Riverside Inn Bar

It’s a true local hangout. Cranford HS grads of the come here to die. The is NO FOOD burger are far to poor. anyone c an throw in a micro or toaster over a pretty frozen pizza and throw some pepperoni on top. small space. when they got flooded the town should condemned it. they have live local bands .and the bar windows open and the smokers stand outside em and puff away. and way and it waffs it way back into the bar. poor quality

Love local bars and this one is really great. Friendly bar staff, good bar food. If you need a burger and a beer, this is the place.

This is a fun atmosphere where locals and visitors go for a low key, fun pub atmosphere. They put out great food quickly and from an impressively small kitchen! Staff is friendly, attentive to any needs you have, and the overall feel is a lot of fun! Great specials on Mexican food on Mondays!

Had alpine burger. Very good but not awesome. Price is fair. Definitely a solid dive bar. Service was so /​so. Bartender was pleasant but no one came to see how I was doing after they dropped off food. I gave 3 stars but prolly deserves 3.5. Best part was 70’s /​80’s music Parking was a bit weird too, hopefully I don’t have a ticket.

If you are looking for a place to relax and grab a beer or drink, this is it. A real bar bar. Plenty of parking in the back. They have a high tech jukebox thing but more songs would be good, unless I was using it wrong lol. Anyway, great place for a beer and chill with friends.

A divey place with the best food. Normally when you order a steak sandwich you get shaved steak… I ordered the strip steak sandwich and got a 6 once NY strip cooked to perfection for less than a meal at a fast food joint! They actual dry age their own beef!!!

I love this place, good beer selection. Love the atmosphere. Food is what you expect for a ‘dive bar’ Chicken wings, wraps etc. Typical bar food. But what you get is really tasty!

Do not go here place is dirty and the owner Jake is a dick with ears… food sucks as do the drinks… Plenty of other places to hand over your hard earned money… on a date .then deff don’t bring a girl here bathrooms are 10 steps below porta John…

Just an awesome dive in downtown Cranford. You can’t really go wrong with the Riverside if all you’re looking for is cheap drinks, Touchtunes, and, if you go on a Sunday, a live band. I love this place, mostly because you always know what you’re gonna get. A casual, chill night at a dive bar with good friends. End of story.
They have a bar menu, but you don’t need to ask for it because a lot of their options are written on paper plates and taped to the wall behind the bar. I mean, where else in town could you get a fried bologna sandwich? I’m not looking to try that any time soon, but it’s nice to know the option is there. Nice, fast, no-​nonsense bartenders.
They have some tables out front and a picnic table out back. Parking behind building but you can also park in the municipal lot next to the fire house and walk over.

Parking is weird, it’s in the back but you enter by the tapas restaurant.
However, once you get into the place, it’s a pretty nice spot. Came here on a Friday night, it was pretty busy in here.
I had the Alpine burger with the mushrooms and onions — definitely hit the spot where I wanted a greasy burger. I had it done medium rare, it was more on the medium side but still good.
The onion rings were alright.
The tater tots special was really awesome though. Brought me back to school cafeterias but better.
My beer (UFO Raspberry) was alright. It definitely tasted like raspberries.
Staff was friendly and on top of requests and needs.
Sometimes can get a little loud in there. The music’s pretty good and at a good volume. It’s the other customers, which can sometimes be expected.
I walked out of there with my burger food belly and went to pass out happily in a food coma.
If you like dive bars, this will definitely hit the spot.

One of the best bars around with great food and service. Dig the atmosphere when here.

Have lived in union county all my life, and never went here. Pasted it a million times! Me and my wife went there last week and came away impressed. Not a fancy place just a local bar with a tiny kitchen with great bar food. Bartender made me feel like I’ve been a regular for 20 years. Great burger fries and onion rings huge portion reasonable prices I’ll be back

Old mother Hubbert gave her dive dog a bone, if that particular correspondence occurred right cheer, Fido would be happy. Not really sure where I was going with that analogy, but I like it, so there.
Ode to a dive, why do I love thee? Let me count the ways. Warm non pretentious feel from the moment you enter and then again as your ass hits the bar stool (swamp ass excluded) you know you’re home. Specials scattered about on disposal white paper plates, making me feel like kinda 20 years younger at my favorite college dive. The big difference is the awesomely eclectic crowd ranging from 20 something’s to 50 something’s side by side sharing in the cheer and relaxed ambience while your favorite tunes jam over head (Billy Joel’s «Longest time» is currently flowing as I write this review at the bar) while a band is setting up for a Sunday night. Love it.
Yes, hot bartenders are a plus and yes they have them, but beyond the appearance is the friendly welcome to a stranger and some refer to me as about as strange as they come. Buy back on my 1^st visit on my 4^th drink, that’s what I’m talking about. Cajoling with locals within 20 mins after arriving, now that’s cool.
Kielbasa & kraut sammich at $ 7. The bar menu is quite affordable and surprisingly good as a few patrons and trusted Unilocalers attest. $ 3.75 domestics & $ 3 shot specials, did I say Daddy found a home?
Always something to gaze upon whether it be one of 7 flat screens or the countless memorabilia signs all over the place including a cool as hell bumper sticker collection on the beer cooler.
Yep, when in Rome I’ll stop my chariot for a quick watering and a bite.

Great Dive Bar.
Genuine, friendly and you don’t have to pay 10 bucks for a glass of wine.

I’ve lived in the area for years but went here for the first time recently for a girl’s night out. The beer selection is good which is a definite plus. I wasn’t sure how their food would be but took a chance and ordered a veggie burger and sweet potato fries. Both the burger and fries were very good and the portions were huge. I was very pleasantly surprised. I would definitely come back here again.

Affectionately, locally known as the «Dive» this is my absolute favorite bar. Decent on-​tap selection and exceptionally good pub grub (made exactly as you want it in a super tiny kitchen) is always tasty and affordable. Above all, it is the staff (special kudos to bartender Heather) and diverse crowd that shows up here that makes you feel «completely at home» when you walk in the door. Just might want to avoid major sports events when the «testosterone levels» get a tad high making conversation very difficult. However, most of the time, simply laid back, friendly and comfortable like an old flannel shirt and a pair of well-​worn sheepskin slippers. Good beer, good food, good people.

My kind of place. Stopped by Riverside for a quick beer & bite, weekday lunch. Parking has always been the reason I’ve driven past Riverside, it always seemed like you have to park on the street, and it’s in a hectic location. There’s a back lot that can be kind of tricky to get to if you don’t know where it is, and there aren’t that many spots.
There were a few people sitting at the bar eating lunch, they had various specials posted up on the walls, and a regular menu. Bartender was very friendly. I ordered the tuna melt, it came out open-​faced with some pretty dope slaw. Pretty damn good. They have a decent variety of beers on tap, didn’t look or ask what they had in bottles.
Long bar with stools, a good amount of tables to sit at. Dart board, I think I saw a juke box. Out back there is a patio table with some chairs. Not too much room out there.
Riverside really reminds me of the bars I prefer in my hometown and current town. Small dives with good beer and food. nothing wrong with that

My friends and I have affectionately referred to this place as «Riverdive» for years because that’s what it is: a dive. It’s definitely a good local spot for a drink and a snack. Great outdoor/​indoor feel when they open their huge front windows. On a nice night, it’s perfect.
Parking for a newcomer can be deceiving. You have to go down to the light by Cervantes of Spain restaurant, pull in their lot, go to the back and turn left behind the place and go alllllll the way down the long strip behind the storefronts. Park near the end and you can walk in the back of Riverdive. Not sure if that makes sense. I did my best guys. GOSH.

So I moved to Cranford 6 months ago, and I’m kicking myself that I didn’t come into Riverside sooner!
This place doesn’t try to be something it’s not, the owners have embraced that they’re a «dive» and I can appreciate that. The place is small but cozy, and has a few tables set up outside where my group chose to sit.
There’s no waiters, all ordering is done through the bartender. My group started with Yuenglings on draft ($ 3.75 a pint). We went back up to order our food: 2 dive burgers, Mongo cheese steak sandwich, large order of fries and onion rings. The food came out promptly and was really good. We ended up having 10 beers amongst the group and including the food the bill was $ 65 ($ 28 for food for 3 people).
Plus they had a live band playing (no cover). Riverside offers great value, tasty food and I will be back!

I have been to the Riverside three times now, every time on a different day of the week at different times of the day. It’s been exactly what I’ve wanted all three times.
My last visit was just with a buddy of mine for a couple of beers to relax, watch TV, and shoot the shit. That’s exactly what happened and I will do the same here in the future. Riverside has about 8 – 9 draft beers on tap and have everything else you can imagine as far as liquor. The food looks delicious, but I haven’t given it a shot yet except for cheese fries when I was already drunk… of course they were delicious… I was drunk.
Riverside provides the dive bar for a bunch of different people. During the afternoon, they open up the windows, let the wind and fresh air enter for the day time drunks. On Friday and Saturday nights, Riverside is owned by some local couples, but also the younger crowd trying to get a few drinks in before going out to other bars. It’s perfect.
They have Taco Tuesdays. $ 2PBR cans. $ 2 Rolling Rocks. $ 2 burrito’s. $ 1 tacos. I haven’t had it yet, but I’m going to really, really soon.