Great food, service, and atmosphere. If it's nice outside I definitely recommend sitting outside by the river.

The first time I have been at the restaurant for dinner. Service was good, but the table was just okay. The table was at the front, very little space for the people to walk by. Everyone that came into the restaurant walked by this booth. It was a birthday dinner for my daughter in law. No dessert offered. Food was excellent. I had the salmon and it was delicious. We did order desserts and they were wonderful! Overall we had a very nice time. I would go back again and hope for a better booth/table. read more

My first visit to the venu since it's reopening. I am impressed with the physical building remodel and equally impressed with the food, service, flat ware, take home containers. Small things tell a lot about the attitude of the owners. I will clearly return and recommend the location to others. It will be a regular on my outtings. WELL DONE. read more

Excellent food and Ambiance with service. Very humbble staff and special menu for kids made it more accommodating.

Very good! You'll leave pleased! Nice bathrooms. Warm weather is great for outdoor dining Riverside! This silly app insists on 85 characters to post? Why does AI & algorithms rule human lives? read more

We enjoyed lunch on a beautiful Saturday. Service was good, I like the interior, the plates, (and I know this sounds unimportant, but I love the silverware.) I had the chicken pesto flatbread and a small Caesar salad. All were good- I like a restaurant that will serve Caesar with anchovies in the dressing - and my husband had grilled veggies and chicken served with orzo. We are not wine drinkers but I wish I was, it looks like a fun place to sip and nosh. Try it- you won't regret it. read more

Great little spot. Food was good, it was a bit busy when we went but we got a sub prime location booth within 10 minutes. Service was great. Plenty of wine to explore while we waited in the market section. read more

Stopped into Kent today and stopped in to try the brand new River Merchant. This used to be a very nice wine and restaurant prior with a great deck. This is a new owner with a new twist. First is the ambiance. Amazing! Huge var with a gorgeous live edge, open garage doors that flood into the spacious patio overlooking the Cuyahoga River right over the the attached deck. Home run! Next was the food. Delicious, plentiful and fulfilling! And then the drinks. Great selection of 16 drafts on tap, huge selection of amazing wines, and very well thought out fantastic house crafted beverages!! What's not to like! This will be a regular visit for us!! read more

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Excellent food, service, and atmosphere. The menu is relatively small but a nice variety. The Merchant board was the perfect appetizer selection for our party of four, and none of the entree selections disappointed. Looking forward to returning. read more

Stopped in for a bite to eat with my wife and another couple. When we arrived it was pretty busy and I was happy to see proper safety and distancing measures in place. When first glancing at the menu I was kind of unsure what I was seeing as the selections are somewhat lacking in direction. The look of the place would suggest that the food would be well thought out and creative with a Gastro Pub-ish type menu, but it wasn't really IMO. I know this place is new and as a retired chef and food blogger I know first hand that it can take a little time to find your identity so I didn't want to judge solely by the menu items. We all shared a chicken pesto flatbread and a Charcuterie board with meats, cheeses, crostini's, olives and pickled onions. It was displayed beautifully on a nice wooden board and was very pleasing to the eye and paired well with the wine. The flatbread was also delicious, though a little pricey for the size yet we enjoyed it nevertheless. I then ordered the blackened chicken entree and my wife ordered the vegetable pasta. I have to be honest, both entrees fell short of my expectations. It seemed to be a rather small breast to begin with and for some reason it was butterflied which made most of the breast dry and rubbery even though it was cooked nicely. Also it was kind of odd for blackened chicken. I can't say I've ever seen blackening done on a char grill so I'd have to say it was more of a grilled chicken with blackening seasoning rather than a true blackened chicken. I expected better given how nice of a place this is especially for such a simple dish. Unfortunately the vegetable pasta was just outright unsatisfying. There's not many options for vegetarians on this menu other than salads or apps so my wife chose the pasta. It seemed to be just some lemon flavored oil tossed with some veggie mix and thrown together with some rotini pasta and a little Parmesan cheese. There was very little flavor and feel even a plate of spaghetti and marinara would be an improvement over this dish, sorry. The couple we were with shared the Feta Dip and some Roasted Almonds with us which were awesome! For entrees they shared the Pork Chop which they seemed to enjoy a lot. I was kind of jealous I didn't get that for myself to be honest. Now I will say that the service was excellent and the decor was tasteful. The wine shop was also nice and had a good selection of wine and beer in a small space. The bar was pretty classy looking and under different circumstances I would've loved to try some of their signature cocktails! All in all it was a good experience and I will be happy to return maybe in a month or two when this new establishment has had a chance to iron out the kinks a little. Launching right as the lockdowns hit had to be tough and to be able to re-open and thrive like they seem to be, I see a lot of potential for this place! read more

Too noisy. Could not have a conversation. Service was mediocre and the patrons were WAY too close together given the threat of COVID. Indeed, hardly a mask in sight. No reason to go back. read more

Excellent food and a great bourbon selection! The view is amazing if the weather permits to sit outside.

What a lovely little restaurant. Great atmosphere, food and drink menu. We sat at the bar for dinner and our bartender was friendly and informative. read more

Love this place! Great drinks, awesome sweet potato tots! And the butternut chili is awesome!

Amazing food and great atmosphere. Their seasoned fries are to die for! Little hint... you can even buy the same spices in the little shop at the front and take them home! The Banana Chocolate Chip ice cream sundae was surprisingly not too sweet but it sure hit the spot. It was pouring rain ( thanks Ohio summer!) and we sat inside but would have loved to sit out on the beautiful deck and watched the river below and the trains go by. read more

Great ambiance, super friendly staff, and delicious flavors! We had the Merchant Salad (just the right spice from the jalapeño vinaigrette), Drunken Beef Tips (moist tips with great flavor), and Vegetable Orzo (wonderful flavor from the medley of vegetables and perfectly prepared orzo). Shawn took great care of us and suggested the Hot Buttered Rum which was the perfect sipping drink for the chilly weather. Shout out to Mike for that lovely concoction! Head over for a nice lunch, or gather a few friends and make a reservation for dinner. Highly recommended! read more

Dined here for lunch today for the first time. Food and service were very good. My only issue is that the waiter called me "honey" repeatedly. I really feel that at a restaurant of this caliber the patrons shouldn't be addressed in an overly familiar and possibly condescending manner. I know she didn't mean to offend me and I also know I am not alone in feeling this way. I think Miss, Ms or Sir is the best choice if necessary. read more

Great spot for brunch on Sundays as well as dinner, any night. Beautiful inside, great bar, and well prepared food. Menu isn't huge, but solid choices. Best of all, they were more than adequately staffed (rare thing rn) and the servers are friendly, professional and attentive. read more

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Was here for brunch about a year ago. I don't think they are offering anymore which stinks. I have had take out from here and was impressed. I would come back for dinner and dine in. read more

Deicious food, more unique than standard fare offered at most restaurants similar to this one. Repeat business guaranteed.

Cute location with a patio by the river. Good food, good service. Nice wine selection and shop. I would definitely go back

great food served on a deck next to a river or inside in a beautifully decorated atmosphere . The sevice is top shelf too . This is a winner and everthing is consistantly good . Go for it . read more

I had dinner and drinks here with friends last night. Everything was absolutely delicious. Our server, Jasmine, was so knowledgeable and efficient. She made our night truly special. I tried the flatbreads and a Concord grape beer. So good! I'll definitely put The River Merchant at the top of my list when looking for someplace special to go for a visit with friends or family. Wonderful atmosphere! read more

Eating here is always a great experience. Whether eating inside or outside. The trains going by in the evening is cool for us train lovers. The food is by far one the best in Kent by far. Wine and beer selections can satisfy the pickiest of tastes. read more

Great place to have a bite and drink! Great staff, ambiance, and food and drink are excellent.

I wish I could give this a restaurant a higher rating! I really enjoyed the atmosphere and the staff was really helpful and nice. In addition, the glass of wine that I had was very tasty. However, I should have checked the menu before we went. I have several good sensitivities and can't eat gluten or dairy. In addition, I am also a vegetarian. These limitations gave me very few options to pick from on the food menu. If they added a few menu items to be more accommodating to others like me, I would definitely raise my rating. That being said, my friend ordered the pork chop with apple glaze and said it was delicious! read more

It was my first time at the RM and I give it a 4/10. The hostess was super rude and the food took forever to come out. I don't think it's worth the time or money to come. The bar seats are terrible too. We were sat at the worst place at the bar even though there were a ton of bar seats open. Very disappointing after all the hype. I did get a chicken sandwich with fries and it was good. So maybe carry out is the way to go from here?? read more

Excellent Service and Food! The atmosphere was great and upon entering Rosalind greeted us with a bright smile and kindness. Just an overall great experience! read more

As always, a delicious gourmet feast. Except the polenta in the shrimp scampi was way too salty.

Have been here a few times. The atmosphere is great. Great outdoor seating with a view of the river. They have done a great job of remodeling. However, our food was underwhelming and we did not think much of the drinks. The service was ok. But we will certainly give it another try and update the review based on our next visit. read more

Great food, friendly staff, never have to wait long for seating or service. In addition great drink selections

I ate here and the staff was friendly. Very busy area as it is located right off 43. Ordered their blackened chicken sandwich and it was pretty good to be a basic sandwich. Fries were good too. read more

well I can't review the food because I'm going on 73 minutes wait time for a table. so I guess I'll leave that in another half hour or so. management needs to train staff on how to turn tables nicely and efficiently. I'm from Chicago and never had to wait this long, ever, anywhere. ridiculously poor situation and if I weren't with family I'd have exited many minutes ago. read more

I tried River Merchant for the first time and was NOT disappointed!!! The food was fantastic and very flavorful. I ordered the tropical mimosa mule and it was very refreshing! Cant wait to come back :) read more

I haven't been here since the fire and I'll tell you it is a big improvement. The food was great and the staff was very nice. We will definitely go back. read more

This place exceeded my expectations - the owners did an amazing job renovating the building and adding a great, desperately needed, addition to downtown Kent. Food, service, drinks, etc., were amazing! Hands-down my new favorite spot, and I am looking forward to returning in the near future! read more

Service does lack sometime but food is amazing . One time I waited for 30 mins at our table to just order. A few times after it was good but I feel like the customer service needs worked on. read more

Good food and service. It's a good place to meet up with friends and catch up. I like the way it's been remodeled, has a nice upscale feel. Cool wooden bar. read more

Great food and great view of the river! Enjoyed dining on the patio! We loved the tacos and octopus small plates.

I've been here several times, including brunch and dinner, and it's always fantastic. Good atmosphere, good drinks, great food, and great service! read more