Took the boat out ran across Gator Bay. Live Music was Great, Very Friendly Staff, and Kayla Awesome!! Stop by and visit a place that's been around for a long time. read more

Gator Bay Bar & Grill - BLT on Spinach Wrap with garlic parmesan fries. Both were really good! Stop by and visit a place that's been around for a long time. - American Near Me - Leesburg, Florida

It is an informal bar with live music in certain days and time. It was hot but they have a lot of fan and you don't feel it. The service was great. They also have different drinks promotion. read more

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This place need to close. Its been there for ages and shows it. We went there on a Wednesday evening around 5 pm. Since there were so many bugs flying around at the outside tables (even thought they have fans) we decided to eat inside. THERE WAS NO AIR CONDITIONING. It was 92 out. First off, I noticed the exposed wiring (covered by its casing) and extension cords, and lights running along the edge of the rooms ceiling were so dusty it was probably a half inch thick. They had fans running, which was stirring the dust through the air. I was ready to leave right then, but hubby said the food reviews were great and he wanted to try it. We both ordered the catfish basket. For me, the fires were great- however the ketchup tasted like vinegar. The waitress brought a new bottle (which was cold, not warm like the other, and it was ok. She also brought out condiments in a very used beer carrying box. The mustard bottle was filthy and hadn't been wiped off in who knows how long. The catfish was okay, nothing special. We would not eat the coleslaw- it tasted slightly spoiled and was warm. The breaded mushrooms were great. Soda drinks are served in cans, with a plastic glass filled with ice. Service was ok. Our bill included a surcharge for using debit card. There was an extra .30 tax on each drink. The waitress said because it came from the bar. Which was where the refrigerator for the cole slaw is located. She got it from that refrigerator, so the bartender had nothing to do with it. THE FILTH of this place is enough for me to NEVER even consider going back. The food just confirms it. I think the people who give high ratings like the lake/live band ambience. And if they like the food, it must be because alcohol is clouding their judgement. Go for the music and bugs, maybe alcohol, but stay away if you want cleanliness, good food. I'm just sorry I can't give it a lower rating. read more

We enjoy venturing out and trying new places. It doesn't have to be fancy. This restaurant certainly fits that description. It sits on a back waterway on Haine's creek near Leesburg. There are several places to eat...the back, screened-in porch, the bar, and a covered patio. Sounds pretty good, right? But it also has a back deck where smokers hang out and puff on cigarettes. We could smell the awful smoke where we were sitting. Yuck! I had the taco special. Wife had the club wrap. She liked her meal. Mine was just okay. Tacos should have tomatoes, cheese, lettuce, hot sauce and more. Mine had fish on 2, shrimp on 2, with shredded lettuce...thats it! At least the price was right. Never again. That's not a real taco. Gator Bay... you lost me as a customer. Sorry. Almost forgot, it added an extra charge for using my credit card. read more

Gator Bay Bar & Grill - Dock in back of restaurant. - American Near Me - Leesburg, Florida

This is a fun place without outdoor seating and screened seating with a bar section and a section on the water. The menu options are salads, wraps, burgers, baskets and sandwiches. Lots of seafood options and appetizers. Full bar. I had a fried shrimp basket with potato salad and fried okra. It was all good, especially the okra. Tried the fries too and they were fat and good. Server was friendly and checked in often. read more

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This little "dive" is gem! Glad we found it and hadn't deferred to to much of the reviews (they were mostly (old reviews) anyway). Very nice atmosphere- friendly staff - good selection of food (decently priced) daily specials - full bar. We will be back. read more

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Always a fun time, only beer and wine but great food as well! Right by the water, fire pit (weather depending), such a chill spot!

The shrimp po boy is a good deal. I love these non corporate Florida places on the inland water. Server Sara was nice and genuinely friendly. All in all, a good stop, would do so again. read more

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The food was great, the server was wonderful! We always order a pretzel and it did not disappoint!

Meh. Great local place that is riverside. Wry cool local vibe and everyone is a friend. Food was tasty but like warm fries and onion rings, not my fav. I love steak fries though! I had the BLT Wrap. Bacon was crispy, lots of lettuce , just couldn't find the Tomato . Hubby had the oyster po boy which he enjoyed. The potato salad was mustard potato salad (which I LOVE!!). He has never been a fan of it. Service is frequent and friendly. Everyone was great. It's beer and wine only so prepare for a chilling time next to the River when you stop in to say Hi! read more

Gator Bay Bar & Grill - Riverfront lunch - American Near Me - Leesburg, Florida

Great food, great service. We've only called ahead for takeout orders so can say much about the dining experience. We've been pleased with everything from the ordering process to the food. read more

Dined at Gator Bay Bar & Grill today... it's my husband's favorite "dive" bar/restaurant! It's on Haines Creek and we always go by boat! The dining is pretty much all outdoor (but covered)... they have amazing live entertainment on the weekends and the food and waitresses are great!! Today our waitress was Christine and she's friendly, patient and very attentive!! I like that we can bring our dogs as well!! Their wings are amazing... the shrimp po-boy is great... the Philly cheesesteak is good as well. The hot dog in the picture was good too -first time I've had that. It's a fun place to hang outside... have a beer... enjoy the weather... bring your dog... and have a burger or some wings!! And you get a friendly smile along with the service. Honestly, we've tried several items on the menu and so far -- they've all been very good. CHEERS! read more

Gator Bay Bar & Grill - Hot Wings (dry) with sauce on the side - American Near Me - Leesburg, Florida

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Gator Bay is not a 5 star restaurant, but it is a 5 star "bar & grill." We stopped by in our boat and Gator Bay does many things right. The service is what stands out most. We've pulled into other river/lake-side eateries and haven't been served in the first 30-45 min. We were served right away and the server was very friendly. We got a beer and huge pretzel (one of the best I've ever ordered anywhere) that came with beer cheese and mustard. They also have live music going most days. We will definitely be back... by boat. read more

Gator Bay Bar & Grill - a view of gator bay - American Near Me - Leesburg, Florida

This is one of my favorite local dives! The chicken wings are always hot and crispy and the gator tail is very good! The staff is friendly and the outside eating experience is casual with great waterside vibes. read more

Good burgers and bar food. Beers are on point. Staff is friendly and the place has some character. It's not a fancy joint by any means but everything is on par. It may appear to be a roughneck place but it's a great place to grab some above average burgers and bar appetizers. We will be back again! read more

Good Food! Great service! Cold Beer! We will be back. Thanks for taking care of us and our pups! read more

Gator Bay Bar & Grill - American Near Me - Leesburg, Florida

Such good gator nuggets and also. The service was amazing they were nice, kind and also the view and temp was PERFECTTTT.

OMGosh...Gator Bay Bar and Grill is a must try!!! The atmosphere is awesome. There is inside and outside seating near the water. They have a huge fire pit for those cooler nights. The entertainment was pretty great too. The food was so delicious and if you like Spicy Bloody Mary's this place is definitely where you want to go. The menu prices are very reasonable and the staff, especially Brittany, are super friendly and attentive. I'm telling y'all come and dine!! You won't regret it! read more

Gator Bay Bar & Grill - The view of the canal from the outside dining area at Gator Bay Bar and Grill - American Near Me - Leesburg, Florida

KEEP ON DRIVING... I had driven by many times and wondered about it since it is on the water. About a week ago, a friend who lives nearby and I decided to give it a try. Worst mistake of a lifetime. I have had never had what I would call horrible food until last Saturday nite a week ago when I went to Gator Bay. It is now our standing joke if we talk about going out for a bite, We both say in unison "Ohhhh... let's go to Gator Bay" and then follow up with a laugh. We both said NEVER AGAIN. We talked with a couple other people there who said the same thing. Terrible Service and even worse food. read more

We have driven past this establishment several time and thought nothing of it, but after a google search we decided to try it out one night and ordered takeout. Food was ready in a quick time frame and everyone was super friendly. We got the blackened fish salad and catfish basket. It was delicious. The fish on the salad was well seasoned and cooked. Also the Italian dressing was delicious. We have been back 4-5 time since that first order between dining in and takeout and have never been dissatisfied. I would strongly recommend you to check this place out for a great time and tasty food and chill vibes. read more

Great atmosphere. Down home cooking. Loved everthing including frog, gator, shrimp, catfish, cheese curds, fries, cheese fries and fresh squeezed lemonade. Bar has 4 tvs and lots of neon. There plenty of room and screened areas and fans to keep the bugs away. Highly recommended. read more

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This place was amazing!!! The food was really good! The service was spectacular!! We will absolutely be back!!!

Everything is so good! Friday fish fry is all you can eat. Delicious burgers and sandwiches. Tasty wings. The staff is very friendly. The restaurant is very "florida" and right on the water. A bit "rustic" and casual but that's the charm. Laid back. You can peep baby gators and other wildlife. Full of locals and regulars. Definitely a must try either by boat or any transportation. They have music on weekends and karaoke on Friday night. read more

The server Ed was great and got everything perfect. He was very knowledgeable And amazed me, he took the order for eight people without writing it down, and everything was great read more

Our server was friendly and knowledgeable. The food was good. A family spot during the day.

Service was horrific, ALL FRIED food food took over an hour to get and was not fresh once we got it. If that wasn't bad enough, the mosquitoes will put an end to your misery. 0 stars, would NEVER return. If you go, you've been warned. read more

Good food, great atmosphere. Live bands. Can visit by land or lake. Service maybe slow at times, but friendly staff. We go for the shrimp special. Didn't like that the catfish filets were replaced by catfish nuggets on the AUCE catfish. 4 stars. read more

Horrible service , well no service so I left . I walked up to the bar and had no less then 5 staff members look directly at me , then walk away . This is not an isolated event , it is the last time I visit though. People at the bar smoking , mosquitos everywhere , and drunks slurring karaoke ......... uhg ! read more

Moving to the area, thought we'd try out a local place for lunch on mother's day. I'm guessing it used to be a bait shop by the looks of it. The wings were pretty darn good, the burger was ok, the fried pickles could have been crunchier. Our server wasn't helpful at all, didn't offer any suggestions when we told her it was our first time there. I can deal with food being just average, if the service is good. Today that wasn't the case. We may give them another try, but not any time soon. read more

A radio show we love always promotes this place. Over an hour from us but were excited to take a drive out. Now, for the life of us, we can't imagine why. It kinda is like eating on an old screen porch and carport (no a/c etc). Altho service was kind of cold and aloof, it was speedy. Don't get the fried pickles. Really strange, like big solid pickle spears with really thin coating that falls off when you touch them. These are usually slices, odd. We could live two minutes away and still wouldn't go again. Really weird place. read more

We are locals and appreciate the hole in the wall kind of places like this. Much to our surprise they have a few unique items that other "bars" might not offer. The portobello mushroom sandwich and frog legs are great. If you don't like a true Florida experience, then this might not be for you. If you enjoy the water, and all that comes with it (mosquitos etc) and if you value a small locally owned joint where flip flops are the norm, then c'mon... you'll love it. read more

This is a cool place where both motorists and boaters can pull up and enjoy a meal and drinks. We enjoyed Tom and his karaoke on Friday, and the fried fish was very good. However, the service from the waitress we had wasn't good in the least. She had an attitude from the start....either she doesn't like people, in which case she should find a non-customer service job, or perhaps she was having a bad day and allowed it to translate into bad service for us. I thought about calling her out by name in my review, but I decided that wasn't really fair, as she may not always be that way. We hardly ever got checked on. If we happened to see her, we would try to flag her down; otherwise, we would seek help from another waitress. Another thing to be aware of is bring some kind of bug repellent, or else you may get eaten alive by mosquitoes. read more

Stopped here for the fish fry on a Friday evening. Sat inside a screened in area to stay away fro the multitude of smokers on the outer covered patio. A DJ was setting up karaoke that was to start at 6 PM. The fish fry food was pretty good, the cole slaw was adequate and fries were ok. No bread with the meal. Soda in cans only, so no free refills. The singing was tolerable, but typical locals coming to hear their friends. They all sound better when you have More to drink. The fish was all you could eat, so I had one more piece, which came out quick and hot. We may go back, but not real soon read more

I went there several months ago for a quick meal. I got the spiced shrimp and it was great. Service was slow but having been a waitress for many years I was sympathetic. I'll be back to try the wings! read more

The service was slow, but once we got the attention of a waitress, it was not too bad, and the food was very good

Simply a quaint old school Florida marina dive bar and restaurant with exactly the menu and atmosphere you'd expect. Best wings, fried fish, frog legs and Gator in town hands down! Gator Bay is a refreshing departure from the plague of bland cookie cutter chain restaurants. This is a local family owned and operated business we're grateful has held on despite all the challenges through COVID these past almost 3 years. Sadly places like this are a dying breed. read more

Cute little hole in the wall joint on the river between the lakes... nothing fancy, but good spot to pull your boat into a slip grab a hot dog or burger a an ice cold beer and then head on home after a morning of fishing on the lakes. read more

Friends brought us on the pontoon to Gator Bay. It helped that it was a perfect 10 day. Service was very good. No problem with separate checks. Fish Sandwich was very good. Especially liked the tarter sauce. Fries were a cut above most. We were told that most of the time its impossible to find a boat space but we lucked out and so glad we did. Also very pleased when a large gator swam by. read more

Awesome place to hang out!!! Daily specials and awesome food wings are the best And the waitresses are blast!!!! read more

Owner was very rude and disrespectful they tried to charge me for food I didn't receive and the food I did get I didn't eat because it looked disgusting read more