Riley's is a great location on Lower James Street in Alex Bay. It's a very convenient location to stop for a drink either before or after an Uncle Sam's boat cruise, which is exactly what we did! The bar was small, seating about 5. The drinks were good. We tried a few of their new signature cocktails for 2021. Everybody liked the huckleberry lemonade. It was light and refreshing. There was some kind of jalapeno cocktail that nobody enjoyed, but if you like spicy drinks I'm sure it was well made. The food was good, and they have gluten-free options if that's your jam.

Gluten free buns AND bread!? The only thing better would be if they put it on the menu! But they have it! Food was amazing, will definitely be back and recommend to those passing through!

Always a great place to eat in Alex Bay ! Great menu, food and cocktails. Staff is top notch and makes you feel at home.

+6

My family of 4 just ate here and the service by McKenna was awesome!! The food was delicious. Everyone really enjoyed the food. I highly recommend the seafood chowder, the creamy dill dressing and the pulled pork nachos!! Thanks for a great experience McKenna!!

Greastest tasting prime rib dip sandwich EVER😋😋😋❤/ hubby loved❤ his cheeseburger, excellent service. We can't wait to go back again!!!

Food took a little while, but worth the wait as my son's burgers were hot and delicious. Poutine Burger is awesome. Very nice staff.

Me and my husband went there for breakfast both Saturday and Sunday. Both times our waitresses, food & mimosas were great!

Good food and fantastic service.. Pesto pasta was great and so was the Spicy Tomato pasta!

Love the place. Every Thursday my friend and I meet for brunch and the food is spectacular. Always a good time and great food!

Absolutely fantastic. Went each day we were in Alexandria Bay!

We arrived shortly before closing, but thankfully they still sat us. Pleasant staff. The seafood chowder soup was homemade and incredible! The chicken tenders were also delicious!

Wonderful place to visit right next to Uncle Sam Boat Tours in Alex Bay. We had the Maryland eggs Benedict and they were cooked to perfection. The crab cake on this was a tasty touch! The stuffed French toast was the perfect pairing to split as a couple. Very friendly service both days we visited. Laura was super sweet and made great recommendations and Zachariah was also wonderful. Would highly recommend and would definitely go back!

We randomly came in here after our boat tour and I have absolutely no regrets about doing so! The service was exceptional, the food, especially the walleye nuggets and the chicken riggies were phenomenal, and the atmosphere was relaxed and friendly throughout our time there. Jared, who was the bartender there while we were there, offered five star service and was extremely kind and attentive to our party’s needs. The next time I come back to the area, I am definitely going back here and I highly recommend this restaurant to anybody who is looking for not only great food, but exceptional service and atmosphere as well!

I've lived in the north country most of my life but have had yet to visit Riley's by the River until just this past weekend. My husband chose the spot at random as we were walking through town with a family member, so we decided to check it out. Due to COVID shut downs, we have had very few dine-out options for the past 3 months and this was a very welcoming experience back to some normalcy! The staff greeted us quickly, our server was excellent, and we loved the food. We will absolutely be returning again soon. Thank you!!

The fish sandwich here was majorly huge and tasted so fresh and filling. Added cheese for that extra kick. Fries are good and great ranch!

11/10 spicy burger - chips made in house weren't my favourite but would have probably been great with a side dip of some sort. Beer was ice cold with local selection and great service. A perfect stop after a boat tour.

Experience was great and waitress was awesome and if she didn't know something she went and asked my mother and fiance got the Reubens and I got the bourbon salmon and food was quick and tasted wonderful

Great family and individual eating. I personally ate the French Onion soup and it was delicious. It wasn't overly salty and the portion was perfect with an appetizer for lunch. I also had the crab dip. It was a wonderful treat. My waitress was very friendly and provided quick and courteous service. The prices were very reasonable too. I highly recommend eating here with the great view, delicious food, and great service.

Excellent Food! Everything I had their I enjoyed. My favorite is the Chicken Quesidellas

Food was delicious. Our server, DJ was friendly and attentive. It was a hot day and my daughter was feeling overheated. A staff person saw me trying to cool her off with a wet paper towel in the bathroom and the manager brought her ice water and popsicles. She offered her ice or a wet washcloth. She went above and beyond. We will definitely return when in the area again. Thank you so much for your kindness!

We enjoyed our 25th anniversary dinner at Riley's and Zachariah's previous reviews of a great server were spot on and although he had other tables you wouldn't know it. I got the Bay Burger and my wife got the Prime Rib Sandwich, both were delicious 😋. Great service, great food, we will be back!!

The service was really good. Background music, but not too loud. Great view of the river. The shrimp tacos with the sweet chili sauce were amazing!

Our server was very welcoming and the food was very good. In pics Bacon Jam cheese burger and Poutine Burger.

+1

Amazing food!!! The blueberry vodka lemonade was delicious would recommend this place to anyone for good food service was very nice and the waiter was fun and accommodating

We have eaten here several times (breakfast, Lunch & Dinner). Located in downtown Alexandrea Bay right next to Uncle Sam Tour Boats (the boats that take you to Heart Island that house Bolt Castle and also to the Singer Castle Island. The food is AMAZING and SOOOO Delicious. Breakfast is GIANT! Lunch food is scrumptious! And the Dinner menu hit the spot! Plenty of parking and the parking lot is also where you would park if utilizing one of the Uncle Sam Tour Boats. Easy Peezy!!!

First time visiting this area and dropped in for lunch after a long drive. We were greeted warmly and seated with a view of the water. Our server Jack was awesome. He was very busy but still made sure we were well looked after. Food was very tasty and fresh and beer was cold 🍻 Highly recommend dining here!

Gone here thrice since our arrival at 1000 Islands: a few steps from our hotel room at Capt Thomson, it serves breakfast, lunch and dinner; we had great service (friendly and fast enough); drinks were nicely unique to the taste; and food was fresh and tasty.

We enjoyed our appetizers and dinner. This place is located at the end of the street, by the big tour boats.

+1

Went for lunch here with my husband. Our server Kim was fantastic and took great care of us. Always available if we needed something but not intrusive through our day date 😄 The bartender was friendly and engaging when I walked by! Now let’s talk food great quality, portions and pricing! The club sandwich was delicious 🤤 and the homemade chips were huge and crispy! The view through the giant windows was stunning and made for a beautiful backdrop for our lunch. I would highly recommend you visit Riley’s the next time you’re in town 😁

After a boat ride with Uncle Sam's Boat tours we had a very nice dinner at Riley's. Very good service and very health concious and covid safe. We really had a nice time with a very nice view. The Poutine burger, Bacon Jam burger, and Chicken Alfredo were all excellent. Would recommend this place and plan to go back again next time we are up there.

Our family enjoyed a fantastic lunch at Riley's while visiting Alexandria Bay. The service was fast and friendly. Our lunches were fresh and delicious. This was our second time here, and both times were notably good. Highly recommended. See pictures.

+3

Great spot in Alexandria Bay! Had not been to the bay in over 20 years, and the welcoming staff here were a delight. The food was incredible, just wish we didn’t save the best for last. We wish we had the best for every meal here. Planning our next trip back for the fall!

I recommend getting the Stuffed French toast, whether the one of the week or just the straight-up strawberry! The Eggs Benedict was perfectly runny and delicious! The staff was amazing and friendly! The water view was beautiful. 10/10 recommended

We love Rileys by the River. We have now eaten there for breakfast and lunch multiple times. All have been great! For breakfast I have tried the eggs Benedict and the amazing Strawberry stuffed french toast. Fir dinner I have had Fried Haddock and also a mix of appetizers and my hubby had the Chicken Riggies which had a nice spiciness to it. We have always gotten good service and even the wait times haven't been bad. If you are in Alex Bay you should eat here!!!

We just had the most amazing meal at Riley's. The chicken parmesan was huge and cooked perfectly. The crab cakes were awesome, as well as the garlic bread. You want to be hungry when you come here as the portions are huge. Our waitress Melissa was fantastic and we can't wait to come back. I wish we had a restaurant like this where we live. What a great view also watching the boats come and go.

This was a great place to eat after a long car ride to Alex Bay. The food was wonderful and the service was excellent. I had a Bay Burger and freshly made pasta salad. It was delicious...a tad messy! We were seated by the window and had a wonderful view of the bay. We would recommend this restaurant to family and friends.

Samantha Anne

They were out of a lot of food due to seasonal closing but what we got was delicious!

Kat

First time going here with my husband and it was amazing! He got a fish fry and I got “the hot chick sandwich” which is what they call the buffalo chicken sandwich there lol. We didn’t even realize there was free parking available lol. Amazing service even though it was pretty packed, great views, and wonderful atmosphere. It cost us about $57 without tip and that is pretty reasonable.

Hannah Lindsay

I have celiac disease and often find it difficult to find restaurants that I can safely eat at. I went with friends to Blu Anchor, while visiting Alexandria Bay, not knowing if there would be anything I could eat there. I enjoyed one of the best smash burgers I have ever tasted. Our server, DJ, was knowledgeable about gluten protocols and let me know what menu items were gluten free and which could be prepared gluten free. He offered that they could prepare the food in a separate area and use a clean pan. They have a dedicated fryer for their fries, which are gluten free. They had gluten free buns available, and gluten free tortilla chips and salsa. DJ was not only knowledgeable, but also kind and attentive, going out of his way to make sure I could feel safe eating there.

Nicole Schmoltze

Lobster Roll was delicious but expensive (40 bucks). My daughter got hers with mayo instead of butter and it came stuffed with celery too. Much different than rolls we ever got elsewhere which made it unique. Other food was decent, not a huge menu. Loved the views from the windows.

Jeanette Kuczka

Truly enjoyed breakfast here! The cookie dough pancakes were my favorite! Delicious good, gracious server and really cool ambiance! Beautiful views of the riverboats as well! Top notch!

Terry Stearns

We had afterglow after this meal! We had a couple of rum drinks which were amazing. The st Lawrence sunset was particularly delicious. Got a cob salad that was one of the best, if not the best, salad I've ever eaten. The Uncle Sam burger was worth saluting! It was amazing. Oh the walleye chunks were fantastic. The staff is really friendly and helpful. Atmosphere is superb looking out over the docks. Well worth the price and time.

Jessica

**This review was made when this place was Riley's** Excellent food and fantastic service. The staff was attentive to our needs and polite. The food is fresh and tastes amazing. I would check the giant blackboard when you walk in, they have specials listed there. The pricing is good for the amount of food that you get. They also make great adult beverages. Perfect location, comfortable and clean environment. The bathroom was clean and smelled nice. If you visit Alex Bay, you MUST try Riley's. Burger shown below is the Spicy Burger. The Thousand Islands quesadilla is great too! I highly recommend it! Also pictured, the Buffalo Chicken Sandwich and the Prime Rib Dip. SO delicious! 😍

Sarah Malczewski

My husband and I went here for breakfast while visiting on vacation. The portions were huge and we couldn't finish everything. The server was friendly and attentive and the prices were very reasonable. I ordered the stuffed french toast and my husband got a very large breakfast (I can't remember the name), but it had french toast, eggs, bacon, sausage, home fries, and toast. What a delicious feast! The restaurant is located right on the water directly next to the launch point for Uncle Sam's boat tours, so the view while we ate our breakfast was gorgeous. I would highly recommend stopping for a meal here if you're in the area!

Paul Koenig

We were visiting from out of town. Stopped in while shopping. Food was wonderful. Garlic Parmesan wings were very flavorful. The chicken tenders are A++++. They are fresh, hand battered and seasoned and don't even need dipping sauce. Fantastic. Some if the best I've had. The menu selection doesn't have much creativity to it but the quality of the food makes up for that. I was in between 4-5 stars, only because the menu is a little boring but offers many fan favorites and popular items done very well.

Dianne Bridger

We were staying at Capt. Thomson’s, so Riley’s was very convenient. Had a late lunch/early supper one day and breakfast another day. Excellent food at a great price (breakfast prices especially!!). Servers Nicole and Kim were attentive and friendly. My sister had broiled haddock and said it was cooked perfectly. I had a grilled chicken sandwich that had a great marinated chicken breast on a nice soft roll. Homemade kettle chips were so good, I took the leftovers back to the hotel to snack on later. Would definitely stop back here again next time we are in town!

Ally Orbeck

My husband and I came here on a Tuesday night for dinner then the following morning for breakfast (best breakfast we had during our stay!) Dinner had around a 15 minute wait for the table so we sat at the bar and ordered drinks, I had the strawberry mojito, it was delicious! My husband ordered the fall festival on tap, he enjoyed that. Food we had NY strip with mashed potatoes and broccoli, it was alright nothing too special. My husband ordered the fish taco and he liked them fairly well! Breakfast though is where they really shined!! I ordered their special (Which should definitely be put on their menu as a standard!) Fisherman french toast, thick cut bread fried to perfect, dusted with cinnamon and sugar. The outside was wonderfully crisp, while the inside was so soft 10/10! My husband ordered the bacon jam omelette, he remarked multiple times how good it was! On top of all of this the staff was all very kind and they had good music in the background 😆 If ever in the 1000 islands area again we'll definitely stop!

+1

Marc Maynard

Stopped in after touring Boldt Castle and the 2 Nation tour on Uncle Sam Boat Tours next door to the restaurant. We had a late lunch. The food is fantastic! I opted for the poutine upgrade for my fries. That was a very good move. The poutine is superb. I could have made a meal of it. I ate half of it before taking a bite of my burger. Yes it was that good. And the burger was no slouch. Loved it. I had "The Spicy Burger". Cooked to perfection. Our server was excellent. He treated everyone like they were his most important customer. Our experience was really quite flawless. Thanks Riley's, we will be back next time we are in town.

+4

Rhonda Breedlove

We went their twice. Once the day we came into town & on our way out. Our waitress the last day was amazing! She was super friendly & offered a great drink selection. She has a camp in Alex Bay & technically retired. Food was awesome as well. The hostess readily took our table request & made it happen. I would definitely go back!!!

Food was delicious. Would go back.

We stopped in for lunch and it was a good spot for a quick meal. We were sat quickly and food came quickly. It was delicious! The restaurant had a cute river vibe and a nice view from the window seats.

Only thing negative , I passed out getting the check for the lobster roll. It was kinda small too. Should have asked what the market price was. Lesson learned. But I would go there again.Also no prices on the drink menu.

Great food and service, thoroughly enjoyed my beef on weck. Has a nice view of the water and cool atmosphere.

+2

We had been struggling to find a place we like in Alexandria Bay and this was place so much better than expected.

Good place near all the tour boats. Walleye nuggets area amazing and the real winner from the items I ordered. Service was fantastic.

I had breakfast and lunch here. Went back for lunch because I couldn't get the walleye nuggets for breakfast. Breakfast was the usual. I had the turkey burnt ends hash. My mistake. It was ok and plentiful but there was no brisket burnt ends and it wasn't hash. It was burnt turkey period. Lunch was better. The walleye nuggets were fresh and tasty. A little less breading would have made them excellent. The bar service made my lunch. Pleasant, quick and made a good drink. Try the incredible Pina colada in the pail. So tasty I had 2 and I'm more of a Jack drinker. The restaurant is in a great location so that helps cover the minor downsides. Hard to give it a 3 rating, so I went 4. Worth a second look.

I was at Riley's in the off-season so they weren't as busy as usual. They have a nice selection on their menu, all reasonably priced. Our dinner was delivered hot and came fast. Riley's has both a bar area and a separate dining room. We had breaded haddock and it was delicious. But I'd skip the mashed potatoes and go with the tater tots.

Surprised by the poor reviews. Usually stop once every few years here to eat on the way through and never have had any issue. Food is usually good and the view is amazing. I just recently stopped again. Everyone loved their meals. ****Ok...update: Went again Oct. Not a good idea. They are closing and literally have nothing. Apparently they stay open to the end and empty their entire inventory. They had like 25% of their menu available and were missing many common items. Very difficult to have a dinner with a party. So if you're going to stop here, do it during peak time not in Oct.

+3

We were happy to find a breakfast spot with gluten free bread. I couldn’t find a breakfast menu anywhere online so I am happy to share one, see pics. I believe they also serve lunch and dinner. This is in the middle of Downtown Alexandria Bay and right on the water. If you need the GF bread make sure to call and confirm they have it in stock before you come. I did make the call before coming and was glad I did. I ordered French toast and it came out on what looked like burger buns. It was still very good and tasty. I appreciated their ability to adapt but found it interesting they didn’t mention this. My uncle sat at another table, at the same time, and asked for GF toast and was told there was no GF bread left. Just mentioning this because you might want to question all of this on the phone before you come if this would bother you. I had the GF French toast with Nutella drizzle and a side of bacon. It was tasty and a healthy portion. The Nutella was a nice touch. The bacon was a little thin for my liking, could have been a little crispier but there was a good amount for a side. My significant other agrees with my comment about the bacon. But he said the toast was very good and the deep fried home fries were pretty good. Overall a standard breakfasts Prices were reasonable and service was great. A good option for a quick breakfast if you are in the area. And many seats offer great views of the water.

Peter Hitlin

Got 4 stars overall but all 5s in the categories just due to a somewhat limited menu. But that may be what keeps this place ticking. The blue cheese burger I ordered was very good. The fries that were an add on were a pleasant surprise. 50 bucks for 2 handhelds and 2 sodas.

M Sinick

We ordered drinks, appetizers and a sandwich, everything was enjoyable. They were very busy but we were seated and served relatively quickly, considering.

Stopped in for dinner after a boat tour, since it was right near the water. The place was really loud and crowded when we first walked in, as that is where the bar is. We were seated in a booth in a large room with big windows. My mom ordered a drink and without warning they gave her a small bucket. I got an old fashioned in a normal glass. Mine was very strong. We both ordered crab cakes (which were not very good) and chowder. Our friend ordered a salad with cup of chowder and they charged her more for the same amount of soup, since she had no entree. I would not come here again for the food, as it wasn't cheap or really tasty.

Bad experience with the waiter. I had to wait for him to serve my table and then to pay the bill even though there were not many tables full. 👎🏽

I rarely leave bad reviews, but the service was terrible. I got a Ruben sandwich, and they forgot to put thousand island dressing on it. I had to ask twice for it and waited a half hour to get it. We asked for napkins because there wasn't any on the table, and she rolled her eyes and then just threw them on the table and walked away. She barely checked on us but we were very nice and made no complaints and it wasn't very busy so there was no reason for such poor service. The food however was very good, and we would try it again in hopes of getting better service.

Pricey. Ordered the daily special app Buffalo dip with chips. All chips broken so could not dip. Chips were like grocery store tortilla chips. Ordered grilled haddock for $23 and received a very small filet. Ordered fried haddock and it was good (but not beer battered). Beer was cold. Server was friendly, but too busy.

I had the Ruben and my wife had the Beef on a Wek. My wife loved her meal. I thought mine was messy, and the meat came out of the sandwich in one big glob when I bit into it. I would not recommend the Ruben. The view from the window tables are awesome.

Across from Sams boat tours. Good to stop by for a drink while waiting. Ate there a couple of times and just very unimpressed by the food. Always busy guess it's about location.

The clam chowder was a good deal at only $4. Hearty servingsI and a very distinctive taste, however I've had better so ibgave them 3 stars. With a trio

We made reservations for 1:00 PM, just because it was a Sunday and we didn’t know how busy it would be. We arrived 5 minutes before our reservation, and were promptly seated. The server came & took our drink order (all soft drinks or water). Then we sat. The server came & took our food order. She took the order and all was well. As we’re waiting, the restaurant starts to get busier. 35-40 minutes after we give our order, still no food. ( **Note the meal was bowls of soup, appetizers, & 1 fish sandwich.) We finally question one of the other servers, as our server was nowhere to be found. She brings our meals out. 5 minutes later, our server comes over to ask how everything is. She barely stood still long enough to hear the answer, and disappeared again. At this time, several of the other tables that had come in well after we did got their meals. We requested to speak to a manager while we were waiting for our check. The manager came over & spoke to us, apologized but said that the kitchen was very busy. No offer to “comp” even our drinks, no discount nothing. The server comes back over to our table, and says your total is $ 85.40. She does not give us a bill, so we had to ask for it. She goes & prints out a copy of the bill and gives it to us, then stands over my shoulder waiting for us to pay. The food was good, the service was NOT! For such a “well established” business, it didn’t seem that way to us. PLEASE NOTE, it was listed as Riley’s River , but the menus, and signage in front of the restaurant said Blu Anchor.

The crab dip appetizer was awesome (huge chunks of crab) although the chips appeared to be from the bottom of the bag. My husband had the fried fish sandwich and loved it. It was a huge piece of fish, and he couldn't finish it all. The coke slaw was also good. I had the poke bowl with steak and it was well below average. The steak was lukewarm and lacked any real flavor. The pineapple was canned and very out of place with the other ingredients. The black beans were also probably canned. The corn salsa also seemed to be "canned" ( the typical industrial plastic container salad buffet corn salsa), also lacking any exciting flavor. Good rice and dressing, but almost everything was cold, unlike any other poke bowl or power bowl I've ever had. If we return, I would definitely order something else.

Friendly service Casual dining Pub food style menu Plenty of fried foods Views of the docks Loud at some tables. You can ask for quieter tables.

Lizzay B

We didn’t really like the calamari. My husband had rye so serious and I had the landlubber both was pretty good. This place has a seating by window view to water. Our waiter was DJ O (that’s what it said in our receipt) and he was friendly. Attached more pictures. We’re back 2 days after the dinner we had in here. At this time we tried their breakfast since I just found out from reading reviews someone said they had breakfast at blu anchor so I told my husband we can go back and try it before we checked out from our hotel. For breakfast we sat by the window, and I had 2 over easy eggs, homefries and wheat toast. My husband had eggs Benedict with ham, then our waitress (was Brittney that morning) asked him what side he want with it, my husband thought she was asking which protein he chose (which he already said ham) so with both misunderstanding my husband egg Benedict came with ham on the plate then 2 minutes after they brought a small plate of side of ham and we were looking each other like what?? We were confused why we have so many ham lol. Then Brittney came over and we told her about it and she said to my husband “well I asked you what side and you said ham” since my husband didn’t want the drama back and forth and Brittney seems didn’t know how to handle the situation and didn’t took it as was a mistaken my husband said “that’s fine” but then he can’t even eat the whole ham like how many foods he can handle that morning with too much ham?! I hate wasting money and food. I told my husband, in common sense first of all if the menu didn’t come with any sides with it why on earth she has to ask if he wants any sides?! That part was confused us also another common sense who would order eggs Benedict with ham and side of ham 🤷🏻‍♀️

+9

Joe L

So the service is great and the inside is clean. The view on the dining area is pretty much of the parking lot. Food ugghhhh. So the walleye nuggets are bland even though they bread themselves. The burger stay away from, these are frozen small and are horrible. No flavor, probably one of worst burgers I ever ate. what you should get is the lobster roll, this is crazy good. This place is pricey for what you get, and you don’t get much.

+4

Wouldn’t go back. I ordered quesadillas for $16. They came out cold, tasted like cardboard with nothing on top. When I opened them up there was literally a sprinkling of cheese barely melted inside and that was it! Looked like a high school kid slapped it together in two minutes. Ridiculous. They need new chefs.

This is a pretty cool spot to enjoy a meal, it has a nice view and friendly workers, but that's where the pros stop. The service, while friendly, is very slow. The 2 meals we ordered were sub-par, my meal (pictured) was very bland and the pasta was overcooked. The other meal my friend ordered was overcooked as well, too mushy. I felt fine after my meal, other than it being too oily, but my friend ended up getting quite the upset stomach afterwards. Would not recommend, they take advantage of the tourists, but don't delivery quality of any kind.

Over priced mediocre food. Think it mainly gets business from the boat tour people who don’t look any further than this restaurant. We ate here tonight, had a buffalo chicken dip daily special and more than half of our chips were broken like the bottom of a bag and for $15 it was a total rip off. Meals were not very hot and son’s broiled haddock was small and $23 same as the fried haddock which was a little bigger, not beer battered and not very thick. Broccoli served with meal was frozen broccoli, not fresh. Up charge $4 for a salad. All burgers and sandwiches came with potato chips for $17-20 if you wanted fries it was an extra $3!!! A lot of up charges here. Very loud in the dining area. Not very comfortable. Server was nice but serving way to many tables.

Food was decent. Location and atmosphere were good. Nice view of the water was an added bonus. Server was TERRIBLE!!! Not friendly at all and annoyed almost when our table asked for drink refills and napkins. One in our party changed their mind on their menu choice and she literally rolled her eyes! They were not that busy for a holiday weekend. Can’t help but think of service was friendlier it would help!

Struggle if this is 2 or 3 stars. Our server was fantastic, so feel bad to give a 2, but the food was average at best. Less than OK. 4 plates and we disliked all of them. Mostly overcooked is what ruined them, but hard to say if they would have been flavorful even if cooked well. Have a look from color of pictures of 2 medium rare burgers and salmon.

Nice location with free parking. Atmosphere inside seemed like it had potential. However, service was absolutely terrible. After being seated we waited 10 minutes before our waitress took our drink/food order (impatiently at that). Drinks were dropped off, food came in a reasonable time, but that was the last we saw of our waitress for the rest of the meal. Not once did she or anyone check on us. No refills to beverages or check to see how the food was. Fries were decent but the buffalo chicken sandwich was drowning in hot sauce, and the fried chicken was not very good. My coworker enjoyed his burger. After waiting what seemed to be an eternity for our waitress to see that we were done eating, we got up and asked to be cashed out by the host/hostess near the bar. Really disappointing.

Paul Pini Sherbaum

Honestly, one of the worst burgers I’ve ever had. The bacon was dry and not chewable (to the extent I had to take it out of the burger to be edible at least). The rest was pretty bad. Got fries which were okay and 3 pickles (counted). The bartender, who was awkwardly enough the receptionist, was truly complaining about his bartending side job - which really added a whole lot to the depressing atmosphere which the whole town has before winter. At least I got a 20$ coupon from my motel, which kinda saved the day. Tap beer was fine, nothing more.

Tony Aguirre

We were very disappointed in this place, definitely in a good location, but that's where the positive points end. Entering this place, we saw it was disorganized, but we figured maybe they were busier than they looked. The food was bad. We ordered two mediterranean cod, which were flavorless. The best thing on my plate was the baked beans, and I believe they came out of a can, we also ordered a lobster roll that looked dry, and the pieces were so small and locked anything that makes a lobster roll a lobster roll, we also had a power bowl with grilled chicken, the avocados they put in the salad were hard and blackened, I've never seen a restaurant serve avocados that looked like that, I guess is true when they say that there's always a first time, our waitress wasn't to helpful when I complained.

+4

First, the hostess was miserable. Second, the server was exhausted. He actually started to tell us what was not on the menu then finally gave up and said order something and he will tell us if it is available. End of season supply did not meet demand. Should have indicated that on menu outside. Hostess also could've set the expectation on what was going on. The staff looked lost. A 3 star was given on food because the guests enjoyed their turkey club sandwiches. My dog and fries, not so much. I mean, not even lemons and limes for drinks! There are grocery stores there.

We drove nearly a nearly 6 hour round trip yesterday from Rochester, specifically for the boat tours and a Riley’s burger for dinner. Last year we were in Alex Bay for Pirates weekend and we had an amazing experience at Riley’s, the burgers were huge, I had to take half home with me. This year, we were “greeted” by annoyance at the door for not making a reservation. The hostess however did find us a table in the bar area. The menu was unrecognizable from last year, I didn’t remember the double “smash burgers”, last year it was one parry. We each ordered a burger at $15.99ea +$3 for fries. As we sat watching the restaurant(not extremely busy I mind you) for nearly 45 minutes, there was a steady flow of people in and out, but not unmanageable. Out burgers arrived to the table, I ordered the Uncle Sam, as I lifted the bun to dress the burger I couldn’t help but laugh. Each of the double patties were 1/2 the size of the bun, they had looked as thought they had been on the flat top since we sat down. Extremely disappointing, by this time it was 6:30pm and we did not have another hour to wait for new food. So unless they change the cooks etc, my opinion, save the $20 and find a Five Guys unless they turn it around to be the amazing food served last year. To Riley’s management, please embrace the menu/atmosphere of old, otherwise I feel the 1-2 star reviews will keep coming in. I am not trying to bash your establishment, just trying to keep it honest.

My husband and I had breakfast here as we were staying at Captain Thomson’s across the street. The location is very convenient. I ordered the two eggs, home fries, and toast breakfast while my husband ordered the eggs Benedict breakfast. My eggs and both of our home fries were cold, not even luke warm. When I mentioned this to our server she did offer to replace my food. I did not take her up on the offer. We were billed for all the food which was reasonably priced. The server never wished us a good day and just acted embarrassed. If you are looking for great service with hot food this is definitely not the place.

The pasta is terrible, not the sauce but the pasta itself. The seafood chowder is fine, a little too salty.

We came for apps. Over priced, little tiny portions, terrible taste. It was disgusting place, there was child hand prints on the windows, crumbs on the table, and spilled drinks on the floor.

Not buying the new name… same menu. Had the smash burger, which was their “specialty” last summer. Not, not even close to anything spectacular, actually a joke like a 5th grader made it. Not going to waste my time until hearing about better food.

if i could give this place zero stars i would. the food was overpriced for incredibly small portions, and mediocre at best. they also add ghost charges on items. for example, they added a .75 cent charge for marinara and cocktail sauce with the calamari. the calamari was $15 alone for some of the worst quality we have ever had. we stood there waiting for 10 minutes with a line behind us before we were even acknowledged, and as soon as we were sat the waitress was rushing us to order, barely checking our table or checking in on us, and was overall rude. we asked for extra napkins and she gave us two napkins. she was running past our table while we were ordering and we could barely get our orders out to her without her trying to run off. by the end of our dinner there was 5 water cups on our table for 2 people. so overall we paid $64 for shitty calamari and mediocre burgers along with the worst service quality we have ever witnessed. take your money somewhere else.

Honestly, I was extremely excited to try this place, according to reviews and pictures on Google,Blu Anchor was going to be where we were going to finally be able to try a Lobster Roll and Poutine for the first time. However, that sadly was not the case. My family and I drove 1.5 hours to Alexandria on Sunday,in September 2025. We arrived at Blu Anchor at about 12:20, perfect for lunch time, when we were waiting to be seated we noticed the beautiful view and many open tables, the restaurant was not busy. So, we were seated and given menus... I saw the Lobster Roll on the actual menu but didn't see Poutine anywhere.... weird... I had planned to ask the wait staff once they took our drink order if they even still served Poutine..... unfortunately after 30 minutes no one would come to ask us STILL what kind of drinks we wanted..... so, we walked up to a waitress and asked to speak to management, she said she would go get her... but about 10 minutes later and still no manager, so we walked back up to the same waitress who was taking drink and food orders from other tables and she said she hadn't been able to get the manager but asked if there was something she could help us with, we explained that we had been sitting for over 30 minutes and had not even been asked what we wanted to drink, she proceeded to explain they had a party come in that paid in advance shortly after we did ....... wait what??? So? Nevermind the rest of the people in the restaurant??? I counted before we left, 2 waitresses, 1 waiter, 1 employee behind the bar, 1 employee sitting at a table in the bar .... again NOT a full restaurant, still open tables ... even with the "party".. ourselves and another couple had mentioned the disappointment and they left and then we did, too. We found another place within walking distance with great Poutine AND GREAT CUSTOMER SERVICE (Dockside Pub)..... and we were in and out of there with full bellies/happy faces and thankfully was even able to make our boat tour at 2pm after wasting almost 45 minutes in Blu Anchor for not even getting drinks. 😑

Jose Martinez

Good location with free parking. Nice atmosphere and beautiful view of the bay. The food didn't taste good; the shrimp tacos were bland. The lobster wasn't bad in flavor, but the texture and color seemed like imitation lobster. The pizza was good. But the worst of all was the treatment of the hostess and waitress. If you don't like the job you do, look for another profession. But the customers who patronize the restaurant where you work aren't to blame for you not liking your job.