Love this location and atmosphere! Had the salad with blackened shrimp and it was delicious. My husband and children had the wings and kept talking about how great they taste. Our service was great and the employees worked as a team. My children enjoyed their chicken tenders and hot dog. They were chugging pink lemonade and the server kept their drinks full. read more

This place has been reinvented, refreshed and is clean and a great view of the lake. Dear Lordy, the food was terrible. Ceviche had cooked (overcooked) shrimp and watery lime juice. Fries were cold and floppy. Avacado tacos were light on filling and the avacado was not ripe. Great view, but won't be back. I so want to like this place but like so many it gets worse as time goes on. read more

Not starting out not good. 4:30 on a Saturday and they said they weren't seating anymore because they were backed up. Okay, can I get a drink? Sure find a seat. Got a seat and a waitress got an attitude after 15 minutes if I could get a drink and she clear our table, well who told you to sit there? I told here sucks to work at a restaurant at 4:30. Now being told it's a 50 minute wait for any food. I get it's nice out people are out and want drinks and food, be prepared or you will lose your business. You're not the only place on a lake, period. So we've ordered and will update after bit. Got food 30 minutes later about what they said, not bad overall. Clean up the attitude and be prepared for the summer. You're on a lake. read more

The ambiance was beautiful great view. The service wasn't bad people were nice. The food was awful I would not recommend this place portions were small and the grouper bite appetizer you be better off getting the appetizer than the grouper plate because it was the same size. read more

Not enough people working!!! Drink pouring through from top floor to bottom! Too bad, that place could be great! Great location!!! Very hot, no air conditioning too read more

Went for lunch and a glass of wine. The grouper sandwich was good, however way over priced. Then later saw the price of a glass of mediocre chardonney and it was 12.49!!!! In a small plastic cup!!!!​ aThey to fix this. read more

It took over 2 hours to get any food, the owner was walking around drinking with customers. The staff seemed absolutely clueless on how to seat or wait tables. We ordered fried shrimp and French fries and it took 2 hours to get. Don't come here to eat. read more

I've been coming here for years and the food is always delicious and the service has always been great. It's a nice relaxing spot with a really great video too. If you like some alcoholic beverages, they also make some pretty great drinks that remind me of lake/beach days. read more

Went tonight for dinner and the experience was God awful. First off, I get having live music entertainment but the DJ was so loud that no one could hear the person next to them- let alone the waitress trying to take care of us for the night. I felt bad for staff trying to do their job. The manager should care more to ensure the conditions are even reasonable noise wise for their staff. I had to go ask the DJ if he could turn it down slightly so we could have a conversation with our dinner. If it's so loud to the point the employees can't even hear to take our order, then it's too loud for the space. We were up on the patio too, not even down near the music. We went for dinner- not a rave. Second, whoever operates/manages the restaurant needs to focus on ticket times and meeting acceptable wait times. It took 2 hours to get our food and then another HOUR to get the check. Thats absolutely absurd for mediocre food. Will not ever even consider going back on a weekend for dinner. It was that bad read more

Enjoy coming here after a lake day, especially for the view & live music. Don't sit on the porch if you don't want spiders landing on you... it's really not that much money to have it sprayed. Been here a few times and food/service are hit or miss. Do better JDs - you should easily be able to be a 4-5* restaurant. read more

I love this place. It feels like a different part of the country just driving a few short miles down Bells Ferry. This is not a BBQ restaurant like the other JDs down the road; this is primarily seafood. The food is really good, especially the bang bang shrimp, fried catfish fingers, and hushpuppies! The shrimp risotto is good, but I prefer other options over that. The service was great! Definitely don't sit on the back deck at sunset overlooking the water without considering the consequences: your blood pressure will drop, your stress will melt away, and your soul and stomach will be filled. read more

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Kelsey was absolutely amazing, we got the best service and had an absolutely amazing time!!! She made our Biannual anniversary absolutely amazing. Food was perfect, vibes were amazing, and we will definitely be back. 10/10 read more

J.D.'s on the Lake - The teriyaki bowl and fried catfish - American Near Me - Canton, Georgia

Cool spot with nice lake views. Our server was outstanding. This would be a regular hangout for us if we lived closer.

Drinks, views, & live music make for a great time after a day on the lake. Service is good even when busy. read more

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The Good: Our server Kelsey was bright and positive, keeping an eye out for any needs we might have, even answering a question we had about our bill with a cheery attitude. Apparently they have different prices for cash payments versus card payments, which is not disclosed on the menu. The food is slightly above average in terms of texture and flavor. People watching is *AMAZING* here. I didn't know we would get lunch and a show. The Bad: Price to value for food and drink is extremely out of balance. If you're a fan of Ozark, then I suppose you might be fine with spending a premium price for an about average dining experience just for being at a novelty venue. The peel & eat shrimp appetizer is $13.50 for 10 shrimp (maybe there's a surcharge for the lemon wedges & lettuce). The jalapeño poppers cost $9 for 5 (mind you they are halves, so technically it's only 2 1/2). Our Scofflaw drafts were $9 each...of course the prices for draft beers aren't disclosed, but when you're charging Atlanta prices in Canton I guess it's better to keep the customer in the dark. Our meal (2 appetizers, 2 rounds of beers) cost about $80. I can think of at least a dozen other places where you can get *2 entrées* and 2 rounds for the same price. The Ugly: Lake Allatoona will breeze some sulfuric air in your direction, should you decide to sit outside. Perhaps not a fault of the restaurant, but definitely not the most pleasant smell when you're eating. It's a double edged sword; the view is somewhat pleasant if you aren't bothered by the sound a passing boat's roaring engine makes, periodically. All in all, the bad things far outweigh the positive aspects, so we won't be going back. read more

Came in for a late lunch. Setting is great, right on the water. Food...not so much. Ordered pickle chips and wings to share, and then I had the loaded chicken sandwich. The pickle chips were very salty and not crispy...just a soggy salt bomb. The wings were smoked nicely and tasty. The chicken sandwich was just tragic - the chicken was about as thick as a piece of cardboard and had the look, texture, and moisture level of a breast that was cooked a couple weeks prior. My friend ordered the boss hogg burger medium, and they told him they will only serve burgers well done. This suggests a lack of confidence in either the quality of the meat they're buying or their food safety (or both). The burger out came as dry as you would expect. May come back for a drink on the water, prior to dinner somewhere else. read more

While the views were really nice the food and service was AWFUL!! My friends ordered drinks and they ended up not drinking them because they were made incorrectly (and they asked for new ones). We ordered and it took over an hour to get our food. I ordered a salad (which was over $15 if I'm not mistaken) and it was literally mixed greens I could've gone to Publix and purchased. None of the other ingredients that were mentioned on the menu was in the salad. Our server never came to us to let us know what was the delay on our table. I would not recommend this place to anyone. read more

Amazing and great drinks !!!! We were greeted by the owner JD with great hospitality and he even gave us a sample of his famous mudslide drink 10/10 ! Recommend 10000% read more

J.D.'s on the Lake - Mudslide yummy ! - American Near Me - Canton, Georgia

Went there over the weekend,so excited, my husband went there lots in the mid 90's, it was always amazing. Was Little River Restaurant then. So disappointed, food was awful , overpriced,my plate of fried catfish was mainly over salted french fries & 2 extremely small and very thin pieces of catfish.Only thing worth eating was 2 hushpuppies. read more

Took about an hour to get a table. The place was not crowded at all. Walter took our order and literally each meal came out separately. Took about 20 minutes for everyone at our table to get their meal. Fish sandwich was brought out completely raw. Server did not come back to refill drinks either. Big thumbs down!! read more

Such a hidden gem in Canton (15 minutes from Holly Springs)! A fun place for the entire family with a low-key atmosphere. The food is good -- fries were 10/10. Will definitely be back! read more

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Love the food and the ambiance. Sometimes there's a bit of a wait but the food is worth it. The cocktails are a bit as well. You will pay a nice penny to dine there so be prepared read more

Not a good experience at all. We were served sub par food, in a dirty dining room. We should have left when we saw the two inches of dust on the ceiling fans, and felt the sticky table. Lesson learned... we don't recommend and we won't be back. read more

I have given this location so many chances...different owners, different incarnations and today, I've reached the limit of chances. The location is perfect for a restaurant...the lake, the star of the show brings the perfect breeze and background. We were seated promptly on a gorgeous afternoon and were greeted quickly by our server. She was honestly, one of the best parts of our experience. We started with 2 beers (draft Scofflaws, in a plastic cup, no prices on menus - draft not on menu) and for food we ordered the poppers and peel & eat shrimp. There was nothing listed for quantity but the shrimp was $13.50 for 10 and the poppers were $9.50 for 5. The shrimp was cooked perfectly and was good...the poppers were good but honestly not a lot of bang for your buck. I get that food costs are high these days, trust me...but this was just disappointing...my husband and I ordered another round of draft/plastic cup beers to finish off our appetizers. We asked for our check and there was a 3.5% credit card surcharge added to each item along with a lower amount notated if we paid cash. This is on the back of the menu - it's not a lot of $$ but come on, it's principle. Make that more clear to your patrons ....Turns out, beer was $9 each...and after taking care of our server (she was great and I always take care of the servers). I dropped $77 on a mediocre dining experience. This spot is on my black list as there are better dining options in the Canton/Woodstock area. And for a $9.00 beer, do better JD's.... read more

J.D.'s on the Lake - Peel & eat shrimp - 10 shrimp, $13.50 (plus the 3.5% surcharge.) - American Near Me - Canton, Georgia

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If you have small children to entertain stay away from this place. It took over an hour and ten minutes to get our meal. This at a time when it was not at full capacity. The lack of urgency began with the waitstaff which didn't show up for almost 20 minutes to take our order. That same slow service was demonstrated for the entire meal and afterwards waiting for the bill and receipt. Th meal arrived before the cutlery and when I asked for it twice the reply was curt and certainly not very customer centric. And it must have been on a slow boat from China as again the total lack of urgency. The chips that came with the salsa were dripping with oil. Typically only happens when the oil is not hot enough. The rest of the meal was so underwhelming I am amazed there were any positive reviews. The location on the lake is pleasant. One star for that. Date of visit was 06/25/2022. Order number 8739. Olivia was the server. read more

We had an overall good experience at this location, though I'll admit we arrived expecting a bbq location. Because their other locations are bbq and they post on their Instagram about the other places, there's for sure some confusion. That being said, the food here is delicious and the drinks are fresh and tasty. Our server was sweet but seemed pretty distracted most of our visit. Overall, we will for sure come back and try more things, though it is a bit of a pricey excursion. read more

J.D.'s on the Lake - Grilled shrimp tacos - American Near Me - Canton, Georgia

Great view and it was cool to visit the "Blue cat lounge" from Ozark. We went as a large group and it turns out this was a bad idea, even though they knew we were coming and claimed to be accommodating. We worked it out in the end but it shouldn't have been an issue to begin with. The food was ok, a bit on the salty side. But we had the most wonderful waitress who made sure everyone had their food in a timely manner and my drink never went empty!! It's a cool experience for the views, just know that the food is nothing to get excited about. read more

J.D.'s on the Lake - Avocado tacos with chips and salsa - American Near Me - Canton, Georgia

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I visited during their pop up bar. They open in another 11 days. It was really windy outside so I decided to sit inside. I checked out the view from the patio and it was really nice. I'll come back and sit outside when it's warmer. They had a pretty decent pop up menu. I had the hush puppies which were amazing and a margarita on the rocks. The server was very sweet and so were the hostesses. They tell you all about the filming of Ozark if you ask. Can't wait to try their full menu. read more

Horrible service, horrible food, zero atmosphere. The bus girl literally belched loudly and her and her friend just cracked up. So rude. I had to finally hunt down our waitress after waiting about 20 minutes just to pay and leave. Never ever again read more

The views are great. The staff are friendly. But the food didn't seem awesome to me. We got the fried pickles to start, and let me tel you, it's a LOT of food. Two people couldn't finish it. Easily shareable for four people. The breading on the pickles was fantastic! I was hoping that the fried shrimp I ordered would have the same awesome batter, but it didn't. The shrimp batter was very bland. The fries were seasoned well. Overall I wish the shrimp batter had more seasoning (like the pickles). It was all okay, but not something to brag about in my opinion. read more

J.D.'s on the Lake - Fried shrimp and fried pickles - American Near Me - Canton, Georgia

I like the view more than the food but the view is amazing at sunset. I want to try more menu items. I went at the end of oct so the menu was limited. read more

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Been here multiple times and never disappointed. Great service. Delicious food. And good prices. Always a gorgeous view of the lake. read more

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People were friendly but the food wasn't worth the price. Bacon cheeseburger bland and thin.

The two words that best described the food here are grim and overpriced. My fried catfish was soggy, dripping, and still wiggling. The cold crinkle cut french fries were yellow and brown grease grenades, the darker of which had obviously been fried twice. The finely chopped coleslaw was swimming in liquid. The only thing they had any flavor was the hush puppy. Do yourself a favor and keep on driving. read more

This is definitely a place you visit for the atmosphere. Being the Blue Cat Lodge from Ozark's makes it a pretty cool spot to dine, but also being on the lake makes it an awesome place to grab food! The lake views and sunset on the lake are worth it alone. They offer a diverse menu with BBQ sandwiches, shrimp & grits, chicken tenders, wings, fish, and more. It's definitely worth a visit for the atmosphere and service. All of JDs restaurants have great staff and friendly people. My only advice is get there early to get a spot outside. There's a hangout area outside and they have a bar inside. Parking can get crowded, but it's worth the wait. They offer specials if you check their Facebook page on drinks and food. They are only open seasonally so keep that in mind when you plan to visit. read more

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Went last night to watch the band. Went to the bar to order 2 draft beers and a seltzer drink. Bill was $30 for the 3 drinks! Should have known to ask prices before ordering, last time I was there 2 Margs for $28. Nothing fancy, just well drinks in plastic cups. Lots of other restaurants offering specials and $3 or $4 drafts. Yes, the view is nice, but the food and drinks are overpriced. read more

7 of us recently went the one in Canton.We sat outside, the view overlooking the lake was very nice.When we arrived we were told that the grill was broken so the menu was limited. A few of us specifically wanted catfish but were not able to have it. I had the poke bowl which was mediocre. It's a casual place, nice to have a drink and watch the sunset. read more

We sat outside in the shade with a beautiful view of the and a variety of boats stopping by. I ordered the shrimp tacos with rice and beans. All of it was marvelous and our servers were cheerful and very attentive. read more

We really enjoyed J.D.'s. We came early on a Friday and were able to sit outside with a nice breeze overlooking the lake. We had decided to come to JD's after a hike at Red Top Mountain and knew that this was where they filmed parts of Ozarks, on Netflix. The owner came out and chatted with us for a bit and made sure everything tasted okay, which we don't get that often living in the city. We ordered the home made salsa for an appetizer and you could taste the smokey flavors. The owner mentioned that he smokes his tomatoes on the grill at his other BBQ restaurant down the road each morning. My husband ordered the low-country boil which he really enjoyed. The butter that came with it was sweet, like a honey butter, and it paired nicely with the crab legs. I ordered the glazed salmon and it was phenomenal. It came with green beans and I am a sucker for well cooked green beans. They were still crunchy and had a sweet garlic sauce on top. All in all, we had a great experience. We'll be back soon! read more

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We stopped here while boating on the lake. We heard it's where they film the Ozark. We went particularly hungry but we ordered some stuff to share. The hush puppies were delicious and home made. Fries were nice and crunchy as were the jalapeño poppers. They didn't have too much cream cheese which was nice and the breading was light. The sweet tea was refreshing. The staff is great. If you are in the neighborhood, I would highly recommend it. read more

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