Jim and Nancy do not disclose the fact that they will review a restaurant before they attend, ensuring their reviews are unbiased and uninfluenced by their position with the Sun Day.
When you pass by a place called “Riverview,” you expect to see either “The Bobs” or a view of a river. Not so with this establishment; it is a restaurant and tavern that was established in 1936 called the Riverview Restaurant and Tavern in Algonquin.
Riverview Restaurant & Tavern
1320 S. Main Street
Algonquin 60102
(847)658-5200
www.riverviewpizza.net
Directions: Take Rte. 47 North to Algonquin Road, East to Rte. 31, South to restaurant.
Estimated Travel Time: 20 minutes
This place reminds you of a typical waterfront restaurant in Wisconsin where you dock your boat, have lunch, and knock down a few Old Milwaukees. The inside resembles a comfy cozy tavern with eight booths, eight tables, and a screened in porch for outdoor seating with a gorgeous view of Route 31.
For an appetizer today, we went with the Beer Nuggets ($6.95), which was two pounds of pizza dough nuggets, soaked in beer, deep fried, and sprinkled with Parmesan cheese. This is served with pizza sauce or you can add cheddar sauce for a 75¢ up charge. We decided to go for broke and added the cheese sauce. When the order arrived, you would not believe how many nuggets are in two pounds of pizza dough! It’s like the Energizer bunny, we kept on eating and eating and eating… Save your 75¢ since they tasted better with the pizza sauce.
They offer lunch specials Monday – Friday for $6.95. This is an extensive menu which includes among other things, sandwiches, wraps, salads, and “foldoughvers.” For an additional $1 up charge, you can add French fries and coleslaw or a cup of soup.
Nancy had the exciting Turkey Club lunch special and went with the French fries and coleslaw for the $1 up charge. This sandwich was different from the norm since it was made with real oven roasted turkey, not the deli meat you’re familiar with. It also was served warm and juicy. That’s what a turkey club sandwich should be. This was delicious and she would have it again.
Jim was intrigued by the foldoughvers. This is a Riverview Original. It is a 9” thin pizza crust, baked, folded over, and cut into mini sandwiches. He chose the Cuban, which was slow roasted center cut pork, baked ham, Swiss cheese, pickle, and mustard. He went with the cup of soup for a $1 up charge. The soup of the day was Cheeseburger Chowder, which was basically crumbled up cheeseburger with onions floating on the top in a chowder broth. Believe it or not, he said it was delicious. Remember that cheese sauce? When I returned from the restroom, I noticed half of my French fries were missing in action and the cheese cup was now empty. Need I say more???
We waited until the weather was nice to review this restaurant. We were hoping to dine al fresco overlooking a scenic river. No river, no Bobs, no chute the chutes, and no fun house. What we got instead was a delicious lunch, and a great deal, so we can’t complain. We’re still eating the two pounds of beer nuggets.
FYI: This restaurant is handicap accessible.
The price for our lunch without a view was $28.82. Never ending beer nuggets, priceless!
Jim’s take: My Cuban Foldoughver was unique and delicious. I plead the Fifth Amendment on what happened to Nancy’s French fries and the cheese sauce.
Nancy’s take: My disappointment over no river and no view and the disappearance of my fries were forgotten when I bit into my warm, juicy sandwich. I don’t want to see another beer nugget EVER again!
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