Riverside Cafe — Restaurant in Vero Beach

Riverside Cafe overall: Small portions for the prices but a nice staff and decent atmosphere. We started with drinks- I had a vodka rocks and my gal ordered an IPA. So the very first thing is that the rocks glass was the smallest one I have ever seen! It looked barely bigger than a 1oz shot glass. Now I am pretty sure it was EXACTLY an ounce of vodka, but it really looked cheesy and the bartender kind of looked embarrassed when he set it down in front of me. Right away you get the feeling that there may be some micromanagement going on here with portion control. And my gal was asking a couple questions about the different craft beers on tap and they had absolutely no knowledge about any of them! I couldn't believe he couldn't answer basic questions! So then we ordered food. We had tuna nachos which were good (meh.) It was nice fresh tuna with an "expected" presentation with seaweed, wontons and sauces, etc. Its just that the portion is about HALF the size I am used to for the almost $20 price tag. Only 4 chips per order, so not enough to really share. I can't believe I am saying this but in the Florida Keys (where restaurants are pricey by nature) you get twice the portion for the same price tag! Next we ordered a blackened Mahi sandwich with fries crispy. I gotta say it was NOT blackened in any way shape or form! The fish was bland and had almost zero flavor. If that is their idea of a "blackened preparation" they need to do a little more research or just 86 that prep from the menu. The small fillet appeared to be grilled on a flat top with maybe a little salt and pepper, period. They either got the order completely wrong or have no clue how to do it right. And BTW the fries were not crispy as ordered. This is such a simple request that restaurants really struggle with time after time, and Riverside Grill was no exception. The fries were cold and soggy. But this portion of our meal took such a long time to arrive (as apposed to the appetizer which came out fast) so we chose to just shut up and dine rather then wait for something else. The food was hit or miss at best. In fact, the gentleman sitting next to us at the bar ordered a cheese burger with fries. Afyer a while the bartender noticed that he ate only about a third of it and pushed his plate away. She asked if it was OK. He embarrassingly (and quietly) told her it was one of the worst burgers he has ever had! To be fair I did not actually taste it, but he really didn't seem to want to complain and he actually refused when she offered to remove the charge from his tab. To be fair, his buddy had ordered the catch of the day and he said it was "decent." But again, the portion was tiny for the almost $30 price tag. In my opinion a tiny piece of fish on a small bed of rice and a small dollop of mixed vegetables does not warrant that price tag. Its a shame because I really wanted to love this place. I have just moved back to Vero recently and we are looking for the good spots to dine and drink. We may try it again in the future because I love the atmosphere, but it won't be on our regular list. It's a shame because the potential is there, but I doubt they will ever change their "maximize profits at any/all...

I had high hopes for Riverside Café, but despite the quality of the food, the experience was disappointing.

We waited over 35 minutes for a table, only to be seated in the worst possible section—outside the restaurant, in heavy wind, isolated from the atmosphere and music. There were open tables behind us that were never filled, making it unclear why we were placed so far away.

Our server, Janice, was pleasant, but it took 15 minutes just to be greeted—not her fault, as she had an entire section inside and had to go out of her way to take care of us. By the time she arrived, we were already cold and frustrated.

When I politely approached the host stand about the poor seating, the short blonde host with arm tattoos was defensive rather than receptive, dismissing the issue with, “Sorry, I have a waiting list a mile long.” But after waiting 30+ minutes, we expected a table with the atmosphere we came for—not to be stuck in a forgotten corner.

Service-wise, Janice did her best, but there were long gaps between check-ins. Our drinks sat empty before the food arrived, and no one asked if we needed anything when our meals were brought to the table. By the time Janice returned, we were ready to leave.

As for the food—it was excellent. I had the Southern Chicken Wrap, my dad had Fish & Chips, and my stepmom had Grouper Tacos. Everything was flavorful and well-prepared. However, great food alone doesn’t make up for poor service and atmosphere.

No effort was made to compensate for the experience; we certainly didn’t feel valued as customers. There are plenty of restaurants that make you feel necessary for your money, and unfortunately, Riverside Café didn’t. Would I return? Not by choice. First impressions matter, and this one left a lot to be desired.

Response Ellen to the owner:

I appreciate the response, but it’s clear that my experience is being dismissed rather than genuinely acknowledged.

Saying we were given “first available” seating contradicts what actually happened. Those two tables were always available, as was the one behind us, which remained empty the entire time. If those were truly the first available, why weren’t other guests seated there? The reality is, we were placed in an undesirable overflow section that no one else wanted.

I also find it frustrating that instead of taking responsibility for the poor experience, you insist that the hostess and server are “always amazing”—as if that automatically invalidates our experience. Janice was kind, but she was clearly stretched thin with a full section inside, which affected our service. The hostess was dismissive, and her response at the stand proved that she knew exactly what she was doing when she placed us there.

I’m not here to nitpick—I’m here to call out poor hospitality. A busy night is not an excuse for long wait times, bad seating, slow service, and no effort to make it right. If you had simply acknowledged the issue instead of deflecting, I might have considered giving Riverside Café another chance. But this level of denial and disregard for guest feedback just reinforces my disappointment.

I don’t expect perfection, but I do expect to feel valued as a customer. That didn’t...

We spent our 1st winter, in Vero Beach, this year. We have been to RC at least 2 dozen times, since we arrived in October. Every time we had visitors come down, from CT, we have taken them to Riverside. Tonight, we took our friends, to enjoy the sunset & dinner. We only had to wait about 15 minutes, for our table, but then it went down hill quickly after that. We sat for at least 20 minutes, before our waitress came & apologized that it took her so long as she had forgetten us cuz she was busy tending tables outside. We placed our order & 45 minutes later, as we watched 4 tables around us, who were seated AFTER us, receive their food, our server Marianna returned & apologetically explained that our meals were delivered to another table. She said most of our food was ready, but they were working on the fish tacos & it would be out shortly. My husband was livid & wanted to leave, but it was 8:45pm & we were hungry, so i convinced him to stay. After another 15 minutes, we asked to speak to the manager. Steve came out about 10 minutes later, with an attitude!! Instead of acknowledging our frustration, & apologizing for the mistakes made & poor service, he basically acted like he couldn't care less!! We waited a little longer, then ended up paying for our beer & app, then left. We have had Marianna, as our server on previous visits, & she was always excellent. I do not think this was her fault, & she knew we had every right to be upset!! The part that upsets us the most is that RC has been our "go-to" place for sunset, cocktails & food, with or without guests from up north- & now, I'm not sure i can get my husband to ever go back! I called the restaurant, from the car on our drive home. I left my name & phone # & asked that the owner call me tomorrow. I hope the owner cares more, than the general manager Steve did, & will be interested to hear about our frustrating experience there tonight! I want to continue to go to RC, but I need to make sure the owner knows his general Mgr, Steve, needs training in talking to customers who are justifiably upset & that servers, who are responsible for several tables outside, should not be responsible for 1 table, in the dining room while there were 2 other servers tending other tables...