Lunch on a Wednesday

True confession—I haven’t been to The River House in Gruene in almost a decade. At lunch time I really didn’t want to deal with all of the ladies who lunch, seeming to gather there in droves. Today the restaurant scene in Gruene and close by New Braunfels has grown exponentially, leaving lunchtime space available in the once overly crowded tea-room restaurant.

Driving into the parking lot, lucky to find a shady spot, it is immediately apparent — The River House is still cute! No longer billed as a tea room—maybe that is an imagined memory—who would not want to step inside and check it out? Happily my friend and I grab a table for two in the bright rustic contemporary dining area. Congratulating ourselves for deciding to check on the crowd level and not pass it by one more time.

The River House Menu

First things first, we order wine. I am happy to see there is a dry French Rose on the menu. My friend orders a sauvignon blanc—her new favorite white varietal.  We start looking at appetizers, trying to  choose one, then we stop. What a dilemma. We can’t decide. We negotiate—coming to a decision. Multiplying.  Dividing. And conquering. It really wasn’t hard.

The Order

When our waitress returns with our wine we give her our decision. Four appetizers, shared. Served in courses, not piled on the table all at once. She smilingly tells us it will be not be a problem at all. We ask for deviled eggs with bacon jam first. That is a problem. They aren’t ready.  It may be another hour. No problem we say.

Corn Fritters

Accompanied by jalapeno aioli and red onion jam, the corn fritters arrive first. The presentation is beautiful! The fried round balls are artfully drizzled with the aioli and sprinkled with bits of snipped chive. Somebody in The River House kitchen cares. However, after taking a bite, I feel the description is a bit of a misnomer. It is more hush puppy than corn fritter—there is only a single kernel of corn in the first fritter I choose to taste. A tad over fried, with a crust too thick to be cut with a fork, it is a morsel to be picked up with your fingers, dipped and swirled and cut with your teeth.  The combination of flavors on the plate play very well together.

Lobster Nachos

The lobster nachos are decadent to a fault. We are not disappointed. Each light, airy, crispy triangle of fried wonton is loaded with a generous amount of tender, sweet, delicious, fresh lobster.  The lobster is lightly coated with a delicate dressing, dusted with Parmesan, drizzled with mango puree and topped with a fresh slice of jalapeno. It is a win win win!  We are already planning our next visit with each of us  devouring  our own order.

Fried Green Tomatoes

Maybe I’m not into fried.  Maybe my friend and I are both being too picky. But, our beautifully presented appetizer seems to be all about the cornmeal coating which overwhelms the thin slice of tomato within.  It has such potential!  Placed in a long pool of smoked tomato sauce and studded with pickled red onion, all it needs is more tomato in between the too thick cornmeal crust to be the perfect Fried Green Tomato appetizer. However, in the chef’s defense, the majority of people would probably prefer it just as it is. Even with our disappointment, when the waitress comes by the plate is empty.

Deviled Eggs

The bacon jam adorned deviled eggs are delicious. Top to bottom. Inside and out. The yolk stuffing—smooth creamy and savory.  The whites, tender. The bacon jam—well what bad can anyone say about bacon jam—not too sweet. Perfect! The slaw accompaniment is refreshing.

Almost the last ones to leave The River House, we linger over our wine and coffee—staring hopelessly at the untouched dessert. Our eyes must be bigger than our stomachs.

You just can’t taste everything.

But next time we are going to try.

The River House

1617 New Braunfels Street
New Braunfels, Texas 78130
830-608-0690
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Hours

Monday & Tuesday: Closed
Wednesday – Saturday: 11 am – 9 pm
Sunday: 11 am – 4 pm