I don't like to post reviews with any sort of negative connotation, but I feel like maybe doing so here might spark some sort of change for the better. The food was mostly good, though one member of our party had some undercooked hashbrowns. The biggest issue we had here, was for a majority of our visit, there was someone in the kitchen literally yelling at all of the other workers in the restaurant to do every single little thing like they were children. It didn't matter what they were already in the middle of doing, what she wanted in that moment was more important. It completely killed the vibe, and most importantly every time she interrupted the staff it negatively affected service. Every time she would bark out an order, you could see the looks on the staffs faces just wishing for the day to end. The rest of the staff was very friendly and you could tell they were trying to make the best of a poor situation. My advice to the owner, if you're getting backed up in the kitchen, come out to the front of the house to help run food, and see how you can help things along out there. It's never a good sign when all of your customers are literally laughing at how absurd the situation is and feeling bad for your staff.
Atmosphere: 1
Food: 4
Service: 4
Sabrina Eshbaugh
I feel bad for the staff at the Central location. The wait staff was very kind, but they were getting screamed at by a lady in the kitchen the entire time we were there. Turns out that lady was the owner. The staff was struggling to keep up with their customer's needs due to this lady constantly screaming demands.
Atmosphere: 1
Food: 4
Service: 5
Kathy Phelps
This was a comfortable restaurant to enjoy a good meal this evening! The waitress that served us was very friendly too! I loved the catfish meal my sister and I enjoyed. I know we will go again someday!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Danny Royse
The Riverside Cafe in Derby is the only on owned by the original owner. I have eaten at Paul's establishments for 20 years and the selection, quality and service is excellent. Unfortunately he has sold the West Central and West 13th locations. I ate at the West Central location a year ago and it sucked. I was close to the 13th location today and tried it and it was equally as sub standard as the West location. I may have been spoiled but it was on the scale of truck stop sushi. I had biscuits and gravy and 2 patties of sausage. I don't know what kind of gravy it was but it had no sausage in it and the two, pre-fab paper thin sausage patties were poor at best. I know they are now owned by different people but Paul, pull your name off the Marquee. It does not represent your years of excellence in fine food. I'll never easy anywhere except the Derby location. Wow!
Atmosphere: 2
Food: 2
Service: 4
Dawnann Amparan
Its good food big portions very nice waitress. Could use a little deep cleaning.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 4
Service: 5
Alexander Lozoya
Everything about the Riveraide Café was amazing. The wait staff and the food was awesome. Huge portions for a low cost.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Erica C
Good food....but like everything else it cost to much
David Alseike
Stephanie was amazing!!!
Atmosphere: 2
Food: 5
Service: 5
Levi Granger
I love the chicken strips here! Every meat-lover should try it out sometime!
Menu a little pricey but they had good lunch specials
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Daria Johnson
Haven’t been to Riverside Cafe in years, the food was great last time….. not so much at this location when bringing it to the servers attention she became rude and argumentative saying “that’s weird because the cook is from the other location and has been here 20 years” the food was really bad we all got breakfast and the bill also made no sense compared to menu prices. There was also cockroaches in the bathroom and it was freezing. This makes me sad that this is such a historical part of Wichita and it’s not being ran the way it was meant to, we left still hungry and very disappointed.
Chase Trotter (Aethling)
Allow me to get a little philosophical for a moment. What really justifies a five-star review? Humans are imperfect by nature, so I’d argue that no business or service can truly earn five stars if we define that as perfection because perfection doesn’t exist. That said, my personal standard for a five-star rating is simple: I had no critiques. If everything met or exceeded expectations, then it was as close to perfect as it gets.
With that out of the way, I’ll keep this short and sweet. The food tasted amazing, the portions were generous, and our waitress was fantastic. She refilled my coffee twice, kept my drink full the entire time, and accommodated my dietary needs with ease. The atmosphere was cozy and welcoming.
The only possible critique would be the price, but let’s be honest, given the current economy, spending at least $10 per person for a quality meal with a drink is just today’s reality. In that context, this place absolutely delivers value. It’s a great experience and a strong contender for your limited “eating out” budget.
If you need more convincing, the staff here knows how to cook eggs, bacon, and sausage the right way. Nothing was burnt, and all the meat was cooked to perfection. My pancake was nearly the size of the entire plate, and not a small one either. It was a standard dinner plate. That’s value for your dollar.
We were so impressed that our party left a 35 percent tip. I know that might not sound like a lot to some, but for our budget, it was. That says a lot. We felt the food and service were impressive enough to go beyond what we would normally spend.
Bottom line? This place is worth the money. Try it, you won't be disappointed.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
val V
Popped in while getting my car repaired next door. The patty melt was AMAZING! Juicy burger, and toasted perfectly to keep it all together. Super friendly staff and quick service! Recommended and will return!!
Service was great, food not so much.
Atmosphere: 1
Food: 1
Service: 4
I don't like to post reviews with any sort of negative connotation, but I feel like maybe doing so here might spark some sort of change for the better. The food was mostly good, though one member of our party had some undercooked hashbrowns. The biggest issue we had here, was for a majority of our visit, there was someone in the kitchen literally yelling at all of the other workers in the restaurant to do every single little thing like they were children. It didn't matter what they were already in the middle of doing, what she wanted in that moment was more important. It completely killed the vibe, and most importantly every time she interrupted the staff it negatively affected service. Every time she would bark out an order, you could see the looks on the staffs faces just wishing for the day to end. The rest of the staff was very friendly and you could tell they were trying to make the best of a poor situation. My advice to the owner, if you're getting backed up in the kitchen, come out to the front of the house to help run food, and see how you can help things along out there. It's never a good sign when all of your customers are literally laughing at how absurd the situation is and feeling bad for your staff.
Atmosphere: 1
Food: 4
Service: 4
I feel bad for the staff at the Central location. The wait staff was very kind, but they were getting screamed at by a lady in the kitchen the entire time we were there. Turns out that lady was the owner. The staff was struggling to keep up with their customer's needs due to this lady constantly screaming demands.
Atmosphere: 1
Food: 4
Service: 5
This was a comfortable restaurant to enjoy a good meal this evening! The waitress that served us was very friendly too! I loved the catfish meal my sister and I enjoyed. I know we will go again someday!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
The Riverside Cafe in Derby is the only on owned by the original owner. I have eaten at Paul's establishments for 20 years and the selection, quality and service is excellent. Unfortunately he has sold the West Central and West 13th locations. I ate at the West Central location a year ago and it sucked. I was close to the 13th location today and tried it and it was equally as sub standard as the West location. I may have been spoiled but it was on the scale of truck stop sushi. I had biscuits and gravy and 2 patties of sausage. I don't know what kind of gravy it was but it had no sausage in it and the two, pre-fab paper thin sausage patties were poor at best. I know they are now owned by different people but Paul, pull your name off the Marquee. It does not represent your years of excellence in fine food. I'll never easy anywhere except the Derby location. Wow!
Atmosphere: 2
Food: 2
Service: 4
Its good food big portions very nice waitress. Could use a little deep cleaning.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 4
Service: 5
Everything about the Riveraide Café was amazing. The wait staff and the food was awesome. Huge portions for a low cost.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Good food....but like everything else it cost to much
Stephanie was amazing!!!
Atmosphere: 2
Food: 5
Service: 5
I love the chicken strips here! Every meat-lover should try it out sometime!
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 5
Service: 4
Recommended dishes: Fried Chicken
Restaurantji Recommends
Menu a little pricey but they had good lunch specials
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Haven’t been to Riverside Cafe in years, the food was great last time….. not so much at this location when bringing it to the servers attention she became rude and argumentative saying “that’s weird because the cook is from the other location and has been here 20 years” the food was really bad we all got breakfast and the bill also made no sense compared to menu prices. There was also cockroaches in the bathroom and it was freezing. This makes me sad that this is such a historical part of Wichita and it’s not being ran the way it was meant to, we left still hungry and very disappointed.
Allow me to get a little philosophical for a moment. What really justifies a five-star review? Humans are imperfect by nature, so I’d argue that no business or service can truly earn five stars if we define that as perfection because perfection doesn’t exist. That said, my personal standard for a five-star rating is simple: I had no critiques. If everything met or exceeded expectations, then it was as close to perfect as it gets.
With that out of the way, I’ll keep this short and sweet. The food tasted amazing, the portions were generous, and our waitress was fantastic. She refilled my coffee twice, kept my drink full the entire time, and accommodated my dietary needs with ease. The atmosphere was cozy and welcoming.
The only possible critique would be the price, but let’s be honest, given the current economy, spending at least $10 per person for a quality meal with a drink is just today’s reality. In that context, this place absolutely delivers value. It’s a great experience and a strong contender for your limited “eating out” budget.
If you need more convincing, the staff here knows how to cook eggs, bacon, and sausage the right way. Nothing was burnt, and all the meat was cooked to perfection. My pancake was nearly the size of the entire plate, and not a small one either. It was a standard dinner plate. That’s value for your dollar.
We were so impressed that our party left a 35 percent tip. I know that might not sound like a lot to some, but for our budget, it was. That says a lot. We felt the food and service were impressive enough to go beyond what we would normally spend.
Bottom line? This place is worth the money. Try it, you won't be disappointed.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Popped in while getting my car repaired next door. The patty melt was AMAZING! Juicy burger, and toasted perfectly to keep it all together. Super friendly staff and quick service! Recommended and will return!!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Great Chicken Fry Steak!
Atmosphere: 2
Food: 4
Service: 5
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