Lake Lanier restaurants on the water 38
Places on the water you can tie up to, plus the spots near the ramps that lake people actually go to.
The on-water restaurants sit at the marinas, one each. Listicles elsewhere still name Mallory's Castaway, Dockside Grille and Norman's Landing. All three are closed.
North end 15
Gainesville, Clermont and up the Chattahoochee and Chestatee arms.
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Atlas Pizza
Scratch-dough pizza and wings on the downtown Gainesville square, with indoor and sidewalk seating. Closed Monday. Easy family dinner or a takeout pie to carry back to a lake rental.
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Avocados Restaurant
Downtown Gainesville restaurant doing breakfast and lunch daily plus dinner Wednesday through Saturday. Sit-down American menu with fish specials; handy if you are coming off the lake at the Clarks Bridge or Longwood end.
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Collegiate Grill
Old counter-service burger and chili dog place in downtown Gainesville, open 11 to 3 and closed Sunday. Lunch only, so plan around it; handmade milkshakes and hand-cut fries.
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Country Cafe
Cafeteria-line cafe sitting right at the War Hill Park Road turnoff, which makes it the closest food to the War Hill ramp on the Chestatee arm. Southern and Mexican plates, breakfast burritos from 6 in the morning, dinner only on Friday and Saturday.
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Longstreet Cafe
Meat-and-three on Riverside Terrace serving breakfast from 5:30 in the morning, a drive-through, and Southern plate lunches. Closed Sunday. The standard early stop for people heading to the north-end ramps.
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Luna's
Long-running sit-down restaurant on Main Street in downtown Gainesville. Dinner-oriented and dressier than the marina grills, for a night off the lake.
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Mountain Fresh Creamery
Dairy farm north of the lake that makes its own ice cream, milkshakes and bottled milk, with a window and picnic space on the property. Worth the drive if you are camping at Don Carter or fishing the upper Chattahoochee arm; afternoon hours only and it closes by early evening.
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Pelican Pete's Tiki Bar & Grill
Floating tiki bar and grill at Port Royale Marina, with guest slips marked for restaurant customers so you can tie up and walk right in. Burgers, sandwiches, seafood and frozen drinks under a big thatched roof, all open-air; live music on weekends roughly May through October and it fills up fast on warm Saturdays.
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Port Royale Marina Ship Store & Gas Island
Two ship stores at Port Royale with snacks, drinks, ice and nachos to go, right on the gas dock. Easiest fuel-and-food stop on the north end, and the hours stretch longer in summer than in winter.
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Rabbittown Cafe
Country buffet on Old Cornelia Highway, east of town and the closest sit-down breakfast to Don Carter State Park at the top of the lake. Opens 5:30 in the morning, closes at 2, Saturday ends at 11:30.
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Recess Southern Gastro-pub
Gastropub on the downtown Gainesville square, fifteen minutes from the north-end marinas. Shrimp and grits, burgers and Cajun plates, full bar, dinner only on weekdays and closed Sunday. Good end-of-day stop after a day on the water.
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Skogies Lakefront Restaurant
Lakefront eatery at Gainesville Marina with courtesy slips for boaters; if the slips are full you can call from the water and they will come get you. Hand-battered seafood, Black Angus burgers, sandwiches and a Sunday brunch buffet, indoor and shaded outdoor seating. Beer and wine only, no liquor, and closed Mondays.
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Sunrise Cove Marina Store
Ship store at Sunrise Cove that makes sandwiches and wraps in summer only. It is the only food at this marina, so treat it as a grab-and-go stop rather than a meal out.
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The Chattahoochee Grill
Grill at Chattahoochee Golf Club off the Dawsonville Highway side of Gainesville, a few minutes from Gainesville Marina and the Clarks Bridge ramps. Burgers, wings and sandwiches, indoor and patio seating over the course, open for breakfast through dinner most days.
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The Dawsonville Pool Room
Racing-themed burger counter in downtown Dawsonville, walls covered in Bill Elliott and moonshine-era memorabilia. Burgers, hand-cut fries and sweet tea, open daily. About twenty minutes from the War Hill and Thompson Creek ramps and an easy stop with kids.
Mid lake 12
Flowery Branch, Cumming and the middle of the lake.
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Antebellum
Dinner-only restaurant in an 1890s house in the old Flowery Branch depot district, five minutes from the Hideaway Bay and Aqualand side of the lake. Southern-leaning plates, cocktails, reservations worth making. Closed Sunday and Monday.
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Branch House Tavern
Big sports tavern on McEver Road, the road everyone takes between Flowery Branch ramps and the marinas. Indoor and outdoor seating, pulled pork and sandwiches, weekend brunch, live music and karaoke later on. Family friendly early, bar crowd late.
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Caroline's on Main
Breakfast and brunch spot on Main Street in Flowery Branch, open 8 to 2 every day and closed by mid-afternoon. Good stop before you put the boat in; it backs up on weekend mornings.
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Fish Tales Lakeside Grille
Seafood spot at Hideaway Bay Marina with a gas dock, so you can pull in by boat, and an outdoor seating area looking out over the slips. Fried and grilled fish, tacos, burgers and sandwiches, live music, and a sand play area that makes it work with kids.
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Habersham Marina Store
Ship store at Habersham Marina on the Six Mile Creek side. Snacks, drinks and boating supplies only, no restaurant at this marina.
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Lake Burrito
Burrito and taco counter on Keith Bridge Road, about ten minutes from the boat ramp, with big portions and quick takeout. Closed Monday and closes mid-afternoon on weekends, so it is a loading-the-cooler stop more than a dinner plan.
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Pig Tales on Lake Lanier
Barbecue joint inside Aqualand Marina with a dock you can pull up to and dockside and curbside pickup if you would rather not get off the boat. Pulled pork, brisket, ribs, burgers and wings, mostly open-air seating with roll-down vinyl walls for cold weather, dogs allowed on a leash. Parking is tight on summer weekends.
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Safe Harbor Aqualand Ship Store
Marina store at Aqualand with drinks, snacks and ice on the way out to the water. Pig Tales is in the same marina if you want to sit down.
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Smokey Q BBQ
Barbecue counter at Bald Ridge Marina with a covered deck and a view of the slips. Brisket, pulled pork, ribs, tacos and the usual sides. Most people drive in; call ahead because hours move around with the season.
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The Sandwich Market at Bald Ridge Marina
Seasonal sandwich counter inside Bald Ridge Marina, next to the gas dock. Quick food for people fueling up or heading out; open in the boating season, so call before you count on it.
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Tin Cup Grill
Patio restaurant at Cumming City Center with mini golf attached, about twenty minutes from the Bald Ridge and Two Mile ramps. Burgers, steaks and shareables, live music on the green on weekends, and it handles big groups.
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Whistle Q – BBQ
Small barbecue house on Main Street in Flowery Branch with a shaded patio next to the train tracks. Pulled pork, smoked turkey, pork skins and fried okra, sides big enough to share. Closed Mondays.
South end 11
Buford, the islands and the water near the dam.
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37 Main Restaurant + Bar
Live music bar and small-plates kitchen in downtown Buford, a short drive up from the dam. Open Thursday through Saturday evenings around the show schedule, so check who is playing before you drive over.
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Aqua Terra Bistro
Steak and seafood restaurant on Main Street in old Buford, about fifteen minutes from the dam and Lanier Islands. Sit-down dinner with a piano some nights, plus weekend brunch. Where lake people go when they want a real table and not a paper basket.
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Bullfrogs Bar & Grille
Casual bar and grill at Legacy Lodge on Lanier Islands; you can come by boat and tie up at the Villas dock or the dock behind the lodge pool, though dock parking is limited. Indoor and poolside seating with a lake view, open late, works for family or for drinks.
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Fins Up Water Park concessions and Chill Zone
Walk-up food and drink stands and tiki bars inside the Margaritaville water park, plus the Chill Zone bars overlooking the lake. Open with the water park from about May into September and you need park admission to use them.
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Game Changer at Lanier Islands Resort
Bar and grill wrapped around bowling, arcade games, go-karts and axe throwing on the resort grounds, a couple of minutes from the docks. Burgers and bar food, lots of TVs, and the obvious rainy-day or after-dark option when the beach places shut.
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Holiday Marina Ship Store
Ship store at Holiday Marina stocking snacks, drinks, beer, wine and ice along with dock lines, lake maps and water toys. A few steps from the Twisted Oar if you want a real meal instead.
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LandShark Bar & Grill at Lanier Islands
Beachfront bar and grill at LandShark Landing with day docks for boaters who come in for the afternoon. Tacos, coconut shrimp, salads and boat drinks, a long outdoor terrace with fire pits and weekend entertainment. Hours shrink to Thursday through Sunday outside the summer season, and drive-in guests pay resort parking.
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Paradise Beach Cantina
Walk-up Mexican counter on the beach at Margaritaville, with boat slips nearby at LandShark Landing. Chips and salsa, burritos, tacos, salad bowls, sangria and margaritas, all outdoors in the sand. Summer only, roughly May through September with the water park.
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Port of Indecision Marina Store
Small store at the Margaritaville marina, open mainly on weekends. Snacks and drinks; the LandShark and the beach cantina are a short walk up the dock.
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Sidney's Restaurant
Sit-down dining room at Legacy Lodge with lake views; guests can arrive by boat or car. Continental menu, breakfast most mornings, dinner Friday and Saturday, and a Sunday brunch. Dressier than the marina places and not a walk-up-in-swimsuits spot.
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The Twisted Oar
Waterfront restaurant at Holiday Marina, reachable by boat or car, open year-round. Plenty of outdoor seating on the water, seafood, pizza and barbecue, a full bar and weekend bands. Pet friendly.
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