river rocks

river rocks!. my wife and i visited this evening for the first time since the change over from the previous chowders to the new river rocks. this is not simply a re-branding, but a restaurant with new owners, new menus and a fresh new direction. for now, you are presented with a bar menu and a separate restaurant menu. both of which seem well constructed and pricing appears to be about right for the market they are targeting. future expansion which is well under way will see the addition of river rocks - dockside, an outdoor dining and bar experience scheduled to be open in the september time-frame, so am i told. sounds ambitious but possible!

anyway, on to the food and service.

the service was warm, friendly and welcoming. we arrived mid afternoon between brunch and dinner and were felt most welcome. the new bar area has a very cool looking wine cooler with separate temperature zones for red and white wines and is proudly on display against the back wall. the bar also stocks a number of locally brewed beers which add to the authenticity and feeling of a true local, rather than chain restaurant in my opinion. why import when you have it locally available. the food that followed was nothing short of excellent! the conch 'pot pie' i had was well constructed, delicious and to my delight had ample slice of conch inside rather than the minced up variety you find elsewhere. for my main course i chose the asian-inspired hoisin glazed eggplant dish that was simply a explosion of different flavors, incorporating hoisin, black bean, hummus, garlic and kimchi, overall this dish was a lot of food! for dessert i chose the coconut creme brulee which was delicious too.

overall this was a delightful dining experience and being only 10 minutes from our home we will definitely be going back!

as a side note, they are currently providing 10% discounts for return visits (on the whole bill) valid for the month of august.

we read the mixed reviews and went in with an open mind. the décor and atmosphere were supurb. the service was fine...but the food wasn't very good at all. there were 4 of us. and unfortunately we were all disappointed. around $75 per couple (we had 3 drinks) , very small portions. seems like they have great potential with such a great location..but for now i'd much rather the charthouse for similar price point and comparable ambiance.

very good sunday brunch. one of the best local places for sunday brunch. we enjoyed the fresh made-to-order omelettes with a variety of fillings as well as the made-to-order waffles. price was very reasonable particularly as this included some really good cold seafood (crablegs, mussels, shrimp). service was very good.

wow! one of the best places in town! the food was amazing, the ambiance was superb, and the service was first rate. my dinner was one of the best i ever had!

great brunch. what a nice selection of choices for your sunday brunch and for only $19.00. we sat outside on the deck which has a beautiful view of the water. worth a try!

enjoyed the experience. what a nice change from all the chain restaurants in our area, unfortunate that some still believe more is better, and never question why. enjoy cheap meals, ever wonder why,,, maybe it is where it comes from.. i like what they have done with the old chowders and i was a fan of chowders, but i got what i payed for then too, there was a reason it was cheap, now they are clean, the staff professional and the place looks beautiful. it comes at a price. oh so does importing products cheaper from other countries. i would rather pay more and support us not them... all you need do is ask the staff they will explan the prices went up due to them trying to use all local or at least u.s. produced. i spent $53. on just myself with four drinks, an starter, a soup and a entree, i was very happy. thank you river rocks..

prententious.. overpriced. overpriced and not a whole lot on the menu. don't go there if you are hungry. food was average, a lot of nifty descriptions on the menu but does not deliver. the only thing going for it was a good beer selection and location, although it might help if they cleaned the windows that overlook the river ( hint, hint). $90 for an appetizer, two entrees, four drinks. will never go back.

inovative cuisine, this is surely a world class venue!. michael donoho, is the man behind the amazing food that makes this establishment one of my favorites; and one fine addition to brevard's dining scene!
his creations are a medley of infusions that come from his extensive knowledge of world cuisine, his menu is aimed to please the most well traveled, seasoned and demanding clientele.
with the ambiance to match, this venue offers expansive views of the indian river lagoon from every table and the decor is well designed.
my first experience was on easter sunday, chef michael offered a brunch buffet intended to please a king.
it transported me back to the great palmer house in chicago, where i had a similar experience.
but then again being familiar to chef michael's cuisine, i know that he excels on special occasions and price fixed menus, i always look forward to his creations for valentine's and new years eve.
service is courteous, but can use some polishing so that can match the food.
the wine menu is designed to compliment this establishment well, they also offer a full liquor bar.

a wonderful meal. we heard mixed reviews about this restaurant on urbanspoon, however, those people must have been looking for chilis food at frozen food prices. we didn't know what to expect, and at exceeded all expectations! we started with the flatbread which was really well executed with nicely melted cheese and crisp greens. then we got the seafood bisque which tasted fresh and had great flavor. for our entrees we got the seared tuna and my date got the soft shell crap and scallops. the dishes were perfect in size and our waitress (a young brunette) was very well educated on the menu and wine list. we finished with the creme brulee our entire meal was under $80 and we enjoyed the view and the food. we will come back anytime

dinner was overpriced, too many adjectives not enough choices, flatbread appetizer for $8 pitiful, hardly anything in it, seafood bisque was flavorless, coconut cremebrulee, was tasteless, no taste of coconut, bad choice for the $$$$$$

didn't like it. the food is over priced. the entire dinner menu was not offered to us. we had read the menu online and wanted either the crabcakes or ginger shrimp. both of which were not available. the specials told to us were different than the special told to the table next to us. the service was just ok. the portions were small, we left there and went to mimi's and ate an entire meal. the chicken was served with the skin on (yuck), so you couldn't taste the marinade. will not be going back. too bad, because the location is great.

slow service. noisy. substituted a sauce without telling us. surly management. will never go back.

finally somewhere fresh. river rocks is close to work so a few of us have been going there for lunch and dinner since its opening. the atmosphere is unmatched.
dolphins can be sptted through out the whole meal.
the food is always good and usually pretty fast. the most popular in our group at
lunch are the cobb salad and m.b.l.t (mahi) served on rye with a spectacular jalpeno tarter, i even order for my burger.
at dinner time it's a completely different feel. very elegant. my wife and i like to go and get a booth and a nice bottle of wine (phenominal wine list) enjoy some of the best tuna i've ever eatin. the dinner entrees we've tried have all been excellent. i personally love to order the whole fried snapper while my wife always get the duck.