You eat well throughout the week, counting calories, nibbling on celery sticks and helpings of kale, and then you say, “To hell with this, I want real food.” That’s when Nancy and I get in the car and head for Riverside North. We order greasy cheeseburgers, onions rings and a basket full of French Fries. Next week, we’ll diet, but for now, we’re eating food as God intended. Riverside simply has the best burgers in town.
Riverside buys their beef from Reid’s Market, long known for their quality ground chuck. I don’t know where they get their buns, but they’re always fresh and good, especially when topped off on the old fashion grill.
I always order my cheeseburgers with mustard and onions., That’s it. I don’t want other things interfering with the goodness of the burger and cheese. And their onions are always sweet and crispy.
For a side, Nancy likes their onion rings, but I enjoy a big basket of fries with my burgers. Why not go all the way?
Riverside North is a relatively new restaurant – maybe 15 years old, but the original Riverside at Free Bridge goes way back. It was here when I came to Charlottesville in 1967 – one of the first places recommended to me by the locals.
There is nothing at all fancy about Riverside, but the wait staff is always friendly, the food is served hot off the grill and it’s damned good.
Next week, it’ll be back to the celery sticks, but for one night, at least, we dined in style.