I went to River Roast for lunch and ordered the famous half chicken. First of all, the ambiance was absolutely stunning ,beautiful space, great atmosphere, and definitely a 10/10 in that department! I was really excited to try the famous chicken, and while it wasn't bad, it just wasn't quite what I was hoping for. I'm someone who loves big, bold flavors, and the chicken was pretty simple and not particularly flavorful. I was expecting some kind of gravy, sauce, or something to really elevate it, especially since it's one of their signature dishes. That said, the chicken was good for what it was, and the potatoes were actually my favorite part! They were fried rather than the typical diced potatoes you usually get, which made them crispy and a little more interesting. Overall, I'd definitely come back for the atmosphere and would be interested in trying some of their other dishes -- the chicken just wasn't quite my jam. read more

River Roast - Half Roast Chicken (Half) - American Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Great location along the river with delicious food and great service. They do offer lattes, but no flavors or special orders. Bathrooms were large and clean. They also had private party rooms. read more

Went on an architecture tour on the river with a friend and spotted this restaurant, so I knew I had to try it! We were lucky and got a spot outside right by the river. Lots of boat traffic so if that bothers you I wouldn't recommended going outside. Was super fun people watching on the river; lots of party boats and people just having a great time. We needed ended up getting tuna sashimi, sea bass, and a steak with a side of mac n cheese. Everything was cooked perfectly and the Mac n cheese was excellent. Had just the right amount of bread crumbs to give it that crunch factor and wasn't overly cheesy.. just the right amount. We of course saved room for dessert and got a slice of chocolate cake. But boy I'll tell you the slice was ENORMOUS so be prepared. Definitely meant to be shared with the table. Service was also excellent. Will be back soon read more

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This is a really nice place right along the river. It has a nice patio to watch the traffic go by on the river. The inside was a nice upscale restaurant. We wanted to order the roasted chicken that they are known for, but we were told it would take 25 mins to cook and with 2 young children, we unfortunately couldn't wait for that. Instead, we ordered the smoked salmon appetizer to share (we weren't that hungry). The salmon was tasty and came with well-seasoned flatbread. It was one of those dishes that left a fantastic after-taste in your mouth. We got the kids Mac and cheese for them, and it was really good...very cheesy. read more

Cute little spot on the river! Great, healthy food options! Someone at my table had an allergy and the restaurant took it VERY seriously which was much appreciated! Bathrooms were clean. It was a lovely meal. Servers were alright. Could have been a little more attentive but they were fine. read more

We had a nice casual dinner here while enjoying a wonderful view! Our server, Tasha, was attentive, personable, and answered all our questions about the menu. The chicken sandwich was tasty but I forgot to take a picture! read more

River Roast - View from the patio - American Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Fantastic place for drinks and good eats right on the river! The service was a little hectic that day, our bill got lost, but found and we were left waiting a little longer than we'd like for more drinks but overall the waiter was very pleasant. The outdoor area is great for viewing all the boats passing by and the beauty of the Chicago river. I'd be careful going at noon as they do have umbrellas but the sun is directly overhead and a little warm. Would absolutely make this a regular spot. read more

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I've lived in Chicago for over a decade and somehow have never made it to River Roast! Decided to grab brunch outside on the river. Even though it was rainy, the patio is covered and there are large umbrellas shading you from sun or rain as well. Such a nice touch! Food was great, we also had pomegrante mimosas which I thought was different but delicious. To eat, we split the chicken and waffles and the french toast. The chicken and waffles could have been a larger portion, but it was delicious! Overall would love to come back here for dinner to see the river lit up! read more

Beautiful views of the river! This is such a great date night spot, or fun girls night out. We had reservations, but decided to sit at the bar. Our service was outstanding! They had a fun Valentine's Day themed menu going on (all pink everything), which made the evening feel even sweeter. Oh and, the pull apart bread they serve to the table is phenomenal. What I tried: - strawberry margarita-esque cocktail with a pop rocks rim, so tasty and fun! - ribeye vday special with crispy potatoes and arugula 8/10 - mac and cheese 8/10 - fried chicken bites 9/10 Can't wait to come back during patio season! read more

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Overall: A great option on the river with plenty of seating, hopefully making it easier to get in than some other nearby spots. The good: As others have mentioend, the rolls are incredible and worth all the hype. Burrata was another good pick, as were the golden gobbets. Great vibes, especially if you're lucky enough to get on the water (we weren't but still enjoyed the inside). The not-so-good: The pork belly bites were a bit of a let down and not substantial in size. Overall the meal was a little more pricey than I would've expected Food/drink: 8/10 Atmosphere: 8/10 Service: 8/10 read more

(Kari's Rating 7.75/10) Came here on a Friday for a quick happy hour bite and was happily surprised with how everything was. They had a nine dollar sangria, which was really delicious, it didn't really taste like there was a lot of alcohol, but was refreshing and sweet. The burger was relatively average (a good sharing size) it came with this pimento cheese sauce -which I thought really put it over the top. Unfortunately, the chips that it came with didn't really taste like potato, but just pain oily. The pretzel wasn't that bad, but it also came with a side of the pimento cheese and I thought it was pretty heavy and repetitive because it was on two items. Overall, I think this is a great place and I can definitely see it being crowded over the summer when the patio is open, but I wouldn't necessarily go out of my way to come here. read more

River Roast - Happy Hour Burger - American Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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I've been here for 2 events. Last year it was a reception during the big ASCO movie, this year my organization hosted a small luncheon. For the event , the space was a little tight (not the RR's fault) , but since it has a lovely deck at the river , it was nice to be outside and enjoy a lovely Chicago late spring night. For the lunch , we had the best care with the event managers. The servers took such good care of everybody. The food was amazing! They make a fantastic charcuterie board. The desserts are out of this world. If you want to plan a small size luncheon or have a nice lunch or dinner here , between the food , the staff , and the views , you won't regret it. read more

I was excited to celebrate St. Patrick's Day and see the river dyeing at River Roast, but the event didn't quite live up to the hype. The biggest surprise was that it actually wasn't crowded, which normally wouldn't be a bad thing, but it made the atmosphere feel a little flat. With a DJ and all the decorations, I expected a much more energetic vibe, but it just wasn't as fun or lively as anticipated. Food options were also extremely limited. The brunch stations were basically egg sandwiches and monkey bread, with no meat-free option available, which felt like a big miss for a ticketed event. The upstairs area got pretty hot, there was very little seating, and construction nearby blocked much of the river view. Since the river dyeing is the main reason people book these events, the obstructed view was disappointing. Unlimited green drinks were a nice touch, but overall the event felt underwhelming for the price. With better food variety, seating, and a clearer view of the river, this could be a much stronger St. Patrick's Day experience. read more

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I was surprised by how much I enjoyed the food. Steak fritte was tender. I will say that if there was a sauce on the steak it was very very light. I swapped the fries for their RR potatoes--they were excellent. This was a birthday celebration and they brought out a piece of chocolate cake for the table which was moist and tasty. Only issue was our ever vanishing server. He didn't seem to be paying any attention to us or what we ordered as he screwed up a drink, an appetizer and completely forgot one of our main courses, forcing the manager to come out and apologize. read more

We were meeting some friends at a bar to watch a game. My husband found River Roast and said we should eat there before waking to the bar. We got lucky and went on the last day of Restaurant Week in Chicago. We got to try the RW menu. It was amazing! They offer three courses for 60$ on RW, full portions too. My husband had the apple salad with blue cheese, I had the burrata for the first course. For the second course my husband tried the brazed beef and I tried the rainbow trout. Delicious. For dessert I tried the salted caramel cheesecake. Yummy! My husband had the chocolate cake. Absolutely amazing, all of it. They have a complimentary coat check. The server was so friendly, good vibes. The restaurant looks like an English pub, lots of wooden tables. Very nice space. You might get lucky and get a table with a window to the Chicago River. Gorgeous. read more

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The food was decent overall, but nothing mind-blowing. We got the steak frites, branzino, and roast chicken. The branzino was good but it doesn't come with a side so just know that going in. The steak needed more seasoning and the chimichurri didn't add much. Fries were just fries. The roast chicken was okay but we would have preferred a Costco rotisserie chicken. Vibes and ambiance was good. Service was good too! read more

River Roast - The steak frites - American Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Still one of my absolute favorites on the city! You can't beat the view of the river, great service and for the price... excellent value considering it's in the heart of the city! I feel in love with their chicken a decade ago and it's still my favorite thing on the menu! read more

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Such a great place right on the river at the LaSalle St bridge. Food here is great for sharing. Highlights include the smoked salmon dip appetizer and the roast chicken entree. The chicken is served on a bed of yummy potatoes. We also tried the Branzino (fish) and it was very good. Service is top notch, be sure to save some room for dessert! The carrot cake is incredible- so many layers! read more

River Roast - Carrot cake - American Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

This is the establishment that I chose for my husband's birthday dinner after reading all about it on Yelp. I saw the delicious menu offerings, ambiance, and river views, and wanted to witness for self. It was a party of 6 of us, we made a reservation and showed up on time. Upon entry, we were greeted briefly by the hostess upstairs. Once you walk in, you actually go downstairs to an open, pretty dining area to your left and water views to your right. It was very, very, very nice and scenic in there. We were greeted by our table person, Juan. He seemed very busy as everyone else di. They weren't crowded. He tried his best overall. The only main concern that I have with this place, they have a door that they keep open all day and night, and it doesn't close until the restaurant closes. It was very chilly in there, VERY chilly, we're in Chicago, and on the water! Please close the door! Juan said he would check with the manager, and we never got an update. Someone from my party asked a hostess, and she said they couldn't close the door. Nevertheless, everyone loved their food ordered. We had the following. RR Pull Apart Rolls Lemon Drop Peach Martini Golden Gobbets Roast Chicken B.L.A.T. A la Carte Salmon Grilled Asparagus Oysters on the Half Shell Ahi Tuna Tartare Chocolate Cake We genuinely enjoyed our food. It came out well plated, hot, well prepared, flavorful, and plentiful. I would highly recommend this place, just bring a coat, not a jacket, a coat! A fireplace would have done us well! I want to put that in a suggestion box! A fireplace. Huge thanks to Juan for making Hubby's birthday special by bringing out dessert, Hubby enjoyed it, and we helped him !! Lol read more

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I've eaten here at least 6 times and usually everything is great. This past time I didn't love it. Got the chopped salad for my main course this time, light dressing. First of all it's NOT a chopped salad. A chopped salad is chopped-everything is uniformly cut. Either chop it or just call it a salad. Second issue is I think it sat in the kitchen too long as it was warm-ish with soggy leaves, not cold and crisp. And third, it was dressed with oil only. Not mixed with red wine vinegar (I don't think the dressing was mixed at all) before being put on the salad. When I asked for more dressing with the hope of getting the vinegar part, I was brought a ramekin full of oil-again, no vinegar. Also felt the margarita with shelf liquor was overpriced at $19. Which unfortunately was not listed on the menu. Will I be back? Yes! Will I ever order the chopped salad again? No! read more

River Roast - Chopped salad - American Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Grabbed a weekend dinner here for our last evening in Chicago for its great location. We arrived right on time and were seated right away. The person helping us through our meal was friendly and helpful - overall good service. We got half a roasted chicken and roast beef (smaller size option) with a side of broccoli. Though the food itself was fine. Chicken tasted a touch dry and asked for medium on the beef though it definitely seemed medium rare. Casual fun vibes throughout which we enjoyed. Overall if you're looking for a place to eat by the river, it's worth a try here. read more

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We went here for a dinner and hoped to be seated near the window. Didn't happen and the table offered was in the middle of the room, so we stayed at a smaller table at the bar. Great zero proof menu drinks. Burger was overcooked but ok. Sourdough cut up the roof of my sisters mouth. Tasty app with burrata, but entrees were disappointing. Fries were meh. read more

River Roast - The Burger - American Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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The service was impeccable. The food was good, but again, the service levels was fantastic! read more

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We had a dinner reservation at River Roast on the Chicago Riverwalk. We were running late, but they were accommodating to us having to push back our reservation. It was raining so we weren't able to eat outside. That was a bummer as we were looking forward to the scenic river city views, but you can't control the weather. River Roast has an open kitchen concept. It's fun to be able to watch the kitchen staff do their thing while enjoying your meal. We started with the Burrata, it came with a great spinach walnut pesto. We also ordered the Caesar Salad. They serve hand carved table side Roast Chicken. We saw them serve the Roast Chicken a few times, fun! We decided to order the Whole Branzino, which is a Mediterranean Sea Bass that's served with a Salsa Verde Tomato Herb topping. It was flaky and flavorful. We really enjoyed the herb topping with the fish. We also ordered a side of mushrooms. They were delicious, cooked in white wine with herbs. My son had the Mac & Cheese with a smoked pimento cheese sauce. It was so good! The service was good, the food was good, the atmosphere was good. River Roast is an upscale tavern that's on trend. It stopped raining toward the end of our dinner so we went outside on the patio before we left, beautiful river city views at night! Highly recommend. read more

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This was my second time at River Roast, but first time getting brunch and the food was very disappointing. Everything we ordered came out over done. The RR Skillet I ordered said it had sweet potatoes on the menu, but only about 5 small cubed sweet potatoes were in my dish. Instead it was mostly filled with large chunks of (burnt) regular potatoes. I also ordered over medium fried eggs that were served very overdone. Only giving 2 stars because the location is nice, but I likely won't be returning. read more

Service was not great but I think they were understaffed that summer Saturday we went. The saving grace were the buns with butter the manager brought over. We were starving! Reservations are a must and they have private events downstairs. read more

River Roast - Cute Lil $5.00 diet coke. - American Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Perfect for the summer! Once I find the images I will upload but you all everything is a 20 out of 10! I the charcuterie comes with honey comb! It's so good! Service was amazing and ambiance is very on the board walk feeling. Style and attire I recommend casual boat chic. Blues, pinks, black doesn't hurt, and oranges for sure! read more

The old fashioned was delicious, probably the best the guys have ever had. The bourbon had a great taste, but no bite, and the perfect amount of citrus. The girls wanted to order the berry smash plus alcohol, but they did not have that drink anymore. They did a modification to do the berry smash without berries, sub the house hibiscus juice. It was a little herby but very good! read more

River Roast - Old Fashioned and Hibiscus Mixed Drink - American Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

It's hard to get on the patio for River Roast but I was smart to make a reservation a week in advance before my trip. They always have availability inside but I wanted to sit outside. My reservation was for Saturday at 12:30pm and but upon arrival, I was told I would still need to wait for a table outside. Despite the heat, I chose to wait for a table and sat at the bar in the meantime. The bartender made me an old fashion mocktail and in less than 7 minutes, my table was ready. The restaurant is right on the water so the view is amazing. They have large umbrellas outside to shield you from the heat but, they could use some mist fans to make it more enjoyable. The brunch menu is somewhat limited so I opted for the branzino (half), which came with nothing so I had to get a side of fries. The food came out quick but they were late on my fries. Food wasn't impressive and although my waitress was nice, she wasn't attentive enough. The best part of brunch was the view. The CHI has much better brunch options than RR. read more

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View 100% Food 70% Service 0% This was my 22nd birthday dinner with my family. We sat down at our reservation time. Not a single person came to our table for 15 minutes until I got up and asked for someone to take our drink order. A very nice gentleman by the name of Victor came over and took our drink order. He was excellent. He told us that our server will be over momentarily, apologized for the wait, and got us our drinks. Then our server came over with our drinks. Didn't say anything other than asking what we would like to order. We ordered and receive our appetizer. 20-30 minutes after we finish our appetizer, he finally comes over to take our order after we ask a bus boy to get him. He take our food order and starts to walk away. We have to stop him in-order for us to get a drink order in as-well. We got our food, but still didn't have our drinks. Again, we had to ask a bus boy to get him. After our drink, he checks on us once, and then never appears until the bill. The bar messed up our drinks both time during the night. We never got our waiters name. But he was serving the outdoor table closest to the door on July 3rd, 2026. On the other hand, Victor was amazing for stepping up and occasionally making sure we were okay -- we tried our hardest not to bother him as he was dealing with his own tables. We also never received any compliments for my birthday. While the other tables got cakes and candles for their celebration, we got horrible service, and poorly made drinks. We will not be returning and hope other people use this message as a warning. Servers -- do better. Management -- do better. read more

We had a really good experience here. We ordered the Salmon, steak and frites, spicy chicken sandwich side of potatoes, and Mac and cheese. Everything was hot coming to the table! The cocktails were made really well. Our waiter Eli was really good. He was very professional and fantastic. The whole vibe of the restaurant is really laid back and chill.. We will definitely be back here. read more

River roast is perfectly situated on the river to give you not only a fabulous view, but a fun environment for food and drinks with friends. My family and I went here to celebrate my dad before we were going to go kayaking! It was fun to see people on the river and think about how we would be doing that shortly. The service was quick, attentive and recommended delicious options. We ordered a few things to share: chilaquiles (absolutely incredible), the special omelette. The omelette itself was just good, but the potatoes that came on the side were worthy of all the hype. They were perfectly crisped and seasoned. Finally, we split the hash. The meat in the hash was so flavorful, but this dish was not my favorite. It was pretty hard to rival the chilaquiles, if I'm being honest. Definitely will be back to try another meal and enjoy a delicious drink near the river. read more

Brunch here is amazing! Food is so tasty and the setting is gorgeous. Looks like there are some options for private dining as well. Came with a group of 4 others and my infant daughter. Our server was great! Extremely friendly and accommodating. Some of us ordered and split the Charcuterie Board, Golden Gobbets, Steak & Eggs, and French Toast Bake. It's hard for me to pick a favorite - you can't go wrong with any of it. read more

We were there for dinner and had reservations for 5 people. Once we arrived, we still had to wait and was told to sit at the downstairs bar area to wait. We were seated 20 minutes after our reservation time. Then our waiter took a long time to acknowledge us, took our drink order, and then disappeared for another long while before bringing our drinks and taking our food order. We waited over an hour for our food to be delivered to our table, while other tables around us got seated, served, and left by the time we got our food. We planned on getting dessert but didn't want to wait a long time again! Our 8:00 reservation dinner ended at 10:25, with food being delivered at 9:45. If it wasn't for the good company and beautiful river view, this visit would've been a complete bust! read more

I walked into River Roast on a Friday night for dinner with a friend. Getting a table was not that difficult and as soon as we checked in, we were seated to our table. My friend and I ordered a glass of Prosecco each. We ordered the artichoke dip to share, my friend also ordered Golden goblet which is basically chicken wings. The artichoke dip was pretty good and filling, it was served with sourdough slices. I tried an Arugula salad for main course and that was quite filling, loved the butternut squash pieces in it. We wanted to try their Espresso martini however the server mentioned that they usually have a premade batch and the current one wasn't good as a lot of tables returned it back! The ambiance is pretty chilled out, love that they cover beautiful river view! I'll be back to try more things on the menu! read more

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River Roast was my first restaurant I tried when I got to Chicago and I'm glad my friends chose it! It sits right on the riverfront with amazing views of the city. The food and drinks were amazing. We shared the pull apart bread that tasted great with the garlic butter on top. We also ordered the pork belly. It was seasoned well, but was kind of dry/tough. For my entree, I ordered the Branzino. It was mostly deboned but there were small bones still found when I was eating, but this didn't take away from how tender and flavorful the fish was! It was also topped with chimichurri. Wait staff were very attentive and made sure our dining experience went well. read more

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Absolutely chaotic organization, so that even though everyone was working hard nothing worked - from our meaningless reservation to our disappearing waiter. It was like eating in the middle of N. Michigan Ave. My lamb chops were excellent, but my wife's salmon was undercooked with cold green beans. read more

The place is downstairs from the coffee place which took me a minute it two to figure out. It was in a large open area. A little on the"pleasantly" dark side. The server Mikey was very nice. He was friendly and attentive without being overbearing. I ordered the burger with thick cut bacon and an iced tea. The burger was delicious but don't even think about picking it up and not getting it all over yourself. It was meaty, juicy and seasoned perfectly right down to the pickles. I am going to be next door tomorrow, again and will definitely be back again. read more

We walked into the restaurant and said we just wanted to look around. It was for a future gathering. we walked out to the patio and a hostess came running after us (literally) She was downright rude, mean AND aggressive. I was humiliated, said nothing then left without any desire to have my gathering there. Never to return. We are over 65 so I don't think we looked like we were going to do anything nefarious. She was awful. read more

Four of us went for dinner last night at River Roast, having made reservations. There was a seating glitch, which left us disappointed and unhappy. However, we all want to say thank you to Javier Garcia, who put things right for us. He didn't have to do so, but he did because he wanted us to be happy about our experience. Thank you, Javier, so, so much for being such a decent person and making sure things were right. I hope River Roast knows what a gem they have in you!! P. S. The food and ambiance were great, too! read more