Love this place! Their Brunch on Sundays is amazing and so tasty. So many choices! Â I enjoy the decor and it's ambiance! I love the Frida Bathroom (as i call it).
Riverside Cafe has something for everyone.
In August of 2004, my husband and I were given the opportunity to have our wedding there. It was the first outsider wedding they ever had. Â (usually they would only allow familiy members to rent the space). Mary (owner) and her husband were wonderful Host. They, with the staff made everything run smoothly, everyone was pleased. We were married at St Mary of the Angels on Hermitage, so we were able to walk down to Riverside Cafe with a Musical Trio trailing us. It was dubbed the Frida Wedding because of the flowers that awaited us at the entrance gate at Riverside Cafe. Such a lovely memorable evening. Thank you so much!
Though we no longer reside in Bucktown/Wicker Pk. we still mangae to stop by when we can! Keep up the good work!
So clearly this place is very hit or miss, judging from the reviews. Â Luckily, the day I went was a hit. Â As everyone else has said, the food is a strange, eclectic mix of classic American brunch food, Mexican and Caribbean fare, and random things like snack cakes and mini boxes of cereal. Â Everything I had was delicious. Â The hot food was hot, the cold food (fresh fruit and the like) was kept cold. Â I'm planning on taking some out of town friends here next week; hopefully it will be as good as the first time I went.
Review Source:Our company hosted on our annual Holiday party at the Riverside Cafe. Â We were looking for somewhere that was BYOB and also casual so our employees could relax for the night. Â Mary, the owner, was wonderful to work with from the beginning to the end. Â She was accommodating on every need that we requested. Â All of our employees commented on how amazing the food was- many of them wanted to go back at a later time so they could enjoy the food again. Â The set-ups were done exactly as we requested and everything was on time. Â Its a great place to go if you're looking for a casual but still professional venue for a company gathering.
Review Source:I came here for a Sunday brunch with no biases of any sort, just looking forward to a lovely breakfast.
It all went out the door once I was sat down with my coffee and opened to creamer only to find little curds and lumps. Ew. Maybe it was just that one? Nope, they were all like that. I love coffee and to find things like that and old crystal ball sugar like things inside the sugar packets made me sick to my stomach. The busser was kind enough to bring me milk but it still didn't help the watered down coffee.
To add to that, the food selection was cold, old, and just not coherent? Twinkies, "Greek" pasta salad, "Mexican" chilaquiles, and "Puerto Rican" rice? I use the quotations to insinuate the influences as it really did not taste like the country of origin. Honestly, please don't waste your time here. Just pour yourself a bowl of Cheerios like I should've done on my lazy Sunday.
This place is pretty cheap and right around the corner from my house. My husband and I REALLY hoped this would be our place for lunch. We envisioned being regulars. Totally bummed out.
First of all, we have tried this place over 5 times! Each time my husband ordered the Cuban. Each time he got a totally different sandwich. Once it was grilled like a panini, once it was cold. Each time it had different bread. One time it had barely any meat and one other time they forgot the cheese. I mean, COME ON!! How can you mess up a Cuban CONSISTENTLY!?! Very frustrating. Also, the staff is as cranky as they get. The only reason I gave them 2 stars is because I feel bad giving any place one.
As for the sandwiches I have had, I have tried a different one every time and 2x they left off 1/2 of the ingredients (a main component of one was grilled onions. Not an onion in sight on my sandwich). If you are going there, get the chicken chipotle. It is good, or at least the variation I had was.
This Sunday brunch was awful. Food was cold. Pasta undercooked and everything was just stale. I'm actually angry that I paid for that. And whoever said the coffee was included in the price got lucky. They didn't so that for us. Bad bad bad. My bf was lucky he was so hungover that he couldn't eat. I will never go there for anything again.
Oh yeah, cash only stinks too.
Review is for the BRUNCH only.
The Riverside Cafe brunch is reasonably priced. The cafe itself is in a gorgeous space, one that is particularly pleasant on sunny mornings. Service and hospitality are both good. The food offerings include a few Caribbean and Mexican dishes, setting this brunch apart from many others.
Let's start with the food. A typical brunch would have fresh fruit salad, an assortment of grilled vegetables: eggplant, peppers, sweet potatoes, plantains, zucchini, and tomatoes parmesan, scrambled eggs, bacon, ham, sausage (chorizo), eggs with chorizo, eggs Benedict, eggs Florentine, potato pancakes, Puerto Rican rice, sauteéd new potatoes, a variety of breads --- and, at this point, I lost track of the remaining dishes. Coffee is included in the $15 price.
I personally ate each of the grilled vegetables. I and my companion agreed that they were excellent. The egg dishes were mediocre, as was the potato pancakes. The (regular) pancakes did not look appealing. The rice was very good. Among the breads was Texas toast. Neither of us chose a dessert. Perhaps you can make out the dessert offerings from the photos. I did not have any of the meats. However, the ham, bacon and chorizo all looked appealing and appetizing.
I also tried the eggs Benedict, the eggs with chorizo, and the Puerto Rican rice. The rice was good, the eggs with chorizo were average, and the eggs Benedict was decidedly inferior. (The Hollandaise and egg were ok but the English muffin was incompletely toasted.)
Service was good. The server kept close tabs on our table. The busboy  was prompt in clearing our plates and refilling our coffee. The server welcomed us warmly upon our entering the restaurant. She continued to make us feel welcome throughout the meal.
The cafe occupies two adjacent storefronts. The first room is reminiscent of a delicatessen, with a deli type display case occupying the rear 25% of the room. Tables fill the other 75%. The second dining room has more tables. The two rooms might have been part of a first floor apartment, because a foyer connects the second dining room to an interior, windowless room, the room that houses the buffet itself.
Decorations, photos and colorful art adorn the dining rooms. All of the rooms have mirrors. On a sunny morning (the restaurant has a direct southern exposure), the windows and mirrors light up the space warmly. The Riverside Cafe has terrific morning brunch ambiance.
Price: The brunch, including coffee, costs $15. We enjoyed our experience, so we thought this was quite cheap.
Other comments: BYOB. Come early for brunch before the desirable dishes are eaten up. The restaurant fills up quickly.
The Riverside Cafe offers a nice brunch experience for a reasonable price. The Caribbean foods and vegetable dishes are good. The more traditional American brunch dishes are mediocre, tending towards inferior. Service is good and ambiance is outstanding. This is one of Chicago's nice brunch spots, but it does have some limitations.
Avoid the Sunday buffet brunch. Â Went here as a last resort brunch option and wish I had just gone home to eat.
Nothing was fresh. Â The eggs florentine weren't even heated. Â The pancakes were really really dry. Â The scrambled eggs were a big cluster and by no means fresh. Â The price for the quality is bad in my opinion ($12.95). Maybe their lunch stuff is better but I won't be coming back.
This is a cute little CASH ONLY place with STREET PARKING in Bucktown. Â It feels out of the way and has a fantastic patio. Â
I went here for the Sunday brunch, and the other reviewers are correct: on Sundays, there is no "menu." Â There is only the "magic room" in the back which is full of any kind of food you could imagine--from corned beef hash to perogis. Â
Coffee is great. Â Servers are attentive. Â Recommended for warm Sundays on the basis of the patio alone.
Yum and double yum! Such a little gem I have found. I have dined there twice, and can vouch completely for their tuna salad sandwich and melty ham and swiss. Both came with chips and a crisp kosher pickle. I opted for fresh brewed iced tea both days and was quenched!
Their entire menu is downright salivatory and the ambience delightful. Today I found a New York Times, and read in peace and ate bliss.
I highly encourage any Bucktown diners to eat here. You will be hap-hap- happy you did!
There's nothing like a gigantic buffet stocked with brunch goodies to soak up a bottle of birthday champagne and umpteen celebratory cocktails. I used to frequent Riverside Cafe about five years ago but I somehow forgot about it...how did I do that?? So when a dear friend invited my girlfriend (who was visiting from Seattle) and I to breakfast at the RC to celebrate my birthday, I said hell to the yeah. Â
We got there an hour before they shut the brunch down but there was still plenty of hot, fresh and delicious food to choose from.  Scrambled eggs, bacon, chorizo, waffles, pasta salads, tacos, tamales, sandwiches, fresh fruit  and MUCH MUCH MORE! I'm not that embarrassed to say I stuffed myself--and I think my friends did too! We were the last ones standing at 2pm and there was still a ton of food left. I asked them what they were going to do with all of it and they said they would throw most of it away. WHAT????? I thought about the many people that could benefit from a hot, delicious meal (yes, one of those people was me) and literally wanted to cry when I saw all the food that was going to get tossed out. Yeah. I get sentimental when it comes to food.
Anyway, to me this Sunday brunch is, HANDS DOWN, the best in the city. The restaurant is very warm and inviting and everyone who works there is super cool. However, I must say I didn't appreciate the unobtrusive, yet very obvious hov-around when it was time for us to get the eff out. I mean, as soon as we stood up, they swooped in to rearrange the tables. Sheesh, let us at least walk away! Â But really, I love this place and I have to make it a point to come back more often.
I keep forgetting to tell you all that Riverside Deli has the best black bean soup I have ever had.
It's not weird and creamy. It's healthy. It's light in texture and heavy on taste. It's full of greens. It's spiced just right.
The biggest bowl they serve, which is huge, is $5.00
Best $5.00 meal I know of anywhere in the Bucktown area, and then some.
BYOB.
Brunch.
I really could just leave the review like that, but I feel like I should say more. Â This place is definitely a hidden gem. Â Why don't more people come here? Â Every time we've been for brunch, we're one of maybe three groups of people total in the place. Â But the food is so good!
$14/person and there's literally something for every taste. Â They have corned beef hash, breakfast burritos, sandwiches, eggs benedict, scrambled eggs, tortas, taquitos, cookies, cakes... everything! Â There's a really great blend of Latin American and American favorites. Â You're bound to find something you like. Â If I may, the corned beef hash is the best. Â But that's just my opinion.
The service has aways been nice and prompt. Â The restaurant is much bigger than it looks from the outside and - weather permitting - they have a wonderful patio out back. Â Parking is super easy, so you should come here more often. Â We've made this our go to place for taking out-of-towners when we want to go to brunch. Â Riverside Deli is delicious!
This place seems like such a delightful secret, until you actually go there and eat. the food, though charmingly eclectic in its range, is mediocre. the coffee comes in a carafe, which i like, but was actually not amazing coffee. The decor reminds you that this place has some interesting customers, and history.
my vegan friend ordered a bagel with tomato on it, and they didn't even think to give her a slice of ripe tomato. i mean, sure, being a vegan requires sacrifice sometimes, but a hard green tomato slice? gross.
its cash only. good for laundering money for the Archdiocese' convoluted business dealings. Thats a fancy way of saying there's a huge beautiful church across the street, and that if you ever go to this deli, i think that peeking your head in the church might make up for the disappointing food.
All u can eat sunday brunch with tons of selection make this spot one of my favs.
When i say tons .. i mean if you had one of each item you would have one ton of food.  The variety included American favs like ham, Eggs, bacon, pancakes, french toast, cereal boxes, all sorts of sandwiches, fruit salad; plus many italian, cuban, mexican, etc  options like 4 kinds of pasta salads, salami stuffed peppers, garlic bread, chicken fajitas, italian sausage and peppers, french fries, empanadas, tamali, fried mushrooms, cheese quesadillas, cuban rice, spanish rice, grilled vegetables, mixed green salad, muffins, cakes, twinkies, and many more desserts.
The down side is that most of the food is just good, very few items are great, and a few items are not so good. Â It has an extremely quaint atmosphere, many small rooms, tons of plants, paintings, and knick-knacks everywhere, and if its warm outside a nice big patio. Â
All this for $13 + tax+tip make it a good deal.
This best thing about this all you can eat brunch is the variety. Â Soooooo may items to choose from:
salad
fruit
eggs
bacon
tamales
BLT
reubin
mexican mushroom
noodle salads
cuban rice
etc etc etc
The problem is only about half of it is delishious. Â The rest is OK or not worth eating. Â The upside is if you don't like one thing there's about 50 other options to try so you don't ever really feel let down.
BYOB Brunch? Â Friggin' brilliant! Â
First off, this place is adorable. Â It's all full of nooks, crannies, knick-knacks, and randomness. Â I like. Â It's a shame I didn't get here before the weather turned as the patio looks pretty amazing. Â Ah well. Â Seated at a table near the back (in almost complete privacy) brunch-buddy and I ordered some OJ for the champagne I'd been carrying in my purse (hello, mimosas!) and decided to go for the buffet.
The buffet was located in the next room. Â As we entered, my jaw dropped to the ground. Â Holy moly. Â This was absolutely the largest brunch spread I've ever seen in my life! Â In addition to breakfast offerings, the spread also consisted of lunch and dessert items. Â I knew from the start there would be several return trips.
Beyond standard brunchy-lunchy fare, Riverside has a slight Latin flair. Â Don't worry, you'll still be able to get your brunch favorites - you'll just be able to augment them with salsa and peppers. Â Ole!
I wish I lived closer to this establishment so I could walk there more often. Good service, good coffe and good menu. The interior feels like a small town diner but the selection feels like a New york deli.
Speaking of which--it is the only place outside of NYC that I have seen that sells Cel-ray soda.
All hail King Michael S. Bow to the Emperor. Follow the Pied Piper of Sunday brunches to his recommended Riverside Deli.
Wow, this is a great place. I've never been to a brunch buffet where they keep bringing out new dishes throughout the time you're there. It ruins buffet planning. But it makes for a great experience. More dishes than you can possibly try, both breakfast and lunch items.
Are there any world class dishes - no. Is it gourmet food - no. But I'd much rather pay $14 for really good, not world class, interesting food with a wide assortment, at Riverside Deli on Sunday morning, than blow $80 for really good, not world class, interesting food with a wide assortment, at Seasons Cafe at the Four Seasons on Sunday morning.
The Cuban (and Mexican, and Latin) dishes make this a great place. As does the antiques décor. As does the excellent service (not much required - taking away dirty plates and refilling coffee, but it's amazing how poorly many buffet restaurants are at that). I loved the Cuban empanadas, the corned beef hash, the Western omelet dish (after I covered it with salsa), and the Spanish rice with black beans. Simple fresh fruit went perfect with all the complex dishes. Arriving at 11am on a Sunday, it wasn't even half full. We'll be back - a lot - to provide updates on how crowded it can get in summer. But for now, everyone please show homage to Michael S's recommendations.
Special feature - BYOB. At the Sunday brunch, you bring your own vodka or champagne, and they'll sell you a small or large carafe of freshly squeezed OJ or Bloody Mary mix, so you can make your own Mimosas or Bloody Marys.
Riverside Cafe has a GREAT brunch. Â It's not the type of brunch that has organic tempeh chips delicately laying on a bed of handpicked mesclun greens. Â It's also not a truck stop where you get a greasy egg omlette. Â Don't get me wrong; there's a time and a place for both of those options. Â And then there's a time and a place for Riverside. Â The owners are LOVELY, and I have such an easy time giving my business to people who appreciate it, and are friendly. Â Here they are both. Â
Also, I feel like you walk in and you can eat whatever your craving is. Â Yes, they have some totally random thing (twinkies??), but that's the beauty. Â When I'm hungover and crabby and completely indecisive, this is my haven.
I heart Riverside.
So for a while I was fighting in these MMA fights professionally. Â The weight cutting for a fight would have me obsessing about food - especially any place where I could eat as much as possible for a flat fee.
I believe we call this, "buffet." Â So a post fight tradition would be for me to find the newest, biggest and best-est brunchiest places in the city.
I'd wake up at 2 am obsessing about pancakes and bacon, and would start Google searches for "chicago, brunch, best, cheap...etc." Â These would last an hour, many nights up until day of the weigh-in.
Lo and behold Riverside Deli came up...and thank you Jehovah.
There IS a buffet.
There IS a table with just Ho-hos, Twinkies, brownies and oatmeal cookies. Â It spoke to me on my first visit.
All your standard breakfast food, and then some with a little Mexican flair. Â Huevos rancheros, con chorizo...etc.
Pancakes.
Corn beef sandwhiches. Â Yeah. Â Corn......beef.....whatever, you know where I'm going with this.
Fajitas!? Â Yes.
There's like 12 bowls of different pasta salad - with all the required CARBS my depleted body had been craving for weeks up until then.
Now that I've mentioned it, the buffet is carb-rich and protein-easy. Â Who cares? Â It's my buffet, and I'll do what I want to.
There's mini cereal boxes of Frosted Flakes and Snack Packs of chocolate pudding and Jello. Â I know..endearing and actually brings a tear to my eye.
The vibe and atmosphere? Â Love it. Â There's little nooks and alcoves in the restaurant space with cozy little places to eat with your family, girlfriend, friends...etc.
The waitress that's always working Sundays is lovely. Â I know she knows who I am and recognizes me and that I eat 12 plates when I'm there. Â Keeps the coffee filled, the eaten plates clear. Â And she has a nice smile.
This place just asks for you and whoever you're with to have a great, hang-loose time. Â My friends and I always have a bet that I can' t finish my last plate in a certain number of seconds. Â It's my stomach's job to prove them wrong, unfortunately most of the time when that clock hits 10 seconds left, it becomes too funny to keep it all down.
That's when they usually bring the bill...
Please visit Riverside. Â The Twinkie buffet is worth the visit alone.
Riverside Deli has a fantastic variety of various Cuban, Mexican, Italian, and traditional brunch items. Â I was really impressed with the options and enjoyed several of them in this brunch buffet. Â It's also a really quaint environment with a huge outdoor patio as well as a porch seating area and an indoor eating area as well. Â A couple of criticisms...food quality was good but it was a little too dark in the buffet area and food wasn't labeled if it was vegetarian, which would have been a nice touch. Â There were a couple of items that I thought were vegetarian that had meat underneath cheese or mixed in with a pasta salad. Â It really wouldn't be too much work for them to put Veg. by the card that labels options and there are quite a few that are nebulous...burritos, empanadas, and tamales.
Second, I loved the traditional Cuban music indoors but I really disliked the soft rock playing outside on the patio. Â I couldn't actually tell if it was coming from the bar next door whose back doors were wide open or speakers outside but it was really driving me crazy...I had just managed to forget those awful songs existed when I heard them again.
The people are really nice, hence the concession of the one extra star. Â
However, I find it shocking that this place is allowed to remain in business. Â The brunch buffet just screams "health code violation". Â
It is literally a room filled with food out in the open on plates, much of it not heated or covered. Â It has a very "home made" vibe about it. Â Some may find that quaint (and it is in a way), but it's still very alarming.
Am I the only one that sees this? Â
Some of it is edible regardless of it's inappropriately low temperature, but you have to turn a blind eye to the fact that it's probably a hotbed of germs and disease that has been fingered and sneezed on by all of Bucktown. Â
If you're up for that, you should check it out.
This is a wonderful, family-owned breakfast and lunch spot kind of hidden away on Cortland in Bucktown. Â We just moved into the neighborhood and wanted to find some breakfast joints within walking distance from our home.
Our breakfast was pretty good - simple vegetable and cheddar omelets, toast, and some coffee. Â The family who runs this place are very friendly. Â We watched them deal with some "holier than thou" customers who demanded they turn off the AC because they were too cold (it wasn't cold at all). Â
They have a nice outdoor seating area that's open during the summer. Â Go here for the laid-back atmosphere and decent breakfast and lunch.
Wow, what a hidden gem. This place is like an outdoor oasis. Went there for lunch today and was very impressed. The sandwiches are fantastic. I had an italian sandwich and it was great. The meat was fresh and service was great. The best thing is the ambiance. We sat outside and you are surrounded by green. Plants, tree, etc. They have plenty of seating and it is a very welcoming place.
My buddy and I were commenting on how we did not even feel like we were in the city anymore, it truly does take you away from everything. It was not crowded either. The inside is just as nice as the outside. Picture an old house, old hardwood floors, and rustic. Highly recommend this place!
This is a really interesting brunch to try.
The place is pretty unassuming and you wouldn't imagine how sprawling the restaurant is. Â There is three rooms full of seating and one room dedicated solely to food. Â In every corner and along every wall there is food. Â mexican, argentinan, cuban, american. Â everywhere. Â
The food is pretty decent, but not exceptional. Â Not even really much to speak of. Â The impressive thing is the quantity and variety of it. Â There is a LOT to choose from. Â
**If you can choose a place to sit, I highly recommend sitting in the back "porch" area. Â It's so cozy and nice! Â I went with Leigh K. and Zach H. Â and we all agreed that we felt like we were on vacation.
A bizarre brunch experience you'll only find here... Â I like the concept of this place... They have a buffet of a wide variety of foods, it's all you can eat. Â As many have commented, selections include Twinkies... Then there's all kinds of ethnic foods... there is a very wide variety of a ton of stuff here. Â There really isn't one item that stands out as exceptionally great food, though.... Â It's OK. Â
I think most of their buffet selections are leftover from their catering or something.. I never got the idea that everything was freshly made.
It's a bit pricier than your average brunch experience so go here if you're really hungry.
Contrary to their name, they aren't alongside a river or any other form of water (the river is a good 3 block walk).
Food/service/etc are 3 stars, concept buys them an extra star.
So a friend and I went there for brunch this morning. It was...nice. Just nice. I was more taken with the decor of the place than the food. Also to note: they said there was 'no menu' while the brunch buffet was being served, so if you go at that time, this is the only thing you can "order."
Overall, the reviews on here are fairly accurate; there are some items on the buffet that are tasty (Argentine empenadas), and some that fall flat (gooey, stiff oatmeal portioned into paper muffin cups and called oatmeal muffins). The little room where all the food is set was quite warm, despite being just through a hallway from the cool dining area inside. This is great for the warm stuff, but I don't particularly enjoy fresh fruit salad warm. Or any of the Little Debbie chocolate stuff warm. OH - and there weren't any Twinkies! Poo. :(
It looked like they offered a lot more than what was available; some of the chafing dishes listed 3 items inside, but only had one, for example. The eggs con chorizo was really so-so - I could have made this in my own kitchen. The maduros tasted like they pulled the plantains too early - not as ripe. Some of the stuff was pretty good, but truthfully I wasn't impressed. I enjoyed the Cuban rice, and the coffee was admittedly good.
For coffee and brunch for two people, we paid about $36.50. We could have eaten our fill of just as good of food (albeit not Cuban-inspired) from Cozy Corner, which is much closer to my home, for half that. Because of the general 'eh' feeling of the buffet, I don't think I'll be making a special trip back up here again. Should I be with a group of friends, or have the need to show off a Frida Kahlo-inspired bathroom (complete with hirsute self-portraits), I'll go. But not otherwise.
The food made my mouth itch and when I left I felt like I just got swindled. Â It literally cost $15 per person, and all I ate were some stale salerno cookies, toast, a pudding cup, a piece of wet french toast, a swiss cake roll and a glass of water. Â I wasn't brave enough to try anything else. Â The hot food wasn't hot, the cold food wasn't cold. Â Totally gross. Â I would have been more satisfied to pay them $10, have them slap me in the face, and then spend $5 at McDonalds. Â And I hate McDonalds.
Oh, and it was a nice touch for the waitress to peer at us while we were deciding on the tip. Â Yeah, still not leaving you one. Â Sorry.
Wow! I guess I'm the only one who thinks it's ridiculous to pay $15 for a brunch buffet that includes a table full of twinkies, ho hos and other gas-station food that has been sitting out so long that the cookies are stale.
When I pay $15 a plate for brunch, I expect fresh baked pastries, fresh and hot eggs (maybe an omlette bar?) tasty biscuits and gravy or thick french toast. The eggs, pancakes, strange looking hot dogs and different bowls of pasta at Riverside had also been sitting out and were neither hot nor cold.
I ended up eating as much fresh fruit as I could just to get my money's worth. If the buffet were half as much, I would have just forgotten about this place rather than complain.
I miss this place, it reminds me of the year that I spent living and working in Bucktown/Wicker Park - they had the BEST breakfasts and lunches available during the week. Â Customer service is amazing and super friendly. Â It looks family owned and one time, I was talking to one of the workers there and she confirmed that in the past 100 years, only two families have owned this deli. Â It's a small little location and serves the best sandwiches with the huge pickle with it. Â The sandwiches are huge and chockful of good stuff. Â I usually go with the Reuben or the Chicken salad. Â You can also call in your order and pick up, too. Â Sandwiches will run you roughly about $6 and they have chips, they have my all-time fav, sea salt chips - mm! Â Oh, yeah - they are cash only.
I've heard many good things about their Sunday brunch buffet but never quite made it over to check it out - it'll have to be on my to do list next.
If the federal government knew about this place, they'd be pissed. Â After all, this is pretty much the equivalent of illegally flying to Canada then to Cuba. Â The storefront deli, the brilliant homemade food, and the homey atmosphere makes you think that you really have just stepped off the street in Havana to enjoy one of the famed Ma-and-Pa Cuban kitchens.
They have something for everyone. Â I don't know how you could possibly come here and not be able to eat anything. Â They have so much variety in vegetables, meat, and everything in between. Â And it's all good! Â I came here for a Sunday brunch all-you-can-eat buffet, which was definitely worth the $12. Â
Set in an old house with different rooms set up for old-fashioned dining, I got a kick out of the red-and-white checkered tablecloth atmosphere. Â For food, they have everything you can want. Â And it's all delicious. Â If you're more in the mood for American breakfast, they have eggs, bacon, corn beef hash, etc. Â Latin flavor includes empanadas, plantains, tacos, tamales, etc. Â I can't even recall all of the dishes, there are way too many. Â
You just have to experience it.
Well, I'm going to be the contrarian here and say this is probably the worst buffet / brunch I've had in the city. My boy and I showed up at noon and he promptly piled up food on his plate sky high, raving about how good the empanadas were. Only a few things were labeled, so I waited around hoping a worker would appear and help me determine which dishes were vegetarian, but no one showed up. I tried to enlist fellow brunch-goers and they were somewhat helpful, as well as my boy acting as a taste-tester (although he's previously had an inability to detect meat if it's not visibly apparent, so his judgments are somewhat suspect anyhow). So I chose a few pancakes, a pastry and some scrambled eggs.
The pancakes were dry (although edible with copious amounts of syrup) as was the pastry and the eggs, which had bits of crusty dried egg mixed into it. I ended up getting a plate of mixed fruit instead, which was perfectly acceptable. For the most part the cookies, cakes, Â and dessert-type offerings (notably those silly Twinkies) appeared to have come straight from Jewel the day before--they had that dry crunchy preservative-laden feel about them. Gross.
I gave it two stars instead of one because apparently the (meat-filled) empanadas  are excellent.
If you're an adventurous omnivore with a huge appetite who doesn't require anything too fancy or novel you'll probably dig this place.
This place is a gem!
Me and the girlfriend stopped in the other day while on a bike ride and picked up a couple sandwiches to go. We had only drove by a couple times and always found the place interesting. Once we got home and dived into these sandwiches I knew we had made a wise choice.
Very nice staff, and great selection of tasty food!
I'm looking forward to going back and eating there, maybe in the outdoor patio or for the Sunday brunch.
Riverside is great for Sunday brunch and lunch during the week! It is reasonably priced and offers an eclectic array of food. The decor is fun, full of antiques and local knick-knacks.
For lunch, sandwiches and salad are available. The sandwich and chip lunch will run you about 5-6 dollars and water is available if you do not want to purchase a soda or other beverage.
For Sunday brunch, which is my favorite meal to eat here, everything is amazing! It is about 12 dollars per person and the atmosphere is very relaxed and fun. Everything from eggs, corn beef hash, the Famous BLT, salads, fruit, vegetables, fajitas, breaded zucchini/sweet potatoes/squash, and plantain chips are offered for brunch! To satisfy your sweet tooth, Riverside offers a whole table of "Little Debbie" type of desserts, including twinkies!
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