Bonita Springs Rooftop Bar Debuts New Menu

A popular Bonita Springs rooftop bar debuts new menu just in time for 4th of July festivities and here is what you need to know. Rooftop at Riverside is a food truck park in downtown Bonita with a Rooftop Lounge overlooking Riverside Park where a huge Independence Day celebration is taking place.

Members of the media got a sneak peak of the new menu and revamped space last week. Here is a video that might just make you hungry and thirsty.

The foodtruck and rooftop lounge opened in January 2024. Today, new General Manager Anthony Hayes, has revamped the menu and owners are revamping the aesthetics. Added to the taps is "239". The beer is a less hoppy IPA from Anchor Brewing in Naples.

In addition, there are eight new cocktails. Two are mocktails.

The cocktail pictured below on the left is Paloma Picante and it was a media favorite. It features jalapeno tequila, fresh lime and grapefruit juice, agave and a splash of soda. The heat is nice and balanced by the sweet.

The cocktail on the right is the Riverside Mule. The ginger beer gets a refreshing spike from the addition of limoncello and is topped with an edible orchid.

The Sunset Sipper is one of the mocktails on the new cocktail list. In fact, most of the drinks can be adapted to "virgin" if you don't want to consume alcohol but still want a well made drink.

Hayes wanted an elevated cocktail menu that not only tastes and looks great but is also fast for the bartenders to execute. In addition, he brought in new glassware to highlight the cocktails.

The Espresso Martini by Xtini is premade. I was with a self-proclaimed espresso martini expert who gave it a thumbs up. This cocktail is also lower in calories, coming in at 110 and has 8 grams of sugar if you count those things.

Paradise Hospitality Group provides catering for the Rooftop Lounge and the Joloff Arancini is one of the items. The small rice balls are mixed with pepper and tomato, fried and topped with mojo aioli. They were another favorite at the media tasting.

I liked the creativity, as well as the taste, of the lobster corndog. It has lemon aleppo tartar sauce on the top and bottom. Talk about elevating and everyday, nostalgic food item.

Not only is there a new menu but a new look to the rooftop bar. You can see it underway. It will still have nods to Southwest Florida when it is finished.

From the Rooftop Lounge, this is the view of Riverside Park. It's where a lot of action takes place in Bonita Springs as far as concerts, art show, and the 4th of July fireworks extravaganza. If you book a seat here, you will get a birds eye view of the display as well as the parade down Old 41.