Very impressed! We had the baked haddock and the sweet potato curry dish. Both were excellent though the fish presentation could have been better. Just a plain hunk of white haddock. It was delicious with the soy sauce but maybe throw some spices or parsley on it? Would definitely go back. read more

$38 for scallop curry and very few scallops for the upcharge but flavor profile was good, like an earthy thick green curry. Wasn't expecting book choi. For the money I wouldn't get it again, salty but decent! Views on patio are very nice. I'm sure their other dishes are good and I might return. read more

This restaurant just opened a few short months ago and it is always a gamble to try a restaurant that's just opened. Normally they need several months to work out all the kinks but not this place... I had heard mixed reviews , however I needed to try it for myself and was more than pleasantly surprised. Our server was Brianna. Very friendly and knowledgeable. Our food was absolutely delicious. And the atmosphere was very lovely. We did not get a chance to sit in the outside bar, but there was plenty of people enjoying themselves. Prices were reasonable. Parking was in abundance. Check out this place if you happen to be in the neighborhood. read more

River Bar - Grilled chicken sandwich - Bars Near Me - Westerly, Rhode Island

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Stopped into the restaurant to check out the new vibe, renovations and menu they have and was excited the moment I walked in. when you first walk in you can see the first bar....it's more open and bright now. Everyone was friendly and excited to be there (even those who worked here before). I came in after the kitchen closed (after 9pm) so I wasn't able to eat, but the menu is well rounded and I can't wait to come back! We spoke to Bo who was really friendly and has been working hard to get everything up and running! read more

River Bar - Food menu - Bars Near Me - Westerly, Rhode Island

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Wonderfully fresh seafood. Solid service you can't go wrong on a beautiful summer's day sitting outside on the porch overlooking the water.

Nice atmosphere. Bright and lively. Service was good. Food was mediocre and a little overpriced. Wine list is limited and needs improvement.

Great cocktails, attentive and professional service, and one of the best meals I've had this year. The restaurant is newly opened/renovated and feels as comfortable and welcoming as any mainstay. Cannot wait to visit again and try the rest of the menu. Highlights from our first visit were the steak w blue cheese butter, fish and chips, tuna tostada and calamari. read more

River Bar - Calamari - Bars Near Me - Westerly, Rhode Island

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My overall review can be summed up as: Get the drinks, get the raw bar, and get the heck out of there. Here's the thing. I wanted to like this place so bad and I never leave reviews, but I want this place to improve so I felt the urge to say something. I use to go to Bridge a bunch and figured my girlfriend and I would give River Bar a try. Our server was perfectly fine and pleasant, so ultimately no complaints on the service. We got four alcohol drinks and they were to die for. The raw bar is a given because its sourced locally. The main issue is the cooked food. If you notice most of the positive reviews already written are ones that say "we didn't get to try the food but the drinks were great!". This is unfortunately where River Bar takes a huge hit. We got the New England clam chowder, and I'm not exaggerating when I say this, it was the worst clam chowder I have ever seen and tasted. It's almost like the chef has never even tasted clam chowder before or know what it looks like. The consistency was that of a watery mess and the taste was way off any standard chowder. With so many places around with amazing chowder, you gotta at least get that New England style chowder to be creamy even if its not amazing. The calamari was okay at best, but again there are so many places around town that serve it that are way beyond the quality of River Bar, that you feel you aren't getting your moneys worth. With my dinner i figured "how hard could it be to screw up a burger"...welp even after shelling out $21 I didn't even get a toasted bun lmao AND the fries were both cold and burnt at the same time? Make that make sense. Chef put a raw bun on a plate and cold burnt fries and said "here you go, that'll be the cost of 6 gallons of gas" and for $21?? You know? If the burger was $10 I might be able to let that slide, but for what's described as a premium burger it's gotta be at least half as good as something a random dude at a grill party would make. Lastly, my girlfriend got the linguini and clams. Oh boy, whats up guys? How can you mess up pasta? Legitimately. Bread crumbs or some sort of super overpowered grainy texture landed on that dish, all the clams were at the bottom, and even the pasta texture felt off. I'd even be willing to forgive the clam scavenger hunt if the texture and taste wasn't so awful. If you're next to Italian restaurants and you want to serve pasta, at least be somewhat willing to compete with them. Overall, I really want this place to be good because it's location is so awesome. There's some redeeming qualities in many things that aren't food here, but when you're in a town with such great food, you gotta come out the kitchen with better food than this, especially at the price point. It feels like the owner has not sat down and actually had a meal at this place. If that person did so, I think they would be appalled at what was coming out of the kitchen. Although, they'd have to do so without the staff knowing somehow because there may be a bias if the owner is around haha. Also want to note, I'm not the only couple, I've talked around about this place with a few people and not a single person had legitimately good food here. Please River Bar, do something to improve the meals here. I'd love to come back, but in it's current state money is better spent elsewhere. read more

Food doesn't look appetizing, and it doesn't taste great either. Drinks are meh. Service is alright I guess. The decor and location are nice. read more

Amazing first time at River Bar! First of all, the place is just gorgeous with amazing attention to detail. Server was super friendly and knowledgable on the eclectic wine list. Had my first Rose/Barbera, was delicious. Our meals came out fairly quickly for a newly open restaurant. Plates were as beautiful to look at as they were to taste! You can't go wrong with the mushroom poke bowl which I added Tuna, YUMMM! Friends had the Grilled chicken and miso mushroom sandies, both raved about them. Fries were crispy and deliciously seasoned. Finished with the Chefs Campari Cake, OMG amazing! Can't wait to return for the Linguini & Clams! read more

Great meal & beverages at The River Bar. Roasted chicken dish was outstanding, loved the Cornbread and scallops were delicious. Specialty cocktail "Vewy Veey Quiet" was outstanding. Highly recommend read more

The River Bar was certainly a great spot to sit on the patio and dine! The Tuna Poke bowl was excellent! The only criticism would be plastic drink cups and no red wine served on the patio. Waitress wasn't sure why! read more

Beautiful atmosphere ... However, took forever to get our food! The Cobb salad had an egg soaked in soy Did not care for the salad at all Croutons too salty The other three liked their dinners, but French fries way too salty ! read more

The food and service were very good. The ambience left something to be desired. We ate in the bar, and the hip hop music playing was a little much. should've been more in tuned to what the clientele wished. We will try it once more to see if we like it better. read more

The food was thoughtful and delicious! Breading and sauce on the calamari made it awesome. Burger had amazing flavor and fries were delicious. Highly recommend!! read more

Dinner yesterday began with some nice oysters, but things quickly went downhill after that. Two of us ordered the linguine with clams, which was simply weird: chopped up, tasteless clams (they should be whole), overcooked pasta, overwhelming amounts of lemon juice (and perhaps lemon zest), soggy breadcrumbs. I left 3/4 of the dish uneaten. I explained my disappointment to the server, who nodded, as if to say "I've heard this before." Another member of my group had a mushroom burger that he pronounced "OK," but the accompanying fries were limp and soggy. The server had touted the tomato salad; the tomatoes were juicy but tasteless, and the parmesan shaved on top had seen better days. We skipped dessert. I'm a big fan of Nana's, but the River Bar needs to up its game before I'll return. And what, btw, can possibly warrant the comment "This review is looking pretty epic! Nice!" read more

The corn bread was delicious, our waitress Nell was pleasant and attentive, but avoid the Lobster Lettuce Wraps. We paid $17 for only 1 tablespoon of lobster on a mound of cabbage and lettuce. For those prices they should have put more lobster in the dish. read more

Up here visiting Someone in stonington, ct, my two friends had dinner here the other day and liked it so much , so I took them there again for dinner on this past Monday night, Sarah the waitress was very accommodating and all the food was quite good .I live in the ny area and found this restaurant js only 6 months old . So please support this local business and I'm sure things will perk up for them when people can sit outside near the water in nice weather and enjoy their food & cocktails . Evan, Rockland County, NY? read more

This could be a fabulous restaurant. The location is great and the redo was very much needed but the food was very mediocre. The ceasar was very salty, the calamari wasn't hot (even though we sent it back), the croutons were burnt on the Cobb salad and the fish burrito was tasty but overly stuffed with rice (more fish instead). Have a talk with the chef ...reduce the salt in everything!! Sorry, I was really hoping for a better experience! read more

The food wasn't that offensive, it just wasn't good. Have been looking forward to visiting since this place opened up about a year ago and our 29th anniversary seemed like the perfect occasion. We were definitely disappointed. We made reservations, and the hostess led us past the bar on the right to a room in the back with huge windows and - so hoping for a nice view. Unfortunately as soon as got past the bar we were smacked in the face with the smell of old fish. I'm a lifelong resident of the ocean state and lived in the fishing village of Galilee for many years. So this wasn't a "fishy" smell from fresh fish, it was definitely a fish well past its prime smell. Once seated the view was that of a bank and a theee story tenement. Seating too low or windows too high to see the river. So between the smell and view, ambiance was 1 out of 5. Had been looking forward to sampling fresh oysters but not willing to risk illness given dubious food handling practices as evidenced by the smell so we settled for Old Bay Roasted Oysters- they were decent. We tried the sourdough bread plate with blue cheese butter and clearly this bread had been baked, and the. Rebaked to warm it up resulting in a crust that was overdone and dry too far into the loaf. The blue cheese butter lacked balance and would have benefit by some honey to offset the saltiness of the cheese. We both had the fish and chips figuring that was our safest bet but the fries had that overdone flavor and the fish batter was greasy. The coleslaw lacked seasoning. Given the price point I truly expected much better from this place. I'm okay with a clam shack, just not when it pretends to be elevated. I will say the service was amazing and our waitress clearly felt bad about the situation. We were offered a free dessert but honestly, after eating the rest of the food, no thank you. River Bar you could be so much more and if you are a BEST new restaurant in the country we are all in trouble. read more

delicious and fresh..highly recommended, sourced locally. I will definitely be back. Thank you Aaron read more

River Bar - hot buttered lobster roll..fresh and delicious - Bars Near Me - Westerly, Rhode Island

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This has become one of our favorite dining spots in Rhode Island. The food and service are outstanding. We love to sit at the bar on a Sunday evening and chat with Zach and Gabrielle. They are so kind and take great care of their customers. The sweet potato curry with scallops or tuna are to die for. My husband loves the fish burrito which is vibrant and surprisingly light. Ingredients are super fresh and the kitchen staff clearly cares about the satisfaction of their patrons. Cocktails are unique, especially the Red Handed. We've heard it's beet-forward so you must like beets. I love beets but disagree with it being beet forward. I think anyone who enjoys a tequila based drink would LOVE this - it's really tasty. We can't wait to return. read more

I was generous giving 3 stars because of location and effort made by restaurant staff. I went to dinner with 10 woman and was seated in the back room. The acoustics were terrible. The noise level in the room gave several women headaches. You could not hear or speak. The servers were delightful and trying to be as attentive as they could be. The haddock came out raw for one woman and barely warm for 5 others. The raw one was removed immediately with apologies but the replacement came as others were getting dessert. The other 5 were warmed up and returned but not hot. I had the white sweet potato curry which was hot and absolutely delicious but eating with all that noise wasn't enjoyable. The seasonal vegetables are lettuce on the side which is quite misleading. The management did try to rectify the dinners by providing dessert on the house. Another recommendation would be to add pocketbook hooks on the tables and in the ladies room. The River Bar has new ownership and is in a learning curve so I'm confident things will improve. The outdoor seating and transient dock have always been the star to this location. read more

The steak was delicious and Jared was the best server.and we loved his hair. The vibe made it feel like it was a bar in the river.

TL/DR this is a great upgrade over Bridge and it feels like they are intent on keeping the quality high. This spot right on the river deserves this kind of operation. The owners are the Nana's group and River Bar has a similar style. Good ingredients, prepared well. A lean toward farm-table, fresh, local, and maybe a bit hipster-ish but not in a bad way. Two visits to their happy hour were excellent with perfectly shucked Ninigret Nectar's for a buck fifty, a few tasty small plates, and good drink specials. Dinner is enjoyable, but be aware that the service is a bit "relaxed" so if you are in a hurry let them know. Their staff is good but this is not constant-contact fine dining. Our table had the large burger, the seafood risotto, and the roasted chicken. All were very good. The menu is seafood focused but they do a good job with everything. I can see this being a regular stop for high quality casual dining. read more

Recently renovated, the former Bridge Restaurant is vibrant and beautiful along the banks of the Pawcatuck River. A rich warmth exudes the space in every corner. The Calamari, Clam Cakes (more like fritters), Miso Portobello Mushroom sandwich, Miso Oven Baked Haddock and Extra Virgin Olive Oil Campari Cake were the clear winners. Excellent selection of draft beers, and the El Mangito cocktail was top draw. Opened just two weeks ago, I expect it will only get better. The outdoor seating coming soon will be extra cool. read more

I've been excited for months to see this spot open back up under new ownership... so it pains me to say that my dinner experience there during opening weekend was extremely disappointing. I'm willing to give a lot of grace about the bad service (opening weekend and all). But the food itself was really mediocre! The "market salad" consisted of overdressed lettuce and bizarrely thick-cut pieces of basic vegetables (someone literally just quartered a 6-inch zucchini lengthwise and threw it in there...). The description of the baked scallops dish said that it included a side of "seasonal vegetables," which turned out to just be the exact same thing as market salad that I had already ordered, just with different dressing! (At the very least, our waiter should have mentioned that to us when we ordered.) I live in Westerly and I love our up-and-coming restaurant scene, but River Bar really needs some work... I really hope this place steps up its game so that I can update my review. read more

Ok... they just opened up. I get it. First we were ignored by our waiter. She was shooting the beeeze with a customer with her back to the rest of the room. Many other staff walking past us several times, never making eye contact or asking if we've been helped, including the manager. Many staff standing around. Finally flagged down a staff member and asked to speak to manager. She came over., took our order and apologized. Even comped first round of drinks for the service issue. The RI clam chowder hardly has a clam in it. Very little flavor. Weak. Don't order The clam cakes were terrible! They basically had been deep fried previously and were microwaved to reheat. They were like soft rubbery sponges. AWFUL!!!! Not a place I'd return to. read more

Food and service. Ambience was terrific. I had a wagyu burger and it was totally tasteless and tough. my husband had fish and chips and the fish batter was very greasy read more

Good food, pretty design on the inside. Reasonable price. Great location on the river

Atmosphere is pretty much same as the former Bridge...great outdoor dining area. Food was good...lobster roll & fish burrito. First time I have dined at a bar, and could not get a bloody mary...this was a Sunday afternoon, and I was simply told by the bartender that there was no bloody mary mix?? I didn't ask, but there is a main bar inside, and I assumed you couldn't get a bloody mary there either? My wife and I eat out a lot, and have over the last 40 years...never ran into a bartender who could not make a bloody mary. read more

My husband and I met our son & daughter in law for a lovey dinner on the patio. It was nice and quiet with a slight breeze. Our server Sarah, greeted us with a smile and was a delight the entire evening. We started with a large square of corn bread, topped with hot honey butter, and shared between four of us. I had the lobster roll with cabbage slaw, which was amazing. The others had Caesar Salad, best ever, hanger steak and the deluxe burgers with fries. Which by the evidence of the empty plates, I would say they loved their burgers. We had a lovely time on the patio, and left with a satisfied stomach, a smile on our face and felt like we have our new favorite restaurant. . . just wish they hadn't run out of the fudge brownie. (it's to die for) read more

I know this place is new, but I wanted it to be better. They did an amazing job renovating it, it is very beautiful inside and very inviting. My husband and I sat on the outdoor patio along the Pawcatuck river. We both ordered a drink and appetizers of the clam chowder and corn bread. The clam chowder tasted like chicken soup. The cornbread came out as a big thick piece that looked like cake with a big dollop of honey butter on top. Both were fair. When dinner came we ordered the steak special and nachos special. Again both were fair but not worth the money. I'm hoping with time this place gets better. It has a great atmosphere and great location. read more

I ate there in July 14, 2024 and the food was not good. i had the Spicy Jerked smoked fish dip and could not taste the fish, only lemon flavor. Was not good! had the Nana sourdough plate and the bread was so hard you could've broken a tooth. The linguini and clams came with 2 tiny clams. Sent it back to get more clams and came back with maybe 2 more tiny clams. Not worth it!! read more

We had a good waitress who was very attentive, and the watermelon margarita was great! After that things went downhill. After we placed our entree orders the waitress came back to tell us the kitchen was out of chicken. Not sure how that happened by 12:30 on a Saturday. Two of us changed our orders to burgers. The food was slow to come out and the waitress apologized and said the kitchen was backed up. Finally the food arrived. The burgers were overcooked, dry and not hot. Fries were cold. The ceviche was lacking flavor. Fish and chips were ok. Very disappointing lunch overall as we love Nanas and were excited to try the River Bar for a family birthday lunch. Hope they will improve over time because they've got a great location. read more

Was nice inside. The waitstaff were wonderful. I had the fried scallops, that were very good. The salad that came with it huge chunks of carrots, and radishes that were cut in quarter, it was hard to eat. My husband had the calamari, chowder and clamcakes. I tried the clamcakes, but didn't care for the lemon taste. I think they had just opened, and need a little time to adjust. read more

The waitstaff at the bar was amazing. They have improved the look of the inside of the restaurant. The haddock dish had good flavor but I prefer cod. And why no Chardonnay? read more

Total train wreck from start to finish. Waited forever for everything- food and drinks. Server had no idea what was going on at our table. No one knew how to use the computers- waited forever for check at bar and then again at table. We sat at bar for a good 10 min before bartender even looked up and acknowledged us- prob another 15 minutes after that before drink in hand. Manager never came to table. They butchered the decor of what used to be a beautiful bar. Bring back up river cafe, please. read more

came here June 9th- calamari was cold. manager was quite friendly. didn't like that all the servers were either underage or seemed very young like if I'm gonna spend the amount I had to on dinner I don't want a child waiting on me that doesn't even understand what drink I'm ordering. we got two burgers n a salad. the burgers were nice honestly tasted like a cookout burger in a good way and I was happy w the fries, thought they were better than the engine room's. the salad was underwhelming and expensive. our server tried to take our plates at least 4 times while we were still eating? kind of annoying. alright, there's other good restaurants around so I don't think we'll be going back read more

Had the BEST time with two friends for a birthday dinner. The host was warm and welcoming, the newly renovated and decorated space is open and bright and absolutely gorgeous. We sat in the bar area and had lovely views of the river. Our server answered all my questions about their wine list and was knowledgeable and attentive. Get the Mangito if you like Mezcal, it was so good! The lobster lettuce wraps were delightful, and my entree of the Miso Haddock had so much flavor and was cooked perfectly - I was impressed. Honestly there were so many other things I wanted to order so I can't wait to go back for a date night. We are so lucky to have this new restaurant in town. This location has needed something like this for a long time - lucky us! It's going to be a tasty and lovely summer with the River Bar in Westerly. Looking forward to having some oysters and a glass of wine on the patio. Cheers and congrats to the entire team over there! read more