I think you have to separate the expectations for food with the beer. The selection of beer has improved significantly, as well as the knowledgeable bartender. Enjoyed a burger, which comes with nothing/no sides but a pickle..lol..and a beer or 3, but thats what I wanted. Would I go here for dinner? Nope.,.would I come hear to satisfy my carnivorous cravings? sure..would I come here to grab a beer I can't always find elsewhere..sure. So, I've tempered my feelings a bit and might give it another go soon.
Review Source:Want a ton of beer to choose from and amazing food? Come here!
My only 2 "complaints": VERY small menu and limited seating (unless it's nice weather then they have outdoor seating).
There aren't many tables and unless you make reservations for a party, you can be waiting a bit for a table. Luckily, there is a decent size bar and several TVs (including a huge projector screen) with sports to watch.
They rotate food specials (look on the big board on the wall, the wait staff won't tell about them right away) and everything looks delicious. However, I always get the burger with a side of fries. You cannot go wrong with this burger!
We were surprised when we found out they have poutine! However, it's on special only but you can usually see it once a week.
The plating is fun and industrial. It's weird to explain, you'll just have to see it :)
Their list of beer to choose from is almost overwhelming. Our waitress recommended something for me and I absolutely loved it! Â Every person who works there is very friendly and even during crazy busy evenings it feels like they are there for you.
My husband and I come here at least twice a month (if not more) and will continue to do so.
Hoteling it down the street, so I ate here one night at the recommendation of the desk. Â I had the Kobe burger, which I ordered medium. Â It was a great burger- cooked about right. Â The sauce on the side was very unique, and I couldn't place what it was to be honest, but it worked. The fries were unremarkable. Â The guy behind the bar was friendly, funny and I enjoyed talking to him and some of the locals. Â If you are a regular there, and try all their beers, you get to make your own plaque and they put it on the wall. Â Some of them were really cool. If I were a local, I would drink there frequently, and have my own plaque!
Review Source:The beer selection here is quite good and the servers are all friendly. Â We started with the hush puppies and super bad wings, both were done well and tasty. Â I then had the Kobe cheeseburger, good sized portion and quite delicious. Â My wife had the Chicken Caesar Salad and she said it was just average. Â The place is very cozy with a fireplace and had sports on all the TVs. Â The servers were all friendly and knowledgeable. Â The only knock would be the prices as it was a bit on the expensive side once all was said and down. Â I'd go back with friends.
Review Source:I really like this place. It doesn't feel fancy but it's clean has a pretty good IPA and Lager selection and their food is amazingly fresh and high quality.
I've eaten here a few times and had their Beef Stroganoff, Braised Beef Rib, Kobe Burger, Â fries and a salad.
The Kobe Beef Burger is excellent! They serve it with amazingly fresh tomato, lettuce, onions and what I think is thousand island dressing on the side. No fries though, order that seperately. :(
The Braised Beef with Polenta was pretty good too! The beef was really tender and juicy, came of the bone very easily. it's served with a thick gravy and sliced portobella mushrooms on a bed of polenta. I wasn't a fan of the polenta but that's me. I don't like mushy carbs especially rice.
Their beef stroganoff was pretty good too. It's creamy, thick and a pretty generous portion.
Their mixed green salad was of amazing high quality. every leaf was just so green and their lettuce was so ripe. It baffled me.
************
as far as their beer selection goes, there's a pretty big list so you should find something you like.
Critics of RRT are in some respects right, but fail to see the bigger picture. The cost is a bit high and the food menu is relatively limited -- but the quality is high. I visit River Road for lunch often as it is nearby. I have seen the cooks preparing the meats and vegetables right there on the spot and have watched them preparing soups, salads and other dishes from scratch. With big menus you often get a lot of premade and prefrozen entrees. That is not how they do it at the tavern.
There are plenty of microbrews in bottles to choose from (and some traditional big sellers as well) and the taps have a rotating selection of beers. Had a nice Hopslinger IPA from local Henniker Brewing Co. last week. I haven't had the cocktails there - I understand they can get pricey - but I have seen them made and you aren't likely to get watered down drinks that's for sure.
The atmosphere is tavern simple (wood, metal, big screen tv's) but comfortable. Â River Road Tavern is essentially what a Tavern should be. Over time they will probably add a few more taps, a few more entrees and apps to the menu. Go and check 'em out
A great place to relax, eat good food, and drink good beer. This is a tavern! Â That being said the menu is limited and the beer menu long. I've tried almost everything on the menu and have never had a bad experience. Be sure to try the Kobe burger with shoestring fries or the wings. Those with children consider yourself warned, this a drinking establishment "tavern" with quality food, beer and staff.
Review Source:Great atmosphere. Â Very warm and inviting. Â Waitstaff pleasant and efficient. Â But as others have noted a very limited menu. Â And very, very limited for a non-meat eater. Â Most sides and specials have some bacon component (including 'special of the day' vegetable). Â Apparently the chef is a big fan of bacon! Â Please add some more veggie options!
Review Source:I cannot say enough great things about River Road! My husband and I come here on a regular basis. Chris is our favorite bartender and he is absolutely the best, always fun and entertaining. Chris always makes us feel welcome and we always have great conversations with him. We consider him a friend and totally consider ourselves regulars! Every time we come to River Road we meet new people, it's such a fun social bar.
We have tried almost every single menu item and several of their specials. We have never had one bad meal. The half chicken is amazing and always juicy, the burgers are top notch, their fries are delish but it's the sauce that makes them awesome. Their wings are also some of the best I've had and the mac n cheese can't be beat. The menu is on the smaller side but they make everything from scratch and they make it exceptionally well. I would rather dine somewhere with a small but awesome menu than a huge but mediocre menu.
I love the eclectic, laid back atmosphere. The draft and bottle list is great, there are a lot of unique choices as well as local brews and they are always changing. Plan to fall in love with this place and join their Brewzers club when you do!
I highly recommend this place!
I've been to the Tavern about 6 times since it has opened and I'll continue to go back. The atmosphere is great, the wait staff is friendly and attentive, and the beer selection worth the trip.
I did think the menu was too limited as I seem to be ordering the same item(s). It was pricier than anticipated and while kobe beef drives price, it isn't the type of place that anyone would expect to find kobe beef - a great burger is a great burger, kobe beef or not.
The patio is a nice touch although the times we were there it was just too hot to take advantage of the patio.
Nice atmosphere, like the open kitchen at the end of the bar.
Great Beer selection, enjoyed the Little sump in sump in
Good Bar
Very Good wings
Good Burger
Nice service
Good to average prices
Only one negative:
Skip the mussels, although the fries were very good. Â The mussels were not cooked at the right temp and didn't come out of the shell easy. The sauce was bitter and at $12 not a very good value for the small portion.
I hope they listen to the Yelp reviews and continue to improve!
In town on business from Texas and stopped by. The lowdown: small food menu - burger, yardbird, wings, etc. burger was very good, special fish and chips tasty, calamari salad yummy but not too filling ( don't order as a meal). Beer is top notch for craft brews. For the draft beer list it would be nice to know the style of beer or a short description. Very small place only a few tables.  I will be back  Gets an Okie Dokie seal of approval with two out of three seal barks.
Review Source:My husband and I went on a Friday afternoon for lunch. The menu was extremely limited. We both chose the fish and chips. Â It was okay but expensive @ $15 for a lunch portion. We had a plum sundae, interesting choice. But the whip cream was frozen. The server did say she was sorry for the frozen whipped cream. Â The service was very slow and the total came to $50 for lunch. Â But a nice location and outdoor seating
Review Source:I drive by here all of the time and noticed the parking lot is always full. Â After visiting with my wife, I determined it was either because the staff was entertaining (our server was hysterical) or the beer selection (we don't drink but the beer selection far exceeded the food selection).
We won't be going back, which is unfortunate as it would be nice to have a local non-chain restaruant to enjoy a meal at.
For two sodas, a burger with fries, roasted chicken and some cheese and meats as an app. we had a $50 check. Â Again, without alcohol that was a bit beyond what we expected. Â There is a local restaraunt down the road that we usually get prime-rib and salmon dinners for the same money.
I hope they rethink their rediculously limited menu (5 dinner choices) and their price structure or the excitement of a new place to eat will not last long.
I thought about going there and checked Yelp for reviews first. Â What I read was limited food menu, a little pricey, Burgers are not done as you order them which tall in all to me wasnt bad enough for me to at least check it out. Â What i found was...
The Burgers we ordered do not come with fries - just a pickle and as we read on many reviews , 2 of the 3 we ordered yes were over cooked. They tasted good but overcooked. I have had Kobe beef many times and in my opinion Im not sure if what they served me was Kobe beef.
They had a bunch of beers on their menu.  Unfortunatly for me the Bud Light Tap beer was served flat -when the server brought it out and there wasnt any bubbles i pointed it out - he said that was becuase it had been sitting .. ?  hmm Ok  I tasted it and sure enough it was flat.  They poured their own taste and confirmed thebeer was flat and replaced it with a bottled beer.
The Menu was just as yelp revier reported it - Limited. Â For the most part you can get a burger, Mac and Cheese or fish and chips and a few other items but not much more other than that.
Plain donuts are the only dessert they offer- just- donuts. They were well - just donuts with a white powdered sugar and suposed to soaked in jack daniels but you couldnt really taste anything like that.
And as we read they were a little pricey $70 for 3 burgers and 4 drinks and 1 order of donuts.
The worst part was after we ate I noticed the 2 food preparers that worked the grill at the side of the bar weren't wearing gloves when they were handling everyone's food - that stuff creeps me out.
I dont think I will go back.
We went in with two kids, ages 2 and 4... probably not the best place for kids (there are only bar top tables), but we managed. Â The food was excellent and the beer (I don't normally like beer) was great. Â I had the mac 'n cheese side dish and salad, my husband had the kobe burger and the kids had hot dogs (a lunch special that day). Â We can't wait to go back for a date night! Â So happy a place like this exists in Bedford!
Review Source:I went back with my dad last Friday night for dinner and a couple beers. I liked it even me than on my first visit, and he really warmed up to it, having not been a fan the first time.
It seems that the servers--both our waiter and bartender--were much more knowledgeable about both the food and beer options, which was very helpful. It was still crowded, but not insanely packed like the first time, so we didn't have to wait long for a table. This is about perfect for what I like in a bar--enough of a crowd that the place feels full, but not so much that you can't get a seat. I was also very impressed with my meal--the half chicken, which was very moist--but not as much as my dad (who did not like his meal much last time). He had the short rib and polenta, along with the kale soup, and raved about both.
It was great to see them improve on the few weaknesses I saw on my first visit shortly after they opened. This has quickly become one of my favorite places to visit when I'm home.
We're always on the lookout for a good burger, so when a friend said she'd had the best burger in years here, off we went. We got to the packed house on a Saturday around 7:30. Seats opened up pretty quickly at the bar in front of the cooking station which would be my preference anyway since I love watching the food being prepared. Â One recommendation I have is for the restaurant to put more of a description on the menus. I ended up ordering the sliders solely based on the recommendations of others at the bar, but I wouldn't have known without them telling me that they came with a sriracha mayo and caramelized onions (2 big selling points for me!). They were delicious and I've been dreaming of going back for more. My husband had a burger and we split an order of the chili cheese fries which were a special that night. Those were a meal unto themselves and I suspect the chili is made with beef that didn't get used for burgers that day - delicious. The cooks seemed to welcome chitchat and when I expressed interest in gluten-free options, Chef Nate said they could easily accommodate that as one of the servers has celiac. I wish I had saved room for dessert because they make their own doughnuts which are tossed with bourbon-maple syrup and then sprinkled with powdered sugar. They looked to die for. Chef Nate mentioned his favorite menu item is the mussels, so that's on my list to try next time.
Review Source:I'm going to start off with "I know it's a tavern so they probably expected a certain type of customer"... so we'll go from there. I had the burger, it was OK but not anything special. Mine wasn't cooked properly so I was a little bummed. The menu was extremely limited. If you're a vegetarian, there are no menu options for you. The meal options also do not come with sides. So if you want a burger in fries, be sure to order the fries as a side. The price range I believe should be a little lower, or they should include sides with their meals. The cocktails are also really expensive for a short glass. All in all it was OK but I don't know how many times I'll go back if they keep the menu the same way and keep their drink prices so high.
Review Source:So, finally stopped in to try the burger that others are raving about. Â I found it to be...ahh...ok...not a bad burger, but not a great burger. Â I really have to question whether this is truly Kobe beef. Â I have, fortunately, been to Kobe, Japan...and had the beef there...even locally it is much more expensive than this burger would lead you to believe (although this was a very pricey burger). Â Sorry guys, not sure how you get there, but I do not believe this is Kobe.
The burger had decent beef flavor and was cooked almost right. Â I asked for medium, it came out a bit on the medium well side...but with a very crispy crust. Â The buttered and crisped bun was quite good as well. Â Ordered the fries to go with the burger...they were of the shoestring variety and cooked crispy with a soft center...almost perfect!
Service was good...with a nice brightness...our waitress was a quite positive young lady!
Bottom line...I put this burger in the second tier of burgers in the Manchester/Nashua area...one that I have no problem eating...but...when in a burger mood...would probably go elsewhere.
What a great find a half mile from my hotel. Â I would travel miles for a place like this! Â The Portuguese Kale soup was a great starter, but the Braised Short Ribs over Creamy Polenta was outstanding. Â I really came for the beer selection though. Â I didn't realize they had the full-blown gastropub thing going. Â I stuck with New England regional draft beers, all new brews to me. Â As noted in a previous review, I felt the bartender was not really up to speed on the beers, and the draft list on the wall behind the taps was vague and frankly a little illegible. Â What I thought said White Birch Beer was in fact White Birch (brewery) BPA (Belgian Pale Ale), an entirely different, and inherently delicious, animal! Â And the real problem was my bartender thought it said "beer" as well, and having not heard of the Pennsylvania Dutch version of root beer called birch beer, didn't think much of it. Â So aside from having to Google all my beers to get more info on the brewery, style, alcohol content, etc., it was an outstanding place. Â Teach the staff something about the beers and you have a 5-star gastropub here. Â Regardless, I will be back next time I'm in town.
Review Source:Already a regular having eaten there many times. Â We have also introduced to several other couples.
The menu is limited but the food is delicious. Â I have had their burgers, wings, and several appetizers. Â My wife and I are huge fans of the french fries and Mac and cheese.
The venue is small and almost always busy. Â The tables are all high tops a d not as comfortable as a regular table for me but it is part of the pub feeling.
They have a very nice beer selection including ones on tap.
It really fills a gap in our area.
Went here for dinner last week and had a great experience!! Loved the seat yourself style and the laid back atmosphere. We both ordered burgers based on the reviews I had read, and they were correct! Hands down, best local burger. Loved every bite!
The only reason I wouldn't give 5 stars is because the service was a bit on the slow side, but that will not stop me from going back again!
Just came from lunch and it gets 4 stars as an awesome new, casual lunch spot. Â The burger was lean yet very tasty. Â We sat at the bar and service could not have been better. Â Choice of brews covers the spectrum from the light side to dark ale.
The fire and sofa sitting area adds to the feeling that I was at a ski resort.
Price is up there considering your $8 burger comes with a pickle, onion, lettuce and tomato slice. Â But this is Bedford and I think the Tavern is seeking the higher-end and business crowd.
I've been to the Tavern twice - both times with a group of 5. I've had the Kale soup and the burger and fries - all were delicious and hot. The second time we went, my friends that I went with were served luke warm food - I think the kitchen just has some kinks to work out on their timing. Hopefully, this will get rectified soon. Also had the bourbon maple donuts - divine! I think this place has a good future - just need to make some additions to the menu and get the timing in the kitchen down. Otherwise, I've enjoyed it immensely on both visits - in fact I am planning a trip back tonight.
Review Source:As a burger aficionado I was really excited to hear River Road Tavern was serving Kobe beef burgers. A well-made burger is something worth searching for so we drove down one day for a late lunch. Walking in  the first thing I saw was a couch and fireplace that looked comfortable but not someplace I'd want to eat a meal since the table was pretty low. The rest of the tavern is high tops and a bar. You seat yourself so we walked around looking for a place that offered good people watching and is out of the way.
We saw the kitchen  down at the far end of the bar and since both my partner and I love watching people cook we grabbed the two seats and waited for our server. I was surprised how busy the place was at such a weird time but within 5 minutes our server came over and asked if we wanted anything to drink. They had a hard apple cider on tap ($5) so we ordered that and it was really good. I'd never heard of the brand before (Angry Orchard) but it was delicious.  We're from out of town so I can't say if $5 is high or low for the area but it was about what I expect for a draft cider. The menu was small but seeing how tiny the kitchen area is I understand why they don't have pages of options. I'm the type who would rather visit a place that does a few things well than tries to cater to all different markets.
We both ordered the burgers ($9) with cheese (and extra $1) and split an order of fries ($5). I wish there was an option to add bacon to the burger since they obviously stock it as an appetizer. I ordered my burger rare and my partner got hers medium rare. We drank our cider while watching the chef cook our food. It was pretty busy so he didn't talk with us much but seemed friendly the few times he did. We got our food and I noticed the burgers are served in cake pans, which I've never seen done but works well enough.
Each burger was about half a lbs and both were cooked perfectly. A rare burger is a tricky thing to do because too often people end up cooking it medium rare to avoid serving something raw. The meat was really tasty and seasoned very well. I was pleased they don't under season their meat like a lot of places but I imagine if you aren't used to it you might do a double take. The french fries were good but nothing to write home about they were your basic shoestring fries and really should be discounted if you're ordering an entrée.
After our burgers were finished we were getting ready to go when the chef asked if we were going to try the maple bourbon donut dessert. We were hesitant because I'm not a big donut person but we gave it a shot. Oh my god, they were hot, fresh and possibly overshadowed a really good burger. The bourbon cut the sweetness of the sugar and maple syrup perfectly and we ate the whole tray in about 30 seconds before ordering a second helping.
Overall our bill was about $45 plus tax for drinks, two meals and two desserts. Since it was all fresh real food I think it was a good deal. Next time we're in town I'll go back if nothing else to get more of those donuts and hopefully a bacon Kobe burger.
I have had two good experiences here so far and it will be added to our rotation of places we love to go. The main draw for me here is the laid back atmosphere and good beer selection. I wouldn't go here for a quiet sit down meal (which it seemed a few of the other customers who walked  in and then quickly walked out were looking for), but for getting drinks and a bite to eat with friends this place is perfect. I love the atmosphere because when you walk in the decor is reminiscent of a cool ski town bar. The food menu is short, but still had trouble deciding what I wanted because everything on it sounded delish. Lots of comfort style foods. They have a rotating selection of good draft beer (we were there for the first time on a Wednesday and went back 2 days later on Friday and some of the drafts had already been changed out) and nice list of bottled craft beers.
Our first time in was for drinks and appetizers on a Wednesday afternoon and had no trouble getting a seat at the bar. We ordered the chorizo fondue and the sliders. The fondue came with  toasted baguette slices and sliced chorizo, which had a good flavor. I liked the flavor of the fondue, but the consistency was a little off because it was pretty stringy, which made it hard to dip the bread and chorizo and it did not stay warm for very long so then it was really hard to eat. Not your typically fondue consistency. Maybe serve in a cast-iron skillet like I saw the mac and cheese served in? Sliders were awesome. They come 3 to an order and they were topped with caramelized onions. The kobe meat was well cooked and flavorful and I enjoyed the dipping sauce it came with. Not sure exactly what it was, but it was some sort of sweet and spicy peanuty sauce. We ordered a few beers and I asked our server a question about the style of one of the draft beers and he didn't really give a good description, but did quickly offer to give me a sample.
Our second trip was with a larger group on a Friday evening and all the tables were full when we walked in. After waiting at the bar for about 10 minutes we were able to grab a free table as it is a seat yourself joint. Â Our waiter was friendly, but seemed a bit overwhelmed with the crowd. For appetizers we had the meat and cheese plate, the bacon, and sliders (again). Meat and cheese plate came with chorizo, salami, toasted baguette slices, and three types of cheese. We asked the waiter about the types of cheese and he was unsure except for the aged blue cheese. He said the chef changes which cheese they serve daily. They should list the daily cheese selection on either a specials menu or on a chalk board somewhere. I didn't try the bacon, but one person in our party thought it was a little too crispy and one thought it was just right. It looked pretty crispy so I guess it is personal preference. It was a good sized serving. For dinner my husband and I both got the mac and cheese ($7) and one of our friends got the rigatoni bolognese( $10). the mac and cheese came in a cast iron skillet and we had to do a double take to realize it was topped with crunchy Cheetos! I was a little skeptical, but the added crunch was great. The overall flavor was good, although I had to add a little black pepper to mine. My biggest complaint with the mac was that the cheese to mac ratio was wayyy too high. I mean I love my mac nice and cheesy, but I was getting fork fulls of cheese and Cheetos with no mac. Definitely need the noodles to cut the richness of the cheese. My husband though I was being crazy saying mac and cheese was "too cheesy' but after a few bites he agreed it did need more mac. I did not try the rigatoni, but our friend said it was really good. That looked like it had plenty of noodles ;). Sliders were again a big hit. So overall the food could use a few small tweaks to take it from good to great, but everything was reasonably priced.
Due to the fact that I plan to mostly come here to try and enjoy new and unique beers, my biggest complaint is that the staff does not seem to know the beer very well. While I did appreciate the willingness to offer samples of all the beers, both times we went the servers offered wrong descriptions or no real description at all. Additionally, Â the menu does not give any sort of description of the beer. The bottle list does sort the beers by style, but does not include percent alcohol or any of the subtle of flavors of the beer. This would be helpful because all IPAs, for example, are not created equal. Usually when we travel to restaurants that pride themselves on having a great beer selection the servers are beer enthusiast as well and are able to offer recommendations. We will be back and hope as staff gains more experience and/or training it will be an even better place to drink!
Perfect atmosphere for a beer with friends. I went there with my wife for a looksie and had a great time. We took the leather sofa in front of the fireplace and ended up with our arms around each other making googly-eyes. Our waitress, Rola (I think) was 5 stars. She was friendly, adorable, and rather than make we guess at which ale to have, ran and got me 3 samples. I picked a belgian white to go along with my guiness/potato/leek soup. Wife is a vegetarian, so I'd like to see the menu have an option for her. I'll be back, this place will thrive.
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