Wild River Brewing & Pizza Company located at 2684 N. Pacific Hwy in Medford was a great find. My family and I were in Medford near the mall and were exceptionally hungry, we decided try this new place we heard about called Wild River. It was nice, new, clean, and very large with an industrial feel although I was not impressed with the sponge painted walls, and hospital looking cabinetry in the section we were seated.
We were seated and were promptly given menus and had our drink orders taken by a very friendly waitress. They offer a wide selection of pastas, salads, burgers, sandwiches and a dessert menu that sounded scrumptious. We watched many dishes go by as we waited for our food and they all looked very tempting, especially the beer battered onion rings. Neither of us felt much like beer that day, but we did sample a Harbor Lights and a Bohemian Pilsner, we both preferred the Harbor lights. They also offer a home brewed Root Beer which alas they were out of, much to our dismay.
Given that we were so hungry, it seemed to take longer than normal to get our food, but it was well worth the wait. My son who is picky and doesn’t ever eat much of anything ate his entire personal pizza a surprising first! My husband had a small pepperoni, sausage and mushroom pizza and I had their special of the day which was a fish and chips basket, beer battered of course. The pizza is thin crust and baked or wood fired perhaps to delightful perfection. The toppings were fresh and ample as was the cheese. It is cut into small bite sized diamond shaped pieces, instead of the traditional slice – it was a nice change. My fish and chips were out of this world good! My plate was piled high with three huge pieces of fish atop a large portion of chips and a side of homemade coleslaw. The fish was remarkable; very light and crispy, but not greasy which was deeply appreciated. I also enjoyed their tarter sauce which didn’t overpower the fish. The pub fries were seasoned and very tasty, although they were just too much for me after two generous pieces of fish. I gave the third to my husband, who also quite thoroughly enjoyed it. The coleslaw was good, obviously home made, but a bit on the bland side for me. I prefer a zingy slaw bursting with flavor.
By the time we had finished our meal it was hopping busy and it took some time to get our check and by the time we left the place was packed and had a long wait list. We tried to take a friend there the following weekend and it was so crowded we went elsewhere, my humble advice for the day is go early if you plan on dining at the Wild River in Medford. Stay tuned, and enjoy dining out.
