590454 Sat Jan 24 12:33:50 -0800 2009 19 8 Midwest 0 4354062 I will be going to Lake of the Ozarks next weekend and I'm curious about what chowhounds recommend there. Is there anything unique to the area to look for? Also, are there any place we ought to avoid? Sat Jan 24 12:33:50 -0800 2009 33718 lesliedm3 1 4356588 I can recommend On the Rise Bakery and Bistro, it's only open for Breakfast/lunch. It's been a while since I've been down there but it was really good when i was there, the bakery makes a ham and cheese roll that I can't eat enough of and the bistro-style lunch and breakfast food is very well prepared. Other than that, in my limited time at the Lake I haven't had much luck, a lot of chain restaurants and such, but, I am sure there are some gems that I just have missed. Here is the link to On the Rise http://www.ontherisebakery.com/ Sun Jan 25 14:29:02 -0800 2009 4354062 22757 zeke 2 4358737 Second for OTR. Great place. FOTD Mon Jan 26 10:28:00 -0800 2009 4356588 107184 FriendOfTheDevil 3 5176672 Third for OTR. Very good. Bananas Foster French toast is my wife's favorite. Thu Nov 12 13:46:55 -0800 2009 4358737 1086319 jhojati 1 4359318 Barons Bistro is my favorite place at the lake - it's in Camdenton, though, which can be quite a ways from a lot of the main Lake action: Barons Bistro 8 Bridal Cave Rd, Camdenton, MO Tel: (573) 346-6369 The Kenilworth House Sidewalk Café is also great - very folksy/foodie, with cool kitchen gadgets and cookbooks in the entryway, too: The Kenilworth House Sidewalk Café, Highway 54, Lake Ozark, MO 65049 (573) 348-5959 The Duck (Formerly the Lucky Duck) isn't bad, and has the advantage of being one of the area's upscale restaurants right on the lake: http://www.theduckrestaurant.com/ Avoid, avoid, avoid the Blue Heron and Potted Steer - yucky (a spider in my salad - no joke), crazy (cornish hen with raw green grapes in what seemed to be a cinnamon-flavored water.. gourmet? non) food and mediocre service. Also, look for divey looking bbq places by the sides of highways.. they're kind of a Lake tradition and are often quite good. Finally, my favorite restaurant at the Lake used to be Toledo's (at Four Seasons resort) - the chef was unbelievably good and finally left for a much better paying job at a really good restaurant in San Francisco. Unfortunately, after he left, the restaurant ceased to exist. There might be something else in there now, but I have no idea how good it is. Anyone tried the Four Seasons restaurants lately (like HKs, or the raquetball place)? (Or the Tan Tara - another golf resort - restaurants, for that matter?) Mon Jan 26 13:00:46 -0800 2009 4354062 260484 seethaki 1 4361970 I hate to tell you this but On the Rise Bakery and The Duck Restaurant (www.theduckrestaurant.com) are both closed for the season and won't reopen until sometime around the end of February or mid-March. Check out both websites. Baron's Bistro has been closed for about 3 years but there is a German restaurant there now and it's Der Essen Platz. The Kenilworth house has been closed for about 5 years and there is a Chinese restaurant there now. HK's is in the Lodge of Four Season's and has a varied menu, somewhat upscale. Andre's on the Lake is an upscale French restaurant on Horseshoe Bend and is very nice. A cozy bar that has it's own menu and the restaurant with a great view. Go to www.funlake.com and click on dining and you can read about all of our restaurants. We have many local casual restaurants that are far better than the chains. Tue Jan 27 09:34:55 -0800 2009 4354062 260917 lovethelake 2 4362298 Wow, that's sad - interestingly, it seems that both these closures corresponded pretty closely time-wise with the destruction of the historic Arrowhead Lodge. *sighs* Tue Jan 27 10:49:25 -0800 2009 4361970 260484 seethaki 3 4799140 I've been going to the lake for 12 years, and the best I've ever had is Andre's. A French trained chef serving amazing French and Mediterranean cuisine! And you can't beat the view. Tue Jun 23 13:45:23 -0700 2009 4362298 324310 Dr.Tam 4 5176681 My god, this place is amazing. I thought their walleye was perfect, and the scallops in saffron cream sauce was so good I asked the waiter for the recipe, and he got it for me. What a view, too. If you want romantic, good cocktails, and great food, this is it. Thu Nov 12 13:48:15 -0800 2009 4799140 1086319 jhojati 1 4362244 http://www.sevenspringswinery.com/index.asp Tue Jan 27 10:37:53 -0800 2009 4354062 53854 WyCo 2 4362300 The Seven Springs Winery looks awesome! I wish I still lived in MO. Tue Jan 27 10:49:48 -0800 2009 4362244 260484 seethaki 3 4363000 Really pretty site and the food and wine were pretty good. We haven't been to Der Essen Platz since it moved from Stover, but we always enjoyed their food before. Tue Jan 27 13:35:41 -0800 2009 4362300 53854 WyCo 4 4363040 I remember way back when Der Essen Platz was in Cole Camp.. they were excellent for years and then started to slip. (On a different, but related, note, I hope that place down the street from the former Der Essen Platz in Cole Camp is still there.. a guy [Amish, I think?] started up a small place with just 1-2 items offered on the menu per day, plus ever-changing baked goods. It was excellent, but I never saw anyone else eating there...) Tue Jan 27 13:44:27 -0800 2009 4363000 260484 seethaki 1 4452321 Wobbly Boots has very good BBQ. There is a great Nacho dish on the appetizers that is a meal in itself. A bar called "Pickled Petes" has a good blackend fish sandwich. A favorite more upscale restaurant is J.B. Hooks. They have a very good surf & turf. The Horny Toad has a nice atmosphere and marginal food except for the chicken wings...they are great. Is there anything going on this weekend? My review is for their summer season. I do not eat out as much if I go off season. Wed Feb 25 17:09:51 -0800 2009 4354062 269891 theresa1166 1 4456293 Depends on what you're looking for. the best steaks are to be had a Michael's near Tantara down towards the souther end. It's otherwise pretty basic, but they do know how to treat s decent piece of beef. The upscale pickings are sort of slim; my thought is that the Windrose at Tantara is probably the best. The Blue Heron is a somewhat timewarpy sort of place that does do some very good things and some very wierd things. an excellent osso bucco, but a number of the dishes and particularly the presentations are fresh from the 1950's. the bottomless cask of cognacs personally blended by the owner is a pleasure. A truly over the top local specialty; the battered and deep fried lobster tail, is available at several restaurants, but is best at JBHook's, and at J Brunner's. I would have to say, though, that for a resort area of high population, there is not a lot to rave about. Thu Feb 26 20:04:18 -0800 2009 4354062 106255 chazzerking 2 4461227 The Old Trail House on highway 5 a few miles north of Camdenton has pretty good food and a killer view of the lake at sunset. Sat Feb 28 14:54:02 -0800 2009 4456293 141732 tusti 3 4573369 Almost forgot - Ruthie D's on Horseshoe Bend is pretty good: http://ruthieds1.liveonatt.com/home.nxg Mon Apr 06 18:22:20 -0700 2009 4461227 260484 seethaki 1 5164725 So....just leaving land of the ozarks and want to thank the chowhounders for their recommendations. As it turns out, I tried JG Hooks as the sun was setting and the view was so spectacular, I highly recommend going their for sunset. The grouper tacos I had were really tasty too. I had an AMAZING breakfast at On the Rise Bakery, definitely worth going to. And I had a lousy meal at Bentley's, a way over priced filet mignon covered in some kind of yicky sauce. Sun Nov 08 06:09:13 -0800 2009 4354062 125183 lizzieeats 2 5167382 Next time you go to On the Rise Bakery, try the Lobster bisque served in a phyllo crust bowl. Yum! Mon Nov 09 10:39:45 -0800 2009 5164725 1123047 Morninsun 2 5195320 Before I saw that I am too late I was going to suggest JB Hooks. Been awhile, but I always loved that place. Someone above asked about HK's, etc. Also been awhile, but it is overpriced and The Lodge is just not what it used to be. Apparently closed for the season, but The Duck is awesome for probably half the cost of HK's. Just in case yo go back to the Lake or someone else who needs info reads this. ; ) Thu Nov 19 18:51:11 -0800 2009 5164725 1109983 MrsJTW