River Styx
“I'm particularly fond of the Squid Suave, the Nachos, and the Bucatini.”
“The best drink I have ever had is the sinking body..don't ask questions just try it!”
“It's near out house, it's owned by Bill Murray's son, it's stylish, cool and their cocktails are amazing.”
River Styx
Takes Reservations: Yes
Take-out: Yes
Accepts Credit Cards: Yes
Bike Parking: Yes
Good for Groups: Yes
Waiter Service: Yes
Price range.
$$ Price range $11-30
8 reviews
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I really wish I had better things to say about this place, because the location (right by the water) and the drinks are quite lovely. Came for dinner on 7/20/2015 with some friends. The three or four different cocktails we got were all interesting, and had some good flavors in them (some sweet and tangy, some slightly spicy). Additionally, the menu is pretty funny (add ons – some vegetable, $7). But the food is extremely hit or miss.
Clam Stick – the clams were pretty large, and the broth was very tasty with a deep clam flavor. However, the "stick" seemed to be actual branches of something unknown, that didn't add anything to the mix, and was obviously inedible. The garlic knots were a neat addition, but rather hard, and difficult to use for a clam delivery vehicle or broth mopping (with the sticks getting in the way).
Meatballs – interesting taste, seemed to be more strongly lamb than pork, in a well-made if loose polenta. This was probably the only major keeper that we ordered.
Nachos – the nachos have very very few toppings – nacho cheese, jalapenos, a massive pile of radishes, a small bit of shredded chicken, and another massive pile of cilantro (more than anyone could want/need on nachos). Definitely could have used a salsa or avocado element, or some beans or something. Possibly a good choice if you are just having drinks and hanging out.
Burger – this was the biggest miss, which was a problem, because we all ordered one. We ordered them medium rare, and every single one came out medium to medium well. The only toppings are cheese, pickles, and a special sauce that seemed to be close in taste to tartar sauce (an interesting, if odd choice for a burger) – the minimal toppings are not a problem if you have rare meat that is freshly ground and want to show off the flavor of the beef, but when it's this dry, you kind of want to hide it with crunchy veggies and dripping cheese. It was almost difficult to finish.
Would I come back? Yes, if it was to meet someone in that neighborhood, and then just for drinks and small plates. Otherwise, not really a destination, for dinner or otherwise.
Came here with my friend. I loved the atmosphere. Its simple and elegant in a weathered style. We sat at the bar while waiting to be seated and we were invited to taste some appetizers at the behest of some fellow patrons. (How nice was that?) The calamari was tender and delicious. When we were seated and ordered our entrees everything we ordered was flavorful and delicious. The cocktails were also beyond good. Try Puny Human. So good, I can assure you, I will be going back for more.
Nomz. For a foodie like myself, it's common to go slightly off the beaten path for a good meal. I've had River Styx on my radar for a while but because I never pass it sort of forgot about it. Very glad I did stop in for Sunday brunch.
Decor is very nice and I like the separated dining sections. This could be a good place for a large party and they have a couple of big round tables for big groups. My friend and I sat in the back which was great so we could talk without rush.
The shakshouka was pretty delicious and the focaccia they serve it with was perfect. My buddy had the huevos and was equally pleased. The waitress was sort of quiet but attentive and our coffee was always filled. Menu had lots of variety and I'm a stickler for egg dishes so was happy to see quite a few unique options.
One star knocked off due to general cleanliness. I'm not saying it's dirty but there is a general aura of old and dusty in this place. A few minor updates could be all they need. However I'll be back.
Only in NYC could a really great Friday at work end in the G train shut down followed by a 90 minute bus ride home. Cue, not making dinner thus how I ended up at River Styx.
Super close to my apartment, River Styx is up by the East River so if nothing else, you get a great view of Manhattan from Transmitter Park.
The restaurant itself is cute inside, nothing fancy but clean, welcoming, and intimate. We sat up front by the open air windows but did see the back enclosed area of the restaurant which looked kind of romantic.
Drinks were ordered and to be honest, I don't really recall what we ordered. They were good, nothing special though. Oh, I did have a hankering for an Old Fashioned…they only had regular ice, not the giant cube which I prefer!!!!
Appetizers: My husband had the Mozzarella Salad ($14) which included Mozzarella (DUH), marinated squash ribbons, watercress and pecan pesto (that kind of came in a cracker like shape on the bottom of the salad), and pumpkin seed oil. The salad itself was pretty good, definitely not worth the price. I ordered the Summer Lettuce Salad ($12) and it was AHHHHHHMAZING! It came with a mix of I think 4 local lettuces, radish, ricotta, asparagus, and a wonderful light lemon type dressing. It was spectacular, worth every penny and to be honest if they would have added a piece of protein and a little more lettuce I would have eaten it as an entree.
Entrees: My husband ordered the Bavette Steak ($27) with lamb fat potatoes that needed major salt, a summer salsa verde, and glazed shallots. So the salsa verde was okay and the steak looked amazing, perfectly medium. It was however, not that amazing. We are no chefs but we are damn good home cooks and they steak was mis-cut, therefore kind of chewy and seemed overcooked even though it was not. Sad, the restaurant should work on this because even a crappy cut of steak can be good if cooked and cut properly. My entree was the Baked Cod. It came with a very few amount of rock shrimp (slightly overcooked) and a summer corn salad with fresno peppers, tarragon, and scallions. It was more of a soup/sauce type of dish on the bottom but super super super good. The cod itself was STUPENDOUS! It had this wonderfully salt crust on the outside but was flaky and juicy on the inside.
Review: My dishes were amazing, my husbands were basic and pretty lackluster. Based on my experience alone (and him trying my dishes) we were probably return but then again, less then stellar food is never enjoyable!
Service: Good attentive service.
Overall: Worth a shot in Greenpoint in you're in the neighborhood!!!!!!!
Usual spot for drinks and good nachos on weekends to relax. It's a fun menu, good ambiance… don't pay much attention to the hipsters and have fun!
A good option for when the line at Paulie Gees is too long, but the menu lacks focus on any one type of cuisine and suffers a bit for it. The nachos and Brussels sprouts were the two best dishes tried and because of, or in spite of their simplicity, really excelled with flavor. The pastas including the fusilli and bucatini had some good meat mixed in, but ended up being a bit bland. The meatballs were also good, but we're literally the minimal legal definition of balls as you got only two small lumps on the plate. As a Dane who has sung the merits of the great green kale since far before this "superfood" movement, I appreciated the inclusion on the menu, but the execution was not great with a wilted leaf with some sour tasting vinegrette rather than a simple salt and oil preparation that would let the leaf sing louder than Maria. Service was efficient and quick, but fit in the the slightly uncomfortable Brooklyn vibe of the area.
The location of River Styx is perfect – at the very end of one and only Greenpoint Ave, there it meets the East River, next to Transmitter Park. It cannot get any more relaxing than this.
I was meeting a friend for drinks and bites – we walked around neighborhood and straight into River Styx to check them out.
We were early – they start serving dinner at 6pm, so we sat at the bar for a few minutes with our drinks… Cocktails are rather creative, strong, and worth trying.
A lot of locals eat at the bar, it's very casual place, simple, industrial kinda chic.
Right past 6pm we moved to the table and into the food.
I was not thrilled with a radicchio salad we started with – it was a bit too overdressed and acidic to my taste, but things quickly improved when we moved to the clams with garlic knots and salsa ranchero. Perfectly seasoned clams – it was yuuuummmmy to soak all that rich broth with garlic knots.
Next came Steak Cruda – and it was outta this world. Soooo good. The combination of *just-right* cooked steak, aioli and soft-cooked egg was remarkably simple and genius at same time. Crisp roasted potatoes were a good accompaniment to it. (I was seriously considering licking my plate clean)
Service was good, we did not have to wait for anything for too long.
I must come back, River Styx!
After all, I love it here, in Greenpoint.
tucked away before transmitter park is this little unassuming restaurant that actually serves really tasty dishes! came here for dinner because another restaurant had an hour and a half wait time for a table of three (ridiculous!) and we were starved. We ordered the fish sandwich (light flaky battered fried fish on a bun with pickles and tartar sauce – yum!), the nachos (so much gooey yummy cheese – just be careful because the chicken is often hidden on one side and not spread out), and the macaroni (yummy basil pesto and bacon…oh the bacon!). service is decent as well and the venue itself is nice and spacious enough that you're not on top of your friends or other diners. I'd definitely come back and try more of their menu!