I went on a Thursday, which was a very busy evening.
It was difficult to get a table even though we had a reservation.
I felt discriminated against by the person who seats you - she seats people of her kind and those who tip her with money, even though we came in first and had prior reservations.

Most of the food is just so-so, but I must admit their seafood is excellent! My server was attentive to detail and very professional.

However, it is very pricey for just so-so food.

Overall - ordinary steak house but with very good seafood choices.    [21 Mar 2003 09:28:15]

Food:    Service:    Ambiance:    Overall: 
Recommended Dishes: Seafood and fries

     ­Anonymous   

Service Sucks
Food was good but the service was beyond horrible. It took about 10 mins for our table to get cleared and then we waited for about another 15 minutes before we just told some other server to just grab our bill because our waiter never came back. It was sad because the terrible service ruined our whole dining experience at the River Palm Terrace. We will never go back there!    [27 Jul 2004 10:32:58]

Food:    Service:    Ambiance:    Overall: 
Recommended Dishes: Porterhouse for two

     ­Will never go back., Hoboken, NJ   bho1 at verizon dot net

Not Worth the Big Bucks!
I ordered the lamb chops and what a big mistake! They looked like two little over-done shriveled pieces of charbroiled fat. They tasted as good as they looked. The waiter graciously sent them back to the kitchen and suggested that I than order the shell steak. The steak was okay, but not worth the big bucks. To add insult to injury, they did not even comp me a drink for all the extra waiting and aggravation. Do yourself a favor, if you want the same stark, chintzy ambience, save yourself the extra money and go to Arthur's Steakhouse. For ambiance and much better food for the money go to Frank's Waterside or the Chart House.    [21 Feb 2005 20:22:14]

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     ­Anonymous   

THEY DON'T NEED YOUR BUSINESS
Yes, if you're willing to tip the hostess or money hungry manager, you will get a table. If not, you will stand there (if you're dumb enough) for HOURS waiting. They overbook on purpose. They plan on people standing around there so they can squeeze in as much money as they possible can for the night. THEY DON"T CARE if you wait! They don't care if you are angry. They will never buy you a drink or dessert (unless you literally SCREAM at them) They are there for one thing: to take your money, period. Other places are respectful and happy to have customers... go somewhere else.    [23 Feb 2005 08:56:56]

Food: -   Service: -   Ambiance: -   Overall: 

     ­Address on file   

What a joke
Beyond terrible service, sub-par steaks and food, little or no value. We had 8:00 reservations, at around 8:45 I voiced my concern, created a fuss and was finally seated. Hostess was making folks wait when tables were open. Two couples slipped money and were seated in minutes. What a joke. Save your time and money and go to a real steakhouse with aged prime meat and an attentive staff.

Side dishes were bland, and menu was predictable and boring (to say the least). Spices and flavoring lacked authority, and wine menu was average at best.

The best part of the entire experience is that I am a food critic who was dining for pleasure. A business trip is in store where I will give a more in-depth review.    [18 Feb 2006 18:27:48]

Food:    Service:    Ambiance:    Overall: 
Recommended Dishes: nothing special

     ­Ken Nelson, JumpOff Ventures   jumpoff2004 at gmail dot com

Excellent in most catagories
Some people just LOVE to complain, especially if a place has a great reputation. The food at River Palm is top notch! I have never found the service to be sub-par. Yes, it's very, very busy. Yes, you'll wait for a table. There is a reason for that and it's not because people enjoy being mistreated! Again -- the food is excellent. As for tipping the hostess for a quicker table, I can't say I've ever had to do that, but hey -- that is (unfortunately) the way the system works in most fine restaurants. Also, I assure you that no host want to overbook and have the aggravation of angry customers.

Only one complaint -- the acoustics. Too loud for my taste.    [25 Oct 2006 10:50:56]

Food:    Service:    Ambiance:    Overall: 
Recommended Dishes: any steak, any fish

     ­Francesca   

River Balm!
I had reservations for 8pm but was not seated till 9:45pm! Like the others I saw them seating others that came after me. Sauteed soft shell crabs were not cleaned, and the steak my date had was greasy, over cooked, and cold when it finally came to the table.
I was too tired from waiting over 2 hrs to enjoy it. Staff was rude to boot! I never went back. My date was a fireman from the local department. I hope their kitchen never catches on fire or they might have to wait 2 hours to have it put out!    [24 Feb 2007 22:34:45]

Food:    Service:    Ambiance:    Overall: 
Recommended Dishes: bottled water?

     ­M. Gallo, Baby Boomers Inc.   

Definitely not worth the wait
We made reservations for 7:30pm. Upon arriving, we were told to go to the bar without an ETA for actual seating. We had to ask several times about the reservation and the hostess was very casual about being "backed up". Upon being seated (at 8:30), I advised the manager that we were very unhappy. The meal was okay at best. The food is definitely not worth the wait. The commercials claim that they are the best steak house in the tri-state area however there is no porterhouse cut of steak. There was little flavor. The bartender and waiter were pleasant and that is the most I can say positive about the experience. The manager merely said that we can show our face at the door next time and there will be no delay in seating. I seriously doubt there is a next time. We have had far superior food and service at the other area restaurants such as Flemings, Ruth's Chris, Franks’, and the Chart House.    [25 Nov 2008 10:35:33]

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     ­Cream   emailcream at yahoo dot com