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Riverside Restaurant is a great place for food with a homey atmosphere. My family of 18 people just finished eating there, and the service was excellent with not a single mistake. The food came out hot and simply delicious. My family is loud and at times demanding group, so my hat goes off to them for how well they accommodated us. Today our group included family from out of town, and they too had nothing but great things to say about their meals. I also learned something new today as well. Since we had such a large group, they offered to do our meal "family style." Although we didn't opt for that today, I would defiantly be interested in trying it in the future.
P.S. Bring cash because they do not accept credit cards!
Yummy food, big portions. Parking sucks. Bring cash or checks. Service can be hit or miss, but it's usually good. Stuffed Cabbage and Duck are delicious!
Riverside Restaurant is a great place to have what is probably the closest thing you can get to a home cooked meal. The food is always fresh, and who coul dnot love the rye bread that comes with every meal? You just gotta love it! I have tried almost everything on the menu over the years but what I like the most is their breaded pork tenderloin with dumplings and quite possibly the most delicious saurkraut I have ever had in my life! If you plan on going to Riverside Restaurant, go hungry because you won't be after you're done.
This review is particularly in response to Victoria H's review since I'm only a second-time customer with no childhood memories tying back to Riverside F.R. I will say it upfront that I love this place and I am providing all the reasons below. I will also admit that Riverside F.R. deserved a better review from me the first time around, so here is my polishing update.
The decor is just average, as you expect a family restaurant to be. That's not exactly why anyone goes there. Instead, what sticks out are the European waiters who go out of their way to make your dining experience enjoyable. They are super friendly and easy-going. Ok, so before I step up on my soapbox about how great the service is, I am just going to move on to the amazing food! Here they serve Czech/Bavarian/European food...I'm not really sure which category they would place themselves under but Yelp definitely doesn't offer such an option.
All entrees have large portions and are accompanied by the following:
-Soup (definitely get the delicious GOULASH)
-Basket of HOMEMADE RYE BREAD and butter
-Two sides of your choice (from red cabbage to dumplings to potatoes to sauerkraut to apple sauce--it's a hard decision to make)
-Main entree, most likely with lots of gravy on the side
-Dessert. I recommend the homemade KOLACHKIES, no one flavor in particular since they're all tasty, warm and sprinkled with powdered sugar.
As for the entree, you guessed it, you just can't go wrong with anything. I will, however, personally recommend the 1/4 ROASTED DUCK that is only $8.95 (and don't forget that it includes everything in the list above)!!! They also have combination platters if you can't decide between all the meats. Delish! Oh and it's never too late to mention the FRIED CAULIFLOWER appetizer/side which is surprisingly yummy. I know, I made a face when I first went to try it too.
After feeling like you just experienced Thanksgiving all over again, a nap just makes it all complete!
P/S: They do have a parking lot but it only fits about 8 cars total. DO NOT park in the adjacent, neighboring business' lot. They will tow your car (I'm speaking from experience)!!! Instead, just park on Harlem.
Very friendly staff and the food is delightful. Don't miss out on the Hungarian ghoulash or their… Read more »
I think a lot of the five star reviews stem from memories and not actual-current -day-first-time-visiting experience.
The restaurant is a few blocks away from my new house, so Husband and I decided to venture out to Riverside F.R. on Friday night. There were plenty of cars at the parking lot, but the restaurant was half empty. We were immediately seated and brought some saltines and 4 slices of (super super yummy) rye bread.
I ordered stuffed cabbage and husband ordered polish sausage. You get huge portions and desert is included with your meal. The stuffed cabbage was really really really good (I've had it several dozen times before), but the sauce was a little tomato-ey. The dumplings look like bread and are extremely dry. Kind of like potato bread.
The prices are low, the portions are huge, and I would come back.
Beware, they do not accept credit cards. Unlike my usual self, I had a checkbook, so we were in luck. Fridays, they have $12 wine bottles, and beer will run you around $3.50.
As always, I will update my review after another visit.
Riverside is amazing. Seriously amazing. The food is delicious, the portions are big, the service is great, and it is cheap! They could definitely charge a lot more than they do. My boyfriend and I stuffed ourselves for around $20 total (before tip, of course).
"What will a little more than a Hamilton get me at Riverside?" you ask? A nice bread basket, soup, a big steaming plate of Czech comfort food, AND dessert and coffee. You could easily bring a larger group here and eat for cheap.
My favorite is definitely the breaded pork tenderloin, dumplings, sauerkraut and gravy. Yum! Everything on the menu is great though. I am usually tempted to order extra, just to have leftovers in the fridge.
The restaurant itself is tiny, and the parking lot in front is even smaller. There are no cheesy "Czech" decorations to be found, and I like it that way. The place is usually full of senior citizens. Make sure you go early enough so you don't miss out on any of the specials.
Eating at the Riverside brings back memories of my childhood and my Grandma's delectable homemade Czech meals. She doesn't cook for us anymore, but it is nice to know that there is good Czech food to be had when the craving strikes.
I just wish I lived closer, but my waistline is happy that I don't.
If it's Fall or Winter in Chicago and you're into stick to your ribs food, this Czech restaurant is your place to feast. This established restaurant is well known to those in the Czech community and to those that enjoy hearty Eastern European cooking.
Anyone that knows anything about the Czech Republic or has been to Prague, knows that roast duck or roast pork, dumplings, kapusta and an authentic Czech beer go together like a hand in a glove. Their duck is the best and may be ordered half or quarter portion or as a combination plate combined with roast pork. Many combinations of duck and pork offered as well as wiener schnitzel, Polish sausage, and great soups. Homemade bread! mmmmm
Liver Dumpling soup.......mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm!
Massive portions and most everything is included! Entree, salad, sides, dessert and coffee. Very reasonable prices, for 5 people your bill might be around $65.00. Most dinners $10.00 or under. Homemade and warm Czech pastry with coffee tops off your dinner.
The building itself is very ordinary and you might even pass it up. Parking may be difficult as the residential street parking is off limits to those visiting the restaurant. There is a parking lot in front and on the side but, most likely it is full. Park on Harlem Ave.
Great Czech food, reasonable prices! Unpretentious atmosphere! Don't be surprised if there isn't a green leaf on your table, as with most Eastern European countries, root vegetables rule!
Open daily till 8pm CLOSED MONDAYS!
Fantastic food. Big portions. And very cute servers with very cute accents. The duck is wonderful. Soups the best. And the bread! All-in-all, a very Old School place well worth a visit.
I was absolutely delighted with my experience at Riverside Restaurant. My girlfriend turned me on to this spot since we both share Czech ancestry and thus, a love for all things meat and dumpling. We dined there this past weekend and had an amazing culinary experience.
First off, I will say that the price per quantity and quality is absolutely amazing. Three courses for $10.95 is astounding. And you are getting actual courses! I think when all was said and done, for two people we spent less than $40!!
Secondly, the food is so traditional and so good! The entire experience was like a flashback to my childhood and the foods that my mother fed me. I started out with the liver dumpling soup. The broth was to die for. The deep flavor and absolute clarity told me that someone lovingly tended to slowly simmering stock for hours at end. You just don't get that depth of flavor in a can! The dumplings were like little morsels of liver-meatball heaven floating in a rich and salty bath. My girlfriend had the Chicken Noodle, which once again, was made homemade and even more surprisingly, from a different stock! For my main, I had the Roasted Pork and Duck combo with dumplings and Sauerkraut. I have nothing but great things to say about all of it. The roasted pork was moist and aromatic with a comforting level of greasiness. The duck was absolutely superb and probably some of the best I've ever had in my life. The duck blew my mind, leaving me pondering; how do you get such rich and moist meat, but maintain such an incredibly crisp skin? Topping all of this with excellent Sauerkraut, fresh dumplings and a gigantic Golden Pheasant Beer was nothing short of orgasmic. For my dessert, I had a kolache and coffee, both of which were surprisingly delicious and a welcome ending. As well, my girlfriend's chocolate pudding looked fantastic, but I didn't get to taste it since she failed to offer me any. :)
The service was very friendly and prompt. Did I also mention that the atmosphere is super old-school and incredibly warm and comfortable?! I will definitely be going back and not soon enough.
Kind of meh. This had to be my least favorite Czech restaurant yet. Our server was a little rude and our food portions weren't as big as I expected since I've always gotten larger portions from the Czech restaurants I've been in. Getting a parking spot is difficult since its always full but, if you want Czech cuisine, look elsewhere theres others nearby.
Breaded pork tenderloin with a nice light gravy. I call that heaven. Oh yeah, they have lots of other good stuff too, but they had me at Breaded Pork Tenderloin!
I used to go to Riverside Family Restaurant as a kid with my grandparents who are Slovak. This place is as good as it gets for delicious home cooking. The duck is cooked to perfection, crispy skin on the outside with tender, delicious meat on the inside. It's not greasy at all. The breaded pork tenderloin is also cooked perfectly. It's just complete breaded yumminess! The soups are amazing all homemade. The rye bread to dip in your soup is awesome. The dumplings are as good as you can get. My grandmother's were just as good. Applesauce is fresh, not too sweet. And the warm apricot Kolacky was perfect. The pastry melts in your mouth and the apricot filling is was delicious. Keep in mind you don't have to choose dumplings and applesauce. You can also choose sauerkraut, or mashed or boiled potatoes or cabbage. All again, cooked to perfection. I had the combo for $10.50. My combo included a choice of two soups which change daily (beef with noodle, navy bean and liver dumpling are all awesome) a huge duck breast or leg (your choice), 2 generous pieces of breaded pork tenderloin, 3 huge dumplings, applesauce, rye bread and a warm kolacky. There are other combos available with other proteins for about the same price. I honestly thought the bill was wrong when we got it. I go to boring Panera bread for at best a mediocre lunch of soup and half sandwich and it's about the same price. Leftover from the meal I still managed to take home half a duck breast, a piece of tenderloin and a dumpling and I was stuffed. The service is awesome. They are so on top of things. We were in and out of there in an hour or so and we had a 3 year old with us. We didn't even need to order food for him, he ate off our plates. The average age in this place is about 78 years old, and it's been about that many years since the place was decorated, but it adds to the charm. If you want great comfort food, and wonderful service at a price you can't find anywhere else these days, this place is the best! Keep in mind though.. CASH ONLY!!!!
Berwyn, IL
Category: Mexican
Berwyn, IL
Category: Mexican
Neighborhood: Bridgeport
Category: Diners
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