We recently celebrated my wife Dana's 50th birthday at River and Rail Cantina in Cranford, and the entire experience was fantastic. John Roder and his team truly made the night special. The DJ, bartender, and wait staff were all amazing--attentive, friendly, and on top of everything all night long. We never had to ask for a thing because they were always one step ahead. The service, atmosphere, and energy made it the perfect place to celebrate such a big milestone. Thank you to John and the entire team at River and Rail Cantina for helping make my wife's 50th birthday such a memorable night. Highly recommend for anyone looking to host a great party or celebration! read more

The tacos here were amazing although a bit overpriced. I was very satisfied with my meal. That skirt steak is definitely calling my name. Next time I wasn't fully aware of what I was walking into but I know now that this place is a place that has the food for all your cravings. The service was great and the ambience is very welcoming perfect place to watch a late night game as I watched the Knicks game here. read more

River and Rail Cantina - Steak Taco - Mexican Near Me - Cranford, New Jersey

We came to River and Rail Cantina for the first time for a birthday dinner with a group of ten. There was a reservation, so when we all congregated outside of the restaurant, we went to the host and were seated at one of the outdoor tables. It was a cool summer night in August. I ordered the Yucatan Red Snapper and a Senor Swanky. We all shared chips, salsa, and River and Rail Guacamole. I enjoyed my entre. I normally don't drink, but I chose to that night and was not disappointed (good margaritas!) Not a con, but a heads up - street parking can be hard to find. On a Sunday night, we ended up parking off a residential street (far down High Street) because there was nothing on South Ave. So just keep that in the back of your mind if you plan to be there at a specific meet time. Otherwise, lots of fun! read more

River and Rail Cantina - Yucatan Red Snapper Plato - Mexican Near Me - Cranford, New Jersey

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I've given this place multiple chances because it's local, but after getting sick from my last visit, I won't be coming back.

When we lived in the area, this was one of my daughter's favorite places. Mine too! It is a very cool place promoting its Tex-Mex theme. Full bar with a very nice staff. I had an absolutely incredible fajita steak burrito. It was served with guacamole, sour crème, lettuce and chopped tomato. I also ordered a street corn and shared it with my daughter. Don't miss the street corn--it is amazing! read more

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Me and my wife went there for Cinco de Mayo was really crowded wait was over an hour ordered a few appetizers until our table was ready. Asked if they could bring apps to table and we would order more food and drinks. Hostess got one of the owners who was very rude and tried to cause a scene when security had to come. He was yelling for no reason told me he was done talking to me and was very nasty said we could not get a table since we had apps coming out believe he was racist the way he was talking to me. He told me they had to come get him because I was being hostile and that was not the reason at all. The hostess went to ask him if we could still get a table since we had apps coming out. So we waited at the bar and apps was only chicken tacos and steak tacos which took almost 2 hours when I told them to cancel my order and give me a refund all of a sudden food came out which was absolutely terrible so terrible my wife got sick and was vomiting half of the night. The owner should not be talking to customers one of the worst encounters I ever had with an owner.. They must be racist because the times I've gone there have never seen any black employees servers or bartenders but plenty of black security staff for Cinco De Mayo.. Will never be going back and stay away from the Chicken and Steak Tacos.. read more

Happy hour prices are decent. They have a huge outdoor area with games and is very family friendly. I will say the bar area gets very crowded during the happy hour times and so the attention of the wait staff is stretched very thin. The food is basic at best. the steak tacos were dry, the shrimp was just ok but for the price I wasn't expecting much. I will say the drinks were fantastic! Made the right way, not too sweet and not too strong. I would go back for the drinks alone. The ambiance really makes you want to keep coming back for more and the convenience of the location for me will probably get me to keep coming back! read more

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Terrible experience. The manager was unprofessional and the service was slow and disorganized. On top of that, double-check your card statements--there's a real risk of being overcharged. Not worth it. read more

Our family ate here last night, there were nine of us. Food & drinks were delicious, no complaints at all. Would go back read more

Horrible service. The managers are no help at all, and you can't even get in contact with anyone. I was overcharged and the whole experience was very frustrating. read more

Just average. Chips were good and fresh. Got my order wrong but corrected it and it tasted fine. Again average

Service great. Chicken street tacos with corn tortilla was very dry and felt a little flavorless. Other than that place is very nice. Chips and salsa is great but a little spicy! read more

River and Rail Cantina - Chicken street taco - Mexican Near Me - Cranford, New Jersey

Large Mexican themed venue with indoor & outdoor seating, as well as a separate bar area. Metered street parking when you can find an available spot. Metered lot nearby, & public garages nearby as well. Friendly staff, fair paced service. Typical Mexican themed interior. I've been here a time or two before, was not a fan of the food, but today was actually good. Had the sliders, one of each, & it was enjoyable. Had a lot of their margaritas, they were very good. This review is simple, cause I went there for another purpose, & ended up snapping 3 quick photos out of habit. Grades: Sliders: B+ Margaritas: A+ read more

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I don't even really feel like I need to be another force bringing down this already accurately low rating at River and Rail, but I can't help myself. I hate complaining about wait staff, but sadly our waitress didn't write anything down and gave my friend flour tortillas after saying she was allergic and requested corn. They replaced it when we pointed it out. It took me after that to realize I got bbq boneless "wings" when I asked for buffalo. Which are clearly the CHEAPEST POSSIBLE chunks of chicken a restaurant could get. It looks like prison food. I also asked for an Arnold Palmer and my first iteration was carbonated because the "lemonade button has been Sprite for a month" ??? Then I got just an iced tea. Bitter. Disgusting. Clearly letting the bags steep in there all day without any care for doing it the right way. Avocado pictured hit the table, the person in the kitchen who thought that was okay to send out wouldn't eat that themselves, would they? Rice was old and dry. Carrots weirdly floppy. We told the manager everything and they didn't charge us anything. Duh. Stay away. read more

River and Rail Cantina - Avocado - Mexican Near Me - Cranford, New Jersey

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Decent Mexican-American food, really fun atmosphere and decor that transports you to Mexico, solid service and reasonable prices. I agree with another yelper, this is a chain-like restaurant that's better than Chili's. Fun decor, good service and a broad menu make it easy for people to get something they'll like. Perfect for groups and kids. Free parking for patrons in the back. Outdoor seating and really nice fire pit atmosphere outside. My dad loves a bargain and loved this place. They have beer on top and a nice drink menu. read more

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Let me just say up front... this place is a feast for the eyes!! From the door, the decor pops and is vibrant, colorful, energetic and so celebrative. The ambience is so stimulating to look at in every direction... great job with that! The hosting staff is friendly, welcoming, and very attentive. And the food did not disappoint. Equally vibrant and pleasant to the eyes in plating... every dish we had was tasty and size-able. I never take home food... but this time simply couldn't finish my plate. It was great... from the chips and salsa to start, to the last bite... we enjoyed a great family dinner tonight. And the bill didn't hurt either... lol. We'll be back!! read more

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I got the shrimp fajita. It's sitting on top of a mound of onions and peppers. The shrimps were not hot at all. The margarita was pretty good. Our table was sticky. read more

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This is the first time that I have ever written a review of a restaurant but I felt the need to express how terrible the experience at this place was. #1 after sitting down I asked the waitress very politely if they can move us to a different table. Her immediate response to this request was "I don't have time for this today" #2 I was shocked at her response and asked to speak to a manager. The owner came out and really didn't seem to care all that much that a part of her his staff was so incredibly rude. #3 unfortunately we decided to stay because it was a rare night out for me and my wife. We only had a couple of hours without the kids. So we ordered some tacos and I kid you not it was probably the worst food that I have ever had at any restaurant. We both took two bites and could not force ourselves to eat rest. We will never go back to that place again. Terrible service and horrible food. I don't understand why anyone would go there and spend money. read more

We lovvvvvve River & Rail..! It's a Mexican restaurant that actually is cozy and fun. I usually get the steak quesadilla and fries...BEST STEAK QUESADILLA anywhere...BEYOND fresh... But last week I decided to try the combo mini burrito and taco...omg ...SO YUMMY! We have a favorite server....Jessica...if you are lucky enough to get her, I can assure you that you'll get the very best service. She is not only attentive, but she makes you feel like you're visiting her home. In the summer, they have the outdoor patio ...it gets CROWDED....but it's very fun! read more

This place is effing gross. I gagged at first taste of my meal. To start, I was brought out chips with what they called salsa, but it was straight up marina sauce mixed with a little bit of hot sauce. Then I ordered the enchiladas de mole and got what tasted like boiled chicken wrapped in a wet paper towel. No seasoning or flavor at all. Instead of cheese on top, there were little sad cubes of tofu- false advertising and cheap service at its finest. The mole sauce was basically brown water, and the plain yellow bagged rice had more flavor than my entire plate. Honestly I wouldnt feed this sh*t to my dog and this place needs to be shut down. Nasty nasty nasty. read more

River and Rail Cantina - Enchilada? - Mexican Near Me - Cranford, New Jersey

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Went to River and rail recently been going for years . Was good in the past . My latest experience was beyond terrible . Our waiter was terrible messed up our order . The drinks tasted disgusting. We raised it to our waiter and he failed to get a manager . Finally spoke to a manager and the manager gave us attitude . I was shocked and basically told to get out and not come back which we plan not to . Everyone should be aware that you're at the mercy of this manger if you don't like the food service don't expect anything in return . According to him they have plenty other customers read more

They have a great happy hour with half-price margaritas and the bar staff is exemplary. Awesome service and half-price margaritas till 7:00pm with complementary chips and dip. Try the chimichanga too. read more

You walk into this place and it is very inviting and fun. They have great decorations without being too much. The servers are very friendly and attentive. My wife and I had been hankering for some Mexican food, in particular enchiladas. We both ordered the enchiladas banderas. She had pinto beans, I had it with black beans. The enchiladas themselves were good but the beans too me were a bit bland and had a texture that was hard for me to take. I'd come back to try other things but not sure if I'd have the enchiladas again. I saw peoples food coming out and I think I'll try the churasco or shrimp fajitas next time. read more

River and Rail Cantina - Enchiladas Banderas Plato - Mexican Near Me - Cranford, New Jersey

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I'm going to cut to the chase, I think this place is more for a vibe than it is for authentic tex mex food. The complimentary salsa and chips was cool to have but the salsa was was very watery and lacked flavor in my opinion. I had the spicy chipotle chicken tacos. There was a giant pile of jicama slaw on top. I personally wasn't a fan of that but aside from that it was okay. I loved the churros, I feel like you can never go wrong with those. The margaritas were tasty and had a good amount tequila which I appreciate. Pros: - outdoor seating available with nice lighting - good margaritas - outdoor games for children - they're not in a rush to kick you out - at night there's a DJ & turns into kind of a club Cons: - Very packed, even outside. Feels like everybody is on top of each other. - street parking, so finding parking is a little rough - ran out of certain liquors and one of their machines were broken so I couldn't get the drinks I wanted - it's in Cranford and although it's seems like a town favorite, it's not really a diverse crowd. My friend & I definitely stood out. read more

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And the award for the dumbest run business goes to... Seriously, Father's Day. Do you have a drink special? Yes, 2 for 1 but you have to sit at the bar. The bar is 10 feet away. Are children allowed at the bar? No. So the people who are sitting ordering food and spending more money are not privy to the same deal as people sitting at the bar and not ordering food. Got it! Aaaaaaaaand that is why you are half empty for brunch. Well done. I want to see the guy from Bar Rescue rip them a new asshole Side note, food was better than before, but not worth the stupidi read more

River and Rail Cantina - Drunks yes! Families no! Insanely stupid policy. - Mexican Near Me - Cranford, New Jersey

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Great ambience, but unfortunately, food and staff take too long. Also, too many instances of snotty staff. Food is ok.

I wish I could give more stars but everything was bad. It's almost like they went out of their way to give the worst service and food that you could imagine. The sliders were cold, the Margheritas were all sugar, the empanadas were fried with last weeks oil I'm guessing. The service was so slow and they got our order wrong. They didn't bother to fix the bill and tried charging me for things we ordered but never got. They treated us as if we were the problem when we just wanted to get out and never come back. Avoid unless you're on the hunt for the worst dining experience in the state. read more

What a great place for food and drinks so stop looking and just come. There's plenty of seating inside, at the bar, and outside. There is also cornhole and a few other games outside. Decorated nicely inside with a consistent fun theme. There's weekday happy hour too. Drinks are on point. I can't drink margaritas but definitely recommend the mango Mojito. The appetizers are well portioned with a large selection. Pick a couple and you might even have leftovers. The entrée...well they definitely enter the room. They are huge portions all around. Feel free to share and take home. The burrito I got...I could only do less than 1/4 of it. Would recommend the shirt steak with chimichurri sauce. It was cooked perfectly and had great flavor. Came with a large party and a reservation. Restaurant and staff was very nice and accommodating. The staff seems to work well together too. The hostess was even helping out our table at times. Would definitely come back just for drinks any time. Love the area as well. Enjoy this local gem. read more

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Here to let you know not to let this bad reviews deter you from this place. My friends and I had THE BEST experience and our server, PJ, was beyond great! From beginning to end we had a good time. We had a reservation and was seated at the best seat in the house. No waiting around at all. Even though the salsa tasted like marinara, the rest of the food was delicious. Wings were on point and Loud knows I'm finicky about my wings. Overall, a good time. Why I didn't give it 5 stars: It was pricey. You could get comparable food for cheaper. And the Connect Four was broken and there were no giant checkers anywhere to be found. read more

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So me and a friend of mine decided to link up and grab a drink for Cinco de Mayo. I called to make reservations but they said they will not be taking reservations and it's first come, first serve. When we arrived I stood on a short line and asked for a table for 2. The lady told me there was no 2 tops available and only 4 tops. As I was leaving I ran into 2 more friends and told them what was said and we decided to all sit together and was sat right away. They sat us in an area where it was getting a lot of rain so we asked to move. One of the servers let us go to another table. Shortly after we sat two workers told us the table was supposed to be for the owner's guest and looked at us like we were supposed to move. We told them we were told we could sit there. They looked at us and left us alone. Rick was our server and he was the only good thing about the experience. I didn't eat but my first drink was a juice like margarita that I had to replace with a titos and tonic which wasn't good either. The girls also sent their drinks back with the same problem. They ordered food and they wasted most of it because they said it was nasty. Yeah I would say we didn't have a good experience and I won't be back. read more

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I went there yesterday to celebrate one of our coworkers farewell. I had never been here because I had checked reviews before and they were so low, and the fact that there are other Mexican restaurants in the area like La Colina that are so much better. Anyway I ordered one fish taco and two chorizo tacos. And I've eaten at authentic Mexican restaurant and got chorizo tacos many tines before. Well, this place were brown and very small pieces so it look more like ground beef than chorizo and I took a bite. Sure enough it taste nothing like chorizo. I asked the waiter if this was chorizo or beef and he said chorizo and there was just no way that was chorizo.. I wound up switching a taco with my friend that ordered a shrimp taco. I asked her if it was chorizo or beef. She said it was beef. The flavors were not impressive nothing to really say I want to come back here. Save the money and go where they actually serve authentic Mexican tacos like La Cabaña in Elizabeth and it's much cheaper. read more

River and Rail has recently been my local go-to for a casual night out. The ambiance is very cute with lots of seating options indoors and outdoors. I usually sit at the bar with my friends, which is a great way to meet and mingle with new people. The prices are reasonable and their margaritas are delicious - all enough to keep me coming! My friends and I decided to take advantage of their Superbowl specials: half off appetizers and margaritas - what's better than that! We ordered the street corn, Rio Grande nachos, empanadas, and shrimp tacos for the table. We also ordered guacamole to go along with the complimentary chips. The appetizers were honestly mediocre at best - not very flavorful or fresh. The nachos in particular were not great - such a big portion and we barely made a dent between four people. The margaritas were sweeter than usual, but still delicious (and very large)! Definitely a great spot if your looking for a fun environment with good drinks for cheap! This is the first time I tried their food and didn't love it, but maybe just came on an off night for the kitchen. read more

The place is filthy. The service is horrible and the food is gross. Not to mention all the beers are flat margaritas taste like water. Definitely not a good choice. Stay away. read more

The first time I tried the food here, it was bad! That was about 6 years ago. I tried it again twice more recently and the food tastes even worse! I gave it a chance, but it is the Nastiest food you will ever eat! Drinks are mediocre, at best. Place smells like a rotten burrito. Don't understand how it is still in business. Couldn't leave zero stars. Barely deserves the one star. read more

FYI. Happy hour is no longer in the bar area. You must sit at the actual bar. If you sit at the high tops around the bar-You pay full price for drinks . Which is shifty and not cool especially since high tops were happy hour seating the last three times I was here. So we just paid full price for drinks at 3:00 on a Thursday when two other people were at the bar and the rest of the place was empty. read more

From A Taco Stan this place really hit the spot! The service was fantastic and our server was not only kind but also super fun. Thank you Britzy. We both had a frozen margarita and it was a nice size and had the right balance of frozen, tequila, and sweet. We had the poppers appetizer and it was fantastic with the ranch dipping sauce. They were very fresh and well balanced between the bacon, cheese, pepper, and breading. They were also not very spicy so they fit well with a crowd. The mains were also fresh, served hot and fast, and as we ordered. I ate the steak quesadilla which was again crispy, with a large amount of steak and seasoned well and balanced with the cheese. The classics were added to the plate to round it out (quac, crema, and pico). My partner ate the chorizo tacos with black beans and corn tortillas. A healthy serving of sausage and sauces really made the dish. Only notes are I wish they offered a queso or cheese dip. I love chips and queso or a burrito with queso! The salsa was good and had an earthy Chile taste but you could taste a heavy note of tomato. read more

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Pretty standard fair. They are not authentic Mexican food but more like a chain restaurant, maybe a step above a Chili's or Chevy's. Everything I've eaten here was decent but nothing really worth mentioning. I like sitting at the bar for margaritas and appetizers. They usually have specials for margaritas for happy hour and they have a ton of flavors. read more

River and Rail Cantina - Mango margarita and empanada trio - Mexican Near Me - Cranford, New Jersey

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I feel like every time I go to this restaurant, it gets a little worse. A previous experience I ordered fajitas which came out about 10 minutes after ordering and the food was barely warm and not very tasteful. In the past, the food has been a lot better , but the last few times, it hasn't been great at all. Due to the drinks being delicious in the past, I would still go however , this last visit , my margarita was extremely sour, giving me instant heartburn. I sent it back and ordered a flavored one and advised the bartender on how sour it was, in hopes he wouldn't have such a heavy hand on the sour mix. New drink, same results. This restaurant has so much potential to be great again however I am disappointed every time I go. The ambiance is great and The best thing on the menu are the chips and salsa (which are free). read more

Happy Monday Adventurers! I am still on weekend vibes wishing I was kicking back with a margarita and some steak tacos from this place. I order the combo tacos, but I recommend the steak or shrimp overall based on taste. The steak was juicy, but could have been cut smaller since they were a little hard to chew through. The shrimp could have used a little more spices but still pretty good. Come here for the drinks and share a plate since they're huge. Parking can be a pain, we parked over at municipal lot 7 and paid $1.50 for 3 hours. It's within walking distance to the train and the downtown area. Definitely great place to catch up, and will visit once the warmer weather starts. read more

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I've never posted a review in my life, but this restaurant has forced me to alert other non-suspecting customers. Every negative post over the past few years is 100% accurate. Food: bland. They throw big servings, so you think you're getting a deal, but it's just wasted calories. Taco Bell has more flavor. Drinks: Sugary drinks to the point you can't even finish it. I always stuck to beer (unfortunately). Price: Don't care as long as you get quality food. Since they don't meet this criteria, any cost is not worth it. Wait staff: Admittedly, I've had no issues here. The Final Straw: I decided to grab a drink with my wife, son, and two dogs on the outside patio. It was 5 PM on a Tuesday, so the restaurant was dead, and there was only one table outside on the patio. The server saw our dogs and told us that we couldn't be served outside unless they were service dogs. He looked terrified to mention it. I questioned him if this was the owner's choice, but he said that was what he had been told since his first day. I've been to multiple restaurants in Cranford and NJ, where we had our dogs outside. I would be sympathetic if it's a crowded restaurant with tables seated close together and tables turning every 45 minutes. The patio was EMPTY. I'm led to believe the owner hates dogs, which is all I need to know. I will never give another penny to this restaurant again. Go to La Colina a couple of blocks away. They were more than happy to have us outside with our dogs and even brought a water bowl and gave them some friendly pets. Go anywhere else. Stay away at all costs. read more