Riverside Tavern — Restaurant in Niagara Falls

We have been supporting this place since pre-COVID. Through ALL of their transitions, quite often being told that there is quite literally NO SERVICE or NO COOK staff, and just grinning and bearing it through the severely lacking experience- for top dollar pricing. Why? Because we're local and we try to support local.

Today was the absolute last time. This place is finally up for sale - and it's no wonder.

We came into an empty restaurant - at noon on a long weekend sunny day. One man on staff (with clearly zero hospitality experience) barely making his way to our table at all (after taking order) let alone on a regular basis. Comparing about how he cannot staff this place, and is trying to sell it.

Instead of waiting to find him, we simply helped ourselves to some napkins (a few families arrived while we ate and we just didn't want to put anymore on his plate, he was clearly overwhelmed as it was). I come from the service industry, spent years working at The Keg in Toronto. I know service.

We ordered wings, salad and a whole pizza - 3 beers - all for 2 parents and a toddler. Toddler never left the table, no tantrums, no mess. We pre-bussed our own table. We had to get up to ask for every additional drink and added item.

2 napkins - for a plate of wings and pizza - at a table with a toddler?

I eventually got up and grabbed myself some napkins for our table. We didn't finish our food, we asked for to go boxes, and ofc got ourselves up to the bar to pay our tab since lorn knows, he wasn't coming to our table.

This man - had the NERVE - to look at our extra 5 napkins alongside our 2 takeout boxes - and say "whoa whoa whoa, I don't think so, that's quite rude actually - I'll take those napkins back" 🤯🤯🤯🤯🤯🤯🤯🤯🤯‼️‼️‼️‼️‼️‼️‼️‼️‼️‼️

On what planet - do you spend over $100 for a 35 mins lunch - in a run down - closing down biker bar in the middle of nowhere and get berated publicly about taking some extra napkins alongside your takeout 🥡???

We absolutely will NOT be back and will be telling this story to all of our friends. Unbelievably bad service. Feathers on the wings. 🪽 and an absolute a**hole owner behind the bar who understandably cannot keep ANY staff and is trying to man this place single Handedly until he can sell.

Save yourself the embarrassment. Just go to pizza 🍕 pizza. Service from literally anyone besides this d**Khead will blow this experience out...

We are local people from Niagara Falls, Ontario and have never been to this restaurant before and we're always looking for good, local places to eat. We went to dinner at the Riverside Tavern yesterday, August 18th. We sat on the outdoor patio overlooking the river which was great. Our waitress arrived and suggested Somersby Apple Cider which we ordered. It arrived promptly and was beautifully chilled. Off the menu we ordered the Applebutter BBQ Ribs ($28.00) and I thought I'd try the Shepherds Pie even though it had an unconventional twist of being made with shredded beef rib meat. We didn't wait long and the food arrived looking fairly appetizing. Deb did have a side salad which she liked, but I watched her trying to cut into the double stack of ribs and I could see how much difficulty she was having. The ribs had been described as falling off the bone tender. She tasted them and said they were awful. She gave me a sample and they were tough, maybe overcooked but very bland, even with the applebutter topping. My shepherd's pie wasn't much better, also not a lot of flavor, althoughmy side of handcut fries were excellent. In the pie there were large pieces of uncooked red onion and large pieces of red pepper in it as well. It was not appetizing but I was starving and made my way through it. I suggested to Deb that she say something about the ribs, which she reluctantly did. We didn't complain like a couple of ungrateful people and the waitress understood and was way more than accommodating even after I told her that the ribs were by far the worse I've ever had anywhere. The waitress took the ribs away and appologized, as is it were her fault, and quickly replaced that order with an order of Mac & Cheese. As it turned, it was awful too, with one miniscule piece of lobster hidden under some pasta noodles. We are not fussy people. When want to support our local businesses and restaurants, but we expect something way better than what we got here. It was brutal. The drinks were great and cold, the sides were descent enough. The service was excellent I must say and in spite of the bad culinary experience, I left her a 20% tip. But the main courses? All three were awful. We may try again sometime, but I think we'll...

I've been by here many times. Yesterday while visiting Niagara Falls and the little town of Chippewa, I decided to stop here and have supper. I was walking by and seen and smelled the fish and chips a customer was having. That did it for me. I ordered an extra piece of fish. I ate outside and loved it. The place was not too busy for a long weekend. The fries were incredible and I told this to the waitress who was kept busy even with the small crowd. The milk came in a small glass very small and smelled stale and moldy yet it tasted fine. This is where I will be going for supper when in this area. Did you people know that this area back in 1952 was used for a short scene in the movie Niagara starring Marilyn Monroe. If you watch the move near the end you will see a boat pull in to the area just to the right of the restaurant if you're sitting there. There were originally two other buildings beside this restaurant but they were torn down long ago. They get out of the boat and go and get some gas and beer. That street where the police on their motorcycles go down is now a one way. Joseph Cotton takes a stick and puts it in the steering wheel of the car to distract the old gentleman, Will Wright who keeps an eye on the dock. He then runs around and gets in the boat with actress, Jean Peters, Polly Cutler in the movie. Together they head down the river as the Police are looking for Joseph Cotton for the murder of Marilyn and her lover. Not listed in the credits that I can find. On my next trip I plan to do what I should have before and take the portable video and watch the movie while being right there where it was shot. So many have no idea that there was as scene shot there though Marilyn was not in it. Update this year June of 2022. I had the fish and chips and was greatly disappointed. All batter and little fish inside. I told the waitress. She said it depends on what they get. I said it is more like who's doing the cooking. So now rather than stop here while in the Niagara Region I will be heading to Hamilton to Hutches on the Beach. I wont be getting fish and chips here anymore. The fries though are nice, really nice. Used to be great but not anymore. Now I go elsewhere when in the...