Our server Kayla was amazing. First visit we had egg and fish food allergies. The main chef was out, and a newer chef was in the kitchen. Kayla called the chef so they could determine the options available and best way to cook them. They went above and beyond with a great attitude and attention to detail to make sure we had no worries about contaminated food. The food itself was amazing. We had several different burgers, Smash Burger, Tavern Burger and Big Game Burger as well as Get Figgy with it and Fish and Chips. Would absolutely recommend, especially with such great staff on hand. read more

Another local favorite located in downtown Elljay! This Bar & Grill is perfect to grab a burger or your favorite chicken wings. Waitress was friendly and made it very clear not to touch her. She explained that she has an allergy to Mango Habanero sauce. Mango Habanero is one of the chicken wing sauces. We ended up having a conversation about allergies with the waitress. Their chicken wings are juicy and you get many sauces to choose from but my favorite meal was the Mahi Reuben Sandwich which was fantastic. Sweet, tangy and creamy so much better than corned beef. It did not taste fishy at all and the rye bread had the best buttery crisp edges. River Street Tavern is cozy, casual and it has a compact lay out. You get to relax and can have a conversation over a few beers and good food. Place gets busy but is not loud. Whether you're one of the locals or just passing by, leave your mark by pinning a dollar bill to the ceiling. read more

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One of the few dining spots in downtown Ellijay but a must try. Your typical tavern with plenty of drink options and plenty on tap! Small cozy tavern nestled in the corner of downtown town Ellijay is easy to miss but you don't wanna miss out. Love the dollar bill theme stapled on the ceiling and around every nook and cranny of the tavern. Love the support of local artists where masterpieces are displayed for sale. Our waitress was friendly but service was a little slow. Apparently she was allergic to the mango habanero wing flavors we ordered so only really saw her in the beginning and at the end of service. Food was good and the mahi Reuben is a must try as the unique combination actually works very well. Chicken and waffle was also good as the chicken was super crispy and tender and the bacon maple syrup hit the spot! Wings were crispy even when heavily sauced. Definitely will return for the Mahi Reuben! read more

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The food was a three star, had a potential, but some of the items were overcooked, and all of the items were poorly presented like slop on a plate. I paid for the meat upgrade for my burger, and I can't imagine how far the meat would have been without the upgrade for a tavern and the price that they are charging for the burgers it would be nicer if they just had quality meat for all of them. But, the house made chips were five stars However, the service was five stars and complete quality. She was lovely and very attentive. The beer selection was also five stars, and they even let my partner sample before ordering the full pint. The server was great at making suggestions.. The ambience was good, our Tavern style, but everything clean and nothing sticky. That was nice! Not a lot was open on a Tuesday night, so we would potentially come back if in a similar circumstance, however there are other restaurants which are better in the area. Overall, the food felt expensive for what it is and how it was presented. read more

River Street Tavern - American Near Me - Ellijay, Georgia

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We needed a dog friendly restaurant for our dinner. It was our first day in Ellijay and we were hungry. We checked the app "BringFido" and the River Street Tavern was recommended. They were very dog friendly. Water and a dog treat was brought to our table almost immediately for our dog and the server was great. We ordered the smash burger, caprese salad and smoked fish dip. All of it was delicious. We also tried a Reece cider which was also very good. So much so that we went to the cider company the next day to purchase some for home. We really enjoyed our dinner at the tavern and more importantly they loved our dog! read more

River Street Tavern - Smoked Trout Dip and Reece Cider - American Near Me - Ellijay, Georgia

There is a lot to love about the town of Elijay. It's one of the few remaining small towns in Georgia that have a thriving business scene, where storefronts are not remnants of what once was, but the story continues to live on. River Street Tavern is one of those classic places that belongs here in ways that no sushi place or salad spot could. The building of River Street Tavern dates back to early 20th century as a general store and for the last several decades has been a pub that in 2014 transformed into the restaurant it is today. There are plenty of beers on draft and all the classic pub fare. While the food could use some quality oriented improvements, it's satisfying. For example, the bun used for chicken sandwiches is the cheap and plastic feeling "Sunbeam" style bun, likely loaded up with dozens of unnecessary ingredients. That takes away a lot from the sandwich, as bread is such an important foundation. Onion rings are great. The bartenders on a Saturday night were a bit understaffed, but everyone was pleasant. As a whole, River Street Tavern is a good spot to visit for classic American food. read more

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Visiting Elijay for a few days and found a cool bar to have shots and watch football. Nicole the bartender was amazing very attentive and recommended a great appetizer; Mexican street corn dip. The ambiance was inviting. I'll definitely return on my next visit. read more

River Street Tavern - Menu - American Near Me - Ellijay, Georgia

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Needed something that wasn't fast food in a town where everything closes at 7. Found this local spot downtown on my way back from Roos winery and it was just what I needed. A warm grilled cheese and a night cap. Would've loved a soup on that cold night, but they didn't have any. Everyone was supper friendly and supervise was quick. They even thoughts his to throw a dollar bill to the ceiling and make it stick! It was oddly satisfying lol. read more

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Great burger cooked perfectly and potato salad was very tasty can't wait to go back and try other items

I have eaten here a bunch of times. Came here on my first date with my partner. Good service. Standard bar food. Great atmosphere! I'm sure I will be back. read more

Second visit. First visit the service and food was exceptional. Bar tender also fantastic! Today I sat for 10 min waiting for apparently the only server while she stood at a table and visited. Finally got up and left. Very disappointed with my experience today. On a positive note I ended up at the Canterbury and the food and service was excellent read more

Great service and friendly staff! Good food and vibes! Excellent beverage selection. Will be back!

You need to sit at the bar and interact with the bartenders. The chicken sandwich was fried and very tasty. Hubby had the Octoberfest Burger that had apple chutney and local mushrooms and he loved it. Get one before the month is over! read more

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Stopped here as plan B, as the restaurant we wanted to go to was full! It unseeming appearance can fool you, as the food here was super good! I was impressed. But, this is a typical tavern/divey type bar. But good vibes, service and food!! Wings were exceptional!!! read more

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1. The ceiling has dollar bills stuck to it. My kids loved that! 2. The wings were really good! My kids loved that too! 3. I ordered the burger with the 2 different game meats and a side of onion rings. The onion rings were huge and tasty and I got enough to share with my table (which is typically my measure of whether or not they are worth it). We will be back again! read more

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I went here during our first day in town. It was late, so there were few options open. The main area was packed, so we sat on the side-covered outdoor area with heaters, perfect for a chilly night. A server came quickly to take our order and kept checking on us. We ordered the mozzarella sticks as an appetizer, followed by The Tavern and All-American Burger. I was craving a burger so bad, but the meat was missing flavor, so we were not huge fans. However, the portion was large. I'll give this spot another chance next time we are in town. read more

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The food is really good! Especially the Octoberfest specials. Great beer selection and amazing Margaritas (Coconut Margarita is the one!) staff is super friendly and courteous! Oh and the trout dip is a must! Super energetic and friendly atmosphere! Always a must stop when visiting Ellijay. read more

Went here just before christmas on 12/15, and the waitress scammed me. I paid for my meal and stayed at my table an additional 15 minutes. As I was leaving, the waitress came up and said my card didn't go through and she needed to run it again. I was suspicious since she should have known immediately, but I pay my bills, so I gave her my card again. I was charged for both. When I called, the higher charge was not even my meal. She should be fired immediately. What an asshole! Fortunately, I was able to get a refund for the meal that wasnt mine, and they refunded the tip from my original ticket, because I'm not tipping a thief. God i hope they fire her. She will ruin the reputation of this business. Be wary. I would honestly avoid the place at all costs. read more

Pork Rinds with dehydrated hot sauce were A +. Decent place, server was a little unenthusiastic but was nice. Onion Rings were also good

Wait staff was very nice. We called ahead with a party of 7 so they took us right away upon our arrival. Food was good but the reason for the 4 stars is: 1) fried chicken on both salads was way overcooked and too crunchy. 2) the chips and queso appetizer for $8, we ordered two and they both looked like they were from the bottom of the bag, barely large enough to scoop up the queso and salsa. The salsa was good but I believe the queso was out of a can. Would not order the chips appetizer again. The food took a while but then again we had 7 people. The kitchen here is pretty small. We ate outside and it was nice since the temp was under 75°. read more

River Street Tavern - Garden Salad with Chicken (way overcooked) we thought it was blackened at first. - American Near Me - Ellijay, Georgia

Cool tavern with excellent customer service. Good location in downtown Elijah. Food was good and we would definitely return. read more

River Street Tavern - Inside - American Near Me - Ellijay, Georgia

Ellijay has some really cool places to eat. River Street Tavern has a great selection of beers on tap and their food is incredible. I can recommend the smoked trout dip appetizer, and the getting figgy with it chicken sandwich for an entrée. Also, they have some of the best potato salad I've ever tasted. read more

Small tavern downtown. We came here around lunchtime and grabbed a couple seats at the bar because there was a 20 to 30 minute wait. Seating is very limited in this place. It was a chilly autumn day, and unfortunately, inside this restaurant is no better. Unbelievably, the staff had the air conditioning running at 62°. I had the grilled chicken sandwich with a side of potato salad. The sandwich was rather blandand not noteworthy, but the potato salad was fairly good. read more

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I went to river tavern because it was raining so every restaurant was very crowded but we got in about after an hour as a family of 6 and our service was terrible it took about 30 minutes for us to order a drink and then we ordered appetizers and they came out at the same time as a food that we ordered at the same time and that was not good but it all took about an hour and a half to come out .every one that worked there was very friendly and the food was very good . read more

Used their catering services for my wedding in Ellijay and I cannot say enough great things! Rob was so easy to work with and very communicative, the process was easy & they have a great catering menu with all different options. Great value, fed everyone we needed and more. Came and set up, cleaned up, packed all leftovers up and provided everything we needed. Most importantly, all the food was DELICIOUS. Highly recommend the trout dip & the mashed potatoes. 10/10 absolutely recommend. Thank you River St Tavern ! read more

River Street Tavern - delicious hummus dip & veggies - American Near Me - Ellijay, Georgia

Service was turtle pace today. I will be back but 2 strikes and you're out. Pretty disappointed

This is the coolest local in town. Aubrey, Kendra, Nicole and all of the back of house staff are amazing. You must come here because this is where the locals come to eat and drink. Everything on the menu is outstanding. And you must take advantage of the specialty drinks that the wonderful mixologists have for you. It changes all the time so you need to ask what the new one is. read more

Loved everything about this place! Food was excellent. Nice outdoor seating area. Manager was extremely friendly and made sure everything was to our liking! Can't wait to visit again! read more

River Street Tavern - American Near Me - Ellijay, Georgia

Liked the menu and we were looking for someplace new to try while we were in Elijay to hit up lowes. Maybe this was just an off Monday but it wasnt an awesome experience. We showed up and the place looked full. The hostess quoted us 45 minutes indicating their were several large parties ahead of us. That seemed rather odd since there is barely room for a large table. I asked about if any smaller tables would free up soon. She then said there's several parties waiting for those too. These parties were nowhere to be seen but they page your phone supposedly so whatever. They told the couple in front of us there was a wait for seats at the bar too. Long story short, none of these supposed waiting parties were actually there. And 20 minutes later, we were finally seated in the outdoor dog owner section even though there were tables in the restaurant that had nobody at them, but hadn't been cleared. I watched her tell some else there was no room for them at the bar when there was. By the time we left , a couple of the inside tables had finally been sat If you have short staff and need too catch up just say so. Probably shouldve left but didint. They didnt have the first beer i picked off their menu, didnt have their local burger meat. Pretzel bites were burnt, mozzarella grill was overpoweringly salty (how?). Burgers were decent. Dont do the onion rings. Our waitress was pleasant and took care of us fine especially considering i think it was just her and the bartender. Might go back as my gripes were mainly about execution. Cool lookin place and menu in a nice location. read more

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Great tavern. Small, hometown friendly vibe. Great menu. Friendly folks. We drove over T from Gainesville--weren't disappointed. I tried the coffee and chocolate Old Fashioned--it tasted exactly how it sounds. read more

River Street Tavern - Bar - American Near Me - Ellijay, Georgia

Love this place, they prepare amazing food in a very compact kitchen. The service was outstanding and they have inside table seating, bar seating or outside seating. The wife and ordered fish and chips but with onion rings and the Figgie Chicken Sandwich (fried with Fig preserves.). We then traded half our orders with each other, something we love to do. The Figgie Chicken Sandwich was so good, my wife fixed it at home three days later! The fish was excellent and the onion rings "on point" as Guy would say. Ellijay has so many great restaurants but this one is defiantly worth trying. read more

Out of the five meals we ordered, three came out wrong: a cheeseburger with no cheese, a cheeseburger ordered medium rare but served well done, and wings requested extra crispy that arrived cold. On top of that, we were seated outside with our table pushed right up against the railing, making it impossible to even have a conversation comfortably. Our server had the personality of a wet dish rag and when we brought our concerns to her attention, the manager never even bothered to come over. I rarely complain, especially online, but this was hands down the worst restaurant experience I've had. I wouldn't recommend this place to anyone. read more

This place is so cool, and they let you bring dogs on the patio. Love the Georgia Trout! And to be able to see the stream from your table is a bonus. Sad that they cut back hours in the off season, but we'll be back! read more

My husband and I just wanted a place to grab a couple of beers and order an appetizer to snack on. They were pretty busy so I understand on the slow service. The young hostest with curly black hair seemed slightly overwhelmed but was still doing an excellent job. Our server Summer seemed disheartened at us just ordering drinks and a appetizer. After waiting almost 45 mins for a beer we decided just to go ahead and get the check. When I asked for the check she insisted on just taking my card without me knowing the total. She brought us our bill and quickly walked away. After waiting for another almost 20 minutes the sweet young hostest was clearing off the table next to us and I asked her if she could just go ahead and take our check. Summer seemed more concerned about serving all the tables around us rather than asking how our appetizer was or if we'd like another drink. I'm sorry, but regardless of what we order all tables should be treated the same. Last night we decided to bless our server with a $200 tip because they went above and beyond. We were looking to do it again if we were treated with the same generosity as last night but that definitely wasn't the case. Treat every customer the same and then maybe you'll get a better tip Summer. Again, the hostess was great. Pay her more. read more

Quaint dog friendly place! Attentive servers and good food. Fried green tomatoes and the chicken sandwiches were great. Will go back for sure read more

Great food, better service. It's a sports bar vibe but very clean. The Guinness on tap was amazing as well as the pretzel burger with sweet potato fries read more

Excellent service and food! The locations was perfect for our group. We stopped in with a group from work and they were able to seats us quickly. read more

Great bar atmosphere with excellent food and wait staff. Reasonable prices, highly recommend.

Their chicken tenders tasted exactly like deep fried tree bark :( Other than that it was fine I suppose read more

We go here all the time and the food and service are always great. Love the wings. Love the fish and chips. Burgers are wonderful. Service is timely. We have had times at lunch that we've been shocked at how fast the food came out. Even during busy times there hasn't been bad wait times. They have an outdoor seating area that allows you to bring your dog if you happen to be out and about with yours. read more