The Tavern At Rivers Edge

My brother and his wife had been there and recommended it. I joined them for dinner there last night and it was terrible. The table and place settings were covered with dust, which the hostess noticed and asked the bus boy wipe off. He went through the motions of wiping off the table but the dishes and glasses were not cleaned or replaced.
Our server was a wise, sarcastic, rude man. We waited far too long for our food and received rude responses to our inquiries, after which we asked to another server who was wonderful.
She served our food, it was hot, and what we expected but not worth the wait.
We also had a problem with an inquiry about vegan options which we had called about in advance. The male server blew off requests for vegan choices and asked if the diner wanted a salad.
Altogether a very disappointing visit, despite the fact that our final, female server took a meal or two off the bill due to their poor service. We appreciated her attempt to make up for his ruining our dinner but we will not return to the Tavern.

Me and my boyfriend went there, his steak was cooked and burnt to a crisp. My steak was very good however the green beans we’re severely under cooked and our garlic mash potatoes were so gummy and just all around nasty. Very unpleasant meal over all.

Walking along the «semi» sidewalks. an ongoing repair. I was caught by the wonderful aroma coming from the Tavern. I decided to give it a try…
The signage presented a fun, upbeat atmosphere. walking down the stairs and into the bar area, well, I thought i had the wrong place.
Clean, well lit, about a half dozen people. Happy Hour? Spin the homemade cardboard wheel. $ 4 beer. Happy?
The bar server was pleasant. Beer served in a small mason jar… no handle, just the jar. Anyone with a lip or mouth problem would end up dribbling their beer. Requested water was served in a cordial glass.
I ordered the turkey burger… and waited and waited and waited and waited some more. I started to worry about my 2 hour parking limit.
For entertainment I looked around, noticed several televisions all set to the same channel, and saw a young girl playing in the dining area, talking to herself in the mirror, playing an out of tune guitar.
Finally my meal arrived. Run of the mill french fries with too much pepper… turkey burger was freshly made, large size, chunks of onion… on a roll with avocado, sweet bacon, lettuce, tomato, cheese and more onion. The base of the burger had some type of sauce. The burger was crispy on one side… but it actually tasted good. The sauce… I’m still not sure what it was.
$ 20 meal…
Overall the place lacks enthusiasm… energy, effort or care. What is presented on the sidewalk does not follow through with the steps below.
Perhaps it’s because the sidewalk is missing?

Every time we happen to go out with friends in Exeter and someone suggests going to the Tavern At Rivers Edge I cringe. I am also in complete shock to see they are still open for business every time but I think that speaks to the lack of bar type competitors in a town where you would think would be over grown with pub type choices. The place is dark, it always looks dirty and the food tastes like it went from the freezer to the microwave. Not to mention it is pretty pricey for what you are getting.

Went tonight for a late lunch and was disappointed with the food and service. Restaurant wasn’t busy, maybe three tables in all. Food, simple hamburgers came out raw in the middle, asked for medium. When waitress was informed there was no apology only «oh, ok I’ll send it back». When the two meals came back the same bun was there lying in the greasy juice of the burger. Men’s room was disgusting, Exeter public health should give this place a visit. Speaking of back, that is something I will never be with this place. Too many better and new choices in Exeter to choose from…

We had dinner at The Tavern at River’s Edge last night for the first time. We had high expectations and were unfortunately disappointed. We liked the quirkiness of the bar area — even though our table was so off-​balance that our beers kept splashing on the table. The waitstaff was super friendly. That wasn’t an issue at all. It really comes down to the kitchen. From the time we ordered, we waited about 40 minutes for our scallop & bacon appetizer. I know they take a while, but that seemed excessive, especially since the place wasn’t very busy. Then when it came out it was 4 scallops. 3 reasonable sized ones, and 1 weird partial piece scallop. And it cost $ 13. Between the waiting time and the size of the portion for the money, we were pretty disappointed. Then it was probably another 20 minutes for our meals which were also disappointing. My boyfriend had the seafood stew. It was extremely salty ($ 21). I had the chicken frangelico ($ 19). Unfortunately, the chicken and rice were over cooked. The chicken was dry and a little tough — I would have preferred it to be moist and tender. The rice was a bit sticky and clumpy. The broccoli was cooked perfect and the frangelico sauce was tasty. I guess for the $ 53 we paid at a small, local, casual tavern, we really did expect a bit more. The wait time seemed very long, the entrees weren’t as good as expected, and the price seemed high for what you got. Unfortunately we won’t be going back. Too bad, though, because the location is great and the menu seems very creative and gourmet. Maybe we just got a night with a bad chef.

Almost always delicious, but this time my risotto dish was bland. We were the first couple to sit, but the last to get served. The owner was making the rounds, but only checked in with one table (not ours). Overall, not the best experience.

We used to go all of the time, but the menu choices and décor got stale. We attempted to go not too long ago and were about to walk down the stairs and noticed they still had the terribly dirty old carpet on the stairs. So we turned around. If they haven’t been keeping up on their cleaning and re-​inventing it makes you wonder what the kitchen is like Nothing so outstanding it makes us want to return. Seems like it’s time for a re-​vamp. With new competition down the we have better choices

We’ve been to The Tavern twice. The first time was a good experience. The second time, not so much. The food was nothing special. I could have had made better food at home, and it was also so loud that we couldn’t hear ourselves across the table.
The service was terrible. We barely saw our server, who could have given Nicki Minaj lessons in attitude. Too bad. We tend to be generous tippers.

We enjoyed our dinner but the noise level from the bar sure ruins the atmosphere!
We had a drink in the bar area first and couldn’t hear ourselves talk so decided to eat dinner when the dining room opened at 5:30.
Their Website is wrong about several things. Also my burger didn’t come on a Pretzel Roll like it said and my husbands Haddock sandwich had a spicy red pepper sauce not a roasted red pepper sauce also that the menu said, thankfully he likes spicy but many people might now!

Flour nachos were very disappointing. Chicken was buffalo flavored. Very strange. Bartenders not very attentive (we were sitting at the bar) but they were very busy too. All hand written receipts ?? What year are we in? Oh yeah no clear vodka… First and last visit.

Dont let the outside and walk down the staircase fool you about this place it looks like just a dive bar but man can they make a mean streak! To start they brought out some fresh bake still warm bread and some infused garlic oil to dip the bread which was also made in house. My main course was a 10oz piece of fillet mignon which was cooked perfectly rare and it was actually really awesome it was surrounded in a little bit of puff pastry and underneath between the pastry and the steak was a small portion of wild mushrooms in a burgundy wine demi-​glaze
sides were green beans cooked to perfection is still a little bit of snap not Mushy and some homemade garlic mashed potatoes which are very tasty not as good as when I get home but not bad for being on the road either. Our server was very attentive but not annoying always made sure our drinks were full and make sure were please with her meals. If you’re in the area and looking for a great steak don’t overlook this place it’s a must try

The menu online is totally different than the menu when you get there. Food was mediocre at best. I had the gumbo which was fine. My table mates all got a pasta dish that was fine. Margarita on the rocks with salt was fabulous. Dessert was good. Service was great although the place was dead. Probably won’t return.

The good: Friendly hostess and attentive waitress. Good feta dip appetizer.
The bad: The entrees. Husband had the wild mushroom ravioli which was covered in a sauce that can only be described as tasting like dirt (or maybe «earthy» if you want to put it nicely). The haddock dish was also covered in an odd tasting sauce that overpowered the fish and the two potato wedges and brussel sprouts that it came with. The brussel sprouts were clearly defrosted from the package and gave me flashbacks of those I was forced to eat as a child.
The quirky: The restaurant itself reminded us of something you’d see on one of those kitchen renovation TV shows. Outdated atmosphere and décor that took us right back to the 90’s. Not a bad thing, just something we laughed about.

This is our favorite place in town on multiple levels. Keith is Chef Extrodinaire. The specials are varied and adaptable to all holidays, celebrations and moods. Jeff the owner is passionate about our community and opens his heart to good causes. It feels like we are in our own living room. The bartenders are sweet and fun. Sadie knows how she is our favorite all time barmaid and Katie who is new is up and coming is a great edition. There is little turnover in staff and that is reflective on how Jeff takes care and chooses quality people to work for him.

Went with a family of four. Beer was cold.
Sent back my daughters pizza– too much garlic. Waitress was very nice.
I ordered the Haddock Fazool– tasted like it came from the freezer. My husband ordered veal parm– eh. My son had the meatball sandwich. I sincerely doubt there is a «chef» in the kitchen. All said and done-​$ 100, $ 50 a plate for the two of us who ate some of our dinners. My husband left his there as did my daughter. Perhaps try somewhere else?

I have been here twice. First time with my friend when he was hungry on a saturday night and the second time by myself when I craved a cheeseburger.
The first time I was here I just ordered beers. The beers were flat and was served in a small glass for being 6 dollars a piece. My friend’s sandwich was $ 12 but it looked like it really should have been $ 8 – 10 for what he got. He told me that it didn’t taste that good.
I came on a night in which the restaurant was really busy. I arrived in the in the waiting area but nobody took my name or gave any instruction on how the restaurant worked. I ended up waiting by the bar while several families came in and sat at the bar with all of their children. It took forever to get any type of service.
On the plus side the burger was pretty good.

My wife and I dined at The Tavern at the River’s Edge tonight and found it excellent Janice had the blackened haddock and a garden salad while I had the seafood dish containing lobster pieces, shrimp, and mussels. The portions were very generous and we fortunately had the smaller version since we would have been hard pressed to consume the full sized.
I recommend this restaurant to anyone who enjoys fine food at moderate prices.

I came here for dinner with co-​workers on a Monday night. We had a little hard time finding it since its in the basement of another store front.
We asked the waitress what dish she would recommend if we were never coming back and she told us absolutely the lobster risotto.
I ordered the lobster risotto and the Caesar salad. I was blown away by the salad. I need to come back here just for this! I never had lobster risotto before, or any type of risotto for that matter so I wasn’t sure what to expect. I liked it a lot, but didn’t love it. It was very cheesy, I felt like it was like mac and cheese with harder noodles. It was good but I don’t think I would get it again. I am glad I tried it though.
They were super attentive and we had out water glasses filled every 5 minutes. I ordered a cheese cake for dinner and that was pretty good.
I am subtracting a star for the end of the night service. It took over 45 minutes to get our checks back. Apparently there was a problem with the credit card machine and they didn’t tell us until a half hour of trying. Then it took them another 15 minutes to fix it after that.
I would like to come back for the salad when I am here again.

Not impressive. The waitstaff was mediocre. The nachos were mediocre. The bathroom was corpse-​smelling.
The entire waitstaff, cook, etc. were all hanging around the stairwell and looking «hipster” — super annoying. And please don’t swear. and also, don’t cough everywhere– if you are sick stay home. I just found it to be a mediocre experience.
The prices are waaay too high. but the worst part was the badly poured Guiness.