I'd been wanting to go here for a while, their social media presence is great and enticing. Knowing they are associated with Nana's, I had high expectations. The restaurant is gorgeous and much bigger than I anticipated. However the ambiance is a little confusing. It's much more casual than they market it, with your water being served in plastic red pizza-joint cups rather than glasses and paper napkins instead of linens. The food is just -- mediocre. Menu has excellent offerings with flavor pairings that seem elevated in theory, but they really tend to miss in terms of execution. Fish on the tuna tostadas was room temperature, and not freshly pink/red. Calamari is tender, but swimming in oil. Fish & chips are good, but don't stand out. The best thing we ate was the Calabrian Chili Caesar. This place has so much potential to elevate these dishes beyond mediocrity and I really hope they do. We will return, but likely just for a drink at the outside bar before hopping over to High Hope or Nana's for a meal. read more

Stumbled here on what happened to be opening night. Located at the former Bridge Restaurant - this new restaurant is bound to become a local favorite and tourist destination. Fresh, local ingredients blended into epic meals. We tried the Deluxe Burger which is made with Chianina beef - it was cooked perfectly and so flavorful. I've never had this type of beef before and it did not disappoint. Also on the menu is a burger made with J.W. Beef which is a local staple for quality grass fed beef products. While I don't eat seafood myself, I saw so many other tables enjoying the fresh oysters and some ordered a second round! I can't wait to come back and sit on the deck which is over the adjacent river. 10/10 recommend and I'll be back soon! read more

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Best brunch I've ever had. Got the eggs Benedict and the crispy chicken brunch sandwich. Amazing. Great ambiance too. Can't wait to go back. Service was top notch. read more

Second time at Riverbar. My wife ordered the fried fish burrito. She stated it was great! I ordered the smash burger deluxe. I have to admit, I surrendered, put up the white flag and resorted to the knife and fork to eat this meal. First time I encountered a burger that I could not hold in my hands and eat. Excellent food with excellent service. I would give it 6 forks, but I remember the old tv show and 5 forks is the max. So, 5 forks!! read more

Great restaurant for date night or girls night out. Our server was nice and attentive. We started with oysters, they have four to choose from and they have a great description of each on the menu. Entrees were great too, steak was cooked to perfection and reasonably priced. I definitely recommend the sourdough bread with blue cheese butter! read more

We sat outside on a beautiful summer evening and really enjoyed the ambiance -- the setting was lovely and inviting. Unfortunately, the service didn't quite meet the same standard. It took quite a while before anyone took our drink orders, and we had to ask for plates and silverware in order to enjoy our appetizers, which arrived before the drinks. The main courses were solid overall, though the steak frites ordered medium rare arrived well done, and the cesear salad croutons were more like pieces of bread than the crispy bites we expected. Throughout the meal, it was unclear who our server actually was. Being seated next to a large party, we often felt overlooked. While the staff we did interact with were friendly, the restaurant seemed understaffed, which led to a noticeable lack of attention. There's definitely potential here, the food and atmosphere are promising. read more

My husband and I and a few friends came in for the first time over the weekend. We had not yet been in since the old resturant so we were curious. The building looks so much better than the old restaurant. Our server Jared was very polite and helped answer all of our questions. I ordered the chicken piccata at his reccomendation and it was out of this world! My husband ordered the burger with french fries and he said that was very good as well. All in all 10 out of 10 and we cannot wait to make River Bar a regular stop this summer! read more

The River Bar has improved since it first opened. The menu was ordinary at best. Now with a fried fish burrito and great steak frites it's evolving into the kind of place one would expect from its Beard awarded owner. read more

The ninigret oysters were some of the tastiest I've ever had. And the fried fish burrito was decadent. I'll be back for sure.

river bar was amazing! great service and the drinks were so good and creative. i had the red handed and my date had the espresso martini. for dinner, I had the spicy calabrian caesar salad and the miso oven baked haddock. both were excellent. the caesar had a little kick to it and the sourdough croutons are so good. the haddock was perfectly cooked. love the menu and ambiance! read more

River Bar - Red Handed: tequila, warming spices, beet juice, yogurt foam - Bars Near Me - Westerly, Rhode Island

This was my first experience since the location changed over to River Bar. My wife and I ordered take out. I can say the friendliness of the employees was great and the amount of time it took to prepare was excellent. The food we had (chicken sandwich w/ side salad & a grass fed burger) was fine. No complaints. It just lacked something that would make me say this is spectacular! Maybe it was the addition of the side salad. It was only lettuce & dressing and that kind of let me down. I'd probably raise my ranking a star if the salad wasn't so bare bones. Will I be back? Yes, it's definitely worth your business. read more

Very impressed! We had the baked haddock and the sweet potato curry dish. Both were excellent though the fish presentation could have been better. Just a plain hunk of white haddock. It was delicious with the soy sauce but maybe throw some spices or parsley on it? Would definitely go back. read more

The food was delicious , calamari, chowder, lazy Sunday burger and the fish and chips - all delicious. The hostess and server were all very friendly and very attentive. The food was hot and cooked perfectly! The new owners have made nice renovations with different rooms all nicely decorated and the vibe also great. read more

River Bar - View from the bar area - Bars Near Me - Westerly, Rhode Island

Stopped into the restaurant to check out the new vibe, renovations and menu they have and was excited the moment I walked in. when you first walk in you can see the first bar....it's more open and bright now. Everyone was friendly and excited to be there (even those who worked here before). I came in after the kitchen closed (after 9pm) so I wasn't able to eat, but the menu is well rounded and I can't wait to come back! We spoke to Bo who was really friendly and has been working hard to get everything up and running! read more

River Bar - Food menu - Bars Near Me - Westerly, Rhode Island

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This restaurant just opened a few short months ago and it is always a gamble to try a restaurant that's just opened. Normally they need several months to work out all the kinks but not this place... I had heard mixed reviews , however I needed to try it for myself and was more than pleasantly surprised. Our server was Brianna. Very friendly and knowledgeable. Our food was absolutely delicious. And the atmosphere was very lovely. We did not get a chance to sit in the outside bar, but there was plenty of people enjoying themselves. Prices were reasonable. Parking was in abundance. Check out this place if you happen to be in the neighborhood. read more

River Bar - Grilled chicken sandwich - Bars Near Me - Westerly, Rhode Island

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$38 for scallop curry and very few scallops for the upcharge but flavor profile was good, like an earthy thick green curry. Wasn't expecting book choi. For the money I wouldn't get it again, salty but decent! Views on patio are very nice. I'm sure their other dishes are good and I might return. read more

Wonderfully fresh seafood. Solid service you can't go wrong on a beautiful summer's day sitting outside on the porch overlooking the water.

Nice atmosphere. Bright and lively. Service was good. Food was mediocre and a little overpriced. Wine list is limited and needs improvement.

Great cocktails, attentive and professional service, and one of the best meals I've had this year. The restaurant is newly opened/renovated and feels as comfortable and welcoming as any mainstay. Cannot wait to visit again and try the rest of the menu. Highlights from our first visit were the steak w blue cheese butter, fish and chips, tuna tostada and calamari. read more

River Bar - Calamari - Bars Near Me - Westerly, Rhode Island

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My overall review can be summed up as: Get the drinks, get the raw bar, and get the heck out of there. Here's the thing. I wanted to like this place so bad and I never leave reviews, but I want this place to improve so I felt the urge to say something. I use to go to Bridge a bunch and figured my girlfriend and I would give River Bar a try. Our server was perfectly fine and pleasant, so ultimately no complaints on the service. We got four alcohol drinks and they were to die for. The raw bar is a given because its sourced locally. The main issue is the cooked food. If you notice most of the positive reviews already written are ones that say "we didn't get to try the food but the drinks were great!". This is unfortunately where River Bar takes a huge hit. We got the New England clam chowder, and I'm not exaggerating when I say this, it was the worst clam chowder I have ever seen and tasted. It's almost like the chef has never even tasted clam chowder before or know what it looks like. The consistency was that of a watery mess and the taste was way off any standard chowder. With so many places around with amazing chowder, you gotta at least get that New England style chowder to be creamy even if its not amazing. The calamari was okay at best, but again there are so many places around town that serve it that are way beyond the quality of River Bar, that you feel you aren't getting your moneys worth. With my dinner i figured "how hard could it be to screw up a burger"...welp even after shelling out $21 I didn't even get a toasted bun lmao AND the fries were both cold and burnt at the same time? Make that make sense. Chef put a raw bun on a plate and cold burnt fries and said "here you go, that'll be the cost of 6 gallons of gas" and for $21?? You know? If the burger was $10 I might be able to let that slide, but for what's described as a premium burger it's gotta be at least half as good as something a random dude at a grill party would make. Lastly, my girlfriend got the linguini and clams. Oh boy, whats up guys? How can you mess up pasta? Legitimately. Bread crumbs or some sort of super overpowered grainy texture landed on that dish, all the clams were at the bottom, and even the pasta texture felt off. I'd even be willing to forgive the clam scavenger hunt if the texture and taste wasn't so awful. If you're next to Italian restaurants and you want to serve pasta, at least be somewhat willing to compete with them. Overall, I really want this place to be good because it's location is so awesome. There's some redeeming qualities in many things that aren't food here, but when you're in a town with such great food, you gotta come out the kitchen with better food than this, especially at the price point. It feels like the owner has not sat down and actually had a meal at this place. If that person did so, I think they would be appalled at what was coming out of the kitchen. Although, they'd have to do so without the staff knowing somehow because there may be a bias if the owner is around haha. Also want to note, I'm not the only couple, I've talked around about this place with a few people and not a single person had legitimately good food here. Please River Bar, do something to improve the meals here. I'd love to come back, but in it's current state money is better spent elsewhere. read more

Amazing first time at River Bar! First of all, the place is just gorgeous with amazing attention to detail. Server was super friendly and knowledgable on the eclectic wine list. Had my first Rose/Barbera, was delicious. Our meals came out fairly quickly for a newly open restaurant. Plates were as beautiful to look at as they were to taste! You can't go wrong with the mushroom poke bowl which I added Tuna, YUMMM! Friends had the Grilled chicken and miso mushroom sandies, both raved about them. Fries were crispy and deliciously seasoned. Finished with the Chefs Campari Cake, OMG amazing! Can't wait to return for the Linguini & Clams! read more

Food doesn't look appetizing, and it doesn't taste great either. Drinks are meh. Service is alright I guess. The decor and location are nice. read more

The River Bar was certainly a great spot to sit on the patio and dine! The Tuna Poke bowl was excellent! The only criticism would be plastic drink cups and no red wine served on the patio. Waitress wasn't sure why! read more

Great meal & beverages at The River Bar. Roasted chicken dish was outstanding, loved the Cornbread and scallops were delicious. Specialty cocktail "Vewy Veey Quiet" was outstanding. Highly recommend read more

The food and service were very good. The ambience left something to be desired. We ate in the bar, and the hip hop music playing was a little much. should've been more in tuned to what the clientele wished. We will try it once more to see if we like it better. read more

Beautiful atmosphere ... However, took forever to get our food! The Cobb salad had an egg soaked in soy Did not care for the salad at all Croutons too salty The other three liked their dinners, but French fries way too salty ! read more

Recently renovated, the former Bridge Restaurant is vibrant and beautiful along the banks of the Pawcatuck River. A rich warmth exudes the space in every corner. The Calamari, Clam Cakes (more like fritters), Miso Portobello Mushroom sandwich, Miso Oven Baked Haddock and Extra Virgin Olive Oil Campari Cake were the clear winners. Excellent selection of draft beers, and the El Mangito cocktail was top draw. Opened just two weeks ago, I expect it will only get better. The outdoor seating coming soon will be extra cool. read more

Dinner yesterday began with some nice oysters, but things quickly went downhill after that. Two of us ordered the linguine with clams, which was simply weird: chopped up, tasteless clams (they should be whole), overcooked pasta, overwhelming amounts of lemon juice (and perhaps lemon zest), soggy breadcrumbs. I left 3/4 of the dish uneaten. I explained my disappointment to the server, who nodded, as if to say "I've heard this before." Another member of my group had a mushroom burger that he pronounced "OK," but the accompanying fries were limp and soggy. The server had touted the tomato salad; the tomatoes were juicy but tasteless, and the parmesan shaved on top had seen better days. We skipped dessert. I'm a big fan of Nana's, but the River Bar needs to up its game before I'll return. And what, btw, can possibly warrant the comment "This review is looking pretty epic! Nice!" read more

This could be a fabulous restaurant. The location is great and the redo was very much needed but the food was very mediocre. The ceasar was very salty, the calamari wasn't hot (even though we sent it back), the croutons were burnt on the Cobb salad and the fish burrito was tasty but overly stuffed with rice (more fish instead). Have a talk with the chef ...reduce the salt in everything!! Sorry, I was really hoping for a better experience! read more

delicious and fresh..highly recommended, sourced locally. I will definitely be back. Thank you Aaron read more

River Bar - hot buttered lobster roll..fresh and delicious - Bars Near Me - Westerly, Rhode Island

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The food was thoughtful and delicious! Breading and sauce on the calamari made it awesome. Burger had amazing flavor and fries were delicious. Highly recommend!! read more

I was generous giving 3 stars because of location and effort made by restaurant staff. I went to dinner with 10 woman and was seated in the back room. The acoustics were terrible. The noise level in the room gave several women headaches. You could not hear or speak. The servers were delightful and trying to be as attentive as they could be. The haddock came out raw for one woman and barely warm for 5 others. The raw one was removed immediately with apologies but the replacement came as others were getting dessert. The other 5 were warmed up and returned but not hot. I had the white sweet potato curry which was hot and absolutely delicious but eating with all that noise wasn't enjoyable. The seasonal vegetables are lettuce on the side which is quite misleading. The management did try to rectify the dinners by providing dessert on the house. Another recommendation would be to add pocketbook hooks on the tables and in the ladies room. The River Bar has new ownership and is in a learning curve so I'm confident things will improve. The outdoor seating and transient dock have always been the star to this location. read more

The steak was delicious and Jared was the best server.and we loved his hair. The vibe made it feel like it was a bar in the river.

The corn bread was delicious, our waitress Nell was pleasant and attentive, but avoid the Lobster Lettuce Wraps. We paid $17 for only 1 tablespoon of lobster on a mound of cabbage and lettuce. For those prices they should have put more lobster in the dish. read more

The food wasn't that offensive, it just wasn't good. Have been looking forward to visiting since this place opened up about a year ago and our 29th anniversary seemed like the perfect occasion. We were definitely disappointed. We made reservations, and the hostess led us past the bar on the right to a room in the back with huge windows and - so hoping for a nice view. Unfortunately as soon as got past the bar we were smacked in the face with the smell of old fish. I'm a lifelong resident of the ocean state and lived in the fishing village of Galilee for many years. So this wasn't a "fishy" smell from fresh fish, it was definitely a fish well past its prime smell. Once seated the view was that of a bank and a theee story tenement. Seating too low or windows too high to see the river. So between the smell and view, ambiance was 1 out of 5. Had been looking forward to sampling fresh oysters but not willing to risk illness given dubious food handling practices as evidenced by the smell so we settled for Old Bay Roasted Oysters- they were decent. We tried the sourdough bread plate with blue cheese butter and clearly this bread had been baked, and the. Rebaked to warm it up resulting in a crust that was overdone and dry too far into the loaf. The blue cheese butter lacked balance and would have benefit by some honey to offset the saltiness of the cheese. We both had the fish and chips figuring that was our safest bet but the fries had that overdone flavor and the fish batter was greasy. The coleslaw lacked seasoning. Given the price point I truly expected much better from this place. I'm okay with a clam shack, just not when it pretends to be elevated. I will say the service was amazing and our waitress clearly felt bad about the situation. We were offered a free dessert but honestly, after eating the rest of the food, no thank you. River Bar you could be so much more and if you are a BEST new restaurant in the country we are all in trouble. read more

This has become one of our favorite dining spots in Rhode Island. The food and service are outstanding. We love to sit at the bar on a Sunday evening and chat with Zach and Gabrielle. They are so kind and take great care of their customers. The sweet potato curry with scallops or tuna are to die for. My husband loves the fish burrito which is vibrant and surprisingly light. Ingredients are super fresh and the kitchen staff clearly cares about the satisfaction of their patrons. Cocktails are unique, especially the Red Handed. We've heard it's beet-forward so you must like beets. I love beets but disagree with it being beet forward. I think anyone who enjoys a tequila based drink would LOVE this - it's really tasty. We can't wait to return. read more

I've been excited for months to see this spot open back up under new ownership... so it pains me to say that my dinner experience there during opening weekend was extremely disappointing. I'm willing to give a lot of grace about the bad service (opening weekend and all). But the food itself was really mediocre! The "market salad" consisted of overdressed lettuce and bizarrely thick-cut pieces of basic vegetables (someone literally just quartered a 6-inch zucchini lengthwise and threw it in there...). The description of the baked scallops dish said that it included a side of "seasonal vegetables," which turned out to just be the exact same thing as market salad that I had already ordered, just with different dressing! (At the very least, our waiter should have mentioned that to us when we ordered.) I live in Westerly and I love our up-and-coming restaurant scene, but River Bar really needs some work... I really hope this place steps up its game so that I can update my review. read more

Ok... they just opened up. I get it. First we were ignored by our waiter. She was shooting the beeeze with a customer with her back to the rest of the room. Many other staff walking past us several times, never making eye contact or asking if we've been helped, including the manager. Many staff standing around. Finally flagged down a staff member and asked to speak to manager. She came over., took our order and apologized. Even comped first round of drinks for the service issue. The RI clam chowder hardly has a clam in it. Very little flavor. Weak. Don't order The clam cakes were terrible! They basically had been deep fried previously and were microwaved to reheat. They were like soft rubbery sponges. AWFUL!!!! Not a place I'd return to. read more

TL/DR this is a great upgrade over Bridge and it feels like they are intent on keeping the quality high. This spot right on the river deserves this kind of operation. The owners are the Nana's group and River Bar has a similar style. Good ingredients, prepared well. A lean toward farm-table, fresh, local, and maybe a bit hipster-ish but not in a bad way. Two visits to their happy hour were excellent with perfectly shucked Ninigret Nectar's for a buck fifty, a few tasty small plates, and good drink specials. Dinner is enjoyable, but be aware that the service is a bit "relaxed" so if you are in a hurry let them know. Their staff is good but this is not constant-contact fine dining. Our table had the large burger, the seafood risotto, and the roasted chicken. All were very good. The menu is seafood focused but they do a good job with everything. I can see this being a regular stop for high quality casual dining. read more

Food and service. Ambience was terrific. I had a wagyu burger and it was totally tasteless and tough. my husband had fish and chips and the fish batter was very greasy read more