Was my first time there with my family. was excited to go to a new restaurant here in the north shore. while very difficult to find the location and the facility is really amazing. It has great views of the Essex River Basin that lead to the back side of Cranes Beach. The food was a a terrible disappoint. My daughter and spouse get he pizzas. The dough/crust was very white and doughy and soft. You couldn't call it crust. the tomatoe sauce tasted like something average out of a can. i got the sword fiah with Little neck clams which was a sweet white sauce with sliced raw hot peppers thrown in to add spicey heat and a popourri of spices. I didn't like the dish. My son got the Pancetta which was almost entirely made if pork fat. He didn't like it and neither did I when I took a bite. After paying $8 for bread that tastes not as good as the free bread at not your average Joe's and $17 for personal pizza and $27 for a fish dish all of which didn't. taste that great. $3 oysters?? Between the meals not tasting that great and the expense, I think I won't be coming here again. I would consider coming back for a drink in the deck in the good weather though. read more

I really wanted to love this place. My family of 5 adults were there for lunch on a dreary Sunday. The view was spectacular and the inside is beautiful. The menu was interesting but maybe just a bit too funky, really limiting choices. We got two appetizers which were ok, the fried clam portion was really small for the price. Our entrees were a pizza (the onions smothered the unique flavors but the crust was perfect), a large hot dog, a short rib cheeseburger, a bowl of polenta with beef tongue and a bowl of clam chowder (there was only 1 clam in the chowder). The food was good but nothing really enticed me to rush back. We had a nice leisurely lunch but the place echos so there can be some very loud noises. Service was excellent. Now I didn't take care of the bill but when I saw it go through my account I noticed it was 150 with the tip. I thought that was a little steep for basically 4 lunch entrees, 3 appitizers and 1 beer. I don't believe Riversbend has been open for very long so I will try back once they figure out what works and what doesn't. I think this place has a good chance of being really really great if they cater a little bit better to their customer base. We eat in the area all the time and never spend 150 for lunch. We are hoping to try it for drinks and dessert some night soon. read more

My boyfriend and I decided to come to Riversbend for brunch today. They had the Red Sox game on and the atmosphere at the bar was awesome! I highly recommend Riversbend for sporting events. The TVs and surround sound make for a great time. Plus it can't hurt that their general gao wings are to die for! read more

A more than 5 star view from the large deck, 3 stars for OK but not standout food (fried calamari and the pulled pork sandwich, good dressing on the greens that came with the sandwich), extra credit for the fact that we could arrive by boat and tie up to the marina dock. We had good service, unlike the experience of some other diners. We'd like this restaurant to succeed, and we're likely to give them another try. read more

Back for second time with reservations and guests on a Saturday night. Terrible service and food was just OK. Very loud inside. Will wait for improvement. read more

Came in for lunch the other day and the bend burger was the best burger I've ever had! The service here was also phenomenal. All around it was a great experience and I would definitely recommend it! read more

I've gone a number of times with and without a reservation. In either experiences, the front desk is amazingly inept and basically frustrates you from the start. It looks like from the reviews this a regular issue. They desperately need a new software system, a restaurant manager or a process in which a host stays at front desk and another host sits tables. To top it off the staff has attitude. Iwill not go again until the reviews improve. Other restaurants in the area like ahead and close pearl are much more organized, caring and amenable. read more

Friendly enough waitstaff, but VERY noisy. My wife is a vegan and has an allergy. We asked if the sides in a meal would work for her. We were informed that they would work but that we could not have it without the fish on it (even after we offered to pay the full cost). Very disappointing. We won't be back. read more

Lovely views. Acceptable service. Sound really carries throughout the restaurant so not a place for an intimate dinner. Menu was light on the description of food source for a farm to table restaurant. The menu did not have a salad greens option on the night we visited. Odd because greens are in full season right now. Limited seafood on menu. Fried clams appetizer, stripped bass entree, lobster entree but no lobster roll- an option I would expect from a "casual" restaurant on the coast. Our orders of a short rib burger, fries, polenta, and focaccia with eggplant dip were were excellent. The bass preparation was tasteless and swimming in a broth that did nothing to enhance the flavor. Desserts were ok. I expected a more interesting peach crumble....maybe grilled peach crumble and softer peaches without the skin left on. I'd like to see small plates that could be shared as opposed to "appetizers."I will assume they are still working on finding a balance of menu offerings. I personally subscribe to the Alice Waters philosophy. Farm to table need not be fancy but the offerings should display what is available in that particular season and rely on locally sourced food whether the preparation is simple or nuanced. I'll give the restaurant another try, since they just opened. They are on the right track. I expect issues will be worked out in the future. read more

We went for dinner. Had to sit at the bar as no other seats were available. The noise level was so loud that the bartender could not hear us nor could we hear him to take our orders. Service was very slow. Heirloom salad was served in a bowl of soggy dressing as if it had been sitting around. Very poor presentation. Clam chowder was a watery thin broth with 3 whole steamers in it. Margarita pizza was very dry and untasty. The view is very nice, but the interior decor is lacking. We were very disappointed in the whole experience. read more

Nice view. But VERY noisey. Service is not very experienced. Food? Don't expect too much, you are paying for the view.

I had heard the kinks had not been worked out and that is exactly what I I experienced. The first visit was great. Perfect service, delicious food in a fun atmosphere. The restaurant is in a beautiful setting and has a lovely outdoor space looking onto the Essex River. The second time I went I was completely disappointed. The food was poorly prepared and presented plus the service was lacking. Even the manager was not very professional and seemed to forget he was in a service industry. I surely hope they pull it together and get their A game back. read more

The food was great and the atmosphere was lovely, but our waitress was completely incompetent. I believe her name was Vanessa. She was just down right rude and rolled her eyes at us many times when we asked questions. She was also picking her eyelashes right at our table and seemed uninterested in us or any of her tables for that matter. I would come back if there was a guarantee I would not have her as a waitress again because she was just so flaky and rude. read more

So glad they finally opened! They need to work on the noise level. Burger was great . . . limited menu but they have only been open for a week so I am happy to give them another try and hope to increase the stars. A big complaint heard from everyone is they don't know how to pour a drink. Several people at the bar asked where the other half of their drink was. It was one of our parties birthday and she ordered a martini that barely filled a quarter of the glass. Others at our table of 8 had wine. Come on a good pour is easy and keeps folks coming back. All they need to do is visit a few of the other restaurants in town to see what a drink looks like. There was no bread service either time we were there and our wait person apologized. I look forward to returning and have my fingers crossed that they work out some of the issues. Again it is their first week. read more

We went to Riverbend last night with 5 adults. We sat out on the large deck overlooking the river which was lovely and relaxing. We all ordered appetizers and shared, the wings were deliciously amazing, chowder was the best I ever had, calamari was delicious and tender. We shared pizza and salads ...all delicious .... my daughter and I split a roast beef sandwich and it was tender ...The cocktails were great and we finished with the desert jar with freshly baked pastries that had something for everyone's likes, that were melt in your mouth delights ! I really felt all the food had a special "gourmet" flair to it...not ordinary at all. The young man that waited on us was very attentive! We will be back next weekend for sure ! I wish we hadn't waited so long to go there ! Everyone love it. This is my first YELP review ever... that is how much I enjoyed the food, atmosphere and service last night. Ann from MBTS read more

Fun place and great food! The view was amazing and the pizza and burgers were the best in this area. Fried calamari was enjoyed by everyone in our crowd. read more

Two of us had an early dinner at Riversbend this weekend. The setting is spectacular as the building is new and perched at the most perfect spot with a view of the Essex River. The service on this night was terrific. We were seated quickly and the Waitress was attentive and helpful. The downside for us with Riversbend is the menu and food preparation. First of all the interior of the restaurant has changed from when it first opened less than two years ago. The bar used to be a horseshoe shaped setup close to the center of the room. It was well done but may have taken up too much prime dining room space. Now they have rebuilt the bar against the back wall with absolutely no view at all. I think that's a mistake. The biggest issue we have with Riversbend though is the menu. This is Essex after all, home of the fried clam. I mean there isn't a fried calm to be found on the menu nor a lobster roll. We settled for the fried calamari and it was not a good effort. It seemed like it was out of a box and not prepared in house. it was overly breaded and the calamari rings were stuck together. We had two drinks too which were fine. Again..the service was excellent but we hope that management will add some of the classic seafood dishes that everyone comes to Essex for in the near future. Riversbend has changed from a high end dining spot to more of a family style establishment which is perfectly fine. I just hope they add some super fresh seafood classics to the family menu mix. read more

We went at 4 pm. It was dead, we sat on the patio with our toddler. Really excited, environment was awesome and place was really cool! We never got greeted. Two other tables sat after us (with no child) and got greeted before us. Server greeted one table at a time, no multitasking greeting one after another. No one even recognized that we hadn't been greeted! Communication lacks between host and servers. Was so disappointed because I was so excited to try this awesome spot right on the water! read more

We dined on Sun night of Labor day weekend. I would give it 5 stars except I think they must address the volume issue, our bottle of wine was priced at more than 100% over retail (standard), and my spouses blue fin tuna was a bit dissappointing. We will return. Tip: JUST GO. We called ahead for reservations. Were told they were "completely booked". We decided to go and potentially eat at bar. Glad we did. When we arrived (around 7 pm), there were only 3-4 tables filled on outside patio. Anticipating cooling temps, We went inside. After fiddling with the tablet to ascertain possibilty of being seated, hostess abandoned it, and we were seated in dining room. Maybe the person who said they were "completely booked" was adhering to some internal ratio for reservations vs walk ins. Maybe she just couldn't get that info out of the tablet. Maybe they don't have a handle on time alloted to tables and didn't want to risk it. Who knows? At any rate, we sat at a table for 2. The table for 2 beside us remained empty until after we had our entrees. The table for 4 on the other side of us was seated a short time before that. There were not people waiting to be seated. Though other reviews on service were not great, we had very good service. (Lily) And, although we were not rushed, we enjoyed a bottle of wine and apps, entrees and a shared dessert, in 90 minutes. The kitchen was on point. Beautiful presentations on the plates. The foccacia was so good my spouse took the final piece home! My lobster with corn was amazing. The tomato salad got raves from my spouse. The blue fin tuna was tasty, but the tuna was not "sushi grade". So, upon cutting into it, there was "gristle"? That was not eaten. Peach crisp was fantastic. Our wine: retails $27/bottle. Their price? $70.00. Thats a bit steep, IMO. Also, our server (Lily) told us that she thinks the restaurant will not be opened in Jan-Feb. Understandable, given the "farm to fork" theme. VOLUME: we noticed that when lights were dimmed, the dining room quieted somewhat. But, they probably need to install a system (in ceiling?) to dampen sound. A welcome addition to the North Shore dining scene. Looking forward to next visit. read more

Perfect setting overlooking the river. Noisy and could use some sound absorption. But restaurants are about the food and wine. Excellent halibut. Desserts are fantastic. Be sure to save room. Wine list could be improved with more choices. Service quite good. Worth a visit (and a detour) read more

Visited this restaurant on Sunday, August 28 for lunch, about 1pm. Three of us sat at the bar, only one other couple at the bar, a few patrons outdoors, and maybe two tables of other guests. The bartender introduces herself as our server, my dad orders an absolute white Russian. No Absolute vodka, which is totally fine, but no Kahlua at a bar? Then he orders a VO & ginger, the bartender did not know what VO was. We told her it was whiskey, so she looked on a computer screen (very small bar) to see what they had. After a few minutes we were like "um..Canadian Club? Anything?" She says they have Canadian Club, then takes five minutes to find it, makes his drink, then takes our drink orders. My sister did not order an alcoholic drink because she wouldn't get what she wanted. I had a bloody mary and it was good, no complaints. My sister and my father each ordered burgers medium rare, and I ordered the pastrami sandwich. My sandwich was good. The burgers were very undercooked, they also came with avocado on them, which was not on the menu, and both my dad and my sister are not fans of avocado at all. The fries would have been good if they had regular ketchup. They make their own, I found it funny tasting, and when I asked what was in it, the server did not know. What if I had food allergies? A pastrami sandwich, uneaten fries, and a bloody mary, with tax and tip, cost me 30 dollars. That is unacceptable. My sister's gingerale was 4 dollars!! NO reason for that price. They need to get their sh** together. Don't know if this will be a seasonal place, but to survive the winter, they'll have to attract the locals. We are locals and were very unsatisfied. read more

Just tried this new place. Really interesting menu and beautiful setting looking out over the river from the deck. Squash blossom pancake app was delicious. The sea bass was awesome - well seasoned and perfectly cooked. Tried the clam pizza which is also a good choice. We had the smores and the crisp for dessert both of which were generous and excellent. A bit noisy inside and a few rough spots in the service to work out to match how good the food is. Worth a trip. read more

Really liked this new place in Essex. For appetizers, the focaccia and crudo were both excellent. The sea bass was a particular standout, but the margherita pizza was also very good. We split all 3 of the desserts on menu, which were all delicious, but the peach crisp was my favorite. Seems like they are working out kinks with the service, which is a little slow and i'd take a half a star off for that, but I'll round up from 4.5 stars - worth a trip for the food and nice views (sit outside if weather permits)! read more

Had a great experience there but they still have some stuff to work out. Had an 8:00 reservation but didn't get seated until close to 9. Service was good but need more training/experience. Location is beautiful but all the hard surfaces make fore a very loud environment. Would have been great if they had done a large stone fireplace -- would make it a great winter hang out too. read more

The view is wonderful but dinner was unexceptional. The place is very noisy, modern "urban decor" and more casual than we thought. A huge bar--three-sided--with TVs, and a menu that mostly featured expensive sandwiches, eclectic pizzas and three main-course entrees, one of which wasn't fish, so I picked that as I am allergic to seafood. We had looked at the menu before going, and I knew I would have the farm-raised Amish rotisserie chicken, which was excellent, but I'm not sure it was worth $26 considering the lack of ambiance. The salmon on broccoli pesto for $28 was "delicious" apparently, but then they had "run out of" the cabernet on the wine list. How do you run out of cabernet? We would not consider going back there except to be able to sit on the deck on a summer's eve and have a pizza or a burger. We had heard the chef from Espalier was involved with creating this restaurant, but It was hard to believe. read more

soggy pizza (how hard is it too make a good margarita pizza?), soggy and flavorless french fries. and you have to pay for bread service! this restaurant has great potential because of location and design, but has many kinks to work out. read more

To preface, this is the first review I have ever written. I don't usually feel compelled to do things like this but I was in this case because of our experience. Beautiful location...if you can find it. No signs from the main road or even on the second side road you turn onto. Luckily we live down the road and were able to find it. As I said the location is beautiful as is the inside of the building. It was a beautiful day, still 78 degrees at 6 pm. We asked to sit outside and were told outside wasn't open. Not sure how nice they need it to be in order to be open. We then asked to sit by the front window and were told no, those were for parties of 4, we only had two. Interesting since there was only one other party in the whole place. So those tables sat empty rather than have us there. We got the menus, very limited and a bit pretentious which seems at odds with the rustic lodge feel of the place. We ordered drinks, I got a specialty margarita and it was tasteless although there was sufficient tequila in it. My husbands drink was fine. We wanted something on the light side and very few of the apps appealed so we got French fries which were good and a meatball pizza. Pizza was terrible. Absolutely no flavor, about a half mini meatball on every other piece, giant dollops of ricotta which again had no taste and the crust was dry. No salt and pepper on the table so we had to ask. My husbands water sat empty for ever despite the fact that there was more staff in the place than customers. The staff were pleasant but there only seemed to be one waitress who was at all aware of anything going on. So basically mediocre service, lousy food with limited options, somewhat pricey and obviously no one wanted to go out of their way to accommodate by even letting us sit where we wanted. I would not go back. My mother and 6 friends went a week before us and warned us that none of them would ever go back. We should have listened. I can't imagine how this place will survive with all of the amazing competition around it. We are local and have been going to places like the Village, periwinkles, Shea's and more recently CK Pearls which are excellent. Can't think of a reason why anyone wouldn't chose one of those places over this place. It's too bad since the location and place itself are so nice. read more

We went here for lunch the other day and loved EVERYTHING about this place.To begin with the location and view are spectacular, and the renovated boat house creates a relaxing atmosphere. We started with cocktails, a martini and speciality drink, both of which were delivered quickly and made to perfection. We both orderd the chowder, fried clams, and french fries. The chowder portion was generous and delicious with a light broth and plenty of fresh clams. The bowls, each unique, and made by local artists added to the presentation of the chowder on breadboards with a piping hot biscuit. The fried clams had a wonderful, light batter and were served with asparagus on greens which added to the flavor. The french fries were yummy and more than enough for two people. The service was excellent, everyone was friendly, and we enjoyed being able to see the Chefs and cooks in the open kitchen. We will be back very soon!! read more