River's Bend — Restaurant in Howard

Wife, 5yo daughter, and I visited 12/17/22 to celebrate a life milestone. We don't go out to eat but maybe twice a year and had not visited the Bend since right after Steve V took over, and we were very happy with that visit. Being GB residents for over 45 years, we have had dozens of visits here in the past and it was always superb so we wanted to ensure we had an excellent meal with great service to commemorate this recent achievement. Made a 4:30 reservation to beat the rush, arrived a few minutes early, and were seated immediately. We asked about being seated by the window at one of the several empty tables but the host said she did not believe that was possible... ok not a big deal. The table we were placed was not great: next to the salad bar on a corner where the servers place the platters of dishes to ferry them to the tables, so there was lots of traffic, noise, and distraction. I sort of think we were not put at a premium table since we had our 5yo along that could have been seen as a noisy distraction to the other customers. (But she is very well behaved and has excellent table manners, plus we work on her inside 'restaurant voice' so we can bring her out without disrupting other people.) Drinks were up first: Shirley Temple for the little one was HUGE, very cool for her first one; Hendricks and tonic for the Mrs. had flat tonic, ginger spiced old fashioned for me came as a regular old fashioned with absolutely zero hint of ginger. We didn't say anything because we just wanted to focus on family time, plus it was starting to get busy and we were only going to have the one drink anyway. Ordered app and entree then up to the salad bar. The salad bar was had very fresh offerings and was had a very attentive person making sure things were all topped off and cleaned up. Being seated close to the bar, I could see that she was in the way of guests from time to time, but small inconvenience for keeping things tidy. (Maybe add a 2nd bar on busy nights to mitigate crowding?) Entrees came out after a modest wait. Server forgot to bring app so we told her we didn't want it at that point. Chicken tenders and fries for the little one: fries were great and perfectly seasoned, chicken was pretty dry. Broasted chicken and mashed potatoes for the lady: chicken was nice and salty, not as juicy as other broasted chicken we've had, potatoes were bland and Mrs. asked for some sour cream to liven it up. Sea bass with lemon truffle butter and herbed fingerling potatoes for me: fish was cooked perfectly but bland, the truffle butter I think the sous chef looked across the kitchen at the truffle oil, herbed potatoes were bland with a couple flakes of parsley maybe. The entrees had no garnishes or attempt to make them visually appealing, just the basics plopped on very hot plates. (Hot plates on purpose? Or from sitting under heat lamps?) A nice finishing salt would have been a classy touch to enhance the delicate flavor on the bass, but may have been lost if the plates sit under heat lamps. The meal was just meh as was service, and it is possible our expectations were simply too high. But for the price we did expect better. Two stars are relative to what we have experienced at the Bend in the past. It wasn't a terrible experience, just...

We attempted to call ahead, enroute to get reservations. Wound up in a phone loop option 1 to leave a message for reservations team to call back and confirm Saturday night party of 4. We left a message. We arrived before our call was returned, Not a huge deal. Hostess, young and VERY inexperienced??? greeted us by telling us there's a 40-45 min wait. (Well, hello to you TOO???) We were fine w the wait, live piano player in the corner, cocktails and beautiful scenery could definitely entertain us until ready to be seated. We mentioned the voicemail to hostess who acted as if she didn't hear us, looked blankly at us.....no response. As we were trying to tell her to DISREGARD the voicemail, as we're here, already, she implied that they didn't have voicemail. Looked back at her bookings, and handed us our table alerter......said nothing..... A Staffer was nearby and overheard the conversation. He too sounded confused that we were able to leave a voicemail requesting reservations.....? It WAS INFACT on the phone prompts, I'm not making it up. He was very polite, somewhat apologetic, and informed us that they can't check messages during the peak times. Ok, that response was fair. Then why put it on there is what I was thinking??? Meanwhile, hostess busied herself w the reservation book. Flipping back and forth, shuffling. We stood there for a few minutes to see, if at all, she'd even look UP at us.... nothing..... we knew we should probably go the bar, or elsewhere, but were curious if she would take the initiative to engage the client, and invite them in.....or even acknowledge them...? (Inexperienced??) So we let her shuffle for a while, and asked if we could just go up to the bar or ....wait here....? She giggled, and informed us of the table alert and what to do next, etc. Just a very poor first impression for a 5star restaurant..... Bartenders were great. Engaging and delightful. Ambiance was fantastic w the river, the glitz, very nice. Live music, w comfortable seating, couches, etc, great. Server was welcoming and VERY engaged. Food-fabulous. A bit pricey for the OVERALL experience. $165 for entrees for a party of 4 (bar bill was required to be paid seperatate & not added to our table....ok). We tipped out around $200 for the meal. We've traveled all over the country for business and pleasure. Would put this establishment in the top bracket had we been greeted properly right out the gate. We will likely return, and when we do, I may update this status to see if I...

At River’s Bend near Duck Creek in Green Bay, Wisconsin, our culinary experience was a tale of two halves - exceptional food in a charming atmosphere, marred slightly by underwhelming service.

The visit started on a rocky note. Dressed in casual sports gear after a Packers game, we unexpectedly felt a bit out of place. The reception staff, despite being dressed in casual Packers attire themselves, treated us somewhat dismissively, which was surprising and not particularly welcoming.

Arriving 10 minutes before our reservation time, we were asked to wait "out of the way" or at the bar, where there were no seats available. This, coupled with the staff's somewhat brusque manner in navigating around us, set a somewhat uncomfortable tone initially. A bit more finesse and politeness in handling guest interactions could significantly enhance the overall experience at River’s Bend.

However, once seated and dining, the narrative changed dramatically. The culinary prowess of River’s Bend shone brightly. The special of the day, a blackened salmon with house-made sauce and potatoes, was a masterpiece, cooked to absolute perfection. Adding a lobster tail to the mix only heightened the delight. The quality of the food was top-notch and left a lasting impression.

The salad bar was another highlight - a bounty of fresh, well-stocked selections that complemented our main dishes beautifully. My wife's steak was another testament to the kitchen's skills - a flavor-packed, tender cut that was expertly seared and seasoned, requiring no additional enhancements.

While the prices were on the higher side, hovering around $50 per person, we felt the quality of the food and the overall dining experience justified the cost. We didn't choose River’s Bend with budget constraints in mind and were looking for a more indulgent dining experience, which the restaurant delivered in terms of the meal itself.

In conclusion, River’s Bend offers a delectable dining experience with its exceptional food and delightful atmosphere. However, there is room for improvement in the service department, particularly in the way guests are received and treated upon arrival. If the service can match the high standards of the cuisine, River’s Bend would be nothing short of perfect. Despite the service hiccups, the food alone makes it a place worth visiting for a special dining experience...