Feeding C-ville since 1935.
Thank you, C-ville Weekly, for collaborating with us on this week’s feature story about Riverside Lunch. The paper only has so much room for photos, so we wanted to share our experience and take you all behind the scenes of the photoshoot at this local institution.
We were familiar with Riverside Lunch, but had never had the opportunity to speak with the owner, Lee Shifflett, or all of the staff, so when C-ville Weekly gave us this assignment we were excited to take a closer look at this neighborhood favorite. We can’t say enough nice things about our experience there. The entire staff, and all of the patrons, gave us a warm welcome and made us feel at home for the entire time we stayed. Not to mention they generously fed us before we left! Here are some shots of the best burger in town:
Aaron, who has been at the grill for 25 years, walked us through his entire process for making their signature smash burgers. Receiving an order, prepping the ingredients, cooking it, and adding the finishing touches. Aaron, and the two men helping at his side, were kind and patient with us while we shadowed them at the grill. Here are a few images of Aaron and the crew hard at work during the lunch rush:
After capturing the smash burgers at the grill, we moved on to taking photos of the wonderful patrons of Riverside Lunch. Wayne, on the right in the first image below, shared that he had been coming to Riverside Lunch for 50 years, ever since his father sat him on the counter at 1 year old. To his right, you can see Bobby, who has been a regular for over 70 years and can be seen sitting in what we were told was “his spot.” We also met Blanche, the waitress in the second photo, who is posing with one of her favorite customers… her brother! Everyone we spoke to had wonderful stories to tell about Riverside Lunch, and we felt welcomed as part of the family.
(Erin made sure to dress for the occasion with her amazing burger earrings. Needless to say they were a huge hit!)
And of course, we had to take a group photo of the staff before we left. Thank you to everyone at Riverside Lunch for being so kind, helpful, and generous with your time. We will definitely be back, and we hope our fellow locals will visit this real neighborhood gem when they just have to have a burger.
