Easter brunch not as advertised lacking in choices. expected more not worth the money $80 read more

I only had a drink here. It was a Von Trapp white lager, and combined with the window-wall views of the Charles River, the experience rated a 5. I had run into a high school friend in the elevator of the hotel that this restaurant is within. It was someone with whom I had actually kept in fairly regular contact, but neither of us knew the other was going to be at that hotel at the same time. So it was an "Oh WOW!" moment. We decided to get an "overpriced drink" there at the hotel and we had a most enjoyable conversation. I don't expect I would be giving the highest rating possible if I had also eaten here. Based on the menu prices, the food would have had to have been stratospherically great! But the river views are awesome. read more

After a long day of travel, I finally arrived at the hotel and was grateful they had a restaurant at the premises. Service was a bit slow but since I was not in a rush it was not a big deal. I started with the clam chowder which was very good. Nice and thick like I prefer it. It was very hearty. For my entree I had the scallops which were served with spinach and butternut squash. My girlfriend had the Margherita pizza. She said it was good. The veggies on my scallop dish were very good but I would have preferred a bit of a better sear on my scallops. I think they could have left them on heat just a as but longer. Overall, I was glad the hotel had a place to grab a bite without having to get on the road again. read more

See all

Nice quiet restaurant within the Newton Marriott hotel. Just a few short steps away from the check in desk. The lounge and restaurant are all connected in sort of an open floor concept. read more

Riverbend Bar & Grill - Food menu - New American Near Me - Newton, Massachusetts

See all

Service was medium, so friendliness. Restaurnt was very cold, no heat. The food was a mix: The mash is delicious Steak, not cooked medium- mostly raw or over cooked . Asparagus not seasoned just charred. Desert ok- extremely sweet read more

I'm giving it a 4 because the service and drinks were excellent. The Quinoa Bowl, was generally good, but my selling point was the "crispy chickpeas." Unfortunately, they were steamed or something similar. Also very heavy handed with the dressing. Get it on the side. read more

Riverbend Bar & Grill - Excellent dirty martini! - New American Near Me - Newton, Massachusetts

See all

I was really surprised at how great the food was at this hotel restaurant. The service was great! I got the Brussels sprouts, pottos and chicken. I also got a glass of wine. The bartender listened to what I was looking for and found the perfect blend for me,. I would definitely go back!! read more

Industrial and barely adequate. I had a $100 gift certificate to use here. I got one drink and a falafel wrap; my husband got the one pasta dish - a bolognese (which had a cream sauce - weird) on the menu. He had a coke. They seated us in the breakfast area and forgot about us. The server felt bad she forgot about us so she made me another drink (more bitter than the first). They brought us a "complimentary" dessert - but then took the whole $100 gift card - our food + drinks were less than $65. Food was INDUSTRIAL. My falafel (clearly put in the fryolator) was dry - I asked for sauce and they brought me a thick aoili. The only good thing was the fries - they looked freshly made - the potatoes had skins. And my husband did like his bolognese despite the fact that it had a cream sauce. I will never eat hete read more

Went for dine out Boston and it was pretty pleasant. We went around lunchtime on a weekend. Everything was really good and nothing was disappointing. I got the steak tips and they were really good. A little on the tougher side but other than that the char on it was perfect. The clam chowder and caesar salad was also delicious. Pretty basic starters so no complaints there. Extremely hefty meal and there was a good amount of food. We also ordered the lobster roll and my friend really enjoyed it. Unfortunately, we did not get to try the tiramisu because they ran out but we got the brownie and ice cream which was quite nice as well. Pretty basic American food but was really worth it during dine out Boston week. read more

Riverbend Bar & Grill - New American Near Me - Newton, Massachusetts

See all

Service was ok. Food is not hot (food came warm). Price is high for the type of food that we ordered. Especially the cocktail, it was mostly ice in a small glass. read more

Had both dinner and breakfast here. Dinner was a Cobb Salad. My only complaint was it was in a tall deep bowl. I prefer salads in a wider shallower bowl so I can mix it up a bit. The avocado and bacon was extremely fresh. The salad had just the right amount of crumbled bleu cheese, although I forgot to ask for the dressing on the side and it was a bit much. They offered wine in both 3 and 6 oz glasses. I think that's great. Breakfast was great. They offer both home fries and hash browns. They have a Breakfast Buffet that is worth the 20.00. They offer a variety of hot foods including waffles, French toast and pancakes made to order and an omelette station. There was a variety of fresh fruit and organic yogurt. The omelettes and French toast were both quite delicious. read more

Riverbend Bar & Grill - New American Near Me - Newton, Massachusetts

I ate breakfast every morning, it was excellent. The Eggs Benny add cheese with a side of bacon is excellent. About $20. Pricey but worth it. I also had Marriotts standard wing dish, pretty much the same at all Marriott, all consistently excellent. Staff is A++++++ and totally went over and above. read more

Riverbend Bar & Grill - Marriot wings, pretty standard across the brand, always on point. - New American Near Me - Newton, Massachusetts

Very pretty interior. Very good food. OK service. Riverbend is the house restaurant at the Marriott in Newton, MA. We just had three meals here over the weekend- an afternoon pizza snack and two buffet breakfasts. The pizza was really good ! We ordered their Wild Mushroom Blend and Sausage Pizza. Fifteen bucks got us a very nice sized pie with a "House cheese blend, wild mushrooms, Bianco and Sons Italian sweet sausage, and house-made pizza dough. The dough and sauce were very good, but the star or the pizza pan was the plentiful hunks of sausage. Totally worth every penny and very splittable for two people. The All American breakfast buffet was reasonably priced at $20, and that twenty bucks got you a lot of mileage - Oatmeal, cold cereal, house-made granola, fresh fruit (the frsh pineapple was OUTSTANDING), milks and yogurts and juices, breads, muffins, bagels, croissants, omelets, eggs cooked-to order, sausage, bacon, potatoes, and sliced nova salmon with cream cheese and diced onions.. Anytime I see nova salmon on a buffet menu, I'm happy, and I made sure I had a bagel and lox both mornings. . Breakfast service was great, with plenty of check-backs ands water refills. The service for our afternoon pizza break wasn't that stellar -she took a real long time to refill the soft drinks ("Sorry, I got distracted") and bring over the requested grated cheese. But all in all, we had three pretty good meals at the Riverbend. read more

See all

Great food, great atmosphere, fast & friendly service. This place is a great hidden gem that I highly recommend

The Sunday brunch mine as well we the holiday inn continental free breakfast. This place used to have amazing brunch. Waffles, desserts fresh pastries. Everything was stale and picked over. The eggs were dehydrated eggs. read more

It is what it is for a hotel restaurant with expensive price points. We sat a table with the perfect view of the lake where people were kayaking. Shoot our server was sneaky and didn't informed us that the Orange Juice isn't free and $4 for it but at least endless refills. The coffee is priced per pot. Breakfast: Egg White (Diana), Broken Yolk Sandwich (Andrea), and Blueberry Pancakes w/delicious and cute tiny jar of maple syrup and whipped butter (mine)...oh hubba, hubba this was thee most delicious pancakes filled with so many blueberries If you aren't hungry, go somewhere better. If you are starving, Riverbend will be your only choice! read more

See all

My family visited Riverbend Bar & Grill during Dine Out Boston when we were looking for a nearby option with easy parking and where no one would be bothered by our baby. I would definitely give the Dine Out Boston experience five stars - we really enjoyed our lunch! The clam chowder was very good. The lobster roll of course wasn't as fresh as somewhere like Alive and Kicking, but it had a lot of lobster and was very good for a regular restaurant. And dessert was the best part - the vanilla chocolate ganache cake was amazing, and the tiramisu also looked incredible and was served in a chocolate flower cup. I probably wouldn't make the trip over here regularly, but I'd definitely recommend it when they have a special price fixe menu or for anyone who is already at the Marriott. We thought the quality was much better than what we were expecting based on other reviews I'd read before our visit. read more

While staying at the hotel I figured I'd give the restaurant a shot. Food was average and nothing special. The clam chowder and view were the highlights. Arrived late so only had the dinner menu available but I wouldn't pay for breakfast buffet after tonight's experience. Nothing to write home about and service was slow. Only recommend if you don't want to leave the premise. read more

I only came here because I was lazy to leave the hotel. I ordered the margarita pizza and it was surprisingly good. Not sure about the other food but it looked like they had a decent selection of food and beverages read more

I stayed in the Boston Newton Marriott for two nights for a work trip and ate at the Riverbend Bar & Grill twice during this visit. It's so convenient to have a nice spot like this in your hotel. The first evening we had a light dinner here. I went with the french onion soup and the margarita pizza. The soup was excellent- I really enjoyed it. The margarita pizza wasn't the best, but it wasn't terrible either. I just wasn't crazy about the tomato sauce and wish the pizza would have been a little crispier. The second evening we just had dessert and warm drinks. I went with the Boston cream pie and hot tea. It was absolutely delicious and the presentation of all of the desserts was just beautiful. Overall, we had a good experience both nights and I'm sure I'll be back the next time I stay at this hotel! read more

Pretty darn good, especially for a hotel restaurant. Busy night, so decided to stay in and go to the hotel restaurant. Fantastic porterhouse steak, superservice read more

Riverbend Bar & Grill - Perfect porterhouse steak - New American Near Me - Newton, Massachusetts

This is a good place with a wonderful view. Small menu but good. The servers are also nice and polite. Come in the morning especially!

The view over the river is the main attraction. Sadly one of the windows was clouded over. The Ruben sandwich was inedible. They used thick slices of the corned beef which were too tough to chew. Thin slices would be much better. Salad was pretty, if overdressed. Herbed fries were good. Disappointing. read more

We've been coming to the Riverbend for YEARS. Whenever my parents drive from a vacation in Maine back to their home in CT, we meet up for brunch/lunch here, as it's easily accessible from the Mass Pike and 95. We went this weekend and were all blown away by the renovations to both the hotel and the restaurant. They are both GORGEOUS now and way more upscale! The Riverbend took down all the college pennants, which was a cute touch, but it looks so much nicer. Anyway, on to the important stuff. Food-wise, it's decent. It's not the best food I've ever had, but it's consistently good and filling. In an effort to be healthy this past weekend, my mom and I decided to split 2 wraps. One was the Vegetable Wrap (grilled seasonable vegetables, hummus, whole wheat tortilla, organic spinach salad, mandarin oranges, almonds, raspberry vinaigrette) and one was the Cajun Grilled Chicken Sandwich (avocado, jack cheese, crisp onion strings, ranch dressing, on a toasted ciabatta roll - but we got it as a wrap). We asked for a salad with both instead of fries. My dad ordered the Cuban Panini (thin sliced roast pork, lettuce, tomato, ham, cheese, pickles, lime, cilantro, garlic aioli) and asked for a salad too. The waitress said she'd have to charge us all for the salads - we said fine. She brought 2 decent-sized salads as appetizers and told my mom that hers comes with a salad. Turns out, the organic spinach salad, oranges, almonds and vinaigrette were a side salad - not actually IN the wrap. We were both confused by that. I did not like the Vegetable Wrap and my mom wasn't enamored of it either (plus, there were mushrooms in it, which ruins it for me!). Anyway, while the waitress did NOT charge us for the salads, she DID bring both my dad's and my sandwiches with fries. Now, they were good fries - nice and crispy, but not overly so, with great flavor - but we had specifically said we didn't want them. She even asked when she brought the food if I had said no fries. At that point, I just wanted to eat, so I said it was fine. The Cajun Chicken Wrap was really tasty but SUPER spicy. My mom couldn't handle it, so we ended up not splitting the wraps and I ate the entire thing. I don't mind the spice, but it was a bit much. The Cuban panini (which my husband got as well), was a typical Cuban panini - not amazing, but decent. The service is good - not superb, but the servers are always friendly and pleasant. The Riverbend doesn't false advertise - it's a hotel restaurant in a great location with a nice view. Will I be back? Yes - the next time my parents do the drive home and we meet for lunch, and we'll have a great time and a good meal. Otherwise, I will go to one of the other restaurants in the area. read more

My wife and I are vegan so we asked if the veggie burger contained any dairy, to which the server essentially threw his hands up and said there was no way to know ("we throw out the boxes they come in"). We ordered a salad instead without cheese and it came with a Greek dressing (not what was listed on the menu) that contained dairy. When we got the right salad it was good, just a very limited vegan menu (and lack of knowledge about said menu). read more

Great service and good drinks! David was our server, very friendly and personable! Their food was delicious, I requested the complimentary bread and butter, however I wish it was automatically given because it was a great touch to our meal! read more

We stopped in our a way to a wedding. My husband was skeptical of eating in a hotel restaurant but he didn't want fast food so we tried out for lunch. Sat at the bar. The service was quick which was good as we had a wedding to make. I ordered a Cobb salad with no extra meat and was full after. The salad came with loads of bacon, avocado and cheese. My husband enjoyed his cheesesteak and fries. While slightly more expensive than typical lunch we would return! read more

Filthy restaurant. Some staff were ok. Food meh. If you're not staying in the hotel don't waste your time or money. If you're staying in the hotel order delivery if you can and if you just go well good luck... read more

I stopped by here this past Tuesday evening for a late dinner. My flight had been delayed earlier in the day messing up dinner plans and since I didn't get to my hotel until just before 9:30, I thought the on premise (inside the Marriott) Riverbend Bar and Grill was my best bet. It's inside the lobby and is actually quite large with a lounge area, dining room and bar. Since it was late I plopped down at the bar and immediately got a water. For dinner on this evening I decided to order the steak tips, medium. According to the menu it consisted of herb marinated steak tips along with some French fries and asparagus. It came to the table somewhere between 15 - 20 minutes after ordering and looked pretty good. I first tried the steak which ended up being interesting. It had the charred flavor on the outside but maybe a little too much so as that overpowered the meal with its bitterness and I could still taste it afterwards. They were also different sized pieces and so I think they were all cooked to a different temperature. Whenever I got to the middle of the meat though it was pretty tasty. The fries for the meal were a bit limp and could have used some seasoning. Last but not least was the asparagus which I think was covered in a salt, thyme and butter sauce. That made it absolutely delicious although some of the asparagus ended up being stringy when cutting it, almost like a celery, leading me to believe the smaller pieces were overcooked as well. The bottom line for me is that I may head back here again in the future. My food was decent and while there was a little something I didn't like with each item, it had potential. read more

We had a fabulous dinner for four there last night. Frankly, as a former 'roadie' who has eaten at many hotels, I did not expect the creative, tasty, and interesting presentations for each of the four entrees we ordered. I would include the Riverbend in your dining plans. read more

Got to hotel late and sat at the bar. I ordered a fried cod sandwich, barkeep recommended that over the lobster salad sandwich. The cod was from Gortons of Gloucester I think--right out of the frozen food aisle at the stop n shop. The bun was crumbly and eventually fell apart. I could do a better job at home after a night out at the bars. God help the people who ordered the lobster salad sandwich. I mean come on, the Atlantic Ocean is like a mile away and they're serving up frozen supermarket food. The slaw was literally flavorless. A mortal sin in my book. I'd leave one star, but the fries were pretty good. Next time I'm at the Marriott I'm ordering an extra large order of fries. read more

I really wish I had taken the bad reviews seriously when I was staying at the adjoining hotel for a business trip. The service was perfect from the host to the server, however, it doesn't get much better than that. The steak tasted like propane, not sure how they were cooking it in the back, but it wasn't the right way. The fries were good, but if you can't get fries right, there's an even bigger issue at hand. The servers were very attentive and nice, we were the only ones dinning so it wasn't too surprising. I complained that I was not able to eat the steak, it literally was uneatable, and they took it off my check. Great view and service, but the food isn't worth the hassle. read more

If you are staying here and have no transportation, this restaurant is your only option unless you want a danish from the Starbucks kiosk in the lobby. This place sits in the back of the hotel on the ground level and has plenty of seating and is decorated kin of cool with all sorts of Crew flags and boats. The view is spectacular of the Charles River with a large window running the entire length of the rear of the restaurant. The menu is what you would expect with your typical steak and seafood dishes and a mediocre breakfast selection. The service is slow and unattentive which was surprising. The food is average and nothing special. I wouldn't go out of my way to eat here if not staying at the hotel or attending a conference. The other issue I had was that this place is deocrated better than the rest of this hotel. Very strange, dated decor throughout the rest of this place. read more

For a hotel, can't really complain. Love their guacamole, but since I haven't ventured too far from quesos. Good news is the lobster is fabulous!!!! I wouldn't be too adventurous being apart of my hotel. No need to have high expectations, just tasty food consistently made. Being a road warrior this is critical. And marriott didn't let me down. read more

Riverbend Bar & Grill - Grilled veggies!! AWESOME - New American Near Me - Newton, Massachusetts

I am in town for the weekend visiting family/friends and we decided to come here for brunch today. My advise to you if you stay at this hotel or are in the area? Skip the brunch and go out to eat- today's brunch was one of the worst I have ever experienced. Very slow service- dirty plates were not removed until we had paid- despite multiple people making 2nd trips up to get food/new plates throughout the meal. Horrible tasting desert options. Mediocre omelet station. Cheap bagels and bread, no hearty/good bread options. Overall it just felt like they were trying to go the cheap route yet the cost of brunch was anything but cheap. One star for the view. read more

I was staying in the Boston Newton Marriott so I decided to check out the restaurant near the lobby - Riverbend. I sat at the bar area because like 90% of the patrons I was staying at the hotel for business and was by myself. Needless to say, the crowd was of the Always-wearing-a-Bluetooth-even-when-not-talking variety. One guy took it a step further and had a Bluetooth headset AND a laptop with him. This guy needs a hobby. Their ad in the hotel directory said it was located right on the Charles River and had soothing music, making it a perfect place to unwind. Well, it was dark so I couldn't see the river and they played Fall Out Boy, J-Lo, and new country. I'm not really sure which of those was supposed to be soothing. Anyway, the beer/liquor selection was great, but I stuck with a Sam Adams Winter because I'm in Boston and when in Rome... The service was a little spotty. I think it was just because the guy at the bar was way overworked. He seemed to be friendly, but I had to ask for a menu twice and it took 10 minutes after that before anyone took my order. The food was okay...slightly above average. I had been overdoing seafood so I had the porcini-encrusted tenderloin. It was cooked just as ordered and was very flavorful, but a little on the salty side. If you're worried about your blood pressure, you might want to look for something else. The creamed spinach on the side was a little soggy and gross, but I think that's the point with creamed spinach. The cup of clam chowder was tasty, but a little bit watery. Overall, if you're staying at the Marriott and don't mind shelling out some bucks, it's a good option. Otherwise, it's not worth the trip. read more

I don't know why so many people are hating on the Riverbend. I know it's not the Ritz, but I don't think it's supposed to be. It's good basic "restaurant" food, ain't perfect, ain't bad, but can definitely stand on it's own. I have had many very decent meals here, as it was a favorite of my beloved uncle. I've had chowder, shrimp, and burgers and fries, that were good to very good. read more

Came here with a group of 20 for the breakfast buffet, because of price, location, and parking. The Marriott Newton in conveniently located off the highway, with free parking . I arrived earlier than our reservation. Staff was polite and had me wait, but offered Starbucks which was nice. The American breakfast was priced at $18 per person with out tax and tip. The decor was new and modern, place was empty expect for a few hotel guest. The dining room has floor to ceiling windows viewing the the Charles river. The breakfast was a basic continental breakfast, (cereal, yogurt, bagels, breads) omelet station, and a buffet with scrambled eggs, lox, potatoes, bacon, and sausage. * coffee, oj, and tea is included in price * Quality of food was decent, nothing amazing. Service was attentive and a good breakfast option for large parties with picky eaters. It's hard to screw up breakfast. read more

Unlisted but the restaurant, Yelp does not list it. Riverbend restaurant in Marriott Newton. New chef and new menu I've never had such a tasteless tenderloin steak. Good. Quality but tasteless Why is there bacon in everything? Bring back the old favorite onion soup! Compare the old Riverbend which was mobbed on a Saturday night to tonight. Almost empty and yet terribly slow service read more

I've been here a handful of times for their brunch buffet. I've never had any serious complaints. There seems to be a bit of a difference between weekday and weekend brunch buffet servings though. The weekends seem to be a lot more plentiful in terms of what they put out but that's understandable seeing as it's mostly business men and women grabbing a quick brunch during the week and it can range from that type of clientele to big families on the weekend. The staff is extremely friendly. The omelette station wasn't out on the weekday that I came in but our waitress made sure to let us know that she could inform the chefs out back of our omelette order and bring it out to us. One of the best parts about this place is the amazing view. I've never been at night but on a beautiful day, you look out into the river and just see the day reflecting off of the water. Such a nice and relaxing way to start the day. read more