For starters the waitress should not have bothered to write down what we ordered as my wife did not get what she asked for and our friends that dined with Us did not get what they asked for. Food was way overpriced for what it was and the portions were very small. I like supporting local establishments but I must say I will not be supporting this place again. read more

Food and service was wonderful. We were met by Captain John when we entered. Can't believe he is 102 years old. God bless him. We were shown to our table by his very friendly daughter. His great great nephew was our waiter. A wonderful family run restaurant. We will definitely be back soon. read more

Tourist trap!! The food is stale and old, drinks are sloppy and poorly presented. The entire menu is overpriced. Service was good which is the only positive about the experience, but it could be because I only saw two other tables seated in the whole place. read more

Stopped here for a burger and a cold drink. Service was fantastic. Andy the bartender whipped up a nice Tito and club soda and suggested the burger with fries. Delicious!! read more

To start we went to Captain John's years ago all the time, everything was amazing!! So it's a one year anniversary of a medical episode that my husband endured and he wanted to go back to celebrate. The waitress we had wrote down what she wanted to write not what was as asked for which caused multiple trips to the table. Now on to the food, I ordered French onion soup which was $11.99 not worth it really no taste and not covered with cheese. My husband ordered the NY Strip and a $24.99 lobster tail, I ordered the $51.99 Fillet Mignon medium which was slightly overcooked, but neither here nor there when you order a Filet it should be able to be cut with a fork, the sign of a good piece of meat. I have never been to a restaurant when ordering a meal that you only received a side and not a salad or soup to start. My husband had a can of beer and I had an off brand coke which is listed as Coke on the menu and our bill was $164 and change plus tip. We could have went to Texas Roadhouse or Longhorn and had a much better meal for a third of the price of our dinner there and have tender steaks, minus the lobster tail of course. In closing high price food for sub par food and tough steaks and we will not return, I like to spend my money locally but I will go outside my area for a better cheaper meal. And a dessert that doesn't look like garbage on a tray that they bring to you and ask you if you want dessert, not anything appealing there. read more

05.12.23 Friday @ 7:30pm. Table for 6 Our server seems newly hired and can see he's trying his best. Sweet and friendly. 2x steam clams - was over cooked as of chewing rubber. 1x fresh clams - sweet and fresh 2x Prime Rib w. Lobster tail - poor quality prime rib, over cooked for medium/rare but the lobster tail was seasoned with a nicely taste. 1x Prime Rib w. snow crab - poor quality prime rib and the snow crab cluster was dry. 1x clams & shrimp paste 1x Atlantic Salmon Gilled 1x Friday Fish Fry Fresh Haddock No comment for those I didn't try. read more

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Fantastic food and service. Absolutely beautiful atmosphere. I go to Captain John's weekly in the summer read more

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The food was definitely overpriced and adequate at best. The owner did not want to accommodate a request to split a bill three ways for a party of 12. Thankfully the waitress accommodated us. The server was friendly and very good; however failed to explain that "on the rocks" costs you an additional $3.00 . The owner and a different server tried to say that in the "restaurant business" "on the. Rocks" means that they add a quarter of a shot more alcohol. This is simply not true and a very poor and deceptive business practice to ask this and not disclose the extra charge. One of the meals never came out until the end and then it was wrong. Management needs to work on the overall client experience. We will not be visiting again. read more

Prime rib was a reheat ! Waitress was very friendly and efficient. Sad piece of meat for $49 read more

Captain John's Restaurant & Tiki Bar - 20 oz $49 medium rare prime rib - American Near Me - Sylvan Beach, New York

We were in the area and noticed a large billboard with a lobster tail and prime rib for $24.99. It turns out that the restaurant was on our way, and swung the eclectic outside of the restaurant with an obvious sea motive, we decided to give it a try. You are I'll be greeted at the door by Captain John himself, wearing a white captains uniform. John is in his 90's, and will tell you that he has been greeting customers since 1973. The interior is flooded with sea fishing nets, life boats, a tiki bar and other gimmicks from the ocean. The service was great, and an overall friendly atmosphere. A few in our party had the margaritas, and said they really lacked alcohol. The special was the lobster and prime rib so we had that and a calamari as a starter. The food was edible and for the price a good deal. Don't expect a large portion. Would not repeat, but worth one visit for the novelty. read more

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My boyfriend and I were in the area for Sylvan beach this past Saturday and decided to eat at Captain John's as this restaurant was highly recommended. the owner was sitting and greeted us as we entered and was very friendly. We chatted with the owner for approximately 15 minutes. he made us feel very welcomed. The drinks, appetizer, and entrees were great. the waitress was attentive and friendly. I will definitely be visiting this area and eating here again! read more

Food is pretty good. Probably one of the top 2 places in the beach for a nice meal. Really needs a face lift though, interior hasn't changed in decades read more

Cute looking lake town restaurant. Had a strange fishy odor mixed with bad perfume and Jimmy Buffet on replay. Prices are expensive, lack creativity for the price and $4 for soda water which is absolutely ridiculous for carbonated water out of a gun. Our server was nice and seemed embarrassed when we brought up the price of the soda water. Save your time and money and go to the lake house restaurant down the street which has great views of the lake food that is reasonably priced and quality. read more

The food was great. Service very good. We spent 151 for two people which was no problem but to be charged 1.90 for a soda refill after being charged almost 5.00 for the soda is ridiculous. Your refill charge left a bad taste in my mouth. Will not return. read more

Cpt. John's is easily the best bar on Sylvan beach (and there's a LOTTT of competition). But Cpt. Johns has it all! The best service, friendly/hilarious/cool bartenders (shout out to Andy!!!), awesome atmosphere/decor and vibes, and the BEST (and strongest) drinks on the entire Sylvan beach strip! My friend and I stopped in for some drinks Sunday afternoon during Pirates Weekend because we saw the big sign out front that read "2 for 1 margaritas." Uh, count us in!! Yes please!! We ended up getting the "shipwreck for 2". Honestly have no idea what was in the actual drink but it was HUGE & DELICIOUS & even came with an awesome pirate flag! Best part was Andy our bartender rang a bell and blew a horn before serving our drink (I posted the video for your entertainment). It was absolutely amazing & hysterical. Everyone at the bar was hootin' and hollerin'. I guess that's what the pirates do ;). We also got to keep the glass!!! We met some awesome people at this bar. Will definitely be back to try some of the food and get more delicious drinks!!! Thanks Andy for the great service and company!!! read more

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We were visiting Syracuse for a graduation and found captain John! The food was alright if you like seafood you will enjoy the restaurant, albeit with very high prices. Also the restaurant has a great theme of "at the beach". The only thing about it is that I got my food 15 minutes after everyone else got it. Other than that I thought Captain John's is great, highly recommended! read more

Whenever you see prime rib and lobster tail for under $40... you get a little leary. Not in this case! It is a decent rib and the lobster tail, according to my wife is heavenly. I'm not the lobster fan. I had the coconut shrimp with my prime rib. I've had coconut shrimp in places where you didn't taste the coconut. This you could taste the coconut and the shrimp as their coating wasn't heavy. A great mix. So why only 4 atars...a little too much overkill on decorating... but I also understand they are catering a theme and tourists. A very good quality meal. Caribbean type drink specials. If you are in this area you have to try Captin John's! read more

Delicious drinks! Came here for our first time since we just moved here. Outdoor seating is perfect since we have our dog with us 24/7, our server brought an ice cold bowl of water for our boy. Service was amazing!Captain John is here today and greeted us! Such an awesome experience. Beautiful drinks, and if you really want the cup, souvenir cups are available too ! read more

Best prime rib and margaritas in town. Our waitress was very attentive and the owner is a sweetheart. Food preparation could be better, but hey if it tastes good that's what matters read more

We finally decided to take a trip to Sylvan Beach as we were traveling past it on our way to the tailwater lodge one time and became intrigued by it but it wasn't open during that season so we waited till this summer to go there also I was intrigued by Captain John's sign that claim to have a lobster tail and prime rib dinner for $21.95. So we sat down to eat looked at the menu and I decided on the 10oz lobster tail.. I wasn't sure about the 21.95 dinner one. My fiance is vegan and there really wasn't anything on the menu for her so she ordered breaded zucchini for an appetizer which was really nothing more than a large piece of zucchini with a very Bland breading on it. Thank God the marinara sauce gave it some flavor. And she ordered a salad without cheese and what came out was iceberg lettuce shredded with some grapes and walnuts on the corners of the dish? No onions, no tomatoes, no garbanzo beans, just plain lettuce. Which cost at least $9.95 and the cost of a head of iceberg lettuce $.99 I was actually feeling bad when I looked over at her dinner plate and looked at mine with a 10 ounce lobster tail until I tasted my 10 oz lobster tail. It was the most disgusting tasting Lobster I think I've ever eaten. It was not white it was yellow it was like mush. So I looked around to see if anyone else had the same thing and sure enough another lady had the same yellow lobster tail she didn't look happy either. Both her and my lobster tail casing were burned black no. But I don't think it was a case of being overcooked I think it's just lousy lobster tail oh and did I mention I paid $39 for that garbage. And No I didn't cheat the waiter he got a $25 tip..It wasn't his fault he was very good. Someone else had a review on here that stated the lobster with cooked perfectly? Evidently he doesn't know Lobster very well it should be white and it should be firm not like mush, so I don't know where he had one unless mine had the covid virus? In their favor I will say the french fries after I asked them to be well done we're actually delicious and their marinara was really well made and delicious. But we will not be coming back to this restaurant again. read more

It's been awhile since my last dinning experience. Hope you noticed the term experience and not meal. The total package is Captain Johns Food, service and of course the settings a 160 feet from Oneida lake the town is experiencing a huge turn around . The food is great Wen both had prime rib and lobster tail 17.99 every day special , had food to take home. This restaurant has been owned by same family since 1973 . Plenty of free parking, and a outside bar area and the inside is all about tropics , very cool. The also have a separate party room and of course a kicking bar with all of the tropic drink specials .Wish I could talk about dessert and App menu. Just could not do it full. Next time just App and Desert ! read more

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Food is overpriced and extremely bland. They don't know how to season their food at all.

I forgot I had gone to this spot before ughhh, this might have been the first my husband complained about his food and service, he never does. He ordered the fisherman's platter and said it was horrible, no flavor and the dough they use tasted like the food freezer burnt. Couldn't eat it. I ordered the snow crab legs with fries, $32, no meat, I was starving when I left. One had no meat inside, rip off! See picture. The buy 1 get 1 free margaritas are disgusting, they taste like shaved iced, with no juice or flavor. Never again!!! Our waiter was also not the most pleasant. Maybe she was having a bad day read more

Captain John's Restaurant & Tiki Bar - $32 crab legs, no meat inside! Waste of money! - American Near Me - Sylvan Beach, New York

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Food was awesome! but even better service from our waiter Brady! Haven't been in Sylvan Beach in years and this was a great way to return. will definitely be back read more

It kills me to not leave this place a five star, but if I did I would be disappointed in myself. So pretty much the rating comprises of 3.5 food, 4 service, 5 ambience. When you walk in here you will be stoked! That is if you like anything to do with nautical themes. What they have done on the inside made me feel like I was walking into a Pirates of the Caribbean movie. There are decorations all over the place and even the booths are named after ships. Every detail is absolutely perfect and is full immersion. The service was pretty good too. There were a few times we had to wait too long for help, but that's not a huge deal. Loved how the hostess told us our ship name. The food was an issue. Now my chicken riggies were very tasty and the price was pretty standard for that food, but the other food was the issue. My wife had the prime rib and lobster tail combo for 16.99. The first issue i have was you def need more food and so we opted for the add on another tail deal. The problem there is that they charge 10 bucks to do that. It should be 5-7$ if it's an add on. So that was a bummer. My wife said her lobster was delicious, but the prime rib while cooked perfect temperature wise, was lacking a little seasoning. The major issue with her food was that her veggies were frozen. I mean that literally. When she ate some she was like "these are kind of cold". Then she got to the middle and the veggies were actually frozen! You cannot do that at a restaurant! If you serve veggies that aren't fresh, you need to make sure they aren't frozen when your patron gets them. Our waitress promptly took them back and got us hot steamy ones. I also think it's weird that you have to pay a dollar to sub in veggies instead of the rice pilaf. I plan to come back again, but we are going to be more careful what we order. I still highly recommend coming here though, even with the odd mistakes, it's super fun. read more

July 2019 My fiancee and I went out for a casual dinner. We decided to have the special steak and seafood platter that is advertised on Captain John's sign. We added mushrooms to our steaks and had coconut shrimp which is our favorite. The steak was excellent, cooked to perfection as per our request, and made with a generous portion. The extra mushrooms totaled $ 6.00 more for both of us on the steak, so if extras are suggested you may want to ask the charge. The coconut shrimp were crisp and extra large in size. The citrus dipping sauce was excellent. The service was excellent and we would definitely return again. read more

Good food, good drinks, great staff! I had the house salad with a lobster tail grilled to perfection!

The decor of this restaurant is very tropical and my two boys loved it. Unfortunately that is where the fun stops. Food and drinks are extremely expensive and to be quite honest the food is not good. Very few vegetarian options. I ended up getting mozzarella sticks which cost $10 for five which I could've bought at my local grocery store. Two people in my party ordered the crab legs and for the price, received very Limited food. My dad ordered the chicken riggies which is a local favorite and he did enjoy them. Our party of eight consisted of three children and five adults. This seem to stress out our waitress from the moment we sat down. She seemed to be bothered with us since the moment we sat down. Unfortunately we will not be hitting this establishment when we come back. read more

Server was really nice and attentive. Popcorn lobster appetizer was pretty good but was the best part of our meal. The fried haddock fish and the prime rib with snow crab legs had no flavor. Salt and pepper did not help. The lava frozen mixed drink and the strawberry daiquiri were disgusting. Will never come again. read more

Cheesy at best as far as atmosphere. Gimmick riddled drinks that have much to be desired for the price and lack of selection. Calamari appetizer was bland and was cooked almost correct. As for the entree, prime rib...ranks in the top 5 worst I've ever had. If it wasn't for a very gracious waitress, this would have gotten a 1 star. read more

We went here years ago when the kids were small and I remember thinking wow overpriced. When the kids got a little bigger we went there again because they like the place for the decor- nautical theme and I remember thinking wow overpriced. My kids are grown now so my wife and I went there for nostalgia, still overpriced. The food was good but I paid $28 for prime rib and $9 for an under alcoholed pina colada. My wife said the same thing about her margaritas. The bright spot was the service. I may go there again with our daughters but at least I know what I'm in for read more

So where to start with this review. I am going to give you a run down of our experience because I truly believe we donated our entire bill to this restaurant and got nothing out of it in return. I really want people to know that if you decide to eat at this restaurant, you might be just donating your $200+ as well. So, we had reservations but we were running slightly late due to us not knowing exactly where it was and we parked very far away. We called the restaurant because we felt bad we were running late and the manager told us not to worry, they were not busy and 15-20 minutes would be fine. We were very happy because in all honestly, we thought we might just have to go somewhere else because we were late. So we arrived to the restaurant and we were all very impressed with the look of the restaurant. It was very clean and was decorated cute and it was impressive. We picked this restaurant due to the heavy advertising we see all over CNY for this place. We got to our seats and the rest of our party showed up. We ordered the 2 for 1 margaritas. Pause. This is where our first issue comes about. The margaritas are 2 for 1 but what they do not tell you is that 1 margarita is the price of 2. Yes you read that right. 1 margarita which was served to me in a wine glass was $11. This is CNY, no margarita is $11. So, that was their first mistake. So our drinks were served with no taste of tequila at all. They were supposed to be frozen but they were more on the the rocks with small ice cubes. At this point, we were still happy with them because we did not know that they were $11 until the bill came. We ordered apps and they were good. We then all ordered meals. Please note before you go here that meals at this restaurant are expensive, especially for the area. So, we made the assumption that the food must be very good and that we were going to have a great night out with tasty seafood and drinks. Our food arrived to our table and half of the tables food was cold. Now, when I say cold I do not mean slightly warm, I mean cold. Lobster and crab felt as though they had been in cold water sitting waiting to be served. This group that I go out with never sends food back, never. But this was so cold that one person in our group spoke up and said honestly this food is very cold. The waitress was GREAT and said she understood and wanted to make it right. So, back goes the food. 10 minutes later, our food arrives back at the table. It was cold. Again. Not sure they even did anything with it. Cold. So, after a few minutes the waitress came back and asked how it was and we told her it was still ice cold. At this time, half of the table was done eating. The waitress sent the manager over to talk to us. This is where things really started to get bad. Instead of trying to work with us to make this right, the manager was a deer in headlights. Almost as though she had no customer service experience. She stated she would get us new food in which we stated we were not interested in. Half of the table was done eating and we had a small child with us who was tired of sitting in the restaurant. We wanted the cold food in which was not ate, taken away and we did not want to pay for it. It was cold, the people did not eat it and we do not feel we should have had to pay for it. The manager walked away in mid-conversation and said as she was walking away, "Well if you would not have showed up 1 hour late, this wouldn't be like this" If you refer back to the start of this review, you will remember that we called and asked if we could be 20 minutes late and they said that was fine. 20 minutes. No one was an hour late. So, when they waitress asked if everything was taken care of, we asked for the manager to come back. When we confronted her on her bogus claim, she just stopped listening to us and was just saying ok, ok, ok, ok. After some explanation in that what she said was not right and that even if we were late, doesn't give an excuse for ice cold seafood. She said she would take them off the bill. We thought this was fair since the food was not ate. The waitress came back and apologized and handed us the bill. This is where we found that margaritas were $11 a piece and that only half of the seafood meals was removed. When the waitress came back, we explained that his was an issue and that is was supposed to be removed. After waiting over 15 minutes for the manager to come back, she said she was only removing $24 because the lobster was cold. We explained that she just stated they would be fully removing it seeing how the entire meal was cold. She said oh well and said we needed to pay a bill that was way over priced and for food we didn't eat because it was not cooked. We got up and said we were leaving then and not paying for things that we served ice cold. She then stated she was going to call the cops. After her going nuts and her causing a scene, we paid to just get out. Stay away from this horrible place. read more

Wife and I have been faithful patrons for over 20 years.. been there every 20 of those years multiple times. 20 years ago attention to detail, service, portion sizes were incredible. A hidden gem I told all my friends about. 10 years ago,, starting to lose the amour, 2 dining on crab, lobster ( the huge tail), tail wasn't so huge like before. Bar full of locals staff hanging with them talking, tough to find our waitress. Besides us, 4 other tables seated eating. Seeing a decline in what in my opinion was as mentioned a hidden gem in CNY. Last summer 2016. Drove to Sylvan Beach for King Crab and the Giant Brazilian lobster tail. Early dinner after a day walking around, enjoying the day , beach and shopping. Sylvan beach packed with summer tourists. Walked in to CJ's, No one in dining area. No hostess, bar had 10 or so patrons. Was gonna leave after 5 minutes no person to seat us. Seated, ordered drinks, dinner. King crab so so, not giant round tubes of succulent meat, rather cut in half Crab small king crab legs. Brazilian Lobster tail size of a Red Lobster tail Not the giant I remembered and travel to get.. Frankly it may have been just a bad day for my visit. But my opinion is most the tenured places,, which are few now, are losing the little things that made them what they WERE.. what made them famous.. I mean no disrespect or negative thoughts for a true institution that's earned its place in the annals of top places to dine,, years ago. But, I'd put some attention to detail, the things that bring folks like I back for years repeatedly. The things that made you an institution. It was extremely hard I'm sure ( I can't imagine ) with 16-18 hour days to start and grow CJ's that made them what they were I'll be back this year again because I love Captain Johns because of the years and memories I have. I'm not a critic, I mean no ill will, but suggest breathing some fresh air into the place. The kind of air that had the starting passion I saw long ago. See ya soon. read more

This place provides the ultimate trifecta...Great food, Great Service, and a Great Atmosphere. Family brings me to this area twice a year, and Captain John's Restaurant is my favorite place to bring my family and break bread together. I'm already looking forward to our next visit. read more

Well, I spared them total star annhilation because they had good fried fish. Beyond that.... My inlaws tried to order prime rib. One of their specialties. Three or four times the server came out with ever increasingly dire news on the state of the prime rib. Shit, we're down to 4 cuts. 2 are ends. SHIT we're down to 3, 1 end. WTF. Finally my MiL got something altogether different and wanted to get a baked potato with her chickeny replacement for the prime rib. OOPS. Out of baked potatos. WTF. I can forgive running out of prime rib. But baked taters? I dunno. The service was friendly but mad, mad slow. Mad slow. And the decor in this place, while understandable, just sort of gets to me. I'll put it to you this way- It's like Jimmy Buffet and Robin Williams remade Hook into a porno and this place's decor is the bastard child. That reminds me- Jimmy Buffet was on repeat, blaring through the music speakers. It was very expensive here, too. But I'm told that's a given for the area. We did manage to find other, cheaper alternatives. And given that we were in a house, I'd personally rather just go fish for dinner and cook it my damn self. read more

We ended up having dinner at Captain John's after an aborted attempt to eat at Splash's. The service at Captain John's was great - we had our food within just a few minutes of sitting down. We started with the French Onion soup and the clam chowder both of which were hot and freshly made. The Gorgonzola Chicken with fresh spinach was quite tasty as was my husband's Sea Bass. We didn't save room for dessert but the dessert tray was certainly tempting. read more

Great personality and fun! Had the calamari - crispy and delish! The sparkling champagne cocktail - yummy! And the seafood provoncal was outstanding. A huge lobster tail, mussels and shrimp in a garlic wine sauce. i ate every drop of it! We live in syracuse and wish we had a restaurant as fun and delicious as this place! Don't be put off by the fun and family friendly atmosphere - the food is excellent! We can't wait to go back! read more

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Have been there a few times. The food lacks flavor and they overcharge for subpar food! Service is great, staff extremely friendly!

The irony of Captain John's is that it really presents itself as a tropical beach side restaurant, but it isn't located on the water and is probably one of the farthest places from the beach!! Like Labella's Pancake House, Eddie's, Yesterday's and Cinderella's, Captain John's is an old-time Sylvan Beach institution. The decor is intentionally over the top with tropical/seaside flair. From the ship themed booths to the specialty drinks with souvenir mugs, Caption John's goes out of the way to make you feel like you're in some touristy beach locale from the Florida Keys. The main feature of the menu is obviously the seafood, but they also feature Prime Rib and chicken dishes. The food is pretty decent and the portions are usually generous. The service is usually pretty friendly and attentive. There actually is a Captain John and it is not unlikely for you to find him making the rounds greeting the patrons or driving around in his old antique car that is usually parked outside. read more

Please do yourself a favor and avoid this place. I'll cut them a little slack due to the fact it is post-quarantine but the whole experience was quite poor. To start, we waited nearly an hour and a half after ordering to receive our entrees. My French onion soup starter was salty and bitter. The bitterness was the outcome of a few burnt onions in the otherwise under-caramelized bunch. My sister also noted that the lettuce in her salad had wilted. I'm always cautious of the food when the waitress says be careful the plate is hot because that is code for "this plate has seen the microwave." The sides of rice that came with the meal had hardened and clumped together like they were undercooked and had been sitting out all day. I had to spit a forkful out after trying it because it was inedible. The replacement rice that came out was mushy and seemed like boxed instant rice. As for the (still cold) lobster tail, it's a good thing they didn't actually mix it in to the oily bread crumb coated noodles which was supposed to be lobster mac and cheese. I'll take it home and use it in my own because unfortunately I left here hungry. My chicken rigatoni was closer to soup than a bowl of pasta. Bland and lacking any spice for an order of "medium spice", the most exciting part of the meal was picking through and counting how many linguine noodles managed to find their way into the bowl. 7 my lucky number! After my 5th fork full we decided to just ask for a box for the shrimp and leave. We were going to give it to the cat... then we remembered the cat is dead. Good thing because the disappointment may have killed her. My parents never complain at restaurants but tonight they did. When the manager asked us what was wrong with our food she seemed dumbfounded that she didn't like the "signature dishes." It seemed like a slap in the face to Utica to call those riggies "signature." It was clear that there was no quality control or tasting on any of dishes before they were sent out. It was nice of the manager to finally apologize when she brought the check with $50 off that was cool I suppose. read more