Riverfront Grille — Restaurant in Rock Island

As one of the top 10% of Google reviewers for restaurants in the USA, I write this review with a heavy heart. I’ve been a loyal customer of this restaurant for quite some time, and while my experiences have generally been positive, my most recent visit was so terrible that I felt compelled to leave a 1-star review.

We started with loaded fries, which were barely edible. They arrived without the sour cream we expected, and we had to ask for it separately. Worse, the fries tasted like they were fried in old oil, had zero seasoning, and were genuinely disgusting. Then came the salad bar—something I was initially told came with my meal. Moments later, our server embarrassed me by saying it actually didn’t and that I’d be charged. I changed my order to avoid this, settling on the smothered chicken, which was so dry that I struggled to swallow every bite. The green beans were rancid, and the French dressing had an odd pickled taste. The broccoli cheese soup was old and off-tasting, which even the manager later admitted.

My wife also opted for the salad bar but walked away hungry, as her selections were just as unappetizing. The potato soup, which should have been fresh, was notably stale. My son ordered the grown-up grilled cheese and had to pick off tomatoes that were clearly past their prime. The only redeeming item was my youngest’s pizza—but honestly, pizza is hard to mess up.

When I asked if they had lost their regular cook, I was told no, but I can’t imagine how this could be the same kitchen I’ve known in the past. The “manager” came over after I expressed my concerns, wearing a smug expression and dismissing most of my feedback, aside from admitting that the potato soup was indeed old. She offered us free dessert, which we declined, and her indifferent attitude was the final straw.

We ended up at McDonald’s afterward, where we had a far more satisfying meal. It’s sad to see a once-dependable spot decline so sharply, but I won’t be returning.

Edit I just saw the owner’s response—everything they said is a lie! We absolutely informed our server about the issues with our food, and the only thing offered was a free dessert. After such a terrible meal, why would we want dessert? And no, we didn’t eat most of the food—we left it on the table and walked out hungry and frustrated that we had to pay for something so disgusting.

As a small business owner myself, I hesitated to leave this review, but the complete lack of care and concern from this establishment made it necessary. You knew we were upset when we left, yet instead of making it right, you chose to lie on Google. That’s not how you handle customer concerns.

We used to be regulars, but after spending over $100 on four inedible meals, we had to go to McDonald’s just to get lunch. Is McDonald’s perfect? No, but it’s what I could afford after wasting money here.

And regarding tipping—I always tip at least 20% for bad service and typically tip 50-100%, but when a tip isn’t deserved, that’s on the server and the...

I was a little concerned that the place wasn't busy during what should be a rush time but thought Id give it a chance and maybe it was a hidden gem or something. The wait staff was friendly and bright and checked on tables often, very deserving of all the praise! The salad bar was nice and seemed pretty fresh though it was fairly small. After enjoying our salad, both my friend and I were served what smelled and tasted like old/bad meat(a burger and a steak) that were also undercooked for what we had ordered. I wasnt sure if maybe I was just off in what I was smelling so I took two bites and all my internal alarms were sounding to STOP. I thought maybe it was just the lack of seasoning or at the very least salt. No, not even adding salt helped. Properly handled, seasoned, and cooked beef would not make you feel like you're going to wretch just by smelling it. We both ended up feeling sick with bloating and stomach cramps after about an hour then later chills and nausea that lasted a day. Neither of us ate much more than a couple bites of the meat, thankfully or we probably would have been a lot worse off. After getting that main course I was then worried about the safe handling of the salad bar items we had already eaten. The atmosphere is dark and dingy inside but the patio was nice especially looking out over the water on a nice day. This could be a beautiful place and a true hidden gem if they managed their food safety a bit better and brightened the interior up. I don't think I will go back any time soon but I hope they make some positive changes and hopefully no one...

Labor Day week, on Friday afternoon, 13 of us expected. First they said they would seat us in th dining area. 2 waitresses saying they would get it ready. They're we're about 10 people there and 6 guys seated at th bar side at th big table. I saw an open long table for 8, and another for 4 right next to it. Another waitress comes over and took over, saying we HAD to be seated outside. This was a small party for a birthday, and there were elderly who didn't want to sit outside with us. She said we could use 2 tables, but couldn't move th tables together bc someone previously had broke one trying to move one. We asked if we could sit in th big area, no one was in there. NO, it's for parties of 80! I asked if they could move th dining area tables together. NO, bc that there's only 6 seats and 4 next to it and "6 plus 4 is 10 and that's not enough!" I can add, but she was mistaken and still wouldn't seat us. By then 3 of our party, backed out, so down to 10. She then proceeds to tells us " you need to let me know if u want to sit outside or not bc I can seat other people out there if you're not going to use it!" We all left! She was very rude, and just seemed like she wasn't going to try to accommodate us at all, while th others were going to do so, until she stepped in and took over! They lost 10 hungry and paying customers! Had a great and welcoming time at ETA in Moline! I highly recommend...