I stopped by River Grille for lunch. It was a nice large casual restaurant with outside seating overlooking the Tomoka River where boaters can dock and dine. I chose to sit outside (something I normally don't do) since it wasn't very humid. River Grille offers a diverse menu that mixes a bit of Cajun influence with southern cooking. I placed an order for the Bayou Hurricane, some gator bites, and Citrus Bourbon Salmon served with my choice of two sides (red beans & rice and garlic mashed potatoes). As I was enjoying my refreshing cocktail, the server brought out the gator bites. It was my first time trying them, and they were actually the best thing I've ever tasted. The Cajun remoulade complemented the texture of the alligator, which was fried perfectly and wasn't chewy. The deliciousness continued with the salmon. It was grilled nicely and topped with a tasty sweet citrus bourbon bbq sauce and onion strings. The red beans & rice was cooked to a soft consistency and the mashed potatoes was creamy and flavorful. I would describe my outdoor dining experience as pleasurable --that is, until a squirrel appeared and started going around the tables as if it were a regular patron. It was all smiles until the squirrel climbed up the chair, propped itself on the table, and looked straight at me as if to say, "Hey, you gonna eat the rest of that salmon?" I knew it meant me no harm, so I didn't freak out; however, I wasn't sharing my delicious salmon with it. I slowly grabbed my cocktail with one hand and the plate with the remains of salmon with the other hand as the squirrel scurried toward me. Luckily, two servers saw my predicament and came to shoo the squirrel away. Well, that killed my appetite. I asked for a container for the leftovers and ordered dessert to go. Don't get it twisted, I'm not deterred from coming back, it will just be indoors next time. read more

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River Grille is an amazing place with an outside seating with a view. The space inside is nice and warm. Our server Nate was funny, nice, friendly and attentive. 10/10 The fries were good but the fish had no seasoning and needed some flavor 7/10. The cheese Curt's were good 7/10 read more

River Grille - Fish 'n Chips with cheese Curt's - Seafood Near Me - Ormond Beach, Florida

My cardiologist is located in Ormond Beach, so it's a bit of a trek from my home in Orlando, so I always try to make it more of a trip and have lunch in a different seafood restaurant on every visit. This time, my wife and I decided to try the River Grille, as it looked good and got good reviews. We parked and walked in. We were greeted by the hostess and asked if we wanted to sit inside or outside. Since the weather was beautiful and we wanted to check out the river view, we chose to sit outside. We were led to the outside deck, the restaurant was busy, but we still managed to get a table on the rail with a view of the Tomoka River. While it was nice to sit near the river, the deck was quite high, and the view was spoiled by a busy highway bridge. Still, it was a nice view and relaxing, despite the constant flow of traffic. We were given menus and ordered drinks. Our nice server brought us our drinks, and we ordered. I chose Clam Chowder and a pound of Peel & Eat Shrimp, and my wife chose Fish & Chips. The food came pretty quickly, and the chowder was rich and creamy, loaded with clams. My Peel & Eat Shrimp was just as I hoped, tender and tasty, and definitely local shrimp, not farmed. I had a bit of my wife's fish, and while the batter was indeed thin and crispy, it didn't have much flavor. Good, but we were a bit disappointed. All in all, a nice lunch. I would come back here and try something else. The menu is quite extensive. read more

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My first time here and only had cocktails and a dessert, so the review is only based on that. Bartender wasn't overly busy but did spend a lot of time on setting up her station. Key lime pie was decent and the Florida Sunshine cake has an interesting zest - sort of like an old-fashioned sherbet push pop. read more

River Grille - Key lime pie and Florida sunshine cake - Seafood Near Me - Ormond Beach, Florida

After a great day at Pictona our group was super hungry. We chose to lunch near by ( about 10 min) at the River Grill. When you drive into the big parking lot, the place looks like fun right away. There is a huge alligator statue outside, standing on his hind legs. Upon entering the restaurant if you look up it's decorated to sort of look like an old ship. I didn't get to see most of the inside because we received it right away outdoors. I believe there are two levels here. The lower level must have a nicer view of the water. Our view was mostly of the squirrel trying to eat off people's plates. They must have some resident squirrels there because they were pretty bold. Also people feed them. I had my eye on that squirrel the whole time we were eating. We were a party of eight. Our server was pleasant but not helpful at all and making choices. This is a seafood restaurant and he said he was highly allergic to seafood so he wouldn't know if any of the dishes we were asking him about were good. We started with the hush puppies. I cannot remember exactly but they were supposed to be stuff with some sort of seafood. I don't remember if it was crab, or lobster but whatever it was they just tasted like regular hush puppies. They were good, but I did not taste any seafood in them. I ordered an iceberg wedge with blue cheese dressing. The dressing was very good. The lettuce was fair. I also ordered their barbecued wings, which were pretty good. They were tangy, but were little too overdone for my taste. If you like super crispy, you would like them others in our party ordered the seafood platter which they really liked and the fish tacos. Overall, the restaurant was decent. My only negative comment was that squirrel. I had anxiety the whole time that he was gonna come climb up on my shoulder, which is what I saw him. Do to someone else that was sitting there if you're in the area, you might want to check this place out, especially if you like sitting outdoors. read more

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Food was good, but lacked seasoning. Place was busy and we were apologized to by the server for forgetting about us. All the river view tables are outside, so dress accordingly or sit inside with no view. read more

Great family place on the river. Good is good and service is great a well. Local favorite

My sister and I got the fried seafood combo to share. There was plenty and It was fabulous. The fried flounder was my favorite. Everything was great but here's my interpretation so you will know what to expect. The slaw has celery seed which is not my preferred recipe. The hush puppies are not sweet. The scallops were cooked perfect! The shrimp are quite large. Service was good. I like sitting outside by the river. The property seems well taken care of. The squirrels are friendly and fun to watch. They are not too aggressive and easily shooed away. Enjoy! read more

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Fathers Day sat outside bugs everywhere 45 minutes get food small portions Sad we used enjoy our time here But very disappointing Server did her job But sad could hardly eat flies everywhere an sat waited for food way to long wasnt busy Sorry sad choice read more

I did the dinner special for $25. The jambalaya was like soup. Hardly any rice and we had to ask for a soup spoon. The flavor was good but it was more like soup. The hush puppies were great and so was the fried shrimp. We were told the desserts are not made in house. Not sure where they came from. Great atmosphere. Had dinner on Monday, 12 January around 6PM. read more

This place is on the Tomoka River and you can sit inside or outside. We sat at the bar area and Jonah R took good care of us. We split the fried shrimp platter and I recommend the Cajun. It was lightly fried and the fries were real potatos! read more

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Clean, spacious restaurant with indoor and outdoor seating overlooking the river. The staff is friendly and welcoming and our waitress was friendly and professional. She checked on us often and kept our iced tea drinks filled. I started with a cup of Clam Chowder that was rich, decadent, and full of wonderful briny flavor. The clams were actually tender. My grilled Scallops were small but delicious, along with the Hushpuppies and fries. The fries were lukewarm and not crispy but seasoned well and still quite tasty. My husband's stuffed Flounder was delicious. Flounder stuffed with crab and topped with hollandaise sauce. His favorite was the red beans and rice. Ample portion of Hushpuppies with his order too. We had a great experience and pretty darned good meal and will definitely return to try more of their delicious sounding menu items. read more

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Been a long time since been at river grille. Asked to sit in the bar area. I started off with cheese curds and clam chowder. The chowder was thick creamy and very good. Cheese curds were very tasty. Main course was bacon hamburger for candyce and seafood rueben for me. Both very good and the seafood rueben was packed. Service was good and the deck out back overlooking the river is really nice. Very good overall read more

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Came on an early Saturday evening where I used to see this place full of people and to our surprise it was pretty empty. We got seated right away so that was a plus and nearby the bar so members in our party could watch the tvs. It's been a while since I've dined here. Not pictured we ordered the onion strings which I recall coming in a huge metal tray. What we received was on a small mediocre plastic tray that with a party of 4 could just get a tasting. They're doing a special thru January for 3 for $25 it's a decent deal if you're ordering what's on it. The portions just seem a bit flat I remember. The plates are pretty small and I recall my prior visits leaving this place so full with take out boxes. Also, the large alligator that used to be hung is nowhere to be found! read more

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We have been to this restaurant many, many times and love it each time. So this is a combination review of multiple visits. Our daughter loves the Florida Sunshine Cake so much that we called ahead and asked to purchase a whole one back in early April. We paid for it in advance via phone and made arrangements for pickup. The staff member I dealt with via phone made everything super easy and I had zero issues when we picked it up. Last week we went again for a mid-week lunch date with my sister and her 2yo and 3yo grandkids. We had a great lunch of various food - I've never had anything I didn't like here. Afterwards we took our quarters to the feed machine outside, with a styrofoam cup/bowl, to grab fish food. The area is safe for the kids to feed the fish through the slats of the fence and we even got to see a large crab and a baby alligator out in the water. Yummy lunch and a Fun activity. What more could you want? read more

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You just can't beat the experience of eating fresh seafood while sitting outside on the back deck along the Tomoka River. It was a late lunch and I was starving, so I ordered mahi fingers to start, a small bowl of chicken and sausage gumbo, and 1/2 lb. of boiled shrimp with Cajun seasoning. All was delicious. Not too much batter on the mahi, just right. A couple local beers stood in for my dessert. Reasonable prices and great service, as always. read more

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Great food and awesome service. Nice outside view while dinning. Not waiting for a table was a big plus. read more

We have been here before and the food was good but this time I ordered the grilled grouper sandwich and it was very dry and tasteless. I was very disappointed. They also charged us more than the price that was on the menu and we had to wait a very long time for a manager to adjust the bill. Very bad experience that will impact me not coming back. read more

Our waiter was unable to multi-task, and that would be the only dim spot, otherwise 5 star. Location is killer, alligators in the river. I heard they prefer small children more than seniors. My smoked brisket and eggs were outstanding, real beef, and lots of it. Wife's house choice had eggs. Cheese, and ham. Very tasty, and bring small children. read more

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We loved the outdoor ambiance. The food and service were both good. We tried the crab hush puppies and the cornbread waffles and chicken. read more

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Excellent location and wonderful food. My wife's and meals (bbq salmon & Jambalaya) were prepared nicely. Portions were large enough where we both had to take some home. We eat dinner outside over looking the river and vowed to return read more

There is always a line after 5pm The seafood is very tasty. I had the Shrimp & Asiago Cheese Grits delicious the Shrimp were good size & tender. I opted for the small Caesar Salad wish was great. Hubby had the fried Shrimp Poo Boy & fries. Wish was huge the Shrimp were tender & tasty. He was glad that they cut the Sandwich in half so he could handle it. Service was wonderful & very attentive. Our drinks were refilled rt away. They are a very busy restaurant. Sometimes we take Our Niebors Pontoon Boat & Dock in the back of the Restaurant. read more

This place was just a cut above most of the other seafood places we had in our week in the area. I loved the atmosphere- we had a lovely table overlooking the river and bridge, very scenic. Had surprisingly good and low-cost margaritas (I thought maybe they made a mistake on pricing at first!). Wonderful assortment of appetizers that were very filling and tasty. Great variety including boils, Cajun, non-seafood items, etc. We had pineapple mahi and stuffed flounder-- I changed my mind at the last minute, asked waitress for something and she mentioned that. Not normally what I'd get but I went with it and it was delicious. So were the sides including the onion strings- worth an extra buck! read more

River Grille - Lovely scene while dining - Seafood Near Me - Ormond Beach, Florida

Always great food and always wonderful service Very nice old Florida ambiance along with outdoor seating on the Tomoka River. My favorites are the fried Onion Strings, Mahi fingers and jambalaya. I'm not much of a drinker so I can't say how good their drinks are but it's a full bar for those who do read more

We had a great dinner with a beautiful view. We spent some time at the bar while waiting for our table and really enjoyed the relaxed atmosphere. The fish Reuben was amazing, and the fish dip was excellent as well. Overall, it had a great vibe and a chill, welcoming atmosphere. read more

We had two seats at the bar. We started with the grouper fingers, yum! We both loved our meals. The shrimp tacos were perfect. I got 2 but wish I had gotten 3! read more

River Grille - Shrimp Tacos - Online - Seafood Near Me - Ormond Beach, Florida

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Great food and service from Kayla tonight - 9/16/24. Large Caesar salad, Mahi fingers, and Cajun Mahi tacos all cooked perfectly! Amazing food and ambiance at River Grille! Thanks, Kayla! read more

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Can't get much better than this fish sandwich. Excellent meal prepared perfectly. Great taste and not just breading but real fresh tasting fish!!! read more

River Grille - Fish sandwich - Seafood Near Me - Ormond Beach, Florida

Please bring back the brunch burger it's my favored item. I am sad it is off the menu. Everything else is perfect.

After seeing a FB post & reading reviews on Yelp we decided to make the 40 min drive from NSB to check out the River Grille. Arrived around 2:00 on a beautiful Saturday afternoon not knowing what to expect. The restaurant is much bigger than it first appears with options of inside or outside deck seating. We selected outside. The inside has several large areas of tables, booths and couple bars. Rustic decor and has a relaxed vibe. Our outside deck table was water view near a large bar and was very relaxed and chill. We started with a main menu item as an app. The Smokehouse Sampler which included Ribs (2) wings (4) pulled pork, fries & slaw. The items were all delivered hot and tasty. Main orders were Jambalaya and Key Lime Chicken and Shrimp. Both orders were very fresh and packed with flavor. Looking for a place to relax and eat great food check out River Grille. read more

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I've passed this restaurant on US 1 a few times and decided to check it out. I sat outback with a stunning view of the Tomoka River. I ordered the gator bites as an appetizer and fish n chips for entree. I have to say it was pretty darn good. read more

River Grille - Gator bites - Seafood Near Me - Ormond Beach, Florida

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We ordered the fish n chips and Caribbean rum dry rub smoked wings. Both dishes were pretty good excluding the coleslaw. Ambiance was great, (we sat outside). Well definitely come back and bring some folks with us! Our server Jen was informative and pleasant! Great service and tasty food is always a win. read more

River Grille - Caribbean rum dry rub Smoked Wings App - Online - Seafood Near Me - Ormond Beach, Florida

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Great service from the staff! The food was great and everyone was friendly. We were lucky we didn't have to wait to be seated

We had great service from Jenson (sp?). The covered outdoor patio was enclosed and heated so we could sit and look out the window. Our party had gator bites to start, followed by shrimp & grits, crab-stuffed flounder, a Florida fish Reuben and the fish and chips. We finished off with their famous Florida sunshine cake. Delicious as always! read more

River Grille - Crab stuffed flounder, grits, hush puppies - Seafood Near Me - Ormond Beach, Florida

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The food is great and the staff too! Must go to, to see the alligators too! Love it. I recommend.

Great service and good food. My husband got the Rueben and I got the fish and chips. Both good and solid. Not much seasoning on the fish but they have hot sauce and malt vinegar which was perfect. Nice staff, cute location read more

This River Grille sure nailed it today! Overall, all the dishes were really darn good. Let's list them out for you: - Gator Bites: This is the first gator I've had that was worth having. A great coating and good bit of gator in the order. - Onion straws: great onion straws with a great batter and dipping sauce. - Clam Chowder: This was good but not my absolute favorite.....but still pretty solid. Good sized / volume of ingredients in the chowder. - Cajun crab boil: This one was a great dish and tasted great. All good sized snow crabs, good corn and potatoes. Even the hush puppies were a great crispy exterior with a soft inner part of the hush puppy. - shrimp & grits: grits were spot on flavor and shrimp cooked nice. - tacos weren't too bad...decent enough....not killer though. - mahi mahi: This dish had a great taste...just a bit overcooked. - Salmon was another solid dish and cooked well this dish was... This place gives you a solid entrees to choose from and are priced reasonably good. Good value and good experience. read more

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Start with and end with my meal. "Jambalaya" It was served with red sauce and very little rice. Shrimp were big, chicken was scorched and Sausage was hard to fins. Sure could find the sauce though. It's about all it was. Used to be a go to place, busy for Bike week , other than that I won't be back. I see Denise M to the right found it the same way. I suggest if you want this meal, go to BJ's they do it proud. read more

This is one of our favorite restaurants to relax and enjoy food and drinks. The inside and outside Aesthetics are pretty and relaxing. We've had many of the entrées and appetizers, they all have been excellent and affordable. The service is always excellent whether you sit in the bar area outside or at the tables. read more

"The food was bland (definitely bring your own seasoning), but the service was great and the view was perfect. With a little flavor boost, this place will be packed in no time!" read more

River Grille - "The food was bland, but the service was great and the view was perfect. With a little flavor boost, this place will be packed in no time!" - Seafood Near Me - Ormond Beach, Florida