I was happened to be in the area, I found this place on yelp, and it looked like a nice place and great selection of food, it is located on the river and very pretty scenery and probably the nicest restaurant in Alabama. But when I looked at the menu, most of the food I saw on Yelp wasn't even there.... Shrimp&grits seemed like the best choice so I ordered it, but what I got is very different from what I expected or the description on the menu. It was basically few small shrimp and grits with some kind of sauce... The photos on yelp was very deceiving and I was very disappointed... But hey what do you expect from Alabama right?... read more

River - Martini yum - Southern Near Me - Tuscaloosa, Alabama

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My husband & went there a while back. The environment was great, good service, good food. Flat Iron SteakCrispy Chicken, salad, oh, & our drinks. The bartender guy happen to be familiar with south Alabama, which my husband is from & I too lived there several years before we met. We mentioned a Bushwacker (a local south AL drink) & he knew what we were talking about. The waitress had never heard of it, but he knew & made one just like we liked! They were all very friendly & talked & engaged with us, giving us a very pleasant evening. Definitely enjoyed it! read more

River - River Restaurant, Charles Wayne Rollin, Jennifer Briana Rollin - Southern Near Me - Tuscaloosa, Alabama

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The staff was so friendly and attentive to the needs of its patron. You can't beat the view from any seat in the restaurant. The food was amazing and I had so much I took some with me and it tasted even better the second day. The wait wasn't long at all and they kept us informed. We went for brunch and will definitely be back! read more

River - Ohhhhh can my stomach handle all this goodness?!?!?!? - Southern Near Me - Tuscaloosa, Alabama

A ttown staple that never disappoints! One of the only nicer restaurants you can make a reservation read more

River - Salmon chips - Southern Near Me - Tuscaloosa, Alabama

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Wow, what great ambiance!! And the food was really amazing. Now my fav joint in T-Town for a nice meal, really fresh ingredients, and a varied and seasonally changing menu. Perfect spot when I come to town to visit my daughter at Bama. read more

Absolutely the best restaurant in Tuscaloosa and it's not close. The food is outstanding. The menu changes with the season and the availability of products from local farms and suppliers. The menu is always a great mix of meats, seafood and vegetable options with daily specials mixed in. Lauren and her team do an amazing job of making sure the service is always top notch. There's really no better setting and atmosphere than overlooking the Black Warrior river for dinner or brunch. They have a really good cocktail, wine, whiskey and tequila list. We've been regular guests for both dinner and brunch over the last 8 years and shame on me for just now writing this review. It's really a great restaurant across the board. Love it! read more

The first night we came here we had a great experience the moment we stepped in. Hostess was nice and we were seated quickly on the patio. The waitress was friendly and talked through the happy hour menu. We ordered two appetizers (salmon "nachos" and the grits tots) both were great and so big that we didn't try to order entrees. We split a bottle of rose and enjoyed the evening outside. My friend's son is named River and she couldn't pass up getting a shirt with his (and the restaurant's name on it). We decided to take our long time friend who was in town here the next night. She grew up in Tuscaloosa but moved away for 20 years and recently moved to Birmingham. It was rainy so we decided to sit inside. The experience we had upon arrival the second night knocked the review a star. The hostess was really short with us when I asked approximately wait time after being added to the waitlist and seemed generally unhappy to be working. My friend wanted to see the shirts again so she could get one for herself. You would have thought she asked to have a tour of the kitchen. Finally someone could help her and the hostess tried to seat the group behind us because "we weren't all here" (my friend was trying on a shirt). The whole interaction was very odd and unprofessional for an establishment like River and really made me embarrassed that we had gone back. We were able to be seated and the manager on duty came over to explain the hostess was new. I get being new and inexperienced, but rude and short with guests who are excited to be back I don't accept. We got one appetizer between the three of us and each got entrees and cocktails. Except the fish being overly fried, it was good. Go back but know you can't predict what your initial experience will be like. Hopefully you get the nice hostess we had the first night! read more

River - Salmon "nachos" with white bbq sauce & house made potato chips - Southern Near Me - Tuscaloosa, Alabama

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We had the best experience last night 8/5/23 . Our waiter was on top of everything. Very sophisticated. I really enjoyed the one on one with the waiter explaining all the food and giving us the best service we've had. The food was fantastic! Definitely coming back read more

River - Entrance - Southern Near Me - Tuscaloosa, Alabama

Came to River while visiting family in Tuscaloosa and they did not disappoint! Our server JP was extremely knowledgeable about all of the specials and the way items were prepared so he was able to make suggestions and answer questions so everyone got something they liked. We started with the caprese flatbread and it was very tasty and fresh. I had the chicken over orzo and it was cooked perfectly, crispy but juicy. My mom had the whole fish special and enjoyed it. One of our party is vegan and she was able to enjoy the harvest bowl with no conflicting ingredients. I only wish we had saved room for dessert. I would recommend River for an upscale dinner option when visiting. read more

River - Fish special - Southern Near Me - Tuscaloosa, Alabama

Was very excited to try this spot and so glad I did. Closed on Mondays. Has a beautiful patio and very cozy interior. Make reservations whenever possible, we showed up without any and the staff was so kind and accommodating considering my son was in an accident and couldnt wait long. Nice wine list and great food selection. Very romantic for a date or great for a family dinner. read more

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Wonderful food and the view is SO tranquil and relaxing. Carlie was our waitress and she was prompt and made great recommendations. Definitely try the grits otter tots~ they aren't waist you are expecting for the description, but even better! read more

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Let's start by saying my son spent 4.5 years in Tuscaloosa and we had eaten at all the "best" places--except River until last week. GO HERE! We've been to the absolute best steak houses--The Palm, Benjamin's NYC, BLT, Spark's etc and RIVER served the best rib eye I have ever eaten. It was seasoned and cooked perfectly. All 8 of our meals were just perfection. Don't miss the grits tater tots app or the peanut butter pie with cherry fluff for dessert. Drinks were perfectly crafted and our waiter was top shelf. All around amazing dining experience to celebrate our son's Alabama graduation. read more

Our first dining experience at River. Wow! Customer service was incredible! Ambiance casual and the River view was lovely. The shareable smoked salmon nachos with house made potato chips & Alabama white sauce was fabulous! Seared scallops over house made pappardelle pasta was exquisite. Perfect sear and seasoning on the scallops. Pasta perfectly al dente. Pork shank, fell off the bone with tenderness. Catfish was cooked crispy and flavorful with a little kick. Fresh fish was great! Shrimp & grits were on point! Perfect pairing of wine, Napa Big Guy red blend. We finished with a decadent brownie s'more!! We will return again and again! The drive from BHM was worth every bite!! read more

We have always had good meals at Rive but the food was disappointing this time. I love River but if you're going to be one of the most expensive places in town you have to be consistently good read more

My absolute favorite upscale restaurant in T-Town. From the ambiance to the well thought out dishes, this restaurant is a top spot for me!

Lovely menu & space. We had wonderful service every time I've been. The best part is that the ingredients are of high quality & locally sourced. It's really a little too salty but that's my only note. Easily fixed. read more

My wife and I drove from Montgomery to Tuscaloosa, on Sunday, 6 December 2020, to try the food at this restaurant. It was a great experience. The staff was very friendly and helpful. The food was excellent and tasty. The service was outstanding. Our waiter (forgot his name) was very helpful selecting our food. All in all it was a great experience and we will definitely eat here again. The beer was great as well. Would love for you to provide a sampling of the different beers so a customer can decide which beer suits their taste. Thanks to all the staff for a wonderful experience! read more

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The ambiance was great and the service was amazing! However- the food is EXTREMELY overpriced. For two people to eat, it cost almost $200. This included no alcohol and only one appetizer other than our individual meals. read more

Business model benefits the owner and not the customer. Get there at 4:45pm if u don't want to eat w out a 2 hour wait. Menu limited and ran out of the only entree we wanted. Food average at best. read more

Great atmosphere, wonderful staff, and righteous food and drinks. If you have a gluten allergy, note that the menu has many items marked GF that are, in fact, not gluten free due to cross contamination. I appreciate the honesty of the kitchen staff and the willingness of the server to keep asking about items we wanted to order. I'd called ahead of time and was assured they had a gluten-free menu and took "food allergies very seriously." But it's bad form to put GF all over a menu when you fry everything in the same oil or don't take care to keep the spoons for sauces from being cross-contaminated. It's not that hard to make these items actually GF if you have any motivation to do so. That said, the cocktails, sausage board, shrimp and grits, and seared catfish were delicious. Will return! read more

Enjoyed my valentines date night here! JP was our server and was very professional, he had great recommendations all the way down to wine pairings! I enjoyed the ribeye and it was cooked to perfection. Overall a great experience that is perfect for a date night. Thank you JP! read more

River - Ribeye and fried chicken - Southern Near Me - Tuscaloosa, Alabama

Tasty food, good service. My only complaint is they wouldn't seat me until the other party member arrived. Practically the whole place was empty so plenty of tables. After driving an hour to dine, I would have liked to order an appetizer. Anyway, our waitress made up for it with fabulous service! Favorites: Fried okra and the salads. read more

Lovely atmosphere, food was great, knowledgable server. The Pompano fish was AMAZING, including the veggies and risotto served with it. It was refreshing that someone finally took the time to pan sear some of the rice first too! The Fried Green Tomatoes (typically not my thing) were really delicious too! All four of us enjoyed our meals greatly. I wish I could remember what everyone else had so I could drop a mention. Lovely experience. read more

Very nice place. Great for date night or special events. Moderate smaller portion sizes.

Food was delicious and the service was attentive. It's a pretty small dining room so definitely recommend reservations!

Zac was AWESOME!!! Love him!!!! Food WAS AMAZING! Please add a lobster green tomato burger!

We were in town for University of Alabama graduation weekend and heard that River was having a special "graduation weekend" Brunch...you had me at brunch! It is quite close to UA, but parking can be very tight and River doesn't take any reservations, so we arrived 30 minutes before they opened so we could guarantee a table. No issues since their receptionist will take your name and cell # and text you when your table is ready. It was a beautiful day and we took a quick stroll along the river until we got our "table is ready" text. Our server Hanna was AWESOME! She explained the menus and their drink specials...everything sounded SO good. We decided on their Shrimp & Gouda Grits, River Breakfast and the Salmon. The Shrimp & Grits were perfectly cooked with LARGE gulf shrimp and the grits were cooked exactly as I want...not too thin or too thick, with just the right amount of Gouda cheese to let you know it was there, but not too much. The Salmon was cooked to absolute perfection and the River Breakfast had scrambled eggs, sausage, bacon, breakfast potatoes and a biscuit. Everything was YUMMO and Hanna's service was impeccable. If you happen to be in Tuscaloosa, I promise you will love River! Trust me on this one!! read more

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I'm pretty blunt in my reviews. But I feel like I should start this off with a "Girl! Lemme tell ya a little something!!!" Because, my goodness! The fried chicken made me fall in love, the mashed potatoes were down right heavenly, and I'm not a huge fan of veggies, but my mouth is watering now just thinking about it. It is such a cute little place. We walked in feeling a little underdressed but they made us feel at home. 10 out of 10 experience. They also have a burger that is not listen on the menu, that is what my boyfriend got. He said it was pretty great too. But I want to spend all my time on the fried chicken. read more

River - Fried Chicken - Southern Near Me - Tuscaloosa, Alabama

Dinner last nite for 3. Made a reservation. Service was great. Appetizers and drinks were excellent (salmon chips & lobster mushrooms). Entrees were mixed. Filet - perfect. Lamb was very good, vegetables undercooked. Seafood bake was completely overdone and dry. Staff quickly replaced with another entree. Peanut butter pie dessert was delicious. Beautiful restaurant. OK value. Would still return. read more

We arrived at River without a reservation, shortly before 5 p.m. on Saturday of this past weekend. We were able to get on the list right away. River had a bar set up outside on the wood deck and we ordered several cocktails and glasses of wine and enjoyed the beautiful weather while seated on the clean and comfortable patio furniture. We were seated within five minutes of the restaurant opening. Blake, our server, was one of the most spectacular servers we have ever had, and we travel constantly and eat out almost daily. Within minutes of seating, we had placed an order for five or six shared plates, and had ordered wine for the table. We shared the spring salad, lobster mushrooms, crab cakes, the charcuterie board (which may have come out as a sausage board by mistake...but it was good), the barbacoa flatbread, and the fried green tomatoes. Entrees included salmon, ribeyes, and shrimp and grits. Blake was extremely attentive to our needs. We never experienced a delay in service, our water glasses were always full, wine always poured, table serviced on a regular basis, and the food delivered hot and on a timely basis. If I had to offer one complaint, the bread with the charcuterie / sausage board was akin to a hockey puck. That's hardly a reason not to give River 10 stars on a 5 star scale for this recent visit. This experience was fan-freakin'-tastic. Service was as good or better than the finest restaurants in the Country. read more

Great atmosphere with a friendly and knowledgeable staff. We didn't have to wait for a table.

Unique menu. Beautiful area and very tasteful food. We sat on the patio over looking the water.

I would say it was 4/5 stars. For an upscale restaurant our lamb was extremely over cooked to the point neither of us wanted to eat it. We also got the catch of the day which was sea bass - very well cooked but not seasoned enough. For appetizers we got a mushroom dish (I forget what it was called) but it was really great! Overall good atmosphere but the food was very hit or miss read more

Outstanding all the way around. Great view of river. Great burger with unique sauce, outstanding bacon, and biscuits & gravy were excellent . Blake was an outstanding server - listened carefully to diet restrictions, knew the menu, and was very conscientious every step of the way. Blake gave an excellent recommendation on cold coffee with bourbon & cinnamon that was incredible. Would recommend this place 7 days a week. read more

River - Outdoor patio. - Southern Near Me - Tuscaloosa, Alabama

Food and service was amazing! The restaurant has a an upscale vibe but not too pretentious. Just a nice place to celebrate a special occasion with great food and service. read more

Not a huge selection for brunch but everything we had was delicious. Keep it simple and keep it good.

Stopped by for a Sunday brunch and overall wasn't impressed with the whole experience. The wait staff is very friendly and there was only a 10 minute wait during peak brunch time. I had been looking forward to finally eating at this spot but the food didn't live up to the hype. If you can, try to get one of the tables outside because the view of the river and the fall trees is beautiful. I ordered the salmon benedict (because I always order eggs benedict variations for brunch). The egg was a bit over-poached as I like my yolks runny. The salmon was a bit dry and the hollandaise sauce was flavorless. For the price, I expected better quality. There was also a mixup with my drink order but it was handled very well and I was only charged for one drink. I don't think the quality of the food was worth the price though. read more

River - Front - Southern Near Me - Tuscaloosa, Alabama

Very good moscato. I should have stuck with that instead of trying the berry martini. Average squash. Average halibut. Not a fan of the peanut butter pie. They did not warm up the chocolate chip cookies. The turtle cheesecake was the best desert. Loved the outdoor patio by the river. Loved the waitress. Everything was presented well. read more

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Wonderful dining option in Tuscaloosa! Fabulous staff, beautiful space, delicious food, lovely drinks. Some menu favorites are the flat breads, the mussel appetizer, the fried chicken, the fish specials, and peanut butter pie to finish. Delish! It's our favorite spot for a date night. read more

Too expensive for what you get. Seating was not done well either. Large group split between 2 tables when a smaller group was seated with them pushed together. I was not happy. read more