River Road Tavern

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  $2.75 for a very cold draft works, but the dive atmosphere lacks teeth, literally.

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  Posted on 05.31.13 John D.

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  I really like the River Road Tavern's cheap beer, good food and friendly service.  I worked for nearly a decade in the area and I'm pretty unhappy that I didn't find this place until the last year.  
  
  The RRT is a great dive bar, a relatively small place with a few guys smoking outside the door, a bar that nearly fills the room, and every head turns to look at you when you walk in.  Uh oh.. but no worries, everyone was friendly.  This is definitely a place where the tradesmen hang out at the end of the day.  It was nearly all guys, most in t-shirts and work boots.  We were the ones a bit overdressed in khakis and collared shirts but they didn't hold it against us. Sometimes it was quiet, sometimes Credence  played loud, just perfect for a low-key beer  after work.
  
  A pitcher of Stella Artois was only $10.50!  Plate of buffalo chicken fingers was just $5!  Huge quesadilla plate was $7!  The food took a while but was great, fresh and hot. We were told the cook makes the chicken fingers himself, not just bought from some supplier and they were excellent.  The service was a tad slow because just one lady bartender was taking care of the whole place but she was very friendly.  
  
  We're going back next week for wings and garlic bread!

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  Posted on 07.30.12 Chris L.

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  I've decided to up the RRT a star after going a few more times--I've since been there later in the evening, with friends and alone, once after a Rutgers football game got out, and yes, it gets rowdy, in that middle-aged-crowd rowdy way.  Fun, but I started to feel very much misplaced as the kid (comparatively) at the end of the bar!
  
  But the real reason I want to update my review is that their food has improved a great deal since I first went there a year ago, in some small ways, and a few big ones.  For example, small way: krinkle fries are no more, now they have shoestring, and they seem fresher.  But furthermore the cook is trying very hard to please, and doing a pretty good job of it, mixing up the menu, getting creative.  I had a friend who didn't want fries; the bartender said "Let me talk to the cook," and came back to inform us that he was going to make a rice dish.  Turned out to be rice with vegetables, well seasoned, a pleasant surprise for a place like this.  Another time one of the regulars had been fishing and brought his catch over; the cook fried them up and passed them around the bar for free, to see how people liked it.  I've had a lot of fried fish in my day and he did a very good job of it.  Definitely becoming my preferred neighborhood spot, though I remain a bit younger than the average demographic.
  
  Finally, the drinks are inexpensive compared to places over in New Brunswick.  If Yuengling is the standard not-light beer in this region, then here's the math: $3 a pint, and $1.50 during happy hour, compared with around $5 elsewhere.

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  Posted on 11.17.11 M D.

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  I can't tell you how many times I had driven by this place before I actually stopped in.  This is definitely a regulars type hangout - no question about it.  My buddies and I were going to a Rutgers sporting event and we wanted to grab a couple beers and some food before we actually got there.  Instead of dealing with downtown New Brunswick, we chose River Road Tavern.  
  
  The place looked a lot like I would have imagined it to.  The bar takes up the majority of the space and the lady bartending seemed to know the majority of the guys there drinking.  Like I said before, definitely a regulars hangout.  Sometimes when you go to these places, they aren't the most friendly but not this place.  Everyone working there was very nice.
  
  We ordered some draft beers - beer was cold and tasted good.  Can't ask for much more than that.  I went with a grilled chicken sandwich with some fries and it was very good.  I was actually pretty impressed, as I wasn't expecting much from the food.  The sandwich tasted great.  If I remember correctly, everything was very reasonably priced.
  
  If you are on your way to the RUT and looking to grab some food and drinks beforehand, give this place a shot.

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  Posted on 06.20.11 Dan E.

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