Food and vibe are always excellent. We love the small plates and appetizers. Love their fresh take on cocktails.

Amazing burger , cooked perfectly with very crispy fries and coleslaw. The view is amazing ! I really enjoy the friendly staff and Great service. I will come back soon Highly recommend stopping in for a great meal and service! read more

The Windlass - Classic burger and fries .. yum! - American Near Me - Lake Hopatcong, New Jersey

I attended my friend's baby shower at The Windlass in Lake Hopatcong, NJ on a Sunday morning. There is plenty of parking. The event was at The Lake Room with spectacular views of Lake Hopatcong. There was a bubbly bar where guests can make your own mimosas from a display of prosecco, accompanied by assorted juices and a variety of fresh seasonal berries. I enjoyed making my own fruity and tropical pineapple mimosas. The brunch buffet consisted of scrambled eggs, French toast, bacon, mixed spring greens salad with balsamic vinaigrette, assorted seasonal fruits, yogurt parfaits, chicken francese, penne a la vodka, and garlic green beans. All the food I had was very good, flavorful, delectable, and filling. The staff were very friendly and attentive. They came around asking if we needed anything and cleared plates. Water, coffee, tea, and soda were included. The Lake Room is very spacious and has high ceilings. read more

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Great spot for lunch. That's my particularly favorite meal to have here. Serves consistently good American favorites right on the lake. The view is sensational. I once heard a rumor that Kelsey Grammar has bartended there a few times, I'm not absolutely certain of this but it would be pretty cool if it were true! read more

Came here twice. Once for dinner and once for drinks at the bar. Food was very good. Portions generous. Drinks at the bar were ok. We went at the tail end of the night on Valentine's Day . I think the bar staff was tired from a long day bc there was zero inviting atmosphere at the bar. read more

The Windlass - American Near Me - Lake Hopatcong, New Jersey

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Finally made it to the Windlass! We attempted to come earlier this summer without a reservation and learned the hard way. Fast forward to October and getting a reservation on a Sunday afternoon is east street :) We sat outside which is covered but the big garage doors can be opened when it's warm out. I had the honeybee martini along with the chargrilled oysters and caprese salad. It was perfect! Forgot to mention they serve you bread and oil when you sit down which is rare these days. It was so good that our server Colleen packed it up for us to take home. We really wanted to sit in the booths that are on the dock and learned that it's first come, first serve and for drinks only. No food service. So, after eating we sat out there with some drinks and watched the sunset. The experience was well worth coming back. I'm already thinking about coming back next summer! read more

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If you're visiting Lake Hopatcong, The Windlass is one of those must-stop spots that really delivers the full lakeside experience. We came on a warm summer afternoon and scored a table right on the deck, with gorgeous views of the water, boats drifting by, and a nice breeze keeping things comfortable. The menu has something for everyone, from wood-fired pizzas to hearty pastas and fresh seafood. We went with the Crispy Buffalo Chicken pizza, and it was perfect.. just the right balance of heat and creamy drizzle on a crisp, flavorful crust. The drinks were just as impressive; my cocktail not only tasted fantastic but came garnished with a fresh orchid, which felt like a little tropical getaway in a glass. Service was friendly and quick, even though the place was busy. You can tell they know how to keep things moving without making you feel rushed. Between the great food, beautiful setting, and welcoming atmosphere, The Windlass makes you want to linger a little longer, order one more drink, and just soak in the view. Definitely a place we'll be returning to!! read more

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Came in for a late lunch on Saturday of Labor Day weekend. They have a large covered outside patio that was really nice. They had a limited Red, White, and Bkue menu but it still had a ton of food choices. I got the Eggplant Caprese as a wrap instead of sandwich and my husband got the Hot Honey Chicken sandwich. Portions were solid. We are very hungry and eat everything. The fries were delicious! read more

The Windlass - Eggplant Caprese Sandwich (as a wrap) - American Near Me - Lake Hopatcong, New Jersey

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The first time we ate at Windlass was when restaurants just started reopening at the end of Covid. Since then, we've been back to the Windlass a few times and it's always been very nice. Whether it's drinks at the bar, dining outside, or inside like this past Monday night, we've had good experiences. On this occasion, my wife and stepsons enjoyed a nice casual dinner. My cheesesteak sandwich was excellent and everyone enjoyed their meals. The cannoli cake for dessert was delicious! Service here is excellent! The staff does a great job taking care of the patrons! read more

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First let's talk location: beautiful lakefront view! Dining outdoors was the best! Booked a reservation online and they accommodated us when we were running a bit late. The view is absolutely amazing! Lots of parking! Service was also good. Ryan was our waiter and did an awesome job making sure we were okay throughout the whole dining experience. Our food did take a bit long to come out but it was worth the wait! Calamari and mussels came out quick and both were absolutely delicious. Calamari was perfectly fried and they gave both chipotle and marinara sauce. The chipotle sauce was yummy! I only tried the sauce from the mussels but it was so good! Next were the entrees. I ordered the shrimp scampi and it was by far one of the best I have had. It was so flavorful. Hubby let me try his pork chop and it was juicy! Everyone said the food was delicious. Dessert was just what we needed to end the evening. Had the lava cake and Reese's cake at the waiter's suggestions and he did not disappoint. Drinks were good too but the food was the highlight as well as the views. Will come back! read more

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Come for the sunset, but definitely stay for the food -- lol! This place blew me away from start to finish: the views, the service, and the food were all top-tier. We started with the calamari and mussels -- both fresh, flavorful, and perfectly cooked. For my main, I had the chicken parm, and it was a standout. Crispy, well-seasoned, and portioned just right -- I even had leftovers to enjoy later (bonus!). Dessert-wise, the lava cake was okay, but if you're choosing between sweets, run to the Reese's dessert -- absolutely worth it. Our server? A+ across the board. Friendly, attentive, and made the experience even better. Can't wait to come back! read more

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We came here for lunch on a Sunday afternoon as a party of 7. Reservation was made ahead of time for 1pm. This place has a 90 minute seating limit but it wasn't super busy. We were seated outside on near the lake which was very nice. For appetizers, we ordered garlic shrimp, cheesy bread, mussels fra diavolo and zucchini flowers. All the apps were delicious but the zucchini flowers with the ricotta were spectacular! For mains, my husband ordered the lobster roll, I got a chicken focaccia sandwich with truffle fries and the kids split a shrimp scampi. This is a very cute spot and their bucket drinks are delicious read more

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They have a parking lot, great views of the lake, and the aesthetic of the restaurant has nautical vibes. The staff is cordial and attentive. The food needs some work, we had the calamari (the best thing we ate), the carne asada could have been better (too much oil, lacked flavor), garlic bread was chewy, as for the cocktails they were alright (had a Sangria). Highly suggest getting a sandwich or burger for food. To my we are either 1 or none read more

The Windlass - Calamari - American Near Me - Lake Hopatcong, New Jersey

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Came here tonight with my wife to enjoy a quiet evening at a recommended restaurant. Food; our choice of food was well worth it. For an appetizer we got the fried calamari which was pretty lightly breaded and not super heavy. For dinner I picked a chicken saltimbocca which I REALLY enjoyed and my wife got a Crazy Tuna roll which was very flavorful. I also got a mocktail called a cherry bomb that I enjoyed, albeit drank a bit fast. Service: because we sat away outside the service was a little slow but it was a bit of a busy night and our waiter Ryan was honestly stellar. Super nice and was checking on us frequently enough. Also our hostess whose name I never received was so kind. Aesthetic: beautiful bar along a small marina on Lake Hopatcong. I assume this place is packed during the summer but it made for a very nice night otherwise. read more

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Came here for lunch. The food and service were great! To start we ordered the garlic shrimp. It's a large portion and everyone really enjoys it - they always order the garlic shrimp appetizer. I ordered the red beet pita which was delicious - wish it came with onion that is listed on the menu. All year outdoor seating on the lake is key! I'm not sure if they had specials - we weren't told of any specials and I didn't see a separate menu insert. read more

The Windlass - Beet pita sandwich - American Near Me - Lake Hopatcong, New Jersey

I love this place when the weather is nice. Beautiful views and right on the water. I sat at the bar and it wasn't too crowded. Very good food. read more

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I have been to windlass multiple times but this time it just wasn't it. We had reservations however when we went to check in several couples in front us didn't. The hostess stared at the tablet for several minutes trying to figure out where to seat them while everyone else stood in line waiting. It was just uncomfortable. We finally were seated and it took awhile for anyone to take our order. I think they were understaffed with waiters but at one point there was 4 hostesses just hanging out so who knows. They didn't have the seasonal summer drinks out which was disappointing. My wife wanted the NY strip but it was sold out. It was 70 degrees out but they had the overhead heat lamps on making it miserable. I asked 4 times for them to turn it off before they finally did. They never refilled our waters until we asked. They claimed they were completely booked but a third of the tables were empty the entire night. We asked them to box up our leftovers when they gave me the box so I did it. I paid and got up from the table when I realized I mistakenly left my left overs on the table. I returned within 30 seconds and they already threw it out. I was 15 feet away they could have asked me? So just a underwhelming experience. read more

Have been to the Windlass a few times and love the decor overlooking the lake. The food is always good and you get a lot for your money.

What a great place to sit by the water and have lunch and a drink. Food was quite delicious. Service was great . View was beautiful. read more

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I can't remember the last time I was so disappointed. Not the food, not the service, not the decor or the ambience it was all just no. Took forever to get seated, rudeness and attitude from everyone that works here, terrible food, insane prices, why anyone would come here is beyond me. read more

Wanted to try this spot for quite a while and finally had the opportunity to do so. This is a solid 3.5 stars rounded up to 4. Food and service were okay, nothing spectacular. The restaurant ambiance, on the other hand, was great. Situated as close to the water as possible without getting wet, the outdoor terrace is amazing. Same with a few rocking tables along the water line. Chairs could be a bit more comfortable and the service could use a polishing but what's lacking is made up by a beautiful location and practical layout. read more

We made reservations for the windlass this past Saturday to partake in their St Patrick's day menu. My husband ordered the corned beef and cabbage and I had the corned beef Rueben. Both were excellent. We are always looking for a good pizza and their pepperoni with hot honey was divine. Drinks were good too. Service was ok until we were charged more for the Guinness than the menu stated (special) and the server was not coming back with the correct bill. I understand it was probably busier than usual however we went to host stand and they corrected the bill and apologized profusely. This was my 2nd time here and will definitely be back when the weather warms up a bit. read more

The dining area is very nice as is the bar seating area. The restaurant is on Lake Coac on so the views are also very nice. The service is good. I wouldn't say exceptional but good. The food is also above average. I eat here for dinner and I went here once for the brunch. I found a dinner to be far superior to the brunch, but to be fair generally speaking, I don't like brunches. read more

Food isn't great, but the vibe makes up for it. Go for drinks and views, not the food. We stopped by Windlass for a bite and while the setting is absolutely beautiful, the food didn't quite deliver. I ordered the calamari, skirt steak with shrimp, and garlic bread. The calamari was actually a pleasant surprise....crispy and well-seasoned, with sauces that complemented it nicely. Unfortunately, the rest fell short. The garlic bread was chewy instead of crispy, and missed that buttery-garlicky punch you'd expect. The skirt steak and shrimp were underwhelming. Both lacked the bold, savory flavor you'd usually want, especially from a grilled steak dish. The steak should've had some seasoning, or at least a marinade to bring it to life (maybe chimichurri?). Same for the shrimp...bland, no hint of garlic, lemon, or herbs. That said, the drinks were solid and the views of the lake are hard to beat. It's a great spot to hang out and unwind, just don't come hungry expecting a memorable meal. read more

every time we come here it seems like our food is two hours late, but our waiter was nice and gave us a free dessert. Great place to sit on the water for the view. The buffalo chicken pizza was nothing crazy a little on the dry side. The eggplant caprese sandwich was really good. read more

The Windlass - Buffalo Chicken Pizza - American Near Me - Lake Hopatcong, New Jersey

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We always enjoy the beautiful lake ambiance when going to Windlass. The service had gotten better. Once we weee there and the waitress , perhaps because of inexperience , took my order and walked away without getting my husband's order?! Food is mostly satisfactory, we had complained once because the pizza served was burnt. They took it off the bill. read more

The location is why people return here. The food is 3.5 stars at best Ingredients seem fresh and the presentation is good, but most importantly--the flavors and preparation--are sub par for a restaurant of this size and (supposed) caliber. We started with the Garlic Shrimp and Truffle fries. Both were very tasty, and served in reasonable time, but also weren't what I would describe as "hot," temp wise. Staff was attentive and responsive. Mains were Chicken Burrata Salad (CBS) and Linguine with Clam Sauce (they offered both red and white, we went with white garlic and oil). The CBS was a huge portion and the burrata was decent. However, the delicate cheese arrived on two overly breaded and fried chicken breasts that dominated the plate. They were like mini nerf footballs. Don't get me wrong, the portion-to-price ratio was great, it just didn't feel like the summer salad it was described to be. Just a thought--pound out ONE chicken breast to a thinner, more elegant and approachable island for the burrata to lay upon. The linguine with clam sauce areived looking like something on Cook's Illustrated. Simple yet refined, lots of clam meat all around. Pasta was cooked perfectly. NO SEASONING WHATSOVER. It was a crime to have those ingredients so well-presented but without flavor. Also, there was no offer of fresh pepper. Last but not least, the drinks are an extremely weak pour. Wasn't actually sure they had any. All in all, decent experience. Prob wont be back soon. read more

Good view, Good food. Good service. Sitting outside on a very hot and humid day. Kind of hard to get to the restaurant and you'd better have a reservation. read more

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Every single thing here was perfect. The water view and greetings from the nice hostess. We came for lunch and had their lunch specials. I had the flank steak with mashed potatoes onion rings and a hearty portion of string beans. It was wonderful. My husband had the stuffed shells with bolognese sauce. That sauce tasted just like mine. Wonderful! Delicious! The coffee is strong and our plates came with amazing rice pudding and a delicious donut. This lunch was perfect easily surpassing a 5* review read more

Views on views on views !!! I have never dined at a restaurant with better views than this place !! It was absolutely STUNNING no matter which direction you looked. Lakefront dining at its finest !! I didn't want to leave and the food was sooo good especially the pizza. Definitely will be my new go to spot read more

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Visiting family in the area and they took us to the Windlass for a nice outdoor dinner. The ambiance was great, we sat by the water around sunset watching boats go by. Our waitress was a little aloof in the beginning but she came around after we placed our orders. I ordered the honeybee martini which was refreshing but sweet. We ordered the garlic shrimp as an app and it was just okay. The shrimp wasn't mixed well with the sauce in my opinion. I ordered the eggplant caprese sandwich as my entree. It was crispy with a bunch of veggies. Overall had a good experience. read more

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I had been here before and I was very pleased this time it wasn't up to par to what I expected. From the service to the food I wasn't that impressed. I thought the crab soup was lacking crab and flavor. Also the other special was sea bass... I was shocked that it was fried. Seems like they would want a fish like this to stand on its own, not fries but baked. The risotto part was good though. The whole dish would of need better with the baked fish. Also the service we received over all wasn't great. I went to the bar to order my own drink at first and the bartender seem so rude. Here are some pro tips: get there before sunset to enjoy the view. The rocking booths you can not reserve or order food. Make reservations. Also the bucket drink is great!! read more

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I went here with a group of people. We ordered a lot of dishes. We were hungry. Long story short: we found the appetizers to be better than the main dishes. Delicious: French onion soup, garlic clams, windlass wings (didn't love the sauces), paesanella salad, caesar salad (should have gotten the dressing on the side) parmesan truffle fries, risotto as a side, shrimp scampi. Soggy and underwhelming: penne a la vodka, rigatoni mezze, genovese pizza. The lobster bisque (this was so salty). read more

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I set up a birthday dinner for 9. The food was good, the server was attentive and kind. This young lady was working! I had to tip her extra. LoL Really great time. Very nice ambiance being right on Lake Hopatcong. The price was fair. No complaints. The only knock and is why they didn't get a higher score, is because with a reservation, we had to wait over 30 minutes to be seated. Not a good start. But that wouldn't stop me from returning and recommending this place to others. I'm looking forward to the next visit. read more

For a Monday night-off season there was a good crowd. We were greeted by a friendly hostess. We ordered a couple of drinks, they were a good value. Calamari was nicely cooked but bland. Brick oven pizza was very nice as well were the lamb chops. The burrata burger was ordered mid rare but was well done and the bun was too large. Service was efficient and friendly It's good to have a good restaurant open on Monday read more

My fav restaurant ever first of summer season:) Great view Great food Great service and great value. read more

My noble chums and I stopped by here last Saturday for an early (even by our standards) lunch around 11:30am. This was a recommendation from one of the aforementioned chums, who lives fairly close by and is familiar with these Hopatcong seasonal hot spots. Definitely a cute area; I've been to the Sparta/Lake Mohawk area a few times, but that's pretty much the extent of my experience around here. I'd love to know how people found this place in olden times before Google Maps was readily available; it's basically non-stop curvy one-lane roads from Route 15 to the parking lot. A few of the non-locals in the group were disappointed that the lake overall doesn't have a lot in the way of boardwalks, etc. to walk around and admire the view, which I'd have to agree with; not The Windlass' fault though - and they definitely do what they can with their stretch of the lakefront. We were all very impressed with the outdoor seating off to the side/dock area, which we were told was for booze drinking almost exclusively. We decided after our meal to make the sacrifice and have some post-lunch wine over there. And even the interior is pretty spiffy - every time we walked by it, one chum kept pointing out the bar, which is designed like the front (bow? aft? not sure) of a boat. Lot of cool optics here. We decided to split the Sweet & Spicy Corn & Crab Dip app ($15), which came with fried saltines. Huge hit and would definitely order again. I shared the sentiments of one chum, who really enjoyed it but said at the end of the day she still preferred bread as the accompaniment for crab dip versus crackers, even ones like this that appeared to be flavored with something akin to Old Bay seasoning. Very strong contender nonetheless, and super flavorful. For my entrée, I made eye contact with the swordfish option on the daily specials menu ($32), and that was that. As you can see from the attached, it's a gigantic portion and priced pretty much as expected. I'm not an expert on the fish market overall, but swordfish tends to be a higher tier item in my experience. There were one or two questionable fishy bites, but overall it was solid. The mashed potatoes were pretty scrumptious and a decent complement to the fish. I don't recall any issues with the service or our waitress. She was personable and efficient from what I could say, and the experience overall was very agreeable. I don't know that this is an off-the-charts, mind-blowing waterfront restaurant, but it's good for what it is, and a legit alternative to driving two hours down the Parkway to a similar restaurant. read more

The Windlass - Swordfish. - American Near Me - Lake Hopatcong, New Jersey

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Just outstanding, everything about it. Best food on the lake hands down. Never disappointed.

My first time here and it definitely didn't disappoint!! The lake view is spectacular! David our waiter was on point!! The white pizza was out of bounds $ our trio sampler platter was so yummy. Chicken fingers, calamari (fresh), mozzarella sticks (homemade) Can't wait to come back again!!! read more

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Our favorite spot on the lake for lunch. The location and atmosphere is great. Outdoor seating is covered and provides for great views looking over the lake. We have been a few times for lunch and our food is always good. Our favorite is the shrimp appetizer. Their corned beef specials during st. Pattys day weekend we're fantastic as well. read more