The Water's Edge Restaurant — Restaurant in Paradise Township

We went to a resort for a quick getaway. It was my wife’s birthday and I found this place online. From the reviews, pictures and menu, it seemed like a good choice. Spoke to a nice young man by the name of Rob when I made the reservation. I asked him if it was possible to sit by the water seeing it was my wife’s birthday and I wanted to make the evening a little more special. He said there was no guarantee, but if a table was available at the time, then yes. Completely understandable and straightforward.

When my family and I arrived, we immediately took notice of the cozy ambiance. We were greeted upon entry with a friendly smile, and advised that someone will be with us momentarily. It was clear they were understaffed, because we weren’t approached again until 15 minutes later. In today’s day and age, many places are. So I understand.

While waiting I asked my wife and daughter if they would like a beverage while our table was being prepared. I went up to the bar and ordered. The bartender was very pleasant and friendly. The first thing I noticed was the film of DUST on the wine bottles being stored on the left side of the bar. There was one box that looked like it wasn’t wiped down in well over a couple of weeks. It was ACE of Spades ♠️ .

We were greeted by our server Rachel who was super friendly. When we were seated, I pointed to a table that was next to the window overlooking the water and asked the server if we could sit there. I was told the table was reserved. There were a couple of additional tables that were empty as well. Still nothing.

The appetizer(shrimp tacos) was good. We finished those up quick. My wife ordered the salmon, which had a beautiful presentation. My wife said it was a tad salty but overall palatable. My daughter ordered the chicken fingers and of course no complaints there 😃. I had the ribeye which was a special that evening because on Thursdays they have a “smoke on the water “ event. What bothered me is that my server didn’t mention this dish to me. I knew about it from the bartender. It was a delicious steak🥩. The Demi glaze and potatoes went well with the cut.

We ordered desert which was a 10/10 hands down. The desert came out with a candle and happy birthday was sang to my wife.

Keep in mind, well over an hour passed by and the table that was “Reserved” remained unoccupied. It was approaching closing time by now.

I ordered 2 cappuccinos. They came out in glass cups and saucers. My wife’s was good. However my saucer had a crack in it. In a restaurant like this, presentation should be paramount. I could have gotten over the cracked saucer, but it wasn’t until I ordered my post dinner scotch was when I became disappointed. They washed the glass but didn’t have the decency the dry it out before pouring the single malt 🤦‍♂️.

You can ask anyone who knows me, I will always support local business over a chain. But there was one thing that a particular chain (Ruth Chris) practices, and that shows their commitment to excellence.

Prior to pouring a drink, the staff at Ruth Chris will inspect every glass to make sure there are no fingerprints/dust. I have personally witnessed this many times. The only reason I am mentioning this is because quality control needs more attention at The waters edge.

Cmon, you guys sell $149 Tomahawk steaks, and $399 bottles of ace of spades (with dust on the Box). But you’re unable to catch a cracked cappuccino saucer, or couldn’t take an extra two seconds to wipe a wet glass before pouring a scotch?

The fact that I requested to sit near the water inside, and was told that the table was reserved, when in fact it was NOT. Does not sit well with me. If it was unavailable due to the fact that it was occupied, well that’s one thing. But I literally watched the server, clean off the previous party’s dishes, and reset the table.

Lack of quality control and inaccurate information can be disheartening and leave a bad taste in...

1st off the positives. great atmosphere, beautiful location, clean restaurant, beautiful food presentation, and very friendly attentive waitress and staff..

now the nightmare. we dined for 2. ordered the 6 course taster. it consists of 6 surprise courses. unknown until they arrive. this was exciting and a great concept that we absolutely loved. We just wish it was as amazing as it sounded and that we did not get incredibly sick afterwards due to bad food for the cost of $80 per person

The 1st course arrived. Softshell crab. mind you this is January and soft shell crab is way out of season. Hers was a little better than mine but still tasted fishy and spoiled. we both choked it down as we though lt it was just the flavor as we never had soft shell before. did some research amd found out they are a spring delicacy and should be sweet and tender. not fishy and sour

2nd course was a Cheese platter "Charcuterie". not what we expected but.....

3rd course was a swordfish steak. nice and juicy but again did not taste as fresh at is should have and was a little fishy. I love seafood and usually catch and prepare my own so I do have some knowledge what the taste should be here.

4th Course was a perfectly prepared Cornish Hen. absolutely tasty and well presented.

5th course was Brazed Beef in Palenta. (basically post roast) was terrible overly salty and was sent back.

5th course replacement. sweet and sour glazed pork belly. was decent never had it before so not sure if it was supposed to be all fatty or not

6th course dessert Chocolate Mousse... was really good.

overall the food was a 3/10 only saved by the Cornish Hen.

as we left the restaurant we caught smell of bad fish and both almost vomited. a 5 minute rife back to the resort and once there, we couldn't get to the bathroom quick enough. She was puking and I was sick elsewhere.

Now I will say those around us had meals that looked fabulous. so if you go to this place do not get the most expensive 6 course dinner on the menu. instead go for something simple and done how you like. I made the joke to my other half that the surprise courses were all these meals that were about to expire cause they definitely were not as fresh as they could have been

Pics are of some of the platters. We forgot to get the pics immediately so we can't show the presentation as they were but still.and we don't have a pic of the...

I had high hopes for my visit to The Water's Edge Restaurant, but unfortunately, it fell short of expectations in several ways.

Firstly, while I called ahead to reserve a table, upon arrival, my reservation seemed to have vanished into thin air. Despite my specific request for a table with a river view, which was initially confirmed, the reality upon arrival was quite different. The front desk staff attributed this to an internet issue, yet it seemed selective as other reservations were unaffected.

Disappointingly, when I reiterated my preference for a river-view table, I was informed none were available, despite several remaining visibly unoccupied throughout my visit. Instead, I was seated in the bustling center of the restaurant, amidst the constant hustle and bustle of waitstaff.

The ambiance of the restaurant left much to be desired; the dim lighting only served to enhance the gloomy atmosphere, with little to capture interest beyond the promised river view.

The culinary experience was equally underwhelming. While I anticipated fine dining, the reality was closer to diner-level fare. The steak tartare, featuring an unexpected bone and an overpowering saltiness, missed the mark entirely. The duck breast main course suffered from similar issues, being excessively fatty and salty.

It seems there may be an ongoing issue with over-seasoning in the kitchen, as both dishes were marred by an excessive use of salt. Consequently, I felt rushed to finish my meal and depart, as there was nothing exceptional to prolong my stay.

Despite the shortcomings, the waitress was friendly, though lacking in the professionalism expected of a fine dining establishment. Her warmth and smile were appreciated but did little to elevate the overall experience.

In summary, The Water's Edge Restaurant failed to deliver on its promise of fine dining, offering instead a mediocre experience at an inflated price point. Unless significant improvements are made, I cannot recommend this establishment to others seeking an exceptional...