I use to go to this location, but what they did this past monday was below the belt so I'll not go again. ONE: I my son and my 89yr (soon to be 90yr) old father, a Korean War Vet..( he was wearing his hat as always proudly) who survived heart surgery, and has COPD, were sitting out door at this establishment. It got chilly and we asked if we could go inside. they moved us in as we were the last group in to meet the 25% number. While there my father had swallowed something thereby creating a bit of a coughing episode but his having COPD didht help either. The manager.. or owner proceed to come us and mention that other patrons were complaining about my dad coughing. I mention the issue, but he didnt care and asked us to leave. TWO: NOW.. he, the manager or owner was UN MASKED when he approached us and spoke to us in a 1 foot distance which is a violation. his bar help who was making drinks WAS ALSO not covering her face as the mask was hanging down under her chin while making drinks and pouring beer, grabbing food to hand to the waitress. the helpers who work in kitchen had come out to use the toilet he also WASNT even wearing a mask and walking in and near the patrons below the 6ft spacing. Then God only knows if he's handling/preparing the food without a mask. Three: he could have told those parties, that we we're 6ft apart, two he has COPD, and three he would put his mask on when not drinking or eating BUT NO he apologized but said we had to leave. Now..my son can do what he wishes.. and return here. BUT my money is good anywhere, and when u insult people especially when the party did zip wrong and we're were in our rights to stay and HAVE THEM LEAVE but nope the mgr didnt. Im asking other VETS to NOT go spend ur money here at a NOT!! VET or SENIOR CITIZEN FRIENDLY ENVIORMENT. My dad and i and any others that i have taken there in the past, we'll be taking our money elsewhere. as far as the waitress, they were friendly, and prompt, that was how I viewed the staff. read more

Came here on a Saturday night with a couple friends - rode our bikes over so we were able to tie them up in the back. The back of the restaurant has a very casual setup - mixed with parking and benches for smoking. We walked inside and there was a pretty long bar, a few high boys and smaller tables inside and some outside for outdoor seating. We were able to seat ourselves and our server came by right away to take our drink orders. They have a decent beer tap collection and neat drive bar feel. I order the burger - medium with bacon, fries and tater tots. Everything was delicious and made fresh. I was really pleased - they are plenty of other things on the menu that I'd love to try so I'll definitely be back. read more

We needed to get off the Garden State Pkwy on our way back from Virginia Beach. So glad we stopped in here to stretch our legs and get some food. Situated in a nice little town, we did a stroll through it looked like a cool place to live. Average beer selection nothing much for local or unique options, but it seems their crowd likes it. It was packed at 3 pm on a Sunday. Looked like post mens softball league. Ordered the fish sandwich and the Mongo. Food was just what we needed, nothing special and well priced. Tables weren't the cleanest, but it was pretty chaotic in there. Should I need a place to stop in the future its good to know that its there. read more

came here for a holiday work party. we were sitting at the bar waiting for our party to start and the OWNER came up to us at the bar seating and told us "if you're here for the party move to the tables we are losing seats" i don't understand this since we are PAYING for beers while sitting at the bar. it was beyond rude. read more

Excellent Dive Bar where the signature burger is called The Dive. Perfectly cooked to order! Friendly wait staff, great beer selection. This is the 5th stop on our Dive Bar Pub Crawl. Best Yet! Parking is tricky. You need to enter the train station parking lot almost a block west of the bar and come along behind the bar. read more

The customer service is absolutely phenomenal. The food and beer selection is great and the atmosphere is wonderfu for family and friends. One of my favorite places to go for laughs and a good time. read more

Great local dive with deceptively good food - arguably the best burgers in town, and on Thursdays they fire up the smoker for ribs, steaks and more. Bartenders are friendly and attentive. Tricky parking - need to enter near the train station a block away. read more

Greatest Dive Bar Ever!! If you don't believe me, look at the newspapers, magazines and reviews. Love the ambiance and the dim lights on cool autumn nights... so welcoming! Food is great- Chilean Sea Bass at a Dive Bar, you kiddin me--it is excellent. Staff is friendly. Owner is a very cool guy always looking like he just came back from a fishing trip. Place is COVID proof which is a huge plus for us. read more

Best dive bar Food is incredible Great crowd mix on weekends, young and old No assholes, everybody looking for a good time read more

You either love this place or hate it... the bands are good, too many "locals" who's spot you may or may not be in...food is good for bar food prices are good but it's TOO SMALL..... that's truly my biggest knock. Well, that and the people trying to dance when there isn't room to. read more

Nothing better than pulling up to the bar and having Jake serve me a cold one! A classic joint with my old school friends!

The Dive is the best dive bar you'll ever go to and the food may be the best traditional bar food in Cranford as well. Excellent service and a great local, friendly atmosphere. read more

Cool place. Has a good vibe and the food is tasty. The cheesesteak is delicious and everything is reasonably priced from the food menu to the drinks. I look forward to coming back and trying more on the menu. read more

I found out about this place through my mom, who was a bartender here in the mid/late 80s! Besides the crowds, which get HUGE on weekends, and the noise they bring, it's a great place ! It's still a great place regardless, just gotta shimmy past people to get to the bar. Sometimes a song will come on that everyone loves and it's just a chorus of drunken singing. The food is AMAZING - I love the little plate doodles illustrating what they offer. The bartenders bring your food to your table and are also quick to pick up any empty bottles/glasses/trays. They're friendly - but busy - so I don't really try to make conversation. They have a touch tunes thing, a dart board, and a few outside seating options. Parking spaces are in the back. It's right beside the Cranford train station! read more

The dive is legendary. The food is good and sometimes great depending on what you order. Standard menu and with consistent rotating specials. The atmosphere is different. Not a very big place, but always tons of opportunity to meet new people and have a good time. They also have live music quite often so you'll be able to enjoy a performance at times with a nice cold PBR in hand. read more

Affectionately, locally known as the "Dive" this is my absolute favorite bar. Decent on-tap selection and exceptionally good pub grub (made exactly as you want it in a super tiny kitchen) is always tasty and affordable. Above all, it is the staff (special kudos to bartender Heather) and diverse crowd that shows up here that makes you feel "completely at home" when you walk in the door. Just might want to avoid major sports events when the "testosterone levels" get a tad high making conversation very difficult. However, most of the time, simply laid back, friendly and comfortable like an old flannel shirt and a pair of well-worn sheepskin slippers. Good beer, good food, good people. read more

The bartender that works on Tuesday is persistent on wearing shorts, or "Jorts", year round. That being said he is a great bartender and shakes a mean martini ! Ask him to tell you a joke, I hear he has a lot!! read more

I've lived in the area for years but went here for the first time recently for a girl's night out. The beer selection is good which is a definite plus. I wasn't sure how their food would be but took a chance and ordered a veggie burger and sweet potato fries. Both the burger and fries were very good and the portions were huge. I was very pleasantly surprised. I would definitely come back here again. read more

Before Hurricane Irene came to town this place could only be described as a dive bar with good food. Since the flood and the subsequent rebuilding, this is officially an upscale dive bar with really good food. The decor is a clear step up from days gone by, the Taylor Ham Burger is a masterful mash-up of pig and cow, and the bathroom is a downright Shangri-La in comparison to the way it used to be. Do I recommend this place? You bet I do! read more

Great place to catch a game. I recommend the dive burger, honestly best burger deal you'll get.

Ugh. This place was pretty bad. I went with my aunt and uncle to check out a band on a Sunday night. This is definitely a dive bar. The bathroom was absolutely foul. There was a special on mini Miller Lite bottles, if I remember correctly, and I'd definitely stick with bottled beer here. Won't return. read more

Awesome food and decent beer selections. The burger is yummy and all of their appetizers are good bar standards. My husband and I come here all the time and it's always worth it. read more

I was only here once, but the bartender and the people were really nice and friendly. I don't get to Cranford much, but I'll be back.

Another awesome dive bar. Fun, easygoing crowd, and great bartenders! Generally they play grateful dead, which I could live without, but late night the bartender puts on rancid or the clash. Also a great place to get takeout at 1 am. read more

I don't know what Ruth M was talking about when she said they don't make any special cocktails. Any cocktail I ever asked for they knew how to make,in fact they make the Best Cosmos. As far as the food goes again I never had anything I didn't like. The bartenders are friendly and very attentive. The owner is a very nice guy also. As far as going there on St Patty's day I don't know many bars that aren't' tracked. If you can't deal with crowds you should stay home on that day. read more

What a great cozy bar!! Excellent Bloody Mary!!! Excellent wings, steamers and Mexican street corn! So good! Good Riverside mule!!!

GREATEST DIVE BAR EVER. The bartenders are really nice, even when the place is packed they still provide excellent service. Good food at decent prices, especially on Football Mondays and Mexcellent Wednesdays (50 cent finger food and inexpensive entrees). The only complaint I have -- the men's room smells like a giant rotting urinal cake. Other than that, bravo! read more

I've just been at the Riverside Inn for the first time today with my fiancée, and we loved it! The food was delicious and the atmosphere was great. We started with the garlic bread w/ cheese, and were surprised with the size of the portion since it was only 3.95. Definitely worth it. Afterwards, we had fish and chips and a tasty smoked salmon over potato latkes, which was on special. The fish and chips were good, but what really made our night was the salmon... Delicious! They have a good selection of beers. My fiancée had her Hoegaarden (which is her favorite) while I had a Yuengling Lager and a Boddington Pale Ale. The only reason I am not giving Riverside Inn 5 stars is because I believe they should have extra help. Yes, I know it's a dive bar and I'm ok getting up to order or to get my beer, but they were really packed and one or two more people working would definitely help (some customers were bussing tables). Overall, it is truly a great bar! Good beer, good prices, and really good food. It actually became one of our favorites. read more

Not only a great dive bar with a super hot staff but also amazing food! Daily drink and food specials, great music, and crowd. Quite possibly one of my favorite places in the world! read more

Pretty bad. I'm in to the whole dive bar scene but this is just not good news. If you're not a regular, forget it. Service was so shitty. Bartender was so rude when she finally came over to us. The only up side was this old man who Im not sure if he is a regular or manager or what but he was nice and helped us move the umbrella outside when it began to drizzle. Bathroom is so gross. I haven't gone back and I live next town over. read more

This is a fun atmosphere where locals and visitors go for a low key, fun pub atmosphere. They put out great food quickly and from an impressively small kitchen! Staff is friendly, attentive to any needs you have, and the overall feel is a lot of fun! Great specials on Mexican food on Mondays! read more

It's a true local hangout. Cranford HS grads of the come here to die. The is NO FOOD burger are far to poor..anyone c an throw in a micro or toaster over a pretty frozen pizza and throw some pepperoni on top.. small space.. when they got flooded the town should condemned it.. they have live local bands ..and the bar windows open and the smokers stand outside em and puff away..and way and it waffs it way back into the bar.. poor quality read more

The food is amazing (word has it they have the cleanest kitchen in town) I've had almost everything on the menu and it's always delicious. The drinks are always cold and the service is fast and friendly and the prices are super reasonable. This is hands down my favorite restaurant in town and it's technically just a bar. Come here, I promise you won't be disappointed! read more

Best bar and food. Bartenders are super friendly. Must try the house special. Has been my go to bar for years now.

Mexcellent Mondays!!! we love the burritos and tacos that are on special on Mondays. It's your typical neighborhood bar. Service isn't spectacular but it's pretty darn good and the food is pretty darn good too. Worth a trip if you are looking for a casual night out with good music. read more

I've seen roaches on the tables. Crack heads walks in all the time asking people for gum. They're are no chairs and they dont wash the glass cups. There was a dead dog barking at me at the corner of the bar. The food isn't real, they gave us play dough to eat instead and they dont even have music. The waiters sing in our ears if we want music. read more

The Riverside Is one of the only places around that has great homemade food, great beer and great bartenders. The Dive burger, the Hoboken, and the cheesesteaks are fantastic!! They also have daily food and drink specials drawn up on plates behind the bar. If you're looking for a great time with great food and great booze, this is the place for you!! read more

Great place for anytime of the day, but Saturday afternoons are my favorite. Fantastic staff that is extremely friendly, and the food is not your typical bar food, it's amazing. Make this a must stop for any dive bar rendezvous. read more

This bar is awesome. It has live music sometimes and the vibe is really cool. Louis the bartender rocks the proverbial house and the food is surprisingly good. They have a diverse crowd that are fun loving and always entertaining. You will have the time of your life. Go to Riverside and all of your dream will come true read more

Awesome and fun local bar. Bartenders are really nice and the prices are great. We always have a good time. A really great spot to hang out with friends or family. Plus they play great music! read more