Lake Lanier Restaurants on the Water
The spots you can reach by boat or by car — and what each one is actually like, from people who eat at them.
Dock-and-dine is a way of life here
One of the best parts of living on Lake Lanier is that dinner can involve a boat. A handful of restaurants sit right on the water — most of them inside the lake's big marinas — with courtesy docks so you can tie up, eat, and be back on the water before dark.
Below are the waterfront spots we send people to, with the marina each one sits in so you can find it by water or by road. Hours on the lake are seasonal, so check each restaurant's site before you go.
Pig Tales
Lakeside barbecue · Aqualand Marina, Flowery Branch
House-smoked barbecue, burgers and wings with one of the best views on the lake. Featured on the Travel Channel's Food Paradise, with a big covered patio that works for families and large groups.
Courtesy dock at Aqualand Marina
Fish Tales Lakeside Grille
Fresh seafood · Hideaway Bay Marina, Flowery Branch
Fresh seafood and a full-service bar right on the water. From the same family as Pig Tales, and a favorite for a slower, sit-down lakeside dinner.
Boat access at Hideaway Bay Marina
Port Royale Marina & Pelican Pete's
Marina and floating tiki bar & restaurant · Port Royale Marina, Gainesville
Port Royale is a marina and a restaurant — one of the lake's largest, with hundreds of mostly covered slips, dry storage and the lake's biggest floating gas island, and home to Pelican Pete's, Lake Lanier's only floating tiki bar and restaurant, under the lake's largest thatched-roof tiki hut. Live music, tropical drinks, and a 40-slip courtesy dock — this is the lake's classic boat-up spot.
40-slip courtesy dock — built for boaters
Skogie's Lakefront
American & seafood · Gainesville Marina, Gainesville
A family-owned lakefront staple known for hand-battered shrimp, fish and Black Angus burgers, with live entertainment on weekends and a popular Sunday brunch.
Courtesy slips at Gainesville Marina
The Twisted Oar
American grill & bar · Holiday Marina, Buford
A laid-back grill and bar at one of the lake's biggest marinas, near the south end. Easy to reach from Buford, Sugar Hill and the south-lake neighborhoods.
Boat access at Holiday Marina
LandShark Bar & Grill
American seafood & beach bar · Margaritaville at Lanier Islands, Buford
Burgers, fish tacos and boat drinks on the beach at Sunset Cove, inside Margaritaville at Lanier Islands. Seasonal hours — check before you go, and note the resort is card-only.
Dock and dine at LandShark Landing
Sidney's Restaurant
Southern fine dining · Legacy Lodge, Lanier Islands, Buford
The lake's upscale option — farm-to-table Southern cooking at Legacy Lodge with a view over the water. Open year-round, and the pick for anniversaries and special occasions.
Best reached by car through Lanier Islands
Bullfrog's Bar & Grille
Southern gastropub · Legacy Lodge, Lanier Islands, Buford
Comfort food and a deep beer list at Legacy Lodge — sit inside or poolside by the fire pit. Open year-round, which matters when the seasonal spots close for winter.
Best reached by car through Lanier Islands
What locals know about eating on the lake
Seasonal hours are real
Several lake restaurants scale back or close entirely in the off-season, and hours shift with the weather. Always check the restaurant's own site or call ahead before a winter or weekday trip.
Courtesy docks fill up on summer weekends
The boat-up spots are busiest on Saturday and Sunday afternoons in season. Going earlier in the day — or by car — is the easy way around the wait.
Marina rules apply
Most of these restaurants sit inside Corps-leased marinas, so parking, dock and pet rules are set by the marina, not the restaurant. Pelican Pete's, for example, is dog-friendly on a short leash.
Where you live decides your favorites
South-lake homeowners end up at Twisted Oar and the Islands; north-lake folks at Skogie's and Pelican Pete's. When we help you pick a lake home, which restaurants are a short boat ride away is part of the conversation.
Thinking about living near the water?
Which restaurants are a short boat ride away is part of how people choose a lake home. Tell us how you want to use the lake and we'll show you the homes and neighborhoods that fit.