I think it's safe to say this is the best overall seafood in the Freeport area. We always eat here on our way to the beach. Fresh seafood always very tasty and made right. The restaurant is a very comfortable country style atmosphere and the staff and management are so very nice. read more

When u spend a 100.00 on one meal for two people and they don't send out condiments like tartar sauce or shrimp sauce after you have asked them Freire. And your already bk to beach house. It can piss off anyone. I will never go back and the food wasn't that good. read more

Great, amazing ambiance and all the staff were so friendly tha you really do feel right at home. Now for the semi down side...the food. We had the fried cheese sticks with salsa. Salsa was definitely out of a can, not freshly made. Cheese sticks, we could tell, we're from frozen stock and not great. I ordered the grilled shrimp and flounder. Flounder was good though the shrimp was overly salty to both of us. She order the beef tips over rice and it had so much gravy that it was more like a beef stew. The beef tips were falling apart, not like how a good barbecued meet falls off the bone but almost mushy as if it has been cooking in the gravy since yesterday. Corn bread in an iron skillet? Now that was very good. Great menu but not fresh, no love in the food. Too bad, beautiful place and wonderful staff. read more

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Amazing Amazing Amazing We all had the grilled Flounder and grilled shrimp all local fish and very generous portions. The appetizers are huge watch out! I give this place 5 star on all aspects of my visit, but the food was outstanding highly recommended read more

The Oyster Po Boy was kinda mid, ngl. I like a punchy / sea tasting oyster and I really didn't get that. Honestly couldn't taste the osyter much at all. The eruption cake was GREAT though. Really, the true hero of the evening was our server Brianna. She made everyone at the table feel very comfortable and at ease!! If we come back we're asking directly for her!!! The ambiance here is neat enough. Very chill vibe. read more

Food was delicious but a little pricey. Can't afford to go very often. Maybe once or twice a year. Service was great! Everything super clean! Great view of the Brazos river levy. read more

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This has got to be the best place in Freeport to eat. I had lunch here last week and thoroughly enjoyed it. While it is very close to a branch of the river you can't actually see it from the restaurant due to the levee but that's ok because you will enjoy the food instead. On The River has its own dedicated parking lot and inside offers a casual country vibe to it that includes several dining rooms in the old building that also includes a full bar. From the lunch menu, I chose the beef tips over rice that came with a side of cole slaw and cornbread for $11. First to arrive was the slaw and cornbread. All I can say about the cole slaw was that it was as good as any that I have ever had. Light and slightly creamy it was simply perfect! I loved it. The cornbread is served in a skillet and is large enough for 3-4 people to share. By the way, it tasted very good too. This was a great start to the meal. About 5 minutes later the entree arrived with a bonus. The kitchen decided to add a small bowl of pinto beans as a lagniappe. The beef tips and brown gravy over the rice were very good tasting. The beef was tender, the gravy flavorful and the rice properly cooked. The beans were also flavorful and rich in taste. I really enjoyed both items. Jessie waited on the table and provided excellent service. On The River is where I will eat again whenever I am in the area. I think this is a 4-5 star restaurant and wish they were located in Houston. read more

On the River Restaurant - Cole slaw and big skillet of cornbread that came with lunch special - Seafood Near Me - Freeport, Texas

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On The River is the host of our yearly Christmas Party for Classic Cars of Brazoria County. Each year they are easy to book, offer great selection for our members, and have competitive pricing. The food is always amazing and served hot and fresh. The wait staff is experienced and knowledgeable, always going the extra mile for our group. We bring in anywhere from 30-50 people for our get togethers and we also do Lunch Cruise Ins to the restaurant during the year. If your club is looking for a place to meet that serves amazing food and has wonderful ambiance, this is the place for you. read more

I had the fried flounder and shrimp. Shrimp ok, flounder's breading was mushy. If you peeled the coating off, then it wasn't bad. The hush puppies had an unpleasant consistency. They were over cooked and chalky. The wife had grilled red fish. It was over cooked. The cornbread was ok, but nothing to write home about. We tried this place and can now mark it off our list. read more

I ordered the seafood platter and the cornbread, hush puppies , fried pickles were loaded with allot of grease. Please cut down on the greasiness. Other than that it was good service needs to improve as far as getting drinks on the table in a timely manner read more

A little Freeport gem! Stopped by for lunch and was pleasantly surprised. Everyone is very friendly and service is A+. I really enjoyed the blackened flounder with shrimp. I was able to try the red fish and it was also tasty! Fried japs were a first for me and I will be ordering again. If you are in the area and looking for some great seafood, give it a try! read more

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Our go to when we see in town! The corn bread and Cole slaw are a must have! The seafood is fresh and the staff is great!

The food was delicious. We decided the fish po boy would be the meal and it was plenty. The cornbread and cole slaw were very good. I truly enjoyed the dining experience. I'll be going back soon and try some gumbo. The food selection is vast and appears very tasty. read more

Server was an amazing. Food was decent. The couple next to us had the foulest mouth. The more they drank at 2 pm in the afternoon the worst it got while they ate their meal. Hoping they knew their server because he was very rude cussing up and down. read more

You just can't beat the fried fish and shrimp at this place, folks. Oh -- or the hand-battered onion rings. And coleslaw. And pickled onions. The ranch dressing is even super-delicious here. The staff is always friendly and welcoming, and we're thankful to now call several folks friends. Always fun to chit chat about life, and it's just small-town good when you walk into an establishment and get recognized -- it makes the whole experience better. The food? In all honesty, it's never let us down. Whether the old faithful Fried Brazos Special, grilled shrimp, or the beef and rice -- we've always been thoroughly pleased. Here you will also find the absolute best onion rings in South Texas. Promise. When you need a delicious and hearty plate of seafood, you can't do much better than this. read more

A quaint family seafood restaurant with a welcoming vibe. The food was alright. 3.5 stars at best. We had the appetizer gumbo which was on the thinner side for a roux in my opinion. I only had a small piece of the cornbread that arrived to the table in a small, warm cast iron skillet. It had a good flavor and contained real pieces of corn. It didn't seem too dry but then again I didn't have very much. My entree was the grilled flounder with grilled vegetables and a salad w/thousand island. The dressing was great! The veggies didn't have a fresh taste, more like canned to me. The flounder had a good flavor but didn't seem fresh either. I did like their tarter sauce. I would stop in here again if in the area but nothing really exceptional. Service was friendly and efficient. read more

We had On the River cater our August 2024 wedding. The communication with Drew leading up the event was seamless. He was very accommodating and professional. The day of the wedding his staff, and himself, showed up and did a phenomenal job. The food was delicious, the professionalism was off the charts. And they had the best catering price around! I cannot recommend them enough! Thanks so much Drew and team for making the Tate wedding that much better!!! read more

We came based off reviews and left extremely confused and disappointed, Cornbread and slaw were the starters. I've read reviews raving about how great it is. As both of us are cornbread lovers this was a big deal. What we got was a step above a hockey puck. It probably was good two weeks ago when it was first made. The coleslaw, well neither of us are big slaw fans so it was a nice touch. Main course, maybe it was our fault for ordering two grilled items. The fried shrimp that came with one was really good. Had we of only ordered fried shrimp perhaps we'd have left not feeling like we tossed $40 down the drain. Awful mashed potatoes, burnt to inedible hush puppies . The server was nice though, she did a great job. read more

Great small town restaurant with excellent food perfect for a family dinner outing. Located close to old town Freeport.

The food WAS AMAZING. Fried jalapeños if you like a little heat is EPIC. If you're a coleslaw fan it's my families absolutely best 5 out of 5. Onion rings are good! If not super spicy gumbo is your jam you've found the right place. The oysters are NOT cut super tiny! The stuffed shrimp, cornbread made right into little small cast iron skillets and so delicious. If you like grilled veggies as a side theirs is good and all squash. Krab au gratin is shredded fresh crab and cheese . The waitress we had was Tisa, she was new but very hard working and sweet. FYI I either missed it on the menu, on the ticket or just SMOOTH was NOT told they do an AUTOMATIC 20% on large parties. I paid 100 cash tip then was taken another 80 out of my card. So the waitress got 180 and that hurt a little lol. Also, the handicap bathroom has been out of order for 3 days and my grandmother could NOT even use the restroom. read more

Food was good service was great house was clean I recommend for the whole family to come and enjoy!!!

Stopped for lunch. Shared a grilled flounder and shrimp plate. Food was excellent. Cornbread was great. The coleslaw was delicious. Servers were attentive. The decor made me feel like I was in Louisiana. read more

Excellent. We arrived 530 pm Saturday night. Didn't appear that busy however I felt because they were probably short handed that we were told a 15 minute wait. (An unfortunate situation all to common these days at restaurants...not to be blamed on the owners or managers) We went to the bar and ordered a drink and waited maybe 10 minutes for our table. We were seated on what appeared to have been a porch area back in the day. Now it was enclosed air conditioned of course and very comfortable. We were greeted very quickly and cheerily by Donny. What a gem of a guy. Both my wife and I had seafood dishes and they were delicious! The cornbread and coleslaw they brag about was deservingly so. Highly recommended and will definitely come again when we're in town. read more

What a giant scam. Get told Krab dip spelled with a K means it fake crab. Only after you notice and ask. Sell it to you as real. Hope you do not notice. What a bullshit deal.must add My server was Jennifer. She was great. But once I asked about the FAKE crab dip things went south fast. That's why it's spelled with a K mgr tells her. What a shit show on the Gulf selling FAKE crab. read more

We decided to try this place on our way home from the beach. We saw waitstaff wearing "Top 40 restaurants in Texas." We weren't that impressed. The walls were dusty, we had to get up and get our own napkins. We had to ask for drink refills. Server was friendly. We had catfish, shrimp and fried oysters. I feel like the oysters were the best thing. They were fresh. I think the fish and shrimp weren't. The coleslaw was good and not over-dressed. The skillet cornbread was a nice thing to have but a little dry. We had the peach and the blackberry cobblers . They were delicious. read more

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Very disappointing...this restaurant is mere blocks from an awesome fish monger with the freshest of seafood, and Krab is prevalent on their menu and the fish is frozen. Their hamburger my son ordered was a pre-made, from freezer to the grill, patty that was over cooked and as dry as cardboard (kind of tasted like it as well) and was priced like a gourmet burger. I had the grilled flounder and shrimp plate with grilled veg...where to start...the flounder and shrimp were over cooked and floating in grease, not appetizing to say the least. The grilled veg was bagged, frozen, mixed veg that had been steamed then tossed on the hot plate. Not what you expect when paying close to $20 for a plate. The one thing that we liked was the corn bread, which we do not normally eat, was their corn bread. We had another couple with us and the gentleman ordered the handmade steak fingers which he promptly returned due to their shoe leather like texture! I can not recommend this establishment and would kindly suggest you avoid it at all costs! read more

Interior and some menu items reminiscent of Cracker Barrel. The jalepeno cornbread and cole slaw are absolutely delicious. My fried shrimp salad was large and fresh. Others in our party had the fried catfish, which was good but not extra special. We did not like the fresh, steamed/grilled vegetables. The wait staff is friendly and considerate. Our waitress checked on us several times, which we appreciated. The only thing she did not do was point out the lunch specials on a separate card from the menu. We noticed them after we had ordered. Probably wouldn't have changed our ordering, but could have. Good place to eat if you are in the area. read more

The reason I gave them 3 stars we went there Saturday afternoon late and to our surprise coleslaw was literally noneatabl really and the fried shrimp all the batter fell off and the hush puppy were the worst ever for real,I have no idea what happened but at best just semi ok sorry for the bad review.And last week it was great so whatever happened who knows read more

I used On the River for my wedding and they were amazing!! They showed up early and set up exactly how I wanted and the food was FANTASTIC! I know people normally say that the bride and groom don't have enough time to eat but we found a chance to eat our entire plate!! I highly recommend using them for any event or stopping by the restaurant! Amazing staff who are willing to work with you to have everything exactly as wanted! read more

Restaurant itself was nice, nice ambiance the service was okay but the food was not as what we were told it was. We had the steak and mash potatoes and they were very good unfortunately we haven't been back since read more

I live on the west end of Galveston (Campeche) and today was a beautiful day to take a drive to the sleepy little island town of Freeport, Texas. (wanted an excuse to go in the opposite direction from the biker rally!) Our server was Christine...she was efficient and had a great personality. I got the patty melt on Texas toast with onion rings...and a lemon drop martini...DELISH. We shared fried pickles (large order is enough for 3-4 people) Also got the shrimp/catfish platter...LOVED it! Everything was fresh and tasty...REALKY IMPRESSED! Good job people! It's off the beaten path and there's no river "view" per day...which is kinda a bummer considering the name of the place...just saying! LOL! Highly recommend BUY LOCAL SHOP LOCAL read more

Tried on a whim while staying at surfside and was excellent. I love turnip greens and theirs were so good I may make another weekend trip just for them. Had the fried fish and shrimp and was cooked perfect. They also offer free corn bread cooked in a small skillet and had to only eat half when I saw how big my plate was. Menu had several choices I'd like to try next time. Friendly staff and on point service. read more

Really enjoyed eating lunch here. The gumbo is so yummy! I look forward to coming back again when back in town.

They start you out with Cole slaw and corn bread. The Cole slaw was very good. We ordered jalapeño with cream cheese for appetizer they where really good not to spicy. I had grilled shrimp salad it was good. Shrimp had great flavor. My husband had the flounder and shrimp. He wanted the shrimp fried and flounder blackened but the mixed that up. Which they offered to make right right away. He enjoyed it anyways . They have great service. I definitely recommend! read more

Excellent food here. My husband raved about the turnip greens. He said the best he's had. Everything spot on!

Service was great, food was great and fast! Deff recommend and place was nice and cozy and clean

Decent shrimp and fries. Boudin balls very tasty. The sand flies were annoying. Got there to late for dessert.

This is some of the saddest seafood I've had in my 50 years. The shrimp were over cooked and dripping grease. The grilled flounder was bland as bland can be. The fried pickles had no flavor and were too chewy to eat. The salad tomatoes were mushy and flavorless. The "rice pilaf" was actually wild grain rice and was crunchy. The cornbread was decent but that's about the only good thing I can say about the food. The manager DID offer to make me something else but didn't offer any discount on our bill even though the food was almost inedible. read more

SERVICE WAS VERY NICE!!! Sweet tea was the best! The food is not that good, not to mention majority of it is not homemade.

My husband and I had a delicious lunch here today. I had a fried shrimp pour boy. He had the fried shrimp meal. The shrimp boy was on soft bread with tarter sauce, tomatoes, onion,and pickles. It was excellent. The shrimp dinner came with 8 fried shrimp and all the fixings. Delicious meal. We both ordered fried on rings and the were cooked to perfection. The wait staff provided great friendly service. Try them out. Oh the homemade skillet corn bread was perfect read more