Driftwood Point Beach Bar and Grill — Restaurant in Saybrook

We camp often and always try to find a local place to eat upon arrival, so we were searching online for places near our latest destination - Geneva State Park Campgound. This was a Thursday night, Driftwood Point was JUST down the road and online said it was open until 2:30am, but upon arriving, they were in the midst of closing up for the night (around 8:45pm). THAT didn't stop them for taking us in and serving us! We were greeted by Matt - our server, immediately. He encouraged us to sit wherever we'd like (inside or out), but we sat at the bar after a rather fun 'back and forth' over what drink to order with Cliff - our bartender, who made a GREAT Pina Colada. The food was good and we had THE best experience that night due to Cliff, Matt, and a female server (we didn't catch her name). They couldn't have been more hospitable, friendly, and entertaining. We had so much fun chatting with them that we ended up coming back Saturday night with friends!

Awesome location right on the lake—definitely has that fun, laid-back lake life vibe. It’s the kind of place where you just want to hang out for hours, especially sitting out on the patio. Perfect spot to chill with friends or grab a drink after a day playing in or around the lake. It’s clear the place is popular - it was packed. Again, we were greeted and seated immediately outside near the live band, Blackjack Gypsies, and they were awesome! The sun was setting, we chatted again with Cliff - who remembered us, and the band was awesome!

ONLY downside? The food took forever. Our server was nice and attentive, but the wait was way too long and she kept assuring us that our food "should be out any minute". We had ordered our drinks and food at the same time because the place was so busy. Our drinks came in an acceptable timeframe, but we ended up canceling the food order because we had been waiting almost 2 hours at that point. The food we had the first visit was very good and that's what I based my "stars" on. I rated "service" on the people - Matt, Cliff, the 'unknown name gal' Thursday, and Brie - they were truly amazing and it's not their faulit the kitchen can't handle the demand.

If you're not in a hurry, DO IT! It's a solid, fun place to kick back with a drink or two, enjoy a fabulous view and sunset, and experience live music! Just don’t come super hungry expecting...

TLDR: a great music venue with fairly priced drinks and the best lake view on the Northcoast. Casual dining options and smaller kitchen mean higher wait times at full capacity. Walkable beach, outside music, and gorgeous sunsets. Not the usual bustle of the strip, and close to the State Park.

Full Review:

An amazing place to go for music and time with family. When we used to stop here, it was a hole in the wall that was half-full on a saturday.

Now, it's hard to even find a place to park on the weekends. Driftwood is my favorite music venue on the lake.

First, the indoor/outdoor amenities are amazing and the reason we come here. I see a lot of complaints about food times and reservations, but as someone who is here a lot- that's usually becasue people blow past the server stands and seat themselves. If you talk to the hosts/hostesses you will usually get an outdoor seat. Although I'd call ahead and reserve a seat if you're going to come from a distance. Last weekend I had to wait to even get a table, when big bands play it's going to take a while.

Second, this is a music and drink venue. The menu says there will be a wait. 7 people run the entire place. The kitchen is 20x15 feet. If you come here expecting a 3 course lakeside menu served in 20 minutes you're not going to be happy. If you want a locally sourced bar and grille dinner entree in 30is minutes, you're in luck. And it'll be a while when it's busy. Listen to the music and have some fun while you wait.

Last week the owners told everyone they were running a limited menu and people came here to drop 1* reviews. While I agree times for orders are longer than a traditional restaurant, Driftwood isn't a traditional restaurant.

You come here because they're dog friendly outside, kid friendly, on the lake, and have the best local artists playing consistently.

Plus the walleye bites are amazing.

The Lost Sheep Band, Allen Green, K-Roll, Tyler Gancos, Ben Gage, Twisted Vibes, all the great local big bands are here often without the bustle of the strip....

It’s so hard to find really good restaurants in this area, especially one with a view. The few we frequented had amazing views but terrible food. This is a clear exception. We finally found the diamond in the rough. The atmosphere was extremely calm and quiet unlike what you would get on Geneva-on-the-Lake. The socially distanced tables outside are right on the beach, and they also had flowers growing attracting butterflies which was amazing. Our server was extremely kind and fun to chat with. We immediately noticed the small and seasonal menu which is always a good sign of quality, fresh food. We ordered fried calamari to start and we were shocked at how fresh they tasted. It was clear that the squid was quality and cooked very well. For our meals we got the walleye tacos which were a total knockout. Super fresh, delicious, well balanced, and the chipotle aioli was to die for. I must have told our waiter 3 times to tell the chef how impressed we were. We went during lunch so the there really wasn’t a wait. For those who have left this restaurant a 1 star because of the wait can kick rocks. The view was so relaxing I would have been willing to wait even longer if needed, there is no reason to be in a huge rush for good food. Also, the restaurant has limited seated and only one chef. Plus, if there’s a wait that means there’s a lot of people who want to eat here, which is a GOOD THING. Just chill out and feel the breeze of the lake on your face and relax for once. If you want to go to a place where you don’t have to wait, the food won’t be good.

Anyway, 10/10 cannot wait to come...