Amazing view! Awesome waitress! Mediocre food... 2 RUDE hostesses. First one had to finish telling a story in her earpiece before talking to me to put our name in. When we got called, she said to go to the third floor. The staircase up to the second floor was obvious, but I stopped to look for the stairs leading up to the third to be rudely told by the second floor hostess that I couldn't stop their and needed to go to the third floor. She didn't care to even point to the door that hid the rest of the stairs. Our waitress was wonderful so we did forget about these hostesses until we once again descended the stairs, which smell like they haven't been cleaned in years, and were completely ignored when we told them to have a good night though they were standing alone where they could obviously hear us. Disappointing. read more

In thinking of one word to describe the experience here, all I can think of is DREK. Yes, the view is lovely, and yes you can munch peanuts to your heart's content, but they're not even mostly fresh peanuts. For some reason these guys think it's okay to make cheese fries by spreading cheese over the fries and then STEAMING them. Hmmm. That's a real nice idea if what you're after is sweaty, greasy, COLD cheese fries. Simple physics. Evaporation is a COOLING process. I'm surprised that with all of the dough they're hauling in because of their location, they can't spring for a "Salamander". This is a top broiler that can be mounted over a grill. These folks tend to leave food in the window way too long, which, sorry if it's busy, is a BAD idea. That leads to cold food which you will eat simply because you are hungry and then not complain about because you're on vacation or something and want to be nice. Well, honestly, if someone who was loitering around the window wouldn't mind checking the ticket that goes with the food, perhaps they also wouldn't mind delivering it quickly. Nope. Instead your server might just wait until the other plate comes to the pass, which may be a few minutes later. So, one person gets something hot, maybe. This is simply UNACCEPTABLE behavior in food service. Honestly, if your expeditor doesn't have the skills to get two plates up at the same time, and your staff can't take it upon themselves to give a rat's patoot about taking another server's food to a paying customer, perhaps you should stick with peanuts. And try to make them fresh, please. read more

A fun family friendly atmosphere. We come every year while on vacation. The downside is that every year we come, another favorite is taken off the menu. First, the fried green beans then fried banana peppers. The service is always verrry slow. Takes a while to be greeted, a while to get your drinks and a while to have your order taken. Not sure if they're typically short staffed, but it's an issue every time. Our family loves the burgers and the fact that's it is a fun family atmosphere. read more

Great atmosphere, very friendly waitstaff with excellent recommendations!! Mac N Cheese Burger, Fries, Pizza Burger with Chicken was well worth the drive!! Definitely a family favorite now! read more

Not very impressed. Average burger. From the logo and the look of the other Divine Dining restaurants I expected a nicer place. Save your money and go for a fast food burger. read more

Heard this place had good burger. They were wrong. It had awesome burgers. It might have been one for the best burgers I've ever had. I had the short rib cheeseburger with bacon. read more

I have to disagree with everyone. I loved this place! Maybe it was because I was sick of chain restaurants and lousy tourist traps. Perhaps this was a tourist trap also, but I felt right at home in this dive. The floor was strewn with peanut shells and the beer was cold as ice. I was ready to curl up in my booth for the rest of the afternoon. Yes, the food is greasy but you can't possibly have any other expectation upon walking into that atmosphere. I thought everything was scrumptious. read more

After reading other reviews and talking to others we were a bit hesitant about the service. It just goes to show it really depends on the person as we had a great experience. Desiree seated us promptly in the busy dining room and apologized for the meager 2 minute wait. We asked her many questions about the menu, and not only did she have all the answers, but she also made some great suggestions. We got the Mac and Cheese Burger and the Nacho Burger; both were absolutely delicious! Try something you can't get at your local tavern. The flavor combinations were awesome and creative. We also ordered margaritas. Based on some other restaurants in the area, we were worried; most were extremely weak (questionable as to whether they even had any booze) but the drinks here were great! We had a good buzz going after one... Fries were also yummy! We had the gravy fries. But be warned - you have to order them separate from the burger. One order was plenty for two! A lot of reviews talk about it being dirty or a "dive" bar. It's not a five start restaurant, people!!! Yet it's great for what it is - a beachy, yummy, fun place! read more

Love the decorations and ambiance of this place. I had the Sonama Chicken Burguer and it was on point. Our waitress Morgan was great and very friendly. We will definitely come back when we are in the area.. Oh, and great view of the pier!! read more

River City Cafe - Our view - American Near Me - Surfside Beach, South Carolina

You can just about get anything you want on a burger. I had an egg on mine. My wife had shrimp on hers. You can even get peanut butter on one. We will definitely be going back to try other burgers. Onion rings were very good. You cannot beat the view, it's right on the ocean next to the pier. read more

It took 20 minutes to be asked what we wanted to drink and I had to go find the server to get her to ask us. 25 minutes later we got our drinks, again only after I went after her and asked her where our drinks were and she replied with a laugh "oops I forgot, I placed your order if that helps"!! Unbelievable!! It was still another 10 before we got our food. It was good once it arrived, but they have a serious service problem!!!! read more

Ate here 2 times this week. Burgers are good but not as great as they should be if burgers are your specialty. Service leaves a great deal to be desired. After ordering on my second visit not one person got their burger fixed as they ordered it if they varied from the menu. Waiter NEVER refilled our drinks. The view is great and you can come in straight off the beach in a bathing suit. It's good just not great. read more

Went here bc I heard they were known for their burgers. I ordered the Montery burger and it was really good!! The sweet potato fries were also delish. Would def go back and try a different burger. read more

I love this burger joint. It's not fancy, but the food is great! The burgers are always big and taste fresh. Their fries and sweet potato waffle fries are good sides. The service is good, too. The restaurant is ocean front and even has an open air seating area that's sometimes open. Great views of the ocean and good food always makes for a great time! read more

The atmosphere was really cool. Great view of the beach out of the windows. Service was a little slow but our waitress was very nice. The food was amazing, we all got burgers. Great variety and lots of interesting options on the menu. It was hard to decide, everything looked delicious. The prices seemed lower than most restaurants around. Definitely going there again. read more

The view is the best part, that's it. Staff wad nice. But the food all taste like fish, even the Cole slaw

Omg...the food here is nothing short of awesome! The prices where really cheap too. I promise every entree we ordered came in an extra large portion. The service was great too! read more

Quick place to grab a bite. Food was great. My wife and I had the cheese steak and classic fries. My son and his fiancee had burgers and onion rings and said they were pretty good as well. read more

tried scamming my buddy and service was dog trash but the food was good, alcohol was not great to be honest

Pretty good. Was out at Surfside Beach and it was time for lunch. Wife got a burger, which was pretty good but they didn't ask how she wanted it cooked...so apparently everything is well done. I got a salad which was pretty legit. We sat outside and there are pigeons everywhere eating scraps, so if birds aren't your thing - maybe you should sit inside. Service was great. read more

First went to River City when my kids were small years ago. They loved to throw the peanut shells on the floor. So when in Mrytle Beach it is a tradition to eat at least one meal there. Since we have grown as a family this trip included grandkids. River City has grown too and has 7 locations now not just the original one with license plates on the wall. You can still get peanuts and throw the shells on the floor. The cheese sticks were a good choice for appetizers. Salads were ordered and they were very fresh. Everyone ordered the burgers. We had swiss and mushroom, bacon burgers, Tex mex burger and had trouble choosing from over 20 varieties. No one was adventurous enough to try the Peanut butter one or the Smore one with nutella. Of course you can order a chicken sandwich, philly , ruebens, etc. but why would you? The burgers are why you go here. They are fresh and never frozen and they are delicious. The fries are good too as well as the huge onion rings. This restaurant is right on the water and the breeze on the second floor just made it very comfortable to eat and sit and watch the waves. Our waitress was outstanding. The hostess did not seem to be able to figure out how to seat 11 people and had us sitting at the bar. She stepped in and put some tables together for us right by the windows and we were able to enjoy a wonderful family dinner. Look for coupons in local magazines for money off on a platter or a free shirt when you buy one. It is a great place to eat! read more

I really liked this place. Right on the sea front. Service was good and my burger was excellent. Beer was a decent price. Would I go again - deffo. read more

We love this place! Ate here when just my husband and I came for an anniversary get away, we stayed near it and saw it and wanted to go. It's a great place. Prices are very reasonable. First time we sat inside. We went recently on a family vacation with 3 of our kids and they really loved it too. We ate outside & though the view was great it was really windy & we had to hold on to our plates & drinks so they wouldn't blow away. I had the surf & turf burger & it was delicious! The kids thought the peanuts they bring you were fun & our youngest fed them to the pigeons in the deck both times we went our wait was very short read more

Don't know all of the waitresses names but they all made the whole experience. We went with our 11th month old earlier in the day to try and beat the rush but I have a feeling the way they treated him is the way they treat everyone and the food was amazing! Great views food and service.. not much more you can ask for! Definitely coming back!! read more

Food was very good for the price. Nice place right on the beach. It's a peanut shells on the floor kinda place. Service was friendly and it was a nice place for a big group to gather. read more

Egh! My family likes this place better than me. I honestly just see it as bar food. Prices are ok, as this sits right in the ocean. Kids can get burgers, chicken fingers, fries, etc. I've been here 4-5 times. Nothing woes me about the food, but you can get great views of the ocean if you get a window seat. This is a good place to go if you want some food and don't want to leave the beach front. I'll go back due to the convenience of their location. read more

Grouper fingers too greasy to eat Onion rings too greasy to eat Burger good Good service read more

Loved this place. They had exceptional service; the host was very welcoming and our waitress Anastasia was very nice and attentive. My friend and I went in for lunch on a rainy day. We chose to sit outside, but had to move inside due to the rain and our location of the table as it was close to the railing. If you are afraid of pigeons and squirrels, chose to be seated inside, as they come in and out on the patio. We shared the boneless wings as an appetizer and they were a nice portion for the two of us. The Nachos Crunch burger was amazing, and my friend said her Continental burger was fabulous. All in all had a great experience on our vacation. read more

I tried out the Surfside location tonight with my husband - this was the first time we had been to any of this restaurant's locations. My initial impression was that it seemed a little dirty. The bottom floor where you check in smelled like a public bathroom, there was some kind of substance that might have once been food that was caked onto the stairs and there were peanut shells all over the floor. After sitting down and taking in my surroundings, the peanut shells were just part of the ambience - you can take a bowl of peanuts for free and toss the shells on the ground. The other two issues are only dealt with when entering or leaving the restaurant. I was interested in trying one of the over 20 different burgers, and figured they must be good. I ordered a garden salad and the three alarm fire burger, replacing the beef with a chicken breast for a reasonable price. The salad had a bit too much shredded cheese, but was fine otherwise. When the burgers came out, I was underwhelmed. The buns were stone cold as though they had just been taken out of a refrigerator and were the type of thin, deflated, boring bun you would find on a McDonald's cheeseburger. The rest of the burger was uninteresting. It was definitely not "three-alarm" and the pickled jalapeños were barely spicy. Maybe they need some fresher toppings to go along with their fresh, never frozen meat. My husband's burger was, as he put it, "thoroughly unmemorable." I expected more from a Divine Dining restaurant based on the other restaurants in the group I've visited, but I will have to do more research next time. If you're looking for a good burger with quality ingredients, pass on this place. read more

Had eaten at a River City nears Murrells Inlet but decided to try this one which is on the ocean. You have be good with meat to like this place! The hamburgs are juicy and really great. Many combinations to choose from. Fries are homemade and tasty but the onion rings are what this place is all about. The service was good, view nice and a fun place which gives you peanuts in the shell to start. Would go back for sure. read more

Great burger - good variety of burgers too. We always stop here when visiting to sit outside, look at the ocean and have a burger and a beer. No need to order separate fries for each - there's enough to share. read more

Great food. Great service. Kinda divey but we like it that way! We hung out here all afternoon drinking and came back the next night for dinner. The Raspberry Tea was my fav, but the Grape Ape was good as well. We consider ourselves "burger snobs" so everybody in our group had burgers for dinner. No one was disappointed! The only "con" (if you can call it that) was that they were rather large and hard to finish! I got the hot/spicy burger (3-alarm burger, maybe?) which was not as hot as you'd think. Good flavor, juicy, generous toppings. Loved it! One of our friends had the OMG Burger and it was HUGE! He said it was really good. We'll definitely come back and try more from their menu. read more

The best place in town for burgers!! Alqays juicy and flavorful! I got the shoestring burger and my husband got the three alarm burger. Both were amazing! For the price you pay, it's definitely worth it! Prices aren't too expensive. You got to check this place out! Don't there if you're allergic to peanuts, since they give you peanuts to eat and you throw the shells on the ground. read more

My family and myself had a late lunch, and the food was terrible. The place was so messy and staff was not friendly. The sweet tea was $2.49, which is out outrageous for a charge. The Carolina burger I had, had the taste of caned chili, and so it was horrible. The only highlight was the ranch dressing, which was not the best. read more

LOVE the food and the location! The only reason for 4 stars is that they won't accept reservations nor tell you over the phone how long the wait is or how busy it is. read more

Great drinks and burgers. Great view of the ocean as well. Burgers were cooked perfect went here twice during one week of vacation

This place is right around the corner from the beach house we've rented for the past two summers for our family's vacation. We've been here for probably 4 lunches over the 2 trips. In my experience, River City Cafe can be counted on for a great mahi sandwich and really good french fries. Service has been "meh," and I'm not a huge fan of the peanut shells all over the place, but it's a casual beach place and so it's not a big deal. Seriously the best mahi sandwich I've ever had. Their tartar sauce is the bomb too! read more

Had the three-alarm fireburger and my brother and I split chili cheese fries. The burger was okay, came some extra condiments I could have done without (yellow mustard), but overall was as advertised as a spicy burger. Chili cheese fry portion was rather small and the fries looked pretty limp. Our waitress looked pretty miserable but wasn't the slowest. All the beach magazines say this lace is good for kids but they don't have a kids menu, or one was never offered to my 5 and 9 year old nieces. When you're absolutely tired from driving and want to walk to dinner, go for it, but I wouldn't go out of my way for a meal here. read more

I liked my burger. My wife said her chicken salad was okay, nothing special. Service was a bit poor. If I wanted a burger again, I'd go back, but not for anything special. read more

This place by far has some of the best burgers ever! BUT while I was eating here, I saw something that just broke my heart. I saw a waitress take peanuts off another table, and dump them into the big thing of peanuts that everybody gets peanuts from. This didn't only happen once but three times while we were eating. So I was really disgusted and will not be eating the peanuts anymore! read more