By far my favorite place in Philly! This place is huge! There is plenty of dance floor room, plenty of room to chill and talk by the bar, the music is all crowd pleasers (MC Hammer, Bon Jovi, anything the girls will scream and jiggle to), the shout-outs are fun, the bartenders are cool (if you tip them well) and you can deal with the strange crowd when everything else about a place is cool. It's definitely hoochie mama central. I think some of these "ladies" really did just show up in their underwear. And, they're all completely trashed and looking for a boy to take them home. Boys, if this is what you're into, have at it. There were a few bachelorette parties there, when we went. Our MeetIn.org group was the largest group there, with over 100 people dancin', drinkin' and lining up at the port-a-potties. We got several shout outs for our fearless leader and several of our friends were dancing on stage. Good times! Did I mention the open bar for only $15? Rock on! It was only for a couple hours, but if you can pound more than 3 beers in 2 hours, it's well worth it. Just make sure and tip your bartenders. Open bar does not include tip and you will find yourself ignored at the bar if you don't drop a buck or two. Fantastic spot! If I'm ever in Philly again, I will definitely head back to this place. They lose one star for their bouncers. Yes, I understand, the bar is closed and you must kick us out. Okay, we're out. We're on the sidewalk, making plans, hailing cabs, etc. DO NOT continue to scream "go home" to us. We are on the damn sidewalk, you do not own the sidewalk, SHUT UP! read more

Ya'll...People... I'm not sure why the ratings for this place are so low to be honest. Maybe it's because every time I'm there I'm very drunk so I'm missing something? Anyway, I love the Riverdeck. Let's start at the door. So the wait for this place is usually very long, so come EARLY! Don't worry about being the only ones there (I'll tell you why later). The bouncers are usually very nice and I believe you pay at a little counter near the entrance. Every time I've gone the cover charge has been like $10 for ladies which isn't too bad. The atmosphere inside is AMAZING (well... I think it is, I've seriously been drunk every time). It reminds me of a cool Tiki themed place which is pretty nice. The reason I'm telling you to come early is become this is the time where you order your drinks and chill out before the rest of the night hits you in your face. This is the perfect time to order fishbowls and anything else you might need for the preturn up, and then literally out of nowhere the place will be flooded. I mean flooded with people. Drunk people, sober people. People just having a good time. They have fun entertainment up on the stage (like dancing contests, drinking contest, etc.). They throw out beach balls, and styrofoam tubes. This place is literally a good time right on the water! Beautiful! They do sell food. But from what I remember it wasn't that great, but like I said I was drunk soooo... I'm pretty sure I got the pizza. I guess my ONLY complaint would be the DJ needs to learn how to play more bangers. Like don't get me wrong I love my Wypepo songs like "pour some sugar on me" & "livin on a prayer" but when I'm trying to turn up feel free to put on the ratchetest songs you can find. I'm not sure why this review was so long. But I love the Riverdeck and your unsanitary fishbowls :) read more

I've been going to the River Deck on Sundays from since I was a college student in 2007. It is Caribbean night and is filled with the best of the best in Philadelphia. While the music can be better , and the vibe can be stronger, the bartendars make very weak drinks! I will advise to come with a buzz or stick to beers cause not even the shots seem strong. The music isn't that loud in the back cause they say there are neighbors so the middle of the dance floor is best . Come early n get good parking in the neighborhood for free or use the paid parking . read more

This was the first date night my boyfriend and I had when we moved to Philly about a month ago and at first we really loved it. We were loving the vibe , the drinks were ok but nonetheless having a good time. However, at the end of our time here my boyfriend was a little tipsy but NOT drunk and decided to stand up and dance in place for LITERALLY 2 min and within that time this rude, aggressive security guard came by and asked him to sit down and when we explained that we were leaving he preceded to insult my boyfriend and say that his 5 min of fame were over and he didn't care about if we were leaving or not. That being said the bar and atmosphere itself was a good time but i would recommend a new security team with better attitudes. read more

I've been coming to this bar for about 6 years now and it really pains me to see such poor behavior from the bouncer with the grey beard. Never in my life have I seen such aggressive behavior and substandard social skills. It has really turned me off from continuing to support this establishment and really hope in the near future a change is made in the front. Its quite a shame and utterly deplorable. Should not be allowed. read more

Worst Rosé I've ever had. We came here on 7/5 around 5:30 PM. The service was fine, just really REALLY bad rosé. They're also unnecessarily strict about reserved seating when there was less than 15 people in there read more

Just don't go here. Go anywhere else. There are so many better places nearby. Anywhere will be better i promise.

Wonderful View! The ambiance is fun and lively.. as you listen to music relax by the waterfront and enjoy the amazing view. We did not come for food. We came just to get a couple drinks. However there's a new rule in PA right now... since the pandemic that you must order food. So we ordered the appetizer, which was the Bang Bang Shrimp...it's actually called the Bangin' Shrimp on their menu. It was good. And the Service was fine. There was no cover charge. read more

A big group of us came for my 21st and the bouncer was a dick. He didn't let in one of my friends (who is 21) and rejected us in a mean way with no reason. For a place that was so empty, they should try to provide better customer service to people that make the trek to go there. read more

A good time here. Very roomy as well. The music is mixed wish it played more hip hop but I guess they base it off the crowd. Some of the songs get a little too old for me but I've been a few times. It is now $10 to get in instead of $5. They also sell hot food but must order before 1a read more

When I lived near Philly I used to love coming out here for the bar/nightlife scene. I had many a great times. Now that I live near DC and am married, I went back here and am sad to say I was somewhat disappointed. We came here at 9pm for the view of the Delaware River and BF Bridge. There was like 2 other people there. This place is doing something very wrong if on a Friday night there is hardly anyone there. We ordered some food off the pub menu and it was just a-okay. You obviously don't come here for the food but we did not have dinner. Some people trickled in and I am sure people started to flood in later but I wouldn't know since we left before our hour long parking meter ran out. Quite simply you come here for the outdoor bar / party scene. I still have a certain fondness in my heart for this unique place. read more

I'm so glad they are offering outdoor dining on their deck during COVID. Everyone is nicely spaced out, waitstaff are sanitizing tables in between uses. All the staff members are masked up. We enjoyed their bucket cocktails for $20 each. Only the appetizers and brunch menu are available from 11 am to 4 pm. We got the large order of bangin shrimp, it wasn't bangin and the order size was more like a small. It tasted like coconut shrimp with some sauce on it. Also, had the eggs Benedict with crab which were decent. It came with a side of potatoes which were good. Also had the appetizer sampler which included 4 mozzarella sticks, fries, 4 chicken tenders and 4 buffalo wings. read more

I would not recommend this establishment as I had friends visiting from a different country and they were turned away because they required a passport to enter. I've never heard of this requirement before and my friends felt discriminated against. I hope they improve polices that are more inclusive to those who are patrons from both near and far... read more

So my friend Melissa started working here and has been after us to come in and hang. I read the reviews and, not being a big fan of the punch in the face mentioned by one of the reviewers, decided to come early and avoid that option. And I'm glad we did. It was a fantastic night on the river. Breezy and cool. The view is great, and the early crowd is pretty easy going. The pictured tater tots are made with real bacon and american cheese. The hummus, not pictured, was watery and underseasoned. The shrimp cocktail was surprisingly good. Note to smokers - you can smoke at the bar. Now - go with the understanding that this place is a dive, and that after 10pm you will be caught up in a mosquito filled drunken pool of ignorant meatheads. But if you bug out around 9pm you'll probably have a pretty good time. Plus you beat the cover. The bathroom doors are propped open all the time, putting the old school fifty cent condom machines on display. Apparently later at night there is a bathroom attendant with a walmart full of colognes for your late night scent war needs. So go early, have the tots, and move on by 9. read more

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My friend came in with her license (she's 23). They denied her at the door saying "she wasn't who she was" and she has been here before. As she was standing at the door, I spoke to the OWNER of the establishment (Mr. Cavanaugh) and he said that he won't accept anybody who was underage, even though her ID scanned that she was of age. She eventually got in, but it was incredibly rude for the employees to deny her entry. The owner's only compensation was free entry cards for the weekend, which is ridiculous. It is incredibly embarrassing for my friend and I to go through this. It is unacceptable. read more

If I could give less stars I would. We had a private party reserved over a month in advance and were told by multiple people that we were "on the books" and not to worry when we tried to call and get/give more details regarding the party. After multiple phone calls, they basically told us to email our questions but we were on their schedule for the party and nothing else needed to be done. ONE DAY before our party they simply cancel it without reason or explanation. UNBELIEVABLE. Don't advertise that you take private events if you can't handle it. Unfortunate because we were excited for a reason to come here and celebrate and now I'd hate to recommended anyone even come here for a regular night out. Just Ridiculous. read more

The shrimp tacos were tasty and the atmosphere was very fun. Had some solid drink specials and the view over the river was amazing.

Upon arriving to Riverdeck on 7/16 there was no music playing. At 8:45pm . They open at 12pm. We approached the register to ask how much was the cover to which we were approached by a security guard who responded "you're either going to pay it or not". I explained to him that my friends and I were wondering if we wanted to sit in there even though no music was playing. To which he stated "you need to figure it out, because we can't have the dumb shit going on out here". At this point I was turned off by the establishment completely. My friends and I left. There was no line behind us. We weren't belligerent, or rude to the staff. The security guard was aggressive for no reason. I don't want anything for free. All I ask is that you retrain your staff on how to conduct themselves politely without offending guests at your establishment so in the future you can avoid this happening. Thank you! read more

Literally trash. food and drinks are fire but the hostess was rude as anything, used profanity towards us for no reason, and would not sit our party together. also didn't get my beer and it's a while read more

Was there over the weekend and had my phone stolen. It was taken out of a zippered wristlet that was on my wrist, it wasn't like i set it down somewhere. Reading the reviews I was shocked to see that this is a long standing problem. It appears that the security in this place is completely lacking or they know about this issue. When I asked about checking the cameras they said it was too overcrowded to see anything. So if you want to come somewhere that doesn't have enough security for the number of people they are packing into the place, have fun. read more

A Wednesday night favorite for my friends during the summer season. $5 mugs and $1 refills for beers and well drinks. Tip your bartenders well and maybe you'll get a better whiskey in your drink. Outdoor venue right on the water. There's a live DJ on weekends. And everybody's there to have a good time and dance. Best way I can describe it is the party-going little sister to its classier sibling Morgan's Pier on the right. Hope you have fun out there, dollar drinks is always a good time. read more

This is the place where dreams and aspiration come to die.... but wait... hear me out, I was here on Wednesday and I was having an amazing time with my besties, but then I saw the bane of my existence and his friends here and immediately I had to get drinks. The bartenders were every aware of our issue and served us drinks very fast and effectively. Later on when I saw him kissing another girl, I, in a fit of rage,I tossed both my shoes at their face. The bouncer were so nice and supportive that they didn't even kick me out immediately. In fact, they cheered me on and told me I deserve so much better. So even when your night is going downhill fast, and the love of your life is kissing another girl riverdeck will be there through it all. See you next Wednesday! Much love !!! read more

If your expecting basic level of respect from staff, your going to the wrong place, they can't even get it right at the door!

Went at 10:15 with my friends, $5 cover and it wasn't super crowded. Got more crowded as night went on but there is multiple bars and different rooms to dance in, lots of college and early 20s people. Perfect vibe for a nice weather night! Can't wait to go back. 18% surcharge added to all purchases which makes tabs pretty pricey though and not sure why there is a surcharge. That's why 4 stars :/ read more

After attending Drexel from 2008 to 2013, Cavs Ucity was a cheap option for a few beers but nowhere me or my friends would go for dinner. In 2017, Cavs river deck seems to be right on par with my college experience. As we sat down for dinner at the outdoor bar, we made it clear we had a two hour time crunch prior to attending the concert next door at festival pier. After placing our drink and food orders we noticed our bar tender and another employee doing whiskey shots at the edge of the bar. The bartender also had no assistance in fixing the receipt machine and instead had to leave the bar for long periods of time to get other patrons checks. Thankfully we had already placed our order but were not able to receive updates on its status while he was away. He later returned to continue tinkering with the receipt machine and give the finger to his coworker. After 45 of waiting for our food, it was brought to our attention that our food and three other customers food orders, would not be arriving this evening. We were told that the kitchen was under staffed and we could have a free round of beers. After the free round, we were offered a round of whiskey shots. During the whiskey shots that were given to seven other customers, we witnessed the bar tender our his own and continue to drink. We left hungry to our show and failed to enjoy our over priced venue concessions. I guess somethings never change with under the Cavanaugh's name. read more

Came on a Sunday-Reggae Night. 10.00 Cover charge with no-re-entry! No complaints, will be back. Cool atmosphere, FYI--- don't go to the woman bartender with long hair-She gives weak ass drinks,small shots and seemed annoyed. It took me just one drink to not even go back to her! Other then that you should enjoy yourself- lf you like/love to dance and not just stand still.. read more

I've heard good things about this bar. But from the second I walked inside I was disappointed. First of all, the $10 cover really annoyed me. Most places at $5 at that. Most of the crowd were not the greatest people to be around on a Friday night. They had cheap beers so I guess that is a plus. I won't be back. read more

Very rude staff ! Came here to have fun ...security, host and cashier were extremely rude ! Don't recommend it if you wanna have great time

Well, it's nice to be outside on a warm evening, and the view is lovely. And they have Sierra Nevada and Red Stripe if you ask.... But other than that, I say no thank you to the bouncers who can be really aggressive about people wearing hats (because apparently hats are bad news), the craptastic beer on tap and the shrieking, drunken crowds that pour in as the evening gets later. I was there for a social event, so I was among friends and could tolerate it for a while. But a girl only has so much patience, and I made a hasty retreat as soon as I could, dreaming of an outdoor bar where hats were celebrated and buses don't drop off bar crawlers... read more

An open letter to Cavanaugh's River Deck. Dear Cavanaugh's River Deck, I hate you. I LOATH you. I came to you for a quick bite to eat before a concert at Penn's Landing, and you managed to turn my, what was to be enjoyable evening into an anger filled nightmare. We got to your establishment over an hour before our concert started, plenty of time to grab a sandwich or burger...or so I thought. After seating us, our server gave us about 20 minutes to decide on what we wanted to eat. I say gave us, but I think I mean she forgot about us. In fact, I think everyone in your restaurant forgot that they were open, because if it were not for me going to find someone, I'm not sure if I would have ever ordered. I'll skip past the part about the terrible food and messing up our order, because I can deal with that, it happens. What I can not deal with is rudeness to your customers. We were finished our meal and now begin to hear the very concert we have tickets to. Once, again, not a soul is to be found to get a bill from. It is at this point where I decide I am going to walk towards the exit, and unless I see an employee I am not stopping. I somehow managed to see someone who appeared to be employed by Cavanaugh's so I went over to them and asked for our bill...she said, "you'll have to talk to your server." I replied with something like, "Our server has gone missing, can I speak to your manager." Another woman walked out who introduced herself as the manager. After explaining my situation and horrible experience, I expected an apology or something. What I got was unprovoked attitude. She printed out my bill, and I paid. I regret paying to this day. Thanks for nothing, Russ C. It is said that if one person has a bad experience in a restaurant, he or she will tell at least nine people about it, those nine people will tell at least five, who will tell at least 3 and so on. I'm trying to tell as many people as possible. Cavanaugh's sucks, I would fish for my meal in the Delaware before I visit Cavanaugh's again. Spread the word. read more

This place has such a great location, it's a shame to have to give it 2 stars. The positives: A gorgeous view out onto the river and the Ben Franklin Bridge, including the occasional baby duck sighting. Also, there is a lot of space to move around and a fair amount of seating, at least on the Wednesday that I visited. The Philadelphyinz Wednesday night residency also guarantees some pleasing summer jams to make you forget the workaday worries. The negatives: The crowd here is questionable at best, and beers that are $3.50 at your local watering hole are $5.50-7 here. The sound system could use some tweaking and a space that large doesn't lend itself to getting the dancefloor moving. The atmosphere of the place is a little sleezy, and not in that way that makes your pants warm. I'd say it's worth checking out once, but it's your call whether or not it gets better or worse on the weekends. read more

WORST PLACE I HAVE EVER BEEN TO IN MY ENTIRE LIFE. I feel like I'm in the backwoods here. it's like someone hooked up some porta-potties to a bunch of trailers and wood, threw in some bud light & the most obnoxious people you can find in philadelphia and said "make a night of it!" my friend had her birthday here. she better be happy that i care enough to show up to this place. it was a $20 open bar for the party. my first drink...a gin & tonic. what i actually got? A FRIGGIN CUP OF SELTZER WATER. i could NOT taste any gin. and do they not know the difference between SELTZER AND TONIC?!?!!? and if i hadn't had an open bar it would have been almost $9 for the seltzer water. i mean...really? we ended up getting miller lites for $3 in PLASTIC BOTTLES. it just didn't feel right. the music was typical. a couple good pop songs i could enjoy. but way too many people to enjoy even being in this place. i like the idea of the waterfront bar, but this place was just so gross i couldn't even stand being here. and did i mention porta-potties? just stay away from this place. read more

Well. We used to come here in college (big, good music) and I went back a few days ago for a bachelor/bachelorette party (couple shared a special memory from there) and we were super disappointed. The girls, 16 of us dressed too trashy for the public, got there first and we were dancing up a storm since the dance floor was deserted and the weather was perfect. But when the boys got there, the manager wouldn't let them in! No one was outrageously drunk or inappropriate so after questioning the decision for a few minutes we all just decided to leave. Not cool Cavanaugh's. We took our business elsewhere - you lost. read more

I come here pretty often. Perfect for day drinking! To chill, enjoy the weather and the great view. The food is pretty good and the staff, though sometimes it seems they joke and play amongst themselves more than work, are friendly. I have never had a decent mixed drink from all of the 5 bars here. Not even a Long Island (always tastes like Nestea). Stick with beer, wine or shots. Unless you don't like to taste or feel your alcohol, in which case they would be the best mixed drinks ever! At night it's more of a club scene. Cover at the door $5-$25 ($25 includes open bar well drinks), depending on the day and time of arrival. Extra-watery drinks ("Seriously, is there ANY alcohol in here?"). Sometimes you'll get a cool bartender to "top you off" if you ask nicely, but trust me, have a few shots before you get here! The music is pretty good Fri and Sat, and the contests (Twerk, best abs, etc.) are entertaining. Sunday nights are Carribean or island rhythms or something like that. *Don't worry if it's raining, part of it is covered!.. Also, it is a deck, which means wood slat floors. Stiletto at your own risk! read more

I like to be by the water. It's relaxing, and helps me to feel cooler on a hot day. I also like Piers. I just don't like Cavanaugh's. This place is the skeez hole in every movie made about college kids going to "party." The drinks are crazy over-priced, the dress code is hilarious (and definitely racially targeted) and it makes you wonder just how much trouble they have there on the weekend. I went on Wednesday, so I have no idea. But I'm not going to pay out the ass to find out. read more

We came here for dinner on Thursday night pretty late and had a decent time. Some highlights: *It was mug night - pay $5 and pay for $1 drafts all night - I thought this was a decent deal for sure. *DJ - They had a big dance floor and played great music. *Crowd - It wasn't incredibly packed, but had a decent crowd. *Facilities - Not the fanciest - the tables and chairs are plastic and it is right on the water. Very spacious. *Food - The food was good. The shrimp tacos were a little disappointing, but the rest was very good. This is a more casual venue to grab some drinks and dancing for cheap. Definitely go later in the week though because I imagine it is a better crowd. read more

I went on a Saturday the cover charge is $10 which is kind of wack but it's also the weekend so it's whatever. It was packed and the drinks were really overpriced a vodka cran is 8.80 and my friend got a Malibu breeze which was 12. I also had a rude encounter with one of the bartenders. On a positive note it's a really cool vibe and everyone is having a good time. Girls can dance on the stage and it's right on the water. The music is questionable they don't play current hip hop but after a few drinks you can still get into it, I would go again read more

This place is really hit or miss depending on your mood for the night. Of course the location is nice overlooking the water and the bridge. Perfect for a summer night. But everyone in the area has that mentality, so in the summer, this place gets packed. And particularly with not so classy large groups of underdressed belligerently drunk friends. There's a $5 cover and drinks are pretty cheap. Cavs is really big too so you can reasonably find some place to stand with your friends. The music is Top 40 so gets the crowd going which I like. IIf you're in that type of mood, go ahead but it's not my go-to unless someone is really pushing me to go. read more

I don't know bout y'all, but when I wanna dance with a sturdy Pennsylvania blonde chick...during the summer months...I...come...here. Big outdoor dance floor. DJ, killin it. Weak drinks (meh). Lots of brothas kickin it to snow white yuppies. It's been this way since like the 1800's. read more

Good view, fun place to dance and hang out with friends, but I would not go back here unless invited to an event. The bathrooms are fairly clean which was a plus. Watch your step when walking inside near the green carpeted area, especially near the edges since the floor is uneven there. I saw many people trip and fall, and I also rolled my ankle from the uneven flooring. There were a few creeps who were going around grabbing ladies from the behind which is not appropriate, but is probably common if you go to a trashier club. I ordered peach ciroc and sprite, and there was a fairly large fly. I went on a Saturday night, the bars were fairly crowded and when I tried to get it remade, she said I had to pay for another one since it was a top liquor drink. They also have wings, fries, and other appetizers if you want to get some food, but there aren't many areas to sit. read more

Cavanaugh's Riverdeck - Fly in my Peach Ciroc with Sprite. The bartender said I would have to pay additional money for it to be remade. - Dance Clubs Near Me - Philadelphia, Pennsylvania