Great food and atmosphere, and our waitress Chloe was excellent! Definitely recommend!

Great Friday evening on the water We sat outside right on the water and enjoyed a beautiful Friday evening. The ahi tuna bites were a 10/10--definitely the highlight! The Carolina wrap was a solid 9/10, and the white sangria was excellent. The Carolina pulled pork sandwich was good, but about a 7/10 for us. The tables are a little older and could use some updating, but the friendly staff and relaxing waterfront setting made for a really nice evening. We'd definitely come back for the tuna bites and sangria! read more

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Such a fun time and varied menu options. Staff is always friendly here. 2026 with the water level historically low, boat access is limited. You will need to use a ladder to get up to the dock! read more

Really cute spot! Indoor and outdoor seating, pet friendly, great menu, and free slips for boat up dining. Plus, they have gas. Crab dip came with an awesome pretzel, loved the mahi mahi tacos and lobster roll. Wasn't a fan of the single use plastic - especially the cutlery. read more

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Just had the best experience and lunch at Drifters! Haleigh Vaughn was our server and she and her manager went above and beyond to make our experience incredible. They even delivered our friend's gluten free meal separately from the rest with gloves to assure our friend of a gluten free meal without any cross-contamination. Great view, great vibes, great food! read more

Went on a busy Saturday night a couple weeks ago and waited 30 minutes to be seated. Understandable. What didn't sit well was waiting 15 minutes for a server to approach us, and that was after I had waved someone down. Waited over an hour for our food to come out after that, so luckily we didn't have any other plans afterwards with a 2 hour dinner. Service was friendly when we did get someone and food was good. Would be willing to try again in the future to see if this visit was a fluke or not. It may be a bit before we do this though. read more

Great location. Fun vibes. Live music that our 7 year old was invited to be a part of. Corn-hole while you wait. Fun all around. Food was excellent. Our waitress was amazing (Go LU!). We will definitely be back out next visit to the area. read more

Drifter’s - Lake front dining - American Near Me - Moneta, Virginia

Went there a second time and it was just as good if not better than the first time. This time we sat outside by the water, ordered a couple drinks to go with our food and it was great! Service was fast and friendly, waitress was very nice and it was a gorgeous day to be out on the lake. read more

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The vibe, and atmosphere is unmatched! Great team, great service, and food was amazing!

We had just arrived in VA from NY tired and hungry it was 830pm and Drifters was packed . The hostess with the mostest Zoey was able to make magic happen and got a table for four . Great ambience , amazing staff, and the food was sooo good !!! We had drinks, appetizers, and dinner . The best ending to a long travel day ! If you are in the area , definitely make some time to stop by , grab a bite, and say hi to the amazing staff !!! read more

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We brought a family of 11 from our vacation on the lake. Originally we were going to bring the boat to the restaurant, but after some consideration we decided to drive. This place is a quant and fun little bar and grill that specialized in tacos and quesadillas. I tried the chocolate tacos because the chocolate bbq sauce was advertised a few different ways on the menu and I was curious about it. Turns out, it's just a dark BBQ and had no chocolate flavor at all, but it was excellent. Our server was pretty great considering the size of our party. Would recommend stopping here if you're looking for a place in this area. read more

Great food, great atmosphere and Sydney was a great server. The peel and eat shrimp are a favorite and the water view is perfect.

Drifter's returns for another amazing season! I have no words to express how being back there makes the world right! Great service, great food, and the shot of the day makes every hour happy! read more

Fun place! So glad we found this spot, definitely an asset to SML. Also Dog friendly which is nice.

All around poor experience at Drifters. They were very understaffed. We ordered the first time someone came to our table and it took well over an hour to get our food and two and a half hours from start to finish (and not because we were trying to have a leasiurly meal). Several of us go ahi tacos or ahi on salad, and it was not cooked rare as we requested for 3 out of the 4 of us and it was definitely not good quality tuna. Waitress was nice but did not seem to have been trained at all. Would not recommend Drifters. read more

At 5:30 on July 27th, I took out my 92yo mother, her husband & my wife to Drifters after reading the reviews. We're visiting them from California. We got an outside table in the shade thankfully. Mom & I ordered the ahi panini & shrimp cheesesteak; the waitress came back to tell us no shrimp and no ahi. We finally got our order in. Our waitress was working 5-6 tables and it was 90° & humid, hot hot hot. It began raining @ 6:45 and "our gal" got us a table in time, inside as the deluge came. 7:15p our meal finally came and it was fairly disappointing. The chips were luke warm and soggy, my smoked pork on panini was mushy, moms lobster roll was salty and just on bread, the burger was overboard with pepper and way over cooked; Big Mac taco was okay but nothing to write home about. Management needs to hire more people for weekend dining. This is all managements doings. I'm not use to writing a story ass review but we only dine out once in a while whether at home or out here visiting for good reason, we eat better at home. It's up to management to change my mind - you have a year. read more

Really terrible experience. We came around 4pm on a Sunday and waited over an hour for our food. It was incredibly hot inside the restaurant. Our app had a mix up and was never placed. My kids will not eat their boneless wings or their kids chicken nuggets. I ordered the shrimp tacos and they were just OK, same for my husbands Mahi tacos. Would not go back and will not recommend. read more

We received our drinks almost as soon as we sat down. Brandon, our server kept them full all night long! I ordered the shrimp tacos and my husband ordered the hippie wrap. Both were delicious! Brandon got them to our table as soon as the shrimp came off the grill it seemed! Our food was nice and hot and full of flavor. Our server made the experience ever better! read more

Food and atmosphere is amazing! Plenty of entertainment while waiting for a table or meal. With cornhole, fuseball, and live entertainment every summer weekend. You can't go wrong swinging by. read more

SHOT-SKI! Need I say more. Isaiah was an awesome waiter. All our food was great, the crab dip was my favorite, the chocolate pork rocked and the Greygoose Shot-ski was so good. Definitely recommend when out boating in the area. read more

LOL, this place is a clown show. Came here over Memorial Day, so assuming that the A-team would be ready for summer. Took 90 minutes from ordering to receiving our food. The food was OK, (probably 3/5) but the awful taste of waiting 90 minutes with hungry kids couldn't be saved by some middle-of-the-road fish tacos. Nothing comped by management to make up for the wait. Additionally, kids in our group got ticks from the grass outside while they were killing time waiting on the neverending story of when our food would arrive. Just the icing on the cake. read more

Drifters food is good for the most part but the wait to get the food almost didn't make it worth it. It was an extremely long wait and some people at the table got their food way before the rest of the table forcing them to either wait to eat or wait for the others to finish. read more

Four of us went for dinner on a Sunday evening. It took a VERY long time to be served, then much longer for our food to arrive (close to an hour). When it finally did arrive, a few items were missing. The food was not worth the wait. It was just okay, nothing special at all. Definitely overpriced for what it is. Also, the courtesy dock for the boat is not great. read more

Ugh. I get that this year is hard on restaurants and all, but this place has been a mess. Every single time I've gone this summer the wait for a table has been well over an hour. After we ordered food, the wait for it to get to our table was also over an hour. The food quality has dipped pretty significantly this summer also. I got rancid bleu cheese on my salad last time I was there. Another time, one of my entire tacos was full of just pork fat and skin. I used to love this place. Kind of sad to see what's happening now. read more

Drifter’s - Salad - American Near Me - Moneta, Virginia

The service was beyond slow. Seemed to lack management supervision. Food eventually arrived close to 90 minutes after ordering, but not before waiting 20 minutes before a waitress actually showed up. read more

GET THE PICKLE!! Always like to support small businesses as my amazing fiancé is a small business owner (restaurant and an incredible Chef too!). We wanted to see Smith Mountain Lake- staying in Lynchburg. Took the 11 lb dog Maddy with us. Pets welcome outdoors. -consider yourself lucky if Kristan is your server. Genuinely pleasant, attentive & friendly. Great service. Brought Maddy a water bowl too. -The Ted-Tai for me & a Ballad IPA for my fiancé. -such a perfect day to be drinking & eating here. Great crowd, lots of activity toward the water & marina. -Hippie Wrap for me with extra salsa. Yum! -pirate panini for my fiancé. -1/2 puppy platter for Maddy. Grilled cubed chicken. Only $5. Of course she snarfed that down. -pickles come with your meal if you ask. Crispy. Packed with flavor! -popcorn (free) in little movie bags. Kristan brought us each one. Sweet! Very reasonable prices & remember to tip well. Everyone working so hard. read more

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Drifters is a pretty cool little place to come enjoy a nice meal while out on your boat. They have a pretty good area to park your boats along with lots of outdoor seating and good seating indoors as well. We got the Ahi Tuna Bites, Jumbo Shrimp quesadilla and the shrimp tacos. read more

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I joined yelp just to give this place a bad review. If Jimmy Buffett had a nephew who was strung out on amphetamines, he would own a place like Drifters. 30 minutes without an acknowledgement. 40 mins still no water and we left. Please avoid this place at all costs and at least I'll feel ok that I've spared other people the sorrow and despair that is Drifters. read more

The place was fantastic. My food was incredible. I got the Prime Burger. Definitely recommend this. The chips were very fresh. The service was incredible. The guy who helped us bring our boat in was very nice and helping. Our waitress was very kind and the kitchen brought out the food fast. The place in general was outstanding. Small so you have to get there pretty early to not have a wait. True whole vibe of the place was awesome. Overall, amazing place. read more

Drifter’s - a surfboard and a ceiling fan - American Near Me - Moneta, Virginia

Fantastic food and would normally be 5 stars but considering I was told that my wait would be an hour and a half for my party of two (which I was fine with) and my friend and I waited within earshot. We waited for an hour and the crowd seemed to thin out so I asked the hostess, who seemed wildly overwhelmed to which she replied "I called you and you didn't answer so we gave your table up. You'll have to wait longer." We had been outside, she told me she called my cell. Which I had service and did not receive a call. No apology, no sympathy. Basically you missed your turn and sucks for you. I have been here multiple times and have never had as bad of an experience as this hostess created. When we first arrived she was openly complaining about customers to another employee. She also, as we were sitting near the hostess stand called for a table, out loud, twice. She then looks at a different coworker and says "sucks for them, I tried". Good food, but I'd recommend being either attached to the hostess stand or ordering to go. For management reading this, this happened on 6/22. read more

Boated up to Drifter's for lunch and was lucky enough to snag a boat slip. The dock attendant was helpful, which got things off to a good start. I ordered a drink special and the pork BBQ nachos, hoping for a relaxing meal on the water. Unfortunately, while my drink was decent, the BBQ nachos were a complete letdown. The pork tasted old, mushy, and just off. It was clear it had been reheated, and the flavor was downright unpleasant--like it had passed its expiration date. I picked through them the best I could, but they were basically inedible. Probably the worst BBQ I've had in a long time. On a brighter note, my friend had the chicken quesadillas, and she said they were fine, so there's that. But overall, the food quality was disappointing. I hope they can improve on this because the location and atmosphere have a lot of potential. read more

Parking is tricky both by boat and car. There aren't really signs to figure it out. Luckily we needed gas so we ended up running in for our take out as we gased up the boat. Shrimp tacos- very fresh, shrimp seasoned well, mango pico de Gallo was a nice addition Optimus/Prime burger- good meat and base. Wish they put more of the tomato, lettuce, and onion on the top Bedford Landing Burger- delicious!! I didn't know if I would like this combo but it's was so good. They left off the bacon by accident so I can't speak to the full combo, but what we had was yummy. I was sopping up the honey that ran off the burger. Kids chicken nuggets- very fried, fine I wouldn't go here often because of the difficulty parking, but I would make it a point to go at least once during vacation. Covid: Waitstaff wore masks when we spoke, I was in and out so didn't see much. read more

Drifter’s - Burger with peanut butter and honey (so good!) - American Near Me - Moneta, Virginia

Bar in a marina off the lake at Smith Mountain, good drinks, loud music and decent food. Service was ok, easier to get a drink than to order food but both are good. Can get loud so just be prepared. Great place for a younger crowd. read more

Drifters is an awesome place to stop for a meal and a drink. It is clean and decorated nicely. There are many inside and outside tables, with a beautiful view of Smith Mountain Lake. Service is all areas is super, and the food is delicious. Drifters has a great management team, which is displayed in the quality of its workers and food. Thanks for waiting on us today, Sam! You are an awesome server! Darlene read more

Drifter’s - On the dock at Drifters, Smith Mountain Lake, VA - American Near Me - Moneta, Virginia

Drifters was a great find on SML. It has a menu that had great options leaving my husband and I looking it over and over trying to determine what to get. They had great views of the lake! The music inside was pumping , definitely good for a young or lively crowd. If you have mobility issues and do not find parking directly next to the restaurant (limited) you may have to park up a two level hill which could be hard for some guest. The staff was super friendly and our food was very good and served quickly ! read more

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Best Crew on the Lake. Spent an enjoyable afternoon with lifelong friends @ Drifter's last Saturday. I enjoyed the Chicken Quesadia and my buddy enjoyed the Hippie Wrap. Jordan Floyd is the master behind the kitchen line and everything was delivered to our table warm, tasteful and with excellent presentation. Emma was our waitress. She is the epitome of southern hospitality. We never waited for a refresher on a beverage and she kept a watchful eye on us sans being intrusive. Perfect! The music and performance of Tate Tuck is required reading for all those who love a smooth mix of musical genres with waterfront feel. Tate is scheduled for more appearances at Drifter's throughout the summer and his soulful baritone voice that can jump to tenor in a snap with intricate guitar work explains why he was booked for opening weekend. Drifter's is family and dog friendly and provides nice little items on the menu for the kids and your furry family member. In a nutshell: Drifter's has the best crew on the lake! Dinning on the bulkhead with resort marina views is absolute pleasure. Thank you Jaclyn and Ryan for an always warm, fun and pleasant experience. (Try the crab cake sandwich! The best on SML!) read more

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This is THE SPOT on the lake. Lake front sitting. Bands. Corn hole boards and don't miss that SUNDAY SHRIMP SPECIAL! The staff is amazing. Food is amazing and it just fun fun fun all the way around. read more

Drifters is a locally owned and operated bar and grill. It features great menu options, happy hour food and drink specials, full bar and some of the best crab leg specials on Saturdays. I've never had anything bad at drifters. I've tried their locally sourced beef hamburgers, wings, tacos, shrimp and I've never had anything bad or negative to say. The indoor seating area is really neat and it's routinely filled so expect a little wait. The waiting area offers corn hole and a window bar where you can have drinks when you wait for a table. There is water side tables and outdoor patio seating also. There is a boat parking area that's owned separately from the restaurant but offers parking and refueling while you dine. Ryan and Jaclyn are doing a great job with Drifters. They have adequately staffed the bar and restaurant and the service is great. This is a nice hidden gem on smith mountain lake. Love music, boat docking, refueling and great people! read more

We come to the area every couple years and always visit Drifters. I hope today was an exception and that the food hasn't gone downhill since we were here last. We ordered two pretzel braids to start. Our boys gobbled down one, and hubby and I shared the other. One end was scorching hot, which I'm not complaining about, but by the time we got to the middle, it was cold, not like it had been sitting there while we ate the rest but like it had just come out of the fridge. Most likely freezer and not cooked evenly. But since we had eaten most of it, we let it slide. Then our food came out, and again mine was cold. I ordered the chicken nachos, and both the chicken and cheese were cool to the touch. I opted to send this one back and the second one came out as cold as the first. Now the manager (I assume because it wasn't our server) came out to apologize (much appreciated) but when I explained how cold it was to help in case there was an issue in the kitchen he argued with me and said it could assure me there was no issue in the kitchen and blamed the salsa and lettuce for cooling it off. I'm sorry... doubtful the chicken was made cold by the lettuce and salsa underneath it, but whatever, you should fix it, not argue with me. Not sure we'll be going back next visit. read more

It was our first trip to Smith Mountain Lake and we decided to try Drifter's based on Yelp reviews. We were not disappointed! We arrived about noon on a Saturday and got seated right away. We had our dog so we sat outside, right by the water. The atmosphere is fun with music playing and hosts coming in and out. Service was excellent and we all enjoyed our food. We will be back! read more

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