164 Main Street, Newmarket, NH - (603) 659-6119
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Newmarket, New Hampshire may not be the dining hub of New England but there are some pretty excellent options (such as Rocky's Burgers and Panzanella's Italian) but that doesn't mean that every option is a good option.
The Riverworks has the most ideal of all Newmarket locations, directly downtown, right at the intersection of 108 and 152. It also has a terrific building, split between a pub downstairs and a split dining room upstairs. It has some good design and nice seasonal lighting. It has decent service and it has a pretty extensive menu...and that's about it.
Starting off with the bread, it was warmed but clearly not fresh and tasted more like a soft bagel, which isn't bad by any means. It was a nice enough start before the sauteed artichoke with crostinis, which were also pretty average (although the cream sauce was a highlight), and the baked french onion soup. After these appetizers though the meal went downhill, quickly.
The Guinness marinated steak tips were average at best, and certainly not worth the over twenty dollar price tag. The Parmesan risotto might as well have been plain because the extra marinade on it completely overpowered it. The asparagus didn't interest me so I requested mashed potatoes, which they obliged, and they had an odd texture with little flavor. Onto the vegetarian lasagna, which allegedly has five cheeses and a homemade marinara. It would have been better advertising to say that their lasagna was previously frozen and then thawed with an oddly spiced paste sauce draped on it. Honestly, this is cheesier than the dish, but Chef Boyardee has created better meals than this.
As for dessert, we ordered the Kahlua mousse and the espresso mousse torte. The Kahlua mousse was pretty much cake batter in texture and taste. The espresso mouse torte was better (although could have been an Enteman's product).
It's hard to believe that the meal was as pricey as it was and although we left with a full stomach, we didn't end up with much more. I wouldn't recommend Riverworks for anything more than a quick drink in their bar.
