TLDR: best place to eat on the lake, make a reservation and go! Now on to the full review:
Lake George is 32 miles long, and the northern basin (north of the "Narrows" group of islands) really is better than the southern half. Why? It's cleaner, less busy, and a lot less commercialized. The trade-off is you're a bit farther from the highways, making the trip to the nearest airports (Albany, NY or Burlington, VT) or rainy day things like the mall a little longer. The northern basin also is not chock full of lakefront restaurants and bars like the south side (Bolton and Lake George village).
Anyway, that was a long preamble to Martucci's restaurant. I'll get to the point now: this isn't just the best place to eat in northern lake George, it's the best place to eat on the lake - period!
They serve breakfast 7 days a week, and serve dinner Thursday - Sunday evenings 5:30 to 7:30
PM.
They've got things like burgers, lamb chops, and salmon every night. There are also rotating specials like their lamb shank.
My dad and I were lucky, and went on a night when lamb shank was on the menu. All I can say is: damn it's good! You won't need a knife, it's "fall off the bone" tender. The orzo it's served with is very flavorful too, I believe they cook it in the lamb juices? Rich as lamb is supposed to be, but not overly so. Dad & I agreed it’s some of the best lamb we’ve had!
Dinner also included a nice salad (forgot to take a pic) with a choice of 3 dressings: blue cheese, thousand island or oil & vinegar. We both went with blue cheese and it was very tasty. Nice and thick, definitely not from a jar.
The rolls were fresh baked and served with Cabot butter, which is the best around.
Soup of the day was spinach. Frankly I'm not a big spinach guy, but I had most of my serving. It had a nice flavor and was in what I think was a beef stock. My dad devoured his.
We didn't have room for dessert, but they had several options available.
We brought our leftovers home and enjoyed them the next day. Throw the lamb and orzo in some Corningware in a 350F oven until it's warmed through, and it's almost as good as the first night.
There is also a really cool bar that'll take you back in time to what the "real Adirondacks" used to feel like. Beautiful wood bar, knotty pine paneling, and a booze selection that's more than adequate but not overwhelming.
We arrived by boat and docking was a breeze. They had a staff member come out and be kindly assisted with tying up. If you're an inexperienced boater, be mindful of the navigation buoys (as you should already be on this large lake).
I'd suggest making a reservation, and arriving early to enjoy a drink on their deck overlooking the lake. They've got nice grounds to walk around too.
The owner Dave takes great pride in his family business. We are grateful to have such an amazing place to make new family memories - while enjoying great food amidst true Adirondack ambiance and hospitality.
If you're staying in lake George village or Bolton landing, take the easy and scenic drive up Route 9N - it's well worth the visit.
We can't...
  Â
Read more
Learn more insights from Wanderboat AI.
