Review: River Restaurant – Tuscaloosa, Alabama

A few months ago I visited Tuscaloosa, Alabama, home of the University of Alabama.  Tuscaloosa is a mid-sized college town along the scenic Black Warrior River.  The banks of the river include parks, an outdoor amphitheater and the aptly named “River” restaurant.  I had a free evening there and went with my family to River.  River has a reputation as one of the finest restaurants in Tuscaloosa, but did it live up to its hype? Yes.

It rained all three days we were in Tuscaloosa on this trip, but on the evening we dined at River, the skies cleared up, and we were able to take a walk along the river bank after our satisfying meal.

Appetizer – Deviled Eggs

River is known for its deviled eggs and homemade pickles appetizer, so, of course, we tried it. I had never had eaten deviled eggs before and they were light, tangy, and creamy. In one word, they were delicious. The pickles sprinkled on top of the creamy insides added an interesting flavor contrast.

Beef Short Ribs

I ordered the “48 Hour Beef Short Rib” entrée, which came covered with a sprawling fried egg that itself was covered with a sprinkling of cheese and a generous layer of house french fries underneath. It was almost like breakfast and dinner combined. The egg and beef made a savory combination that tasted wonderful. As a cheese lover, I found the cheese on top a welcome addition. In all an excellent dish.

Lamb Osso Bucco

My Dad ordered the Lamb Osso Bucco, which came with cheese grits, rainbow chard and mushroom au jus. He’s tried Osso Bucco in other restaurants, and wants the lamb to be prepared soft, rather than tough and stringy. At River he felt the lamb was prepared well. The cheesy grits and rainbow chard gave the dish a southern flare, adding a local feel to this international dish. On the downside, the sauce was over salty as was cheesy grits. He commented that the grits were so salty that it hid the underlying flavors of the grits. All in all, he felt the lamb was well prepared, and the most important part of the dish, so he gave it a “B” or “B+”.

Golden Tile Fish

Christy ordered the Tile Fish entree, which came on a bed of crawfish conecuh spoon bread (Concuh sausage, an Alabama favorite) and locally grown veggies. She said tile fish was fresh, crispy, well seasoned and perfectly cooked. She thought the crawfish stuffing was a bit dry, and according to the menu it was supposed to be served with a lemon beurre blanc. However she could not detect the lemon beurre blanc, and asked the waiter for more. The addition of the lemon beurre blanc really completed the dish. In addition, vegetables on the plate were amazing. The restaurant touts itself for its local farm to table cuisine and the fresh vegetables were perfectly cooked and seasoned.

Peanut Butter Pie Dessert

For dessert we tried River’s specialty – Peanut Butter Pie. It was incredibly well done, not too sweet and with a peanut butter cookie crust, a light chocolate cheesecake filling and homemade marshmallow whip on top. Yum!

River
1650 Jack Warner Pkwy
Tuscaloosa, Alabama 35401
Phone: (205) 632-3801