Dive Bar Doesn't Disappoint

Riverside Inn Bar

56 North Avenue E
Cranford, NJ 07016

After talking our taste buds off of the ledge from last week, and still in need of satisfying our growing desire for quality bar food, we ventured out, post "snowstorm", to grab dinner and drinks. Cranford is a welcoming little town full of restaurants and shops. Just outside of the main area resides the Riverside Inn Bar. Viewing it from the outside feels as if you are about to  walk into a small bistro. The dive bar vibe only becomes apparent when you enter, which in no way is a negative, rather we view them as a precious part of America's food DNA.  The beer selection isn't vast, but there is enough to please most everyone. We ordered 3 Ommegang Abbey Ales, which is a pleasant offering at any bar. 

For appetizers, we ordered buffalo wings and onion rings to share, both items a great measuring stick for any American restaurant. The wings were juicy, with crispy skin, and not overbearingly spicy. The wings could have been coated in slightly more sauce, but they were very good as is. The onion rings were thick cut, and did not disappoint with their crispy exterior and juicy inside. The beer batter gave them a balanced taste, and they were a nice addition to the sandwiches we ordered for our main courses.

For our main courses, we ordered a classic cheeseburger with American cheese, a buffalo bleu cheese burger, and a Philly cheese steak. The sandwiches each came with homemade thick and crunchy half-sour pickles, as well as macaroni salad; both of which were fantastic! The two burgers were juicy and cooked perfectly; pink in the middle. The freshly ground beef made for an outstanding patty. The bleu cheese crumbles and addition of buffalo sauce enhanced the burger that would have stood flawlessly on its own. 

The classic cheeseburger was as close to perfect as we've had, the bun was fresh and the perfect size for the burger, but would have been even better had it been toasted. The adage that less is more is sometimes so true, and sometimes something like a great cheeseburger just does not need to be complicated. 

The steak in the Philly cheesesteak was sliced very thin, but still remained tender. It had the perfect ratio of peppers to onions and neither overpowered the sandwich. The cheese was not oozing out like your typical Philly cheesesteak that you would buy on the street (with wiz). Again simple, and amazing. 

A quality American dive bar should be in every foodies arsenal, and now we are proud to say that Riverside Inn Bar is in ours. To add to our experience, all of the food came out at once, which honestly didn't bother us, but the manager came over and offered to buy us a round of beers for this mistake. These kind of small details and care for customers is always something that separates just a good restaurant, from one we will make an effort to go back too. We highly recommend checking this place out; on the quest for best burger in NJ, this is in the running and the rest of the food was great as well!