Best Restaurants for Dinner in Lake of the Ozarks
The Lake of the Ozarks, a vast reservoir in the heartland of Missouri, is not just known for its stunning natural beauty and thrilling water sports, but also for its vibrant culinary scene. Whether you're a local resident or a vacationer, the lake area offers a plethora of dining options that cater to a variety of tastes and preferences. From upscale eateries serving gourmet cuisine to cozy bistros offering comfort food, the options are endless. This article will guide you through some of the best restaurants for dinner in Lake of the Ozarks, ensuring you have a memorable dining experience amidst the breathtaking views of the lake.
Marty byrde's
4.1
(638)
Reviews:
A group of us drove from Jeff to Osage Beach for my sister birthday. The Dj was a lot of fun, they're very limited on mixed drinks. They couldn't even make an amereto sour. Very basic drink that most bars have. They did however make me an amazing drink that I really enjoyed. We had a blast. Music was 90 to early 2000. I highly suggest you to bring cash. I was charged 100. 00 for 2 shots that equalled 16.00 and 3 drinks that were around 8.28. That does not equal to 100. 00 I emailed and left VM with nothing returned back.
Lindsey Whittington
If you came to the Ozarks because of the Netflix show, this is the place you’d want to stop at. Only a few items on the menu were themed after the show, but they do have quotes from it on the wall. Food was okay; the service was great! Though Ozark was not filmed in the actual Lake of the Ozarks area, it would be cool if the restaurant/bar would take the theme and run with it even more.
michael cohoon
It was bike fest of the Ozarks. Very busy, lots of people lots of bikes. We just had drinks and french fries. The fries were greasy, tasted like the oil needed changed. But they'd had a lot of people that week so it probably did. The person that waited on us was very nice and friendly. It was very busy at that time.
Linda Schumacher
Food tasted fine but was overpriced. Burger and fries was $15 but you got a small handful of cheap fries. Menu was a sheet of printer paper tri-folded. No lights on in the place and was lit from the sun coming through the front windows. Condiment bottles were filthy. It took 40 minutes for the 2 of us to get our food. It tasted fine and was good temp when we did get it. Wouldn't go back.
Tyler “Glytchii” Boesch
We stopped in for a drink. The bartender was just OK. She wasn't friendly nor did she appear to like her job. She did not make any suggestions for alternative drinks when they didn't have what we asked for, which is odd. The place also looked like it needed a good cleaning, especially around the bar area. We had one drink and left.
Jeanine
1286 Bagnell Dam Blvd, Lake Ozark, MO 65049, USA
The encore lakeside grill & sky bar
4.4
(522)
Reviews:
Great service and nice food. Everyone loved their meal. Their entrees are a bit expensive, but there are plenty of cheaper options on the menu if that is what you want to do. Loved the outdoor corn hole game and the outdoor bar. Very interesting pictures on the walls as well to look at. The lights around the bar were also pretty.
Tyanne Johnson
Great food. Great entertainment. Great service. Love the pool with swim up bar. Great dueling pianos performance and live music daily! We had a great experience. Highly recommend! We saw Billy Bob Thornton's band play. They were fantastic
Corrina Hauer
The food here is amazing! I've never had a bad meal. Our servers have always been friendly and courteous. Our two favorite menu items are their spinach artichoke dip and the bread pudding. But what I love most is the owner of this establishment must be a patriot. He has patriotic decor galore. It's wonderful to eat somewhere that they support our men and women in the military.
Stacey Beggerly
The Encore was a beautiful establishment with a range of services on site. I was treated very warmly from the time I walked in until I left. I ate dinner which was fantastic, and the service on the restaurant side was top notch. The view from the sky bar was perfect for the 4th of July. Also Mike with Security was friendly, professional, & informative.
Strawberry Lanes
Had our 1st visit and can't wait to go back! We celebrated my husband's birthday with steak and it was the best strip steak we've had!! The sides were awesome too. Service from Britt was top notch 💯 She helped us celebrate with a decadent dessert too. Atmosphere was great and live music started and we could still have a conversation! We'll be back!! Top notch place!
Berna Tucker
3076 Bagnell Dam Blvd, Lake Ozark, MO 65049, USA
Docknockers original
4.1
(533)
Family-friendly American hangout on the water with window-serve eats, frozen cocktails & live music.
Reviews:
Food was great!!! Atmosphere was awesome had some music. Wish they hadn't been out of peel and eat shrimp and coleslaw. Maybe next time!!
Jay S
The free ice water station was nice on a hot day. A good place to relax after some time on the water. Get something to eat and drink good place to people and boat watch also. The clam strips and chips were piping hot and tasty from the kitchen.
Ootanda Boot
This is a 'bucket' of shrimp. Gross frozen popcorn shrimp. Beach bread was hard cheese. Dad liked his shrimp tacos, that's about it
Kelly Z
We really enjoy Docknockers. There menu is NOT the typical burgers and pizza you get at all the other lake restaurants. The blackened grouper tacos are delicious and probably my favorite! The staff are fun and attentive and the owner will sit and have a conversation with you when he's there. Beautiful view of the main channel and plenty of boat parking. Dog friendly, people friendly too! They'll be closing in Oct. So get there fast!
Kris Lenhart
I really wanted to love this place, however, we never got our food. We ordered 4 entrees and at least 3 apps. The line was shut down while we waited due to the kitchen backing up (granted, this was a holiday weekend). It took 45-60 minutes standing in line before we could order. After waiting another hour for our food, we canceled our orders and left. The guys in the kitchen were very young and unprofessional; they argued, joked, and messed around the entire time. They didn't communicate well with the young ladies who were taking orders to the point that their combative demeanor made it tense to watch their interactions. You could tell the order takers were at the mercy of the kitchen and they were just taking their sweet *** time. I'd love to return in the future, but it won't be during a busy time. My husband brought me a mixed drink from the bar while I waited and it was good!
Spree Jackson
245 Wheel House Ct., Lake Ozark, MO 65049, USA
Tuckers shuckers oysters & tap
4.4
(2424)
Bustling watering hole serving comfort fare & oysters, plus tap beers, video games, TVs & a patio.
Reviews:
Neat place, and I enjoyed my fresh oysters. The Tuck n Roll sushi was awesome. Portions are huge! The onion rings were good, but very salty. Its definitely a place that is great for groups. Happy hour starts at 3pm and offers half priced appetizers.
Katryn Robinson
With all the great reviews, I was a disappointed going here for my birthday. It's overpriced and not the quality you'd expect for what you pay. We went at 5:30pm on a Sunday and it wasn't really busy. The hostess gave the kids coloring menus but no crayons. There were 3 tiny slices of bread for half a dozen oysters. We had to ask to have our clam chowder heated up because it was barely lukewarm. The chowder is closer to a thin bisque than a real chowder. The lobster Mac n cheese was good, but the lobster roll was just some pieces of seasoned lobster on a bun. There was no mayo or really any thing else to fill the bun. It was $8 just for a hand full of mini corn dogs. We had to pay extra for "fruit" which were canned mandarin oranges dumped in a bowl. Even the "fruit" for my creme brulee seemed like something out of a can. In the end we paid the same amount at this bar that we paid for steak dinners at Bentley's. Not worth it!
Deidra L
Nice, mellow vibe. Clean. Lexi was my waitress. Hannah B assisted. Both were outstanding. Attentive but not intrusive. Genuinely nice. The food was spectacular. Chargrilled Oysters were fresh and vibrant. Garlic butter was flavorful, but didn't overpower the oysters. The steak bite fondue was excellent. The fondue was soft and creamy. It has a spicy tang that balanced the richness. Fondue bread was a tad dry, but nothing unmanageable. Highly recommend. Will bring the family next time.
Erick Crago
Nice, Clean Restaurant. My husband and I were Seated Immediately. Excellent Service from "Josh" who waited on us! We had the Coconut 🦐 Shrimp for an Appetizer. My husband had the Filet Mignon and I had the Sirloin Steak both with salads and broccoli 🥦. It was All Delicious and cooked the way we wanted it. Recommend if you are by Bagnell Dam!
Trisha Miller
The best dining experience while visiting the Lake of the Ozarks! We were seated upstairs and our waitress was phenomenal, even given the weather chaotic busy night from the powersports Shootout at the Strip night. I can’t remember her name but blonde long hair, French braided. She was so attentive and friendly, we never had empty drinks and the wait staff picked up empty plates so quickly we didn’t have to worry about reorganizing to make room for other items. FOOD: Our group ordered calamari, meatballs, crab cakes, seared ahi, surf & turf, lobster Mac and cheese, and creme brulee. Everything was delicious!! The creme brulee was good but not up to the standard of the rest of the food and was a little bland. Didn’t bother us one bit though because everything else had incredible flavor, perfect temperatures, and left all of us overjoyed to have found this quality of food on the lake. If you need a break from bar food, pizza, and BBQ.. this is the place to go!
laurie labonte
1339 Bagnell Dam Blvd, Lake Ozark, MO 65049, USA
Jb hook's
4.4
(2621)
Right on the water, this upscale eatery plates steak & seafood alongside creative cocktails.
Reviews:
Views over looking the lake. We planned a sunset experience. We got there early coveted on the main floor. That menu was quite expensive but doable. We asked for upstairs menu it was exorbitantly expensive. $60 and up. We went back to the main floor menu and the waiter forgot us. A lady stopped by, she helped us. No baked potatoes available on the main floor but they agreed to give me one. (Fries only or rice) I had the coconut shrimp. It was the best I’d ever had. My husband ordered sliders they were ok. For $16. Best part was the view. We were here 5 y ago whole experience was great then.
Maxine Doner
Beautiful restaurant. Happy hour until 7pm. We ate in the bar at the high tops because we hadn't made a reservation. Still a good view of the lake from the outer bar area. The crab wontons were amazing. We added soup and salad and enjoyed great cocktails. The butternut soup was most unusual - no butternut flavor at all. Good, just didn't taste at all like butternut. The staff was great, and the ambiance lovely
Katryn Robinson
The food was delicious. Absolutely loved the cracker with butter spread they offered us. Drinks were yummy (I recommend there martinis!) The staff was very friendly and attentive. Management or possibly the owner came over and checked on us which I thought was very kind and super professional. We came in from Chicago for a little mini getaway and this place was recommended to us by a family friend. Highly recommend!
Christina B
Jeanie was fantastic! Food is so delicious it melts in your mouth. If you haven't done Sunday brunch/happy hour you gotta go here. We have the corn flake encrusted fish, Irish Nachos, and seafood sliders. Gorgeous view overlooking the lake.
Kathleen Moyer
The view was amazing and the food and appetizers were great. We will definitely be stopping here every time we go to Kinderhook to golf! It’s only a 25 min drive from the resort.
Brittany Thornton
2260 Bagnell Dam Blvd, Lake Ozark, MO 65049, USA
The bend @ the duck
4.2
(206)
Reviews:
Great food, great service, great view. The trees are beautiful this time of year. Best desserts. The sea bass is phenomenal. Tomahawk ribeye perfectly seared. Must try to carrot cake or the chocolate cake. It is all so good
Rebecca Reinecke
Great place for a fancy dinner on the lake! 12 of us ate 10 out of the 12 plates were sold Could use a little better beer menu Wine menu was fantastic Server seemed a bit put out But in her defense I think she was just overwhelmed She did a good job though View was fantastic! Happy this place is where it is! Hope it does well and continues to grow
Christopher Campana
Delicious! Bartenders are magicians and I will go back just to watch them work their magic. The scallops are amazing and the Calamari was truly the best I’ve ever had! Highly recommend!
Elizabeth Dattoli
Very impressed with the service and food! The Steak and Lobster where so delicious! And I would give the calamari an A++. Came down for the weekend to spend time with friends and we enjoyed it so much we went Saturday and Sunday evening.
Heather Fricke
Excellent Bloody Mary's! Superb service! And an unbeatable lake side view. I recommend eating on the patio if the weather suits you. You will not beat the view sitting just above the lake. Food was excellent! Recommend!
DO-451 Tomahawk “T6”
67 Cherokee Ct, Lake Ozark, MO 65049, USA
Li'l rizzo's restaurant - lake ozark
4.4
(1214)
Casual Italian restaurant & sports bar with pizzas, pastas & sandwiches, plus dessert calzones.
Reviews:
This place definitely exceeded our expectations. We had a great time. Our server was attentive and gave great service! We went for an early dinner. He suggested we take note of the happy hour wine and appetizer specials. They had a great variety of house wines and appetizers for half price. We thought why not take advantage of them and try a glass of wine, as well as a couple appetizers. The deck was a great choice for a fall afternoon. Everything was perfectly delicious. We will be returning again. Thank you for such an enjoyable experience!!
Nicole Renee
Li'l Rizzo's Restaurant- Lake Ozark Is Awesome! The food was delicious. The view of the water is beautiful. The interior is decorated well. Without doubt I strongly recommend Li'l Rizzo's because it's one of the best restaurants in Lake Ozark! Have a great day!
Jack Carello
Amazing food and great service!! I had the toasted ravioli and a pizza. Both were amazing!!
Ben Moore
My family stopped here for dinner on a Monday evening. We were seated after a short 5 min wait. They had signs up letting us know that service may be slow due to low employment numbers. We waited about 15/20 min for our food once we ordered. The pizza was good according to those eating that. The Alfredo was not super flavorful but was still good. I had the manicotti which was good but could have used some more seasoning. The cheese bread was very good. Over all I would recommend this place when you find yourself in the area.
Denai C
While vacationing we like to eat at different places, so we decided to eat here. Our waitress was pleasant and kind. My daughter and I ordered the Fettuccine Alfredo. My husband got the Mostaccioli. He enjoyed his dinner. However, the Fettuccine Alfredo sauce was quite different than a traditional Alfredo sauce. It seemed to be made with White American Cheese with a blend of cream and parmesan cheeses. The combination of cheeses didn't go together. Wish a better description of the sauce was stated on the menu. I would have ordered something different. However, the Ciabatta Parmesan rolls were good.
Amy Doles
2146 Horseshoe Bend Pkwy, Lake Ozark, MO 65049, USA