Located on Reinhardt College Parkway, about a block off of Riverstone Parkway sits a little three business shopping center with a Moe's, a local bakery and Riverstone Corner Bistro.
RCB wasn't on our radar, but we were tipped off by some friends of ours and happened in on a Sunday afternoon after wondering around the nearby Cotton Mill Exchange for about 2 hours, which worked up quite the appetite! Per RCB themselves, they are a "corner bistro with a country-chic vibe" and honestly, they got it right. That is exactly how I would explain the overall vibe and décor of the place as a whole. While a few areas scream a little more southern/farm-housey, overall all the woods, plaid, tin roof and exposed brick play into the "country chic".
Parking was a bit tricky, as with the small shopping center, when all three things get popping, it can be tough to find a spot as there are only a few dedicated spots on the side for RCB. If all else fails and there are no more spots, you can grab a spot at a nearby business if you don't mind adding a few extra steps.
They are handling COVID with reduced seating and occupancy, as well as ensuring that the employees are wearing masks. I witnessed many people enter and wonder around without masks, so I can only assume that they do not require their patrons to wear masks at any point. If you are still iffy about sitting inside, they do have a small patio that has about 4 tables and heaters for those cold days. I felt they were doing what they could with what they have. The place is not big at all, so I commend them for limiting seating to keep people as safe as possible.
Service was a little confusing honestly, when we actually got it, it wasn't bad, just kind of scattered and all over the place. We were originally sat at a table near the bar, so we assumed the bartender would be helping us. That is ultimately what happened, but it took about 7 mins from time of being sat to have her come our way. Once she got our drink orders, she visited another table and then back to the bar. It took another 10 minutes to get our drinks. I will say that she was friendly and helpful, but clearly stretched too thin. She had a full bar and a few tables, and was serving as the bartender for the whole restaurant. I noticed a few other servers and managers walking around, and they also noticed us as they came by saying "your items will be over shortly" on a few occasions. Again, the bartender/our server was doing the best she could, I just wish some of her co-workers or leaders would have assisted her to make the overall experience a little better and more timely.
Speaking of the bar, one of us got a house cocktail - the Peach Rosemary Bourbon Mule. This ran us $9.00 and was an absolutely fantastic cocktail! The house made peach rosemary simple syrup really made all the difference and added an extra level of flavor that you normally miss in mules!
Food wise, I will say that we enjoyed the fries. They were light, crispy, well salted and overall a decent spud. However, that was basically the extent of our enjoyment relating to the food. While one of us went with the Club, priced at $13, the other grabbed the South West Chicken Wrap, costing $11. The club was a basic run-of-the-mill club sandwich you have grown to love and expect from places. It featured ham, turkey, bacon, lettuce, tomato, mayo and cheese and was built high on toasted wheat bread. If feel they need to choose a different type of bread as a the vessel for this classic sandwich, as it was dry. The bread was toasted and crunchy, but dry which made the whole sandwich dry as well. Also, they forgot the cheese, which would have helped with this issue, but going back to the service, we mentioned it and sadly the slice of cheese never made it back to us.
Now onto the wrap, which was labelled as an "RCB Favorite" on the menu and came recommended by our waitress. I am not sure who's votes are counted towards this "favorite" system, but I would like to have a word with them because this was the most bland "south west" style wrap I have ever eaten. To start, the chicken was bone dry, chewy and had zero seasoning. The tomatoes and grilled onions were plentiful, while the cheese was scarce and the sauce was bland. I was disappointed to say the least in this wrap - I do not recommend.
Overall, RCB came highly recommended, but just didn't live up to the hype for us. Pricing is less bistro and more local steakhouse for me, especially for the quality of food you seem to get. Now, the cocktails I have no problem paying the premium for, as it was delicious! I really feel this is a solid 2.5 star, but I always try to err on the side of the local business and given the well mapped out décor, the cocktail and the bartender, I can sleep at night with a 3 star...however, I do not think we will be visiting RCB again anytime soon. read more