Lorys Lakeside — Restaurant in North Brunswick Township

What a great spot. As a resident of the immediate area (South Brunswick), whenever i'd find myself on the back roads i'd see Lory's from a distance and always said "I need to make my way there". I kid you not, in 15 years it wasn't until this past April when my girlfriend and I walked in and we were so happy. April 28th 2018 - A little pre b-day celebration. We are always looking for outdoor places and this was right up our alley. We pulled up to a quiet parking lot and walked inside. We were extremely pleased by the layout, decor, lighting, and just said out loud "wow this is really nice". When we turned to the immediate left towards a high-top, the breeze from the open windows were PERFECT. It was such a good day for it as well. We were immediately greeted by the waitress as we sat down. First impressions were great. Big spot, fresh look, great lighting, tons of TV screens, awesome music playing, a really cool large bar with a nice selection on tap and a fridge filled with a large bottle selection. To the right of our seating was a dining area, as well as more space to the rear of the restaurant and a deck too. Lets also not forget the outdoor lakeside seating. Soon enough we were greeted by the owner who wanted to be sure we were comfortable with the breeze. We also made some small talk about the lake. He was super nice and answered some general inquiries like if we wanted to drink outside we found out that we just needed to pour our beverage into a plastic pint glass. The owner (and others) explained how Karaoke night is super fun and at the time when the weather gets warmer they would have outdoor cookouts and pointed to the outdoor bar...again, a cool setup. In minutes we were served our first round with nice frozen glasses and made our through the menu. The menu was large, but I didn't make it past the "Favorites", because if there is one thing I like being surprised by is "Country Fried Steak", and it was RIGHT THERE! LoL!. You never see that on the menu, therefore we both ordered that with the two sides of which we took the cole slaw, potato salad, and two sides of the Mac N Cheese. For an appetizer we chose the General's Tso's bites. Let me tell you something....it was all DELICIOUS. I blew through my food and it was damn good I kid you not. Paired up with a few brews and we were golden. We honestly could not stop saying "What a great place." We had a nice time and left there having the Peanut Butter Bomb dessert, and walked the grounds. The layout was nice and the fact that you can pull up with your boat or canoe and come on in from a dock is pretty badass as well. We were happy to have finally made our way. June 16th 2018 - BACK AGAIN! We made the extra effort to really scan the menu this time and the selection is very nice. I picked the Jersey Burger and added bacon while my girlfriend built a bacon cheeseburger with pepper jack and avocado. She chose onion rings and I went with fries. Of course, the General's bites again. We also selected kaiser rolls versus brioche as you have a choice. The burgers were delicious and had both that awesome char grill smell/taste and were super juicy. The onion rings were tasty and the fries were fun. The style of fries were fresh wrinkle cut and wedged/steak fry in nature...like a seasoned version of Nathan's and went well with a burger. Once again, we tore through it. We paired the meal with a couple brews, had the apple turnover and peanut butter bomb again for dessert with a couple cups of coffee. I closed my meal with a single malt 12 year. I kid you not...once again we said "what a great place." If you are in the area or down for a drive, check them out, you will be pleasantly pleased. The food for us is 2 for 2 on delicious as well as the experience being great. The staffing, owner, and patrons are friendly and strike a great conversation. The place is cool, priced VERY well and we really do recommend. To the Lory's owner/staff...you have fans. We are very happy to have finally made our way. All the best and...

After being warned by locals to avoid Lorys on a Saturday night, I went anyway and it was worse than I was briefed on. The near empty parking lot for that hour should have been an indicator. We arrived around 10:30pm and sat at the bar quite a long time while the bartender sat at the end of the bar writing in a notebook. We noticed most all the other patrons had drinks that were very low or close to empty. The bartender walked by us at least four times, completely ignoring the two new faces at her bartop. I had Lorys phone number pulled up on my phone thinking that would be a faster way to get a beer. My guest being more patient than I sat for about 5 minutes with his credit card in hand hung over the bartop in hopes someone working there wanted to make the sale. Eventually someone came from the back to pour our beers. Every interaction with the female bartender was curt and uncomfortable. She spoke with her colleague in the same manner. We truly felt like we were bothering her if we wanted a beer or to ask a question about the venue. No greeting on our way in or out. Eventually the bartenders dinner came out and she threw it down on the bar, the sound of silverware clattering echoed throughout the space. I’m glad we didn’t attempt to ask about or order food, she probably would have scolded us for making her work. I presume she sent the other barkeep to make her food while she sat and looked at her notebook. I used to LOVE going to Lorys when i come to town. Saturday’s experience was just awful, unfriendly, and uninviting. As someone who spent 20 years working both behind the bar and in dining service I really wonder how someone with such poor attitude, lousy customer service KSA, and worse work ethic has a job. Let alone at a beautiful place like Lorys Lakeside on a...

So my previous review has completely flipped. The first time we came it was just 2 of us. As stated the waitresses worked hard and the food was good. We started to visit here with our club. Today, January 26, we came with a group of 15. They mentioned an 18% service charge. We know about the mandatory charge as we dine with large groups quite often. They were short staffed but that is the norm here. However when the bill came, they added an 18% service charge. This wasn't the tip. It's a charge for the bar. We needed to give another 18% to the waitress. We asked to see the manager and the owner came over. He mentioned that by Department of Labor "law" he was required to charge the 18%. I read him the law off off of the IRS page explaining that the 18% "required gratuity" is reportable as taxable income. The rules changed recently that cash tips are no longer taxable. But the big tips are taxable. He said the Department of Labor mandates he charge that. I explained to him the department of labor covers employees. Further reinforcing my position that it's a mandatory tip. He denied and said the restaurant is keeping the money and not giving any to the waitresses. We have the waitress a cash tip. It's sad that owners know so little about labor law, and their employees get screwed! As such, I'll be reporting the owner to the Department of Taxation and and Department of Labor in the morning. I like the food ..the staff...the atmosphere...I will not support an establishment that screws...