The Boatyard Grill — Restaurant in City of Ithaca

It was our first time to Ithaca-Finger Lakes Region so we googled, checked reviews, asked locals for the best recommendations for great restaurants if we wanted to go to dinner and celebrate a momentous occasion. None mentioned “The Boatyard Grill”… However, on heading on one of our excursions- the ButterMilk Falls we drove passed it, saw the white chairs outside and thought this place looks cool and they probably had seafood-a favourite of ours. So we got to googling and read the reviews which was a blend. I mean you can’t please everyone ☺️ and especially if you cook like we do! So we decided this is where we wanted to go. We called ahead as some of the reviews suggested and the voice that answered was very warm and gave us the headsup that calling doesn’t guarantee a “skip “ in the line but might get you a seat quicker . They don’t take reservations, so it’s basically first come, first serve. After our excursion we went home got dressed … we were sure if it was a dress up or down, casual or what kinda place so we played it safe… Though we seemed to have stood out as most people were in Denim and more on the casual side. But to each is own, but dont feel pressured to dress up unless like us you are celebrating a special occasion. Anyway we arrived and the parking lots were filled so we parked a little distance from the entrance, but it was okay as we love to walk. Though I had on heels. I choose to walk as opposed to being dropped at the Entrance. So flats are fine at The Boatyard Grill.

On arrival we were greated with warmth by two hosts. I gave my name and advised that I had called. We were told there would be a little wait and given the option of the outside bar while we waited as there was live entertainment taking place. We walked through the busy restaurant fulled with patrons and workers alike and I am sure everyone knew we visiting lol but we confidently walked to the bar a kind local gestured to us to come to a spot so we could get service. A lovely bartender Brittany came over with a warm smile and made recommendations. They had a Cherry/Bomb Margarita that I opted for and a Burbon on the Rocks! A lovely bartender Brittany came over with a warm smile and made recommendations. No sooner that we arrived we got a text advising that as soon as a seat is ready , we would be alerted so we kept the phone close.

The wait didnt seem too long for us between enjoying our cocktails and listening to the music. The alert came in “ We are ready for you…!” . That was about 10mins later so we were happy as we were famished and were eager to try their All American Cuisine.

Our server Luke was extremely professional, very polite, warm in his demeanor and displayed superb customer service. Definitely an asset to the establishment. We perused the menu and found many dishes we would have loved to try. We selected a cup of clam chowder, lobster and corn fritters as appetizers, then for the entree we chose the Surf & Turf and Orange Glazed Halibut…and desert the Chocolate Cookie with Vanilla ice cream and caramel.

I’m not sure if it was because we were extremely famished or the food was just pleasing to our palettes. But we truly enjoyed every morsel of the dishes we selected. We both shared with each other . The only thing for me is the halibut was a little bland, but there was salt and pepper on the table. I didn’t add any, as the orange glaze sufficed.

It definitely is a place I would recommend if looking for a good place to dine with a lovely lake side ambience… Sure in the heart of summer it’s the place to go. The night was a little chilly, but that didn’t detract from our experience and the outdoor patio is heated.

Two Thumbs up again to our server Luke! Check it out...

(12/20/23) Got there a bit early, just starting to get busy. Seated right away, after the manager realised the hostess was taking forever with several people($#@&!) getting last minute gift cards. Had a very friendly waitress, attentive. Our drinks came out fast and were delicious. The jalepino bussiness was almist as good as there jalepino margheritas. Food also came out fast. Very tasty, as usual. Prices are getting a bit high. Nice treat evertime we come though. (6/23/19) Stopped by on a Sunday at 6, very busy but got right in. Our server was quick and super friendly. Did a good job. We got a seafood tower, clams and calamari- good as usual, but the seafood sauce for the shrimp was just weird! I got the black co entree- pretty good , as well as the tuna roll sushi- very good! Nice change up fo tBY. Wife got the tuna steak and it was cooked perfectly and tasted amazing. Still need GF bread, not very fair to set a loaf of bread In front of somebody when they cant eat it, especially when you've already told them you are GF. Let's find an alternative please. There is 10 million gluten/wheat sensitive people estimated! All in all, cant wait to go back!!!(6/2/18) went to Boatyard for a nice summer evening dinner. After the chaos of finding a parking spot, I was pleased to get a nice table right away. Our waitress was prompt and helpful, but not friendly at all. The other folks that brought our food were super friendly. Our drinks, mojitos and jalapeno margarita, were the best drinks we ever got there. Excellent. I didn't get his name, sorry, but I did recognize the bartender from past visits. Pay him, keep him! Our food which was a prime rib and shrimp and grits were delicious. I wanted another to take home! We look forward to returning another evening. Ps, please get GF bread and pasta. [7/7/17] Let me start by saying that The Boatyard used to be our go-to place, for years. Our last few visits,1 to 2 years ago, we're so bad for several reasons we had to stop going. That being said, it seemed like time to give another chance. Service was friendly, but a little slow. Food was excellent! The seafood tower is overpriced, but tasty. And you can't beat the view for sure. The drinks, which used to be great, were very weak and flavorless. And, we did not enjoy watching a filthy, barefoot person change his childs poop diaper right outside the window. And then he came in and picked up a to-go order, touching doors and who knows what without washing his hands. Disgusting. While what people do can't be controlled, it was a busy night and several people saw this, as well as at least two servers. They should have mentioned the lack of shoes to the person and definitely wiped behind him. Please, get some gluten free pasta!!!! Looks like things are headed in the right direction, we will be back. Update [1/19/18] : Stopped after some Cornell wrestling for supper. Our server was very friendly. Our food was very good! The new menu items were a nice change. Loved the shrimp rissoto! Our drinks were very good. Still would love to see gluten free pasta option. And maybe some gluten free bread, it can be found right in town fresh. Please, GF options. Overall, a very pleasant winter evening dinner!! We...

This restaurant has disappointed us for the last time.

3-4 years ago the Boatyard was our go-to restaurant for a consistently great meal. At 45 minutes away it’s somewhat of a hike to get there but it was always worth it.

Tonight we tried it for the second time in eight months. The outcome was worse than the last time. We booked a 7pm “call ahead” seating reservation and arrived a few minutes before 7. We were told the wait was 30-40 minutes. I’m not sure how you can book a call ahead reservation and still be told the wait is 30-40 minutes but, after having this happen twice now, it appears to be the norm at this place. After sitting at the bar for almost 45 minutes and getting served the worst dirty martini of my life (I think the olive juice was bad), I finally asked the hostess when she thought we would be seated. We were assured we were second in line. We were finally seated at almost 8pm at a table that was in their outdoor area. The tables were metal, the chairs were metal, and the table clothes had the consistency of a vinyl tarp. Given that there were many unoccupied tables inside, and we hadn’t asked for outside seating, it certainly wasn’t appropriate to seat us out there. We asked to be reseated in the main restaurant and they moved us to a booth table in the bar. This was much better than the outside area but unfortunately, seated across from us at the bar, was a woman and her companion with two dogs, one of which was in her lap, the other on the floor. She brought them into the restaurant in a baby stroller. The majority of her time at the bar was spent taking social media “selfies” or “Tik Tok” videos with an extremely bright spotlight with the dog in her lap. It took at least 15 minutes for the restaurant manager to ask her to stop, and he didn’t ask her to take her dogs outside to the outdoor patio. For the record Boatyard’s pet policy is: “Fido is welcome to join you at one of our pet-friendly outdoor tables while you enjoy your meal.”

We looked over the menu, and what caught our eye immediately were the Prime Rib and Swordfish specials. Unfortunately at this point the waitress told us that both were sold out. My wife ordered the Lobster lollipops instead. The waitress described them as “Cold Water Lobster Tails” and shrimp skewers. When they arrived they were over cooked Spiny (warm water) lobster tails. As there was no sauce and little seasoning, my wife asked the waitress for some melted butter. The tiny take out container of butter arrived almost 15 minutes later, after everyone else had finished their meals. To finish the evening we ordered the Sizzling Cookie to share. Normally this is a cookie baked in a cast iron skillet pan. What we got tonight was a store bought chocolate chip cookie, placed in the center of a cast iron pan, with ice cream on top.

I’d like to think this was an isolated instance. It was the Saturday before Mother’s Day, and it was busy. But the fact is this place is always busy. It wasn’t any busier than when we went 3-4 years ago. It wasn’t any busier than it was in late August last year when we dined there. It’s a popular place because it’s on the water and it’s in a college town. It’s certainly not popular because you get...