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Hearty plates of Mexican fare & margaritas are the focus at this festive eatery with patio seating.
Address and Contact Information
Address: 230 South Avenue East, Cranford, NJ 07016
Phone: (908) 922-4300
Website: https://www.rivernrailcantina.com/
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River and Rail Cantina
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River & Rail Cantina (@riverandrailcantina) · Cranford, NJ – Instagram
Family friendly, date night approved, birthday bash HQ, outside dining & private parties!! Get off the couch & join the party · The Downtown Cranford …
River and Rail Cantina | Cranford NJ – Facebook
No over priced prefixes, no gimmicks, no nonsense ~ just good times! Large groups welcomed! Tables from 2 guests to 25 guests for dinner & drinks!
Reviews
Lu H
This was my second visit, and unfortunately, both experiences were underwhelming. The menu presentation really needs improvement—it looks unappealing, which takes away from the appetite. When the jalapeño poppers arrived, they didn’t look appetizing, though the taste was fine. The tacos were disappointing: large chunks of green peppers and onions completely covered them, and although there was plenty of steak, the dish felt more like small fajitas than actual tacos. On a positive note, the fried ice cream was prepared well. Portions here are huge, but bigger isn’t always better—sometimes the oversized plating makes the food look less appealing.
Service was kind, and the place is easily accessible, but overall the dining experience just isn’t good enough for me to return again.
… moreService was kind, and the place is easily accessible, but overall the dining experience just isn’t good enough for me to return again.
rosa king
Service was fine, but the cleanliness was awful. We were given three dirty cups with grime or things floating in them, which made us not even want to drink. (we even asked for a new drink and cup and that one ALSO had stuff in it) From there it just went downhill, sticky tables, black gunk on the bathroom faucets, what looked like mold on the hand blow dryers, and to top it off we saw a cockroach on the floor as we were leaving. The food was just okay, but once you notice all that, you can’t enjoy the meal which isn’t that great to begin with. I would never come back here or recommend this place.
… moreEric Bennett
If you find yourself at River Road in Cranford during a historical blizzard, pray that Shawn and Cynthia are behind the bar because they are absolute legends. Cynthia is the definition of cool—super accommodating, totally go-with-the-flow, and she was even customizing the drinks exactly how we wanted them. Shawn might be young and a bit naive, but he was a total vibe and made sure everyone in the place felt good despite the chaos outside. There was some guy next to us lying about not having his credit card which was a joke, but that shouldn’t take any points away from the staff because they handled the night perfectly. Five stars all the way.
… moreARIN OTUKS
Came here on a Sunday with friends after church it was great! We were so hungry and figured why not try this place! I can honestly say it was amazing and the food defeated us! We ate so much and it was all great! From the happy hour sangria and margaritas we had more than enough to eat and drink! Definitely a place I’ll come back to! The staff was great and very helpful! We had enough food to take home for the next day at least !
… morematty weis
We had an awesome time at River and Rail! Believe it or not, they served up some seriously good Mexican food, totally unexpected, and totally delicious. Tacos were flavorful, everything tasted fresh, and the vibe was great.
The only hiccup? We got caught in what can only be described as a ranch vs. blue cheese standoff. We asked for ranch… and somehow kept getting blue cheese. Like, every time. At some point, we started wondering if this was a hidden camera show or if someone in the kitchen was really passionate about their blue cheese.
In the end, it just became part of the story — we’re definitely not mad about it. Great food, great laughs, and hey, maybe next time we’ll just embrace the blue cheese life. Highly recommend! ✨
… moreThe only hiccup? We got caught in what can only be described as a ranch vs. blue cheese standoff. We asked for ranch… and somehow kept getting blue cheese. Like, every time. At some point, we started wondering if this was a hidden camera show or if someone in the kitchen was really passionate about their blue cheese.
In the end, it just became part of the story — we’re definitely not mad about it. Great food, great laughs, and hey, maybe next time we’ll just embrace the blue cheese life. Highly recommend! ✨
John Zap
This is the first time that I have ever written a review of a restaurant but I felt the need to express how terrible the experience at this place was.
#1 after sitting down I asked the waitress very politely if they can move us to a different table. Her immediate response to this request was “I don’t have time for this today”
#2 I was shocked at her response and asked to speak to a manager. The owner came out and really didn’t seem to care all that much that a part of her his staff was so incredibly rude.
#3 unfortunately we decided to stay because it was a rare night out for me and my wife. We only had a couple of hours without the kids. So we ordered some tacos and I kid you not it was probably the worst food that I have ever had at any restaurant. We both took two bites and could not force ourselves to eat rest.
We will never go back to that place again. Terrible service and horrible food. I don’t understand why anyone would go there and spend money.
… more#1 after sitting down I asked the waitress very politely if they can move us to a different table. Her immediate response to this request was “I don’t have time for this today”
#2 I was shocked at her response and asked to speak to a manager. The owner came out and really didn’t seem to care all that much that a part of her his staff was so incredibly rude.
#3 unfortunately we decided to stay because it was a rare night out for me and my wife. We only had a couple of hours without the kids. So we ordered some tacos and I kid you not it was probably the worst food that I have ever had at any restaurant. We both took two bites and could not force ourselves to eat rest.
We will never go back to that place again. Terrible service and horrible food. I don’t understand why anyone would go there and spend money.
Sandradoss _2580
⭐☆☆☆☆
I recently visited River and Rail, and I have to say, it was one of the worst dining experiences I’ve ever had. The new owner seems to have changed everything for the worse. The decor is now bland and lifeless, and the lighting is just horrible—definitely not inviting.
As for the food, it was absolutely garbage. I went with four friends, and now I’m regretting it because my stomach is killing me. One of my tacos had mold on it, and for dessert, we ordered fired ice cream that was frozen solid and tasted like plain vanilla with a weird oat flavor. That’s not how fired vanilla ice cream should taste!
To top it all off, the table was sticky when we first sat down, which was just gross. They’ve Americanized the menu so much that the food was plain and lacked any real flavor. I ended up with serious stomach issues afterward. I won’t be returning, and I definitely can’t recommend this place to anyone!
… moreI recently visited River and Rail, and I have to say, it was one of the worst dining experiences I’ve ever had. The new owner seems to have changed everything for the worse. The decor is now bland and lifeless, and the lighting is just horrible—definitely not inviting.
As for the food, it was absolutely garbage. I went with four friends, and now I’m regretting it because my stomach is killing me. One of my tacos had mold on it, and for dessert, we ordered fired ice cream that was frozen solid and tasted like plain vanilla with a weird oat flavor. That’s not how fired vanilla ice cream should taste!
To top it all off, the table was sticky when we first sat down, which was just gross. They’ve Americanized the menu so much that the food was plain and lacked any real flavor. I ended up with serious stomach issues afterward. I won’t be returning, and I definitely can’t recommend this place to anyone!
Amanda R.
I haven’t been here in years because the first and last time I went, the food was disgusting. I mean, we had like 4 dinners and they were all bland and just not seasoned right. (This was around 2021)
We recently tried again because everytime we drive past, my daughter loves the lights outside and the games. What a difference!
We had nachos with chicken, shrimp fajitas and a kids burger. Everything was so good!
Probably the best nachos I’ve ordered in a restaurant- and nachos are my thing!! lol
Britzy (sorry if spelled wrong) was our server and she was so nice ! Everything came out perfect and she checked on us a bunch of times. Everything came at a decent time and it was just a pleasant dining experience.
We will definitely be back!
… moreWe recently tried again because everytime we drive past, my daughter loves the lights outside and the games. What a difference!
We had nachos with chicken, shrimp fajitas and a kids burger. Everything was so good!
Probably the best nachos I’ve ordered in a restaurant- and nachos are my thing!! lol
Britzy (sorry if spelled wrong) was our server and she was so nice ! Everything came out perfect and she checked on us a bunch of times. Everything came at a decent time and it was just a pleasant dining experience.
We will definitely be back!
R J
The RACISM was LOUD and CLEAR at this location. I had to ask for service 3 different times. When I went inside the owner/manager was extremely dismissive and disrespectful.
Everyone else who did not look like me was promptly taken care of, seated and served.
It was St.Patricks and after the horrible lack of service I wanted to leave, but my 4 year old wanted to stay for the activities they were supposed to have, face painting, balloon artist, etc. things that did not occur during our visit.
… moreEveryone else who did not look like me was promptly taken care of, seated and served.
It was St.Patricks and after the horrible lack of service I wanted to leave, but my 4 year old wanted to stay for the activities they were supposed to have, face painting, balloon artist, etc. things that did not occur during our visit.
Nicholas Melione
We had dinner here tonight and it was a mess from start to finish. Our food took forever to come out, three tables that sat after us got their meals before we did. We were seated right near the kitchen and could hear servers yelling at the staff asking where food was, so clearly we weren’t the only ones waiting.
Our server took our drink and food order, and then basically vanished. Once the food finally came, no one ever checked on us again, no refills, no “how’s everything,” nothing. When we finished eating, we literally had to get up and grab our own takeout containers because no one ever came by.
The food itself was okay, but after waiting that long and dealing with zero service, it didn’t even matter. River & Rail has a great location, but the service and organization were seriously disappointing. We won’t be back.
… moreOur server took our drink and food order, and then basically vanished. Once the food finally came, no one ever checked on us again, no refills, no “how’s everything,” nothing. When we finished eating, we literally had to get up and grab our own takeout containers because no one ever came by.
The food itself was okay, but after waiting that long and dealing with zero service, it didn’t even matter. River & Rail has a great location, but the service and organization were seriously disappointing. We won’t be back.