1924 RiverFront Steakhouse

1924 RiverFront Steakhouse sits at 1 Wharf Road on the Murray River, on the redeveloped rowing club site below Wharf Hill in Murray Bridge. The draw for dog owners is the outdoor riverfront seating: well-behaved dogs are welcome at the outdoor tables, with a clear view of the water and the old bridge, and boats and rowers drifting past while you eat.

The dog setup

Dogs join you at the outdoor, riverfront tables and on the front deck; indoor areas are for human patrons only. Because the venue fronts a public riverfront precinct with steady foot traffic, keep your dog on lead at all times. Mention that you are bringing a dog when you book so you are seated outside, and bring your own water bowl. The patio fills at peak times, so an off-peak lunch or early dinner gets you the calmer tables.

What to order

It is a proper steakhouse menu, cooked over volcanic rock. The steaks lead: a 300g Murraylands premium cut and a 350g Davenport Downs pasture-fed tenderloin, plus pork ribs, calamari and chicken schnitzel for the less steak-inclined. Regulars rate the river view almost as highly as the food, and there are vegetarian options and daily specials alongside the classics.

Getting there and parking

The restaurant is at the bottom of Wharf Hill near the riverbank. Parking runs along Wharf Road and fills quickly at peak lunch and dinner, or you can walk down from the town centre through the landscaped Wharf Hill Reserve paths. It serves lunch 11:30am to 2pm and dinner 5:30pm to 9pm, every day of the week.

Close by with the dogs

The riverside paths around the wharf and Sturt Reserve are an on-lead walk only, so for a proper run before dinner, Johnstone Park Fenced Dog Park and White Park Fenced Dog Park are the council's designated off-lead options in town. St George's Bakehouse covers morning tea, and Murray Bridge Community Club is another local dining room if the steakhouse is full.

Max: I watched three pelicans and a paddlesteamer from under a steak table. Ten out of ten.