1932 Reserve — Restaurant in Osage Beach

Kicking It to The Next Level

A recent visit to The Lake of the Ozarks introduced me to a new restaurant, 1932 Reserve. I felt a challenge coming on so I went with it. Snuggled close to the shores of the lake, 1932 Reserve has visual appeal; dark and light woods, black tones and accents, the clean lines of the furniture in the patio as well as the outside bar area. The look felt right and welcome making you want to stay awhile. With my curiosity piqued, I decided to check out the inside of the restaurant. They nailed it! Upon entering, a long, beautifully carved, wood oblong table catches your attention. It appears to seat at least twelve people. The rest of the interior was open, clean and balanced with low and unique high-top tables and lighting fixtures. Even the back lighting from the bar area assisted in accentuating the space. Over the course of the weekend, I made two visits to the restaurant for dinner with my grandson. I started with a glass of Heinz Eifel Shine Riesling. Its mellow, soft taste was like that of a lover’s kiss. The presentation of the Mussels and Fries as a starter was wonderful. After some gentle prodding from my grandson who knows that I normally don’t eat this particular seafood, the fries were addicting and balanced the zesty taste of the mussels and the sauce they came in. The entrée, Crispy Chicken is pickled brined, topped with cabbage slaw and maple-sriracha. (I had them hold the sauce because I can’t tolerate sriracha.) Sweet pickles adorned the plate. The sandwich was okay, maybe because the key flavor was held back. Dessert was Strawberry Shortcake with waffles as the base, ice cream, strawberries and whipped cream. A light and delightful way to end our meal. Sunday’s dinner was a true front-runner. We shared the Ham and Cheese appetizer; Prosciutto, burrata, grilled fig, balsamico, EVOO and crostini. A cube of rich honey, enhanced the meal while treating the taste buds to a pleasant surprise. It was fantastic. The entrée prize winner for me was the 18 oz Cowboy Rib-eye topped with oyster mushroom bacon butter, pearl onions with seasonal vegetables and a potato puree. Oh-my-goodness! The whole meal was on point and this coming from a person who isn’t a big steak eater. I could not have been more pleased. My waiter, Richard was pleasant and attentive adding to this great experience. Overall: This new, upscale restaurant has a few quirks to work out, but it’s well on its way. Some of the menu items are a bit pricey, but if you want something that isn’t “run of the meal,” it’s worth it. The noise level can get a bit loud during boat racing events for those dining on the patio. Other than that, 1932 Reserve is definitely worth a try. It’s best to make reservations for...

1932 Reserve has an identity crisis. Look at the website and it brands itself as an upscale restaurant with an elegant inviting atmosphere. We reserved a table for six expecting a lovely evening of great food, great drinks, and quiet atmosphere for which we would pay a premium. The good news is that the food and drink were generally great. When we arrived, I discovered that it 1932 Reserve is an upscale Captain Ron’s, with a giant patio packed with people. The quiet, elegant photos on the website are actually a very noisy and crowded indoor dining room. The din was deafening. The crowd was overwhelming. You will not have a quiet, elegant experience here. People streamed in and out of the side door walking right by our table all night long.

Our server took our drink order, then came back for our meal order before our drinks arrived. I’m sorry? Are you in a hurry? This is an 8:00 pm reservation. After she took our meal order, we didn’t hear from her again. When the food came out from the kitchen, the chef and staff made a big production of bringing it all out at once. It was gorgeous in presentation. Except, my entree did not come out with the other five entrees in the party. No one said anything. There was no apology or explanation. My party waited for me to get my entree (the pork loin) which came unceremoniously a minute or two later. Again, no explanation or apology. Now everyone’s entrees have cooled off to match the rather lukewarm temperature of mine. The food was very tasty and beautifully presented. Just wish it had been hot.

About half-way through our meal my wine glass was empty. Our server had never stopped to check on us though she was scurrying past the table regularly attending to her other tables. I finally held my empty wine glass up and attempted to get her attention. It took a while. I just sat there with my wine glass in the air. She finally stopped, seemed annoyed that I needed something. By the time she actually brought my wine, what was left of my entree was literally cold.

The din in the inside dining room was so loud that the members of my party were practically yelling to be heard across the table. A large bridal party out for an evening of partying filed past us to the bar, then filed out, and filed back in later.

Back to my original question. What is it that 1932 Reserve wants to be? An elegant upscale restaurant? Or, just another crowded venue on the lake and a stop on every bridal party’s pub-crawl? What I and my party observed that if you try to be both, you don’t do either one particularly well. What was marketed on the website and what we experienced in reality were very,...

The 1932 Reserve is really an excellent high-end restaurant here in Osage Beach. This most recent visit was with a pharmaceutical representative and a couple of other folks, so I actually didn't have to pay. Having been there before, I recommended the 1932 Reserve (so I could eat great food and not have to pay for it). It was a little sneaky and selfish of me, but really nice, because this place is a little expensive. Considering the food, it's not more than you would pay anywhere else, however. Also, since there were other people around, I didn't snap any pictures. I guess phones don't really snap anymore, do they? We had the ahi tuna tartare as a starter. If you like that sort of thing, and I do, it was excellent. Yes, it is raw tuna. I'm always a little hesitant to have raw fish in the middle of Missouri, but this was very fresh and good, somehow or other. I also had the sea bass as my entree. It was also excellent. If you are willing to pay 30 to $40 per person per plate, it is about as good as you would get at a fancy restaurant elsewhere. But this place is about a mile and a half from my home. Although I didn't have anything more than a beer today, this place does have excellent cocktails. The service is always great. The atmosphere is very nice, as well. Kind of classic-neo-woody-metal-modern. I'm sure that's a thing. They also have a few rooms where you could stay. The pharmaceutical reps had one of those, though I didn't get to see it. They thought it was great (and they travel a lot, so they actually know). Of course this is on the lake and you can pull up in your boat, if you are one of those boater people. The only the other thing to mention is that this is on the lower floor of the building. Since it is built into a hill/bank of the lake, there is a stairway down from the parking lot. At times there is a golf cart shuttle available. Anyway, this place is right at the top of high-end dining options here at the Lake. It is a nice place to take people if you want to...