Riverfront Grille - Rock Island, Illinois

emily E.

We come here often, it is a local joint, home style cooking as well as bar food. Pizzas too. There is also a salad bar. We absolutely love it here. I’ve never had a bad meal here. Service is great. In addition to the menu they have specials. Today we got the prime rib which was very flavorful, it was served with one side and a dinner roll. The roll for sure tastes like they are made there. They are very soft, and a subtle sweetness. Honestly tho, My guilty pleasure is their broccoli salad. I cannot figure out why it’s so good!! Just go here. Know you will be spending $60+ but you will never have a bad meal here. That’s for darn sure.

S S.

Gorgeous spot for dining-in located right on the Rock River! Loved sitting outside, eating our lunches and staring out at the view. Both meals were pretty good, nothing that was mind blowing but it was overall enjoyable. The service was very fast and knowledgeable about their menu. I would definitely recommend for a nice lunch and/or dinner down by the river.

Secondhand S.

As one of the top 10% of Google reviewers for restaurants in the USA, I write this review with a heavy heart. I’ve been a loyal customer of this restaurant for quite some time, and while my experiences have generally been positive, my most recent visit was so terrible that I felt compelled to leave a 1-star review.

We started with loaded fries, which were barely edible. They arrived without the sour cream we expected, and we had to ask for it separately. Worse, the fries tasted like they were fried in old oil, had zero seasoning, and were genuinely disgusting. Then came the salad bar—something I was initially told came with my meal. Moments later, our server embarrassed me by saying it actually didn’t and that I’d be charged. I changed my order to avoid this, settling on the smothered chicken, which was so dry that I struggled to swallow every bite. The green beans were rancid, and the French dressing had an odd pickled taste. The broccoli cheese soup was old and off-tasting, which even the manager later admitted.

My wife also opted for the salad bar but walked away hungry, as her selections were just as unappetizing. The potato soup, which should have been fresh, was notably stale. My son ordered the grown-up grilled cheese and had to pick off tomatoes that were clearly past their prime. The only redeeming item was my youngest’s pizza—but honestly, pizza is hard to mess up.

When I asked if they had lost their regular cook, I was told no, but I can’t imagine how this could be the same kitchen I’ve known in the past. The “manager” came over after I expressed my concerns, wearing a smug expression and dismissing most of my feedback, aside from admitting that the potato soup was indeed old. She offered us free dessert, which we declined, and her indifferent attitude was the final straw.

We ended up at McDonald’s afterward, where we had a far more satisfying meal. It’s sad to see a once-dependable spot decline so sharply, but I won’t be returning.

****Edit**** I just saw the owner’s response—everything they said is a lie! We absolutely informed our server about the issues with our food, and the only thing offered was a free dessert. After such a terrible meal, why would we want dessert? And no, we didn’t eat most of the food—we left it on the table and walked out hungry and frustrated that we had to pay for something so disgusting.

As a small business owner myself, I hesitated to leave this review, but the complete lack of care and concern from this establishment made it necessary. You knew we were upset when we left, yet instead of making it right, you chose to lie on Google. That’s not how you handle customer concerns.

We used to be regulars, but after spending over $100 on four inedible meals, we had to go to McDonald’s just to get lunch. Is McDonald’s perfect? No, but it’s what I could afford after wasting money here.

And regarding tipping—I always tip at least 20% for bad service and typically tip 50-100%, but when a tip isn’t deserved, that’s on the server and the restaurant, not me.

Timothy H.

Went there with another couple for dinner. First visit for most of us. They have a salad and soup bar, which is a rare find these days. I had the corned beef and cabbage special. It was a generous portion and very tasty. Others had catfish, a prepared salad, and a smashburger. We all liked our food. The waitress was very attentive as well.

Robb M.

A new local favorite that I had forgotten about. Nothing beats sitting on the patio on the river on a nice day, but I rediscovered this in the middle of the winter. I love a salad bar. It's not huge, but the ingredients are fresh, the salads, i.e. potato salad, broccoli salad, macaroni salad, three bean salad, are all fantastic. The soups are great too. One day for lunch they had a beef and noodle special with salad bar for $16. The beef and noodles without salad bar would have been $12, and it was well worth it. The beef and noodles were delicious, hearty, comfort food. I took most of it home and had a lunch the next day because I enjoyed the soup and salad bar so much. Great, friendly staff.

Joy V.

Recently tried this restaurant for the first time. We were wowed and returned again soon. If you love a great salad bar with 3 kinds of soup, this is the place to go. The menu is full of meals I cannot wait to try. Their meatloaf was amazing. Smash burgers are so flavorful.

LaJanice S.

Myself and granddaughter went here for lunch today. It was her first time eating here. She had a patty melt, fries, and some cheese curds. I had a catfish sandwich and cottage cheese. Everything was really good and it was extremely busy. Our waitress had only been there for her second day. She was very attentive to us. I usually take photos, but since I'd eaten here before, I didn't take any this visit. Always pleased with service and food.

Stephen B.

We went here for lunch, salad bar is the best I have had in the Quad-Cites.
I had a Ruben it was excellent.
The server did a great job.
My wife informed me we’re coming back next week.