After a summer of anticipation, the River Bay Roadhouse opened this weekend in the Cape St. Claire shopping center. The new owners hosted a couple of private evenings for family and friends before throwing open the red doors to the public on Saturday the 11th. We’ve been watching it emerge from the bones of the old Bella’s for months now, and the time has finally come, just in time to welcome college and professional football fans on Saturday and Sunday and Ravens fans for their first Monday night game of the season.
When I first heard about the sale of the place, I feared that the new owners might not go far enough with a redesign to banish the ghost of Bella’s. I know there are many who are sentimental about the closing of Bella’s, but personally, I think it was overdue. The place catered to just a small clientele, and the rest of us only dared to pop in for a carry-out order of wings (the wings WERE good). Broadneck Grill was the only other Cape option for a good dinner out with friends and/or family.
Well, I certainly don’t see Bella’s anymore when I drive by the new exterior of the River Bay Roadhouse. The rustic wood siding looks terrific, and I love all the little touches – the wrought iron hardware holding up the beams, the red tin awning and red door, the little black outpost lights. The place has great character from the outside that invites you in.
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| River Bay Roadhouse |
As for the inside, I got a sneak peak on Friday night, and by now some of the rest of you have had a chance to check it out as well. It’s really remarkable what has been done to the interior. I was impressed by the amount of space, both wall to wall and floor to ceiling. The exposed duct work looks sharp and adds a lot of height to the place, and they have room to accommodate a crowd. A garrison of ceiling fans and rows of track lighting keep the air moving and the room well lit.
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| Roadhouse Interior |
Gone is the too-dark and hazy ambiance of Bella’s and in it’s place, fresh, clean, and open walls with more rustic wood panelling up to chair rail height and pleasingly worn wood floors that cut the newness of the place. The decor is a work in progress and the walls will eventually be covered with an assortment of memorabilia. The all important flat screen hangs above the fireplace where it can be viewed by all, and if you want to see what’s going on in the sports world at large, you can mosey over to the cool bar area which has bar-height tables and walls lined with flat screens tuned to a variety of sporting events. I was told there are 16 beers on tap, including my favorite, Sierra Nevada IPA.
Dinner service on Friday evening was also a work in progress, which is to be expected from a spanking new restaurant the day before the Grand Opening. The owner, Danny Miller, jokingly commented to our table that this is why it’s called a “soft opening” on his way to the restroom with a plunger in hand (good thing he’s a plumber by day!). I personally would not want to know the stress of being the owner of a new place. We laughingly noted that we felt like we were eating at Hell’s Kitchen – Gordon Ramsey’s show where you never know what a dinner service will produce – where the kitchen and staff are racing to hone their skills on the fly and serve an impatient crowd of self-proclaimed food critics.
My wish for the the Riverbay Roadhouse is that it becomes a terrific gathering place for Capers and our neighboring communities – a place where families and friends can meet for a dinner out occasionally, enjoy a good band, stop in after a ball game, watch one on the weekend, celebrate happy occasions, and enjoy some good food or maybe even an occasional chili cookoff. It’s got the makings for just such a place. The Broadneck Grill has served that role solely over the years, and I think the addition of the Roadhouse will be a terrific compliment. The Cape can certainly support two community friendly, well-run establishments.
If you haven’t done so already, stop in and see for yourself. I’d love to hear your impressions and constructive comments, as would the owners, I’m sure. This is no small undertaking, and we all want to see them succeed. The winning formula for a restaurant/bar can be tough to pin down, but we all recognize when a place gets it right. Fingers are crossed for the Riverbay Roadhouse to establish its place in the hearts (and bellies) of us Capers.
I went there with my Mother and Husband on Thursday evening. The mushroom soup of the day was wonderful. It went downhill from there. My Mother’s open faced Turkey was terrible. Made with lunchmeat. My husband had the ribs and chicken. He said that it was tasteless. The BBQ sauce tasted like canned tomato sauce with no spice. I had the Jerk Chicken appetizer. I’ve never had jerk chicken come out wet before, and I eat alot of jerk chicken. I didn’t like the taste either. They had a jukebox playing and we could not hear each other talk. We will never return and we plan to tell our friends to not go there, too.
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Posted October 22, 2010 at 2:33 PM
I went there with my Mother and Husband on Thursday evening. The mushroom soup of the day was wonderful. It went downhill from there. My Mother’s open faced Turkey was terrible. Made with lunchmeat. My husband had the ribs and chicken. He said that it was tasteless. The BBQ sauce tasted like canned tomato sauce with no spice. I had the Jerk Chicken appetizer. I’ve never had jerk chicken come out wet before, and I eat alot of jerk chicken. I didn’t like the taste either. They had a jukebox playing and we could not hear each other talk. We will never return and we plan to tell our friends to not go there, too.
This place is terrible. Don’t bother !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
You need to post your menu.
I WENT THERE WITH MY WIFE TO HAVE SOME DRINKS AND MAYBE DINNER,WELL IT TOOK US 10 MINS. TO GET SEATED..(NO ONE WAS THERE). THEN WAITED 5 MINS ON MENUS THEN ANOTHER 10 MINS ON DRINKS… VERY LIMTED MENU,WAITRESS REALLY COULDNT TELL US ABOUT ANY FOOD ITEMS THAT WE ASKED ABOUT ON THE MENU…VERY LOUD…SO WE DRANK ARE SODA AND LEFT. WENT NEXT DOOR AT THE CANTINA AND HAD A GREAT TIME…. WILL NOT GO BACK TO RIVERBAY…..
we went a few weeks ago, with my in-laws who are very hard to please. we had a very wonderful meal and the children were very entertained by the decor. i had the spicy shrimp over pasta very yummy nice and spicy and not too greasy. Mother in-law had a delicious salmon and the men both raved about their steaks. Very nice to see a new place in the Cape and hope many more folks go check it out!!!
Have visited three times – each experience was great. Food was well prepared, servers were personable, and the pricing was right on target. In fact we purchased three gift certificates on our first visit as it was just before the holidays. All three recipients have been repeat visitors of the restaurant as well. They are family friendly, i.e. they don’t roll their eyes when you enter with children!
For Gods sake the worlds if full of complainers. The restaurant is brand new, give them a chance. The waitresses are still learning the menu and the menu is limited but growing. They’re getting their act together but have a clean friendly place and the food is great. The place has great potential. Hell it’s a lot better than Bellas was! I think Riverbay is a great addition to the Cape St Clairs community.