This place is quite good, and I want to give it a 5, but my policy is to take at least one star for underhanded pricing, tipping, or "service fee" schemes. Doesn't matter what other places are venturing to do that now. I normally call ahead or look at the menu/website (surprisingly few establishments disclose such fees/rates--which should never exist in the first place), but forgot to do so before I went to this otherwise nice spot. I'd love to come back, but not until they move to standard American custom: no hokey-fenokey "service fees" or "kitchen fees," etc., and if there are "tip suggestions" on the card slip or digital console, it should naturally start at 15 percent of the pre-tax subtotal. Anything else is super sketchy (aside from the basic economics of the matter--dining out faces a price elasticity of demand that' doesn't move much from 2.3: that means that for a perceived 10 percent increase in real price of going somewhere--inclusive of wait time, drama, fee scheme weirdness/gymnastics, tip mooching, commute, tax, plus the menu prices, etc.--you can expect 23 percent fewer experiences bought, or 23 percent less revenue--anecdotal "observation" doesn't get around that market reality). Do things clean on pricing. We will love and respect you for that, and avoid those places that don't get this. read more

Go elsewhere. Service is below average and they charge both a kitchen surcharge and 20% gratuity. Plus they charged our group for a "birthday treat" for $15 without telling us. The restaurant was not busy and we waited a long time for $5 coffee refills and one of our guests never got her drink. Food is mediocre. Service makes this place a pass. read more

I really love this place! I've been here a few times and the food is always good. The staff is nice and the restaurant is so cute! We did have very slow service this time around, however the drinks and decor make up for it. Definitely try their waffle hash browns, coffee, and the trout and lox! read more

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The food was okay and the waiter was very nice. However the reason I'm giving this 3 stars is that we came here as many of the items were either gluten free or dairy free. So upon ordering gluten free and dairy free items one of the girls double checked with the waiter to make sure it was actually gf/df as stated on the menu. The waiter then told us it was a typo and it's not actually gf/df. Major red flag, if one of the girls didn't ask if an item that stated it was gf/df was actually gf/df, it wouldn't have been mentioned that there was a typo on the menu. read more

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First of all, the decor in the "backyard" seating needs to be improved. It is simply a tent with space heaters and white lights. If I wanted to dine on a metal patio table and astroturf I would have dined at home. On the other hand, the food was tasty (steak and trout in particular) the duck gumbo was a miss. Service was timid. Need a better drink and digestif menu. read more

Duck wings FIRE Chicken and waffles FIRE Trout FIRE Duck FIRE Bacon Mac n Cheese FIRE Lemonade FIRE Gnocchi Mid Sour on tap Mid read more

We had a family dinner for 20 people and the outdoor seating and ambiance was amazing under the tent. With outdoor heaters to keep the table warm on a crisp fall evening we could have not asked for a better setting. The food was great. Portion sizes more than welcoming and as you can see from the photos, the food started to disappear faster than I could grab a photo! The cocktails and wine selection were great and seemed to satisfy everyone's libation desires. The team and management were very attentive and accommodating for any special request. We were in town for a family wedding and were excited to make River and Woods one of our destinations for the weekend after reading so many great things about the cute cottage and food. We are glad we made it and look forward to our next visit! read more

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Loved my brunch - biscuits and gravy were scrumptious, fish board was delicious, consistently good service. Have been many times and will go back again. read more

This super cozy restaurant is off the main streets and tucked away in an old house. The building is beautiful and inviting! It looks like an old home that has been converted into a restaurant and has a huge and lovely outdoor space in the back. We came here for brunch on a Saturday, and it was quite busy but we were able to get a table. The service was mediocre here, sadly. Everyone was nice, but it took a while for drinks and food to come out. Despite the slow service and some lack of knowledge of the menu, the food was worth the wait! We both ordered the breakfast burger with breakfast potatoes. Everything was incredibly fresh and hot. We ordered our burgers without the egg (but they both came with one anyways) and it was really yummy. The Pattys were delicious, but buttered and toasted to perfection and the runny egg really hit the spot. The breakfast potatoes were simple- but crispy, well seasoned and super fresh grilled onions and peppers really pulled it all together! We would definitely come back as the food was excellent! read more

River and Woods - Breakfast Burger - New American Near Me - Boulder, Colorado

I made a reservation for our anniversary. We requested that we sit inside at one of their booths , but instead got shuffled out to their outside tables. The table wasn't properly cleared from the previous guests. It was freezing outside and then my partner sat down on a wet chair - it was a soaked cushion. That pretty much ruined our impression of this highly overpriced restaurant. We left immediately after getting our butts wet and not being attended by our waiter. The service is super slow! I feel like they owe us a free meal after being abused and disrespected. read more

Cute ambience. Very awkward seating. They took us outside despite requesting seating indoors and their heating was minimal. First red flag is that our table already had used water glasses on it and there was spilled water all over the table. Secondly, my chair was wet and I sat on it. Our server did not attend us. Service was slow. It's not as cozy and warm as it seems on the outside, beware!! read more

I wasn't in town for very long, but I saw the wonderful prix fixe menu in a yurt and wanted to treat my sweet partner to a lovely meal while we were there. The food was outstanding, and there was so much of it. I truly didn't expect that a five course meal would come with a plate full of food for each dish, but it certainly did, and they were all very tasty. The inside of the yurt is so cool. It's just a neat curated experience you can't quite get anywhere else that I've been. It was nice and heated inside, too, which is good for those chilly winter nights. Also, a shout out to the servers from that night for being so kind and accommodating. The yurt is out in their yard, in front of the restaurant, but we were checked on frequently and given a lot of consideration despite being somewhere that was (probably) awkwardly out of the way. Absolutely stellar experience and one to invest in if you're in town! read more

We went for dinner and the food was terrific! Loved the ambiance, really a nice setting. But the standout was the service - the best we have had all summer in Boulder! Just exceptional! Will be back again! read more

Went for dinner with boyfriend on a nice Friday night. We sat outside. There was no wait. The inside is very pretty decor too. We both got drinks (Gin ruby & through the woods spritz), oysters, and the challah bread. It took a long time to get the drinks and appetizers. The challah bread was AMAZING. the lavender butter was weird, would've preferred a honey butter or a herb butter. Both drinks were super tasty. The oysters were also great. Our entrees came out after we both had one slice of bread and before we even got to have an oyster. It was very overwhelming! The plates did not fit on the table and it really made the whole experience so much worse. It would've been great to have spaced out our entree and our appetizers. Our waiter also went from being super accommodating to not at all maybe due to more customers being seated. I wish they had taken our empty plates to make some space on the table for us. It would've made our meal more enjoyable. Great food and great ambiance. Would've been rated higher if the courses were spaced out or even if the empty plates were taken away! read more

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This place is super cute! It's really neat the history of it and how it became a restaurant. It's super small looking from the front but once you go in it is very unexpected how spacious it is from the inside. The service was great from the moment we were greater all the way to the end. The vibe inside is very welcoming and you can tell how the staff really loves working there. The food was really good. Our table had the following: - Trout dish (really good) - crawfish and grits ( delicious, very flavorful) - short rib ( good however the flavors were very unique) Highly recommend coming here. read more

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3x of us ordered the Gnocchi Verde - I don't know - and looked at each other and said nope at the conclusion of the main course. The gnocchi are large balls of dense chewy, bland... stuff. The short rib option tacks on $13 to make it a $40 plate. We all puzzled as to how you could slow braise short ribs and have them end up totally dry. The reggiano cream sauce was pasty. We all agreed the plate wasn't successful in any aspect and asked the server if it just came on the menu "no, it's always on". We looked at each other- confused. Serving staff is great. Space is nice. Nothing on the table thru the meal was a needle mover for the group though. I can't come up with a reason to give it another chance - too many good options nearby. read more

Lovely food. Great find. Hope to return. Good service. Interesting menu with a wide variety of foods. The ambiance is relaxing. Enjoy! read more

River and Woods - Beautiful wine! - New American Near Me - Boulder, Colorado

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I thought the gnocci was at first uncooked flour, but in reality I think it was just dense cheese. It was anthetical to what a gnocchi should be. This gnocchi would sink in the ocean. Nice ambience, good bread. read more

For dinner we had their Rocky Mountain trout, short rib tagliatelle, deviled eggs, challah bread, and churros with chocolate for dessert. The short rib tagliatelle was some of the best pasta I've ever had! Highly recommend this dish, it is SO delicious! I'll be back just to have this again. The other stand out was the special of the night which was their challah bread with lavender and pine butter. This pairing was heavenly! It's a small interior so it got loud at times and you're seated close to other tables. But the service and ambiance was nice overall! read more

It was a quiet Wednesday night in this restaurant. I was on a lil' hiking vacation getting away from Dallas. My reservation was 7:45pm, arrived 20mins early and they seated Me immediately in the rear tented section. Reviews were positive for the Colorado River Trout, as they should be! It was delicious, I ordered a cocktail to accompany my fish, a Forest Fizz (not 100% on the name) and it was delicious! Followed with amazing Churros. The venue, though outside was toasty warm and the service was on point. My only negative, and this is purely personal, I ordered a side of fries and when they arrived they were crinkle cut, which I do not enjoy! Why...‍ I will be returning in a few weeks and will definitely return. read more

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By far one of my favorite dining experiences as of late. My husband and I are in town visiting from Californians ate at River & Woods this morning and the service was nothing short of spectacular and the food was excellent. We ordered a side of bacon (perfectly cooked and our delightful waiter Andy shared that it is locally sourced), the buttermilk pancake (which they comp'd for us because the first one was flat -- it was absolutely divine. The crunchy exterior and soft and fluffy inside paired with the saltiness from the flaky salt was too good!) to split. My husband had the breakfast burrito, which he loved. I ordered the Hen + Pig and the breakfast potatoes were perfectly cooked and seasoned, as were the poached eggs. Bacon was fantastic, yet again and the challah bread was phenomenal. Our waiter, Andy, was incredibly friendly, attentive, and accommodating. The ambiance is charming, and the rest of the staff at R&W was kind and welcoming. The next time we come back to Boulder, we won't skip this gem :) read more

Super cute location and venue. But I was really not a big fan of the most of the food. We tried the recommended "decomposed pizza" which was literally just mediocre bread and sauce. The duck wings were unique though and that was pretty good. The trout was weird... Flavors of the "sauce" did not go well at all and it felt more like soup than sauce. Cocktails were not bad. read more

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Wonderful food and drink, great service and the ambiance of the restaurant was really nice. Easy 5 stars

Absolutely loved this place. The ambiance and atmosphere inside is so cute! The food was amazing! I loved the french toast and of course a bloody mary and iced coffee! read more

River and Woods - New American Near Me - Boulder, Colorado

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It all starts with the genuine Colorado Comfort atmosphere that abounds here. Seating inside or outside front or back it is just perfect. We were treated by Ian Mitchell the Beverage Manager and shown to our table outside. The menus are online and in this time of the COVID-19 it is the perfect way to control the spread. I must say as a wine connoisseur I was impressed with the wine list BUT their CRAFT BEER LIST is the BEST ONE I have ever seen. But instead of wading thru that extensive list Ian just asked each of us what we liked our beer to taste like. He then paired our preferred tastes not only to the beer but then paired the beer to our order. We started off with MONTREAL DUCK WINGS, Maple Leaf Duck, Dry Garlic Sauce, Point Reyes Blue Cheese Dressing, and Organic Celery. Man-o-man the Duck Wings are Out Of This World!!! For our main course, we selected Ole Hickory St. Louis Ribs. They are family ranched Duroc Pork, with Cajun Dry Rub, Carolina Gold Sauce, and Wood Smoke. They come with a Summer Kyle Salad. The serving size is LARGE. They fall off the bone and I must say they are some of the BEST RIBS on PLANET EARTH. The Ambiance, Beverage, Food, and the Best Service provided by IAN, who could ask for anything more. Go there soon, you'll be glad you did! read more

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Came to River and Woods as it's highlighted on the Eater 38 list and as a visitor to Boulder I wanted some farm to table fare celebrating local Rocky Mountain flavors. So happy with what we ordered (see pic) Pueblo-Chèvre Cornbread Rocky Mountain Trout John's Gnocchi Verde Everything was delicious. The food is very rich. Butter had a role in every dish. The gnocchi is embedded with baby spinach in a rich parmigiana cream sauce. Trout was Ahmazing. read more

River and Woods - Pueblo Chile-Chevre Cornbread John's Gnocchi Verde Rocky Mountain Trout - New American Near Me - Boulder, Colorado

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A terrific find in Boulder on a quite stretch of Pearl Street. Unassuming from the street, but inside felt both homey and contemporary. We didn't get to set in the back patio area but would love to in the future. The service was genuinely friendly. The menu of elevated comfort food and craft cocktails has something for everyone. I almost missed the shrimp and grits and am so glad that I caught (and ordered) it I don't have a sweet tooth but was really impressed with their dessert menu! The orange pie was surprisingly delicious. Can't wait to return! read more

Service was wonderful, we had an early reservation, so we were able to converse and hear each other. The food...what a disappointment. Flavorless, dull. Menu is odd. I like a menu that makes me torn between choices. This menu left me struggling with what to order. Caesar salad was pedestrian and overdressed. Cassoulet tasted like, well, nothing! Burger, the same. The thing we liked the most was the fried artichoke appetizer, but that could have been because we were hungry, and it was the first thing that arrived. Not worth the $$. read more

A+ on vibe and hospitality for our large party of 40+ guests. Bar was nice and outside venue terrific. But falls short on overall food preparation and banquet service. Passed hor duerves were good with a crunchy duck leg appetizer being the highlight. Entrees and dessert were uninspired leaving several at our table unserved as the kitchen caught up. I'm sure this experience may not be consistent with regular service for a typical party size. read more

I debated between 4-5 stars for a few reasons, so I decided on 5 stars but will list a few heads ups... 1. It's pretty pricey - some people would consider this a negative, but I think it's just important to be aware of it, we don't go all the time because of this 2. The service can very - they're always really nice just sometimes understaffed. This weekend we were seated and the waitstaff in the area didn't notice but when someone did notice they took our order and everything else was smooth 3. A lot of the dishes often have pork and we don't eat pork. There's always a couple to choose from but if we were pork eaters there would be way more options. It's also important to note they add a 20% living wage charge, so then it's up to you if you add any additional gratuity. Okay, now for all the reasons this place deserves 5 stars. The food is absolutely DELICIOUS. I've eaten here multiple times and have never had a bad meal. We prefer to go for brunch and it's truly a phenomenal menu. We hadn't been in a while and decided to go this Saturday and were really excited to see that they had changed up the menu and we had more options as non-pork eaters. I got the short rib scramble and it was so delicious, the meat was prepared perfectly and the potatoes and veggies were so tasty. My husband got the burrito and it was HUGE and very good. He ended up taking half home with him. We also got the fritters to share - the dipping sauce was also so good! I didn't take any pictures because we were really hungry but we'd recommend all of these! We also got an ice cream sandwich to go - because it sounded so good but we were full. And the cookies were so big - that we made one with just one cookie and enjoyed the other cookie today. Maybe one of the best ice cream sandwiches and chocolate chip cookies I've ever had. I'd go back in the future just for this! In the past we have had their cocktails and they're also delicious. They also have challah you can buy by the loaf for Shabbat and the bread is good but the butter brings it to another level - it's a bit pricy but worth trying! If you're looking for a cozy spot, with an amazing menu - definitely check this spot out! read more

This place has such a cute ambiance on the back patio. I ordered the Colorado Farmer's Market salad and it was probably the best salad I've ever had at a restaurant! So healthy, fresh, and delicious!!! I loved that all of the produce was sourced locally. I added grilled chicken but I think I could have gone without it- the salad was already very filling and it had these amazing homemade chickpea croutons for protein. The pomegranate lemonade was yummy, too! 10/10! read more

River and Woods - The Colorado Farmer's Market Salad - New American Near Me - Boulder, Colorado

Brunch was overpriced. Collassal burrito did not earn the name. Was pretty bland. Very nice ambiance though and friendly service.

Tonight was a "5". This was my first visit and I sat at the bar (note, the bar is right next to the front door, but a winter coat over your lap does the trick). It was just me so I went with an appetizer and a side. It was a meal for sure, but what Poutine isn't! This one is rich, rich, rich and I partnered it with the garlic broccolini. The broccolini was PERFECT. Soft greens and hard-crisp stalks. Sometimes "garlic" veggies leave you breathing garlic fire the rest of the night, but this hit just right. The Poutine was perfectly Colorado - the "gravy" was a green chili queso. So cheese curds and cheese! And fries! It had a subtle, but noticeable heat. The salt level was on point. Despite the richness, and maybe it was alternating bites with the broccolini, it didn't get tired. Did I eat all the Poutine? No, not even close, but it was cold out and it heated me up from the inside out. read more

River and Woods - Southwest Poutine - New American Near Me - Boulder, Colorado

Favorite restaurant in Boulder. It is so incredibly good. I've been numerous times and I don't think I've ever been dissapointed with what I've ordered. I cannot stress this enough. It is the best freaking Mac N Cheese I've ever had in my life. The gnocchi is stunning. Duck wings to die for. And the churros, oh my lord so good. Service has always been great. The ambience is absolutely gorgeous, down to earth and homey. Can't wait to go back! read more

I had a bad time here and it definitely wasn't worth the price tag. Some highlights: - It took 15 mins to be greeted by server/get water in our cups (we had to ask twice for water, every time we asked our server he said of course and then left and forgot). - Despite it being a fully booked night with advance reservations, they ran out of one entree and both desserts that we ordered (how does that happen??). The substitute dessert of smores we got was badly portioned and not worth the mess of eating it. - Appetizers were great, entrees were just ok, dessert was aforementioned not good.... the experience just kept going downhill. - Our server was inattentive, slow and honestly unprofessional. For that sort of price tag I am just not sure how he can work there. So many little things were forgotten, and he tried to make up for everything with charisma that came off totally awkward and wrong, and by the end I had my card sitting on the check for about 20 minutes before he came and picked it up (it was 10:15 p.m. at that point and I felt like I was being held hostage). I would definitely not rush to come back here. This place has the makings of something great but they need to focus on FOH professionalism, customer service and consistent quality before tacking on a 20% fair wage tip fee to the checks, because in no way did our experience justify that. read more

Chose the restaurant based on their reviews. The food and service was OK, but a little overpriced.

Delicious food, nice ambiance, nice servers. The only thing I did not like is that we did not receive an itemized bill at the end. I didn't want to make it awkward and demand an itemized bill but I like knowing that I am being charged correctly... read more

Love this local spot- Their "Colorado Comfort Cuisine" always hits the spot for some takeout or a chill evening in their lovely backyard. They have lots of great menu options with a bit of local Colorado flair. Some of my favorite dishes include the bacon-wrapped dates, southwest poutine, ole hickory St. Louis ribs, and cornbread. The ambiance is a seller for this spot- The restaurant is an adorable blue cottage and their backyard is perfect for a summer evening. The outdoor seating is awesome and the staff is always helpful! I love their local neighborhood vibe- it definitely makes visitors feel right at home. We did takeout here lots during the height of the pandemic- Major shoutout to Rivers & Woods for being our go to takeout treat! They're process did sometimes seem disjointed- like having online ordering issues or our order being ready late quite a few times.. but hey- it's been a crazy year & my in person experiences have always been super positive! read more

River and Woods - Summer The Colorado Farmer's Market Salad - New American Near Me - Boulder, Colorado

I think it's 4 -1/2 stars I think there are a few little hiccups on the execution, otherwise would be five stars. We had the Caesar salad and they overdressed one of the three salads. Pool of salad dressing at the bottom. But the other two were very very good. Cocktails were good, not great. But they had potential since the ingredients were spot on. The gnocchi also very good They shined on the starters. There was a sweet potato that was glazed with something sweet and cut in quarters. Some other delicious spices added in there that made it taste fantastic. I don't see it on the menu now when I look online. We also had brussel sprouts (not on menu today) which was equally as creative read more

By far, the best meal+food experience we had during our first visit to Boulder We LOVED the perfect table for our party of 4, 2 adults + 2 littles (4yo and 1yo) at the front near the hostess stand. It is private enough from the rest of the restaurant that we didn't feel the need to shush our kids excessively or worry we're messing with the general ambiance. Everything we ordered is/was exquisite! I'm a vegetarian and the gnocchi with side order of Brussels sprouts are perfection. Add on a spritz or two (empty in the pic) for a bonus! We wish we would have stayed for dessert, as opposed to thinking a post dinner ice cream would suffice... we've learned our lesson, next time we stay put. Cheers, we'll be back, and we will either request the front table or maybe even the yurt! read more

River and Woods - John's Gnocchi Verde Candied Brussels - New American Near Me - Boulder, Colorado