Headed out to The Dalles today for the first time, and wanted to try The Riv based on reviews. Was especially looking forward to trying the Bennie's. Unfortunately, we were too late for the Bennie's, as they stop serving those at noon . So , we ordered the Chicken & waffles, and the BLT. We were not disappointed. Maybe it's the old church that they inhabit, but something makes their food special! The waffle was light and fluffy. The chicken is indescribably good. The breading is light and crispy. The absolute best. The BLT was also good. Loved the addition of pesto. The fries that came with it were irresistible. We were both stuffed by the end of our meal, but didn't leave a crumb! It was a nice day, so we ate outside. There is plenty of room inside and out with a small lounge area as well. The restrooms were clean as well. Highly recommend, and will return next time in town. Hopefully early enough to try those Bennie's!!! Sorry for the pictures, forgot to take until we had eaten half our meal. read more

The Riv Cafe - Chicken & waffles (half eaten) - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - The Dalles, Oregon

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There aren't enough compliments to give The Riv! It has: ample space to meet & eat, beautiful, maintained historic church ambiance, fantastic staff, & even better food & drink! I'm addicted to the Chai latte (Metolius brand)! It's truly the best chai of my life- spicy, earthy, not too sweet, & makes your mouth feel alive! And the bagels are wow- perfectly toasted with whipped cream cheese almost oozing out the sides! read more

The Riv Cafe - Toasted Everything Bagel w/cream cheese - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - The Dalles, Oregon

Used to be such a great place, especially for bagels. I just ordered one and it was all cream cheese, a small piece of lox and 4 capers. The ambiance is great, they used to give my BNB guests free coffee and then stopped. I still recommended them but, no more unless they just want coffee, they still do that well. read more

A little off the beaten path in neighborhood in The Dalles. Unique dishes for breakfast or brunch. I had the meatless black bean burger with homemade tomato bisque . Very good. The only downside is the price, which is on the high side. But, better than Cousins restaurant which is just off highway 84. read more

The staff is very friendly, the Leto eggs was so good as the sausage is the delish! The ranch hand and homemade ranch for dipping was fantastic. Had a strawberry smoothie and very refreshing! Highly recommend ! read more

Amazing find! We were traveling through town and stopped for lunch. We loved it so much we stopped on the way back!

We had the very best time checking out the Riv. My kids and I stopped by just before close and they couldn't have been more gracious about letting us stay late and offered the full menu. Genuinely the best chicken and biscuits I've had in the northwest. The service was above and beyond, the atmosphere was so chic, and the food was easily the best I've had since moving to the gorge! We'll be back many many times to our new favorite place. We had the waffles, chicken and biscuits, and a side of fries and they were amaziiiinnngggg! read more

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Absolutely incredible salmon benedict on the most delicious bread ever. Yummy biscuits & gravy too, rosemary was a nice touch to balance out the fried onions. We also had a Carmel latte and vanilla chai, both were delicious. The building and ambience were gorgeous as well. One of my all time favorite places I've ever stumbled upon while traveling. read more

The Riv Cafe - Salmon Benedict - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - The Dalles, Oregon

Cool little neighborhood spot...5 stars is for service and convenience...food was ok...there's not a lot of choices and this one is definitely one of the better ones... read more

The service was great and we loved our iced lattes. We enjoyed the service and the ambiance so much we came back for lunch! The chicken and waffles and grilled cheese with tomato soup were delicious! read more

The Riv is a great place for coffee. Set in an old church building, it's the perfect place to relax with friends over a coffee, tea, or smoothie. They make their own coffee syrups, and they are so good! read more

One of the slowest restaurants I've ever been to. We had multiple orders on 1 ticket and the food was delivered cold and 1 plate at a time. The time issue was 1.5 hours for service alone. If asked if I would return in future NO WAY. read more

Cool recycled church building. I only tried the bagel, it was good. The bathroom is clean. Plenty of street parking. Service was great (no pun intended). read more

I wanted to love this place. It's a super cute, chill vibe with a lovely patio. We came for lunch, and while it was busy, they weren't slammed. You pay when you order, at the counter, and you're promoted for a tip. I left a decent one, without knowing what was to come. We ordered and went to sit on the patio. We waited for 35 minutes with no sign of food. I went inside to check, and asked as nicely as I could. We were traveling and really needed to get back on the road. They said that our food was plated and offered to box it up. I said that if it's plated and comes right out, no problem, we could eat it there, quickly. I went back outside and waited an additional 7 min for delivery. Wow. My daughter enjoyed her avocado toast. She said it was pretty basic, but good. I ordered the smoked salmon salad. I mentioned that I can't have any dairy to the guys who took our order, but when my plate arrived the bread was buttered. I am allergic; this is not cool. I flagged the gal down and she said she'd get me a replacement. I ate the salad while I waited. It's a small salad for $15, and the smoked salmon is actually lox. Bummer. I wish the menu had actually said that; lox and smoked salmon are very different!!! The lemon vinaigrette was butter and not good. I didn't use it. We both had finished eating and the replacement toast was nowhere to be seen. We were about to get up and leave when it finally arrived; I grabbed it off the plate and went to the car. What a disappointing experience all around. Not good service, not a good value, and a horrible time suck. Never again. I'm reminded why I lack a cooler when traveling. Ugh. read more

Really nice looking place, good choices on the menu (incl. Vegan and gf) and reasonably priced. I've never had a bad meal there, they make even plain avo toast taste amazing! I only gave 4 stars because they've closed early (granted, that was likely due to staffing which isn't their fault) but they're also often out of certain foods. Also they close at 2, and I wish a place like this was open longer. read more

This was a great yelp find. Loved the old church building. Lunch was yummy. Everything was so fresh. read more

The Riv Cafe - Chicken and waffles - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - The Dalles, Oregon

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We got there around noon on a Saturday, it wasn't too busy. Service was fast. Their ice machine wasn't working and they were out of biscuits. We had chicken and waffles and chicken sandwich. We are not light eaters and neither of us could finish, we should have shared. The chicken and waffles looked dry but was not at all. The syrup was great, maybe cardamom in it? We also had chai tea, delicious. The setting is so darling. We will for sure return. read more

The Riv Cafe - Chicken sandwich - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - The Dalles, Oregon

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Was looking for a decent lunch spot on our road trip and am pleased we chose to venture a few minutes past the highway restaurants. The food was fresh and full of flavor. The atmosphere was great. There was a singer & guitar playing duo in the outside courtyard. The whole experience was relaxing and enjoyable. If I lived locally I'd be here on a regular basis. read more

The Riv Cafe - Turkey Ranch BLT - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - The Dalles, Oregon

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We had breakfast at The Riv and we were pleasantly surprised. We love the simplistic interior and it has a nice patio for outdoor dining. My husband had a breakfast burrito and I had eggs, sausage and french toast. Everything was fresh and made to order. It is counter service to place your order and the food is brought to your table. Everyone is courteous and friendly. We will definitely be back! read more

The Riv Cafe - The Riv inside view - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - The Dalles, Oregon

I want to agree with the other reviewer's. Best chicken sandwich I've ever had....better yet, best fried chicken I've ever had, sandwich or otherwise. Also, I love cardamom syrup in my latte. Their's was very very good. read more

Had brunch at this place and I loved that it was an old chapel! The food was great, they had an interesting good flavor profile. I recommend coming to this place! read more

The Riv Cafe - Candied bacon - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - The Dalles, Oregon

We've been back twice more for breakfast. I don't think there's anything this place serves that isn't spectacular. The fried chicken dishes are the stars of the menu though.The waffles are incredible- we got a key lime waffle special and it blew our minds! The fried chicken and waffles is perfection. Met the owner and chatted with him for a while - he's sourcing some pretty amazing ingredients. The best salad greens I've ever tasted from nearby Zion farm. Wish we lived closer! read more

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The food, BLT was good and the mixed berries smoothie is superb. My family enjoyed their food as well.

Delicious!! Super clean, friendly staff. Lovely patio seating. BLT, grilled cheese & tomato bisque, & the spicy chicken sandwich were all excellent with perfect fries. read more

This Riv is located in a beautiful old church. The inside is bright and sunny and full of beautiful plants. Also love sitting outside on the patio on a sunny day. Food and drinks are always good! read more

What a hidden gem! Excellent salmon Benedict and the best coffee I've ever had. This quaint and cozy setting was a perfect Mothers Day treat. Highly recommend The Riv! #Eggs Benedict read more

This place is the bomb diggity! It was great Italian food. The place is really cool and centrally located to the square in Georgetown. The service was fantastic! I'll be going back. read more

The spicy chicken sandwich with fries was fire. The service was also great, and I will be returning.

Our band is on tour from LA up to Spokane. This morning we dropped off our guitar player at the Portland airport to head home early as a result of a tragic roof jump two nights ago in which he broke his heel. The jump was no doubt super sick but we're really gonna miss our bro for the remainder of tour. Pulled off the highway to get some breakfast at The Riv and we're pleased to be greeted by the dope dude at the cash register serving rad lattes and americanos. Burritos were dope, biscuits and groovy was dope, I saw something rad looking on Mark's plate as well. Thanks for cheering us up a bit on our way to Spokane. This review goes out to our good friend and thrill seaker Jono Sember. read more

The Riv Cafe - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - The Dalles, Oregon

Great place and food. Service is slow. The hammie Sammie and fried chicken sandwich are my go to. Coffee yes please.

For Experienced Coffee Lovers & Health Conscious Hipsters! Vegan Friendly! Wow! What a special gem to find while passing through The Dalles. I couldn't have asked for better hospitality, coffee, and food! (And, it's nestled inside a converted historic church with stain-glass doors). If you are a coffee connoisseur like me, you will appreciate the roast The Riv provides. They roast their own coffee! The espresso had natural notes of maple, caramel and toasted banana in my smooth medium roast cappuccino (no syrups added!). (I think it's a single origin bean, and I'm not sure if they rotate the bean/roast. This was November 2020 when I had the espresso). You will experience different natural flavors from start to finish! It's a very unique roast that you won't get anywhere else. Best coffee roaster in the Hood River / The Dalles area! There is no bitter or burnt espresso here! I also want to give a shout-out to the super friendly host who took my takeout order over the phone - as it was during Covid times. He was so hospitable and exceeded expectations when I picked up my order. Thank you! I wish I had gotten your name! The food is top notch (and fair prices) and incorporates better flavors and quality than some 5-star restaurants I've been to. I loved the Charlie Boy (black bean burger that came with chipotle cashew spread on a yeast bun). Perfectly flavored. Gosh, that bread was awesome! Everything tasted homemade. These folks care about the quality of their ingredients and want you to have an all-around happy taste-bud and hospitality experience. They nailed it! I want to come back when Covid is over to have the full experience eating inside the historic church. read more

Amazing place for breakfast or lunch. I adore the open faced biscuits. The biscuits are hand made from a heritage scratch recipe. They are served with bacon an egg and avocado with a slightly spicy sauce. I always get mine with an extra egg which really makes it more filling and it is still under $10. I MUST also add that they have incredible espresso as well. I sincerely hope that they are able to stay open at least for take out during the governor's latest freeze. read more

Great food, great atmosphere!! Very friendly staff, very good food and drinks. Secret gem in the gorge!!! read more

Unique little place. I think it used to be a church? Clean and friendly staff. Menu had decent prices. Breakfast and lunch items. I ordered a gyro and a cookies and cream smoothie to go. Service was pretty fast. The Gyro pretty good. I've had better, but it's the only place that I can find a gyro in The Dalles. Smoothie was ok. A little too much crushed pieces of ice for my liking. If I have to visit The Dalles with a Gyro craving, the Riverenza will do ok. read more

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Better do yourself a favor and check this spot out. Food is terrific and the atmosphere is unbeatable.

I was so excited about this place... until it took almost 2 hours to get a bland piece of toast with avocado and an egg (not what was described on the menu). They were serving a ton of door dash orders before getting food to the customers in the restaurant waiting at tables. I've never waited for food this long at a restaurant in my life. The vibe is so cute inside... just need to quit doing doordash and thoughtfully serve people who are in the restaurant. Menu has potential but we were anxious and over it by the time the food came. I will not be going back for this reason... read more

The Riv Cafe - people sitting at tables in a large room - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - The Dalles, Oregon

Outstanding French toast. A 5-star review would include table service instead of counter and a coffee machine that wasn't broken. Nice vibe in the old church, but I could see it getting loud and echoey in here if it was a full house. read more

Food is wonderful! My favorite is the Harvest Bagel! A cute cafe in an old church building with lots of light and small town feel, a must!

I ordered a garden salad. It was $10. When I balked at the price for my maybe 2 cups of lettuce with no other veggies (I see remnants of tomato...as if they started to put some in there and then had second thoughts), the lovely cashier said "oh it has avocado on it." 3 slices. Of very expensive avocado. The lettuce is organic, meaning it likely came out of the owner's garden. I'm digging in my salad thinking, "Maybe I ordered grilled salmon and forgot?" Nope. Chicken, perhaps? Nope. Maybe I got confused and ended up at the Beverly Hills Hilton, where I might understand paying this much for lettuce and three slices of avocado? Nope. Still in The Dalles. If you are considering going here, please contact me and I will throw a small amount of lettuce in plastic and only charge you $8. To the owners of Riverenza.... You are insane. P.S. The cracked pepper on the salad...I did that P.P.S. Just discovered the salads at The Beverly Hilton are in fact less expensive than mine. See photo below. read more

The Riv Cafe - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - The Dalles, Oregon

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We weren't sure we were in the right place driving up as it's an old church that's been converted. The inside is very cute and the food is amazing. My sister had the salmon Benedict and it was made with homemade sauce, unlike most places these days that pull it out of a jar. My breakfast was wonderful and the scones were excellent. I highly recommend you check it out. read more