You would think a city whose whole identity is wrapped in images of three rivers running through it would be replete with waterfront dining destinations.

Alyssa Cwanger, Post-Gazette Redfin Blues owners Robert Suchevits, left, and Erik Rector hold Hawaiian Martinis while Erik's daughter, Morgan Rector, 10, shows off Boursin Crusted Seared Salmon with Potato Wrapped Shrimp at the restaurant. Click photo for larger image. Redfin Blues 100 Waterfront Drive Washington's Landing 412-322-5837 Hours: 11 a.m.-midnight, Sundays-Thursdays, 11 a.m.-2 a.m. Friday and Saturday. Basics: Pittsburgh's best riverfront location, this bar and grill is essentially a beer and burger joint aspiring to higher culinary notions. The deck overlooking the Allegheny River is lively and crowded, especially on weekends when the sun shines. Live entertainment on Fridays, Saturdays or Sundays in summer. Prices: Appetizers, $4.95-$9.95; entrees, $11.95-$31.95; desserts, $4.95; wines by glass: $6-$8.50. Summary: Smoking. Wheelchair accessible. Free parking in Washington's Landing lot. All major credit cards accepted. No reservations.

Unfortunately, riverside restaurants in our fair city are almost as rare as the Pirates winning the pennant. Redfin Blues on Washington's Landing is a rare Pittsburgh species; its entire raison d'etre is the waterfront. When the Urban Renewal Agency returned Herr's Island to its pristine pre-industrialized state, it happily provided city residents with green spaces, hiking and biking trails and a marina. Redfin Blues is an integral part of this marina, with steps from the deck leading down to the docks. But it is more than a clubhouse for the yachting crowd.

On a sunny Saturday, there is no more happening place in all of our county than the Redfin Blues deck overlooking the Allegheny River. People are lined up three deep at the outdoor Tiki Bar as patrons patiently wait to be seated at one of the coveted waterside tables. A cold and frothy draft beer or an icy margarita and the buzz and laughter of the crowd makes the wait not just tolerable but pleasant. There are almost as many gray and balding heads as there are tanned bodies and bare midriffs in this multi-generational party crew. And before the evening is over, everyone has made new friends.

Redfin has a new executive chef who is gradually putting his own imprint on the menu. Kris Baringer is a Pennsylvania Culinary Institute graduate who spent years in The Carlton restaurant kitchen before joining Toni Pais at Cafe Zao. With Baringer in the Redfin Blues kitchen, the food rises above the "beach bar and grill" level. His specials change regularly and are listed on the back of the regular menu.

His Shrimp and Mango Spring Rolls ($8.95) are artfully presented in a martini glass sitting on a triangular-shaped plate. The cold rolls of shrimp and mango with green tea noodles are wrapped in paper-thin rice noodles and served with Asian chili-garlic sauce and pickled ginger. This appealing appetizer has little in common with a selection on the regular side of the menu, Calamari Tenders ($6.95), tasteless sticks of frozen, pre-breaded calamari served in a basket with a plastic tub of commercially bottled sauce.

The Baked Crab Dip ($7.95) is a little light on the crab but comes with a giant platter of multi-colored corn chips and flatbread. The portion is so generous that I watched a couple at a neighboring table order a bottle of wine and one crab dip appetizer as their entire meal.

Another dinner replacement from the appetizer menu is quesadillas. These flour tortillas grilled with assorted cheeses and either chicken, steak, vegetables (all $7.95) or shrimp ($9.95) can also be the perfect solution to the "fussy kid" problem. And a welcome change from chicken fingers and mac and cheese. Pizzas come in 12" and 16" and are priced at $6.95 or $9.95. There are burgers, sandwiches and wraps from $6.95 to $9.95. All come with a choice of french fries, cole slaw or pasta salad.

Pastas come with shrimp ($13.95) or salmon ($14.95) with various sauces. Judging from my scampi fettuccini, I would not recommend the pastas. The noodles were overcooked, the sauce was too thick and the seasoning was nonexistent.

Baringer's special entree is Potato Crusted Halibut ($19.95). I might not have ordered it had I known the chef was not in the kitchen that evening. The potatoes were more soggy than crusty, and the mixed steamed vegetables had frozen green beans added to fresh broccoli. In spite of Baringer's efforts to make this an upscale dining experience, Redfin Blues is first and foremost a burger-and-brew sort of place. You can't go wrong sticking to the more mundane offerings of chargrilled chicken breast ($11.95) or tacos and fajitas ($7.95-$11.95).

Everyone raves about fried cheesecake ($4.95) on the Redfin dessert menu. It's hard to imagine falling in love with a piece of cheesecake that is coated in graham cracker crumbs and coconut, deep-fried and served with fresh berries, but our waitress promised that we would fall hard. We were anxious to try this highly unusual treat, but on two occasions we were out of luck as it was sold out. Next time we'll call in advance and ask them to reserve a piece.

One of the joys of dining on the Redfin Blues deck is watching the sleek sculls from the Three Rivers Rowing Club quietly cut through the water. We saw sculls out for practice runs in the golden evening light -- the perfect Thomas Eakins moment. On Friday and Saturday nights there is live entertainment on the deck. Tim Lionelli will be playing at 4 p.m. on Saturday. Matt Tichon will begin performing at 5 p.m. July 29 and 3 p.m. July 31.

The outdoor dining at Redfin Blues is certainly the biggest draw, but there is indoor service as well. The indoor tables share a small space with a large bar and a number of game machines. It is smoky and noisy. TV screens and recorded music added to the usual busy-bar and game-room commotion means that conversation at the table is difficult. Service is casual and friendly.

Sometimes having to attend to 300 diners in a single weekend evening, servers are kept on a dead run but manage to maintain a smile. To enjoy a more leisurely riverside dinner, I suggest going to Redfin on a weeknight when you might not have to wait for a table and, in fact, might even have the deck to yourselves as I did for an early dinner on a Tuesday. The only off-note to that experience was a rock station blasting over the sound system, complete with advertisements. I would so much have preferred the natural sounds of the river, the sculls and the birds. It wasn't the first time I have wondered why restaurants feel that ambient noise is necessary to create the mood of "having a good time."

Redfin has 10 beers on draft. Domestic beers are $2.75 and imported ones range from $3.25 to $7.00. Wines by the glass range from $6 to $8.50. Bottles start at $18. I found the glass price somewhat steep considering the quality and compared to the bottle prices. Once again, one glass of Yellow Tail shiraz costs only a tad less than an entire bottle of that wine at PLCB stores.

Redfin Blues has the hottest deck in town and a menu with something to please everyone. And it has something you won't find anywhere else ... a ringside seat for watching the sun set over the Allegheny River.