Food and drinks with a view on the banks of the Mighty Mississippi
First-time visitors to The Riverhouse in Scott City might ask the owners whether this is a wine house that serves great food or a fine-dining destination that also happens to have great wine. To this the owners, SEMO Electric Cooperative members Deb and Derek Wilson, enthusiastically respond, “Yes.”
It turns out that this dining experience on the banks of the Mississippi River is whatever you want to make it. Some come to sip and chat on the back deck while watching bald eagles soar overhead, trains crossing a bridge built in 1905 and barges plying their way along the river.
Others come for the food, most named with a nod to the nearby river and its history, which includes the old Alexander County Courthouse across the river in Illinois. The offerings include unique appetizers, pizzas, sandwiches, signature drinks and frequent specials.
Derek tells how the restaurant with arguably Missouri’s finest view got started. “Our plan was to build a place here on the river, make our own wine and have a small restaurant right on the river where people can come in by boat, or drive down from Cape (Girardeau) or all over southeast Missouri,” he says.
The restaurant opened in 2014. Deb takes over the story, telling Derek’s idea for fine dining with a smile. “His idea was to sell Landshire sandwiches, which was never going to be a go,” she says. “So, I got help creating a menu that we thought would work for everybody. It’s kind of bar food but it’s all homemade.”
One of the most unique things on the menu is the Crawdaddy Special dip. The idea came from the many crawdad holes on the riverbank, though the couple quickly point out their source isn’t the Mississippi. It’s a creamy blend of cream cheese, onions, peppers, Cajun spices and crawdads. This dip also shows up in their Port Thebes Portobellos, which are baby mushrooms stuffed with the dip and smothered in melted mozzarella.
Rounding out the shareable starters are the River Skins (baked potato halves with bacon and cheddar), River Bend No-Rotel (a secret blend of cheeses, Italian sausage, diced tomato and seasonings served with tortilla chips) and the popular Nana Mert’s River Bread (warm French bread topped with mayo, scallions, black olives and mozzarella with marinara on the side).
Deb’s favorite menu item is the Thebes Gap Chopped Salad. This hefty salad starts with a spring mix, to which grilled chicken, candied pecans, cheddar cheese, pico de gallo and avocado are added.
It comes with warm bread and a citrus vinaigrette. “It has a citrus vibe to it,” says Lauren Wilson, manager of The Riverhouse and the owners’ daughter. “But you still have your protein and a little bit of kick with the fresh pico de gallo.”
The menu boasts five other salads, including the River Rat Blat — the Blat comes from its bacon, lettuce, avocado and tomato ingredients.
Entrees include four pizzas — served on a cracker thin crust with different sauces — and four sandwich options. Derek’s go-to is the Mighty Meaty Mississippi pizza, a combination of a supreme and meat lover’s pizza on a red sauce base. There’s a Miss Margherita with an herbed oil and garlic base and honey balsamic glaze; a Chicken Bacon Ranch finished with a ranch drizzle; and the Mississippi Mediterranean that starts with Alfredo sauce and is topped with chicken and vegetables.
The most unique sandwich offering is the Mississippi Mojo, which features the housemade mojo sauce — a blend of sour cream and curry — along with ham, turkey, Gouda cheese, tomato and pickles on a toasted hoagie.
Then there’s the Riverhouse Special. “It’s a souped-up grilled cheese, and everyone loves cheese,” says Lauren. “We have cream cheese, cheddar and pepper jack cheese. It has avocado, tomato and bacon on sourdough bread. It’s delicious.”
A panini with smoked Gouda, a pastrami Reuben and a “build your own burger” option round out the sandwich offerings. There also are frequent specials, which in the past have included lasagna, tutto mare creamy seafood pasta and fish.
Be sure to save room for the Mississippi Mud Cake, a dessert so rich four people could easily share it. It starts with a generous slice of housemade chocolate cake and is finished with pecans, melted marshmallow, caramel and chocolate fudge icing served with vanilla ice cream.
The Riverhouse is also known for its worldwide wine list, bottled domestic and microbrewed beers and signature cocktails. The latter include monthly blended sangrias along with drinks such as the Blueberry Pie Martini, Raspberry-Passion Fruit Tequila Sour and Champagne Punch. Guests often eat and then take a drink to the river to watch the trains and barge traffic pass by.
Besides hosting groups for parties, Deb and Derek offer the Amor on the River wedding venue where couples can marry at the riverside pavilion and hold their reception in a spacious nearby building.
There are many reasons for visiting The Riverhouse. “The food’s good, No. 1,” says Lauren. “But you also have great views. You have the river, trains going across the bridge, wildlife. There’s always something going on here. It’s not something that you can see everywhere.”
The Riverhouse
Specialties: Crawdaddy Special dip, thin-crust pizzas, sandwiches including the Riverhouse Reuben and Mississippi Mojo and salads.
Price: Pizzas $18 to $19, sandwiches $15 to $16, salads $8 to $14.
Details: Open 11 a.m. to 8 p.m., Thursday and Sunday; 11 a.m. to 9 p.m., Friday and Saturday. Closed Monday through Wednesday. Cash, checks and credit cards accepted. Nonsmoking. Located at 11500 Highway N in Scott City. Contact at 573-225-0325 or theriverhouse.me.