Morgantown Dominion Post
13 February 2008
By Amanda DeProspero
It took Robert Garrison a long time to get everything just the way he wanted at the Riverfront Bar and Grill. It took him two weeks just to decide what type of bread to use for the sandwiches. He went to food shows looking for the right products. He even spent about three months remodeling.
"You know, that was the biggest argument, about what colors to paint," he said. "We went through so many different colors of red to get what we were comfortable with, because you want it to be comfortable. You don’t want it to be too loud."
He finally decided on red and beige walls, as well as a long bar against the left wall, a pool table, karaoke equipment and several bar tables with stools.
Riverfront Bar and Grill, on Dunkard Avenue in Westover (right next to the Monongahela River), opened around Thanksgiving and offers breakfast and lunch. He said it offers several sandwiches like Philly cheesesteaks, reubens and a sausage sandwich with peppers and onions. "Nothing on our menu is over $7," he said. "I try to keep it very cost efficient."
Garrison said he’s working on a dinner menu, which will include items like four-cheese ravioli, pork chops, country fried steak, steak and shrimp baskets. Cook Randy Tennant said he enjoys working in the kitchen at Riverfront Bar and Grill. "I love it here," he said. "I try to take care of my customers." Riverfront Bar and Grill features happy hour from 4-8 p.m. and has food specials every day, Garrison said. In the spring, he hopes to expand the restaurant’s deck, which sits right on the river. He also hopes to have live entertainment on the deck. Bartender and server Leah Carpenter said she believes live entertainment will bring more people to the restaurant. "We’re really working hard on getting some bands in here," she said. "I think it will be a really good place for live music during the week. Nice dinner music." Garrison said he also plans to have drink specials to coordinate with football nights or other events. Another unique aspect of the restaurant is that it offers Internet access. "If someone is having lunch, they can actually work on the computer," he said. Garrison lived in Las Vegas for 17 years, where he met his wife, Katie Cyphert, who was a Morgantown native. When they married, they decided they wanted to raise their children in Morgantown. Garrison took a job at the Hotel Morgan’s Montmartre restaurant. He was the manager there for about four years but decided he wanted to open his own restaurant.
So the search began for the perfect location. While he and his wife were driving around, he found a building right along the river, and he thought it would meet their needs.
"This worked best, we thought, because it was on the river. It had already been a restaurant at one point," he said. "I heard it used to do really well."
Garrison said business has been picking up. What’s really interesting though, he said, is the different types of people that come into the bar and grill.
"That’s what was really funny the other night. We had the Captain Morgan guy here and we were talking about it. The spectrum is so large," Garrison said. "That night we had people with jackets and ties on and people in cowboy boots and baseball hats. It’s just all over the place."
Riverfront Bar and Grill LOCATION: 604 Dunkard Ave., Westover HOURS: 6:30 a.m.-midnight, usually stays open later Fridays and Saturdays PHONE: 296-1501 PARKING: In front and to side of building DRESS CODE: Casual SPECIAL FEATURES: karaoke night, live entertainment, five flatscreen TVs, wireless Internet