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Lake Blue Ridge Marina

It’s hard to beat a restaurant, bar and grill, located in the mountains, that gets high critical marks for cold beer, family dining and dog-friendliness. When it’s also compared favorably to the laid back vibe of the Florida Keys, and is attached to a marina with all the popular sun and sun focused amenities, it’s bound to be a slam dunk, home run kind of place. Sure enough the Lake Blue Ridge Marina checks off all the boxes for both visitors and residents alike!

About Blue Ridge Marina  

The Marina has been around since the mid-50s and remains the ONLY marina on the lake. Eve and Herb Windham purchased the place back in 1988 and focused on building up the showroom, expanding the service area, providing rentals like kayaks, pontoons, and fishing gear, and started rolling around the idea of adding a restaurant to the property. In 2016 the timing was right to take on this task, but the Marina’s popularity blossomed and it seemed to be the perfect next step.

It’s hard to explain how sometimes you just hit on the ideal ambiance. It takes experience, planning and little bit of luck. The question was where to add a grill/restaurant and bar that made sense. The answer: take advantage of the outside to extend the overall experience – in other words make the dock the restaurant, cover it, and make it all seem seamless!

Boat Dock Bar and Grill

With all restaurant and bar seating on the outside, comparisons to traditional coastal dockside pubs is inevitable, but still somewhat unusual, for a property on a lake in the mountains. Visitors to the Boat Dock Bar and Grill often refer to it as the Tiki Bar. Just as unusual is the quality of the seafood, always fresh (be sure to try the shrimp tacos!) and the quality of the service, which always gets high marks. Plus there’s live music on most Fridays and Saturday nights – which is a bonus!

Some may refer to the Boat Dock Bar and Grill’s menu as pub fare, but the offerings go well beyond the ordinary burgers and dogs. Quesadillas and nachos, chicken wraps, ribs with lavish sauces, or a strawberry salad with a nice mix of greens topped with strawberries, cheese and walnuts are just the start. Their specialty? The smoked chicken wings! Of course there are burgers and hot dogs as well for those that want a traditional summertime meal, but most patrons are happiest about the ice cold beer! Additionally, the staff is attentive to the needs of canines guests as well. Where else can you find a place that puts ice in the water bowls on a hot day?

Heaven on Earth

This little slice of heaven has become one of the most popular places on Lake Blue Ridge for dining, relaxing, having an adult beverage, as well as kayaking or taking a boat ride on the lake. Add in great views of the water and the surrounding mountains, the occasional post-rain rainbow, excellent service, and reasonable prices, and you have the perfect place for rest and relaxation among family and friends. They are open from 9am to 10pm, 7-days a week from roughly mid-April to mid-October, depending on the weather.  

 

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