Riverstone Tavern - Sydney

Our new favorite pizza place in town! On June 2, 2024, we dropped by around 5 PM on a Sunday. The bar was lively, but there were plenty of available tables. The restaurant has a lot of seating! On the night we visited, they were only serving pizza due to ongoing kitchen renovations, so the menu was quite limited. However, the pizza was excellent. A single 14-inch pizza was just right for the two of us. The crust was thin and crispy, the red sauce had great flavor, and the mozzarella was creamy and smooth—definitely not greasy or chewy like some cheese can be. Our server, Audrey, was skilled, friendly, and attentive. Overall, it was a wonderful experience, and we’d love to return for the pizza. Just be aware that the food menu is very limited for now.

We visited this restaurant on a Wednesday around 4:30 PM, and it was quite empty. The bartender, Olivia, was incredibly friendly and kindly offered my husband samples of a few beers when he asked. I enjoyed a deliciously strong margarita that she made for me. We ordered jalapeño poppers as an appetizer, but for $12, I expected a larger portion. The interior is very charming, and I loved the ambiance. However, considering it’s a brewery, I feel they should offer a wider selection of wines. They only had Pinot Grigio and Merlot available, and I think they should at least have Prosecco for those who might want a mimosa or a glass of champagne.

Although the dining room was quite busy, there were plenty of open two-top and four-top tables available. I don’t mind waiting at the bar when a restaurant is genuinely full or if I arrive before my reservation. However, I felt somewhat manipulated when directed to the bar to order drinks when we could have been seated right away, and we would have ordered the same drinks anyway. I understand that bar tabs contribute significantly to a restaurant's revenue, but so does repeat business, especially after spending a hundred dollars on dinner for two. The appetizer menu mostly features standard items, but two things caught my eye. First, many offerings use locally sourced Wisconsin ingredients, including cheeses and bacon, which is a plus. Second, the most unique option was Cindy's 'Original' Walleye Cakes, essentially a northern take on crab cakes. We ordered the walleye cakes and enjoyed the flavor, but unfortunately, there was not much fish in them. A good crab cake or fish cake should have just enough binder to hold the seafood and other ingredients together, and despite the binder being well-seasoned, I want to see and taste the fish. The main menu covers a wide range, including soups, salads, burgers, sandwiches, Mexican dishes, pasta, risotto, stir fry, fish, shrimp, chicken, beef, veal, pork, and pizza, plus a children’s menu. It’s clear they’re trying to cater to everyone, which is understandable in a tourist town like Eagle River. Personally, I prefer a more focused menu where a few items shine rather than a large selection where everything is average at best. My wife ordered the walleye fillet, which came with wild brown rice and vegetables. They gladly honored her request to prepare the fish without breading. I ordered the Veal Wellington with a root vegetable mash and vegetables. The puff pastry was beautifully browned and crispy, the veal was tender and moist, and the mushrooms and cheese added a rich, earthy creaminess to the dish. To finish our meal, we shared a tiramisu. While it was creamy and sweet, the essential flavors of espresso and cocoa were missing. I think most vacationers in the north woods will enjoy their dining experience at the Riverstone Restaurant. It was definitely nice to dine out instead of cooking at home on a Saturday night, but according to my standards, I've had better experiences elsewhere.

Stopped by on a Sunday evening for dinner. Wasn't sure if the place was even open at first. Family business and the owner was a very polite man. The waitress doesn't seem to be part of the family that runs the business and was very unfamiliar with the menu, very soft spoken that it was hard to hear her and never offered us dessert and rarely stopped over at the table. The shrimp appetizers were a miss, but the fried chicken entree was okay, just a tad salty.

Well it looks great from the outside and in a great location right off the river. The staff is really friendly, and went out of their way to accommodate the toddler we had with us in our party. (Brought a coloring book and crayons). The wait time was weird, no one really addressed us when we walked in. The food arrived and it was less than desired. The fish fry might have been out of the freezer. The burgers were well plan, literally a patty and a bun. This place has a lot of potential: staff and location. But the food is comparable to dining hall food at a summer camp. Definitely lots of room for improvement.