Where To Eat : Lake of the Ozarks Edition 2012
I thought an update to last year’s post would be in order, as some of our favorites have changed. Now remember, this is just what our family likes…we haven’t been everywhere and we haven’t tried everything, but if you’re coming in town for vacation, these are some places worth checking out. Read last year’s post too for even more ideas.
Baxter’s Lakeside Grille has become a go-to for us. It’s a nice place with a wide lake view, consistently good food and great service. A few of our favorites from the menu : The Phoenix loves the Best of Baxter’s, which is filet and scallops, he pretty much orders that every time we go. If I’m in the mood for a salad, the Spinach Salad with Salmon is my favorite and for something a little more filling, the fish options are pretty yummy, but my standby is the Caribbean Jerk Chicken. It’s hard to choose between the sweet potato fries and the regular fries, both are outstanding. If you get the sweet potato fries, ask for maple syrup to dip; it’s divine. Their regular fries remind me of a good ol’ fashioned fish fry; yum, yum, yum. The Beer Cheddar soup is my absolute favorite, but they don’t offer it often. And for a fairly upscale place, they’re great with kids here. They have coloring board/books for the kiddos and the waitstaff, especially Joyce, Ashley and Ha-Nee (sorry if you see this, girl, I have no idea how to spell your name, but thanks for being great with my kiddos!) are awesome. They consistently go out of their way to make sure we’re ALL well taken care of.
El Charco Azul is a new Mexican place that opened up a few months ago in the Wal-Mart parking lot. We were so skeptical that it’d be another one we just wished we wouldn’t have even tried, but since we braved it, we rarely go a week without. I’ve had lots of things on the menu and it’s all been recommendable, but friends, I don’t want you to miss this. Get the sopapillas for dessert. They are AWESOME. Best sopapillas I’ve ever had. They’re pillowy and doughy and topped with cinnamon sugar and honey and awesome. And yes, I already said that. We get two orders to share every time we go; it’s definitely my favorite dessert you can get at the lake.
For lunch and sweet treats, you can’t beat Paint Box Cafe. If you get a sandwich, make sure to order on a Paint Box bun, they’re homemade and utterly delicious. All the sweets are quite wonderful, but my favorite treat is a tea bar. They are heavenly.
The little birds fave is still HyVee Buffet. They get a plate full of in-season fresh fruit and that’s pretty much perfect as far as they’re concerned. If asked, it’s what they always pick.
Shorty Pants has some really great food for a restaurant on the water. Definitely more than your typical bar food, it’s mainly New Orleans style, but has other options too.
Wok n Roll is the one of the only restaurants we’ve been to on the strip, but I’m fairly confident it’s the best. They expanded this year so dining in is more of an option than when they only had 3 tables, but oh how I miss the atmosphere when it was that small. If you like Thai/Chinese cuisine, this is the place to get it at the lake.
I’m sure I left out quite a few goodies, but these are the few that came right to mind today from where we’ve been frequenting the past few months. Please let me know what your faves are too. We’re always up for trying something new.