So the waitress asks how everything was after we had the chicken quesadilla appetizers and we tell her the chicken was bland and needs seasoning. Her reply was that it's a busy Saturday and she's not telling them that today. Seriously we both work in food you are not a positive person. Who says that to a customer? She never smiled, there was at least 4 wait staff and a busser working the deck with a number of open tables. She also told us they had no plates for us to eat our appetizers and then found one said it was busy lunch except it was now 4:30pm. Really? Mind you we have both been managers in restaurants, I still work in one and had worked that day. We are always polite and friendly because of this Don't want to know how the food was don't ask and certainly don't tell the customer you aren't telling the cook. We even tried to laugh it off and she remained stoic. Is there something more going on there like a mean cook or are you just rude? The topper was her talking about us to other wait staff less than 10 feet away after that. The broiled seafood platter was ok but again needed seasoning which we didn't tell her since she clearly didn't care. After my first experience in a number of years a few weeks ago, this was a complete let down. There were plenty of open tables so it wasn't that busy as I have seen a wait for outdoor seating at most places by the water on a sunny warm day. One of the tall ships headed to Oswego was docked there as well which would draw people in from the water but not many there maybe she is part of the problem and the cook on Saturday June 21st. She wears a black shirt with red sides name is Keri. Nice view of the water and always clean we will wait a bit before returning. read more

Great view right on Oneida River. Our server, Lily, was awesome. We went for 4th of July and it was busy, but service was still great.

We recently had a rehearsal dinner at his venue. The coordinator, Alexis, made it easy to plan. no fees 'to rent' room. We chose the Italian buffet. The food was delicious (highly recommend chicken riggies). Aimee was our server. She handled a room of 40 beautifully. And all leftover food was boxed and sent home with us. (guests were ). Cannot say enough good about the venue, staff and food! Great job! read more

Waitresses and hostess were all extremely rude. Had no direction of where to go. The food was okay at best. It was kind of on the water but not the best view unless you're right on the edge of the porch. and 67 dollars for 2 meals and an appetizer and all of this bs is crazy. read more

First off, this is a restaurant you should bring cash to as there's a 3.75% charge added for using a credit card. Second off, the food isn't great. The fish fry didn't have any flavor but was nice and crispy. The chicken riggies have a little spice but the consistency isn't what I expected from other restaurants. And my burger... I ordered a Southwest Burger that should be onion rings, pepper jack, lettuce, and sauce... I got a burger with a dry white cheese, jalapenos, and bacon. But the waitress told me it was correct Bathroom toilet was broken and the handle was falling off. Overall, not impressed. read more

We came at a very slow time of day and the waitress was a little impatient as we took a minute to decide. I got the chicken cheesesteak which was ok, just large chunks of dry chicken with cheese, mushrooms, and peppers. Two people in my group got nachos. There was a very light amount of cheese and it was cold. The toppings were scarce, and cucumbers were an odd choice of topping. The third person got buffalo shrimp on caesar salad which didn't have enough to feel satiated. I was expecting better food and it ended up being disappointing for what we paid. We were really hungry and ate mid grade food. While I understand it's a tavern, it also didn't smell very pleasant. read more

The Waterfront is a casual restaurant on the west end of Oneida Lake, with an outdoor deck area and a great scenic view of the mouth of the Oneida River. It's a favorite place to go out with friends on warm evenings. read more

We went on a slow Monday. I ordered the nachos and my friend ordered the haddock bites. They use white queso cheese that had no flavor and the chips were well done. The haddock bites were fishy and had a weird taste. Service took forever and she only had 4 tables... 3 of which already had their food and we were the fourth. She was grumpy until time for the payment/tip part of the whole ordeal. I didn't complain to anyone (I hate doing that) but I use Yelp all the time and wanted to review it so you wouldn't make my mistake. read more

Very friendly and attentive. Food was really good. I had a lasagna that was fantastic! Very home cooked feel.

Last time I was here was years ago and it was great, unfortunately it seems to have gone downhill. Stopped in on a Saturday night at 6:45 which is usually very busy in restaurants, but it was empty. No music, dirty tables, no busser/hostess, and one server on the floor on what should be the busiest night of the week. Was not checked on by server and drinks were left empty. Unfortunate for a great location. read more

We came here about 12:30pm on a Monday. This was a business lunch and the vendor we were visiting brought us here after telling us it was a popular spot. On the outside it looks really rundown, even on the riverside patio it does not look like they are taking advantage of the potential this property has. It is my opinion the owners could put some money into the exterior to improve the curb appeal. They could be losing business because people are turned off by the exterior. However, after walking in, it looked very homey and welcoming. As we walked to the patio area you could see the reason why this place exists where it is. They have a full view of the Oneida River and the entrance to the lake. We placed our orders and I chose the meatball sub. The server said that is her favorite. Our meals were delivered very timely and it felt like the server knew our host. Everything hit the spot and we were all satisfied. It is a good place to check out when in the area. read more

See all

Total garbage service and food. Ordered a chicken sandwich and basket of sweet potato fries to go. Stupid me for not checking the bag. I just paid 25 dollars for just a sandwich and a little side of fries in the same box. Probably the rudest most unfriendly service. You couldn't pay me to go back and I will warn all my friends! read more

Had a great lunch & awesome service! Saw some bad reviews but that was not our experience at all.

I will preface this review with the fact that I put a lot off consideration into deducting stars during this time, but there were many things off during my time here. I'll start with the good, which was the service, and the only saving grace that kept me from leaving. The waitresses were attentive and friendly. The wings were great, my fiancé also enjoyed his chicken sandwich. Now to the "less than ideal" section of my review: We waited over an hour for our food. My side salad came almost immediately, but then it was over an hour in between the salad and the rest of the food, which included wings which came out along with the appetizers. There were maybe only 6 different tables eating while we were there. My chicken riggies left a lot to be desired. I wish they had a description if they were planning on straying from the expected recipe; these rigatoni are stuffed, which is fine, but these were way overcooked and a bit slimy. There was also barely any chicken, which for $19 was a bit disappointing. It was loaded with jalapeños, which aren't really the best substitute for chicken. Now to the COVID-induced things which didn't lead to stars deducted, but are important to know... apparently you just walk all the way in, towards the back to be seated. We stood there at what we thought was the hostess desk for a solid 7 minutes before a customer at the bar told us to walk in. There are very few tables inside, so we had to sit on the deck outside which makes me wonder if that's why we were forgotten about. All in all, I'd probably consider coming back after the pandemic, and most likely in the summer during its peak. Hopefully they can streamline their processes now that the peak season is winded down read more

Waterfront Tavern - a table with a menu and a drink on it - Pubs Near Me - Central Square, New York

It's been quite a few years since I've been but we went on a early Saturday night to hear a band n have some dinner. They had a small line waiting but it didn't take long before we sat down. I ordered coconut shrimp w raspberry dipping sauce & Mac n tuna salad. The shrimp was very good & the sauce was just the right touch. The surprise was the salad. I didn't t see much tuna in it but the flavor was amazingly good!! We'll be back! read more

Over priced, under fed, service pathetic;, a concrete bar, and Country Music blaring. Should have, could have, would have made a b-line to the door except I was hungry. Grin and bear the Trumpers as they eat. Not a fun time. read more

This place is a bit of a hike for me but I enjoy coming here. During the summer months they have a huge outdoor patio and occasionally have live music. I'm a huge fan of the haddock sandwich and haddock bites appetizer. This place can get packed but it's totally worth it! read more

Well my family came up purposely for dinner and fireworks. I do enjoy this restaurant/tavern. I have come here numerous times with the other Chef I had worked with at nice n easy Chef David Haynes. Buuuuuuuut on this occasion trying to find a parking spot for the establishment was almost impossible. I do believe the parking lot should be for paying customers only. There were waaaay to many firework spectators parked in the restaurants lot. My 8 month pregnant sister inlaw had a very difficult time finding a spot where she didn't have to walk a mile with her other 1 year old. I am sorry but maybe the manager or owner should have someone policing the lot for paying customers only. Not again read more

Went for lunch. The bar tender has a bad attitude. We ordered food. The scallops were raw cold on the inside. She never asked how are food was. Would never go here again read more

So right off the bat I have to say this is probably one of the most underrated restaurants I've seen on this site. I'm so glad that decided to just wing it and ignore some of the 1 star reviews. I think any of you who go here will feel the same. First and foremost this is probably one of the more scenic restaurants in all of CNY. It's literally right up on the river and they have a ton of outside seats that are right near it. The views are absolutely incredible and the bugs that come naturally with outdoor seating aren't too bad at all. The food is extremely tasty here and I definitely recommend coming here on Thursday's. The main reason for this, is they have the bogo clams dish for 10.99. You get 2 dozen little neck clams that are very fresh, cleaned well, and are large. That's a fantastic deal! It only happens on Thursdays to my knowledge. They also have extremely tasty burgers. My wife and I paid less than 40 bucks for her clams and my bacon cheeseburger. It comes with house chips or you can upgrade to fries for 2 bucks. Do the upgrade, the fries are fantastic! Great food, great views, and great service. I highly recommend coming here! read more

This place used to be a great establishment but recently went for dinner and was very disappointed!! Place looked run down, was smelly and dark as we walked through and had very poor customer service. Food came out with no taste and the drinks were trash. Also watched a waitress dump leftover drinks over the patio railing as she cleaned a table. There weren't very many customers but a ton of staff that all looked out of it as if they were on some kind of medication. FYI if your planning on dinning outside on the deck watch out for spiders. Saw waitresses at table rolling silverware and one of them was nodding off appeared to high!! Very shameful from what this place use to be. Will never go back or recommend this place to anyone!! read more

Good food and great service decent portions and owner is very friendly does get busy so best to call and see how long of a wait

It was a warm, mid-September evening when my family decided to give the Waterfront a try for dinner. Let me preface the review by saying that I/we have been here a dozen or so times over the past two decades. None of us had been here in the past few years, mainly because of what other reviewers have already said. The views, the outdoor seating and the drinks have always been consistent here- the food...not so much. So on a Monday night, we were ready to give the Waterfront another try. We were greeted immediately upon entering and were seated outside. Our server, Tammy, was fantastic! She was very pleasant and was attentive to the needs of my thirsty kids- who apparently needed. Drink refill every three minutes. The menu offers your typical gastro pub varieties- hamburgers/fried haddock/wings/pulled pork/chicken/wraps,etc. A good selection of entrees and sides. I opted for a chicken Philly with a side of sweet potato fries and my wife had the pulled pork sandwich. Other people in our group had the haddock and the chicken fingers. All of us were really surprised at how good the food was. As I mentioned, much credit goes to our server who worked hard all night at making our visit enjoyable. A sign out front mentioned 1/2 price wings on Wednesdays- and as I recall- those used to be pretty good. Kudos to the staff at the Waterfront for making this dinner visit a memorable one- and if nothing else- will inspire us to all return again sooner rather than later. read more

Waterfront Tavern - Chicken Philly (cheese & peppers/onions) and a side of sweet potato fries(with a maple dipping sauce)- Yummy!! - Pubs Near Me - Central Square, New York

Not a great dining experience. We came in on a fairly busy Sunday evening with a group of 7 and were very disappointed with the service. We were seated quickly but waited a good while before our server came to our table. She took drink orders for the first 4 of us that were seated. About 8 minutes later the rest showed up and our server took their drink orders as well. The problem started when she came for the dinner order. It began when she had to tell us the multiple menu items that they didn't have. No fish for the fish tacos, no pico de Gallo for the shrimp tacos, no haddock, and that list went on and on. We were all able to navigate the menu and order something to our liking including a few apps for the table. It took almost an hour before the appetizers came out and then another 20 minutes for the meals. It was just way too long. To be honest - the food was good. We all liked what we had, but it took exceptionally long to come out. If not for the effort of our server/manager to make amends - I would have only given a single star. The server we had was honest and knew they hadn't lived up to their own standards. I actually felt bad for her, because I could tell she wasn't happy with the situation herself. She was apologetic and comped our apps and some drinks which ended up being about a 25% discount in total. Good effort and a stand up move, but I'm not sure I would go back. Perhaps they were just having an "off" night. I'm not sure because it's been my only visit here. As mentioned the food was good and their outdoor seating and bar area were very nice along with great water views. One last thing I didn't care for is the 3.75% surcharge for credit cards payments. This is 2019...many don't carry cash anymore and being charged for the convenience of using a credit card seems ridiculous to me. The service fees that a restaurant or any business has to pay is just the cost of doing business. I am a small business owner and have to pay when my clients use credits cards. It's just the way it is. I won't tell you not to go there...the outdoor seating and views are delightful, but I also won't say you should run there to grab a meal, because I just wasn't impressed with the issues we dealt with. Try it or don't - at least you've been warned. read more

The food is great, the service isn't that well unless you know them. The water is beautiful. When you first walk in, you don't know where to go because everything is on the back deck with no signs at the front. We eventually followed someone else that has been there before. Hosts picked a seat close to the door because she seemed like she didn't want to walk anymore. We moved our seat to the water and it was nice. The service stuck, drinks are small. Food was really good tho! read more

They re-use their paper menus (NOT COVID-advised) and aren't serving dessert Staff is nice, food is unremarkable. read more

Great views. Great staff. Great food. The Cajun shrimp with garlic bread is especially good. Dip the fries in the Cajun sauce. Yum. Kid liked the haddock bites. Haddock sandwich was good as well. read more

service was horrible; music and water view was great. I get the same waitress every time i give this place a shot, and every time she outdoes herself in poor quality. I could've gone to wild horse and back before I got a drink here, let alone a "check-in". read more

Our food wasn't very good and the atmosphere was ruined by a large table of drunk people. This happened 5 years ago and we haven't been back since. read more

If I could give no stars I would.. I guess it's a good place togo for the outdoor ambiance and drinks. Unorganized place. The worst meal I've ever had at a restaurant. The sign says "please see hostess" but the hostess' had no idea what the hell was going on. Do yourself a favor and do not get the seafood salad wrap. -literally a bag mix of store bought salad with a few pieces of "crab/lobster" if you wanna call it that. Tasteless. read more

No idea how this place has so few stars. The food is amazing, the atmosphere in awesome and the service is probably the best I've had in a long time. Ordered the Buffalo chicken sandwich and it was so damn crispy until I finished it. Did now end up a soggy mess. My server Tiffany was awesome and very nice! I recommend you give this place a shot. read more

Waterfront Tavern in Brewerton makes a great date night. If you have time and patience you will get great food, great atmosphere, & great service. We loved watching all the boats on the water. My husband ordered the special seafood cakes app. Rather than a typical crab cake these are loaded with crab, shrimp, scallops, and more. His first bite reaction was "it's legit". That means he loved it! I ordered the fish tacos and they were very good. Grilled *not breaded* mild fish Loaded with flavor & texture. The spicy waterfront sauce was not too spicy. Just right. The prime rib sandwich was authentic, tender, and tasty. Our server was Raffaella and she was lovely. -- at The Waterfront Tavern. read more

See all

The food is not all that great for the price, it's not made well, it is way to over staffed and they make no effort to try and preserve a nice lake side view read more

Hey so no virus is going to stop this place from seating people close to each other, like right next to the only other table on the deck. Moved tables and the waitress just kept putting everyone right next to each other. There are more tables on the deck than ever before. And we were all in one small area. Everyone seemed unaware there was still a virus going on. On the way out, there was a bar half packed with not one soul with a mask on. Will not go to this restaurant again!!!! Ignorant staff!!! read more

Always love a night at the waterfront. Prices are high but you can't beat the view and supporting local business! Bahama mamas were great!

Would have given it more but my sons Berger was really pink. How do you do a bad burger?? Otherwise other food was adequate. Nothing special. But the view by the water was neat. Waitress was super awesome. read more

See all

The location being on the river is the only plus side of this restaurant. The food is definitely not up-to par.

Went to this restaurant while visiting from out of town for work. It was the closest spot to my hotel. I would first like to say that the waitstaff was very friendly both nights I attended dinner. The food was pretty but the wait time took 45 minutes to an hour. This was by no means the fault of the waitstaff but an issue in the kitchen. I would also like to state that the wait time was understandable considering the impacts of the pandemic on local businesses. I would like to warn any out of towners that the locals' vocabulary and topics of conversation are limited by their homophobia, implicit bias and crudeness. This is not a reflection of the restaurant, but of the kinds of people who you will be dining next to if you choose to go. It was really such a shame because the outdoor seating that over looks the water is really quite lovely. Too bad it was soured by rural America ignorance. read more

Excellent view on the river, haddock and salt potatoes were delicious! Wait staff was friendly and attentive this is a great please with a unique view you won't find anywhere else. A little pricey for the area but differently a good spot. read more

Waterfront Tavern - Pubs Near Me - Central Square, New York

Been here multiple times. Usually have enjoyed everything we have ordered but tonight I ordered the "southwest burger " nothing southwest about it no flavor whatsoever. I ordered it medium and it came well done. My husband ordered the shrimp riggies again no flavor and the shrimp was over cooked. Severely dissatisfied. read more