River Falls — Restaurant in Woonsocket

Outstanding 5 o'clock dinner on the outdoor patio overlooking the river! This was our first time dining at River Falls since the new owners took over a few months ago and we were not disappointed! We had already decided we wanted to sit outside, but were immediately impressed by the new interior renovation when we entered the main indoor restaurant to be seated on the patio. Our hostess led us back outside and down the stairs to the large patio area overlooking The Blackstone River. Metal garden style tables were nice looking and the chairs were both sturdy and comfortable. Umbrellas should probably be bigger and lower to block the bright sun on the patio at that time of day, but we were in the mood for some sun, so it was fine. Mitchell, our server was quick to attend to our every need, provide suggestions from the menu and answer any questions. We started with Grey Goose Martinis wich were mixed to perfection. Per Mitchell's suggestion, I settled on the Mango Thai Chili Salmon and my husband chose the Bourbon Steak Tips for entrees. The Steak tips come with a choice of two sides and he selected mashed red potatoes and a side Caesar. He asked if the potatoes could be served with gravy, and even though it is not normally offered, the chef generously whipped up a special batch just for him! Talk about service! I was very happy with the spinach risotto served with my salmon, but I also added a side house salad to start for an extra $5. Salad greens on both were very crisp and fresh and the dressings were excellent. The generous serving of steak tips were tender and flavorful, and my equally generous portion of salmon was cooked to perfection! The mango salsa was fresh and spicy sweet. The risotto was rich, creamy and full or sauteed fresh spinach, a perfect accompaniment to the salmon. Food came out of the kitchen in great timing and another round of Martinis was our dessert! Mitchell talked about the new owners and invited us to look around at all the beautiful improvements. A new outdoor bar is being built around the back side of the huge patio which we are excited to see when it is completed. All in all a vast improvement on the old River Falls, which we had given up on a long time ago. We will no doubt become regulars here based on this experience and highly recommend anyone who has doubts to visit and see for yourself. Happy to have a fine addition to the sadly lacking dining options in Woonsocket. Cheers to owners and staff...

If I’m being honest, River Falls has gone downhill drastically in the last few months. The menu used to be great, but has since been reduced down to a single page. When we asked our waitress what happened to the menu, she explained the cooks couldn’t get the items right and customers were constantly complaining so the owners decided to reduce the menu down to some “easier to remember” options. The drink menu has also been completely eliminated and when we asked if we could have a drink menu, our waitress said “do you really need one?” The problems don’t stop there though. They reduced the menu and the quality of the food seems to also have been drastically reduced and many options weren’t even available. For an appetizer, we tried to order a basic order of fried mozzarella. “Sorry, we don’t have it because there’s a shortage with our distributor.” Okay. Skip the app. We ended up ordering a wagyu burger, and the chicken parm. The burger was delicious -that’s about the best I can say about the food. The fries that came with it, were the “new fries” our waitress explained. They tasted like McDonalds fries. While McDonalds fries are delicious, I don’t want to spend $16 on a burger and fries and have any part of the meal taste like it came from a fast food chain. The chicken parm was awful. It came with a fried chicken cutlet that was FULL of tendons, bones, and gristle, and red sauce on top of the chicken. The noodles were incredibly over cooked and mushy, and were tossed in an “Alfredo” sauce that tasted like it was nothing more than heavy cream and water. The best part of the dish was the garlic bread that came with it. We did not order any dessert. Overall the entire meal came out to almost $60 with tip, but tasted no better than any meal I could have gotten from any of the typical mom and pop pizza shops in this town, for drastically cheaper. I don’t see us going back again, which is unfortunate because in the summer you can’t beat sitting outside...

I recently ate at River Falls with friends. The location was nice, having a rustic pub feel yet with modern flair. The service and staff were attentive and friendly. The menu had something for everyone with a very wide variety of apps, dishes and desserts. They also have an extensive selection of craft beers! Despite the food all being fresh and made to order, I felt as though the execution was a little off. The two main quibbles were the cooking temperature of the meats and steaks were all under the requested cooking temp. For instance, a medium steak was served as medium rare. The second quibble was that the meat seasonings were all underseasoned, particularly the offered glazes. A bourbon glaze barely had any taste, or hardly any was used, making the steak seem very plain and unseasoned. All in all, I felt the chef or staff made the error on the cautious, easily fixable side (refire meat or offer some extra glaze or seasoning), versus having to make a new steak because what was served was overseasoned or overcooked (beyond repair). Please don't let this dissuade you from going, as this could be chalked up to the kitchen cooking equipment not being fully up to temperature because dinner service had just begun, training new staff or just a one off snafu. The quality of the meats and food was very evident and I feel as though River Falls has the makings of a great place to eat or have some drinks at the bar. Also check out their desserts! Parking was a little tricky due to location. There is a small lot to the side which may be tight for Suburbans and cannot fit many vehicles. There is also a small lot in front, although many of those spots were handicapped. There is some parking across the street but that requires crossing several lanes on foot. In summary, River Falls is an easy to locate place to eat (or have some drinks) offering a nice atmosphere, good quality food with friendly and fun staff, which will make for a great night out....