Restaurant is dirty, Cob webs all over the dining area. Staff was not at all inviting unless you were a regular, very accompanying to them. Dining area is all water view, but couldn't see out the windows they were filthy, cloudy. Will not be recommending. read more

3 stars for food 5 stars service. The halibut lacked flavor. The chicken was very good. The seafood is frozen. The ambiance is rustic with a great view of the lake. read more

See all

Good staff that is quick to help. Great "dive bar" spot with friendly people. The food is okay, my burger was overcooked and took a long time to come out on a pretty slow night, but not terrible by any means. read more

Quintessential old school restaurant/bar with amazing views of Oneida Lake. Everything from the soups to the entrees to the dressings are made from scratch and the prices are fantastic. read more

With better numbers in the pandemic, I felt confident coming out to eat. I chose Gary's, wanting a view of the lake, and they surely deliver on that! I was able to watch the geese passing by. The food? It was so good! I started with a bowl of French onion soup. The broth was rich, and the cheese on top was generous. Perfect for a cold day. For my main, I had a special- scallops with asparagus and lemon pesto on angel hair pasta. Those scallops were perfectly cooked. Nice and tender. The pesto was bright and delicious. It came with a side of corn, and my choice of another side. I picked the macaroni salad, which had tuna in it. It was also made there, and I quite enjoyed it- not sweet, mercifully. For dessert, I chose the pistachio cake. Everything was made in-house, including the frosting. The cake was moist and rich, but not stodgy. I quite enjoyed it. I went in at about 3:30 on a Friday. It was quiet then, but had filled up quite a bit when I left. A couple people came in with wet, wracking coughs. Please don't do that, people. Please don't endanger everyone around you, including the staff who work in restaurants! Anyway, it gets really popular on weekends, so if you like quiet, come during off-hours. If you like lively, it fills up on the weekends at the dinner hour! read more

See all

Recently had a delicious lunch at Gary's with amazing service, price point is reasonable and food was great. Gary's is very relaxed, view of Oneida Lake is the very best at the beach and the owner, Dianna wants everyone to enjoy a homemade meal in an old school atmosphere. We have visited for years and the food is consistently terrific. If you are looking for fancy Gary's will not be your pick. Dianna always has the restaurant spotless. After your meal everyone plans when they can return for more yummy food. read more

I try to give honest opinions about the restaurants that I visit. This is a local joint and is well worth a try. I like to support local businesses whenever I can. I would definitely go back but I know what to expect. The menu has a lot of options, which is what would bring me back. I ordered a NY strip and my wife a Delmonico. The salad was good and I enjoyed it; dressing was very good. My steak had two very large hunts of fat which I had to cut off, but otherwise it was good. The knife was incredibly dull. My wife's was overcooked which is a bummer. We ordered desert to go. I had the peanut butter pie and my wife ordered a coconut pie. My pie tasted like it was old; I don't know how else to explain it. The consistency was not what I would expect. Maybe I should have eaten my pie before I left. The coconut pie was good. read more

Seven of us just visited Garys rest for dinner on Friday July 28 2023 . I must say it was the worst dining experience all of ever had. We waited for 1 hour and 15 minutes for our dinner to arive . Needless to say it was awful. I ordered Blackened Seafood special and it looked and tasted like hey just sprinlled black pepper on the fish . The shrimp were so small i could hardly find them on the plate . The side of Mac and cheese was total mush. My wife had a pasta special and it tasted like boiled macaroni no flavor . The other 5 diners had the same experience ,just aweful. Well i wish they had a camera and could take my picture on the way out because that is the last time they will ever see me. read more

we waited 30 minutes to be acknowledged by the new waitstaff. We ordered drinks and were told they didnt have Grey Goose vodka but we could see from our table and were served it last weekend. we rushed to order our meal because customers seated after us were already getting their appetizers. we live in sylvan beach and this was horrible. the waitress they had previously was knowledgeable and curteous. my husbands requested rare hamburger was more well done than i prefer. he reserved mac & cheese instead of macaroni salad. will not go back. it took us 2.5 hrs for a BLT and burger. read more

Just happened on this nice spot overlooking the lake. Great rustic feel. Food was terrific. From the home made clam chowder that wasn't to creamy or salty to the lightly fried grouper sandwiches, we were very pleased. Will definitely be back when we have room for some home made pie ! read more

Renting a lake cottage for a long weekend. Ordered takeout for dinner and it was awesome. Burgers were done perfectly and buns fresh.

The hostesses were very personal and all the staff was helpful. Each dinner was homemade so wait was well worth it. Great view of the lake and we will return!! read more

Stopped in for lunch with my husband and 1y/o son. Approached the restaurant as it was right on the water. Didn't look like much from the outside but we figured we'd give it a go, we enjoy a good dive. The inside is rather rustic and could use a good remodel- pretty dark and dingy. Again, we persevered as we have eaten many good meals in joints like this. Walked in to an empty restaurant apart from a lone worker who appeared as if she would rather be ANYWHERE else. We were in the restaurant a mere 5 minutes and the amount of nasty interactions we had with this individual were too much to bear. She acted as if we were inconveniencing her by being there and rolled her eyes when we asked questions about the beer list. Finally we just got up and left without ordering anything because she clearly didn't want us there. She huffed at us for leaving, as if she didn't understand why. Many other restaurants in this area, don't go here. read more

Unbelievably rude staff upon entrance, I've left my last three attempts and now I'm done. If you can't do your job respectfully, leave.

I love places like this, I try to find little gems during my travels and Gary's didn't disappoint. Diana the owner was super friendly, talked about the history of the area and really made me feel at home. It was a slow time during the day so Diana sat me, took my order and cooked the food, how cool is that. Why give your money to a chain, give Gary's a try. The decor is straight out of the 70's which is what makes it all that more appealing in my opinion. If you're looking for a trendy restaurant this isn't it. If you want good conversation, a welcoming owner and great food Gary's has it. read more

I found Gary's here, on Yelp and decided to give it a try! Walking through their front door, we were instantly transported back to the 70's. Why mess up a good thing by updating it? The atmosphere was pleasanly nostalgic & homey. We sat at a table with a view of the lake and the neighbors setting up their dock for the summer. It was all the entertainment we needed! Dinner comes with salad bar & it was quite nice! The macaroni salad with tuna was yummy & pick-nick-y, as was the green pepper, cucumber celery salad. The scallions and bacon bits were also a nice touch. We had fried bullhead (in season right now,) It was spectacular!!!! Crispy and light! There was nothing left but bones by the time we were done. Too full for dessert but I am sure that their pies would've been just as amazing. If you are looking for a quiet, low-key, out-of the way place to enjoy the Lake. Come here! We will be back for sure! read more

We stopped again last evening, after the car show on the beach. Again, owner run establishments that actually cook to order completely blow away chains. Everything in your dining experience is better. The venue is amazing, to look out on Oneida lake on a late afternoon is awe inspiring. The prices, downright reasonable, three of us dined on full course dinners for the same price as two last week at a Fayetteville chain (bonefish). My wife had pork chops cooked to perfection. I had lasagne and my son had chicken Param. The salad bar is totally wonderful, the veggies fresh and appealing. So it is nothing fancy, but homemade wholesome food. My wife says I should post this review because, then lines will form, but it is really a nice place and worth the drive. read more

I got 3 meals takeout tonight. I Was very impressed. The food was packaged properly and delicious. It was still hot when we got home. It was also made on time. Juicy steak cooked to perfection and fall right apart haddock. The staff was friendly and welcoming. I will be returning in the future. Thank you guys for such good service!!!. read more

Wonderful hosts, good food and most importantly safety first! Dianna was welcoming and we had a great time watching the beautiful sunset view. read more

Beautiful views of the lake. Awesome homemade pies, perfect bar food. This is a nice place to enjoy a relaxing meal with friendly service at a decent price. I had fried sea scallops and fried, not the best I had but nice and not too greasy. Will be back when in the area. read more

Driving through the area and saw the five star rating so we thought we give it a try. It is very old basic building. The view of the lake and the sunsetting was gorgeous. They did not have my favorite blue moon beer but that's OK. Small salad bar did not have the dressings labeled. There's a pretty large and complete menu of just about anything you want. I tried Joe's chicken and it was very good. Service was accurate but a little slow. All in all a good experience but I wouldn't give it five stars. read more

Only place I have found "@ the beach" with good food. Many options with good portions.

Super fabulous wait staff, fabulous food and portion sizes, excellent prices, and the friendliest people. Off the beaten path and hard to find but a treasure to go to! The peanut butter pie is to die for! read more

I could go on for pages, but I'll keep it simple! Everything is homemade, fresh and absolutely incredible. The prices are rock bottom and the service is always exceptional! read more

this is my favorite restaurant, view is so awesome... food is 5 star. if you are ever in the area stopin, but remember it's family oriented not your chandeliers and fresh roses on tables cable light dinner, just a really nice atmosphere great view and delicious food. read more