Atmosphere is perfect. Service was nice. Food was very bland. Fried chicken had no flavor at all. The cheese and meat board was nothing to make you order again. Needs a good chef to make this place the top of the town. I was disappointed. Really wanted to be wowed. Not pictured was the chicken.

Brunch is great! The atmosphere and location are relaxing and staffed as friendly.

Lovely atmosphere and delicious food. Lindsey was a great server

Really enjoyed the atmosphere. My server Preston was very informative and on point with everything.

Awesome brunch! Wonderful service and perfect dining environment.

This was our 2nd time dining here, and it did not dissappoint! We even had the same awesome server! My daughter was visiting, so we thought it would be a great place to dine with good scenery. Even though it rained we were by the window so there was still a nice view.. We I ordered Salmon, the others ordered Ribeye with seasonal veggies, lobster stuffed mushrooms ( they have pork in them so I couldnt partake, but they smelled amazing), and Tots made of grits, covered in cojita and sweet chili sauce..absolutely delish!

Not impressed, first and last visit. Service was terrible as bartender was waiting on more patrons than waitresses plus bar orders. Wait time was 5 minutes when I called pulling into the parking lot.. arrived inside and wait was 45-50 minutes, therefore chose to sit at the bar.. first mistake as trolling women stood around talking to people sitting down at the bar, flipping their hair all around everyones plate. Ordered an appetizer, 25 minutes later asked about it to be told the sauce had messed up and they were not going to make it... not sure when we were going to be told of this. Had to stop random waitress to get a refill of drinks. Steak was average. Total bill, not including tip, was $132 for two people. I hope to make a better choice next time. Only reason I gave 2 stars was the view.

Limited menu but good food. Cool vibe, good service.

Went there for a 22nd anniversary atmosphere and service was great. Drinks a little pricey and not that good at least what we had

Enjoyed the atmosphere and good food. Loved during out on the terrace with a great view of the river. Great restaurant to visit in Tuscaloosa.

I popped over to River Tuscaloosa for an early dinner and sat at the bar (Yancey is awesome) they have a great cocktails menu and wine selection. The early evening was cool enough for the bar area to be opened up leading to the patio the overlooks the river. It was an amazing view and a nice breeze. For my entree I ordered the fresh fish which was Mahi Mahi. It was perfect.UPDATE! I had their brunch!!!! And it was as amazing as everyone has said!

The food here is always amazing. The staff are friendly without being in the way. The drinks are expertly mixed. The best place to eat in T-town

Food was very good w/ manageable portions. I had a fried chicken breast with green beans and potatoes, really enjoyed it. The bourbon selection at the bar was very good. Service was good as well.

After being seated in the worlds smallest booth we asked to be moved outside which was far more comfortable. the food though.. the okra appetizer was possibly the best fried okra i’ve had in my 30 year life. my filet was slightly over cooked for the temp i wanted but was still juicy and seasoned perfectly. my wife’s fried catfish was perfectly cooked and seasoned as well. service was just meh but the food delivered 110% which made up for it.

River is our go-to restaurant in Tuscaloosa when we want to celebrate something special. It isn’t fussy but the food and drinks are always amazing. I had this pesto and steak pasta the other night that was out of this world — truly I couldn’t stop exclaiming about how good it was. The waitstaff is also consistently lovely, as is the ambiance. My partner and I love the two person corner booths when it’s just us — really cozy and nice. We are on a budget so we don’t go as often as I’d like — but River’s pricing is very reasonable for what you get, when we want something special and elevated.

Went there for out Anniversary dinner. Beautiful view, great staff and good eats. Well definitely be back!!

Excellent ambiance and food quality. The sausage board was delicious. My husband got the Osso Bucco which is great quality veal and loved it. I went with a salmon topped salad and it was very tasty. The waitress was wonderful and the cheesecake when suggested was awesome. Highly recommend you give this place a try!

The River is a must go to place.

The food is delicious and we’ve been there many times. Today (Saturday morning) when we called to do pick up, they said they were not accepting takeout orders due to the volume in the restaurant. We have noticed in our dine-in experience the kitchen often has difficulty keeping up with the capacity of the restaurant. If you’re going to offer pick up as an option, it needs to be available all the time, not just during slow times.

First off the set up of the restaurant is very nice... However.. our waiter handed us the straw with her bare hands and laid my other family members straws on the table unwrapped and bare. The menu isn’t very kid friendly it’s a type of place to bring your wife too.. Over all wouldn’t recommend if your young or have ocd about being clean .

At the second of February I went here for a business dinner. Im really impressed by the nice atmosphere and ambience outside and inside the restaurant. The whole evening the service was perfect, very kind, very professional and very fast.Normally they dont have vegan main dishes, but immediately when asking, the service came up with a delicious suggestion, individually created.u000bEven an invoice on my companies address afterwards was easy to get, you just need to ask for it.I can strongly recommend this restaurant, just one hint, reserve before you come.

Nice decor and good service. Brunch menu is interesting. Had Irish breakfast and benigets

Nice location, good atmosphere and service. Just make sure to make a reservation. Everyone I was with enjoyed the food. Menu isnt that big, but its simple and well prepared. Definitely worth a visit for a nice lunch or dinner in Tuscaloosa.

Rare flat iron. Perfect. Very nice place.

Great food. Great atmosphere. Great service

We love this restaurant! The food is amazing!

Food is great, they need a new manager server is horrible and treated poorly. You’re better off eating at Taco Bell

Stopped in for Sunday Brunch and sat outside to enjoy the nice weather. I ordered the breakfast River Burger. It had great taste and was cooked exactly how I wanted. The location and the food is what makes this place a cut above the rest!

Unique menu that changes regularly featuring local fare with a sincere interest in pleasing the foodie. Beautiful atmosphere with Black Warrior River as backdrop. So close to University. Look forward to our return. . We ended the meal with blueberry bread pudding highly recommend this place! Views of river were fantastic as well!

Reason for coming here: Room mates Birthday.Server:EvanService: Excellent and provided all the info to our questions.Atmosphere: calm and relaxing.What makes this restaurants special is their simple and large selection of wine amd alcohol. Their menu changes from time to time which makes me very excited from time to time.Pricing: $10-$20 for appetizers. $20-$50 (Special market pricing for special entrees. Make sure to ask your server!) for the entrees. Alcohol varies very widely on the pricing.Will definitely be back for more!

I enjoyed some of the creamiest grits topped with delicious shrimp and onions! The sausage is not the typical smoked sausage you get with this dish, it was a unique addition to the dish.

The food was absolutely amazing. My bestfriend and I came to have our birthday dinner and it was our first time. Were so glad we chose River. Everything Evan suggested was superb. We will definitely be back and we want to make sure Evan is our server again.

Great food, great service, wonderful personel! Im already excited about getting to go back and I just left.

I ordered the ribeye. I usually dont expect a whole lot when ordering steak, but Im always a bit hopeful. This was the best steak Ive had in a very long time. I should qualify the statement- adding that I commonly order from top steak houses where the steaks are over $100. Right there in Tuscaloosa beats them all!

Scallops were great and bartenders super friendly and knowledgeable

Low-lit comfy ambiance. Amazing service. Limited but excellent choice of starters.

Great atmosphere, great food. Service is excellent.

Great food. Terrific views.

The service and food were excellent. My party sat on the deck and enjoyed the beautiful weather and our view of the river.

Sooo good! Excellent food and service.

Treated my Mom and Sister last Friday, for Mothers day and everything was great. Keep up the good work.

There are only 3 restaurants in town that I look forward to going to and this is one of them. Although they dont have the most eclectic menu options, they certainly cover all of the bases. Ive NEVER had anything that I didnt like. That especially includes the service. Drew (the proprietor) has always run a tight ship but its a fair ship. The location is the bees knees. They have the full package. I fully recommend this restaurant.

Unique menu that changes regularly featuring local fare with a sincere interest in pleasing the foodie. Beautiful atmosphere with Black Warrior River as backdrop. So close to University. Look forward to our return. Everything was great. I highly recommended this place.

Really nice location with warm and inviting atmosphere. My wife and I enjoyed some of the locally brewed beers on tap and some amazing food. Mine was the River Breakfast and my wife had the Shrimp & Grits and both were delicious! The service was great and staff were super friendly. Will definitely return for more at River!

The food and the view were amazing! 😁

Everything we ate was like the best version of that dish Ive ever had. Best catfish. Best grits. Best collards. Best bbq chicken pizza. Best devilled eggs after my moms. It was ridiculous. These chefs know what theyre doing.Also the smoked salmon chips were 🔥🔥

Delicious Sunday brunch with a view of the river. I got the mimosa and River Breakfast, and would definitely order that again. The grits were the BEST I’VE EVER HAD. My only complaint is the slow service.

Whenever you come to River, Please ask for Daniel !! He’s the absolute best !! He asked if it was our first time instead of assuming. He gave us the best recommendations!! Our brunch is great, everything was on time, hot and fresh!! Thanks again Daniel

This was my first experience at the River and I really enjoyed it. We had a party of 5 on game day weekend so the wait was about an 1 hour and 15 minutes for us. Inside waiting area is alittle small but many were hanging out at the bar area and the weather outside was nice so it wasnt noticeable. I ordered the Elk Burger with a Farm Salad and they were both excellent. Its going to be tough to go back to regular burgers now. All in all it was a great experience and Im looking forward to going back.

Great 30 year anniversary dinner here. I had the special of the night while my wife had the shrimp and grits. Both were fantastic. And the service was phenomenal. We will definitely be back.

Absolutely wonderful!!!! Their biscuit and gravy appetizer topped with crunchy potato crinkles was delicious!!! And we are never disappointed by the soft puffed beignets sitting in a bed of creamy vanilla soufflé!

We went a couple weeks back. The atmosphere, view, were great. Im an extremely picky eater. My waiter was great, very patient with me.

Beautiful view and some of the best cuisine available in Tuscaloosa.

A bit too pricy

Very nice place the burger is amazing

Great food with much locally sourced. Menu changes often. We had scallops and shrimp with grits.

Good place to hang and eat some good food. It has a nice feel to it. Similar to a place in Denver I liked.

Food was phenomenal, but our service was even better. Kelsey made our night with her attentiveness and kindness. Her thoughtful suggestions guided our experience and we will be back.

Great service and great food! Definitely coming back!!!!

Found a hidden gem in Tuscaloosa. This was by far the best meal I’ve eaten in town. We started with Gouda Queso and Pork Skins, which were amazing. The baked oysters were just okay as the quality of each oyster varied. For our main dishes we had the filet and shrimp and grits. Both were fantastic. River has an awesome wine list to boot. We will definitely be back!

Great atmosphere. Good food at a reasonable price.

Excellent food in Tuscaloosa. Wait staff enjoyable. Clean, and right on the River.

Upon arriving the restaurant outside front looked amazing! Fire pit outside with seating and the black warrior river! I mean come on you know?! Then upon entering the River, the decor was perfect and the atmosphere was as expected. We had reservations, and were seated relatively quick. When we sat down we found the table had a wobble to it! A wobble?, in a restaurant of this magnitude! Mules were good and the staff were perfect! Took some time for out food, but it was packed! I had the scallops and the were tasty with a so so side. The chef accommodated my girlfriend due to her not eating pork or red meats! The peanut butter dessert was very good! Wanted the cheesecake but they were out! I will be back to try the ribeye and hopefully the cheesecake!

Beautiful view. Great service. Outstanding food. I don’t have a single complaint about this restaurant. Would absolutely recommend to anyone visiting Tuscaloosa!

Great taste of the south.

Its so tasty. The service was friendly and observant. The place has an awesome atmosphere.

First time there. Great atmosphere, food and service😍

Great atmosphere, and if you like menu choices different from the usual, this is the place.

Recommend the Wagyu hanger steak, salmon, salmon chips as an entree.

It started out very slow and I was well prepared to slam my this establishment. However, the food was well worth the wait. The pork skins and Gouda was something I’ve never tasted. The seared Alabama catfish and grits shocked me. I don’t like grits but the taste of these grits were excellent mixed with the collard greens. The food was five stars but I deducted one for slowness:

Enjoyed the Saturday morning brunch, it was amazing! Definitely get the beignets, the espresso cream is perfection! The staff is friendly, and you really cannot beat the view with a mimosa in hand at the end of a long week. I plan on returning for sure.

Was disappointed with the whole experience. When we arrived there were a handful of people waiting and we were told 30 minute wait. After watching the foyer fill up and numerous people flow in ahead of us we weren’t sure what was going on. After waiting a little over 40 minutes we went up to check our status and they said you’re up. The lady then got distracted and we stood around for a few more minutes. Once seated we were greeted relatively quick. I ordered a salad and lamb. I asked the waiter for my salad before the meal. The service was sporadic at best. The other two people in my group received their meals...I still had not received my salad. My meal showed up a few minutes later. I literally had a hunk of bone with a little meat attached and a few very small pieces of meat on the plate. After waiting for my waiter for a bit I got the attention of a manager. He took my plate and after a few minutes brought it back with what he called a double portion. It was considerably more than I had, but I didn’t appreciate the comment about it being a double portion when I virtually had none before. While waiting for them to bring my meal back my salad finally showed up. By the time I got to eat my food it was barley warm. They apologized on a couple of occasions, but didn’t offer any sort of concession. The restaurant was beautiful but definitely disorganized. I would have a hard time recommending. When you spend over $100 for 3 meals you expect a little better experience. I will say there was a large crowd, so I’m assuming most people have had better experiences than I had.

Fantastic location and always something unique on the menu that we cant wait to try.

Great burger, beautiful riverside view

Great, Great, atmosphere...Food is very good. Service is very nice and pleasant. I recommend the River because it is the right choice....LGII

A group of us hosted a bridesmaids brunch for our niece and friends between Christmas and New Years. Most of us were out of town era and Lauren Jones did an amazing job of helping us to coordinate things from a distance. We were able to add personal decoration to our tables as well. The space for 20 was beautiful and private, the servers were amazing, the food delicious. I recommend enthusiastically!

Great food as always, wonderful staff, and doing all the right things in terms of social distancing. Great to be able to eat out, watch the river go by, and feel safe doing so!

Amazing!

Super nice staff delicious food good beer bit pricy but you get what you pay for

More like a pond to me. please call me back i put my resume in three months ago

Revisited River and was happy I did. Service and atmosphere was great. New menu (which reportedly changes frequently) was very interesting. Hard to decide because so much sounded really good. The Salmon Chips appetizer was wonderful. Shrimp and Grits was fabulous. Fiance had steak that was very good. Specialty cocktails delicious.

Great food and the service was top notch. Great atmosphere.

Great service! Hannah was amazing - hands down the best server we have had since we have moved to Tuscaloosa. Food was 5 stars as well.

Completely enjoyed my dining experience at River Restaurant. I loved the warm, relaxed atmosphere. The menu was enticing and offered a variety of options. I opted for the chicken salad which had a very different flavor that I found quite delicious.

This is a wonderful dining experience. My family has eaten there three times. The food, drinks, service, and atmosphere are of the highest quality.

The service and the meal was superb. I have never had a better steak.

Before we were seated we sat at the bar. The bar tender (the x-large size one) served a drink to us. My glass had lipstick on it. When we told her about it she proceeded to pour the drink from the dirty glass to a clean glass. We saw this and said we wanted a new drink. She wasn’t happy and showed it openly. She was very, very rude. We should have left then. But, we wanted to give the food and table service a chance. Table service was good. Food was a B- at best. Not gonna be on our go to list for sure.

Its is expensive, but the wood fire shrimp dip is worth it. My dinner (lamb)was a bit sweet and so was my friends (short rib). The desserts were very rich. The staff was super nice. I do recommend it.

I love the atmosphere. Our waitress, Kayla, was amazing. Very polite and knowledgeable of the menu and was able to make great suggestions. The food was wonderful. Ill definitely dine here again when Im back in town.

Great and benefit. And inviting atmosphere. With great views of the river

I really wouldnt know because it was so packed there wasnt room to park except a side gravel lot.

Beautiful location. I loved seeing the river and people walking on the trails. My family and I got lots of dishes to share. The fried okra was tasty, along with the oysters. I got the river burger and it was delicious!!! Its a little pricey but if you want a nice meal in a beautiful location in Tuscaloosa, I recommend it.

River is definitely a higher quality restaurant than you would expect in a college town. It’s an upscale restaurant, with a very cool, laid-back bar. The appetizers and entrees were all amazing, and the service was great! The server was very polite and attentive, and was able to answer all of our questions about the menu.

Awesome food great owner present in the restaurant available to his customers. I noticed he wasnt above stepping in and assisting his employees instead of just making demands of his already busy staff. The basis of every great business is great ownership.The sides were just as good as the main courses Id highly recommend the filet it was amazing

Beautiful setting. Decent food.

My daughters and I went here for a Saturday mid morning brunch! We truly enjoyed it. Great food and service!

Great food. Definitely enjoy eating here. Brunch is a great time to go, but so is lunch and dinner.

Definitely a popular joint because of its panoramic location. The food, however, could be fairly better specially on the choices when it comes to the vegetarian menu. Otherwise great ambiance, and satisfactory service.

We arrived from Cincinnati and stumbled onto this excellent restaurant via a Google search. After enjoying a few bourbons, we ordered dinner and it was awesome. Service was great, the weather was pleasant outside, and Ill definitely return when I return to Tuscaloosa. If I had to describe the environment, I would say upscale-casual if there is such a thing. Prices ranged from $14-$38.00, but quality was worth it.

First time I have been here. Service was timely but not intrusive. Oysters were tasty. Happened to be there on college night. Great prices on drinks. The food was good and delicious. Arrive early to get a seat outside by the river.