The Sakonnet River Grille
You can find more information on their websitehttps://www.sakonnetrivergrille.com/
Tiverton may not be the biggest town in Rhode Island but it’s home to the big flavors of the Sakonnet River Grille. Located at 526 Main Road, there’s nothing fancy about the Sakonnet River Grille in terms of its location. As a matter of fact, I almost drove by it because the restaurant sign is small and it shares a building with a well-known insurance company. Now with that said, I have learned over the years that some of the best places to eat are those that are simple and understated.
To the left of the entrance there is a small bar as well as booths and tables. There is also another room to the right with booths and tables but we have always been seated in the bar area. Not unlike the exterior, the interior is clean and understated; nothing fancy, but who needs fancy when you have great food. Truth be told, we have been twice because we enjoyed it so much. I will also say that both times we’ve had great service! As you know, sometimes the service can make or break the overall dining experience.
Upon being seated, our drink order was taking and warm rolls and butter were brought to the table. Now I don’t know about you, but when warm bread comes to the table this Portuguese girl is very happy. For this visit we were lucky enough to have others with us so we were able to sample several appetizers and entrees. The Menu at Sakonnet has something for everyone from soups, to sandwiches, burgers and a varied selection of entrees from which to choose.
For appetizers we had Green Bean Fries ($9), Fried Calamari ($13) and Steamed Mussels ($12). The Green Beans were fresh, lightly fried sticks of yumminess served with a side cucumber wasabi ranch. The ranch had a slight kick to it that went nicely with the fresh green beans. This is a good size appetizer with more than enough for sharing. As many of you know from our reviews, we are big fans of Calamari and this one rates right at the top. We opted for Rhode Island style served with banana peppers and tossed in a light garlic and spice sauce. They also offer a sweet Asian chili version and a spicy Mozambique as well. We’ve already decided that next time we are all about the Mozambique option! At this point I was already getting full and truth be told, I’m not a fan of Mussels but I was told they were great! With that being said, they did smell fantastic sitting in a wine and garlic broth served with a side of garlic bread. Garlic, wine and bread? Well that’s just a win isn’t it!
For Entrée’s the table ordered Chicken Mozambique($15), Lobster Roll( $24 market), Spinach Feta Chicken($16), Creamy Cajun Pasta Alfredo($14) and Sakonnet Scampi ($17) As much as we enjoy dining alone, it’s always nice to have more “Spooners” join us so we have more options for sampling.
Jess had the Chicken Mozambique and after a few bites said it was the best Mozambique she has had to date. I should add that one of her biggest reasons was that it was very spicy. Jess loves spicy food! You could smell the heat wafting from the banana peppers and crushed red pepper. Between the bold flavors and generous helping of pasta, Jess was in heaven! Next up the Lobster Roll….a New England Summer favorite! If you like a Lobster Roll with nothing but Lobster and light mayonnaise then this is the one for you! I know in many places ordering a Lobster Roll means getting more filler than Lobster. Served with crisp French fries and Cole slaw on the side, The Sakonnet Grille does it right! Now, if you were intrigued by Jessica’s spicy Mozambique you may also want to try the Creamy Cajun Pasta Alfredo. The Alfredo is house- made and you can have chicken, shrimp or sea scallops added for an additional charge. I was told that as Alfredo dishes go, this was fantastic! Creamy, full of flavor and more than enough to have leftovers for the next day. The Spinach Feta Chicken is made with fresh spinach, crumbled feta, red peppers, and garlic butter sauce atop two generous portions of grilled chicken breasts. The flavors were nicely balanced so none of the ingredients outshined another. The dish also comes with mashed potatoes and fresh broccoli on the side, which once again meant a doggie bag was needed. Lastly, my choice, the Sakonnet Scampi (not pictured). I opted for chicken but you can also have it with shrimp or sea scallops. I mentioned to the server that I had some food allergies and she was more than willing to make sure there was no cheese or onion in the dish. I thoroughly enjoyed the garlic wine sauce and going along with theme of more than enough food, I had my leftovers for lunch the next day.
By the end of dinner, we were all full and opted out of dessert but I hope to see what they offer in our next visit….and everyone at the table said they would be back! As I remember back to pulling in to the parking lot I immediately think of the slogan of the neighboring insurance company. “You’re in Good Hands……yes, you are in good hands with the Sakonnet River Grille! Take a ride to Tiverton and tell them Two Girls Spooning sent you!!!!!