I was here for a wedding on the lawn.The view of the river as the couple exchanged vows was just wonderful. The food was so good! The staff really took care of the guest and the bridal party. Having the whole second floor to ourselves while the restaurant was open downstairs was really nice. You really couldn't hear anything and I thought for sure we would with people being out on the deck. I look forward to coming back and try the restaurant. read more

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Been going there for years. Always hit or miss. Of the three entrees we ordered, the side of fries was the best. Kinda bummed because the atmosphere is really nice, but the food is mediocre. read more

Went here for the first time as a party if two. We're told they couldn't guarantee a seat for us before closing (it was 8pm on a Saturday) but we were more that welcome to order a pizza tobgi and eat it in the grass. We took a pass since we weren't interested in pizza nor were we interested in finding a spot free of dog shit to eat it on the ground. Can't believe it was even suggested. Will never go back. read more

Nice atmosphere - had a good pub style burger, bigger and juicer than you'd find in most restaurants. Started with a Nantucket salad - small / just the right size and flavor as a starter. Service was quick and efficient - overall...a good experience. read more

Such a lovely view as we sat on the pizza patio. The pizzas are fine but..... my daughter got the chicken on the skewer and it was small and all chewy FAT. It was disgusting and she complained to me. I took the last bite and almost vomit. I told the waitress and they still made me pay. I ordered the beef skewer and it came with two bites of lettuce and they called it a salad. 18 dollars. I left hungry. What a waste of money. read more

Very disappointed. Drove 30 minutes from my daughter's place in Millersville to have lunch. After the confusion as to where to enter, door is not marked, we went in and asked for a table for 2 outside. We were told sorry but it's a 30 minute wait. What?? Parking lot half empty and we saw at least 6 empty tables as we were walking in. Can't speak to anything else as we left. Not waiting a half hour for lunch, especially when there were empty tables. read more

Dined here with friends. No outside dining was available when I called except in the pub side. That was ok, so I reserved a table in the dining room. When we arrived there were two tables by the window and I asked for one of these. The hostess said they were both reserved. By the time we left one table was empty and there was an empty table outside as well. 3 of the 4 of our party ordered burgers. One well done. One medium and one medium rare. They were all medium well with little to no pink. I had the Nantucket salad with salmon. This restaurant touts a farm to table type theme so I was hoping for a wonderful flavorful salad. . When my salad arrived it looked flat and wilted. Three potatoes chips were oddly placed on the top. I guess they were supposed to be like croutons but did it really seem to pair well with greens, craisins and walnuts . The salmon was about 2 inches square. Very tiny and dry in appearance. I expected a bright crisp salad. It tasted good , just not what I was expecting. Sort of a let down. This venue has a great location and the view of the SusQ River is awesome. They just need to bring meal service up to speed. read more

We came for brunch. They had quite the variety. It was very good but we had a reservation for 11:15. We checked in at 11 and weren't seated until 11:45. They also didn't have our table for our whole group. They are very busy and accommodating overall. read more

I'm sorry...I don't know why this place gets such good reviews! I have tried giving it several chances but am always disappointed. The only positive is the atmosphere on the patio. Last time I went with some friends for drinks and appetizers. Every time the waitress left the table, she was gone for 30 minutes. I ordered ceviche....small shrimp from a can and shredded crab with tortilla chips with no salt. We shared some Thai chicken skewers...chicken was ok....dip was nothing but peanut butter. Thankfully, my wine was good. We didn't get out for 3 hours because the service was so slow. I tried taking my sister-in-law for lunch. Homemade chips were BURNED.. I mean unedible! Burger was dry and overcooked. Salad was OK. My husband and I went for dinner....again unimpressed for the price we paid. Crabcake was average and the steak overdone. I really wish they would do a better job. It is within walking distance of my house and I would love to have a great restaurant close by. I did have quiche and fruit a long time ago that was tasty....but overpriced! read more

Very good food! Waitress was great... but hosts, not so much. Don't leave much responsibility to these kids, they will forget about you in mid walk to your table. I requested to sit inside after the full menu wasn't available outside, the hostess walks back to her station. I was left in the middle of the restaurant waiting for the hostess to seat me. Didn't happen. We sat at a table we chose ourselves and had to wave down a waitress. Don't even bother with the hosts, just sit down when you arrive. read more

Do not go there. They are more intrrested in private party's. Twice we tried going there fri and sat nights. Only offered pizza menu which was burnt when we tried ii t. This Sunday We never even got to eat. when trying to make reservations we got the run around. everything is separate. kitchens decks patio. manager came out to explain but had an excuse for anything and everything.mwould never try and eat there again.ended up going to wrightsville inn for true crabcakes. Apparently they dont like bikers I woulldnever take a club ride their after the way we were treated. read more

Great location. Nice views of the river. Slow service. Order taken and still no food an hour later. Lots of flies in the four seasons room. They need to keep the screen doors closed! Stagnant air movement. Need to at least have ceiling fans. Ok food finally arrives. My burger is a dry hockey puck, my son's chicken tenders were completely raw. Waitress said she told the manager. He never came to our table. We will never dine at this establishment again. read more

I am a huge fan of the wood oven pizza, $5 dollar yuengling pitchers, and $2 drafts between 5-7.

If this restaurant was not on a river no one would go. The service is horrific having been there three times just to be sure. Reservations were for 530PM didn't get drinks instill 615 Pm and didn't eat till 7PM . Food is average at best. Manager comes by table and asks how is everything, I tell him our food was late and cold and he walks away . Will not go back read more

Service was very good. Confusing menus. Kitchens cannot cross service. Outside woodfire pizza was quite blackened. Doubt that I will ever go back. Manager of course had an excuse for everything. read more

Great view, great service, great food! The John Wright restaurant is not a place to overlook if you want a good meal with a great view of the Susquehanna river and the historic Wrightsville bridge. I was greeted immediately upon entering and was offered a table in the glass-enclosed room beyond the bar. There were only a few tables occupied on a Friday night at 5:15 pm. I choose the corner table, which had the best view in the house. After an elegantly served cocktail I ordered one of the daily specials - grilled rockfish served over a crabcake with steamed asparagus and a hollandaise sauce - it was superb! The rockfish had a perfect sear on it, the crabcake was lump crab, the asparagus was peeled and cooked perfectly and the sauce brought it all together. The prices are a bit steep, my entrée was $28.00 and the drinks are on the high side also. Nonetheless I would bring a coupon (either restaurant.com) or one from the Coupon Clipper and definitely go back! read more

First off, if you are expecting to be out in an hour, don't even come here. It took three hours from seating to paying. We had 12 people in our group, but no one was late or indecisive. As others have said the view isn't bad for being seated outside, at our request. It was a great summer night and it was close to dusk. Everyone had a plastic cup filled with city water, yuck, already waiting at the table before you get seated. The menu is pretty simple, and sometimes that is good. There are several pizzas and three burgers to choose from. There are a couple of entrees too. The appetizers didn't really sound good so we passed. They have about 10 beers on tap and more bottled beers. I will warn you, the beer isn't really cold when it comes out. It's served in the same plastic cup the water comes in, so it gets warm quick. I didn't like that. We had ordered a grilled chicken pizza and a california burger that supposedly had guacamole on it. After 2 bites of the burger i was looking for the guacamole and asked my wife if it was supposed to come with. The patty could have been local beef but reminded me of a frozen patty. It was dry, little flavor and the bun was way too big for the burger. It was not worth $14, maybe $8-9. You get to choose between homemade chips or two other sides with the burger. I had specifically asked if the chips were from a bag and he waitress said they were made in house. there is no f-in way they made these. They came from a bag. The pizza tasted good, but was burnt. It seems like they don't have a clue how to not burn these pizzas. We didn't get dessert. There was a jazz band that was playing while we ate. It was very entertaining, but it made conversations very difficult as it was loud and we had to shout to talk. It was a different experience. But, I won't go back unless someone else is paying and they serve food from another restaurant. Our bill was about $55 with the tip for a burger, pizza, and three beers. Too much for not great food. I would have given one star but the music saved them there. read more

Went to John Wright's tonight. We've been there several times but not this season outside. It was the worst ever! Waiter was so bad I went to the bar twice to get drinks while we waited and waited. Food was fair but very small portions. The waiter actually asked me how i wanted my chicken. I told him cooked please. We will probably not go back this summer. It's a shame because we liked it in the past. read more

Great views... That is all. Arrived on a Saturday evening at 6 p.m. with my wife and we were told no tables were available in the dining area until 8:30 p.m. We were politely told to go to the bar. There were 5 empty tables in the bar area all marked reserved. Looking around the restaurant, it was nearly empty... Perhaps a quarter of the tables were occupied. The parking lot was also surprising empty. We decided to take our business elsewhere as the hostess was unprofessional and had no reasonable explanation as to why she would not seat us in a restaurant that had many open tables. read more

The last two times I dined there, the food and service were terrible. This was about two years ago. They were recently voted top 10 patio dining in PA. I made a comment on their FB post about my bad experiences and said perhaps it had changed. New chef? Better training? They sent me a very rude private message stating I was bashing them and a lecture on how they have employees that rely on this restaurant to support families, mortgages, etc. If they truly cared, they would clean up their act. Google John Wright Restaurant food inspection of August 2016 York paper. The list is unbelievable. I will never go there again. I love the location by the river but customer service and satisfaction is surely not a too priority. read more

The food was excellent. I cannot say the same about the service. I can honestly say we had the worst waitress I have had in a long time and the outside manager was unprofessional as well. He was walking around like he was lost and he seemed to only ask tables with attractive women seated at them how their meal was that evening. Note to the manager....train your people to bus the table when they deliver food. read more

Great place to grab a very nice lunch with a beautiful view of the Susquehanna River by the Columbia Bridge. Bar is fun - carved wood seats. Looks like the can host some fun river side parties and weddings. read more

Great wait staff and food is very delicious! We have dined here a few times and have not been disappointed. Will return!

Tried going on a Sunday afternoon after I had a bad experience before. Order pizza again...........oh lord. It was terrible!! The couple with me also ordered pizza and their response was the same. What a shame. The view is beautiful. That is the reason for the 2 star. read more

Dined here several times now! Food delicious, and great view of river and bridge! Favorite restaurant in area!! Friends said best hamburger they have had in years ! read more

I'm an event planner and was working on a very special event for a close friend and the staff at john wright worked with me flawlessly to make the event perfect. The food was amazing and the staff looked great for my big event. The Bride and Groom loved their ceremony on the lawn and the dining room was perfect. It was a pleasure to work with the staff at John Wright. Any Occasion Event Planning read more

Incredible ambiance right on the river. Amazing views from the deck and bar. A little more on the high end with prices. Food portions are small also. read more

I dined at JW for the first time tonight. Walking into the place there is a country store off to the right which looked really interesting however they were closed. Instantly we were showed to our table where are friends were waiting. The layout of the place was very appealing and seemed to flow very nicely. The atmosphere was cozy, ambiance was rustic with a splash of modern touches. The restaurant section was unique with glass from floor to ceiling. All of the dining tables were dazzling copper slabs. During the day there is a beautiful view of the Susquehanna River. The bar area was funky and eye appealing. There was a brilliant aroma of restaurant flavors in the air that tantalized your pallet and prepared you for your experience. Our server was friendly and didn't push us at all considering our res. were 8:30 and they close at 9. This made me happy. Drinks were decent, my dirty martini was delicious . Home made breads and whipped butter hit the table and were good. I wish the bread was warm. I ordered cream of crab with asparagus and the baked oysters. The soup was awesome , full of crab and tender pieces of asparagus, a nice twist. Maybe a little more sherry and old bay however being from Baltimore that's just a personal preference of mine. I ordered the Rib eye with horseradish mashed potatoes and carrots. My fiancée ordered the crab cake with carrots and Yukon gold potatoes. Our entrees came out and my baked oysters never made it to the table. No biggie though for me it wasn't the end of the world. However that did keep this review from being a solid 4 stars. The rib eye was cooked perfect, great grill marks too. There was a blackberry Demi glaze sauce that was spectacular. As for the crab cake , again being from Baltimore I would liked to taste a little less lemon and a little more old bay. My fiancée thought it was a tad fishy I had to agree. But for 25 bucks what can you expect. I had a glass of 2011 Murphy Good Cab that harmoniously complimented the meat notes on my pallet. In conclusion our evening was enjoyable and JW was a pleasurable experience. We were the last people to leave and I stress we never felt pushed out. I would definitely like to try this place again and would recommend the restaurant to my friends. read more

I never thought anyone could screw up a cobb salad. Great crab & asparagus soup and really bad salad. Wilted greens, rubbery egg, unripe avocado, really overdone and very salty chicken. But the salad dressing was fine. Lol! No, I would not give it a second chance. You might want to just have a drink and enjoy the view. It is a beautiful spot. read more

Went today for lunch. Looked very promising. Great atmosphere. We decided to sit on the patio. Waited at least 10 mins before we got up to find the hostess to find our server. She walked out and said "sorry I was at the bar" and asked for a drink order. Waited another 5 minutes for drinks for two. Both the drinks and food were good. The service continued to be very poor. I'm not sure I'd return for the good food or drinks based on the terrible service. read more

Slow to get seated, server was slow to appear at our table (10 min), slow to bring our drink order (15 min) and the food order came in 20 min. The only plus side was the server was very pleasant and working very hard to handle all of her tables. Terribly short staffed! The food was ok, nothing special. We won't be back. read more

If you like room temperature food and poor service, this is the restaurant for you. Even though we had made a reservation requesting an inside table by the front windows, we were seated in the rear of the insdie dining area with a view of the parking lot. Several tables along the front windows were unoccupied but when we requested one of these open tabled we were told they were unavailable, The room was so noisy we were unable to hear the waitiress read the "lunch specials". When the food arrived the cold soup was room temperature as was the crab cake sandwich. The burger ordered without onion arrived with onion. The service was poor. No appology for the cold crab cake and warm soup. When the checked was requested, the waitress brought a dinner menu to the table. read more

We arrived at 6:55pm. A server didn't make it over to our table until 7:30 to take our drink order. 20 minutes later our drinks arrived. The server came back 15 minutes later to take our food order. We didn't get our food until 8:30. The food was great when we finally got it. It did take another 15 minutes to get our check once we were finished. I don't blame the server she was working 2 large groups that came in. Management should have had more than one waitress working the groups. read more

I've attended yoga & brunch here twice. Brunch is always delicious. It's a bit pricey but it's also one of the "higher end" restaurants in the area. read more

Had the worst lunch I can remember at any restaurant. I have been to John Wright Restaurant before, so I had realistic expectations. I got a bourbon steak sandwich that had two pieces of meat. One was entirely (not mostly, entirely) gristle and the other was raw (not rare, raw). The facts that I requested a steak knife and both pieces of meat were left on my plate raised no inquiry as to whether there was a problem. The waitress's body odor was so bad, and lingered so long after her approach, that I covered my mouth and nose with the napkin when I saw her coming. I was not about to prolong the interaction to complain; I just wanted to run out of there. These seem to be basic things of which any restaurant should be self-aware. read more

Great spot for brunch on Sundays or a Friday summer night on the patio.

As a family, whenever we cross the Susquehanna river, we always say, "we have to try that restaurant!" Although from the area, I now live out of state and was visiting for a family wedding. My birthday is in a couple weeks, and before hopping on a plane to head back to California, my parents wanted to surprise me with a lunch at the John Wright Restaurant. Although the host practically ran to our table on the patio, leaving my dad, who walks very slowly with a cane, in his dust & my dad asking which way the host went, overall, from start to finish, we had a really fabulous experience. Our server, Carrie was top notch. She was knowledgable, friendly, efficient, and attentive. She even took photos for us after our meal on the grass overlooking the river & bridge. We started w/a cup of the crab & asparagus soup w/3 spoons. It was delicious & lived up to the hype. We also ordered the Fish Nuggets off the appetizer menu. Crunchy fried breading surrounded flaky, soft catfish and cooked to perfection. I ordered the crab cake sandwich which was filled with so much fresh crab meat, I didn't mind that I bite into a couple shell pieces. It was so lumpy and moist, I highly recommend. My mom ordered the shrimp BLT, which she raved about and really enjoyed. It was seasoned perfectly. My dad stayed simple with a BLT, and gobbled it up quickly. All sandwiches come w/a choice of fries, homemade sweet potato chips, cole slaw, quinoa or broccoli salad. I got the fries, parents got the cole slaw.. We were told they have a kids menu, and they do take reservations. My mom is already talking about having a big family dinner at the JW Restaurant during the holidays. Loved the ambiance, service and the view. 2 thumbs up!!! read more

John Wright Restaurant - Beautiful river & bridge view on a spectacular summer afternoon - New American Near Me - Wrightsville, Pennsylvania

I've given John Wright restaurant my last chance. The service or lack there of was very slow for the second time within a matter of months. We came with a group of 5-7 people. Not giving them my business anymore especially for average food. There was a guy singing with his acoustic guitar that day, for your sake I hope he brings more customers for you when playing. That was the only thing that made the experience worth while. read more

Disappointing to say the least! A good friend of mine and I went to dinner tonight here. It was busy as there was a band playing outside, but we were inside. It took a little while to be waited on, but we weren't in a hurry. She ordered the lobster mac & cheese and the salad with strawberries. I ordered the crabcake dinner which came with asparagus and fingerling potatoes. I also ordered a cup of cream of crab soup. My soup was pretty good. Her mac & cheese was also pretty good. However, our entrées were not good, and the bread tasted like something had been left out of the recipe. We brought the bread up to the server, and suggested that she might want to taste it.She replied that she wasn't eating bread, and she took it away, but she didn't do anything about it or bring us anymore. My friend salad had a warm, wilted lettuce in it, and it was quite small. My crabcake was over salted, my fingerling potatoes were under cooked, and the asparagus was gross. The smaller pieces were cooked to mush, and the larger pieces were so woody that I couldn't even cut through them. I told the server that the asparagus was no good, but she completely ignored me. My bill was over $30 without the tip. I certainly had higher expectations for those prices. The location is lovely with the view of the river, but it doesn't make up for the horrible food and worse service. We tried to raise the concern to our server, but we were dismissed and ignored. I probably should've asked to speak with the manager, but given the way we were treated by the server, I didn't think it would help. I had high hopes for this place, but it didn't live up to them. At least the band was good. read more

I had been wanting to visit this place for some time mainly to see what it looks like. I love old buildings that have been refurbished and this was everything I had hoped it would be. Beautiful restaurant that doesn't seem to overly packed together (hard to tell as we were there during a slow period, but it still seemed open not stuffy. Being winter we didn't get to enjoy the view of the river but I can imagine its spectacular. The service was excellent and friendly. The food was five star all the way. I started with the pumpkin risotto, which I would highly recommend. Very creamy and cheesy. For dinner I had the ribeye special with a horseradish cream sauce. The sauce came on the side which I was fine with since I'm not crazy about cream sauces. Steak was done perfectly and had great flavor. The sides were garlic mashed potatoes and green beans, both of which were terrific, especially the green beans. My mom had the short ribs, which I sampled and can tell you they were nothing short of excellent. For dessert I tried the peanut butter bomb because, well I love peanut butter. The chocolate cake part I could have done without but it was still a very good dessert. I would highly recommend this place and plan on returning, maybe in the summer so I can enjoy the sight of the river. read more