Riversbend — Restaurant in Essex

I will never step foot in this place or property and judging by all the reviews for Riversbend and Essex Marina, Curt and Lindsay appear very green oriented and somewhat discriminatory. I was walking through the marina because I used to go Essex Marina with my family and friends when it was owned by George Lufkin and his family to launch our boat. I accidentally stumbled upon a wedding admiring the beautiful restaurant and as I was walking by to leave the owner Curt said to me can I help you I replied no, he replied there is a wedding keep it moving and then when I replied you could have been nice about it he replied I am a nice guy, I don't have to be your on my property. I just moved to Essex and so far all the restaurants, businesses, and people have been so nice and welcoming. The Lufkin family were so warm and welcoming and these two were not welcoming to the locals. Sorry to the wedding party honest mistake and hope you have many years of happiness. I am sorry to all the staff that work there but the owners attitude needs to change. Every interaction is a learning experience and let this be a clear lesson in hospitality. I am not saying don't go here but want to leave you all with the information to make an informative decision before stepping foot on the property. Don't want anyone to go through the same...

Don’t go to this place if you are: 1. Not with a big group of people; 2. Non-white. My boyfriend and I happened to be in the area and wanted to try this place out, so we put our name on the list and was told we would have to wait for 30mins or so but the kitchen would close in an hour and a half. We waited, had some drinks and I checked the list after 20mins, we were the runner up on the list. I thought we would get seated very soon. 5 mins later they seated a big party that came after us. I started to think they wouldn’t seat us because we were only 2 people so I had my boyfriend ask them what’s our situation to be seated and whether they did take-out. They said they couldn’t seat us anymore and due to limited capacity they could only do takeout for one slice of pizza. We were astonished, angry and hungry so we left. In terms of why you shouldn’t go to this place if you are not white? Because all seated customers we saw were suburban white families. They seemed to get the best treatments. At least we left them some French fries since we left before they came out, consider that our...

The view is delightful and the grounds are perfect for children to play on while dining on the deck. It's not a traditional water view but the river is quiet and picturesque, particularly at sunset. The river cruises don't breakup the quiet but they do provide moments of interest while you dine. The menu is decent but not quite up to the exceptional offerings from other north shore chefs. Please note that the pizza crust is "beach pizza", so don't expect woodfired or NYC experiences. The burger is easily a standout and the steak rangoon is a good fit for those of you drinking heavily.

Still, it is satisfying food with a good view and easy parking even in July. Finding the place can be a bit awkward as the road is narrow and winds through a QUIET residential area. Please drive slower than you think you need to- surprises can and will jump out at you.

*surprises may include children, pets, cars and even signs advising you of...