Off of Routes 17 and 202, where trucks rumble by and cars whiz through, sits a parcel of land that its owners have turned into a sort of tropical oasis. Palm trees wrapped in bright white lights dot the land. At its center is a large, rambling white house with a perfectly pitched roof. But this “oasis” isn’t for sun-worshipping vacationers. This is the third River Palm Terrace restaurant in Bergen County. And like the other two (one in Edgewater; the other in
Appetizer choices include jumbo shrimp cocktail, clams casino and baked French onion soup. An order of Maryland crab cakes, light and flavorful, was, like everything else at The River Palm Terrace, generous. Real generous. Indeed the steaks are huge; they’re great big slabs of premium red meat.
But it’s not just size that impresses: it’s taste. Whether it’s the butcher-cut filet mignon or the New York shell or the prime
T-bone or the Porterhouse for two, the meat is juicy and tender. So tender, it tastes buttery. Steak entrées, like all entrées, are preceded by a house salad (a large-sized one, of course) and accompanied by either a baked potato, rice or French fries. The mini-mountain of crisp, well-salted fries are heavenly. No matter that a portion for one can feed a young family of four, somehow I always manage to eat them all—and then yearn for still more.
Not a meat eater? No problem. The River Palm Terrace offers a variety of fish dishes including jumbo shrimp (Cajun, grilled or broiled) and fresh lobster (steamed or broiled). Or, if you are a fan of both, opt for the surf and turf combination: a tender piece of steak with a nice-sized lobster tail. Side orders of creamed spinach, jumbo-cut onion rings and steamed broccoli are also available.
Dessert? Choose from an array of traditional American sweets including homemade Key Lime pie, homemade cheesecake, apple pie with cinnamon ice cream or lemon sorbet. And, yes, that slice of pie or cake or helping of tiramisu, is—you guessed it—huge. But hey, you can hop on your treadmill tomorrow.
THE RIVER PALM TERRACE
209 Ramapo Valley Rd. (Rt. 202 & Rt. 17), Mahwah, NJ
(201) 529-1111