Dock and Dine: 7 Lake of the Ozarks Restaurants to Visit by Boat
Missouri’s Lake of the Ozarks offers a wide variety of restaurants, bars and cafes scattered across its shorelines. If you’re a fan of the Netflix show Ozark, you won’t find the Blue Cat Lounge here (the show was filmed mainly in Atlanta, and, well, it’s fictional), but it was most likely inspired by the many lakefront eateries dotted along the 1,100-mile shoreline.
Whether you’re swimming, fishing, sailing, kayaking or hanging out at a private boat dock for rent, you’re gonna need to eat sometime. You might as well make it a destination by checking out some of these fun spots along the way. Let’s go!
Nautifish Rum Bar
Photo: Nautifish Rum Bar (Facebook)
The Nautifish Rum Bar is found at mile marker 3. Quench your thirst and appease your appetite on sandwiches, street tacos, grilled shrimp and chicken, crab cakes and lots of rum-infused drinks. The docks are right outside the restaurant, so toss out a boat fender and tie up.
Redhead Lakeside Grill and Yacht Club
Photo: Redhead Lakeside (Facebook)
Redhead Lakeside Grill has been voted Best Waterfront Dining around Lake of the Ozarks. You can’t beat that testament to taste. Try their brick-oven pizza, tacos, burgers, steak, wings and pasta. There’s a heated pool with a swim-up bar, a kids’ pool, gas dock and special events like live music and other entertainment. It’s located at mile marker 21 and has 90 boat slips for your docking and dining pleasure.
Paradise Tropical Restaurant & Bar
Photo: Paradise Tropical Restaurant (Facebook)
Paradise Tropical Restaurant & Bar has a line-up of docks right out front at its mile marker 24 location. Enjoy frozen tropical cocktails, lawn games, an arcade and live music. There’s indoor, outdoor and covered deck seating for lunch, dinner and weekend breakfast. Choose from selections such as ginger salmon, pork tenderloin, burgers, blackened chicken salad and Baja shrimp tacos.
Miller’s Landing: Marina, Bar and Grill
Photo: Miller's Landing (Facebook)
The Hatch at Miller’s Landing, at mile marker 28, serves breakfast, lunch and dinner. Menu items include subs, clubs, pizza, burgers and sandwiches. There’s a full-service marina if there’s any maintenance issues that can’t be handled from a private boat dock rental or the boat trailer. The gas dock delivers ethanol-free fuel.
Larry’s on the Lake
Photo: Larry's on the Lake (Facebook)
Larry’s on the Lake, at mile marker 31, features a menu of wraps, sandwiches, burgers, pizza, a Hawaiian chicken sandwich and lots of appetizers and specialty drinks. There’s dock space for 50 boats and jet skis. Check out the arcade and Splash Zone obstacle course before you head back out or return to a private boat slip rental.
Margaritaville Lake of the Ozarks
Photo: Margaritaville Lake of the Ozarks (Facebook)
Yes, Margaritaville is even represented on the lake scene. It is a state of mind, after all. The Margaritaville Lake of the Ozarks complex, located on Osage Beach, features the Landshark Bar & Grill, JB’s Boathouse Grill, Frank and Lola’s Pizzeria, several bars and tiki huts, the Port of Indecision (full-service) Marina, a championship golf course. There’s also the Jolly Mon indoor water park, which is open to the public (for a fee). With so much to see, do and eat, you might not want to motor back to a private boat lift for rent after spending the day here.
Captain Ron’s
Photo: Captain Ron's (Facebook)
While the name Captain Ron may make some folks (okay, maybe just us) think of the 1992 Kurt Russell and Martin Short movie, the Captain Ron’s on Lake of the Ozarks is not that. There’s no St. Pomme de Terre here, but you will find a pirate-themed complex with boat slips, four tiki bars, a sandy beach and live music, events and entertainment. It’s located at mile marker 34.5 and features a menu of pizza, salad, seafood dinners, burgers, wraps and appetizers.
Check out some of these dock and dine options the next time you’re hanging out a private boat slip rental, marina or lakefront cottage on Lake of the Ozarks. Let us know your favorites!
