Cozy little restaurant in downtown Milford. Nice selection of Italian food. Great service . Reservations recommended. BYOB a plus!

Just a lovely little restaurant with great service and good food. I love the fact that you can bring your own booze.

Food was cooked fresh and was delicious! Service was also amazing. Highly recommend this establishment.

I've eaten here many times! the food is always wonderful, fresh bread and great service. they never rush you either. bring your own wine, what could be better? comfortable setting and don't forget to make a reservation. read more

Very good Italian food in a casual setting. Friendly service and BYOB makes for a good value, too.

3rd time there and making it a family tradition to go more often! excellent food, great service, awesome staff!! we were a party of 10 and everything we ordered was super delicious!!!! chicken marsala, chicken parm, eggplant rollatini ( my fave), shrimp pizza, penne la vodka!!! we also had cappuccino, the best! I highly recommend this place! read more

River Street Restaurant - Italian Near Me - Milford, Connecticut

Really, what the hell is wrong with this place and what is wrong with people who give this place a good review? Despite the horrible service which has kept me away from this place, I decided to do some takeout because it was starting to snow and and I happen to be parked right in front of the place. They told me that they couldn't do takeout, even for me to pick up, because they were too busy and their kitchen couldn't handle it. I guess the good news is that I got the bad service at no charge for a change. Maybe I'll try it again in another for five years. read more

Entrees were outstanding however sides were marginal... Side salads were effortless and pasta with marinara tasted store brought. However, loved the BYOB concept, friendly staff, and complimentary garlic knots. Eggplant rollatini appetizer did not disappoint. Absolutely loved the chicken marsala... The marsala sauce was delicious, wish the dish came with more broccoli. Tiramisu was average, it was an interesting consistency that almost tasted like ice cream. Overall a fun experience, wish the side dishes had more flavor. Would recommend a reservation as the inside space is small. read more

See all

It's been so long since I eat here, but the one and only time I did not care for the food. My fiancé didn't like it either.

We ordered by phone as their Doordash site did not have all the options but the process was easy. Their time estimate when it was ready was spot on. Our bread was fresh out of the oven literally. Food was multi layered in flavor but balanced. I got the Carbonara with Chicken which was an appropriate portion size and the components were cooked perfectly. The mozzarella fritta was fried but not greasy and held the appropriate amount of cheese to breading. I would definitely be back when you can eat in or even for takeout again. read more

River Street Restaurant - Carbonara - Italian Near Me - Milford, Connecticut

See all

It's like going to diner in your Nona's dining room. Everything is made fresh! Specials are usually spectacular. I had the grouper puttanesca, meatballs for an app with a scoop of ricotta! Absolutely amazing! Make a reservation, it's casual, it's amazing! read more

If you want a fantastic Italian dinner go to River St. I have been over 30 times and had never had a bad experience. Service is good and I love the ambiance. Also they offer BYOB. Pollo Romano is the best thing on the menu!! read more

I don't know why this place doesn't have better reviews. I love this spot, awesome staff that make you feel like family. Their menu is classic Italian dishes that they knock out of the part. Finally, it's byow with a small uncorking fee. I love this spot and it deserves your service. Plus they always provide stacked garlic knots with the bread basket. Highly recommend the shrimp a la vodka. read more

Favorite Italian restaurant in the area! Chicken parm and carbonara are excellent. Highly recommend.

This is just a good pace to eat. Clean, busy, lots of positive vibe and friendly staff. We love the BYOB approach. We travel 45 minutes to get here and wish we could come more often; but we have friends and family in town and they always tell us how much they enjoy coming here - I think they are trying to get us to move back to the shore! You need reservations, they get busy! Try the Grouper, simple and delicious. The salads are just the right size and we enjoy all of the dressings. The bread basket always has garlic knows (a favorite when not on a Carb free diet!). I love all the sauces served with the various pastas; even the simple side dish with marinara sauce. Always a good experience when we come here. read more

River Street Restaurant - Italian Near Me - Milford, Connecticut

See all

Don't let the name fool you -- they serve amazing authentic homemade Italian food. The food is delicious and they serve decent sized portions. The bonus is BYOB -- you get so much bang for your buck. The restaurant is clean and the family that owns it is fantastic. An easy 5 stars, can't wait to try the whole menu read more

See all

We went last night to this restaurant. After being seated and out wine was opened (BYOB) we perused the menu. I would have liked cloth napkins, as the ones we got were thin and flimsy . The server explained that there were no specials, my husband had wanted grilled chicken but we were told they didn't have a grill We all ordered different things ranging from chicken Florentine ( cooked perfectly) to the zuppa di peace. The dish had very, very small pieces of seafood- I had ordered Fra Diavolo, but the sauce lacked any spice. I think the BIGGEST problem I had with the restaurant was I went to the restroom and the toilet had noticeably not been cleaned a while. I was so disgusted it made me wonder of the kitchen cleanliness. Not sure I would try this place again read more

Last night I had the pleasure of dining at this restaurant. The atmosphere is calming and homey and the service was great, food was absolutely amazing and the food came out piping hot and fresh. They allow you to bring your own wine which saves a lot of money. Great place to eat and relax. The food is great and still not pricey, wonderful restaurant! read more

One star because Yelp doesn't let you choose zero. So, so rude. We walked in excited for a pleasant evening. The waiter did not say hello or how can I help you. He just barked out, "Do you have a reservation?" We did. He then gestured toward the tables and said to "sit anywhere but at the big one." We sat down at a sticky table near the grimy front window. The shade had seen better days with its tangled cord. The waiter was dressed in cut-off shorts and sneakers. His hands and fingernails were dirty. Looked like he just left the gym. I would have left, but my companions wanted to stay. Carafe of tap water was plopped on the table. Never even asked if we wanted a soda. Side salad was served in metal dog bowls with two PLASTIC BOTTLES OF DRESSING brought to the table. Make Your Own, I guess. Entrees were brought to the table one at a time. Food was eh. When we asked for the dessert menu (against our better judgment), Rude Waiter pointed to a card on the table that listed three ice cream items. They were out of one of them. We passed and had dessert elsewhere. Won't be back. What a shame they ruined our special night out. read more

This is a hidden gem. All these years living in Milford and I've been missing out!!! My wife and I both loved loved loved our meals as well as the overall experience. I had eggplant parmigiana with a side of penne and this is now my favorite...best I've ever had. Not heavy and oily and I love their sauce it's not overly sweet. She had a chicken dish that I just can't remember but she loved it. The dinners come with a small side salad garlic knots and a little warm crusty Italian bread which is a nice touch. The prices are very reasonable so we got the meatball and ricotta app. I'm very fussy when it comes to meatballs but these were excellent delicious. This place is byob with I think a 3 dollar corkage fee...which saves you a ton of money if you normally buy a glass or four at 9-10 bucks a glass. The ambiance is intimate and quiet and since it's so small reservations are highly recommended...I called at 1pm and got a 630 table same day. Can't wait to go back and bring friends! read more

This is a nice place. Ambiance is casual and it's very small (less than 50 seats). We made reservations a little later in the evening and then had to add people and they were able to accommodate us. Form their menu: B.Y.O.B Establishment* Beer & Wine Only Cash & Checks Only We do not serve alcohol or allow any outside beverages other than wine or beer. *$3 charge per bottle of wine $1 charge per person for beer Charging customers a fee to bring their own beer/wine is a bit cheesy in my view. I've never seen a corkage fee charged by a place that doesn't have a liquor license. Maybe that's just me. Cash and checks only could also be a surprise, so take note. The corkage fee and refusal to take credit cards point to someone aggressively managing the bottom line, which is fine with me, but needs to be factored into the overall experience. I've seen some reviews knocking the service, but we had excellent service. No issues there at all. Our waiter was Vinny and he did a superb job taking care of us. The food was very good. We had a little broccoli rabe and sausage appetizer and it was delicious. Another person had the meatballs and enjoyed them. Entrees ranged from pasta carbonara, a nice veal dish I can't recall the details) and chicken fiorentina. Portions were a little on the small side but large enough. There was no broiled fish or grilled chicken so cautious dieters may want to ask ahead of time if they can accommodate you. The restaurant was uncomfortably warm. I'm guessing that part of managing the bottom line is keeping a close eye on the electric bill. If that helps them keep the doors open and serving high quality food, then it may not be a bad trade off. Overall, the experience was good. I think knowing their system, now, I would have a better experience on a return visit. The food and service were very good. To help you better enjoy the experience I recommend you follow the guidelines I'll follow the next time I visit: 1) Dress comfortably. No need to dress up. Be prepared for the dining room to be in the high 70's. 2) Expect a corkage fee of $3 for wine and $1 for beer per bottle. Bring a nice bottle of wine and enjoy it. (I was drinking Miller Lite so I paid River street about twice per bottle of what I paid the package store.) 3) Bring cash/checks and expect to pay approximately $20-30/person up to $50/person (before tax/tip) depending on whether or not you order apps, dessert, etc. Apps are about $10-15 and entrees are $16-25. Coffee and dessert could run another $6-10 or so. 4) Make reservations earlier or later in the evening to avoid the rush. There's not a lot of staff here (managing the bottom line again) so you're likely to have better service when they're not full to capacity with a line out the door. read more

Gem! Not many BYOB restaurants that have a great atmosphere and authentic cuisine. Everything we ordered was delicious and the service was great. It's a smaller place so definitely recommend reservations. We will be back! read more

See all

The clientele is about as rude as the staff. Even if you make a reservation do not expect to sit on time, let alone get your food in a timely manner. Very inefficient for a small restaurant. You could run that room on 2 people. read more

I don't get the negative reviews with this place. This is our 6th visit in the past 4 months. The food is always amazing, service on point, and prices just right. We have loved everything we have tried so far. On top of that, you can't beat BYOB. Yes they charge a $3 cork fee, but that's a small price to pay for the convenience. One of the better Italian places in the area. Don't miss this one! read more

Went to River Street last night for the first time in a long time. Food was excellent as always, and our server who is the owners son was attentive, accommodating and give us excellent service. Happy to be back! read more

Our friends were kind enough to share a dinner out with us this weekend. They thought it would be fun to go to a byob place so we could take a couple of bottles of our favorite Simi cab. Well save your $ because the waiter was beyond rude. He obviously does not like his job. And definetly doesnt like people. The food was average italian cuisine you can make at home and I suggest you do. Unless you wish to have your evening ruined by rude staff. read more

I will never step foot in this restaurant again! The server was the rudest person I have ever had. Took forever for the waiter to even acknowledge we were seated and never smiled or apologized for letting us sit for over a half an hour! When we finally got our food it was okay but not hot. My advice is done waste your time or money read more

Wonderful small restaurant- waiter was fantastic- friendly and helpful. Food is amazing. Everything was great. You can't go wrong with anything on the menu or the specials. Just remember it's BYOB! read more

I just wanted to reiterate that this restaurant was CLOSED from the health department t. I am going to research why as it most likely was because the restaurant was filthy and perhaps their food was contaminated. we all need to know why and I will circle back! read more

Brutal, Cruel, Disrespectful ! Not typical words to describe a greeting you receive upon entering a restaurant. Well those are kind words to describe how we were greeted by Kim at River Street Restaurant. And then only to have the added pleasure of her as our server. (oh what a night) Although they have been in business for many years in our town, I can only ask myself WHY. Yes the food is delicious but the service is horrific. Upon entering the restaurant, 10 minutes after they opened for dinner, we were asked if we had a dinner reservation. When we replied "NO" we were presented with a rhetorical question "You Don't Have a Reservation"? To again which we replied "NO". At this point we were told, and I quote, "You will have to eat and get out. We have a large party coming in at 7pm". There was only one other table of 2 people seated in the entire restaurant, already eating and it was only 5:10pm. Having been victims of this appalling, disrespectful behavior before while dining at this establishment, we were reluctant to return. Unfortunately we had received a gift certificate and certainly would not have decided to stay after that oh-so-pleasant greeting upon our arrival. I must say Kim's true colors were revealed when she exclaimed "I'll be glad when they come and go" to the other patrons referring to the large party that would be arriving at 7pm. Isn't she sweet. Taken back by her offensive, disrespectful, ignorant behavior, I can say gift certificate or not we will absolutely not return to River Street under any circumstance!! There are far too many local restaurants that would appreciate our visit and be thankful for our business that we will look forward to visiting. Food is a five but the behavior of the server ( who we have had before) was so beyond anything I have ever experienced I give it 1 star, only because I can't enter a zero. read more

See all

Edit: I'm giving this place 5 stars instead of the 4 I gave prior because the mentioned waitress below has left. Let me start off by saying that I've been here a few times and every time the food has been delicious. I love the fact that it's byob. So why 4 instead of 5 stars? The blonde waitress that works there really needs to get it together when it comes to good customer service. The last time my friends and I ate there we brought a couple bottles of wine to drink over dinner. It was getting a little bit later in the night and we had already finished our dinner and were just enjoying our remaining glasses of wine. That's when the waitress came over cleaned off our table as well as our glasses of wine that we had not yet finished (some were almost full!) and told us we had to leave because the restaurant was closing. Oh I'm sorry? Were you in a rush to leave? Personally I think that's pretty rude. Wasn't the first time she's done it either. Pretty unfortunate since the food is so good! read more

The food here is above par for Milford Center, but the service is below par by FAR! The bus boy gave us better service then our waitress. read more

Great food and value. The service was friendly, but very casually dressed, which doesn't bother me, but some may take note. I came here with a group on a Sunday. We sampled the eggplant rollatini, which I highly recommend, the fried mozzarella, and the bread with cheese. Everything was great. I had the eggplant Parmesan. I prefer mine more thinly sliced, but it was good. I think I might try the penne alla vodka next time. It looked delicious. My husband loved the chicken Parmesan. One portion is basically two meals, so you get a lot for your money. Also, a side salad and bread knots comes with your meal. Definitely check it out if you haven't. Bring a nice bottle of wine and enjoy! read more

I often do not have time to write a review because lets face it, life can get busy. Reviews are meant to guide the consumer so that they can make the right decision on whether it will work or not work for them. This is also the very first review that I have written as I just want to save some one else the great disappointment. I truly promote all local businesses, but this experience was so awful that I want everyone to save their money as you can probably enjoy a better experience eating at home. We tend to go out to dinner to enjoy good food and enjoy a dining experience. While the food was good and I am also a foodie it was nothing over the top. I would say it was average and nothing special with the taste or the deliverance. The delivery was similiar to a diner as who just puts out a bottle of store bought plastic salad dressings and what looked like a throw away salad bowl. The real take away was that the waiter was beyond RUDE to every level of that word. After all, he is in the service industry and seemed quite bothered to offer service. IF you want to pay your check with dirty dishes in front of you, then this is the place to go. Oh by the way, the small restroom that they did offer was filthy, and I can only imagine what their kitchen looks like. I have read from other reviews that they think the health department should visit and I thought that was over the top, but I am not sure sure now. Eat some where else and save your money! read more

Very disappointed in the service we recieved tonight. You would think during difficult times such as these for restaurants they would be on top of their game offering A plus service not the case at the River Street restaurant. We asked for dessert with a candle for the birthday of one of our guests. We never received the desert and halfway through the other deserts the waiter came by I said is it too late for a candle. Who would have the audacity to come to a table holding a single candle and ask is it too late. When I discreetly told the waiter we were very disappointed in our service tonight he acted as if he did not care, needless to say this will be the last time we go back to the River Street restaurant which was one of our go to places. When you spend your money you expect to receive good service but that is not the case as a River Street restaurant be surprised if they last through the year quick service at poor as this. read more

This place should have a higher rating. I'm extremely critical when it comes to dining out. This was one of my favorite restaurants in the Milford area when I lived there. Everything I've ordered there was enjoyable. Loved the rollatini de melenzane app and the penne, sausage and broccoli rabe were my favorites. Plus it's BYOB! You can bring your own wine or beer and from what I remember, their isn't even a corking fee. Check it out. read more

Great food - love the pizzas and pasta dishes. Service has been a bit slow, and they don't have a liquor license. read more

Hands down my favorite Restaraunt in Milford. It's the definition of a hidden gem. The place is extremely inviting and the staff makes you feel at home the second you walk in. The chicken parm and egg plant is one of the best I have ever had. Plus the fact it's a byob doesn't hurt. Wish they took credit cards but they let you know before you even walk in that it's a cash and check only place. If you have not gone you need to go if you have gone then you know what I'm talking g about. You get a huge amount of good for your money and I have never had a bad meal. Perfect location too directly next to the green and across from the train station. Definitely go and plan on coming back soon. read more

I have been going to this restaurant for 10 years i think? Since it opened. Its delicious! The chicken parm, eggplant rollatini and penne alla vodka are my go-to's but everything is very good there. I LOVE that its BYOB and cash or check only. Very calming and fun! Great ambiance and delicious food. I love the nights i get to go there with my friends, a few bottles of wine, great food... perfect night. If you haven't been there already - call and make a reservation and check it out! Just remember to bring cash or check and a bottle of wine! read more

I love this place, definitely a gem in the Milford area for Italian food and close to the town green so you can stroll around before/after. It's nicely decorated and intimate, a good place for a couple or a small group of friends. Tables can be hard to come by, particularly on the weekends, so make sure to call in a reservation in advance. The food is excellent and all dinners come with a salad, though the appetizers are delicious so I usually split one as well - you can always take your leftovers home. The portions are very good and the penne vodka is the best I've ever had. The food by itself is great but an added perk is that it's BYOB which saves a ton of money on drinks. I know I always complain when I spend as much on drinks as I do on food (which is all too often) and you always get what you want since you're buying it. A lot of value here. Just make sure to come with enough cash, as that's all they accept. A dinner for two runs me about $50. read more