A year ago it would have been 3-4 rating. Over the past year Blackwater is lucky to get 1 star. Menu prices have gone up over 30% and portions have gone done more than that. Their specials are just recycled leftovers. Thursday is "prime rib night". Prime rib is , fine at best, but the next Tuesday you can have 5 day old prime rib as a "prime rib sandwich special" wink, wink. When you arrive less than an hour after they are open and there is only 3 specials left, you know it is just a leftover from the night before, which was affirmed by the wait staff. If you like mediocre food with okay service, this is the place for you. read more

Convenient location at Smith Mountain Lake, We sat in the bar area which is nice, good energy and not too loud. The warm pretzels were awesome! Hubby had the prime rib which was good, baked potato was charred on the skin and the green beans were not seasoned and under cooked. Both had beers which were local and good. read more

I find this place to be little too expensive for mediocre food. Tried the breaded fried shrimp last night after asking the server about them, and although she admitted they come frozen she said that everyone raves about them. Nothing to rave about. My husband had the strip steak, which was tough. Best thing I've ever had here is the prime rib on a Thursday night.. just not my favorite place but the couple we went out with wanted to go here. I much prefer Napoli cowboy over this place. read more

Found my way here with family on their recommendation. Ambience is cool. I very much enjoyed the crisp pours of the beers poured here. It might be strange to some, but the lines are clean here, which in general, is somewhat rare. The food is good, hardy American food. The service is also very good, with the owner involved with the experience. (Even more rare) I'm definitely coming back. read more

We came here based on a recommendation from friends, And The Blackwater Café did not disappoint. When we arrived, John could not of been a more helpful and gracious host. Loved the ambience. We started out with a glass of wine and a delicious IPA. The main chorus dinners were fillet mignon and the Asian chicken salad, and both were excellent choices. We had the apple tart with vanilla ice cream on it for dessert and it was absolutely delicious. Our server, Chris, was the best! He easily told us about all specials without ever looking down at his pad. Service was fast and delightful. If Chris is working when you're there I highly recommend that you ask for him to be your server! We liked our first visit so much we decided to come back on our last night of vacation! Once again Blackwater did not disappoint!Tonight we had the amazing Erica as our server! I'm not sure I've had a better or more enthusiastic server ever (sorry Chris, she's cuter lol) Our dinners included the seared salmon, the filet mignon, and the blackened salmon salad. We had the caprese for an appetizer and brownie (chocolate chip cookie actually) sundae for dessert & both were awesome! We will def come back The next time we visit Smith Mountain Lake. It was great to meet Lynn the owner, and last time we got to meet John the chef, but this time the restaurant was just too busy for him to come out and say hi. Keep up the good work guys!! read more

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Great place: Good food, attentive staff, comfortable ambiance. These are the basic components of a meal experience that will bring me back. Although they warn of a staffing shortage that may result in a long wait, nothing like that occurred during my visit. I recommend this place to both resident and visitor. read more

We love this place..!!! Always good..!!! The staff are always so nice and friendly and the food is always delicious and on point..!!! Our favorite restaurant..!!! read more

Beat steaks I've ever ordered from a restaurant. They also have great cocktails. The ambience is wonderful. It's a place we like to visit often. read more

I had the Shrimp and Grits which was OK, I guess..it had bbq seasoning and a fried egg on it. I should have read the details as I was expecting the traditional Shrimp & Grits served at Cajun restaurants. Our first visit. The ambiance was very nice and better than expected. Service was good. Didn't realize, but we should have made reservations..it was a popular spot. Thought the prices were a little spendy; but it wouldn't have been so high if we stuck with water. ($20 extra for 3 total beers) read more

The Blackwater Cafe - Shrimp and grits - American Near Me - Moneta, Virginia

We love this place. Owners and servers are great and make you feel like family. Crab fries are so good. Can't go wrong with Blackwater burger or chicken. Wings are good. And who doesn't like dining chairs on wheels? Great local family restaurant we go to every time we come to the lake. read more

Just know the food is good and the service is earnest but slow. It is a small local restaurant with a nice decor and ambiance. The chicken and waffles are delicious and the truffle fries are on point. The steak was overcooked but the meatloaf special was yummy. Just be aware of the time with families and children who may not be able to wait. read more

Awesome staff very attentive in spite of being short staffed just like every other restaurant. Food came much faster than we had expected and it was excellent. read more

Every time I eat there it's a great experience. I'm a long time patron and highly recommend this place. One thing I would like to see is the menu expanded to pre Covid selections!!! read more

My wife and I sent a txt to the number listed. Within 15 minutes we got a call from the owner who asked what would would like for dinner. We ended up setting a reservation for 630 on a Saturday evening. This was out first time at Blackwater Cafe. When we arrived the owner met us at the door. He greeted us with our names and set us up with a table by the fire place. Our server was Chris and he was amazing. He gave us a detailed rundown of the specials and drink menu. I decided to have the steak and ordered it medium rare. It came out perfectly cooked with a side of green beans and scalloped potatoes. The steak was super tender and perfectly seasoned. My wife had the salmon. She raved about it saying it was probably the best she has ever had. Over impression was great staff, food and decent prices for the quality. The hours are limited so it's best to call ahead for a reservation. The menu is small but filled with quality. They have a full bar as well. A hidden gem. read more

Nice place great staff good food One of the best on the lake so far. Small place, hours are limited. read more

I understand that Blackwater Cafe is under new management, now. During my visit it was not. The food was very good( I had the burger and fries). The service was fast and customer service was good. The only complaint that I would have is the operational hours are odd and need to be reconsidered. read more

The food was excellent: salmon and chicken fettuccine. Serving staff very attentive. (Bread served while you're waiting for your order.) Our place was nearby, and we decided to return for the last night. Salads were very good. Ambiance-nice. read more

Delicious food, amazing cocktails and the staff takes customer service to the next level‼ Never a disappointment!

Looking for some Fantastic Food and Service then look no further than the Blackwater Cafe at Smith Mountain Lake. Our server was Matt we appreciated his experience and professionalism. All of our orders were done to our requests nothing was missed. The food was Delicious one in our party had a Prime Rib sandwich with crispy fries a special last evening. He said it was one of the best he has had in years. We had their BLACKWATER BURGER Certified Angus Beef topped with white cheddar, bacon, honey balsamic onions & Dijon aioli cooked to perfection. My wife had their FRIED CHICKEN TENDERS Served with fries & honey mustard. Portions were more than generous and delicious. Reservations are recommended. Plan to be back again soon! read more

My future wife and I came up from NC to spend some time at the lake. We saw The Blackwater Cafe online and decided to drop by. We arrived near closing time, so we called to make sure they were still open and preparing food. The owner spoke with me and said come on in!! We sat at the bar and Nik served us. He knew the menu and cocktails well. I asked for a specialty drink and it came out perfect. We ordered crab cakes with scalloped potatoes and roasted green peas, the 6oz filet mignon with a sweet potato and green beans. Both were absolutely amazing. We then ordered dessert. I had a brownie sundae with ice cream, whipped cream, caramel and chocolate drizzle, and a cherry on top. The wife ordered a maple brown sugar cheesecake. My brownie was delicious, the wife almost cried because hers was so good. Overall, the food was amazing. And the service was spectacular. We loved the ambiance and feel of the place. I would recommend this restaurant to anyone passing through SML. read more

The Blackwater Cafe - Maple brown sugar cheesecake - American Near Me - Moneta, Virginia

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Husband and I were on our annual anniversary trip, this year at Smith Mountain Lake, and passed this hidden gem on our way to our AirBNB. The food was wonderful, the staff was excellent and the drinks and desserts were wonderful! We will definitely return on our next trip. read more

Friendly staff and the food was delicious. You can tell they have a steady stream of regulars. We went specifically for the prime rib on Thursday and it didn't disappoint. Bring your appetite. read more

We like this place as a nice break from our usual eateries. Good is good and consistent. Service has been great, but a little slow getting seated when we have gone with larger groups. read more

Premier SML venue. Upscale without pretense. Award winning chef. Enjoy thoughtful dishes in the dining room or bar/grill area. Bartender is a professional and a good listener. Wait staff friendly and competent. Might even see some good live music. Last year when we stopped in, the musician was excellent. Not always there. Atmosphere is pleasant and can accommodate larger parties. Enjoy read more

Our meals were excellent as was the service. I had crabcake and my husband had the mushroom burger with fries. read more

The Blackwater Cafe - Mushroom burger - American Near Me - Moneta, Virginia

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Wow! We tried dinner here for the first time, and it was excellent. It's a very unassuming looking place from the outside, and you can choose to eat in the dining room or grill area depending on how fancy you'd like to get. They gave us sourdough bread to start off with, which was delicious. I had the mixed greens salad with house made citrus vinaigrette, and my husband had the sirloin, which was cooked to perfection. Yum! It's a tiny bit pricey, but it's worth it for a special night out. We will be back! read more

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The tuna melt was good but nothing special. No celery, onion, nothing in the tuna, just mayo. Paying extra for a pickle is ridiculous. No tomato, or any vegie on the sandwich. read more

We absolutely LOVE this place ! The food is delicious and the location is perfect . We went for my sons 21st birthday and they made it so special for him ! Highly recommended read more

Our first dinner in a restaurant in over 18 months! Went with my son and grandkids, who were having a really fussy night. Staff was wonderful and helpful. We had the prime rib which was actually as rare as I wanted and was delicious. Every dish at the table (including the kids grilled cheese which was crispy and gooey with cheese) was wonderful. Great food, great staff! read more

We LOVE this restaurant! The owners are fabulous people, and the food is always great. Ashley always takes great care of us and we look forward to coming back every time we're in town! read more

Great place. People were super nice. Food was great. Make sure you eat here at least once if staying at Smith Mountain.

Excellent food and service. We stopped in for prime rib Thursday. The prime rib was as tender as could be. We also had an appetizer of the smoked salmon dip and the naan bread. Very tasty. Oh, and the table biscuit are flaky and moist with a honey butter. These were so delicious we were getting full before our prime rib arrived. We decided to take half of our prime rib home in the box so that we could try the desserts. The bread pudding was the absolute winner with the white chocolate crème brûlée coming in second, of course that's all we ordered.Said another way, bring your appetite and don't fill up on the appetizers. Shout out to Amber for excellent service, too. read more

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Been waiting a while to try this place. It was everything we had heard and even better. Food and service were excellent. Be sure to make reservations as you will need them. read more

Good start with shrimp and grits. Had high expectations for the meal overall as my family had been looking forward to trying Blackwater. Very disappointing. -Chicken and Waffles was three frozen pre-breaded chicken tenders (like in a child's meal) excessively covered with syrup. Embarrassment to the southern meal. What happened blackwater, your other reviews show fresh made fried chicken over waffles. If you were out you should have removed from menu! -Salmon entree: Heavily over salted. Will not return, many other SML locations that take more pride in offering a consistent quality of food with local ingredients. read more

The Blackwater Cafe - Chicken and Waffles at Backwater is an embarrassment to the Southern dish. 3 frozen pre-breaded chicken tenders. What happened blackwater? - American Near Me - Moneta, Virginia

My husband and I have been dining here for the past year. It is our favorite restaurant due to the wonderful food and staff. Every dish we have had is 5 star. Our favorites are the Filet Mignon, scalloped potatoes and asparagus, and the bone in Pork chop with Chutney sauce (yum), mashed sweet potatoes and peas with bacon (yum, yum)! The staff and chef are professional and at the same time down to earth and will take the time to chat with you! Their pastry chef is incredible and my personal favorite is the Oreo Cheesecake John, the owner makes sure every Covid rule is followed and we felt very comfortable dining there last week. read more

Great food with nice wait staff. Steaks, burgers and seafood are all great choices. Make sure you make a reservation if you are visiting during the summer, especially on the weekend read more

Always great food and service!! Highly recommend this restaurant. Wish they were open for breakfast lunch and dinner!

We ate at Blackwater Café twice last week during our visit to Smith Mountain Lake, and the food and service were exceptional. The owner greeted us when we arrived, was very friendly, and on our first visit was able to seat us without a reservation even though they were full. He clearly knows how to manage a service-oriented business. The bone-in pork chop and pan-seared mahi mahi were wonderful, and the filet mignon was melt-in-your-mouth delicious. It is not a hip, loud restaurant like Mangos, but you also will not be tortured by people singing karaoke. You will just get delicious food and exceptional service. Blackwater was the best dining experience of our vacation. read more

If you want a great meal with incredible hospitality, look no further than the Blackwater Cafe. My parents had called ahead to surprise me and my husband by paying the bill for our anniversary dinner. They spoke to John, who was happy to help my non-tech savvy mom make this work. When we got there, there was a sweet note on the table for us, and John even stopped by to wish us a happy anniversary. Turns out, we share the same one! :) The food was delicious, the wait staff were kind and knowledgeable, and the host was a delight. It was a pleasure to spend our night celebrating here, and to be welcomed in by such a lovely atmosphere. Thank you, Blackwater Cafe for making this such a memorable night! read more

Most amazing meal EVER! However, I am 26 and not used to paying for 4 people so I was "picky" about the price afterwards but whatever... Note: They dont open til 5pm Appetizers: Bread and Butter Jalapeno Cheese Slaw $8.99 Crab and Corn Fritters $9.99 My Dinner: House Smoked Rack of Ribs Slathered in Sweet Baby Ray's BBQ Sauce, Served with Homemade Baked Beans and a Side of Slaw Half $19.99/ Full $25.99 (Their Half-Rack is bigger and better than Outbacks Full-Rack) There were 3 others with me and we did not get the memo that people (+60yrs) like to dress up to come here. Not necessary to dress up, but we kept getting looks as I am a 26yr old active duty military member on leave. Taking my wife and her little sister and her sisters friend out to a resturaunt at my Grandparents that she just so happens to have gone to years ago... In a different state... So I'm wearing a Korn T-shirt and ripped camo shorts "spottin the bill for 4" at the nicest place around getting glares from other dinners that said"you better hang onto their credit card." I don't care. FOOD WAS AMAZING! Fat-Kid-Seal-Of-Approval read more