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    On the River Restaurant

    3.8 (153 reviews)
    Open 11:00 am - 8:00 pm

    Order On the River Restaurant Takeout or Delivery

    Services - On the River Restaurant

    Catering

    Gluten-free catering

    Vegetarian catering

    On the River Restaurant Photos

    ON THE RIVER RESTAURANT ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Casual
    Moderate noise
    Good for kids
    Good for groups

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    Recommended Reviews - On the River Restaurant

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    Coleslaw--delicious! Comes with meal.
    Rudolph Lewis S.

    Food was delicious but a little pricey. Can't afford to go very often. Maybe once or twice a year. Service was great! Everything super clean! Great view of the Brazos river levy.

    Cole slaw and big skillet of cornbread that came with lunch special
    Mike M.

    This has got to be the best place in Freeport to eat. I had lunch here last week and thoroughly enjoyed it. While it is very close to a branch of the river you can't actually see it from the restaurant due to the levee but that's ok because you will enjoy the food instead. On The River has its own dedicated parking lot and inside offers a casual country vibe to it that includes several dining rooms in the old building that also includes a full bar. From the lunch menu, I chose the beef tips over rice that came with a side of cole slaw and cornbread for $11. First to arrive was the slaw and cornbread. All I can say about the cole slaw was that it was as good as any that I have ever had. Light and slightly creamy it was simply perfect! I loved it. The cornbread is served in a skillet and is large enough for 3-4 people to share. By the way, it tasted very good too. This was a great start to the meal. About 5 minutes later the entree arrived with a bonus. The kitchen decided to add a small bowl of pinto beans as a lagniappe. The beef tips and brown gravy over the rice were very good tasting. The beef was tender, the gravy flavorful and the rice properly cooked. The beans were also flavorful and rich in taste. I really enjoyed both items. Jessie waited on the table and provided excellent service. On The River is where I will eat again whenever I am in the area. I think this is a 4-5 star restaurant and wish they were located in Houston.

    Blackened flounder and shrimp with veggies

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    1 hour ago

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    25 days ago

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    10 months ago

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    11 months ago

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    5 years ago

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    1 year ago

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    1 year ago

    Our go to when we see in town! The corn bread and Cole slaw are a must have! The seafood is fresh and the staff is great!

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    2 years ago

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    2 years ago

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    4 years ago

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    8 years ago

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    Drew R.

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    2 years ago

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    5 years ago

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    3 years ago

    Great small town restaurant with excellent food perfect for a family dinner outing. Located close to old town Freeport.

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    4 years ago

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    3 years ago

    Food was good service was great house was clean I recommend for the whole family to come and enjoy!!!

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    2 years ago

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    2 years ago

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    5 years ago

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    8 years ago

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    9 years ago

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    4 years ago

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    3 years ago

    Really enjoyed eating lunch here. The gumbo is so yummy! I look forward to coming back again when back in town.

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    4 years ago

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    4 years ago

    Excellent food here. My husband raved about the turnip greens. He said the best he's had. Everything spot on!

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    3 years ago

    Service was great, food was great and fast! Deff recommend and place was nice and cozy and clean

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    5 years ago

    Decent shrimp and fries. Boudin balls very tasty. The sand flies were annoying. Got there to late for dessert.

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    3 years ago

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    3 years ago

    SERVICE WAS VERY NICE!!! Sweet tea was the best! The food is not that good, not to mention majority of it is not homemade.

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    3 years ago

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    Page 1 of 4

    Ask the Community - On the River Restaurant

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    Seems like a neat place, we must have just come at the wrong time of year. Sunny outside, but air…read morewas chilly and a bit windy. Our greeting when we came in was not the most friendly, woman behind the bar didn't even smile and mumbled something that I assume was our greeting. Our server, though nice, seemed very new and inexperienced. But she seemed to be nervously trying to do a good jobl My drink order never was what I ordered. I think there was confusion with the server and woman behind the bar. Our server didn't seem old enough to serve it to me, it was broght over by bar tender. It was pricey for not ever really getting what I requested. The day we were there, they had one of the garage doors open and the front door as well. It was so cold in there, we almost left to go elsewhere as I suspected the food would be cold before it got to the table to be eaten. After our 2nd request, they finally closed the one garage door,, but was still a bit chilly. Then they told us they just put the heater on. (the heater helped but have entry door open to bring food in from food trailer) We didn't realize the food was made in an outside trailer and walked inside. I got the crawfish tail ? Ettofee baked potato ? Ettofee sp?. Although The potato was well baked, and the sauce was Very good, there was only 4 or 5 very small crawfish tails on it. I ended up taking it home with me as it just wouldn't stay warm enough for me to eat more of it. I wish they would of had some type of thermal box, or cover to bring the food in from the outside trailer to the table... My husband had a mushroom swiss burger which was good, and some really delicious flat shaped fries, but again, keeping our food warm enough to eat it was not the best situation. There were some really good looking things on the menu, but it was just too cold in there that day. During nice weather, I'm sure our experience would have been much better, as it seems like a really nice place with a very nice patio with great view.

    Had a little staycation in Galveston for NYE. We took the south route home and wanted some lunch…read more Belly's popped up on the map and it had great reviews so we stopped in SO WORTH IT! Their patio and views were amazing and so relaxing. The cutest restaurant indoor/outdoor. We also had our dog which they accommodated with some water. She also made friends with the sweet manager Erin (i think! Hopefully we got it right). Food was good and vibes were better. Will definitely be stopping by next time we are going to or coming from Galveston.

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    Dorado's

    Dorado's

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    4.0 mi
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    The food was really good. We had the raw oysters, fried shrimp and a cheeseburger. It was all fresh…read moreand well seasoned. We'd definitely come back again. The service was great and the ambiance was very chill and laidback.

    6/28/2025: We stopped in for a bite after hanging out at the beach. We needed a spot where my dog…read morewas welcome. The downstairs area is dog-friendly. The first level of the establishment is right on the water. It is very very casual. One guy showed up in swim trunks, a cowboy hat, no shirt, and no shoes. The area is open, so there is no AC in that part of the bar. They have large fans to cool the area, but I was still hot. They have large round picnic tables, high bistro type tables, and a bar seating area. The bistro tables have very uncomfortable chairs. They are those small metal stackable chairs. Some have backs and others have no backs. Even the tiniest butts would not find those seats comfortable. I stood for the majority of the time. Dollar bills are stapled to the wall and ceiling from previous customers each with a saying, a name, and/or the date. They have one unisex restroom downstairs. There was a line each time I needed to go. The crowd seemed to be locals and people who work there and recently got off their shift. I think that is pretty common in these type beach bars. The energy was happy and everyone was nice. They play great music. During our stay, I heard Elvis (twice!), ABBA, Willie Nelson, other 70's artists, and some country. They also have live music. We left before the set started because we had to get home to Houston. The service was good. Our waitress was very attentive. We had the ceviche and shrimp Jammers to split. The Jammers are fried with gooey goodness inside. 5 Jammers to an order. They are really good, so I highly recommend those. The ceviche was refreshing. It came with tortilla chips and a large slice of avocado. They have very good drinks, plus whatever you might like bottled. The two of us each had two drinks. Our drinks and food totaled to $56.00 before tip. Good place to visit. Can't do anything about the heat, but it would be nice if they changed their seating.

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    On the River Restaurant - seafood - Updated May 2026

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