On The River Tavern

St. Joseph, United States

3.7

Open now

20 reviews

Accepts Credit Cards
Free Wi-Fi

Contacts

QR code, vCard

Telephone:
+1 269-983-6878
Website:
www.ontherivertavern.com
Address:
600 Fisherman Rd, St. Joseph, MI, 49085
Nearby public transportation stops & stations:
0.7 miSaint Joseph
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Bussiness info

Takes Reservations
No
Delivery
No
Take-out
Yes
Accepts Credit Cards
Yes
Accepts Bitcoin
No
Good For
Lunch
Parking
Street, Private Lot
Bike Parking
Yes
Wheelchair Accessible
Yes
Good for Kids
Yes
Good for Groups
Yes
Attire
Casual
Ambience
Casual
Noise Level
Average
Alcohol
Full Bar
Outdoor Seating
Yes
Wi-Fi
Free
Has TV
Yes
Waiter Service
Yes
Caters
No

Today

Today 11:00 am – 1:00 am
Open now
Local time (St. Joseph) 3:54 PM Monday, June 23, 2025

Business hours

Monday 11:00 am – 1:00 am
Tuesday 11:00 am – 1:00 am
Wednesday 11:00 am – 1:00 am
Thursday 11:00 am – 1:00 am
Friday 11:00 am – 2:00 am
Saturday 11:00 am – 2:00 am
Sunday 11:00 am – 1:00 am

Description

Specialties

Great People serving you a variety of national and craft beers, good food right on the St. Joseph River (Morrison Channel) — sit over the water or inside (w/​plenty of TVs) — while listening to pleasant music (occasionally live).

PS: we have NFL Sunday Ticket, BIG 10 Network as well as the SEC Network! So, come on in and cheer on your favorite team!

History

Established in 2014.

From what we currently know: Mollhagen started a fishing business on this property in 1853. Generations of Mollhagens worked here through the early 1990s! After the State of Michigan pulled commercial fishing licenses in the 60s and 70s, Mr. Mollhagen converted to a charter fishing service and a tackle shop. After he passed away, the property was sold to a local who converted it to a bar (you’re sitting in the bait shop). Several leases later, the whole place was purchased and renovated as you see.

The ‘Inter-​Urban’ Railroad (Benton Harbor to South Bend) ran adjacent to the building.

On either side of the Tavern are fishing operations. Adjacent to the South, the Truscott Boat Factory flourished (later companies: cable-​making, flour mill, fresh-​water oyster processing, buttons, elevators).and now, you are a part of its rich history!

(We relish those who knew ‘Mo’ and his family and their stories. We collect tales & pictures of the place and surrounding area and will share.)

Meet the Manager

Andrew P.

Manager

From a two-​generation Tavern-​owning family in Illinois, Andrew was born with the ‘hospitality gene.’ Even in his last two years of college, he worked 40 hours a week, while keeping up his grades. He was promoted to Assistant General Manager of Bar Louie in Mishawaka and all are pleased that he is the General Manager here at OTRT.

On The River Tavern also recommends

St. Joseph River Canoe & Kayak Livery

5

reviews

Rafting/​Kayaking

,

Fishing

,

Boat Charters

Andrew P. says,

«Lots of choices (canoes, two-​person kayaks, single kayaks, fishing kayaks), nice folks, great excursions, and … right next door to OTRT!!»

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20 reviews of On The River Tavern

No registration required
Place rating: 4
San Francisco, CA
Expect a chicken strips and fries dinner but it is what it is. It’s a perfect spot to watch drunk boaters stumble into. The live music is awesome. Location is great. Service is great. Must visit for tourists
Place rating: 4
Canton, MI
Delicious burgers and live games! Awesome place to eat, grab a beer or meet up with friends. The food is good and the staff is as well. They have a nice patio to look at the boats entering and leaving the harbor. Try any burger, they are good!
Place rating: 5
St. Joseph, MI
This is one of my favorite places to visit in St. Joe. The service is always top notch. Every one of the servers and bartenders are very friendly and alway have suggestions for new things to try. Charlie is a great bartender and is super fun to talk with. Olivia is always very sweet and is on top of making sure you will not go thirsty. Andrew, the manager, always remembers your name and makes you feel welcome. They can make you any drink you want. The food is super yummy. Love everything from their salads to their sandwiches to the wings to the shrimp and fries. Oh yea did I mention the view. You can sit outside when the weather is nice or enjoy the view of the river from their horseshoe shaped bar. It’s just a little piece of paradise in St. Joe.
Place rating: 2
Mishawaka, IN
Service was great; food was okay. Very basic menu, beer & wine. We were the only customers for quite awhile. Probably funner during summer when you can sit outside overlooking the lake.
Place rating: 1
Orland Park, IL
We ordered the pot stickers for an appetizer and got a deep-​fried surprise that was terrible — over cooked and dry, ugh. For my entrée I ordered a burger and I asked if it could be done medium rare. But the server said they can only make them one way: well done. It was Horrible! We went to split the total right down the middle and the server screwed up the bill entirely. Overall it was bad food, bad service, and a bad experience. I will not give it a second chance.
Place rating: 5
Wilmette, IL
Two families of Antipodeans picky about their fish and chips were incredibly surprised at the quality of the battered cod and fries. Adults and children alike cleaned their plates.
A beautiful sunny day on the Labor Day long weekend saw us sitting out on the back deck overlooking the river. There was plenty of boat traffic to keep the kids amused while waiting for their meals.
The wait staff were friendly and nothing was too much trouble, splitting meals and bringing extra plates and cutlery for the kids.
Place rating: 4
Saint Joseph, MI
Enjoyed my meal. Great value for the cost. Good beer selections. Definitely coming back. Great bar with good food and service. Olivia was a delightful server. Love to see her smile
Place rating: 4
Aurora, IL
I am giving this place 3 stars, I’m torn because it’s almost a 4, oh what the heck, I’ll give it a 4.
First of all the food is nothing out of the ordinary and their menu is not big at all. The great thing about this place is their outdoor seating area. They have a nice size deck facing the water and they have plenty of seating. Our server was nice and attentive. I ordered a grilled chicken sandwich and it had a decent flavor and I could tell it had been marinated. My son had a cheese burger, my daughter a plain hot dog on a pretzel bun which she loved, my boyfriend had the fish and chips and my other daughter had chicken strips. Everything was edible, nothing was amazing but we all were happy with our choices.
We really enjoyed sitting outside, watching the boats go by, the ducks swim around and relax after spending a morning and afternoon at the beach.
This is a good place for a very casual lunch with nothing fancy on the menu. I recommend it highly if you are looking to sit outside and enjoy some brews.
Place rating: 4
South Bend, IN
Nice location, hip waitress (my husband’s words). Sat on the dock with a great breeze.
Food was well portioned and tasty. We had Fish and chips (real chips not fries) and the melting pot with fries. My favorite was the chips.
Oh and their red sangria was delightful as well. In a large glass and not a lot of ice to water it down like most restaurants do.
Place rating: 2
Skokie, IL
It’s great sitting on the deck and enjoying a nice cold beer… but their food is subpar. My soup of the day was served cold & salty. The loaded broccoli was overcooked & the fish & chips (fries) were dry and average at best. It’s still a great place to enjoy the view & grab a drink though.
Place rating: 5
Dayton, OH
YOU MUST EAT THESE BURGERS! This is definitely the best burgers in St. Joe’s. It is not exactly a burger joint. It is more of a grill. Super delicious. Must try!
Place rating: 1
Coloma, MI
The worst food I ever had at a restaurant.
Cold coffee
Shrimp linguini Alfredo was like paste. Loved the location on the St. Joseph River.
Would never recommend this place to eat at. Stop in have a beer or two and leave.
Place rating: 5
East Lansing, MI
Great atmosphere & love sitting on the deck! Haven’t tried the food YET! But drinks are always nice!
Place rating: 4
South Haven, MI
Great place to eat out on the river and watch the boat parade, or dock your dinghy here and come aboard
Place rating: 4
St. Joseph, MI
Boat parking, bike parking and my favorite Jeep parking. This little tavern has been a few bad places over the last few years but the new owners remodeled and upgraded every thing. Nice beer choices. Love sitting right on the water watching the boats going in and out to Lake Michigan. Being the kids lots of ducks. They love tater tots and fries. Ordered then Angry grilled cheese. Texas toast, pepper jack cheese, BACON and lots of sliced jalapeño peppers. Great sandwich. Shoestring potato fries.
Cheers… Go Blue!
Place rating: 5
Indianapolis, IN
We spent another great Saturday afternoon at OTRT. This particular Saturday included a OTRT sponsored Dinghy Poker Run on the St. Joseph River.
The Tavern setup a very nice, inexpensive buffet for the participants as well as options from the main menu. Their wine list and beer selections is one of the best in St Joe, in my option. The service is outstanding!
Andrew, the GM, and his staff to a wonderful job of combining fast service with a personal touch.
Highly recommend stopping in and enjoying the food, drink, and companionship along the river.
Place rating: 5
Naples, FL
I have been coming here since it was Barney’s and the place has done a 100% turnaround. Last year this was about as divey a place you could go to. The new owners have put a lot of heart and hard work into this place remaking it into a very nice place to visit. I found the food to be very good and the micro brews on tap are great. Andrew the manager is out there working and greeting everyone and has a most pleasant personality and will see to all your needs. Can’t beat sitting out on the dock on a nice summer evening enjoying the river, good food and drinks.
Place rating: 2
Benton Harbor, MI
Pros:
It’s on the channel so as long as the weather is nice you can sit outside.
Big tvs
A nice large bar
Cons:
Godawful calamari. I mean, come on, if you’re going to bang people $ 9 for calamari at least don’t use cheap frozen calamari. And for cryin out loud don’t deep fry it until it’s rubber
Overpriced for what you get. It’s bar food.
We got calamari and then a perch sandwich and a chicken salad. The perch and the salad were fine. The perch was $ 11, which is a little pricey for three little perch fillets. The salad is, well, a salad.
This is a bar first with food as an afterthought. We went on a Saturday night around 7 when it was 75 degrees out and the place wasn’t even half full. Unless the owner is very wealthy I can’t see this place staying in business through the winter
Place rating: 4
St. Joseph, MI
Unlike the 1 star review, we had a good experience here. Service was a little slow at first but then everything worked out fine. We enjoyed the atmosphere and our food. The manager, Andrew, was talking to guests and very involved. Friendly service, laid back yet not «seedy» scene. My daughter had a kid’s meal with a build your own burger and a huge ice cream sundae was included for dessert. We felt prices were reasonable and drink selection was good. I think new restaurants, especially those with friendly service and good food, need a chance to iron out the kinks during their first few weeks in business. And from what I experienced at the tavern, the owner and manager were attentive and willing to accept feedback. We will definitely be back!
Place rating: 4
Gurnee, IL
We had a great meal on the deck over looking the river. Reminds me of the casual dining at Fisherman’s Wharf with great food, a friendly place to mingle with friends and always something to see on the river.
Boats can pull up to the pier; you can walk from downtown; or of course, drive. It offers unique crafted beer; tavern food; salads; along with some fish and favorites. We enjoyed watching the sun set with friends. It is well worth trying some place new.