Rustic River Restaurant

We've been to the Rustic River a few times now. I like that there's a nice laid back alternative to some of the rougher Townies at Truants and the crowded bar at the Woodstock.  The remodeling job is beautiful and we find that sitting out on the new deck is peaceful and relaxing.  The servers are polite if a tad cool. However, if you chat with them a bit they warm right up. The owner is a great guy. We've had a couple conversations while sitting at the bar.  At this point the only food we've had is the pizza but it was very good.  I would really like to see this place succeed. They're going thru the growing pains that come with a new venture but making progress.  Perfection comes with time. We'll go back.

I own Rustic River and my initials happen to be RR, the second review is clearly a sabotage job. It almost sounds like a Saturday Night Live skit. The best part is where they say " I am just a diner I have never owned a restaurant".  CORNY!    Please google our Facebook page for accurate information or stop in for a tour of our brand new kitchen built in 2013. Just ask for Rich and a big thanks to Bob M. who is not a paid actor. See you next time, Bob!

My husband and I are frequent visitors to the area (own a 2nd home nearby) and we waited anxiously for this new restaurant to open.  We were driving by late April and stopped in for lunch.  RR is beautiful inside; they did a nice job creating an inviting atmosphere.  Our server was friendly and attentive.  Unfortunately, things went downhill from there.  The menu is very limited but that's ok as long as the food is tasty.  Not the case here at all.  We ordered onion rings as an appetizer and were informed they were all out.  Maybe it's just me, but don't you then run up to PC and buy a few onions and a bag of flour?  Oh well, not a big deal.  We ordered the mozzarella sticks.  Tasted straight out of the Farm Rich bag and the marinara sauce seemed like it was out of the Prego jar.  I'm not a big meat-eater so I opted for a grilled cheese sandwich and hubby ordered a cheeseburger.  My husband described the burger as "grey" - no flavor at all.  Seemed like it came straight from the Bubba Burger box.  My grilled cheese was made from the 2 slices of bread (right after the heel) so it was lopsided and tiny on one side.  The steak fries came straight from the freezer and into the fryer.  If you've ever watched the Food Network shows (Triple D or Restaurant Impossible), the best thing you can do is make things from scratch - especially fries.  We thought about ordering a slice of pizza to check it out but decided to pass.  Didn't want to be disappointed again.

By this time, it was only us and another couple at the bar who were waiting for a pizza.  The gentleman who I presume is the owner never stopped by to greet us or see if we were enjoying our meals.  Especially after we were told they were out of an item on their small menu, I figured he might come over to offer an apology or maybe a small sample of some other appetizer items.  Seems like welcoming your guests is Restaurant 101 to me but then again I'm only a diner and have never owned a restaurant.  

Since our first visit in April, we have driven by RR dozens of times (including Bike Week) and sadly, the place couldn't be more dead.  My guess is it has nothing to do with the location and everything to do with the food.  Hopefully they can turn things around and make a go of it.  In the meantime, we'll stick with Black Mountain Burger when we're looking for a sandwich and a beer.  Sorry, RR, I wish you all the best.