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    Riverdale Tavern

    3.8 (19 reviews)
    ModerateNew American
    Closed 11:00 am - 9:00 pm

    Riverdale Tavern New American Restaurant Photos

    RIVERDALE TAVERN ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Loud
    Outdoor seating
    Good for groups
    Good for kids

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    Recommended Reviews - Riverdale Tavern

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    If you tell me that this isn't cool, I might smack you.
    Adam W.

    You're driving along in the middle of nowhere (which happens a lot in Michigan) and hunger strikes. That sucks. But wait... up in the distance what's that? A local watering hole - standing alone but it's obviously open. Hitch up your bootstraps and head on inside 'cause the options are scarce 'round these parts. Riverdale Tavern makes me think of this exact scenario. Luckily, it's actually not that bad once you settle down and have some grub. There's plenty of local history here to keep you interested and even weird stuff to occupy your feeble mind hanging on the walls. Kind of like Applebee's, but this stuff is different somehow. Like... it's authentic. Which is a good start. Can you say alligator rug? Because they have one hanging on the wall. Awesome. Service is very attentive. Maybe that's because this place never seems to be packed even though they have tons of space. It's also the exact down home type service you'd expect from someplace like this. Warm, friendly, and not afraid to kid around with you a little bit. If you put your acerbic wit to use, the waitress will strike back and that's a good thing. Coming from spending some time in the southwest I'm on a healthier eating kick. My options were fairly limited in this place because, like most places with "tavern" in their name, the majority of the menu is either a burger or deep-fried. The fish is their specialty here - it's flown in everyday(?), and it is certainly deep fried. That doesn't mean that it's not absolutely delicious. Seriously some of the best fish I may have ever had. The onion rings are pretty stellar too. I can't particularly attribute it to the batters they use, or the quality of their ingredients, but only speculate on the process they use in frying that makes it stand out. The small nibbles i had were good though. Very good. My salad - was a bit lacking. I give them credit for trying. It also seemed to be rather dismal in size for the $7.50 it costs. Seriously? It barely filled up my paper plate that its served on. Lest you think they're cheap here it was a Dixie paper plate... the nice thick kind that don't fold under pressure. Would I stop here again? Yeah, the fish and onion rings were awesome. The service was stellar as well. The ambiance of the place gives it a reason just to stop in and look around too. I knock a few points off for the ridiculously priced sub-par salad. Other than that... it's worth a visit.

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    11 months ago

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    5 years ago

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    17 years ago

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    6 years ago

    Great service, fantastic food,,,,,,friendly atmosphere,,,highly recommend ,,,,fish friday ,the best around

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    9 years ago

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    16 years ago

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    5 years ago

    Best fish in the area. Well worth the money and the wait! You will not be sorry! Yum.

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    11 years ago

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    9 years ago

    We went yesterday for their 100th anniversary celebration and the food was really good. We had their Cod and we will go back.

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    12 years ago

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    Review Highlights - Riverdale Tavern

    If you are in the mood for a good fish fry in central Michigan this is the place.

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    Petticoat Junction - Broasted Chicken at Petticoat Junction

    Petticoat Junction

    3.6(44 reviews)
    9.3 mi
    $

    This place is AMAZING. There breakfast is some of the best I've tasted. The service and waiter was…read morealso very nice and energetic. And yesterday' I went there and got non breakfast for the first time there, and it was good. The one think I didn't like about my order, was the chicken tenders were a bit to small, and you only got two with it. It was very good though, I love the fries and I will make another review when I get breakfast here. Very good place 5 STARS!. I definitely recommend going here. Good place to have breakfast/brunch. Cottage cheese was also good and tasted very real if that makes sense.

    Breakfast: Steak and eggs is the best thing they have on the friggin menu for breakfast, geez…read moreLouise! So good, make sure you ask to add sautéed onion and mushrooms on your steak. I got my steak medium rare but it was in fact cooked to about medium well done, but it didn't matter too much to me anyway. Dinner/Dessert: The clam chowder soup was really good as was the dessert. I got a slice of lemon meringue pie and 2 scoops of French vanilla ice cream, none of this was overly expensive and everything came with its own unique flavour. This would be an ideal meal for someone who is trying to stay away from red meats and/or pork. Overall I'm very happy with how I was served and the food I got for the money I spent here in my first visit and stay in Elma MI. Thank you!

    Photos
    Petticoat Junction - Dining Area at Petticoat Junction

    Dining Area at Petticoat Junction

    Petticoat Junction - Side Salad at Petticoat Junction

    Side Salad at Petticoat Junction

    Petticoat Junction - Storefront for Petticoat Junction

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    Storefront for Petticoat Junction

    Legacy Hearth - Sausage, jalapeño and cheddar, pasty with potatoes, carrots, and rutabaga

    Legacy Hearth

    4.5(4 reviews)
    6.0 mi

    Surprisingly Delicious and Packed with Veggies…read more I've been driving past this place since it opened over a year ago, assuming pasties would be heavy, greasy pockets of hamburger and gravy wrapped in pastry. Definitely not my thing--or so I thought. Yesterday, I saw a photo online of cookies for sale inside, so I decided to finally stop in. Turns out, they don't sell cookies anymore. But since I was already there, I figured I'd give one of the pasties a try. I went with the jalapeño cheddar sausage pasty. They had a few hot options ready to go, mostly the traditional hamburger-and-gravy style, but most of their pasties are sold frozen. You take them home and bake or reheat them in your own oven for about an hour. When mine was done, it looked great--light, golden pastry and generously stuffed. The first bite was a pleasant surprise. The crust was flaky and delicious, and inside was a hearty mix of potatoes, carrots, rutabaga, and other root vegetables, along with just enough sausage to add flavor without being overpowering. It actually felt pretty healthy--and it tasted fantastic. I'm really glad I gave it a shot, and I'll definitely be going back.

    I was delighted to find this pasty place. Their pasties are huge and great tasting, too. The veggie…read morecheddar one had a delicious coalescence of ingredients, especially the rutabaga and cheese. My wife could taste the rutabagas and carrots in her beef pasty. Note: we ordered the pasties frozen and reheated them in the oven. The reheating instructions were perfect.

    Photos
    Legacy Hearth - Interior. A few tables to sit, but mostly it's for carryout.

    Interior. A few tables to sit, but mostly it's for carryout.

    Legacy Hearth - Pasty after being reheated/cooked in my oven

    Pasty after being reheated/cooked in my oven

    Legacy Hearth - Exterior

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    Exterior

    Fireside Grille - Bacon Cheeseburger

    Fireside Grille

    4.3(24 reviews)
    12.0 mi
    $$

    What a great place to dine in Shepherd, Michigan! Fireside Grill will suit your needs and add…read morecomfort to your meals

    A pretty good overall experience, perhaps a few things could be improved for next time…read more I was pleased with the quality of our appetizer, as well as the creativity. We went with a fried goat chase appetizer, which I've never had before, and never even seen on another menu before. The cook clearly enjoys using balsamic glaze as this was used on both the appetizer and later on my entrée as well. Balsamic glaze is certainly delicious, but I'm not sure if it goes well on quite as many things as the cook seems to think it does. My entrée was a dish of mushroom ravioli prepared in a purée made with green peas. I noted that the chef used a variety of spices in preparing the purée, to very good effect. My wife ordered the New York strip, and what was brought out looked very good. We both had cocktails, and in both cases the cocktails or well-made. I ordered a Mojito type drink made with tequila. My wife ordered a strawberry Mamosa. I noted the care that was taken in preparing both drinks which tells me there's a professional bartender on staff. About the only thing that needs to be improved is the service. We waited just a bit too long for certain aspects of the meal in a restaurant that was nearly empty. The server was certainly polite and well mannered, but I think he was the only one working that evening. Perhaps on weekends they're better staffed?

    Photos
    Fireside Grille - Chicken Wrap

    Chicken Wrap

    Fireside Grille - The Hurricane!

    The Hurricane!

    Fireside Grille - Wing Dings

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    Wing Dings

    Riverdale Tavern - newamerican - Updated May 2026

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