Dark Horse Restaurant

Nice place with a bright and open feel. Menu felt like it was lacking... or maybe it just wasn't up my alley. Had the roasted chicken sandwich, which had a very nice flavor. The fresh cut potato fries were great... crispy and slightly overcooked, how they should be!

What a wonderful place for a family get together! Food was fantastic, everyone was fabulous! Will be back again!

The food was phenomenal. Crab cakes were insanely good, and an absolutely perfect Bloody Mary. Staff was excellent highly recommended!

A great little place to eat. I have been there twice, leaving happy both times. It is right on Main Street. Parking is behind the building. The wait staff is fun and knowledgeable. My waiter last visit was extra funny and helped make our time there more fun. The food is farm to table. At first, I thought the prices were a little high, I was wrong. Once I tasted the food, it was clear how much effort and talent went into making me happy. Delicious to say the least. Beautiful decor and very clean. If you're in Riverhead, make this a stop for sure.

Lovely atmosphere and very welcoming staff. The waiter that was there on our visit was very accommodating and conversational. The food choice were phenomenal. I ended up getting the crabs Benedict. The presentation is okay the taste was great. The muffins on the other hand was a lil bit hard for my liking. Nevertheless, the home fries was certainly on point. I highly recommend this restaurant, we will definitely comeback!

After a long day at the aquarium, we found this amazing place and fell in love. Called minutes ahead and were able to make room to sit 6. The staff is super friendly and very knowledgeable when it comes to gluten-free options. THEY CAN MAKE ANYTHING ON THE MENU GLUTEN FREE. My wife is 7 months pregnant and has celiac. Dark Horse allowed us to have one of the most pleasant experiences. For the first time in 7 years my wife was able to eat corn bread; it was warm and moist. The Merlot beef was super tender and delicious. The duck is crispy on the outside and pulls off the bone. The mashed potatoes were creamy and delicious. My wife and I live an hour and a half away and are already planning our next visit before she gives birth.

GLUTEN FREE PATRONS BEWARE. My husband got poisoned here. He and I ordered a gluten free sandwich, and the waiter made an error, and he ate a sandwich containing gluten. Please be careful for your health. Avoid this place.

Not sure why someone would come here. It’s not fancy enough to be a romantic restaurant. But it’s not cheap enough to be a dinner. Dark Horse is lost in a gray area of meaningless with over priced food and a small menu. The large booths are well suited for a large crowd, but the restaurant is small which sort of defeats the purpose. Even the service leans on cheap dinner dive.

Food was excellent as was the service. Loved the old traditional charm. We were not rushed. Ordered appetizers and bottle of wine which had to breathe. Waitress was accommodating. Go!

Cute little place.. good food.. happy with service.. they have coloring activities for toddlers

I really would love to give this a 5 star review because the food was excellent. When we got there my mom and I ordered a dirty martini with the stuffed blue cheese olives. They ran out of grey goose and Belvedere. So we had to order with kettle one. When they brought It out mine only had one olive & my moms had two. They said they ran out of olives. It was an odd start but we proceeded to order. My mom had the salmon harvest bowl - she said It was the best meal she had in a long time! Very flavorful. I had the seared tuna. I can not eat sesame seeds so they were able to accommodate and make the tuna without. It was soooo delicious. We also checked in on yelp for a free glass of wine. They said It was only 1 free glass per table (doesn't say that on the check in) All in all I would be back because the food was dynamite!

For me, this is a five star restaurant. The food is amazing. I ordered the salmon harvest bowl. I had pictured something different but it was better than I imagined. The salmon itself was flavored and it was a huge piece of fish. I didn't expect that. It lay on top of a quinoa/kale salad. The salad was served cold and the seasoned salmon hot. Surrounding the salad was sliced rounds of yellow squash, zucchini, and tomatoes. Everything was perfectly cooked and delicious. I ate every last bite! My daughter had the sesame crusted tuna. She said it was absolute delicious. She loved her dish. The only negative was: we ordered the dojo dirty martini. The waiter asked if we wanted to switch the vodka. We said yes, grey goose. He came back 5 minutes later and said, no grey goose. We said ok, then the Belvedere. He came back and said no Belvedere.......... What do you have? He said Tito's or kettle one. We went with the kettle one. He brought the two drinks back. One Sri l had two olives, the other had one. He said they ran out of olives..... (really???). So weird. But I give it five stars for the food, which was excellent and I would go back for sure.

Went and had dinner at this restaurant where we were warmly greeted and were able to pick our table where we wanted to are. The nice fireplace provided a warm ambiance which was needed on a cold night. Our server was very nice especially when we asked her about the different items on the menu. We started with soups ( tomato and French onion) and skillet cornbread. My main meal was crab cakes and Caesar salad The food was tasty all around .

Had a wonderful dinner with two other friends. Everything we ordered was just terrific. Started with the Brussels sprouts to share. Friends both had salads, one with the fried chicken, the other with grilled chicken. I had the pork chop which was truly one of the best I've ever had. The quality, preparation, and presentation of all dishes demonstrated the skill of the chef and the kitchen. Even the drink menu was creative and well thought out. Service was equally professional, just the right combination of friendly and helpful. Can't wait to return.

Always delicious at Dark Horse. Love knowing I can eat safely as a celiac. Also delicious for non gluten allergies. The hot chicken sandwich was delicious. And my go to as a starter is always the calamari.

This place is gorgeous inside, I'll give them that. Our host and waitress was very nice. When we came on a Sunday, it was so dead inside and I had to talk so low because it's like my voice echoed through the whole place when I laughed. It was nice though we sat at the window with a great view. Anyway, checking out their menu - I wasn't impressed. I thought my chicken quinoa bowl for $22 was way overpriced for the amount I got on my plate. The lemon-type dressing that came with it was absolutely disgusting, so I recommend you order it on the side like I did. Their chicken/waffles weren't really something to hype about either. Again, the atmosphere was neat - they have two bathrooms, one with a sliding barn door which was different/cool. But, would I come here again? No, I would probably try something else in Riverhead.

Decided to go out east for the day and stumbled upon this little restaurant. We got the hot honey spicy chicken sandwich with fries & the homemade cornbread skillet as our starter. We were both very satisfied with our meals. The chicken sandwich was so flavorful and had just the right amount of heat. The cornbread skillet was so gooey & warm it basically fell apart in your mouth. We both loved our meals and will deff be back to when we are in the area.

If you see my reviews, I almost always post 4 and 5 stars. I give 4.5/5 for the food but only a 2/5 for drinks and service. Two couples dining before concert across the street. I had the seared scallops with mushroom risotto. 5/5 My wife had two apps for her dinner. Crab cakes and the beet salad. Both 5/5. One lady had the salmon. 5/5. Her husband the filet mignon for $56. 4/5. So the food is very good here. Service was VERY slow. 15 minutes before anybody came to table and more than one hour after being seated to get our food. 1/5. I asked for a Baker's 7 Manhattan up, stirred not shaken. No serious bartender need to be told stirred but I always do. It came shaken! My next drink was their featured Old Fashioned with Woodford Reserve. Hard to screw that up but it was just meh. My wife wanted Bombay Sapphire but they did not have it. When with Hendricks instead. A solid gin but who doesn't have Sapphire? They also screwed up a Diet Coke. Their tap system doesn't have the syrup to water ratio correct. SO....If you do not drink and don't mind waiting, by all means eat there. we will not return. :(

As the saying goes, always bet on the dark horse. Our experience proved that we made a good bet by choosing this unassuming looking restaurant from a myriad other options in Riverhead town. On a Monday evening, the place only had four other tables dinning, so we had our pick of seats. For a busy time like the weekend, get reservations, as the restaurant is not that big and fairly popular with the locals. Relaxing, quaint atmosphere. A bar is available. The noise level gets loud, so consider that if you want to dine in a quiet space--come early, and during off peak times. Our waiter was accommodating and friendly. Left us alone to enjoy our meal, which was appreciated. Ask for menu suggestions other than the "best seller" of fried chicken and brussels sprouts--you can get that anywhere. Ask for something that is the restaurant's specialty. $118 for a dinner for two was a bit excessive--the prices are on par with NYC restaurants, which is a bit excessive for Riverhead in Long Island. But, tourism is the main money maker of summers in Long Island. Our meal was delicious and satisfying in every regard. $10 cornbread [in a skillet] was piping hot from the oven--so fluffy and light, like a corn pancake. Paired with maple infused butter (sweet & decadent death for your liver), this could've easily been a breakfast/brunch dish (if the portion was bigger). With there was more of that sweet, gooey butter--a tiny shot glass is certainly not enough. $21 duck pate was underwhelming. It is made in-house, and is the pride and joy of this restaurant. It was delicate and smooth. However, the flavor just wasn't there for me. Bland pate that could've been made out of anything. Had to crunch on those cornichons and mustard to give this appetizer a kick. The tiny jar was certainly not worth Manhattan appetizer price of $21. $37 confit duck leg was the show stopper that stole our hearts. A stunning presentation, this dish is truly Instagram worthy. Moreover, the taste delivered. Every element on that plate was prepared to perfection. We delighted in every bite, from the crunchy, twice-baked potato to the delicate oyster mushroom sautéed with spinach. The duck was perfect--very tender meat. The skin was crispy and juicy. I never eat duck/chicken/fish skins, but this duck had top quality glaze, making even the skin taste like a wonderful addition to the overall flavor profile of this complex dish. So many ingredients and elements in this dish overwhelm you at first, but they work harmoniously to create a stunning symphony of taste that I did not want to end. Sadly, we didn't have any space for dessert. All the mains that were delivered to other customers looked scrumptious and hearty. Would gladly return to sample more of the menu.

After many years of dining here, today my husband had a 6 inch long hair wrapped inside his hamburger that he had bit into. He pulled the hair out of his mouth and was disgusted I requested a new lunch for him The waitress offered just a 10% discount. I calmly spoke to the manager who basically shrugged and was very rude. That will be our last visit.

Went for lunch while in the area and was pleasantly surprised. I did a quick search for gluten free and found this place. My mother has Celiac and was over the moon that she could have anything on the menu! My shakshuka was good, she loved her chicken sandwich. But the star of lunch was the fried calamari. The place is cute and intimate, good music playing. We'll be back next time we're near.

Awesome place! Every thing had a gluten free option and it was all delicious. Had the calamari, friend chicken sandwich and the beef brisket sandwich

Delicious! All food available gluten free, amazing service, great food, fun atmosphere!

Food: so good! I absolutely loved the calamari. The chicken burger was tender and tasty! (I didn't love the salsa on top- but it was still delish). My husband got the pastrami sandwich and liked it also. Drink: YUM! strong and tasty. Just the way its supposed to be. haha. They also have a check in deal for a free glass of wine with a purchase of an entree. Service: great! Our waiter was nice, efficient and also funny. An added plus, he was the bartender too. He gave attention to each table, answered the phone, made our drinks and had the time to share some laughs. Atmosphere: it is pretty tiny but it is very nice! They have plants and flowers around the perimeter. Loved it! We shall be back :)

A full menu that is (or can be made) gluten free?! Dream come true. This includes multiple gluten free beers, including a Belgian white on draft. Had a delicious meal, from apps to entree and a big highlight, dessert. Blondie sundae! Enjoyable ambiance and friendly waiter. Was quite busy when we arrived at 7 pm but cleared out by 8 pm. Will definitely be back to try more of the menu!

Food was awesome. The Korean bbq duck was delicious. The burger was huge, no way I would be able to finish it in one sitting. Such a good burger. Drinks were made well also. Would definitely recommend

Spur of the moment decision, but couldn't have been happier with our choice! The staff was accommodating (dietary restrictions) and attentive. The food was a delightful surprise (who knew a pork chop could be so tender?), better than expected. We'll be back!

Service, drinks and food were amazing! My husband and I started with the beef carpaccio and it was perfect. Then I had the pork chop with braised red cabbage. It was perfectly cooked. You just know the quality of the meat/fish they serve is top notch. I wish I lived closer as this would be my go to!

I was a little leery walking in on a Friday night at 7:30 and the restaurant wasn't packed. Not usually a good sign. However, after enjoying a fantastic meal , I can't imagine why. Our server, Ross, was exceptional. Funny, engaging and knowledgeable about the menu. An extensive craft cocktail menu made it difficult to narrow it down. The Maple Bourbon Smash and French Martini were tasty AF. The Korean BBQDuck Wings cooked perfectly and smothered in a gooey, sticky sauce, well worth getting dirty for. The cornbread baked to order in a cast iron skillet and served with maple butter was a spot-on appetizer for a cold, winter night. By this time we were starting to get full. We decided to split the Chicken Fried Chicken. Good call as this was a serious big boy platter. Tender crispy chicken over mashed potatoes with a sausage topping so out of this world it would be an insult to call it gravy! All in all a great dining experience. I can't wait to return.

Ate at Dark Horse last night. Here are my ratings: Bartender 5, wait staff 5, wine selection & prices 5, seared sesame tuna entre 5, duck entree 5, French onion soup 4. Overall a very enjoyable experience. Strangely, only one waitress for the entire restaurant, but she was pretty quick on her feet, so no big problem there. Highly recommended!

Great service and food. My family and I have gone there several times to celebrate birthdays and other happy occasions. It doesn't matter what your order - Vegetarian, Fish, or Meat. Each dish comes out like it was made in a Michelin restaurant and tastes superb. We have never been disappointed.

Ventured here for lunch with my friend Michelle (whattuppp) on St. Paddy's Day. She had a gift card that was soon to expire, and as it was bright and sunny out, we decided to trek out. She had made a reservation thinking the restaurant would be inundated with St. Paddy's day revelers, but, when we walked through the back entrance, we were the first ones there. We did have some confusion in the parking lot - some of the space was painted with green lines - not sure why as we couldn't find signage. However, we figured, it's a Sunday, how much trouble could we get in? We were greeted by a very friendly waiter, who got right down to answering our questions. Good news celiacs- everything on the menu can be made gluten-free, which Michelle was ecstatic for because how often does that kind of thing happen? There's rarely a day when I'm ordering red meat dishes nowadays, but, whether it was the holiday or the chipper waiter, I opted for the bison pastrami sandwich, with swiss, but you can't say no to cheese unless you're some kind of heathen... We both got started with glasses of wine, which are complimentary with a yelp check-in, huzzah! You can never lead me astray with a pinot grigio. I really enjoyed the sandwich, the bread (not GF) had such a great crunch and the meat itself was juicy. I forgot how heavy red meat is. I liked the fries but found them to be a bit oversalted. We still had some room to look at the dessert menu and I selected the chocolate mousse, sensing it would be light and satisfy my serious sweet tooth and I was not wrong in both of those assumptions. I tried a few spoonfuls of Michelle's GF chocolate cake and wowza that was one dense and super chocolatey concoction. I definitely recommend that to share as you only need a few bites!

Food was delicious, nice little cozy corner restaurant. Great service. Clean. Would recommend.

Interesting decor, fireplace up high interesting but whatever that doesn't matter, food was great and service was great. I will go back just for the slow cooked beef, it fell apart. The other two I was with also said their dishes were great.

Good stuff and good ingredients and good service. Had lunch here a few times and it's been great.

Delicious Extensive GF menu with good ambience. Centrally located in downtown Riverhead.

Great option in Riverhead that I will definitely be returning to! We were in town for a wedding and booked ahead of time for a party of 6 and they had a big table waiting. The service was wonderful from start to finish, our waitress was delightful and the chef/manager (Ross) even came out to speak to us about the menu for awhile. We all ordered something different and it was all delicious!! I was a little hesitant booking because of a wide range of palettes and there wasn't an updated menu because of the seasonal changes. Everyone found something and we got it all from scallops to steak to salmon. Everything was cooked perfectly and the seasonal vegetables & sides were paired very well. I had the best (and biggest) asparagus I've had in my life which I learned was from the farm down the street. Cocktail menu was also extensive and we enjoyed what we got. One con, dinner was not cheap but for what we got it wasn't a surprising number. Just a warning that between drinks, apps, and entrees it can easily get to $100+ for 2 people. The ambiance is nothing to speak of, I actually liked that it wasn't too fancy. Definitely would recommend if you're in Riverhead!

Came for Sunday brunch. So many great brunch and lunch options . we cleaned our plates! Not a disappointment . fast and friendly service. Cute ambiance , in a nice old school brick building right in the heart of riverhead. I had the BBQ braised beef sandwich and my finance had steak and eggs. Drinks we had mimosas and French martini ( to die for ) If your in the neiborhood this is a must stop. Our waiter was great fun the whole time , lots of laughs here!

Excellent and amazing! So delicious couldn't even wait to eat to take a photo. We shared the mussels for an appetizer with amazing dipping bread and for dinner I had the LI duck and my husband had the beef Merlot - we highly recommend all these dishes. Ross was extremely knowledgeable and personable - thank you!

We had an early dinner here on the weekend. We ordered a cocktail each, both made nicely. We shared the rice ball appetizer. And for entree the watermelon salad and the chicken fried chicken. All were nice, nothing too amazing, but good. The gravy on the chicken was a bit salty. The service was nice and the staff were nice. Nothing amazing, but nothing horrible either. We'll probably go back for a drink.

Came here bc of the availability to have anything on the menu gluten free... To say that they surpassed the expectations is to say the least. For the first time in 6 years I was able to enjoy fried calamari... To die for. The beef carpaccio with truffle oil was decadent and the beets with goat cheese and candied pecans... Lord help me!!! I had the grass fed rib eye with sweet potato mash and grilled asparagus was CRIMINALLY good... I without a doubt went into another reason with every bite. About to enjoy my cappuccino and blondie for dessert

Stopped in for Lunch. Passed it a million times and finally stopped. Smaller than I thought, which is good. Not a fan of loud crowded bars and restaurants. Had the oysters and cheese board with a couple cocktails. Oysters were huge, fresh and cold. The cheese board was the perfect size for 2. Very very pleased with the waiter who working solo, and never stopped moving! Nice see, for a change! highly recommended!!

Came to eat at this restaurant the day after our friends wedding. The server greeted us and told us to sit anywhere we'd like. He also took our drink orders pretty quickly. $2.50 for an ice tea and a ginger ale. My friend ordered the burger with cheese and bacon. The bacon and cheese were $1 extra per addition. His wife ordered the veggie burger, my other friend ordered the brisket sandwich with fries, and I ordered the mr crunch. Everything was good except the fries. They were a little too burnt for everyone. Overall, it was a little but expensive but we had decent service, okay food in a cute little town.

We really enjoyed our meal here. I had the duck sandwich which was crunch and tasty. The oysters here were good too and they had a pumpkin crem brûlée dessert that was scrumptious! Definitely recommend

Food was absolutely incredible. Ridiculously fresh and tasty. I cannot wait to return. Thank you to the best staff! It was a pleasure dinning with you.

I was expecting a better experience after I perused their website. Food was just okay. Coffee was terrible. No soap in the restroom.

Dark horse is our favorite place for our family of 5. They are very accommodating for our dairy allergy child and gluten free child. Service is always excellent and the food will not disappoint

Great little place with fabulous food for my gf husband and daughter. I am not gf and loved it too. Support this wonderful place!

Loved the atmosphere, and location. Food was delicious...try the goat cheese, fig and arugala sandwich...on homemade bread...too die for...servicers were friendly and spot on with our needs...it was my first time but won't be my last

Food was very good. Calamari was excellent, didn't care for the marinara sauce though. Duck wings were excellent, spicy, which I liked. Hanger steak cooked perfectly and absolutely delicious. Chicken was very tender (I believe its dark meat). Just a suggestion is I wish they had some non dairy options or alternatives for sauces and things.

I hadn't been here since it first opened and I feel like it is much improved. We had a fried risotto cake appetizer which was delicious also the steak frites dinner was so good. Our waiter was very attentive, knew the menu well and had the perfect recommendations on what I should order. Highly recommend

Meh. Had the NY Strip. It came out sliced. Why? It was also small and flavorless. Was not seasoned. Worst part is, it was $59. There are other places in the area that offer larger and more flavorful steaks and for less money. Won't be going back.

Excellent gluten-free restaurant in Riverhead. Every dish can be made gluten-free upon demand. I had the calamari, the duck wraps, and the chicken with quinoa, which were all excellent dishes. I'm looking forward to my next visit...

Don't overlook this place. Great service. Terrific specials, small menu but something for everyone. Our group had lamburgers with hand cut chips and a duck wrap, chuckful of duck cooked perfectly. White ch9colate mousse with raspberry coulis was creamy and not too sweet. We each had a drink and the tab was supee reasonable especially for LI. Service was attentive and super-friendly. Thanks, Ross, for a great experience.

The food ,the service are impeccable It is a refined well balanced cuisine with wonderful presentation and reasonable pricing. You want to come back for more and for the sensitive gluten free touch that makes it an unforgettable experience that is for everyone .

A friend and I were dropping off one of our girlfriends to get her fingerprints done for a new job and we decided to grab a quick lunch while we were out in Riverhead. While walking down the main street a restaurant called the Dark Horse caught our eye and we decided to go in. We ordered a few items from the spring menu and one of them was the fries. My friend asked if the chief could make us some CHEESE SAUCE. Well to our surprise the fries and cheese sauce was the BEST we ever tasted. I told the server who was super nice to give our compliments to the chef and to our surprise again, chef David came out to thank us personally and told us how he made the awesome fries. I highly recommend this restaurant if you are out in Riverhead.

Calling all Celiacs and Gluten Intolerant folks!!! This restaurant is everything you could ask for. Separate GF fryers and baked in house GF bread. Menu was creative while still catering to dietary restrictions. I'm the only celiac in my family, and everyone at our table had a FABULOUS meal. 5 stars all the way!!