Rail & River opens at former Whetstone Station site, drawing steady crowds

The restaurant has quickly become a popular destination, with lunch and dinner service regularly filling much of its seating.

The waterfront site that sat quiet for nearly three years is once again busy with diners, servers and the sounds of a working kitchen. Rail & River Tavern began welcoming customers Aug. 27 in the former Whetstone Station building, restoring a familiar stop along the Connecticut River with views of Mount Wantastiquet.

The restaurant has quickly become a popular destination, with lunch and dinner service regularly filling much of its seating. Luis Sanchez, the restaurant’s marketing manager and hospitality consultant, said the early response has been strong from people who had been waiting for the opening for months.

Before the debut was officially announced, the restaurant’s social media accounts were already drawing repeated questions from customers eager to return to the location overlooking the river. On opening day, he said, nearly every table was occupied.

Rail & River’s arrival follows nearly three years of renovation work aimed at updating the building and preparing it for a new chapter. The project brought new life to one of Brattleboro’s best-known riverside properties, a place many residents had missed not only for its dining but also for its view.

The menu is built around a wide range of options, including burgers, pasta Alfredo with shrimp and sausage, vegetarian dishes, gluten-free choices and meals for children. A seafood boil serves as the restaurant’s signature dish and, according to Sanchez, is not easy to find elsewhere in the region.

The restaurant also links one of those dishes to a charitable effort: $1 from each seafood boil sold goes to the Winston Prouty Center.

Sanchez said the business aims to keep prices within reach while still offering large portions and a setting that feels welcoming to families and groups. The goal, he said, is to provide an experience that combines food, scenery and service without the cost associated with higher-end dining rooms.

The building contains about 190 seats across two floors. The upstairs bar is named for Mount Wantastiquet, which rises on the opposite side of the Connecticut River in Hinsdale, N.H. In pleasant weather, glass doors can be opened so guests can enjoy the river and mountain views; when the temperature drops, they are closed to keep the space comfortable year-round.

Staff members are still adjusting as they learn what dishes resonate most with diners and where changes may be useful. Sanchez said he spends time speaking with guests in person and reviewing feedback left on Facebook, Google and Yelp so the restaurant can respond to customer experience during its early weeks.

Rail & River is located at 36 Bridge Street and is open Sunday — Thursday: 11:30 a.m. — 10:00 p.m. and Friday — Saturday: 11:30 a.m. — 11:00 p.m. The space is also available for company events, weddings and other private gatherings.

Owner Paul Belogour, who has bought and restored several troubled properties in the region, also owns the former Exit 1 Outlet Center, now home to Vermont Marketplace on Canal Street in Brattleboro. He is also the owner of Vermont News & Media, the parent company of the Brattleboro Reformer and other publications.