Riverside Cafe — Restaurant in Derby

Bad service that led to terrible food and an early exit. Unfortunately the terrible attitude we got from the person at the door wasn't taken as a sign, nope, we went on thinking it was just him. We were wrong. The waitress made him look cheery and helpful. She was rude, literally huffed/sighed when you asked for anything, always told you how hard she was working & never brought everything you'd asked for. Unreasonable behavior when busy, more so when only half the tables even have anyone seated. I could go on and on about exactly what was said and the rudeness that finally led to our just getting up & leaving but I'll use the space here for a quick description of the greasy (not in that old diner good way) undercooked food. Cold greasy meat that turned out to still be bleeding, hash browns that were still frozen inside, yet pancakes that were so burnt one of them was literally smoking on one edge. We tried to get a little video of it but the wisps of smoke didn't show up, it just looked like we were filming a breakfast crime scene. Brought it to the waitress' attention & asked that they be taken away. She assured us some people liked them that way & berrated in general as she walked through the dining area "...people who send stuff back without trying it! Ugh!" Uh, no thanks. We'll never go back nor will we even consider any of their other locations. Since that day I've had several other people tell me they've had the same experience. POST THOSE so people like me can see the review & pass on the joint without having to see those poor pancakes...

Wait staff is extremely hard working and I mean that in a good way. They don't appear to be understaffed just that they all looked like they were working at making sure everyone was taken care of. They seem to work well together too like a well coached team. We went here today with friends for the first time. One of the things I liked the most is that we weren't "bothered" with help questions every 2 minutes. They just seemed like they knew what we needed and took care of it before we would have thought to ask. The food was excellent. I ordered the #1 breakfast meal. The pancake was huge and ended up slightly undercooked in the middle due to its size, but tasted great nonetheless. The bacon and eggs were done exactly as ordered. My friends were commenting about how good the fresh cut fries were. They own a potato food truck business and for them to give high praise on fries goes a long way. My wife enjoyed her meal too and is glad that we decided to give Riverside Cafe - Derby a try. The restaurant has a very strong family dining atmosphere to it. They are very supportive of being a local Derby eating establishment. It was refreshing to see everyone there working so well together. Kudos to a well run...

Riverside Café in Derby is our go-to greasy spoon, and I mean that in the most respectful, cholesterol-loving way possible. It’s the kind of place where you walk in and immediately feel like you belong—even if you just woke up, haven’t had coffee, and look like a raccoon with helmet hair.

The staff is always on point: fast, friendly, and they don’t flinch when you walk in carrying freedom on your hip. That’s right—they’re firearm friendly, which is a big plus in my book. But more importantly, they’re breakfast friendly, which means you’re treated right and your eggs aren’t afraid to share a plate with something deep-fried and glorious.

Now let’s talk about the star of the show: the chicken fried steak. It’s hand-breaded, handmade, and then I make sure it’s hand-eaten every damn time. I pair it with corned beef hash, and that’s it. No toast, no pancakes, no sides. Just straight to business. We call this combo "The Anorak"—my road name from the motorcycle club. It hasn’t made it onto the menu yet, but give it time. Legends take a while to stick.

Bottom line: if you want a solid breakfast, great service, and a place that doesn’t judge your appetite or your sidearm,...