Newburgh Review: Edgewater Grille

Not knowing what to have for dinner, I thought - the Edgewater Grille. It had been a while since I had eaten there last, not to mention that it was a great night to eat on their porch outside to watch the sunset go down and barges chug by on the river.

Located along the river in downtown Newburgh, the Edgewater is rather inconspicuous - an average size building that in many ways seems to be a house. The restaurant is widely known for its river view, and inside, nearly ever seat provides that view - even the bar is elevated to do so. Upstairs can be rented to provide space for private parties. But you will find the gathering outside where there are several deck, or porch, levels for outdoor seating, providing a wonderful view. Some nights live music is offered outdoors on the lower decks. Another neat feature is the small boat dock they have so that boaters can dock their boat from the river and walk up stairs to the restaurant.

Tonight I ordered one of my favorites, chicken alfredo, while my dad ordered a special: seasoned, grilled tilapia served with two sides. Each came with a salad and rolls - I enjoyed both of those. We also ordered a shrimp cocktail that came out wonderfully displayed. We both agreed that it was excellent shrimp, large and tasty, as well as very cold. Perfect for the appetizer. My dad enjoyed his tilapia, saying it was nicely cooked and with spiced rubbed over it.

I had a bad experience unfortunately. Instead of chicken alfredo, the waiter brought chicken parmesan. The waiter left so quickly that I was not able to point out the mistake, and unfortunately he didn’t return to the table until we called him over about a half hour later for the bill. Because I could not get my entrée fixed, I simply ate the chicken parmesan. It was alright I suppose, but the sauce was watery and the noodles so short I could not get them on my fork.

Do not let my bad experience tonight deter you - I do like the Edgewater and have not had that problem with the food before. Slow, poor service is the norm for the place, however. My waiter was especially inattentive and rude tonight.

Besides the chicken alfredo, two of my favorites are the steak sandwich and their brick oven pizzas. In fact, they are known in Evansville for their wood-fired brick oven pizzas that you can order off the menu or create yourself. Other menu items range from the classic club sandwich to veal picatta, or rigatoni carbornara to snow crab legs. There is even a vegetarian section with one dish I thought about getting tonight - the stuffed eggplant casserole.

The Edgewater is your pretty typical American fair, but probably with a slightly nicer twist than what you would find at a chain or a bar. The food is good enough to go back to, but it’s the view and deck that is the real draw of Edgewater. If you do go, just make sure you have time to spare and aren’t expecting food better than average.

Edgewater Grille is found at 1 East Water St. in Newburgh. 812-858-2443.