Love LOVE LOVE!!! Their food is delicious, I haven't ordered anything I didn't like. I have tried their salads (nice big portions you can split between several people), their chicken tenders are great and the honey mustard sauce is sweet and tastes home made. My husband always gets the Big Boy Burger with bacon on it, and we have had the spicy chicken tacos several times. The calamari, french dip sandwich and side of asparagus..all have been good. Basically we have never had a bad experience. read more

So I heard about this place from an article saying that after trying lots of mac and cheese dishes all over NJ, that the River Grille in Chatham served the best. My sister and I really enjoy mac n cheese so we ventured out to try it. I also read from other reviews that this place has good wings and burgers so we ordered those too. When we first arrived, it's a bit confusing where to enter because there's the main entrance and a side door. I was afraid that the side door would open into the main dining area and all the guests would stare and i would be embarrassed. :P So, I opted for the main entrance but when we got inside there was no one there to greet us and direct us where to wait/sit. I understand the place is like a hole in the wall and casual so I'm not going to complain about this. I'm just telling you so you know what to expect when you go. Plus, I didn't have a bad experience, I just walked into the restaurant and looked for a spot where we could wait. We were going to sit at the bar to wait but since my sister isn't 21 yet, they did not allow us to wait there. We got the white truffle mac n cheese, classic wings, and the big boy burger with fries on the side. The mac n cheese came out hot and the cheese was oozing and plentiful which is good but i didn't like that there was excessive oil and that the sauce was not sticking to the macaroni. I appreciated the flavors (of all the ingredients and i normally am not a huge fan of mushrooms but they made it work here) and the bountiful sauce, but i was not impressed. It was an okay bowl of mac n cheese. The classic wings came out warm. The flavor was good. I didn't like that the meat did not fall off the bone! But for the most part, the meat was juicy. Above average wings! The big boy burger was the star of the meal. I got it cooked medium. The burger was so big and delicious! It was difficult to eat it like a lady but who cares? It was the last dish I ordered and I still thought it was the best of all three. The fries were almost perfect. They were hot, had a great crunch on the outside, and still had the fluffy potato texture on the inside. If you want to see the food and environment for yourself, feel free to watch my video review! read more

The only problem with the place is leaving the parking lot. They have a good selection of craft beer which is constantly rotating. The food is good and the portions are huge. read more

Great little neighborhood dive bar. It's usually pretty crowded and lively and is a cool place to catch a football game. There seem to be a lot of regulars that sit around the bar and interact with the bartenders. It's a fun place to people-watch. Food is pretty good, too. The wine pours are really generous and they have a pretty decent beer list. No complaints from this gal. read more

Came here solo and had dinner and a beer at the bar. Local brewed Carton IDIPA was great. New England Clam Chowder was very good although not as hot as I like my soup. The cheese steak sandwich was delicious although I should have asked for some veggies on the side instead of the fries that came with it. All in all, a good meal in a comfortable social setting. Good chance I will be back! read more

Don't judge a book by cover! Inside the food rocks! I had a jalapeño bacon cheeseburger cooked to perfection & the fries were second to none! Very good beer selection too! I will go back again! read more

River Grille - See my review! - American Near Me - Chatham, New Jersey

I must write a negative review for one of our favorite local taverns. My family and I stopped in for lunch on a Saturday afternoon. When the waiter came to take drink orders we all decided to start with water before our meal. Our water came to the table in plastic cups filled with ice water and a carafe of cold water for refills. We were about to drink the water, but noticed specs of food or something else floating in each cup. We called our waiter over and he immediately cleared all of the water from the table and returned a short time later with clear pilsner beer glasses of ice water and another carafe of cold water. This time there were larger slimmy looking things floating in all of our glasses and the carafe. We called another waitress over, one we knew from our previous visits, and asked to chat with management about the water. She cleared the water from our table again and said that no managers were in the tavern at that time. We asked if they served water in a sealed bottle and she said they did, and returned a few minutes later with cold bottled waters. We thanked her and considered walking out over what we'd seen. But being super hungry, and having had previous good meals, we stayed and ate. The food came out quickly and was as good as usual. But everyone had a bad taste from the water experience, making hard to enjoy our meal. We know that the restaurant business is tough, and that they can live and die on the smallest of details. But serving water that has "floaters" on the second attempt shows a complete lack of concern for the customer's health and welfare. Sadly, it is likely that this failure is also taking place in the kitchen environment too. We won't be back. read more

Good food! Can be a bit pricey, but the food is always top notch. Burgers are great and they have delcious pasta dish. Nice place to grab a burger and beer. read more

We really loved everything about this place. From the perfect pub style hanger steak to great semi-local beers on tap and friendly service, this crew knocked it out of the park! Will definitely be visiting again and will recommend. Cheers. read more

Went here last night for a late dinner and to watch the game. Both the bar area and the doing area have good views of the TVs. We shared the mandarin oriental salad and the cheeseburger sliders. Both were good although it was 5$ to add chicken to the salad which I thought was a little steep! The sliders were cooked nicely but a tad salty. The table next to us ordered the Mac and cheese which looked and smelled heavenly! Def getting that next time. Oh and the fries were soo good! They have a good selection of beer as well and live music at the bar (can get very loud at times). Pretty crowded with a stream of people coming in and out all night. Overall, cute bar and restaurant that is cozy and lively! read more

Almost every aspect of our experience at the River Grille was spectacular. Not only is the restaurant kid-friendly, with lots of delicious kid entrees to choose from, but the adult menu was spectacular as well. There is a bar area separate from the dining area where we ate. The waitress was friendly and super knowledgable about the menu. We ordered the white truffle macaroni and cheese, which we all devoured (especially my two-year-old) and two burgers. I got the Big Boy and my husband got the jalapeño one. Both were amazing and cooked perfectly medium, just as we requested. The fries were crispy on the outside and seasoned to perfection. We will definitely be back. read more

River Grille - The big boy burger with sweet potato fries. - American Near Me - Chatham, New Jersey

It is great!!! Food the ambiance; it not just a bar, there are tables and families go, Right now there are 4 families with toddlers to teenagers, the TVs are tuned to the college games the bartender is busy and I can tell that this place is just good read more

Best bar in town for good food, cold beer and a great crowd. Try the Buffalo chicken dip, awesome!!

c'mon guys, bring back real glasses. Serving $9 beers and $15 glasses of wine in flimsy plastic cups is truly insulting. Am I at a fireman's carnival? And please dont try to blame covid... your silverware is still metal and your napkins are still cloth. Haven't been to another restaurant during covid that serves plastic cups. Pretty cheap and cheesy. read more

A special shoutout to Dave the bartender. He was so knowledgeable about the local beers ( FUNK), and delicious red wine,(Aquila's). Thank you dear Dave for Puttin the FUN in Funk! read more

Food is bar food done really well with a few elevated items. Fun atmosphere, but still good with kids if go early enough. Love the catfish sandwich. read more

Excellent classic dive bar with great food. Extensive beer menu as well as wonderful food options. Location and parking would be only issue. Place is hard to find. Industrial side street bit worth the search! read more

Second time I have gone and the wings were served cold. I'm not one to complain, I like this place. But for it to happen twice something is wrong in the kitchen. I don't know if they precooked the wings and then didn't heat them up all the way when served. I told the waitress and she just shrugged her shoulders. I will go back because I like the place, but just an F.Y.I. if management sees this. Thank you. read more

OK went here on a friends review. He raved about the chicken buffalo dip. So after my Grandkids tennis lessons in Chatham we decided to try this place. Well it is a bar, which is ok. I love bar food. Its more a 3.75 star. I loved my grandkids pretzel dip. Tasted like the insides of a deep-fried Jalapeño popper, was awesome. I got the calamari which was tender but soggy. Then opted for the Mango Habanero wings, I think they forgot to put the sauce on, they were very dried out. But really no sauce. My husband had the sliders which were good and the fries were also good. So onto the buffalo dip... humm I thought it was OK. Nothing to bring me back. But hey for football season they will kill it. best of luck to you. read more

A great place to stop in for food and drinks. We got spinach and artichoke dip, an order of fries, and a blue burger. Great food, nice portions. read more

Went for the first time last night and waited about 40 minutes for a table which is fine, it was very crowded you can't really move in this place it's more like a local bar . What is very rude is that after sitting there for a few more mins finishing our conversation the hostess came over and asked us to get up because people were waiting for a table !!! Maybe if we were sitting there for a long time sure we get it but we had just paid and after all we waited 40 mins to get a table ourselves !!!! You don't ask anyone to get up like that !! So after that experience I don't recommend this place they want you in and out . read more

Huge fan of River Grille. I've never had any issues when I go there to eat. Food is always on point & their French onion soup is to die for. The only negative comment I have is that they need a bigger dining room other than that great bar to either go for a drink or sit down to eat. read more

Went there for a drink and some pre dinner appetizers. The wings were good but the place was very very full and needed some extra help. Overall I would go back and try the full deal meal. Parking is tuff but on street parking is available. read more

The outside doesn't do it justice. Great American bar food and the house wines were affordable and very tasty. Great portion sizes! Had enough leftover for another meal! Quick and friendly service. read more

I had a great meal for lunch ! Awesome steak and burgers excellent service very happy! Nice bar service and occasional bands

Disappointed. I called this place early in the day and asked for reservations only to be told that they don't take reservations. Later that evening I make the trip out and am told that they're "booked for the night." Help me understand the situation here - do you or don't you take reservations? Not a good way to treat your customers. read more

Went with friends and we ordered half the menu. Seriously good beer and good food. Service was friendly and the vibe super comfortable. The wings, mussels, shrimp poboy, seared ahi tuna, and sliders were all delicious. Can't wait to go back! read more

This is our first time here. We have lived in the area for 30 years. The mussels were so great! Cheesy garlic bread on the side for dipping. The drinks were good and service prompt. read more

River Grille - Mussels in white sauce - American Near Me - Chatham, New Jersey

If you're looking for a dive type of vibe with out of this world food, River Grille might be your spot. The burgers are unreal, the wing selection is 2nd to none around the area with 10+ different sauces. I tried last night the spicy chicken tacos appetizer, which was more than enough as a main dish. Left my mouth on fire but wanting more. I'd highly recommend checking out this place. read more

Okay, here'es the deal. I've been to this place a million and a half times, only for the drinks, never for the food. I've known it since I was a kid and it was called "Flynn's Tavern." It was the kind of place your parents and teachers told you not to go to when you get older because some guy got killed there in a bar fight, so obviously, that puts it into a bad perspective for me. Then, by the time I was of drinking age, it was the "Towne Taverne" or something like that with excessive e's in the name that didn't nearly live up to its classy title; it was a dive bar. A really crappy dive bar that we only went to because it had cheap beer. The performances there were bad, the people there were creepy, old, and sad, and the bathroom was a war zone in which there was unlikely chance of survival. Then, it became the River Grille. I didn't even notice the change in name or ownership at first. My friends and I were just going to get some cheap beer out of desperation and a need to leave our parents' basements, but we walked in and it was just... different. There were table cloths and glasses on the tables in the dining room, as if someone would actually EAT there, and the bar was fairly clean. The performance going on was not some belligerently drunk man with a guitar (as it had been a few times before), but instead a three piece band that played some okay covers, albeit kind of poorly as most cover bands do. It was actually kind of put together. Most importantly, the bathroom was totally renovated. Hell, I would even say it's pretty. So my friends and I are thinking, "Okay, so someone did the old Town Tav up a little bit, and now they can jack up the drink prices." Nope. Same great, low prices as before. We were intrigued, but wary. After all, a lot of the bar patrons looked like the weird old people who frequented the Towne Tavern, but maybe not as old. And everyone was a little bit happier. After that, my friends and I went back multiple times, wondering if things would go downhill, but the River Grille has been a consistently good time. We LOVE to hit up karaoke night on Wednesdays... and I may have done a slightly intoxicated version of Under Pressure by Queen and David Bowie with a friend of mine. We've gotten to know a couple of the bartenders, and they're super nice. I spent my 23rd birthday there this past November, and the bartender made hilarious drink recommendations to me and my friends, AND he bought me a birthday shot at the end of the night. Other bartenders have also given us free drinks when they felt they weren't attentive enough to us or if they forgot our order. That's treatment that you can't get in bigger, busier bars. The only reason this place is getting 4 stars and not 5 is because the crowd is still a little old for my taste, and some of the regulars tend to choose really bad songs on the jukebox (No, I do not want to hear Holy Diver again, dude), but I'm all for freedom of music choice, and I firmly believe that if you bring a good group of people to this place, you're gonna have a good time. Especially on Wednesday. I can't wait for the next time I go with my buddies, and I hope to try the food there someday. I hear it's awesome! read more

Wings are excellent! Especially Hans' Hot Sauce. I've never had a bad meal or bad service.

Service is amazing, the owner is tone deaf and an idiot. Ding a ling comes to mind when I think of her.

As many have noted , for years this was a dive bar in an industrial section of Chatham near Summit.It's now turned into a credible restaurant with a good selection of beer.I had a well executed chicken mozzarella sandwich with good onion rings.The portions are huge and if you're with someone else you might want to split the sandwich - and it's not like me to say that, I'm not as dainty eater. My wife took half of hers home.Everything was good and service was efficient.I will voice one of my favorite complaints , the music is too loud , not ear splitting but louder than you need.It's good to be able to hear. read more

Since moving to Berkeley Heights, I drive home past the River Grille most nights and it always looks crowded so I added it to my list. Be warned, this place is SMALL, I mean SMALL. One Saturday evening around 6:30PM I stopped in on a whim with my husband and the wait was an hour, not to mention zero space at the bar so we took a rain check. I came back a few weeks later and the wait was 20 minutes so we toughed it out. We were seated at a tiny table in the upstairs way in the back - a guy at the table next to ours needed to get up for me to get to my seat and joked that he hoped I didn't have to use the bathroom because he wasn't getting up again (ooookay). Our waitress was no-nonsense and a bit rough around the edges (covered in tattoos in her 50-60's) but I loved her. The food was all great despite feeling a bit overpriced. I've since been back with my sister and we opted for a table in the bar area - be warned, these tables are also part of the wait list. This time I really enjoyed the food and thought it was worth the price - the scallops over the cheddar jalapeno grits were out of this world! We also enjoyed the BLT salad and the bruschetta (although the mozz wasn't as fresh as the first go around). Can't wait to come back during the spring/summer to check out the patio in the back! read more

i won't be back. I went in for a late lunch. I was seated in the bar area. They were very few tables seated so they were not busy. I looked at the menu, made my choice, answered several emails and texts. I realized I had been sitting there for 10-15 minutes without any staff members approaching me. I looked around and saw 2 waitstaff and a bar tender chatting. I couldn't get anyone's attention so I got up and left and went and had a delicious lunch at Rosalitas in Summit. read more

I love River Grille! The place is always packed, and for good reason! It's very casual and very delicious. Their salads are huge and the sandwiches and fries amazing! They have a nice beer and wine selection and the servers are all very nice. Bar is very crowded; we've only ever sat at the bar waiting for a table but have always had nice time while doing so. People at bar are relaxed, friendly and you can expect to have a nice conversation, Very friendly crowd. read more

This is the second time I've been to River Grille. The food is good if you are craving reasonably priced bar food, with some more upscale options (salads and pastas etc.). They also have an average amount of beers on tap and some TVs set up to watch the game. The entire seating arrangement and service is terrible. When you walk in , you have to walk through the dining area to find the hostess. If there is no hostess there (which there usually isn't), a server will direct you to a table. A server pointed at a dirty table, and told us to sit there. She did not walk us over with menus or even make sure was clean. Took us about 10 mins to get someone to clean the table and give us menus. Our server was nice enough but seemed frazzled, she began walking away while we were still talking to her several times. Would consider returning if they improve their service/ FOH structure. read more

I've know about this place for a while, seen the great reviews, wanted to get here, etc., etc. Well, I finally had the chance to give this place a try. I'm glad I went here - this place was pretty awesome. Their menu is great - they have a ton of apps that I love. Buffalo wings, buffalo chicken dip (first time I've ever seen a restaurant sell this) and NJ's best mac and cheese (according to the Star Ledger which I trust). I saw them bring out a couple crocks of the mac and cheese and I'm definitely getting it on my next visit. It's cooked with ham and bacon - that sounds pretty freaking amazing. This place is in a weird spot of Chatham. It's almost in like an industrial park. I didn't realize Chatham had spots like this. There's not much of a parking lot, so you may have to grab a spot on the street. We were lucky enough to get a spot in the lot. River Grille is basically a house converted into a restaurant. We entered in the front and you walk right into the bar - not exactly sure where the hostess table is. You walk up a few stairs from the bar into the dining area. There are probably only about 8 tables or so. You could easily have to wait for a table here - we came in past 8 o'clock on a Friday night and still had to wait about 5 minutes for a table. Since we had to wait, we grabbed a couple of stools at the bar. They have a great beer selection. I'd say at least 16 or so beers on tap...and they had Sam Adams Octoberfest so props to them. Beer's were reasonably priced at about $4-5 a pop. We ordered our drinks at the bar and the table was ready very quickly. It's not a fancy place, by any means. If anything, it's more on the dive side which I love. I'd read about the wings in some of the reviews so we decided on the wings over the mac and cheese or buffalo chicken dip. They offer you a ton of ways to have the wings prepared, but being a buffalo wing purist, we decided on the classic buffalo. Wings were served pretty quickly and they give you a full dozen, which is a very nice touch. The wings aren't anything spectacular but they are very good. Let me explain: I prefer a "breaded" buffalo wing. These are served with no breading but they were very meaty and had a ton of sauce which gave them a nice zing. Blue cheese also wasn't anything over the top - it was your pretty standard blue cheese dressing. But, between the meatiness of the wings and the loaded on buffalo sauce, they were definitely better than your average wing. I would order again, but like I said before, I'll probably get the mac and cheese for an app on my next visit. I went with the Bacon Jalapeno Ranch burger and my went with the cheeseburger sliders. Instead of ranch dressing, I substituted BBQ sauce. It's also a 10 ounce burger which is bigger than the majority of burgers other restaurants serve. The burger was easily the best part of the meal. It was huge, very well put together, cooked almost perfectly and incredibly messy but in a good way. I had trouble finishing the burger...and I have a huge appetite. It's definitely one of the better burgers that I've had in a really long time. My wife's sliders were also awesome. She was actually asked how she wanted them cooked which is a change for sliders. They were great and they were even served on these incredibly fresh ciabatta type rolls. The only knock I have on the burger order (not the burger itself) is the french fries they serve. They're those extra crispy type of fries and I really don't care for them too much. A lot of restaurants serve that style of fry, but I'm just not that big of a fan. That's it - I know I'm being incredibly nit picky. All in all, this place was great. I'll be returning...I'm sure many times. It's the perfect place to stop in and grab a beer or some food. This place serves up some phenomenal bar food. I can't imagine how you can go wrong here, but I'm pretty sure the secret's out on this place. The place was packed, the Yelp reviews are awesome and they've already won best mac and cheese in the state as judged by the Star Ledger. This place is a gem for the area. I can't wait to go back again. read more

I have been a huge fan of river grill since we moved here but today really frustrated me. They're rules for take-out keep changing. One week it's not Friday or Saturday after five and today it's just because we are busy no takeout. Make a decision and stick with it so I can plan my life. You're a service business so serve. read more

I don't understand all the great reviews on this place. As a bar I'm sure it's fine but as a restaurant it's far less than spectacular. We've gone 4 times in the hopes that maybe our experiences were not the norm - but really with 4 tries I guess we'll have to accept it - this place does not rock. Let's start with the waitress with the scary eyeliner who sneaks up behind you then screeches! And who didn't mention the specials to us, but we heard her tell another table about them as our food was coming out. Food? Well once the buffalo chicken dip was magnificent, then twice it was a soggy, greasy mess. Burgers - bland. The chili on the chili nachos was straight out of a can (c'mon folks - chili is not rocket science). Smoking is forbidden inside, of course, but they're given a lovely spot to hang outside - right under the window in the dining room. So as a bar - fine. As a restaurant, don't go there. Edited to add link to cocaine arrest: http://www.dailyrecord.com/article/20121011/NJNEWS/310110043/Police-Blotter-Cocaine-arrest-outside-Chatham-restaurant-Stun-gun-in-Denville?odyssey=tab|mostpopular|text|NJNEWS read more