The River's Edge Supper Club — Restaurant in Town of Porterfield

Dinner at The River’s Edge – Where the U.P. Meets Wisconsin, and Laughter’s Always on Tap

Somewhere between the cheddar curtain and the Yooper border, nestled against the serene Menominee River, sits The River’s Edge Restaurant—a hidden gem near Marinette, Wisconsin, where the food is hearty, the views are unbeatable, and the laughs echo louder than a Friday night fish fry.

This particular evening, a group of family and friends gathered ‘round a table like it was Grandma’s kitchen—except this time the kitchen came with white linens, coffee refills, and a view so pretty even the pickiest uncle paused to admire it. The gang had traveled from both sides of the border—Yoopers and Cheeseheads alike—proving that “you betcha” and “holy wah” can absolutely coexist in culinary harmony.

Now, if you’ve never eaten at River’s Edge, here’s what you need to know:

The windows stretch nearly floor to ceiling, showing off the river like it’s the main course.

The air smells faintly of pan-fried perch and possibility.

And the dessert menu alone could spark a family feud. (Strawberry shortcake vs. chocolate lava cake—pick a side, and choose wisely.)

The food? Classic Midwest comfort with a hint of flair. The table was a smorgasbord of broasted chicken, prime rib specials, and enough mashed potatoes to make a grown man weep tears of joy. Glasses clinked with everything from Old Fashioneds (brandy, of course—this is Wisconsin) to good ol’ U.P. coffee strong enough to jumpstart a chainsaw.

As dinner rolled on, the group swapped stories and old jokes, many of which began with “Remember that one time at deer camp...” or “So there I was, up on the roof in January...”—naturally followed by a healthy round of “No way!” and “Hold my pasty, I’ve got a better one.”

One table over, a local leaned in and whispered, “Looks like you’ve got a full yooper reunion goin’ there, eh?” “Sort of,” came the reply, “but we brought some Wisconsinites for cultural balance. Someone had to bring the cheese curds.”

And while the sunset dipped behind the trees, painting the river with shades of gold and green, someone at the table raised a glass and declared: “Here’s to good food, great company, and better stories than the last time we tried to barbecue in a snowstorm.”

So if you ever find yourself near Marinette, looking for a place where the drinks are stiff, the steaks are tender, and you’re as likely to hear a joke about snowblowers as you are to see one in the parking lot—pull up a chair at The River’s Edge. Because whether you say “ope, lemme squeeze past ya” or “don’tcha know,” there’s always room at the table.

And as they say up north: "Life’s short—eat the dessert, drink the coffee, and always park facing out during...

The service and atmosphere are nice enough. However, the food was honestly the most disappointing I think I've ever experienced. I always try not to be too critical because I'm no Gordon Ramsey or anything. I mostly came to try the bruschetta because I love bruschetta, and I got a half order of pasta as well, with a salad. It also came with a dinner roll and cornbread muffin, both of which were my favorite out of all those things. Now, TO BE FAIR, it was obvious, being vegetarian, that this restaurant is mainly focused on meat-based entrees such as steak and seafood, so I would imagine the majority of the menu is great for most people. However a restaurant shouldn't be neglecting the quality of some menu items just because they are rarely ordered. (The impression I got was that nobody in the kitchen had ever made bruschetta or pasta before.) The bruschetta was sadly the worst. The bread was burned. Not like REALLY burned, but almost every piece was charred black nearly all the way around. It was therefore very hard to eat and actually hurt my gums a bit with how tough it was. (I would suggest a little olive oil to make it softer.) It was basically burned bread with too many cold tomato and onion and cheese pieces piled on top. (Yes even the cheese was cold.) Again I'm no expert but when 25% of the toppings end up on the plate, maybe there should be less toppings? Or toast the toppings as well so the cheese at least holds it together. Even my mom makes better with the cheap stuff from Walmart. The salad was most concerning since every meal comes with either it or a soup, so I imagine about 50% of everyone is having this. Nothing bad quality or anything, just pretty plain. Absolutely just about the most basic salad imaginable, especially for a "fancy" restaurant like this. (I have bought premade salads from Walmart that are much more interesting.) Cheap salad mix, a couple tomato and cucumber slices, and a few of those cheap crunchy things (idk what they are [not croutons]). (You can add black olives or cheese for a bit extra.) There was an offcolor, slimy film on top of the dressing. I actually didn't know if that was normal for blue cheese or not so I just avoided pouring that part. Lastly, the pasta seemed WAY overcooked, incredibly soggy to the point that I was surprised it didn't disintegrate on contact. The marinara sauce was pretty good, however. Again, take with a grain of salt since this is coming from a vegetarian in one of the very few restaurants I have been to which I can sadly deem very...

Tried to stop in for dinner but was told we would have over an hour’s wait. WTH where are all your guests that would have prevented you from offering us a seat in the dining room? First off it’s already 7p and over half of the patrons were sitting up at the bar. The dinning room honestly didn’t have more than three or four tables seated. The whole ordeal started when we walked in. The sign said check in at the bar. The bartender who was not previously at bar walk back behind the bar. He walks down to the opposite side of the bar not even looking at us or acknowledging us in any way. After he chats with some guest he finally decides to come back towards us and says “well” I respond in kind well I’d like to get a table for two. He then very rudely asked what do want again? I again say a table for two (dinner) Then he asks asks “do you have a reservation? To which I replied no we don’t you’ll have a wait “um a little over a hour” We said no, and we then started looking for another place. The icing on the cake, there were no more 7 cars in the lot. Ultimately we took our business elsewhere. To an establishment that greets their guest and isn’t overwhelmed by a...