'Monday’s like a Saturday': Taunton's Riverhouse restaurant is a hit with diners

TAUNTON — Set on the Taunton River in Weir Village, Riverhouse is attracting big crowds.

It’s busy every night, says co-owner and manager Cheryl Latour.

The Seafood Pie is one reason for the crowd.

“It comes in a black cast-iron pan,” explains Latour. “And it’s got lobster, scallops, shrimp, fish, in lobster bisque, and it’s covered in cheesy mash potatoes. Then it goes back in the oven, the cheesy mash potatoes get nice and toasty, and it goes right out.

“That’s probably our top seller right now.”

The Cranberry Balsamic Chicken is another.

“We do a fall/winter menu and then we do a spring/summer menu. I had that on the fall/winter menu and I took it off for spring and summer… but I got emails and texts and all kinds of people on Facebook saying they wanted it back. So we brought it back.”

Opened in November of 2020, the 260 West Water St. location in Weir Village has seen a full parking lot and cars lining the street around the historic property from the start, and despite it being a strange and challenging time for the restaurant business.

Latour describes it as a “steak and seafood” restaurant, and as a fan and frequent visitor to Disney World, she says the concept is all about family, with a whimsical riverside theme — when arriving you won’t likely miss the fisherman and mermaid mural on the street-side front wall — and always something new to keep things lively.

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“I try to keep it from getting stale,” said Latour, “always looking for something to keep it fresh. I go to Disney a lot and go to Disney restaurants, for the recipes and the vibe and stuff like that, and I try to bring it back here.

“And all my servers are like, ‘Oh no, here she comes from Disney again.’ I say, ‘Get your Disney smiles, we’re open.’”

Giving back

Also central to the concept is a mission to give back to the Taunton community.

“Our vision for this restaurant, right from the day we decided to open, was to use this restaurant as a platform to give back to the community in Taunton. So that’s what we do,” said Latour, who designed, decorated and renovated the old building with the support of partners Les Hutchison, Nick Pothier and Marc Mason.

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Riverhouse is involved with a number of Taunton-based charities, including Citizens For Citizens, Taunton Area Community Table, Light In The Dark and Matthew Mission Food Pantry, to name a few, giving diners opportunities to donate to specific charities every month.

Riverhouse keeps a Giving Tree in the dining room, year-round, and provides a spotlight and list of suggested donations for different groups every month. And there is a barrel just inside the front door where donations are collected.

“Every month I change the charity and people can bring things in and put them in the barrel. It’s overflowing right now, and you can see there’s a couple boxes of donated items next to the barrel, too. It’s always full.”

Igloos are in

Riverhouse is also known locally for its “igloo” dining on the back patio. Originally planned as a way to make use of an expansive back patio on the river in the cold months, then a fitting option adapted for pandemic dining, the igloos have also served as a source of charity funding.

Igloos are available via reservation and a $50 non-refundable rental fee, all of which goes to charity.

“That $50 goes to charity. Like, there’s $400 worth of igloo rentals going to charity just today. It’s not always sold out, but it’s almost always sold out on weekends, and that adds up.

“I usually try to do two charities a month that I actually write checks to, and this last month it was $2,000 to each of those charities. But then I save some of that money for things that might pop up. Like, Citizens for Citizens might call me and say there’s a little boy that needs a pair of boots or something, and we can take care of that. I also use some of that money for gift baskets that we donate to different charities to use in fundraisers.”

In warmer weather, Riverhouse has become a popular spot for fundraiser events for local charities. Charitable supporters appreciate the outdoor setting and food and drink and charities are grateful for the support from the host venue.

“That’s our main vision for this restaurant: to give people good food, in a great atmosphere, with great service… and help them to give back to the community,” Latour said.

“People have been very generous. I think they like the fact we are doing that work. And I think that might be why we are so popular. We’re full every night. Monday’s like a Saturday here. You can’t tell the difference.”

What's on the menu

The regular menu offers an extensive list of shared plates — or appetizers — with several seafood and steak options among the dinner offerings.

At the bar, flights — a selection of small-size similar drinks — are a hit, especially margarita flights. Flights, of course, are offered in several varieties.

And Riverhouse has a deep selection of craft beers, with a focus on those from local brewers like Berkley Beer Company, which is a right turn and a mile or so up the road, and Second Wind out of Plymouth

“We have a lot of craft beers, drafts and a lot of cans, and we love to partner with and sell Berkley Beer. They’re great people, a great brewery and right down the street from us. They also do a lot for charity, so they have a place in my heart. We really like to showcase their beers.”

Latour has spent her entire career working in and running restaurants, in Massachusetts and later in Florida. She was born and raised in “The Weir,” a student at Our Lady of Lourdes Elementary School "right around the corner” as a child. She returned to the local area a few years ago to be closer to her grandchildren, settling in Dighton.

And it wasn't long before getting back to business, establishing a new working home in her vision.

“I just saw this building and I was like ‘I can do something with that.’”

And so she did.

Riverhouse is located at 260 West Water St. on the banks of the Taunton River. To learn more and see a full menu of offerings visit www.riverhouseweirvillage.com. Also, look them up on Facebook for information about local charities and special events and promotions.

This article originally appeared on The Taunton Daily Gazette: Taunton Weir Village restaurant: Riverhouse is on West Water Street