We enjoyed our time here. We grabbed a couple beers on tap and sat outside soaking up the scenery. The service was good. We didn't eat here, but the food smelled amazing. We will definitely be back and try some of that food next time. read more

See all

Fantastic, rustic brewpub with some good beers and some great people. They have an awesome outdoor area the looks like it's fun summer or winter. They've got curling lanes too! Fun times! read more

River Saint Joe - Outdoor space. - Venues & Event Spaces Near Me - Buchanan, Michigan

Amazing food & well of course atmosphere Flat bread Bread itself is sooo good truly fresh freshly made

Such a cool place. I love the farm to table experience and garden party vibe. We've been a few times now and have had excellent experiences every visit. The beer, cider and wines are crafted with care and have something to offer everyone. Our service has always been friendly and welcoming. If there is one weak link it would be the food. It's almost too popular and it's common for them to run out. If eating is a must you may want to double check the kitchen is still running before heading out. We also are big fans of the bocce ball court and cornhole. read more

See all

Definitely a new favorite spot! We've been looking for a new go-to brewpub with good drinks, food, and views. River Saint Joe had all of that and more! Delicious craft beer and cider on tap. Lots of outdoor space and local events, too. Really excited to have found this place, will be back for sure. read more

See all

Do you want a great ambiance? Check Do you want great farm fresh beer? Check Do you want some awesome pretzel sticks with Horseradish Blue Cheese(oddly specific )? Check Love this cool spot in the middle of nowhere. Has everything I'm looking for in a brewery read more

See all

We have been making to trip from Mishawaka and Goshen area for a few years to River St Joe. We love the grounds! Love what the place is. The beverages are always good. Super brews, ciders and such. The food used to be fantastic! Beautiful plating fresh and delicious! Sadly this part of RSJ has changed. The quality is very meh nothing special. Oh one positive is the flat bread bread is tasty and soft. One time we came as a group of 7 and the menu was changing so the items we were able to order were slim pickins'. Kind if like rumaging your kitchen before shopping day. This time kitchen equipment was broken so very limited on offerings. The menu itself is limited. As mentioned, the menu used to be fresh, full of options for everyone's eating preference with meat and vegetarian. The menu pricing has gone up. Yes I understand the world is getting more expensive and I do not mind spending money on good to great food. The hummus is $5 more than before and the quality is much lower. It used to beautiful served with pitas. See my previous review for pictures of RSJ used to be. We did go during a big event and they seemed way over whelmed. Food taking over an hour. One LONG line for drinks. There has to be some way to better this. The service- we have never really an issue with service. Servers and employees are friendly. Will I return- for sure! I love this place Will I dtink- for sure! Will I dine- not sure- I am very sad and sorry to say read more

This is a cool place. I liked the Golden Ale a lot. The pilsner and Oktoberfest were ok. Service was friendly. read more

See all

Super cute ambience with huge windows overlooking a farm. Small but very tasty menu loved the flatbread. Service was great and really enjoyed the flight of ciders read more

See all

River Saint Joe is a wonderful restaurant / brewery that has great music, ambience, and excellent service. They make a real effort at building community as well through activities like bike rides and yoga to mention a few. The food is varied and I loved the fresh veggies on the flatbread. This is one of my favorite places to go hang out! read more

Great service, nice options for outdoor dining, decent local beer, good light food options

I've been excited to check out this brewery for years. I love breweries that are also farms. River Saint Joe is a fantastic brewery located in a rural area, the space is beautiful. They have farm stands and outdoor seating areas to enjoy the views. They play live music and have many event going on throughout the year. The beers and great and the food...wowza! I love everything about this brewery. I can't wait to come back. read more

See all

As a modern pole barn off the beaten path with a deep overhang to provide shade for the outdoor patio, this brewery restaurant located at Flatwater Farms provided stunning views with its towering windows to create a link to the patio and hop farm. My friend, his family, and I came to River Saint Joe, which opened in 2020, on my last night in Michigan for dinner. Upon arrival last Monday, the outdoor area featured live music among the firepits, Adirondack chairs, cherry red tables, or custom dining tents. Greeted by the staff, a table was available to us inside on a first-come, first-served basis. The menu is short, which is always an example that everything is fresh, made to order, and changes with the season. Unfortunately, they were out of their flat breads. We decided on the chips and guacamole as an appetizer for sharing. Our meal consisted of Chicken Bacon Ranch on Naan breads accompanied with a side salad, Sloppy St Joe using ground turkey, and Chicken Caesar salad. The kitchen used fresh farm products in their ingredients. The flavors were amazing, and the food was delicious. Our server was helpful and prompt. The price point might be a little higher than other breweries, but it is worth it. Really just a great experience all around here, which we could recommend. read more

See all

Food selection almost has disappeared.. Service is now almost gone, 1 waitress. Still great outside seating and come frequently but going down hill fast and not that interested in coming back. read more

River Saint Joe - 6 feet communion - Venues & Event Spaces Near Me - Buchanan, Michigan

Omg this place is so cute in the middle of nowhere! Food is delicious get the olive goat cheese with fresh pita and hummus and the mushroom rice dish is amazing! Super cute organic farm and brewery. Great stop in between Michigan beach side lake and South Bend. Will be back for sure! Parking is way easy huge lot outside. Sit indoor or out and at night they have bonfires at each table or a tent with heaters. So so so cute! read more

See all

Not as impressed this visit. First "spring-like" day of the year, and lots of people enjoying the outside space. A little windy for us and decided to relocate to the empty space indoors and were told that we couldn't sit inside. They needed to check for "reservations" Also witnessed several of their staff with other groups, and each case was painful to watch. Staff (and I think some senior staff) were very unpleasant to their patrons. Not in any hurry to return. read more

See all

Food was marginal. I had a mushroom flatbead that was similar to Blaze Pizza....edible but would not have again. MY son had the chicken bacon ranch on pretzel bun w chips. We had bruschetta...ordered as a starter but came with everything else. Service was bizarre...our server honestly wasnt with it. Eventually i got up and went to the bar to get waters for our table. She did not listen. I changed from a porter to a stout...my second beer was the porter. We ordered bruschetta as a starter...it came w everything else. She was nice...and friendly but kind of on her own program in terms of pacing. They are dog friendly outside....certain places get served outside and certain others dont. Beer was good, i tried the porter...and i tried to get a stout but got another porter. Wit bier was very grapefruity. Woukd return for the beer....foods just an afterthought here so cavest emptor. read more

River Saint Joe - Hockey goon - Venues & Event Spaces Near Me - Buchanan, Michigan

We discovered this place by mistake a few weeks ago and have been back a few times since. We absolutely love this accidental find and are sad we didn't know about it sooner. The staff are always so great. They answer any questions we have, offer excellent suggestions, and are always kind. My husband loves their beer menu, and their Riesling is amazing. The food menu is interesting for sure. We got the mac and cheese and the tomato and bacon sandwich. Both were phenomenal (picture of the sandwich not included). Because we were sitting outside, staff had to bring our food out to us. She forgot silverware and went back in to grab some for us, but then never came back. I'm sure she got distracted as it was a busy night. We eventually went in to get our own, but by then our mac and cheese was cold. Luckily for us, we were sitting at a fire, so I put the cast iron skillet in the fire to warm up the food. It was perfect! We're easy-going people, so it didn't bother us. The grounds of this place are absolutely beautiful! We love the quiet surroundings and the twinkle lights out at night. And we're huge suckers for a good fire pit. We live about 45 minutes away, but River Saint Joe has become our new hangout spot on Friday nights. If you haven't been yet, this should be your next Friday night destination! read more

See all

I really hate to write this review, but... we left. After waiting an hour, we were told they were out of what we ordered. It took 45 minutes+ to get the hummus appetizer and the sardines (which is literally a can of sardines with crackers). I think it's understaffed - service wasn't good. Maybe if I had enough beer in me I wouldn't care about the food or lack thereof. The beer was pretty good. The atmosphere was 5 stars. Might give it another chance just because of that, but if it's not better, it's a no-go. It's a 45-minute drive. At least Iron Shoe is open so we can eat! read more

Disappointing menu. We used to.love the selection with wonderful farm to menu although now it seems very limited. Virtually no vegetarian selections and even the humas app was just some fake baby carrots and red peppers with the grainy dip. Chicken salad and french dip seem very ordinary . I still love the atmosphere but feel the chef is a fail. read more

What a cool ambience! Service was great! Great beer! The food was definitely lacking for brewery food. The mac and cheese, although cooked perfectly was bland, the flatbread was overcooked, just all in all could be so much better. The gardens are beautiful and it was worth the trip, just don't get your hopes up as far as the culinary fare. read more

The food is hit or miss. A couple times I've gone in and been disappointed but the last time was great. Good size portions too. They have indoor and outdoor seating available and are pet friendly. Good selection of beers and they make their own hop water which is some of the best you can find! read more

The food is soooo good! We ordered the pulled pork potato skins, smoked turkey sandwich, and chili. My husband tried the golden ale and pilsner. I had the mulled wine. Everything was phenomenal. Service was wonderful too! read more

Sadly I was giving it a chance this season and won't return. The location is amazing, beer is just okay and the food has no flavor.

This is a great place that's just far enough off the beaten path to be secluded. There's plenty of unique outdoor seating and water easily accessible. Outdoor games are scattered around the property with a family-friendly path through a nearby field. A slightly limited drink and food menu was overcome by the tastiness of what is offered. Definitely make time to stop here! read more

See all

When it comes to local breweries you'll be hard to find many that can compete with River Saint Joe. They have a solid selection of brews, a tidy menu of bites, a plethora of outdoor activities, and friendliest staff you could ask for. We stopped in for a few drinks and, because it was busy, found some standing room off to the side of the bar. The bartender helped us secure our first round and we enjoyed it while chatting. About halfway through the hostess stopped by and let us know that people were departing the bar and we could take over the space. Great follow up! We ordered another round at the bar and enjoyed the sighted and sounds. The atmosphere was lively but casual and people of all kinds were in attendance. There was even a kids birthday party there! (which I assume isn't the norm) In addition to the inside space, this place offers ample outdoor area with fun activities. Given the season curling was setup (along with tables with leg heaters!) but in the summer it looks like they host yoga classes, live music, and other fun things. I'd be remiss to not mention the beer! We tried several different options and all were incredibly tasty. I am by no means a beer man, I favor bourbon myself, but I really enjoyed the several drinks I had care of the staff's expert recommendation. From the moment you arrive to the moment you leave I'm confident that RSJ will exceed every expectation. Come solo or with a group and check this place out. You're going to love it! read more

Great space with plenty to do, love the ambiance and all the sustainable initiatives. My cider was great, sides were great but the sandwiches could've used a bit more. I'll definitely be back read more

See all

River Saint Joe is a fantastic place to enjoy some excellent beers and farm fresh food. This is a farm to table establishment with menu items created by what is currently in season. We have enjoyed pulled chicken as well as the chicken salad. The indoor space is small and the outdoor space is huge. There are Adirondack chairs all around the grassy area, many around fire pits. There are picnic tables, round tops and several with shelters. Great views of the farming operation including the large hop farm. They are also dog friendly outdoors! The staff is friendly and knowledgeable. Parking can be tight on nice summer weekends. They do have an EV charging station as well. read more

River Saint Joe - a hand holding a glass of beer - Venues & Event Spaces Near Me - Buchanan, Michigan

See all

Love the outside seating!! We were there with another couple, there was a chill in the night and the warmth of the fire was a perfect backdrop for an incredible evening! read more

Brought us the wrong order. Waited longer for the right order. We had the burgers cooked medium. What we got were some frozen patties cooked well. So hard that my dog ate mine. The Porter I ordered was also very weak and pale. Poor service. Even walking up to the place we were not impressed with the grounds as everything was weedy and overgrown. So, to recap, bad service, bad food, bad care of the grounds. No discount was offered despite me telling him my burger was overcooked and waiting as the wrong order was delivered and not eating my meal. read more

I had a birthday party here in one of their greenhouses. So much fun. The chef is incredible- talented and very personable. Wonderful experience. So memorable! read more

River Saint Joe - Green house private party - Venues & Event Spaces Near Me - Buchanan, Michigan

I highly recommend River St Joe! Love the food especially their Naan, so fresh and tender, very delicious. Love their wine and beer selection. The atmosphere is great indoors or outdoor, you can't go wrong! read more

I recognize this could have been a fluke/off night for the restaurant (based upon other reviews) and maybe our expectations were too high...but we were less than impressed. This place has so much potential! We drove an hour based upon the "farm to table" fact promoted by the restaurant. We started off with the Chips & Dips shareable with the garlic artichoke dip. We were unpleasantly surprised when it was delivered to our high top. The farm to table shareable consisted of bagged kettle chips and a plastic container of dip presented to us. We had the privilege of using our knife to remove the plastic security wrapping around the lid and removing the lid. Again, maybe our expectations were too high but they could at least disguise that it was store bought with a faux presentation. When it came to the entrees I'm guessing the busy season chef went home for the year and the wait staff made the food? Neither my wife nor I were impressed with the meal as her Autumn Sunset Sandwich was a glorified greasy grilled cheese sandwich with mushy vegetables on it. The potato soup was good, in my opinion, as I liked that it was puréed and the flavor was good...my wife wasn't a fan. My beef and cheddar sandwich (my choice was to have it without a bun over greens) could have been good if the beef was warmed up and much less cheese would have been used. Beer wise...my Sunset Saison I wasn't a fan of but the Harvest Fresh Ale was good! My wife liked the House Mulled Wine. Atmosphere was good & bad simultaneously! We were at a high top in the back. My wife faced the dining room tables and I faced the back storage area. She rated the atmosphere a 7 and I gave it a 3. I was staring at a wire rack of bagged chips and other supplies messily put on shelving and she was looking at a beautiful wall with a wonderful quote on it. We really wanted to enjoy this place but we were let down. Maybe it was just us but the "farm to table" claim was relativity misleading in our opinion. This place has so much potential! Block the view of the messy storage area and hire in a legit chef! read more

River Saint Joe - Potato Soup with Beef & Cheddar on greens - Venues & Event Spaces Near Me - Buchanan, Michigan

See all

Decided to visit last weekend. After waiting over 20 minutes for a waitress to take our order we were told that nothing was available on the menu other than a couple appetizers! Will not return! read more

Food is good, very good in fact. Beer also very very good. The issue is the lack of servers behind the bar. We came out for the solstice bonfire. It's 29 degrees. We waited 30 minutes to get our first round. 2 people come out, 2 people go in.finally we get a round and head out to the bonfire. We eat, we finish and it's back to the line. This time it's 45 minutes. Everyone is mad...Finally get inside, and the one gal behind the bar, isn't even trying anymore.... It's not hard, every other brewery has figured it out. The last issue you should ever have at a brewery, is getting a beer. I hate to think that a place with this much going for it would fail because ownership can't staff correctly.this was the same situation at last years bonfire.... It's as if they don't expect anyone to show up. read more

This is absolutely on of the best brewery we have been so far combining: atmosphere, beers, and foremost, the food. We are an avid beer enthusiasts and we had visit lots of breweries in the Midwest and Chicago area so we had a very good idea what to expect. Some good breweries have only a tasting room which is still a great idea but after consuming few pints you always thinking about something to eat and I am not talking about bar food. Having a good brewery and fantastic food is a winner by all means. River Saint Joe Brewery is the place for both! Its located on the farm and the view is so relaxing, they grow their own hops so you can expect it is definitely organic. The place opened at 12pm and within 30 minutes it got quite busy over there. Our server Annie was so nice, and we got the time to chat about the farm and food. They got an outside seating which we took minding gorgeous weather but they also have tables inside. I can only imagine how nice it is out there to sit in the evening when the light are on giving this place even greater aura. I also like the addition of the music to be heard outside. Now lets go to the major part: Beers: The brewery has a decent list of beers to fulfill your needs. It is not a wide selection but there are Ale, Porter, Pale Ale, Saison etc. We have tried: Harvester Ale--very good complexity, very drinkable, nice mouthfeel, definitely good for warm weather. We took two growlers of it at the end. Farmhouse Pale Ale--to my big excitement this was more Hazy Pale ale, New England style. Very citrusy, made only from local hops. Great aroma, little bit dense, finishing with a bit of bitterness at the end. Double Ipa--same color and mouth feel as the farmhouse ale but more Citrus flavor most likely due to amount of Cascade Hops. Very good beer and minding it was 8.6% ABV, you did not feel this at all. Great Double IPA. Food: We have tried few dishes from the kitchen and all of them were absolutely delicious. Menu is short which is always an example that everything is fresh and made to the order. You can tell be the taste of the ingredients that all are harvested locally and represent the farm to table idea, which is great. We had a chance to meet the chef Carly and we talked about food and the concept of this place. I appreciate the time that she gave for the conversation with us. Keep up the excellent work up there ! :) Garden Harvest--salad with rotating vegetables and this time it was cherry and heirloom tomatoes served with aji verde and queso fresco. Chili threads on top gave it a substantial and spicy kick. Fresh and delicious. Baby Butter Lettuce--excellent combination of fresh lettuces, herbs and greens with citrusy dressing. Orchard Salad--baby spinach, breadcrumbs, apples and butttermilk dressing. Jowl bacon and smoked trout were a great marriage with the rest. I could definitely have one right now!!! Flank Steak--seared to perfection with just salt and chimichurri on top was tender and packed with natural flavor. Served with refreshing corn and garbanzo bean salad. The quality of beef was superb. Bangers and Mash--artisan sausages served with sweet potato puree, ramp pest and fresh cheese. This was definitely one of the best sweet potatoes puree I have ever eaten, it was amazing! Combination with savory/sweet sausage and pesto was so comforting. We were told that the kitchen and chef change the dishes based on season and product they can find locally so the menu may change periodically. With that being said I am only looking forward to try new things at River Saint Joe. I wish there were more place like that closer to Chicago but this place is an example that excellent beer can be enjoyed with food on the same level. I say thank you and see you in the future :) read more

See all

This place is so cute and trendy for the area. With so many travel restrictions it was nice to have that big city feeling without having to hop on a plane. The food was a bit over priced. It was good not great. But the presentation of the food was perfect. My one major complaint is that most places right now have a dedicated person wearing gloves who clears the tables and a separate person who brings the food. Here, they were both clearing other peoples dirty dishes and had our food in their hands at the same time. read more

See all

Great place. Atmosphere is pure Michigan. Smoked trout dip was very good. Bangers and sweet potato mash satisfied. Lots of outdoor seating in the shade. read more

River Saint Joe - Bangers and mash - Venues & Event Spaces Near Me - Buchanan, Michigan

Outstanding in their field.....literally. Seriously.......what is there not to like. Happy to have them in our community. read more

River Saint Joe - Two locals soaking up the good vibes - Venues & Event Spaces Near Me - Buchanan, Michigan

Nice place for a beer & a bite. Very friendly staff and attractive space makes this a good place for a casual beer. They have a small food menu which leans to vegetarian & vegan dishes but still has options for us carnivores. The beer menu is likewise small but covers a range of styles. I had the Bucktown Bock and it is quite tasty. read more