'Dive' Offers Good Food for Great Prices

The Riverside Inn Bar isn’t shy about their reputation as the "local dive." In fact, a banner hanging outside welcomed my guest and me to support their dive status. Any apprehension I had about wearing denim shorts to a lunch date was instantly lifted.

The bar’s low lighting creates a casual, relaxing, and classic bar atmosphere. Instead of the alcohol promotion posters that adorn just about every Irish pub, we found marine-like decorations hanging from the walls, making the Riverside Inn Bar stand out with a subtle nautical touch.

We arrived around noon for a quick lunch, and we were the only two customers in the place. Nicole, the friendly and attentive bartender, quickly greeted us and took our drink orders as soon as we sat down. Since we were at a bar, and it’s 5 p.m. somewhere in the world, we both decided on an afternoon cocktail. But to our dismay, my Midori Sour made my mouth pucker and his Tanqueray and Tonic was especially heavy on gin.

What the bar lacked in cocktails, though, they made up for with a delicious and plentiful bar food menu.

To start us off, an appetizer of garlic toast with sundried tomato and mozzarella hit the spot at the bargain price of $4.95. The potent taste of the sundried tomatoes was balanced nicely with mild cheese layered on top of crunchy bread.

For an entree, my guest played it safe with a bacon cheeseburger topped with mushrooms. Although he noted there was nothing spectacular about his burger, he felt as though he got what he paid for, and the meal was worth the $5.95 it cost.

I opted for something unique to the Riverside and ordered one of the house special sandwiches, The Mongo. Double-layered Philly cheese steaks topped with peppers, onions and mushrooms are accentuated by the menu’s only half-kidding warning: “this sandwich is not for the meek.”

My meal was delicious, and left me feeling full and satisfied. It was a great bargain at $7.95, and we both agreed that the quality and quantity fit the price.

All in all, the Riverside Inn Bar is a perfect local eatery. The inexpensive menu will lure us back for more, but next time we’ll have the strong cocktails after a hard day at work.