pork fritters. They are pork tenderloin cut in strips, breaded and fried. Perfectly seasoned and cooked perfectly juicy! read more

Drifters Eats & Drinks - Pork fritters- tenderloin strips hand breaded- delicious! - American Near Me - Grafton, Illinois

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Stopped here a whim trying to find a quiet spot for lunch. Everything was top notch from the moment we walked in. Service was fast and friendly. The pickle chips we the BEST i have ever eaten. They tasted like they were made from fresh pickles tho he breading was perfect and you could taste the crunchy dill pickle inside. The Catfish was delivered promptly and was delicious. The coleslaw was very tasty and fresh. The view of the river from the deck was the perfect place for lunch. Was also very pleasantly surprised at the bill and how affordable everything was! Definitely recommend and we will be back. read more

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Had some cocktails that were great. If nothing else, ya gotta stop in here and try a Crab Rangoon Pizza! It was SO different, and really good!!! Our server was helpful with my ordering of cocktails (I like a LITTLE sweet, but not TOO sweet) and attentive to our needs. Neat place. Try the swings downstairs on the back patio. OH, and great selfie opportunities (giant chair out front and Elvis inside). read more

Drifters Eats & Drinks - Shark Bite - American Near Me - Grafton, Illinois

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First time did not disappoint! This place is awesome! We ate on the expansive patio overlooking the mighty river. Stunning view and great service. Our waitress was friendly and attentive. The food was really good. The fried cheese curds were top tier. The salad was refreshing. The catfish and fries were fresh and crispy. The menu literally has a disclaimer about not knocking the crab Rangoon pizza until you try it...it's good. Like, really good; and, incredibly rich. I'd suggest splitting it with a group as an appetizer or with another pizza. It definitely made me want to try their other pizzas next time! So, what is this mysteriously tempting pizza? It's a super thin and crunchy crust holding a thick mix of cream cheese, crab meat, and spices, topped with cheese and wonton shell - cooked to perfection. *Chefs kiss* read more

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Good food great service and fun atmosphere ! We had a great lunch the catfish fritters were excellent and the tenderloin also very good. Great views of the river as well. We had fun watching the barges and boats pass read more

We've been to Drifters a number of times - it's a great location with a large deck on the river. My experience today was so poor I won't return. We arrived and put in drink and food orders. After a few minutes the table next to us said they had waited 1 hr and 15 mins to get their food and had to ask. We noticed that was the only table to have food on the entire back deck (~20 tables). An hour and 15 minutes passed and only one table had been brought food. We weren't in a hurry and were understanding that they may have had some uncontrollable circumstances leading to this (it wasn't because it was busy). Seeing as how there were several tables seated before us, we inquired with the bar staff (because our waiter stopped checking in or filling drinks) and we were rudely told by the server that we knew there was a long wait (no staff ever mentioned it) and to sit back down because there were still 8 tickets in front of us. At that point we left and ate a delicious and quickly prepared meal at Grafton Pub less than 20 minutes later! Don't bother with bad service and average food here! read more

I really wanted to love this place. It has a great atmosphere and beautiful views of the river but the food, drinks and service just not there. We ordered the catfish that was undercooked. Bloody Mary and margarita were not mixed well. Everything else was mediocre. read more

Worst ever. Went in, sat down, after 20 mins and watching 3 others who arrived much after we did get menus/service, we left and went to another place. read more

This became a usual stop during the covid shutdown. Easy because on my way home from work but the young lady that was always behind the bar was super friendly and helpful every time I stopped. Food is fresh and always delicious. read more

Mixed feelings... Was here a few weeks ago and was served quickly. Today.... not so much. Sat me next to a loud speaker playing music. Asked if they could turn it down, that didn't happen. Food took 40 minutes to get a burger and fish. Not too happy. read more

I had the pork tenderloin sandwich! Usually when u get these it is all breading and a little meat. This sandwich was more like a tender fried porkchop! It was AMAZING! The fries were great and the view was great. I felt bad for the server she had a million people to help but still did a great job! I will definitely be back for that pork fritter!! read more

Nice spot right on the river with a second story bar/deck and gigantic fire pit, cheap drinks and a decent menu. I had the fried pepper jack cheese balls which came with marinara and a mild horseradish dipping sauce. The portion was huge and easily shareable with 3 people. This is second time I've been there and each time it's been pretty dead but maybe summer/fall are their busy times. Will return. read more

Drifters Eats & Drinks - American Near Me - Grafton, Illinois

Great service! Our large salad with their sweet and spicy dressing came split so we could share it. The pizza was delicious! We ordered the supreme. One of our favorite places in Grafton. Check out the swings downstairs! read more

Very disappointed in the service. It was our first time and it was a bad experience (service wise) from the moment we walked in the door. Our salads came out with meal, no refills on our drinks, took 46 minutes to get our food. The food came and BAM...made our (never coming back) mentality change pretty fast. Wowza!!!!! The food knocked it out the part..Will try again.... read more

Don't go to Drifters if you're hungry. You might starve to death before you get your food. The service was inexplicably slow. 30 minutes to get our appetizer. 20 more to get our food. We saw several tables get up and leave without ordering. Our waittess was a black belt at avoiding eye contact. The food was average. Burgers need seasoning. Appetizer was small. High point was the amazing house chips. Too many choices in Grafton to waste our time at Drifters. We won't return. read more

Great bar food and service! We like their pizza and fish. Always friendly! The lower level swings are fun!

Beautiful Views of the river. We had Catfish fritters They were good. We arrived at 11:15 am our food came at 12:45. Never again.

Took a good hour and a half for food- ran out of things during that time- no coke- that ran out. Overall disappointing experience- not worth the money or time read more

Favorite establishment in Grafton! Great service and the food is amazing. Sunsets are amazing off the deck. When in Grafton, Drifters is a must. The best burgers, salads, catfish fritters, fried cheese balls and sweet potato fries in town! read more

Drifters Eats & Drinks - Friendliest place in town! Catfish fritters & cheese balls are two of my favs. Ask about their Bloody Mary's!!!! - American Near Me - Grafton, Illinois

Excellent view of the river and delicious food! The only downside was not seeing any bald eagles out on the water.

I love golden brown Buffalo Fritters with great seasoning, and that's what I order at Drifters. The beer is cold and the view on the upper deck is fantastic. Of course, my grand son and wife always enjoys the swing on the patio. read more

Located on the great river road with a good view of the river from both inside or patio. Atmosphere is both sports bar and pub. We had the lunch menu which was mainly sandwich, salad or pizza. The Haddock sandwich and sweet potato fries was plenty. Tasted ok but nothing special. Price was reasonable and about what we expected. Waitress was friendly efficient and courteous. Free WiFi worked well. Plenty of free parking available. read more

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I've been going to drifters for a while now, the food is amazing, the staff is all super friendly especially Marci she's by far my favorite, the food is a bit pricey but at the same time it's worth it, they have outside seating upstairs and downstairs, they also have inside seating, if you are in grafton you should definitely stop by here. read more

Stoped by on a drive up the river. We waited a long time for service and food. While our server was really nice, the food was blah. The view was nice, though. Not sure what else is in the area but we'd likely pass on coming here again. read more

Horrible! Worst service ever! Came on Sunday around noon. Waited 10 minutes for someone to take our drink order. We ordered the drinks and 2 appetizers ( pretzel and chicken strips ) and then proceeded to wait and wait. We got our drinks but after that we waited over 35 minutes and still no appetizers. In fact we rarely saw our server. We decided to just leave so I tried getting our server's attention but was unable. I then walked up to the bar and stood there waiting again! No one behind the bar and I'm standing there waiting and waiting till I finally had to call out to another staff member who passed me numerous times and saw me standing at the bar! She asked me if there was something I needed and I said uh yes I've been standing here wanting to pay for our drinks. She took my money and the looked around like trying to figure out how to get me change. I told her to keep it so we could get the hell out of there! We've been there numerous times over the years and I've never seen anything like this. There wasn't a sense of urgency anywhere! Tables remained dirty as workers passed them by time and time again. The bar had drinks and empty glasses and trash sitting there the entire 45 plus minutes we were there as well! Needless to say we probably won't be back and I'll let everyone else know to beware! read more

My husband and I enjoyed Sunday lunch at Drifters last weekend. Very impressed with the service, the view from the upper deck, the drinks and the salads. Our server was very attentive and efficient. We were very impressed that our Stella Artois draft beers were served in the proper chalices. Tasted great on a hot summer day! The salads were huge. It is annoying when you are served a tiny bit of lettuce/spinach/greens drowned in dressing and overloaded with toppings. IMHO, greens make the salad and each of us had a very large, well-balanced, delicious salad, salad dressing served on the side. The restaurant was steady busy, but we did not feel rushed to leave. Will be back next time we visit Grafton. read more

Had a really bad experience the first time we came here a few months back--waited for over an hour and a half for our food to come out. Waited forever for the bill. This time spent 20 minutes waiting for a waitress to come to our table. Went and found a group of them at the bar eating cupcakes. Asked for someone to come to our table and only one looked up. And she sucked. Didn't check on us. Worse yet they were out of a third of the menu. Ordered a jameson. Came back that they were out of that, too. We arrived at 6:30pm on a Sunday. Most of the crowd left shortly thereafter. We appeared to be our server's only table. Crazy stuff. And such a shame, as the location, especially patio is awesome. And the food is pretty good. Hope they fix their server problem. Place has great potential. Shame z read more

Had the fried chicken tonight! Big mistake. They used fish cornmeal batter and it was so salty we could hardly eat it! read more

Good food, good atmosphere, but if you need to use your cellphone forget it. There is no service and their wifi is a joke. You can not do anything on their wifi which is likely a cheaper router located in the basement. It is completely unusable. read more

Great food and a friendly staff. I always stop by when I am in Grafton

Food was great. We had salads. They had live music, it was overwhelmingly loud. We moved outside, the bugs were too much to deal with. Made it thru dinner but by then we had enough. Musicians were good, but way too loud. read more

Average food. BBQ was not very good with no sauce it was dry. Place was not very clean. Services was good and we got in and out quick.