We enjoy eating here ,and highly recommend eating at this Restaurant , very Tasty food ,great atmosphere , let us know about your experience.... 90 minutes from Atlanta Airport !! read more

Popular local catfish house in an outstanding location on a crescent bend in the Flint River. Balcony overlooks the shoals but no seating area on terrace. Wife and I shared the Fishermans Platter ( catfish, shrimp, crabcske, clams, oysters (we opted out) and hushpuppy. Excellent food , perfectypreoared (fried) seemingly unlimited coleslaw (creamy with slight tang). Friendly helpful waitstaff. Locals told us to expect very crowded but this Friday early evening (5pm) busy but very manageable. Would certainly return if back in this remote corner of Georgia. read more

Riverbend Restaurant - Full Menu, Aptil,2026 - Restaurants Near Me - Thomaston, Georgia

The service was great! We enjoyed the butter & crackers on the table. The sweet tea & pitcher were a nice touch too. I loved the cheddar cheese & banana peppers on the salad. The overall vibe gives off cafeteria style. The timing of our service was a tad on the rushed side, with the exception of our main entrees. One would hope that would mean our food would be fresh and piping hot. This was not the case. My shrimp was comparable to a captain D's. The catfish wasn't seasoned well, and the hush puppies were criminal. The hubs did enjoy the french fries. My onion rings were just not fresh. The view of the river is gorgeous, but it didn't make up for the less than appealing food. They didn't even have outside dining & we didn't get a table with a view. read more

Riverbend Restaurant - The view from the porch after we finished our meal - Restaurants Near Me - Thomaston, Georgia

Food was really good and inexpensive. Service was very friendly. The wait time was a little long.

Disappointed in service Portions over priced Wait was extremely long but view was beautiful lol And the place was packed which I'm a little confused about read more

I was really skeptical to eat here after seeing the reviews, but we decided to give it a try because I saw my favorite kind of fries in some of the photos and figured at the very least I knew I'd love those. WOW was I shocked!! I'll come here every single time in the area from now on no questions asked. When we sat down, we were greeted by the nicest waitresses and staff. When we ordered our tea, they brought us a whole pitcher so we wouldn't run out and that was enough to sell me on the whole place. Then, they give you an entire basket of club crackers and bring out a bowl of whipped butter to enjoy while you wait. Our salads came quickly and I wish I had taken a picture, but I was so excited I ate it as soon as it was sat down. It was my FAVORITE kind of salad with the iceberg lettuce, cheese, banana peppers, and tomatoes with homemade ranch. Our food was made fresh to order and came out in a timely manner. The catfish was crispy and perfectly cooked and seasoned. The fries were everything I thought they would be. The chicken tenders were HUGE and not necessarily my favorite when it comes to flavor, but they were still good and I was the one that ordered chicken at a catfish house lol. The view out back after dinner was breathtaking. I just can't say enough good things about this restaurant. I don't know what restaurants the other folks leaving bad reviews were at, but there's no way it could've been this one. I'm a hard critic and couldn't leave less than 5 stars. Also note, this was on a Saturday night at 7pm in July. So peak times and still wonderful! read more

See all

Food is really good and the view of the river is spectacular with the swift water across the shoals. Staff is very friendly.

I mean... it was OK. Not much of a selection. It's the goto place for fried catfish and that's pretty much it. Wife said it was a little lack luster on the seasoning. Service was excellent. Atmosphere outdated.. nice view off the back porch. Doubtful we go back. **1/2 read more

We went there for dinner last Sunday. We ordered a shrimp dinner and a hamburger, plus two drinks. The food was OK but not great. We received our bill and went to pay. We put it on a card, with a tip but didn't get a receipt, as they were backed up. Later that evening we checked our account and noticed that we were overcharged an additional $20.00. We discussed it, and since we didn't get a receipt, we decided to eat the $20.00. Several days later, we checked our account again and noticed another charge for $42 on another day and we didn't even go there that day. We called our bank, reported the fraudulent charges and cancelled our card to stop additional charges from these individuals. Needless to say, I would recommend going anywhere else for dinner, but would NOT go to this dive for a meal. I gave them one star, only because I could not give them ZERO! This is the worst restaurant experience we have had in years! read more

This is and has been the best catfish restaurant for many years. I grew up and ate here many many times. It's really great you got to try it. read more

Backroad Gems in Georgia! Riverbend is a family owned restaurant, great view of the Flint River (The Riverbend), and the best whole catfish (bone in) you'll eat in this area. They are only open Wednesday - Sunday for dinner only (5pm - 9pm), but you know you are in for a treat when folks start lining up at the door about an hour before they open. The "all you can eat" catfish plate is winning! We always take the backroads to get there as a part of the adventure... Get there early because it packs out at peak times. Even though, it's worth the wait! Note: If you're looking for seafood and tourist type service you may want to go to Florida. If you're looking for a laid back place to eat with family and friends, and/or a date nite, and if you're looking for Traditional Bone-in Southern whole catfish, this is the place! Enjoy! read more

See all

Great catfish ! Good Service Been eating there for Years ! All the food served there is great!

Good food, very quick the night we ate there. Ordered the 2 piece filet and it was lots of food!!

Food is great so is service. Wish they would go back to all you can eat catfish. View is fantastic of river.

Ate here 3 times and awesome every one of them. Recommend calling for a reservation on Saturday night's. It's not fine dining but if you want fried on the bone catfish this is the place to go. read more

By far the best catfish around, and at $18.50 for ayce catfish, slaw, fries, hush puppies pickles, and onions its a great deal. Well worth the 30 to 45 minute drive from Columbus. Make sure to call ahead for reservations the tend to be busy most nights read more

Riverbend Restaurant - Restaurants Near Me - Thomaston, Georgia

See all

Delicious food sweet people working there. Had a great time with out of town guests. Thank you.

Coleslaw is excellent. Great service, the food was good. But get there right when they open or you will have to wait for a long time.

Hands down the best catfish I've ever eaten. We drove over an hour to get there. We had heard such great comments about Riverbend. Found it to be as good as everything we had heard. Located overlooking the Flint River. Casual, down home feel. The portions are monstrous. Catfish, onion rings, hushpuppies & coleslaw were great. Had a short wait, but well worth it. We will return. read more

Riverbend will forever be my go to spot when I come home. The food is always fresh and hot and definitely good. The service on the other hand could be better. I've been dining at Riverbend since I was a kid and now that I'm a adult. I can see a lot of the shortcomings of the place. If your big on customer service Riverbend may not be the spot for you because it's hit or miss if you'll get a good server/waitress. Sometimes the tables can be dirty along wit food from previous people on the floor. It can get really busy really fast and normally the customer suffers. But again the food is always on point. They are know for the catfish unlimited platter which is the best. I normally switch it up and do the seafood platter sometimes and I've never been disappointed in the food. Definitely a family spot or good for big gatherings. Overall I can't leave what I love and I love Riverbend for the memories and the scenery which is plus. read more

This place is terrible! I am sorry, I like my catfish without any bones. Cole slaw ok, No view of the river from any of the dinning tables. Only available in the area where I had a 1 3/4 hr wait. This place came highly recommended by a former resident of the area that is a golfing buddy of mine. You would have to pay me a great sum of money to ever eat there again. Also, no beer/ wine sales available. read more

First time here tonight. All I've ever heard is how great this place is. So we dressed up and made a family night of it. Was first greeted by a waitress that said "hi, sorry it took so long this isn't my table and I don't know how I'm gonna keep up with all this". Oh joy. I explained it's our first time and wanted to know what was on the seafood sampler. Over a hour later... We watched people come and go, ate crackers, played with the slaw, drank a lot of tea and watched people come in well after us and then be served. So we watched them eat too. The waitress came by twice didn't stop just muffled "I promise it's coming". FINALLY, we get our food. And by golly you better like French fries. Catfish filet was very good. Stuffed crab was flavorful, popcorn shrimp were super tiny, butterfly shrimp was identical to Captain D's, and we tried the fried oysters.... Horrible. Slaw was average. Then we waited another 15 minutes for our ticket. So we sent the two kids to the truck, and we waited some more. Waitress said, "I hope you give us another try, tonight was an off night". We said too bad it had to be our first time here. We brought our ticket to the register and the older gal asked how it was and I told her that we probably won't be back. And I told her that I'm a waitress and I have a lot of patience. And this was unacceptable. She said "yeah, that's good". ??? That's after she was picking her nose. $75.00 lesson learned. read more

This is a great out of the way place to eat good food with good service. I saw where someone said they liked their catfish without bones, they should have ordered it that way. Been eating there for 25 years. Never an issue but having to wait. This is a good sign when you have to wait. Not all eateries are made for everybody. For those who like good fried seafood or steaks, Riverbed is for you. read more

Eat here the first time last night and ordered the seafood platter and to me it was like eating the frozen seafood you get at captain D's. Was not worth the price. read more

Awesome place! Great Food! Great Service. My family and I have been eating here pretty much all of our lives and have always enjoyed it. The owners are friendly, the waiteresses are fast and friendly, the food is great, and the prices are reasonable what more could you ask for. I've eaten at a lot of catfish restaurants and this is by far the best. read more

I signed up for Yelp just to warn people DO NOT waste a lot of your time and money on this sorry excuse for a restaurant. The service was the worst I think I've ever had while dining out and the food wasn't edible. How this place remains open is beyond me. AWFUL!!!!! read more

Pretty good. I've only ever had the fried catfish, and it's good. Seems to always be a healthy crowd there which slows service.

Today was my first visit; my husband had already been a few times over the years. (Bonus points for nostalgia factor on his behalf.) We were on the way home from Jackson, and this restaurant is all that's around for miles. So, we stopped to eat, getting there right as they opened at 5:00. We had a short wait since we didn't have a reservation, and then they sat us at one end of a large table after our assuring them that we would be ok with another couple sitting at the other end. We both got the seafood platter, and I am not a fan of oysters so they allowed me to substitute shrimp instead. The food was good and there was a lot of it. The cod filet was a tad overcooked and dry and chewy in sections, and the Coke I ordered was brought in a can instead of from a fountain, which was a little sad but I got over it and sucked it up (get it?). Cole slaw: good, hush puppies: delicious, shrimp: decent but nothing special, deviled crab: tasty. Our waitress was obviously super-busy and rushed but she was friendly enough and our service was fine. Don't show up expecting a gourmet experience and you won't be disappointed. This is basic, stripped-down seafood in a charming, homey setting. And it's not bad at all. Plus, there is a lovely view from the back of the restaurant overlooking the Flint River. read more

This restaurant is way off the road with awesome views of the flint river. The service leaves a little to be desired, but the food and the atmosphere more than make up for it. I get to go to this place only a few times a year, mainly because I have a large family, but enjoy it every time I get to go. read more