ORIGIN: Riverton, Connecticut is a popular destination for fly fishing, so it comes as no surprise that the name of the ground floor tavern at the Old Riverton Inn is named after a fly fishing lure -- The Royal Coachman. EXPERIENCE; What did come as a surprise to me was the popularity of this rural tavern on a fall Friday evening and the quality of food and service experienced. Jason P. had reported excellent fish and chips, noteworthy wings, and selection of local beers at the tavern in his review. I ordered the fish and chips alongside the server's suggested Norbrook Farm-brewed Mount Pisgah IPA. The fish and chips dish ($20) was as Jason had described -- "TOP TIER". I look forward to exploring the menu further (although it will be hard to pull me away from the fish and chips). Kudos to the tavern's Head Chef Austin Ouelette and his crew! AMBIANCE: There are three dining areas -- an outdoor patio, a newly renovated, modern dining room, and the original dining room filled with colonial-inspired furniture. TIP: Parking lot size was insufficient the Friday evening I visited, necessitating parking on the shoulder of State Route 20 . This possibility may be circumvented via a visit on an earlier weekday. The tavern is open to visitors and inn guests Wednesday through Sunday. read more

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Tucked away in the corner of Riverton is this little restaurant right over the Farmington River. Cozy, quaint and homey, serving great portions with incredible quality. Their menu has a lot of different options to please everyone in your party. They've got the typical go-to's (burgers, sandwiches, pizza) but then you get into some house made comforts like chicken pot pie and bacon wrapped meatloaf. The service is great, but since it's a pretty small place the waitresses might be pretty busy so just be patient. With that said, seating is fairly limited on a busy Friday/Saturday night or if they are having a special for dinner, so definitely make reservations! We came for late lunch on Saturday and it was fairly quiet. Needless to say, since it's off the beaten path we sometimes forget this gem is here but when we remember we never regret it! read more

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On a beautiful, top-down day, was driving past when I saw two women weeding in the front. It was 2:30. Asking if the pub was open, I was told at 4, but drop a line in the river for an hour or so, and come back. Turns out one of the two women was the owner, Sherice. Fortunately, the Farmington River fish live to see another day (no pole do I carry in the top-down), but I did make it back for dinner. The RCT and Riverton Inn share the same historic building, circa 1796. Beautifully appointed inside. Just really cozy. And romantic, especially for people like my friend, Unabelly, and his beautiful bride, Special K. Me? I sat at the bar. Menu eclectic, but I had to go w the old standby, burger and fries. Service excellent, food came out reasonably fast, and perfectly cooked. The hand-cut fries were nice and crispy w (I think) finely chopped parsley. The burger tasted charbroiled; w a substantial bun that held its own (this is important!). I really enjoyed it. Prices reasonable, service excellent, food delicious. What more do you want? Maybe next time, a fishing pole. The RCT/RI is one of a necklace of old taverns / inns from revolutionary times that dotted New England. Close you eyes and you'll see horses tied to a hitching post, maybe a stagecoach. I've been to historic ones in East Hartland, Simsbury, and Southington, and now Riverton. All have excellent food. Only the Riverton Inn still offers rooms. Kudos to Sherice! Definitely coming back. 5 Special K stars. 6 if you count Special K, a star in her own right! And Unabelly, watch those paddy fingers! read more

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We had a fantastic Saturday lunch at Royal Coachman Tavern at the Old Riverton Inn in the middle of a torrential downpour. I mean we seriously got soaked running from the car to inside. Totally worth it. The Tavern is on the bottom floor of an Inn that seems to date back to 1796. I'm sure some history buffs would visit just because of that. But I have good news. The food totally slaps. I tried the chili coconut bone in wings, a sliver of a boneless wing with buffalo sauce, a beer flight of local beers and the fish and chips. The breweries represented in the flight were Brewery Legitimus, Little Red Barn and Norbrook Farm. Two IPAs. One Brown Ale. And a Cooper Ale. The beers were all decent, but none really popped for me. It's cool that they featured local beers though. Royal Coachman is on the Wings Addicts CT Wing Trail. The wings were very good. I have never had a sauce quite like the chili coconut. Tangy and sweet. And I have to tell you, the Buffalo Sauce for my son's boneless wings was terrific. One of the more zesty Buffalo sauces I've tried. So good, I used it as a dip for fries. Royal Coachman's fish and chips are top tier in CT. TOP TIER! The batter was crispy and delicious. When I scraped the top with a fork, there was a loud scratching sound. That good. The haddock was huge and meaty. Can you tell I'm excited about this fish and chips. Service was very good. The setting is unique. Love this place. Definitely going back. 5 Stars read more

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Always enjoy eating at the Royal Coachman in Riverton. Never had a bad meal. Also, I am complimenting all the wait staff; they are friendly, courteous and accommodating. Love the atmosphere ~ it's warm and cozy! read more

Everything went well are you kidding me?? Great fish n chips and the wings were such a surprise, one of the top wings I've had, very good! read more

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Beautiful Tavern in a lovely location. Top-notch service, delicious food. The peach cobbler was divine. Highly recommend.

I really wanted to like this place more. First of all the name of the place is great. Second of all the restaurant its self is super quaint and cozy. Our waitress was so sweet but then we got to the food. The chips and guacamole were very good and super fresh. But my shrimp risotto was not it. The risotto its self was very nice and flavorful but the shrimp was not fresh and tasted off. With that I would not return. read more

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This place is worth the hype. Excellent food. A little pricey but not to bad. Well worth paying a bit extra for a fantastic meal. The staff is friendly and attentive. The best thing if you have allergies they have got you covered! Just let them know and they can modify most dishes. They also offer many menu items gluten free /vegan. We are NEVER disappointed. It can get busy but... you can order to go and visit Peoples State Forest for a picnic. We love the Royal Coachmen OVER the Coach Stop. Hands down! Our favorites - Chili Glazed Salmon with veggies and mash - Prim Rib Sandwich P.s Historical coziness galore! read more

Eleven of us for dinner on a Friday night, a gathering of family that doesn't happen often. As many in our party grew up and still live in the area, there were several other patrons we knew, making the evening that much better. Our server, Jill, was great. Attentive, fun and patient with our large group. Kudos to the kitchen for timing our food to virtually all come out at the same time. Food was ok, standard fare, nothing to write home about. We finish up with our meals but don't want the night to end. It's 8:45pm and we decide to have a night cap in the bar, which still had patrons, in addition to a few other tables still occupied in the dining rooms. This is where it all fell apart. We were greeted with the rudest bartender, telling us we had 15 minutes. A few quickly ordered beers and were told she ran out of both requested beers and the bottles she did have were warm as the cooler was just restocked. No offer of something cold. She clearly did not want us there, was aggressively rude and frankly bitchy. Did I mention one member in our party is a current long time employee of the restaurant? I've worked behind a bar and understand wanting to get home after a long shift, but the hours on the front door show a 10pm closing time and the patrons at the bar looked quite comfortable with their full beverages. We were floored at how rudely we were treated after just spending quite a bit of money in the dining room. We decided to leave, ending what was a fun evening on a sour note. For a local establishment in a small community, where "everyone knows your name", they need to do better. We will never walk through their doors again. read more

Great Ambiance. Cool old building. The wings are awesome. We tried Garlic Parm and Old Bay butter. Both were amazing. Great flavors, plus we had buffalo sauce on the side. They were super crispy exactly like you would want them. The blue cheese was thick and tasted great. The brownie sundae was also the best I've had. The brownie was super fudgy and delicious. The ratio of ice cream to brownie was perfect. There was loads of ice cream. We came back the very next night for the wings and the brownie Sundae and were were NOT disappointed. On top of all of that, the service was top notch. We will definitely be back anytime we are anywhere within a reasonable distance from here. read more

In answer to Krista S from Friday night - I was present at the time and I did notice you all walk into the bar and all seemed very friendly. I actually chatted with a few of the guests. I have known the bartender and the owner for years now and neither of them have ever been rude. They both welcome all and are very friendly. Very disappointed in your review. I have NEVER witnessed any rude behavior. read more

Food and service are great. Such a romantic setting and the decorations especially during the holidays are on point. Owner works hard and helps her team out In any way. Great people that are regulars at the bar. read more

Riverton looks the way Connecticut looks in the movies, charming and timeless, and this adorable scenic tavern fits in with it's surroundings. Inside is just as adorable, each room, and we got a lucky spot by the fireplace. The bar and grill standards--awesome burger and Ruebens for us--are here, and on our day the tap list has decent local brews without being strictly for IPA fans. Cool Side of the Pils from Five Churches hit the spot. Having found the Royal Coachman menu among maps at our local campsite, we were glad to finally make the trip here. The staff were more pleasant than the gray weather that day, so we can't wait to return. Destination plus a decent meal made our day. read more

We brought 4 friends down last weekend after our first awesome experience with take out on Valentine's Day. Both experiences were exceptional. The food was fresh and delicious! The waitstaff was friendly and the tavern was charming. We were seated next to the fireplace, which was beautiful! This will definitely be our go to restaurant when friends and family come to visit. The hand cut fries are delicious! We had the filet special on Valentine's and it was cooked perfectly and generously sized. The blueberry cheese cake was phenomenal!! We also had the poutine which was really good. Our friends were happy with their choices during our dine in experience. The meals we had were pork ribs, vegetable risotto, burgers, steak frites, fish & chips, penne bolognese, house salads with blue cheese dressing! read more

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I came here for lunch after a quick Yelp search, while in the area on a Sunday. The atmosphere felt very welcoming, and the waitress was super nice. The menu offered plenty of delicious food and after a bit I finally decided to go with the Fried Chicken Sandwich, and I was happy with my choice. My friend decided to order the Fish Tacos and was also happy with her choice. The serving sizes are super generous! I managed to eat half of my sandwich and some fries, and ended up eating the rest for dinner. My reason for 4 stars is because there were two bigger parties around us that received most attention from the staff, and unfortunately resulted with a long delay on checking out our tab. read more

Royal Coachman Tavern - Fried Chicken Sandwich and Fish Tacos - Pizza Near Me - Riverton, Connecticut

Ate dinner at the Royal Coachman Tavern last night w/ my wife. I ordered the Fish & Chips dinner, my wife went with Steak Frites. We started off with Coconut-chili flavor wings for an appetizer -- they were excellent. Crispy outing coating, sauce was flavorful, and the spice level was perfect. My wife also had a House Margarita (she enjoyed it so much, she ordered another later in the meal). When our entrees came out, first thing we noticed was the hand cut French fries -- we both loved them ! The fish was flaky and very fresh, the batter was outstanding. My wife's steak was cooked perfectly, it really hit the spot. Service was stellar -- Anna G was very friendly & attentive. Also, everything was extremely reasonably priced -- it was only $81 (before tip) for two meals, an appetizer, dessert, and three drinks. The Royal Coachman Tavern is Top Notch, we're glad we live close by because we intend to come back as often as possible. This is an super-easy 5 Star review for me, I highly recommend you giving them a try. read more

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The Royal Coachman Tavern is housed in the Riverton Inn in the charming village of Riverton in the northwest of Connecticut. We've never had a bad meal here, and it's a local favorite; make reservations especially on the weekends. The chicken wings are especially well done; crispy, juicy, perfectly cooked - a favorite is the old bay and butter. It was a special one night and now we just order off menu each time. The garlic/parm also a favorite. The burgers are great, very nice large salads, french onion soup, and nicer dishes like steaks and seafood also available, really something for everyone. Put it on your list and take a walk around the village before or after dinner. read more

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Love this place! We live nearby and know it well. The people and service are everything you'd hope for in a quiet village like Riverton. Food is awesome... can't go wrong, but my favorites are the ribs, Reuben, fish and chips, fish tacos, and for apps, wings and calamari. Burgers are great too, and the fried chicken sandwich is fantastic. read more

If I were to just review the pizza I ordered I would give this place 2 stars. The pizza would have been good if I ordered something like pepperoni or plain cheese... however the Buffalo chicken tasted like the pre-cooked package or canned chicken you find in the cooler at the grocery store. It was not what I had hoped for. If I ordered a different kind of pizza I am sure I would have liked it much more. However, my husband had the blackened catfish sandwich and all he did was rave how good it was. They also had some really nice speciality cocktails we enjoyed. Our waitress was really nice and attentive. The decor inside was very old world. We ate outside because we were feeling a little more casual. Outside tables are first come first serve- you can just sit down. No need to be seated. The parking lot is part of the inn, and it was packed... so be prepared to park on the side of the road. People seem to be cautious driving around the cars in the street. I would probably go again and hope to have a better food experience. read more

Royal Coachman Tavern - Buffalo chicken pizza - Pizza Near Me - Riverton, Connecticut

Great tavern hidden in the country roads of Riverton CT. Decided to stop in for some appetizers. I was able to get an outdoor table in a beautiful country setting. Nice selection of local craft beers, I tried the pulled pork nachos they were delicious not too much cheese but could have used more pork topping because half way through I had. Not noticed they added the pork for $4. The garlic Parmesan wings were excellent extra crispy perfectly seasoned. I saw folks eating the pork ribs that looked amazing and the burgers looked delicious. I will need to stop back in soon to try other items on the menu. Highly recommend this place in the area. read more

We made new friends yesterday Had excellent food and drink Housemade Jalapeño Poppers OUTSTANDING. Best we have ever had Took Ribs to go and also OUTSTANDING Our Bartender/server was very friendly and answered all our questions about the menu We look forward to going back Owner introduced him self to me with a solid hand shake Thank you again to all at the ROYAL COACHMAN TAVERN See you soon read more

Visiting my hometown for Thanksgiving was a great opportunity to revisit this eatery from my younger years. The Old Riverton Inn was a place I brought very special dates on special occasions. The place has changed and is more middle America than the old New England elegant dining I remember. We started with the poutine appetizer. It's exactly what I expected - with a twist of added rosemary. Wonderful! We continued with soup - clam chowder and the chili. Both soups are recommended - the chili is full of ground beef and is Texas style (no beans). Entrees came next - my steak frites was wonderful - tender and flavorful. My dining partner ordered a burger and when it arrived it was undercooked and that was quickly remedied. For dessert we ordered crème brûlée and maple walnut ice cream. Both were wonderful! There was so much ice cream I took some home. If you find yourself in Riverton at mealtime, stop in. You can thank me later. read more

Royal Coachman Tavern - Poutine appetizer - Pizza Near Me - Riverton, Connecticut

This place is such a hidden treasure! Everything is very well priced and delicious! It looks like they are in the process of creating a patio on the side which would be great because that would be so great to sit outside next to river and bridge on the warmer days. It is also an in so but the ambience is so old school, comfortable and nice!!! I look forward to going back ASAP! We got the calamari with a garlic spicy aioli which was fabulous. The garlic Parmesan wings were extra crispy and had these nice big pieces of garlic and Parmesan cheese on them. The French onion soup was extra cheesy and delicious! I was personally going between the farmhouse burger and portobello mushroom sandwich and I'm so glad my mom got the portobello because I got try both!! The portobello was my favorite as the roasted red peppers, goat cheese, balsamic glaze and everything just tasted so perfect together!! The farmhouse burger was great with the fries egg on top however I wish besides the ketchup i put on it had been a bit more runny or had some other kind of lite aioli or sauce on it just to make it a bit juicer. The vegetable risotto was delicious and I loved that I could taste garlic!! I was so afraid it was going to be bland no way!! It had so many rich flavors of peppers, garlic etc. Everything we had here was fabulous and I thoroughly look forward to going back and getting more! This place menus is huge and they had great specials. I will most likely be getting takeout next time since I have a toddler who won't sit still but I will not miss a chance on eating here or this places food again!! read more

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WOW! We took a big ride (on a recommendation) to try out the wings at this place. We were first taken with the beauty of the drive into this picturesque Old Riverton Inn. The owners, Adam and Danamarie, were fabulous as was the entire staff. We were lucky to get a seat by the fireplace and we ordered all seven flavors of chicken wings on the menu. While EVERYTHING on the menu looked amazing, we roll for wings! The Teriyaki wings were the best all three of us had ever had (that's saying a lot)! The Coconut Chili was a brand new flavor for all of us and another favorite. Meanwhile the Sweet Chili, Jamaican Jerk dry rub, and Garlic Parm were out of this world as well. OK, we ate the cheesecake after! Still in heaven! This place is a treasure. I can't wait to take my whole family back! read more

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Another excellent meal . Their loaded nachos are delicious, just the right amount of heat . A decent portion of chips , cheese, sour cream & salsa. read more

Very nice atmosphere for dining. They took us in on a Saturday evening without a reservation. The waitress was very attentive, but not overly attentive. The food was very good. Maybe not excellent but very good. The parking was a little tough on a Saturday night Had to find a spot farther down the street. But overall I think the atmosphere really is what makes this a nice place to enjoy a meal. read more

We love coming here. The staff always makes you feel at home. Even the patrons are friendly and welcoming. Food is consistent and comforting. read more

Excellent find, everything was very good, nice cozy spot, they make their own dressings, had the blue cheese, was nice and creamy with chunks. Will return. read more

Royal Coachman Tavern - Teriyaki wings and chili - Pizza Near Me - Riverton, Connecticut

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Great place!!!!! Wonderful attentive staff, great food in an amazing historic setting!!!!

This is a great restaurant! Food, service ambiance and price. Who gives you all that? Not many these days. I find the food is prepared consistently using high quality ingredients. Try the fried chicken sandwich with cheese. The fish and chips are great too. read more

We would really love to have reviewed the food, but sadly there was non! My husband and I took a lovely motorcycle ride last night and ended up at the coachman. Waitress was very nice, my blackberry mojito was lovely. But we kept waiting...... and waiting......And waiting........ Asked a couple of times about the food. It was a simple order of a Reuben and a portobello sandwich. Got some feedback about "we have a 10 top that's slowing things down". We were patient and empathetic. But really.... Something was not right in the kitchen last night. I checked my phone as I had sat down to text my kiddos to keep them aware of our progress on our date night and saw that we had sat down sometime at about 6.40. At 8.30 we left money on the table for the drinks and walked out. As we get on the bike to leave the waitress was shouting across the parking lot.... " your food is here". At that point we were done. Our plan had been a nice leisurely ride back to our home an hour away. Ended up having to finish the ride in the dark which is something we are not big fans of. At that point we should have already eaten, had desert and coffee with enough daylight for a safe ride home. Totally disappointing. I sure as hell wasn't turning around to eat a meal we ordered nearly two hours ago. That was just about a two hour wait for two very easy sandwiches. Also... bathroom.... Paper towels overflowing onto the floor and the only thing to wipe my hands one was a damp roll of kitchen roll that has been dropped in water. Yes.... I also judge a place by the cleanliness of its bathroom. The place itself was beautiful...but we went to eat. Would have been nice if we'd had the opportunity . To the owners, I hope the $20 covered the two IPA's and the mojito and a tip. read more

Im so glad I pick this place out of many restaurants I was looking at. Everything was great from the authentic Ambiance to the natural tasting food. I had a burger which I didn't take a photo of, but it had a nice chard and great texture. Also the fries were super yum... Overall the food was tasty, I will definitely be a repeat visitor to this place. read more

Royal Coachman Tavern - Chocolate cake with Vanilla ice cream... - Pizza Near Me - Riverton, Connecticut

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Friends had been telling the girlfriend and I to come here for a while but never got there, that changed today and I could not be happier! For starters we got the mussels, calamari, wing special which i cant remember but everything was delicious and the wings were cooked perfect! For entree i got the fried chicken sandwich and girlfriend got the fish tacos which both were superb. Friend got the ribs which were melt in your mouth tender and seasoned perfectly! The staff was also was pleasant and the owner came out asking everyone how there meal was which was nice! The patio is a great spot and roomy! I cannot wait to go back there to try more. Also took home a mm cheesecake which i will be getting into later! read more

Royal Coachman Tavern - Fried Chicken Sandwich - Pizza Near Me - Riverton, Connecticut

Just an update on my prior review from 6 months ago. Even better the second time. We sat on the outdoor patio and had apps (calamari...excellent!), drinks and dinner (burger, shrimp risotto and spicy fried chicken sandwich ...ALL cooked perfectly and delicious!). Great service too! You are missing out if you have not tried this place yet!! read more

Food price/quality value rating 9.5. This was our first time here. We sat outside on the patio, very nice. We both ordered the Asian Grilled Chicken Salad, which comes with an incredible wasabi ginger dressing. We both thought it was excellent. They also serve flights of draught beer at a reasonable price, which automatically puts them at the top of my list! Service was excellent, and everything was priced reasonably. read more

First time here tonight but it won't be our last! The wings are ridiculously good! Different flavor options to choose from, and we went with sweet chili. Great choice! The wings are PERFECTLY CRISPY and they're BIG. I should have asked for a spoon to eat the blue cheese dressing all by itself! Our entrees were generous and the fries were YUM! I was checking out the other orders being served and everything looked fabulous. The owner, Adam, came by to make sure we were satisfied and we chatted for a bit. The menu is great...there's something to satisfy everyone. I'm already looking forward to going back and bringing friends along. Well done, Royal Coachman! read more

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We have been here a few times but finally remembering to write a review. We have had Casey as a server frequently and she is fantastic, attentive and friendly and on top of everything. Today we got the wing special which was strawberry jalapeño flavored and they were delicious! We also got the mussels and beet and goat cheese salad (not pictured) and both were fantastic as well. Loved the outdoor seating too! read more

Royal Coachman Tavern - Strawberry Jalapeño wings - Pizza Near Me - Riverton, Connecticut

Visited for the second time last night. Once again service and meals were wonderful. We are excited to support a local small business and will definitely be back! On a side note - fries are awesome! read more

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Food was good, as was the ambiance. The service was less than satisfactory. The ribs and risotto were both excellent.