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    River House

    4.1 (821 reviews)
    Open 11:00 am - 10:00 pm

    River House Photos

    Business Info

    RIVER HOUSE ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Moderate noise
    Trendy
    Intimate
    Romantic

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    Recommended Reviews - River House

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    Reviews With Photos

    House cornbread
    Denneane C.

    Reservations are recommended! Great location on the river with outstanding views. Clean comfortable dining room. Servers were very attentive, efficient and professional. All our appetizers and entrees were excellent, as was the dessert.

    Keri C.

    Anytime there is a floor to ceiling windows with a view of water, an instantly enjoyable ambiance is introduced. From the bar to the restaurant area, things feel open, spacious, and calming. I went seafood nosh with my order. The lobster bisque was good, but the fresh lobster meat was what made it worth the while. My huge platter of shrimp cocktails was the star -- fresh shrimp, and a good cocktail sauce with a small kick from horseradish. The fried green tomatoes salad was nice and crisp and slightly indulgent from the dressing, bacon, and cheese. The breading itself could use a bit more flavor or seasoning. My bartender was friendly and definitely had a lot of regulars. It wasn't a homerun for me, though it was really nice post-work vibe and eats.

    Inside rehearsal dinner venue at River house
    Hannah M.

    Lovely place for dinner! I actually was there for a rehearsal dinner and it was fantastic! Love that it's right on the water and the patio to hang out on is awesome! Food was delicious , drinks were great!! Staff is friendly! We definitely need to go back and have a date night and dinner!

    Blackened seafood platter: shrimp, scallops, grouper cheek
    Erika B.

    I can't believe this place isn't talked about more, or maybe I'm just living under a rock. There seemed to be no bad seat in this restaurant, but the back (heated) patio with the view of the river can't be beat in my opinion. Perfect for special occasion or nice date night. Our server was lovely - she was attentive, friendly, super knowledgeable about the menu, and seemed able to read our minds whenever we needed something. The Kentucky Sunset cocktail is a must if you enjoy an amaretto sour. The complimentary cornbread was delicious and a nice surprise that we ended up taking home with us for a late night treat. But the absolute star of the show was the seafood platter - BLACKENED. We came in having been recommended this by multiple people and I'm so glad we listened. The grouper cheeks, scallops, and shrimp were all heavenly. The blackened seasoning blend is the perfect combination of smoke and heat. I wish we were served a bucket of the remoulade sauce. The coleslaw is genuinely some of the best I've ever had. We got the sweet potato peach cobbler for dessert and didn't care for it. It remained uneaten, but everything else was just SO good that I didn't even care. The River House is easily now one of the top places I've eaten in Louisville. Would definitely recommend a reservation. Very fairly priced for the quality served. Parking fills quickly, but there's an overflow lot a short distance away.

    Jane R.

    I've been wanting to go here for a while and finally made it on Valentine's Day with my boyfriend! We both got the steak and potatoes. And had the chocolate lava cake for dessert. Everything was really good and I didn't feel overstuffed!

    Special birthday dessert
    Kyle E.

    Pricy but great food and service! We dined at River House with friends to celebrate a birthday. Service is always excellent and you can't beat the views of the river. Our server was extremely attentive for our table of 8 and made sure drinks were replenished frequently. We had lot of questions on the menu and he provided great recommendations. We ended up with the tuna tartare and surf and turf linguine. The presentation was excellent and the food was rich and delicious. Would recommend for a celebratory occasion.

    Excellent mystery dessert!
    James W.

    Business brought us to Louisville to enjoy a meal with our new friends. The 4 of us enjoyed 24 oysters on the half shell, dinner and then excellent deserts as shown in the photos. Our server amazed us with her knowledge and suggestions. Perfection all around! Keep up the greatness!

    Smoked Chicken and Corn Chowder
    Melanie B.

    We had dinner here in a Friday night and I was really glad we had a reservation! When we walked in, there were a number of people waiting to be seated. We checked in with the hostess and were told we'd be seated shortly. While we stood there, there seemed to be one woman in charge and she would call out a name, the people would step forward and she would tell someone which table to take them to. There were at least four people just seating people! The place is huge with lots of seating, so it makes sense. We were seated and our server came over shortly. She was very friendly as well knowledgeable about the menu. We made our selections and placed our order. The timing between courses was good. I would say drinks from the bar could have come a little faster, but again, it was really busy that night. We enjoyed our drinks and our meal! I would recommend this restaurant to people. We're just visiting here, so the chances of us returning are very slim - but we'd go back if we ever return!

    Fish and chips
    Sayge R.

    The staff was friendly, and the river views were incredibly relaxing after lunch. The portions were generous, and the pricing was great for what you get overall.

    The Hawain Ahi Tuna
    Tonya Lynne C.

    One of my favorite places since coming to Louisville. It feels like coming home on a rainy, sunny, or celebratory day!! Not only is the food fresh with seafood flown in but the view is exquisite. Soooo Peaceful on top of a hill overlooking the Ohio River. The balcony feels like you are dining in a tree house. The drink selection runs deep with top shelf everything. I have lived on an island off the coast of Portland Maine and let me tell you, the seafood is so fresh here!! I was so pleasantly surprised with the delish oysters the first time I came to River House. Now I can't make my way past their Tuna! The flavors on the tuna dish are sweet dreams. My neice loves the burger and I tried it last time and now I know why she can't get past the burger. You get it, the food is phenomenal and unforgettable! Today i started with a mixed green salad with oysters added. I also had cocktail sauce tonite as a salad dressing which theirs is quite good. The oysters are just so fresh and the coating is so light but crunchy. Their cornbread comes in a cast iron skillet. It is sweet southern cornbread. Keeping it real, it's like eating cake. It is so good. I had the lobster bisque for the second course. The flavor was on point. I did keep thinking there should be just a little piece of fresh lobster with a side of lemon on top. But I'm extra sometimes. My main was the Hawaiian Ahi Tuna. It will always be one of my favorite dishes here. It comes in two sizes. The tomato chutney can't be described in words. It is not what it sounds like and tastes better than you can imagine. I got asparagus instead of book choy. It was so Smokey good. It also comes with polenta cakes. The garnish with the Tuna is so fresh that you can literally see the chef picking it from the garden while you are dining. I Looooove that! Check out my photos to see the chef picking. All meals come with their signature cornbread in a cast Iron skillet. I didn't like bourbon until I came to Louisville because you really have no choice. Bourbon is in everything. The bourbon butter that comes with the cornbread is Smokey bourbon good. The service of course is always top notch with pride. Always a delicious meal with unwavering dedication to the presentation, service, and flavor!

    Jumbo Shrimp and Diver Scallops Cavatappi Pasta
    Deidra B.

    10/10. I loved everything about the experience. I came here to dine alone for my birthday anf I had a nice view of the river in the closed and heated patio. My server, Taylor was fantastic! I took her recommendations for my drink, entree, and dessert and wasn't disappointed. To start, I ordered the Smoked Chicken & Corn Chowder soup, Jumbo shrimp cavatappi pasta and added 2 diver scallops but chef gave me 4 (all was grilled to perfection), skillet cornbread came with the meal (delicious), I had a Blackberry-cello to drink, and the white chocolate bread pudding for dessert. Everything was extremely delicious and service was great. Highly recommend for special occasions or just a nice dinner.

    ahi tuna
    Jennifer S.

    Service 5/5: Our waitress was so kind, patient, and helpful! We were a pretty large party but she was able to accommodate us well and helpful with any special requests! Food 4/5: The pistachio espresso martini was a highlight. Seafood was fresh and those who had the tower really enjoyed it - there were a lot of mussels though. The octopus was well seasoned and cooked super well. The ahi tuna was delicious and the pairings went nicely. I was looking forward to the cornbread based on previous reviews, but it was underwhelming for me. The cheesecake was rich and the key lime flavor was a light touch to finish out the meal! Ambiance 4/5: Cute by the waterside, good for larger groups. Nice restaurant but nothing super special.

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    30 days ago

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    1 month ago

    will be back for sure. Food is delicious and the staff is top notch. of course you can't beat the views of the river!

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    19 days ago

    Fresh and delicious food with great service. I look forward to going again. The atmosphere is comfortable too

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    River House Reviews in Other Languages

    Ask the Community - River House

    Is there all you can eat crab legs on Monday's?

    The AYCE Snow crabs on Mondays for dinner started this week. It’s $54.99++

    Any gluten free options?

    Absolutely, order the fish with no breading. Just request it to be grilled. We also enjoyed a charcuterie appetizer that you could ask to have them either remove the crackers or just not eat as well.

    How dressy should we be?

    You can go business casual there. I was there in a button up and slacks and didn't feel out of place. My wife was in a nicer dress, but we saw others dressed more casual than us.

    Is this the restaurant that is mainly a seafood buffet? The one I am trying to find also brought…

    No it is not. It is pretty high-end. No buffet.

    Don’t See Your Question? Ask Away!

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    Hammerheads - Fried Mushrooms

    Hammerheads

    4.5(1.5k reviews)
    3.6 miGermantown
    $$

    Have heard about this gem for 20 years but never tried it until last night. Wife and I sat at the…read morebar - love the atmosphere: spacious dive bar with low ceilings and wood paneling. There are also picnic tables out front. You get a faint whiff of the grill/smoker upon entering. Kylie was our bartender and she was fabulous - knowledgeable, friendly, and answered all of our questions with patience. Wife ordered a mango margarita and doesn't like a lot of tequila, so Kylie went half and gave her a shot on the side in case she wanted to add more. It was wonderful. I had a couple of beers. We started with the fried mushrooms, which aren't what you would expect. It's two large portobellos cut into chunks, battered, fried, and served with sun-dried tomato mayo. They were great. I then ordered a duck taco, brisket taco, and a side of Grippo Fries with smoked mayo. I'd never tried duck but that taco was smack-a-lackin'. The brisket taco was also good, and the fries were fantastic - sweet and spicy, fresh cut, and crispy. Wife ordered a pork belly slider and truffle fries. She enjoyed the slider but didn't care for the fries - just not her thing. The portions here are large. A side of fries will feed three people. We took a hefty portion of them home, as well as some of the mushrooms. We could've sat there at the bar and spent 3 hours socializing and enjoying a smattering of cocktails - love the setting. Look forward to going back and trying one of the burgers at some point.

    As soon as I moved to the Louisville area and stated asking for restaurant recommendations,…read moreeveryone would rave about Hammerheads. Hammerheads this, duck fat fries that. I was going to a UofL women's basketball game and I FINALLY was able to make it here. I went a little overboard on the food, but everything sounded so good! I really loved the pork belly slider and the duck tacos. Mac and cheese balls always slap. Then there are the famous duck fat fries. The portion is substantial, I was thrilled with that. Flavor wise they did not change my life like I was hoping they would. Still ate them all. The locale is super unassuming from the street, but inside it is really cool, divey, and broody. The staff was super sweet and helped me get in and out efficiently so I could make it to the game. Would absolutely recommend, would absolutely come back, and would absolutely bring friends here.

    Photos
    Hammerheads - Sitting at the bar

    Sitting at the bar

    Hammerheads - PBLT Sandwich - Definitely overall Pretty good! Needed another slice or two of pork belly but otherwise super tender. Would get again!

    PBLT Sandwich - Definitely overall Pretty good! Needed another slice or two of pork belly but otherwise super tender. Would get again!

    Hammerheads - Beer served!

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    Beer served!

    River House - newamerican - Updated May 2026

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