Great restaurant. The food is always good. A lot of fun by boat. Have an ice cream after dinner.read more

A prime water front restaurant on Smith Mountain Lake. More dive bar feel, but third generation run…read more(which is saying a lot!) and worth a visit if you're in the area. Locals know the drill, order a bucket of beer and get settled in. Don't expect it to be very kid friendly, no kids menu and all the tables outside are high tops (although they do have high chairs). We arrived slightly before 6pm, before the dinner rush- but still waited 45 minutes to get our food. Our bill was slightly discounted because of the delay, (did I mention we had to get our own lemonade refill) but I'd rather have faster food service than comped food. The view is what people really come for. Here's a snap of my drink, The Hummingbird.

Just finished a great dinner. Taylor was our server and she was amazing. I understand that it is…read moreher first night on her own. But it seemed like she had been there forever. Food was excellent, the service provided by Taylor elevated the experience to a very high level. She is a keeper! Mitchell's never ever disappoints. Always a must

We rented a boat from a nearby place, we tried to get gas but they recommended us here instead…read more Getting gas was a great experience. The owner greeted us in his Grateful Dead shirt like a boss. I felt at home already. There was a nice little food area and ice cream spot. Some very green grass with some corn hole boards and other good vibes stuff. We decided to get some pizza and wings from the restaurant. Morgan was our server for a party of 11 and she did an excellent job. Our pizza and wings were very good. They had sweet tea, I wasn't sure if this counted as "the south" still or not but it was perfect. Our bill was only $125 for several large pies, 24 wings, and mostly sodas. Will be back next time we are on the lake!

This marina has a perfect spot on the lake - the views are awesome. That's why we decided to have…read moreour wedding here. There is a squarish point that looks at the mountain and wide open lake. There is also a permanent pavilion setup and a carousel if that interests you. We've attended a few events here over the past few years. Most notably a Bass Master's series event. They did a nice job with setup, and the locals came flocking out obviously. They're not coming back this year, I'm sure they'll startup the tournament here again in a few years, if you're around, definitely hit it up, it's neat. There are always events going on here during the summer, car shows, fishing tournaments (lots of fish around here), and weddings. It's worth checking out any of these just for the views! There are a few houses nearby that are used for vacation rentals including the Jolly Roger. The management at Parkway Marina is friendly. The events are arranged through Ronnee who is nice and fairly diligent with keeping records and keeping in touch with you. That's all for now, stay posted for post-wedding reviews!

Pros: Pricing was reasonable, gas prices - also reasonable. Boat was safe. We had a great day on…read morethe lake. Cons: customer service was cursory at best - rude at worst. The employee who checked us in and out did not make eye contact, dismissed our questions and was generally rude. The employees who did the checks for the boat were friendly enough.

We had a wonderful time! The captain was awesome, he let our 5 yo grandson drive the boatread more

If you are traveling to Smith Mt Lake, there is a strong chance you will drive by or gas up at the…read moreVA Dare Marina. This is a fun location with several businesses: Virginia Dare Cruises: If you are going to take a tour, you might as well include food ($40 with, $25 without). The trip covers interesting areas around the lake. If I did this again, I would chose Mother's Day or Pirate's Day for fun. The park staffers also join one of the tours to share information about nature and wildlife (you can also get that information at the state park, but it is fun on the boat). Virginia Dare Marina: If you need gas, expect to pump it yourself. There aren't any employees to help tie your boat, so make sure you have someone with you. The area is small and a little tricky to maneuver if it is crowded. Marina store: If you want Great Lake souvenirs, I would go to the shops at Bridgewater Plaza (they have staff at the gas pumps too). The Marina store has limited items. Portside Grill and Bar: You can have breakfast or lunch in your bathing suit. The food is almost like camping with a grill, but it is decent casual grub. Breakfast is around $8 and lunch is approximately $12. Sides are cheap. If you want more space, visit Mangos.

Our group of seven had a wonderful float today aboard Will and Will2's handcrafted batteau! The men…read moredid an incredible job of showing us a beautiful and unspoiled stretch of the James River; they educated us on the history, the boats, and the commerce of those early days of our nation's founding, and as if that were not enough, treated us to a five-star luncheon and music. John B. Richmond, VA

We loved our dinner cruise on the Batteau. Will and Will were excellent hosts. We met them at a…read morelocal park and then followed them down to the river where we boarded the batteau. There were two batteaus tied together with six guests in each boat with Will and Will and the chef. It was a beautiful evening with a perfect temperature. We really enjoyed the stories told along our route. During the delicious dinner we enjoyed Will playing guitar and singing. It was a fun, unique and memorable experience that our group of six really enjoyed.

If you are interested in learning more about Smith Mountain Lake and how it generates power for…read moreVirginia and surrounding states, the visitor center at the dam is definitely a cool spot to stop. They have a small exhibit inside that highlights the dam's functionality, and there are also outdoor paths to walk that offer great views of the dam and lake. All together, you may spend 45 minutes to an hour or so exploring. I like to do this kind of thing first thing in the morning so I can get out on the water if it's looking like it's going to be a nice day!

We noticed signs for this on our way way to something else and figured since we were in the area we…read morewould check it out. What you need to know: -It's FREE -There is a parking lot -There is a ramp up to the overlook so if someone is in a wheelchair they can also take advantage of the views -No pets allowed inside the information/interactive display area or on the ramp/overlook area -It's pretty interesting