I agree with the person who said this place has potential. It does, but it has some big flaws that seem to be a regular feature with restaurants in the Greater Lansing area. The ambiance is very nice. We sat outside on a lovely patio that overlooks the Grand River. It was very pretty and peaceful and the patio furniture is extremely comfortable. They also did a good job of providing enough space between the tables so you aren't too close to other guests. BUT, we were absolutely eaten alive by the mosquitoes. Our waitress offered bug spray, but somehow that being sprayed near my food was not very appetizing. The waitstaff seemed OK. A bit better than what we are used to in this area but still not exuding knowledge and confidence about food and wine. This is a common issue we see in this town--they don't have professional waitstaff; they have people who wait tables. I thought our waitress was friendly and attentive but seemed to be more concerned with her attire (tight, tight clothing and long fake nails) than with being a menu/wine expert. Not a problem per se....but I get the distinct impression that Riverside is *trying* to pass as fine dining, but the waitstaff is just a cut above Applebees. Food. Wow, the appetizer (savory cheesecake) was out-of-this-world fantastic. We nearly licked the plate. The crackers that accompanied it were a little stale but it didn't register because the cheesecake was SO good. The wine selection was nice and I thought reasonably priced. The menu was a bit disappointing. It was very large, but didn't offer many "interesting" selections. Bread was so-so, with a nice oil dipping sauce; salads were pretty standard and fresh tasting. However, the overall menu lacked creativity and pizzazz. Nothing jumped out to me as a "must have." Pretty run of the mill, ordinary choices. Lots of pasta--which usually is a bad choice. Lots of protein selections, but none were standouts. There were at least three different menu items (sea bass, salmon, and scallops) that you could order "broiled, baked or grilled" (like Red Lobster!!)--no sauces, no complementary paired side dishes (all the same), blah. My scallops were overcooked and stringy on the inside, and a little overly oily on the outside.....and they were not the larger scallops one usually sees at a fine dining establishment. My husband ordered the ribs (not sure why....), and they had a lot of goopy bbq sauce on top. They were ok. Nothing special. Both has grilled asparagus (which was excellent) and a potato on the side. Again--it wasn't a bad experience. It was just a cut above average in a very nice setting. I would absolutely love to see what this new chef is capable of...however, this menu is nothing special. Fine food does not need to be fancy, expensive, and fussy. It needs to be interesting and creative--with some attention to detail. I think the chef should concentrate more of pairing interesting flavors (like the appetizer--bleu cheese, apple, bacon cheesecake) and reduce the size of the offerings on the menu by half. Few things done well should be the goal. Also--fish shouldn't be on the main menu but offered as a special when in season. It's obvious that the fish is not fresh--and that is a huge no-no for a fine dining restaurant, and frankly, unacceptable given our location and the availability of fresh. So, it does have potential. I'll go back and give it a few more tries....but the only reason I will is because there is LITERALLY no other place to go. They have no competition except maybe Dusty's--and I'm "over" Dusty's and its high-priced geriatric dining choices. The bar is set very low in this town, and because of that mediocre establishments get treated with reverence that you would never see in a larger city. For fine dining that is truly creative and worth the wait, the money, and the effort, we still need to drive at least an hour. It's sad, and I don't understand it. Please Riverside Inn--step up!! read more

As far as the don't tell anyone about this gem from one of the reviews, please don't this place is absolutely wretched. Walked in and the staff was all congregating around the bar, no one greeted us so we sat down assuming it was seat yourself and were quickly asked to move to another empty table with no other patrons in sight. Staff had no answers to any of my questions about the wine or beer. The food was way over priced and just flat out bad. I said something about my steak being overdone to our server and she said "oh yeah it looks like it was", she didn't try to do anything for me like offer to have it re-made or even take it off the bill. When we were ready to leave it took ten minutes to flag down our server to get the bill with only two other tables in the entire place and three servers working on a Friday Night! This is not a gem it's more like poorly polished rock. read more

What a gem in the heart of Williamston. Had a grilled cheese with Brie and lobster. Best grilled cheese E-V-E-R This place has character, charm, friendly staff, and a great menu! read more

My first experience at the Riverhouse Inn and it was great! The restaurant offers a very unique cozy experience as each room of the house is a dining option. We sat near the bar and had a great view of the patio and river. Started off with a great martini called "woo woo" and highly recommend. First course was the French onion soup which was excellent followed by wedge salad where the romain was grilled! Main entree was encrusted salmon with prosciutto wrapped asparagus and a potato gratin it was all very delicious. The chef Jason is very personal and so is the owner. Highly recommend read more

Good food overall with a nice outdoor setting by the river. Blackened Mahi Mahi was a good fresh piece of fish but wow the killed the flavor with way way to much black pepper. You can scrap it off u to make it enjoyable though. Salads and soups were very good. We will become back for another try read more

RiverHouse Inn - Enjoy dinner or lunch with a river view - American Near Me - Williamston, Michigan

Avoid. The place is freezing, the food questionable and Ill thought out. The place was nearly empty and that should have been a clue. Out of the six dishes ordered, only two were enjoyed by the diners - until later that night. Again, in a word, avoid. read more

The short of it: everything we ate here was pretty good to very good and the service was equally on par. It was a very rare whirlwind weekend out last week and the BF and I got to hit a bunch of new places for a change, the Riverhouse Inn being one of them. After doing some research on Yelp, the Riverhouse Inn beat out the Red Cedar Grill and Gracie's Place as options for our pre-massage/Detroit adventure lunch. That was mostly due to their outdoor Biergarten area with a view of the Red Cedar river. The restaurant is in an old historic home and when we walked in for lunch we encountered no one in the front of the house and a sign stating to please seat yourself. We walked towards the back where we found more seating, including some hightops near the bar and headed outside. Only diners could be seen, no staff. We sat ourselves and wondered how anyone would know we were there. A couple of minutes later a server shows up with menus ready to take our drink order. We started with water because it was pretty hot out there and asked for a drink menu. For the type of place it is, you would think the drink menu would be in a nice holder or laminated, but the one we were handed was stained and well-worn. There were probably 5 or 6 beers on tap that I saw from my table, but the RI website showed many more kinds as available. ??? There was a moderate, but varied selection of bottled beer (domestic, Michigan microbrews+), scotch, wine, etc. too. The lunch menu is QUITE limited in choices, but it does make it easier to just go ahead and pick something. Our server informed us that they were out of mussels (some supply issue) and some other ingredient that I think went in the wrap. We started with the (2) crabcake appetizer, BF had the Riverhouse Burger and I went with the Chicken Cordon Bleu sandwich. We both agreed that fries that came with our meals were nicely seasoned. I think the BF may have liked his burger a bit more than I liked my chicken sandwich (which was still pretty good). I know *I* came hungry, even so we both took home a fair amount of leftovers. We never did get our server's name, though he never actually provided it, I think. It wasn't that busy when we arrived, but a few more parties sat themselves outside while we were there. Our server was actually the ONLY guy in the place. Even so, he kept up nicely with all the tables. I did ask him what kind of buns encased our meats (brioche?). He didn't know, indicated he would find out, and never did provide an answer. Wasn't imperative, but a little strange not to know considering just how very limited the lunch menu is. The outdoor seating on the patio/terrace consists of the nicer kind of furniture you might see on display at Lowe's with a sectioned tile tabletop and large umbrella. Nothing super fancy though. Some stairs will take you past a small garden area down to some big, round, wooden picnic benches right by the river. You may want to have your meal on the inside if you're looking for more intimate/fancy environs. The restaurant itself is located in a very small town between East Lansing and Howell--a neat little find for the location. Our bill (including a glass of Hayman and Hill wine and 3 microbrews, bottle and draft) was just under $70 with tax and tip. Not too bad for a little special occasion lunch filled with adult beverages. I really liked this place and would totally go back if the gods are willing. read more

The brunch here has gone a bit downhill since the first time I ate here 2 years ago. They used to have many brunch options on the weekend, which was especially good with mimosas on special every Sunday; it used to be worth the 30 minute drive from Lansing. The frittata was probably the best. But now the brunch menu is very limited, with a couple different kinds of french toast offered, custom omelets and a few varieties of eggs benedict. The portions have also gotten significantly smaller but the prices have not changed. The food is still delicious, but brunch shouldn't leave you hungry just one hour later! I'll probably be finding a different brunch place closer to Lansing. read more

Had lunch today at the Riverhouse Inn. My friends and I had the blue cheese cheese cake and it was fabulous. We also ordered sandwhiches which were all great. I know we'll be going back soon for dinner. Really liked the feel and ambiance of the place with some outside seating by the river. read more

Very disappointing. "Hand Cut" fries were horrible. Grilled sandwiches served burnt. Shrimp sandwiches were pricy, tasteless and poorly presented. Don't know why anyone would try a repeat visit to this place! I am amazed that others found this place acceptable. read more

New chefs since I was last there in September. I would not hesitate to recommend the RiverHouse to anyone wanting to enjoy very tasty food in a relaxed, casual setting. A very eclectic clientele, customers' dress ranged from jeans to suits; young professionals to older couples. As the weather warms the outdoor patio offers additional seating along the tree draped Red Cedar River. read more

Went to the River House last week for a nice Sunday dinner in order to try a new place in the Lansing area based on positive recent reviews and an appealing dinner menu. Warning: the menu on their website is pure fantasy. Not a single one of the dinner entrees is on the current menu. The current dinner menu is all Italian dishes except for the filet mignon. This reflects the recent employment of the chef from the closed Lansing landmark, Emil's. Positives: really nice outdoor seating overlooking the river; pleasant service; good Sunday special on bloody Mary's made with Zing Zang and some horseradish muddled in the glass; stuffed mushrooms appetizer was good although unconventional. For $12 you get a half dozen white mushroom caps (the kind they sell at the supermarket) with stuffing of white cheese (mozzarella?) with sour cream and, according to the chef, a dusting of powdered ranch dressing (Hidden Valley, anyone?). Tasty, but not a speck of sausage, ground beef, or actual herbs. It was accompanied by some very good but skimpy serving of garlic bread. Also, a nice, large side salad was served for an addition $4. Negatives: the lasagna was the old Emil's lasagna. A large portion that was just OK, nothing to write home about or to plan on being the main course of a meal that was hoped would be a cut above most of the typical restaurants in this area. The other entree was beef bracciole. This is a dish rarely seen away from the east coast--a thin, flat piece of beef rolled around a stuffing of garlic, herbs, and cheese served in a tomato sauce. The portion was two very small pieces of over cooked beef rolled around some cheese. Fairly bland due to the lack of seasoning. The main component, however, was a bed of pasta under the bracciole which filled up the plate. This was inedible. The pasta was way over cooked, mushy, and tasteless. Not good at all for even 1/3 the price of about $20. I may return to have a drink outdoors by the river, but I will not be back for dinner. But for the pleasant service, atmosphere, and drinks, I would have given River House only 2 stars. read more

Had the biggest and best Prime Rib Dinner Last Night at the River House Inn. It was close to 16 oz and cooked perfect for us with the meat pink, and tender enough to cut with a fork. The horseradish gravy was also excellent as the mashed tatoes were good and the veg was also. We had take out and was warm when we got home. all for $15.00 each.. A great weekend treat on Wed. night. Thanks Sue! read more

One of my very favorite local places to eat! Charming atmosphere, great food and service.

Our first time and we had exceptional food and excellent service. Lobster Mac and cheese was delicious. The half rack of ribs was huge and filets awesome. We will definitely be back. read more

I've been to the RiverHouse Inn a couple more times since my first review, and both times had the pleasure of sitting out on the terrace. What a stunning setting for dinner! Don't miss the steak with their special OMG sauce (that's what it's called in the menu!); it was great!! read more

We had dinner on May 4, 2012. The service was excellent! Our food was mediocre to mush. I had the whitefish dinner. I recommended to the waitress not to encourage anyone to order it. My wife had a vegetarian meal, which she thought was good. The other couple had meals that they both indicated they do a much better job at preparing. The beer and wine were very good. Since I picked the place out I felt bad for taking them there. Bob read more

A very pleasant meal, from the atmosphere out on the back patio (fortunately the weather was perfect) to the service, to the meal itself. There were five of us, ranging from teenagers to grandma, and we each ordered different entrees and desserts. The whitefish and the salmon (both the menu version and the chef's special - barbeque) topped the list, as did the chocolate creme brulee for dessert. The appetizers of coconut shrimp w/raspberry cream sauce and the warm spinach/artichoke dip w/pita chips were delicious and perfectly presented!! We could have just chowed on those all evening. We scored the comment card a 1.75/5 (1 being the best score) for food and a 1.25/5 for service. This was our first time and would be happy to visit again. read more

We loved being outside on the patio, nice flowers surrounding it. We also had the chance to walk down to the river front, which has tables. Its located less than 5mins from Brookshire Golf Club, which is a beautiful course. I had the veggie burger which was homemade, it was fantastic!!! My husband had a regular burger which he thought was fab too! This is a great place to get good food in a great atmosphere. read more

Every year we come from San Diego to visit and Make a point to go to River House Inn. We have always had an amazing time, great service great food and great ambience.. This evening we had a reservation at 7 PM and after two hours of waiting for our meal we decided to leave. There were five tables total. Our waitress had three tables. She was very inexperienced and lacking personality. There was two waitresses, one chef or maybe two people in the back of the kitchen. Whoever made the decision to allow the restaurant to be short staffed was not thinking of the economy. The service is all we have to depend on right now and this restaurant lacked good service. We have family that lives local that will not go back, my family from other areas will not be coming back and I have posted on Facebook my horrible experience. This was the very first time I have not left a tip, I always leave a tip, and I have even left tips at McDonald's when the service is great. So disappointed!! read more

First of all our party of four had to wait a very long time for our food. The chicken salad sandwich I ordered was pretty bad. The bread was so hard and stale I couldn't eat it. The chicken salad just tasted like onions. Good thing there wasn't much on the sandwich. My friend ordered macaroni and cheese and she said it had no flavor even after adding a lot of salt and pepper. I showed the manager my sandwich and she seemed upset but she didn't comp my meal. I will never go back. read more

This restaurant is a great addition to the Lansing area food scene. My husband and I have been there three times so far. Each time, we've had excellent food and service. I am a huge fan of the pork loin, which I've had twice already and which is destined to be a favorite for me. My husband has had the fancy mac and cheese (excellent) and the penne pasta with both chicken and shrimp (I think you'll find the cook very willing to make substitutions to suit your tastes). For appetizers, we've also had the bruschetta and scallops. The bruschetta is a neat twist on an old favorite -- a little salty, but otherwise great (I really like the green -- if you get it, you'll know what I'm talking about). I don't eat scallops, but my husband said they were fantastic. Also, note the 1/2-off wine Wednesdays -- a great chance to try a wine that might normally be out of your price range. We are pretty demanding in what we look for in a restaurant to frequent -- chains are out of the question and we're unlikely to return to the scene of one bad meal. So, we're thrilled to have a new local spot -- we will be frequenting RiverHouse Inn. read more

Lovely place for dinner. I would never have guessed that fish and chips, could be part of a fine-dining experience, but I was happily proved wrong! Enjoy a nice dinner inside in a pleasantly rustic atmosphere, or outside on their large patio, overlooking the river. Great waitstaff and bartenders as well. read more

It was my second time to the Riverhouse last Friday. (first time was just for drinks. So I didn't feel the need to comment on the place) I was pleased we weren't sat with the strange waiter that I had the last time I was in. He doesn't greet you, then when you finally get sat , he just stands there and stares at you, and after a few awkward seconds he asks you if you'd like something to drink. He seemed confused. Then he took forever to do anything. We asked for and then waited 20 minutes for the check. It was like I was at the DMV or something. But as for this past visit, our waitress was a little better, but not by much. The food was actually wonderful. My husband had probably one of the BEST meatball subs he's ever tasted and their vegetarian burger was simply scrumptious. The fries, I think were hand cut and they were really tasty. Then, we had the cheese cake. It was like a slice of heaven. But that's not why it's getting 3 stars. The service is subpar. None of the staff seemed to have any personality. They almost seemed annoyed we were there. They have absolutely no air conditioning. The inside is completely unbearable from the heat. I about sweated to death in the bathroom, then had to sit on a hot patio. I go out to eat, to get out of the heat, not be bombarded with it. Not only that, it was disgusting to see how sweaty our server was. She had to of been miserable, but I don't like sweat on my food. My friends warned me about the heat in that place, they never go there in the summer. Next time I'll listen. If they had any sort of air conditioning I would give them 4 stars. The decor of the place is like a person trying to be classy, like a soccer mom from the late 90's. It needs an update, really bad. The art is terrible, the place lacks real ambiance and the walls are covered in those trashy, "Hey! look at me! I can buy a certificate to make the place look important." on the walls. I can buy them for my house too on the internet. But I wont, because it's tacky. They should get one that says "The Riverhouse Inn: HOTTEST restaurant in Williamston 2012." and I don't mean that in the good sense. We will be back for the food. I hope they do take out, or it wont be until this Fall or Winter. It's utter ludacris not to have air conditioning in Michigan's muggy summers. read more

This venue has it all....great atmosphere, great location and even great food. I have dined here multiple times, however as I sit here alone on the patio on a gorgeous day in May, I can't help but feel horrible for the way the hard working wait staff is being treated by the female manager. These young people are courteous, polite and hard working and are being treated like dirt by her. As people complain about the millennials of today's society, I can relate to them if this is how they are being treated when they are trying to do their best. Superb job to the wait staff....thumbs down to the management. read more

Pretty disappointing. I ordered the mahi mahi, which would have been fine if they had not overcooked i (fish shouldn't 'squeak' when you chew it). They also overcooked my dining partners steak, so this seems to be bit of a theme at this restaurant. The gumbo was also rather bland. Come on guys - I know that we live in the middle of MI, but this is no excuse to provide poorly cooked food at big city prices. You need to raise your game. You have a great location - its a real pity the food doesn't match. Yet again, you demonstrate that the best food in Greater Lansing is under $10 an entre. read more

Family of 10 met here. Half from Detroit area, half from Grand Rapids. We had a private room and it worked out absolutely fantastic for a pre-Christmas get together. Felt like a VIP with the private area. Service was exceptional. Food was fantastic. We sampled the walleye, filet, salmon, stuffed shrimp, and pork tenderloin. Everyone absolutely loved their meals. Will definitely be back. read more

Me and the love of my life had the great pleasure of dining at the River House inn for the first time this past Friday 6/12/15. We do date night every Friday, and with the vast selection of restaurants in the Lansing area or within a short road trip, I make sure that there are no repeat visits. I intend to make the River House the exception to the rule. Everything from the atmosphere inside and out to the waitstaff was absolutely top notch. The food was absolutely the best i have had anywhere in Michigan to date. read more

I was really looking forward to this one. Having read a few of the reviews on here, it seemed that we were in for something pretty special. Our waiter was jumpy and overfriendly. Just a personal thing, but it makes me slightly nervous. Like there's a bomb about to go off somewhere or you're eating out on the Titanic. But I liked the look of the menu. The wait for the starters wasn't overlong. I ordered the butternut squash ravioli with veal. The pasta was cooked to nothing. Probably in a microwave as it hadn't gone soft or dissolved, but had hardened and turned to a pastry-like substance. On top of that it was cold. Disgusting. I only didn't send it back because there would have been nothing to be done. I have to say that the French onion soup which my friend had was nice, but out of 5 of us hers was the only one that was vaguely tasty. When the main meals came, again, they were both overcooked and cold. I had a tough medium rare ribeye with a garnish of cold vegetables and baked potato still wrapped in tin foil. No frills, just a baked potato. Which is fine, but it was cold. My friends all gave the same feedback. I have to say, I went in there with a really positive attitude and came out feeling robbed. We didn't kick up a fuss because the staff were sweet and I think jumpy waiter might have cried. Literally the worst meal I've ever eaten out. read more

Nice food, friendly service, memorable setting. We enjoyed dinner with friends on the patio overlooking the river. The half off wine Wednesday meant a Napa bottle was almost retail. Pork tenderloin, filet mignon and skirt steak were all well prepared and nicely presented. Key lime dessert was homemade delicious. We'll be back! read more

We were there 2 weeks ago to celebrate our anniversary with friends and it took 2 1/2 hours to be served. Because of the delay, we were offered free coffee and dessert which took another length of time with no explanation. The food was mediocre at best and grossly overpriced. The service was very good but that was the only good part of the evening. read more

We've lived in the area for over 2 years and are kicking ourselves for not trying out this hidden gem sooner! Not only were we greeted by highly unexpected class the minute we entered the door (& our server) but we were soon shocked when our dinners arrived and tasted absolutely incredible. My husband and I couldn't stop talking about how different this beautiful romantic restaurant was than the rest of the town. Our evening got even better as "Sue", the owner- overheard me mention to our waiter that I wanted to "one day try the smoked salmon dip". As we were waiting for our dinner, this super sweet lady came to my table and told me " I heard you wanted to sample the salmon dip, so I made you a plate". I knew at that moment she HAD to be the owner and I asked if she was and she replied "yes". She was very kind and generous with her sample (filled with a variety of crackers) as well as their warm, amazing bread baskets. I would recommend this beautiful restaurant to anyone who wants to be treated with respect and enjoy a wonderful dinner! Thanks again for a beautiful evening! - Tammy Stahl (SteeleMan Inspections) read more

A group of old friends and my partner met here for an early dinner and I love this place. Mimosas were perfect, and then we had one of the best mint/basil mojitos I've ever had, with fresh herbs from the onsite garden. So we were off to a good start. We had two appetizers, which everyone loved: the stuffed mushrooms and spinach dip. Yum. The pot roast special looked and tasted like mom used to make, the chicken dinner was huge and looked juicy and yummy, the re-imagined turkey pot pie was creamy and delicious, and I had the strawberry/goat cheese dinner salad with tomato basil (fresh from the garden) soup. The onion soup looked great. The rich old wood interior with many levels is charming and cozy, and the service was perfect. We wanted to be out on the expansive patio and watch the river go by but it was rainy and cool. I would recommend this place to anyone. Very pleasant experience in all respects. read more

Stunning historic building with separate rooms for an intimate dining experience. Patio seating by the river is beautiful. Comfortable bar area - love all the wood and high ceilings! OUTSTANDING food -- and this is coming from a world traveler. Service was also superior, very attentive without pressure. A true gem! read more

I really love the atmosphere of RiverHouse Inn, but I have seen the menu change from impressive to "average" over the course of three years. Seems that the menu is going for more of an Italian spin these days, and the Chicken Portabella I ordered last night was swimming (more like drowning) in way too much garlic. I miss the RiverHouse Inn of a few years ago - an upscale, inventive American menu. While the Lansing area desperately needs a good Italian restaurant, RiverHouse Inn misses the mark. Now, the food here is just "typical", which is really disappointing for a restaurant with ambience in spades. read more

I LOVE LOVE the RiverHouse Inn. Have been there with friends quit a few times now, in the summer, winter, weekday or weekend. It ALWAYS delivers! Once, in winter we sat by the window in the back, saw deer walk by and the fireplace was lit. Where do you get that? I would support this place wholeheartedly. Food is always good, no matter what I had. It is cozy. It has that personal style. I've been there when it was packed, I've been there when we were the only ones there. Always personal and always good. Oh yes, that's my place. read more

Amazing food, great wait staff, atmosphere, all in Williamston mi!! New chef is fantastic, accomodating, and can cook!! Great place to dine, nothing like the norm around here. We were so pleasantly surprised, can't wait to return!! It's the best secret in Williamston. Compares to Twisted Olive in petoskey or any place in traverse City, even better!!! read more

We had a large group dine outside one evening in late May. The service was wonderful and the new executive chef, Kevin Walsh creations are delicious! I'd go back in a minute. read more

Outstanding food, a new twist on almost anything you get. Very much worth the money, but bring your gold card this place is not cheap! Service is black tie formal, very impressive place. Almost like a place you'd find in Manhattan or Vegas, quite outstanding. The salmon dip is made with individual teardrops of lemon, it's so unbelievable I wanted to cry. read more