On The River Restaurant & Catering

Established in 1988. On The River Restaurant and Catering has been serving the Brazosport area for 25 years. We offer original recipes, prepared right here in our kitchen. We are famous for our fried or grilled Texas Gulf shrimp, fried American farm raised catfish,huge chicken fried steaks, and a variety of great burgers. Our most famous items are our homemade coleslaw and cornbread. Guests come from miles away just for those! Equally popular are our famous Fried Dill Pickles! We sell easily over 100 gallons a week of these fantastic little chips. They were even featured on HGTVs program Building Character in an episode filmed here at the restaurant. We have received other media accolades as well, including being Voted #1 in Brazosport by the local newspaper, and being named Top 40 in Texas, by Texas Monthly Magazine. We have been featured in the Houston Chronicle, Southern Living Magazine, and in Texas Monthly on three different occasions. Come see us today! We originally opened in a rustic building over-looking the Old Brazos River. In 1990, the property across the street was purchased, where a small, 80 seat cafe was located (Davids Cafe). In 1992, the two businesses were consolidated and kept the name On The River Restaurant. The restaurant is comprised of several WWII era homes and businesses. The main buliding was originally located on W 1st Street, and was built in the 1930s. It was a general store named the Red and White Store. It subsequently housed several other businesses before finally becoming On The River. There were several other old homes on the property, which were added and renovated (without losing their nostalgia) until finally reaching a seating capacity of 300. The operater (Drew Ryder) started his restaurant career as a cooks helper (translation- pot washer) in 1980, and worked his way up the ladder, becoming a partner at On The River, and eventually buying out his business partner in 2003.