When it comes to summer in Central New York, nothing beats having a meal next to beautiful Oneida Lake. What better place to enjoy the season than at the Waterfront Tavern at 204 East River Road Brewerton, NY where you can choose between looking at the water through the huge windows in the cozy dining room or being right next to the water on the huge deck with plenty of seating to enjoy the delicious menu!
Speaking of the menu, there is surely something for everyone, on every budget no matter if you are looking for a snack or a full meal complete with dessert. The restaurant has an expanded appetizer or “Welcomers” menu as they call it, boasting delights such as coconut shrimp ($9.99), crab cakes ($9.89), Macho Nachos ($8.99) and escargot ($9.99)! For a lighter meal there are several salads, including Mandarin Chicken Salad ($9.99) and Buffalo Shrimp Caesar Salad ($10.99) to choose from. There are also several sandwiches and burgers to choose from. Entrée selections include Italian dishes include Chicken Parmigiana ($12.99) and Shrimp Scampi ($16.99). They also have steak, ribs, and a variety of fresh seafood entrees to choose from. For your little ones, there is a special kids menu with meals for $5.99.
It wouldn’t be summer in Syracuse without Hoffman hotdogs and cooneys so Tuesdays are Hoffman hotdogs and cooneys night! On Tuesday have two dogs and fries for just $5.99. Also on Tuesdays you can get a1/2 lb black angus burger with fries for $5.99. Wednesday night is all you can eat Wing night where you can choose from seven different types of sauces all for $10.99. On Saturdays and Sundays there is always prime rib and also a ,large selection of fresh fish specials including stuffed sole, haddock, mahi mahi and Walleye.
Elizabeth and I arrived at the Waterfront Tavern on a gray Wednesday evening. We were greeted by Steve Reader, who has been the owner for 12 years. Neither of us has been to the Waterfront in a while, so we were pleasantly surprised by what we saw! The dining room and bar area was no longer covered with peanut shells and popcorn! Steve told us that when he has been working on improving the Waterfront and turning it into a great place for dining, not just drinking. He told us that when he took over the business was 75% bar and 25% food and now it is 70% food and 30% bar. We were given the tour of the dining area and the beautiful outside patio, including the sun and shade dining area, a place for a band to play and the huge outside bar! We then had a seat at an inside window booth with a fantastic view of the water. Everything on the menu looked delicious and the choice was pretty tough! I decided to start with a house Salad ($4.99) with homemade vinaigrette dressing. The house salad was gigantic (almost enough for a meal in and of itself!). The lettuce was crisp, the veggies were super fresh and the homemade dressing was tangy and delectable. Elizabeth started out with a cup of clam chowder and she raved about it rich and creamy it was. For our main courses Elizabeth ordered the broiled seafood platter, haddock, shrimp, scallops & a cup of clam chowder ($20.99) and I ordered the buffalo shrimp, which was eight gigantic shrimp lightly battered and fried then tossed in hot sauce and served with celery and bleu cheese ($10.99). Both of our entrees far exceeded our expectations! Not only was the food scrumptious, but it came out really fast - probably because the kitchen was renovated and expanded three years ago. For dessert, Elizabeth had a Key Lime Pie martini- it tasted exactly like key lime pie in a martini glass! It was sweet, creamy, and tangy; she swore she could even taste a hint of graham cracker crust! I ordered the Irish Cream pie, which was the perfect way to end a yummy meal!
The only thing that beats happy hour is a place where you can enjoy it outside! The Waterfront Tavern is just that place. They have happy hour specials Monday through Friday from 3 to 6, where you can enjoy $2.50 domestics and $2.50 for well drinks, as well as a daily featured drink special!  On Friday only you can get the aluminum 16 oz beers served at a frosty 22 degrees for $3.50!