River Oaks cafe — Restaurant in River Oaks

So me and my cousin walked in the entrance and the dining area was kind of empty and saw the booth on the left side was open. There were a few people on the right side booth. I asked the girl at the front counter with the cast on her injured leg if we can sit on the LEFT booth side where I pointed since it was open...she said no and pointed to the right side booth. We said ok no problem... A few minutes after sitting down an older couple came in and they were seated left side of the booth where we wanted to sit.......😳 Right off the bat I thought that was a slap on my face. Like how come she didn't accommodate our request???? It wasn't like it was busy. If it wasn't open then ok, but no one was there when we came in.... Now for the food. My cousin ordered a catfish special with two sides (Mac n cheese and fried okra) and I had the small breakfast plate with escgrige sausage, egg, crispy has brown, and a pancake....... I'll get to the point. The food was below Mid!!!!!! The catfish was nothing special and the breading was like a brick, Mac and cheese was bland and dry, not even hot or warm, and the okra was just...again nothing special. My food was the same... I got scrambled egg and......you can't do anything about that, I ordered my hash brown crispy and it came out overcooked xxxxx crispy to death (see pic). I couldn't finish it. The sausage I got was so so or below mid. The pancake was actually ok and it was a great size.... Now my waiter, she was training a new girl with her. We ask the waiter what kind of catfish it was, is it swai???? She wasn't able to give me an answer and just said it was a real catfish with a confused expression! Another thing that also grinds my gear was when my cousin told me he had been here before and the bearded guy was his server then. The bearded guy had asked my cousin if he wanted any toppings on his pancake..... See I didn't know I had that option to put toppings like blueberry or pecan on my pancakes which the server failed to do so. She did not elaborate or even asked me about that and she was training another server with her too!!!!! Like yo, you just failed as a trainer... The new server is set up for failure.... So I had already got the pancake and it was just regular but if she would have explained or offered me toppings, I would have gotten some toppings on my pancakes...😧😧🤦‍♂️🤦‍♂️... I usually give good tips like 20% or more. I only gave 11% because of what I just explained (I probably should have given Zero tips based on the experience and service).......To the owner or general manager of the restaurant, if you are reading this, please retrain your front counter girl and teach her how to accommodate customers if it's feasible, and please replace your trainer for servers because my server as I explained already does not know how to educate customer or even elaborate on certain menu items..... My experience here was miserable from the moment we walked in. My cousin had suggested this place since I never been and I CAN 100% GUARANTEE WILL NEVER COME BACK AND I DO NOT RECOMMEND THIS PLACE.....I REPEAT, I DO NOT RECOMMEND THIS...

The River Oaks Cafe is basically a local institution in this small city, earning the business of locals’ and travelers’ as far back as I can remember. Open 7 days a week, from 6:00am - 3:00 pm, it’s a little hole in the wall that’s serving up some of the best comfort food in town! Located in a strip mall along the main drag in River Oaks, you can expect to see lots of old timer’s, families with kids, police and even military personnel.

I used to eat here with my Papa before he passed away, so it’s a very nostalgic place for me. The old 1980’s decor is tired, but what they lack in pizazz, they make up for in flavor! The wait staff is always kind and the menu is expansive offering everything from breakfast, lunch specials, burgers, entrees, sandwiches, soups, salads, sides and desserts.

Our order: Fried Hash Browns (ordered extra crispy) topped with shredded Cheddar Cheese and fresh jalapeños, but you can also add Bell Peppers, Onions, Sour Cream or Tomatoes! My aunt ordered two over easy Fried Eggs with two Sausage Pattie’s and an enormous Pancake with whipped butter that arrived at our table almost as large as the plate it was served on! I ordered a small cup of Grits with my breakfast and enjoyed every single bite!

Pros: The prices are very affordable! The service and atmosphere is exactly what you’d hope for and expect from a long term local eatery. There’s a couple of small tables on the little patio for anyone looking to enjoy their meal outdoors.

Cons: Not a single complaint from me, but it gets busy between the breakfast/lunch rush hours of 10:00am - 1:00pm,...

It was good but not exactly great. The breakfast was not very hot. One of the waiters was very friendly and helpful but the other didn't seem to want to be there. The friendly male was very courteous and even went out of his way to help us. The female waitress didn't seem to want to answer simple questions asked. The food was good but it just wasn't hot enough. The bacon had cooled down and so had the pancakes. No chance of melting any butter on the pancakes or toast. I always give places a second chance unless I'm just completely dissatisfied. So I'll be going back again in the future I'm sure.

UPDATE: It's been a couple of months since I was last at the restaurant. I went back today to meet a group of amateur radio friends and the grits were great! The server was exceptional. I don't see very well, but he was on top of everything and very helpful to me and accommodating in telling me what was on the menu. He was checking to see if we needed refills or anything and he was very nice, courteous, and friendly. It was great service and I like restaurants with this type of service. He also got everything right which is a big plus. A lot of places will forget to bring something you ask for, the right condiments, etc. But this young man did not forget anything and everything was just as ked for. I had absolutely no complaints with the flawless service. The breakfast was really good, and like I already mentioned, the...