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    Smokehouse On The River

    2.7 (60 reviews)
    Closed • Closed

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    SMOKEHOUSE ON THE RIVER ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Moderate noise
    Outdoor seating
    Good for kids
    Good for groups

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    Recommended Reviews - Smokehouse On The River

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    The restaurant sign
    Mike M.

    Not a bad little restaurant tucked away in River Ranches We walked in on a a very busy New Years weekend and we were told 1 1/2 hours wait. We waited and 30 minutes, and we were seated. I ordered the ribeye steak with onion rings and bbq beans The steak was supposed to be 14 ounces but I can't really believe it was, although it was quité tasty. The onion rings were perfect. Once we received our food, we never saw our server again. I guess it's hard to complain if it's the only place in town.

    Westgate smokehouse
    Javier R.

    Westgate smokehouse has good food the barbecue is real!!! They really smoking ribs and meats. It's definitely juicy and smoked to perfection. I had the burger and I highly recommend it. The ribs are huge, juicy, and full of Smokey flavor with amazing smoke rings on the meat it self. They know what their doing in the kitchen. Definitely try this place if your ever at westgate river ranch...

    Burger
    Ali C.

    Decent enough food for a resort restaurant. As you can see in the photos, the portions are large. Burger & fries tasted yummy, garlic parm wings were not crispy enough and lacked flavor, could have definitely used more garlic. The server was very attentive give to our large group of 11 (8 were kids), she kept the drinks filled & checked in often. The restaurant followed strict COVID guidelines. I ordered a lemon drop martini and they said they "didn't know if they had that" which is a pretty basic drink so I was a bit disappointed in that. The drink menu was all really sweet concoctions that didn't appeal to me. Over all good experience but def not 5 star.

    Dave O.

    I booked a RV Site at River Ranch RV Resort which comes with many amenities including all the fun things to see and do at the Westgate property, Westgate Smokehouse Grill is one of several restaurants on the property. We arrived here early evening to grab a burger on the day we arrived, We were seated immediately and our server Heather arrived within a minute or two with two menus and a friendly smile - after spending a few hours setting up camp in the Florida heat and a few beers all we wanted to do was hydrate so we both decided on a large unsweetened ice tea and boy let me tell you it's the real deal here, strong brewed and refreshing. The restaurant wasn't extremely busy but after we were seated it seemed lots of the guest had the same idea we did, there was a steady flow of customers and as large as the dining area is it became apparent this place was quite popular. Heather returned with our teas and we placed our dinner order, although it was Friday Night Fish Fry, the smell coming off the large bbq pit outside had us both wanting something with a little smoke, this monster pit was attended by nothing other than a cowboy with a ten gallon hat and definitely a pit master. The half pound of certified beef was cooked to a perfect medium, the fresh toasted bun topped with vine ripened tomatoes, crispy lettuce, thinly sliced red onion and pickles made this burger a great choice it was delicious - the sides are either fries or slaw, we opted for the fries, tornado cut also known a spiral not the most common cut but fitting and cooked crispy. This place exceeded my expectations, and I set the bar pretty high in regards to the food, the service was very good as well, being this place is located a few miles south of nowhere and it's a real ranch I'm going to say the place looked a little worn or maybe it was just that it had the atmosphere of a chuckwagon after a long cattle drive, a little dusty and in disarray but I'm not gonna penalize them for that it kinda adds to the authenticity...

    Eric R.

    Quite possibly the longest wait for a table and food service I've ever experienced. After finally getting seated after 45 min, we sat at our table and waited on the server... and waited... and waited. Then she/he came to take our drink order and we put drinks and food in, because the reputation of bad service preceded them. It took 15 minutes just for our drinks to come out. Then after 45 minutes our food arrived. We had to wolf it down to get out of there to the rodeo, so we could get a seat. I think my burger tasted good? I didn't have time to eat my fries before we raced out. We asked for our bill when the food was delivered so the server would get it to us. The only reason this place can exist is because the audience is captive with literally nowhere else to go.

    a basket of food
    Doris R.

    Enjoyed my time as we were celebrating our friend 30th birthday. The food was very good and the atmosphere was great as well. We all ordered something different which I can't remember everything we ordered but I can say everyone left satisfied.

    Open to the public, scenic spot on the River. Service & food was good. Chicken wings were plump, but need more sauce to add flavor. Fun spot for the family! Game room is also cool for the kids!

    Outdoor seating.
    Monica R.

    As part of our RV trip, we ran out of dinner options while staying at River Ranch. We decided to stop in for dinner at the only dine in restaurant on the site. Location is great and we decided to sit outside. What I can honestly say is it wasn't bad and it wasn't the greatest. The place was completely empty. We were the only ones sitting. As an appetizer we ordered the alligator nuggets. Actually this was pretty good. As my meal, I ordered the shrimp skewers with a baked potato and salad. It was okay. I ate it. My husband had the bbq chicken and ribs. He only ate the ribs. He stated it was too saucy. He didn't find anything impressing. I would imagine if we would have come in on another day then maybe the vibe would have been better. But the food is average and just a bit pricey.

    Ranch house salad, combination platter with fries and slaw
    Jessica S.

    Good food, server was nice as well as all other employees we encountered, covid protocols all seemed to be followed by employees. We split a salad that was listed as an appetizer and the combination platter. It was a perfect amount for us to share and get a taste of most of the menu. Everything was good. Personally I dislike all the wasted plastic silverware and paper plates and individual sauces etc.. too much waste, but that seems to be most places right now. The beer was super cold so that was great!

    This is most of the FAT, there was even more. That's what I paid $22 for.
    Dr Don S.

    Westgate Smokehouse Grill IF WERE YOU I WOULD AVOID THIS PLACE AT ALL COSTS!! WORST BBQ PLACE I HAVE EVER BEEN TOO. I should have read the reviews better before going. We were all hungry and this was the closest restaurant. BIG MISTAKE!!! We ordered Smokehouse Combination Platter at $22. It must have been leftovers from a few days ago. It was barely warm. The Brisket was as hard as a rock and was over 50% FAT!! The pulled chicken was mostly FAT, the bun at the bottom was also as hard as a rock. Another piece of Chicken came with it that was all dark meat and not very good. Service was also very bad. The lady never came back to the table to ask if we needed anything. All the servers were in the butler area talking, why take care of the customers. I laid out all the fat on a piece of paper and asked the server to show this to the chef, she had nothing to say!! I took a picture of all the fat and will post it. That was most of the meal. Differently not worth $22. Being the only ones in the restaurant at dinner

    Cass G.

    The meals come on plates that look like cast iron skillets...they're not really. Cute theme! The barbecue chicken was really tasty and the waitress was super nice and answered our questions about the resort. We are looking for an available weekend to go to this resort!! Check it out!

    Paul P.

    I'm not sure why they only have a 2.5 star rating. When we entered we were greeted immediately then sat after our temperature was taken. The server was super friendly and our food was very good. So there you go.......We will definitely return by boat next time and spend a night or two.

    A combo with brisket.

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    7 months ago

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    2 years ago

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    6 years ago

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    7 years ago

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    6 years ago

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    8 years ago

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    3 years ago

    Horrible prices and even worse food! Avoid this place! Management is not helpful either.

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    Page 1 of 2

    Ask the Community - Smokehouse On The River

    Jay Bees - Liver and onions with mashed potatoes and gravy

    Jay Bees

    4.2(52 reviews)
    17.7 mi
    •$$

    We stopped for lunch at this family owned restaurant. It's a cross between a diner and a…read moreluncheonette, but bigger inside. There are both booths and tables. Every time we have passed this place in the past, there's always been a full lot of cars. Last time, I bookmarked it for a future visit. Today was the day. It was seat yourself which we did. Our friendly server brought menus and later drinks while we decided what to order. They had a couple specials on the board -- fried shrimp and catfish. Along with two other veggies of the day and a couple pies available. My husband decided to order liver and onion with his choice of two sides of mashed potatoes and gravy and apple sauce. His mother used to make this. I don't cook liver, so when he sees it on a menu he gets it. He said it was excellent. One of the reviews I'd read mentioned liking a patty melt. As I had not had one of those in years, it sounded appealing. I got mine without onions. The cheeseburger was perfectly cooked with two different cheeses between fried rye bread. A tad greasy, but delicious. I chose mashed potatoes instead of fries. The brown gravy was hot and went well with the potatoes. For dessert, we shared a slice of coconut cream pie. A little bit artificial, but just enough sweetness to satisfy. Between home style food, decent prices, and very nice staff, we decided we'd definitely be coming here again in the future.

    A delightful lunch stop on the way to Tampa today. Friendly…read morepeople and fast service. A variety of items and specials to choose. I ordered the Liver and onions, which came with mashed potatoes and gravy and my choice of apple sauce. This was delicious! Just like Mom used to make! My wife and I shared a slice of Coconut cream for dessert, also wonderful. Making this a repeated stop when traveling this way again!

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    Jay Bees
    Jay Bees - Patty melt with mashed potatoes

    Patty melt with mashed potatoes

    Jay Bees - Inside tables

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    Inside tables

    All American Eats - Pretzel bites with a cheese sauce

    All American Eats

    4.7(30 reviews)
    36.2 mi
    •$$

    Matt and his team knocked it out of the park. We ordered delivery and thoroughly enjoyed our dinner…read morefrom start to finish. The pastrami sandwich was outstanding, featuring tender, flavorful pastrami piled high on marbled rye with Swiss cheese and Dijon mustard. Every bite was packed with flavor, and the portion size was generous. The Philly Burger was equally impressive and definitely lived up to the hype. The wings also had great flavor, and the sauces were well-balanced and evenly coated. We requested them extra crispy, but the skin ended up a bit chewy. Given that the order was delivered, this was likely due to steam building up inside the to-go container during transit rather than an issue with preparation. Overall, it was a very enjoyable meal with plenty of flavor and impressive portion sizes. We're looking forward to working our way through more of the menu in the near future.

    For it being a food truck next to a motel on the side of the road, the portion sizes and taste of…read morethe food were pretty remarkable. My husband and I split an order of the 6 ct. traditional wings (buffalo sauce, medium heat), and while they were good, I really wish the heat had a little more of a kick. The spice level here definitely caters more to the older whiter crowd, so order higher heat if you want it!! I got the seafood combo platter, which includes a crab cake, broccoli, fried shrimp (think bloomin onion from Outback Steakhouse seasoning), and while it was supposed to include mashed potatoes, I guess they were out of it. They didn't inform us ahead of time and subbed it out for a seafood pasta salad instead, so a little bummed there, but the food was pretty good otherwise. I tried a bite of my husband's reuben sandwich and it was fantastic! The way they do their bread is so good. In all, there are some things here and there they could definitely improve on (communication on items out of stock), and the food is just ever so slightly pricey, but it's a good meal that you'll probably have at least a little left over.

    Photos
    All American Eats - Sitting at our favorite table enjoying great food and wonderful conversation. Thank you AAE!!!

    Sitting at our favorite table enjoying great food and wonderful conversation. Thank you AAE!!!

    All American Eats - Philly cheesesteak and Antipasto Pasta Salad

    Philly cheesesteak and Antipasto Pasta Salad

    All American Eats - Outdoor seating area

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    Outdoor seating area

    Smokehouse On The River - tradamerican - Updated October 2026

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