My family and I had dinner at Jake's on the Water during our recent trip to Potsdam. Unfortunately, we couldn't sit outside because of the rain, but our table inside still offered a great view of the water. The restaurant wasn't crowded, but there were enough guests to give it a nice atmosphere. It felt comfortable, relaxed, and not noisy at all. We started with the Kung Pao Cauliflower, which was excellent. Even my kids, who don't usually enjoy vegetables, ate every bite. For their meals, both kids ordered brick oven pizzas. My older child had the Labrador and finished the entire pizza by himself, while my younger child ordered the Authentic with pepperoni and really enjoyed it. My wife ordered the fish of the day, and I chose the scallop special. Overall, the food was very good, the service was pleasant, and the waterfront setting made for an enjoyable dining experience. I would definitely return the next time I'm in the area. read more

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My wife and I came up to this neck of the woods while visiting family and had a great meal here. The location is beautifully located on the water (unfortunately our visit was more gray and gloomy outside). All of the staff we interacted with were great and friendly. Our family from this area raved about their poutine, but a recent menu change got rid of it. Despite that they had a variety of starters/apps, sandwiches, pizzas, steaks, plus other entrees including some specials on a separate little menu. Included on that was two cocktails that we tried, I had two of their Strawberry Rhubarb Collins that was light and easy to drink with just enough strawberry and rhubarb flavor. My wife had their special sangria which had tons of flavor. Both fantastic drinks! As a group we split some pretzel sticks as well as some bang bang shrimp. With both being great bites before our meals with the beer cheese and mustard for the pretzels along with the shrimp sweet chili aioli being perfect dips. Lastly for the main event my wife and I were on the same wavelength and got their Vodka Chicken Parm, that originally was to come on top rice pilaf but both substituted for house made pasta. Everything from the vodka sauce, to the house made pasta, to the chicken were fantastic! Would gladly get it again. If we lived around here I would picture this being a regular stop for us! Friendly and welcoming staff with well made drinks and delicious food! Give it a try! read more

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Had Lunch outside while dropping our lad off at Canton. Very pet friendly - outside. Had our 9 year old black Lab with us. Jamie was our very accommodating waitress and the owner was wonderful. Jake was their dog growing up. Food (had a bowl) was healthy. Great view of the water. It'll be a spot we frequent a lot over the next 4+ years! read more

Jake's on the Water - Outside seating view - New American Near Me - Potsdam, New York

Went on the Sunday after graduation while traveling through town with our four small children. We were asked if we had a reservation, but it wasn't busy at all. I was confused as to whether that's the norm, as almost every table was available, yet they expected that we had reservations. Sat outside and our waitress wasn't very quick, to our dismay. Drinks were terrible (Bloody Mary and matcha latte) but food was great. Took us much, much longer than we expected for a "quick" lunch, about two hours, but left happy and fed, overall. read more

Well it's graduation day so you have to expect it to be busy and maybe a limited menu but you should not be presented with a dinner only menu when you reserved a table for lunch ( 1:30 pm) and the website menu page displays two menus- one for Jake's graduation day dinner and one for Jake's graduation day lunch. Our preset table was prepared with dinner menus and upon questioning this was told only dinner options were being served. Honestly we were a party of ten and this changed the price point and would've greatly impacted our choice for lunch reservations. To be clear, the website still shows the lunch menu. Anyway it was chaotic, had to ask for water repeatedly, no soda refills , and the food is mediocre at best. Wagyu burger at $26 is the least expensive item in the dinner menu ( versus most expensive on the lunch menu) and it is good. The garlic aioli on the bottom bun renders the bun useless and I regret not requesting that on the side. All over salted and overpriced. read more

Jake's on the Water - Wagyu burger - New American Near Me - Potsdam, New York

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One of the best restaurants in the Potsdam area, for sure. Located river/lakeside, there is ample outside deck space and the views in and out are excellent. For food I tried the scallops and the NY steak over two dinners with work colleagues. Service was very warm and the servers are all dressed for fine dining. I liked my mocktail so much, a variation of a mule, that I ordered it twice. Both mains had well cooked proteins and nice accompaniments- the mashed potatoes and broccoli rabe were good, as was the lemon-dill risotto. My favorite was the steak - it was a substantial and excellent cut cooked exactly as I asked - with a maple dipping sauce that went well. The place was packed both nights - I strongly recommend reservations- earlier the better. read more

Drinks were bad. When asked the bartender l remake she looked super irritated. Carbonara was cold and flavorless. Chicken parm was enjoyed by my nephew. Our pizza was good. read more

Jake's on the Water - Pizza - New American Near Me - Potsdam, New York

The carrot ginger purée was divinely inspired. I'm a regular Atlanta diner. I've been dating an executive chef for nearly a decade. My palate is spoiled. But that was fantastic! The pork was perfectly cooked. Tender and flavorful. Then combined with the carrot purée, with it's perfect background heat and the fresh bitter micro greens. Chef's kiss! The wine list is still abysmal here. But Meg's (Mona/Holly) shakin' "French Blackberry Bramble" saves the day again. I do wish I could bring my own wine (I'll pay a cork fee!) Together, it's why I eat here once for ever 3 days I'm I town. And ALWAYS on the evening I arrive and the night before I depart. See you again soon!! read more

Jake's on the Water - Korean Pork Loin Hoisin rubbed with carrot ginger purée - New American Near Me - Potsdam, New York

Jake's has a high-end price point, justified by exemplary service and a lovely waterside location. (There are virtually no bad views from the inside, and there are outdoor seating options including picnic tables for to-go orders). The food is very well-prepared, if a little uninspired: it's what we used to call "TGI O'Houlihan Tuesdays", after the casual restaurant chains of a type, but much better executed. The fish and chips, for example, running over $20 but exquisitely done. It's still fish and french fries, but the breading was just right, the fish buttery and cooked exactly right. We appreciated the summer mocktail, which was a fairly original very dry non-alcoholic concoction, and there's a pretty decent set of beer options. The addition of relatively faddy appetizers (kung pao cauliflower, for example, instead of buffalo cauliflower) is a nice bonus. It's sui generis up here in this section of the north country (there's one truly haute cuisine restaurant between Canton and Potsdam, the 1844) so if you're looking for a "nice" meal that's just a little fancy but still within the American mainstream palate, it's perfect. Just be prepared to go over $100 in a hurry (with generous tip, and two beverages and a soft drink but no dessert, dinner for four clocked in at $150.) read more

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Great view, great service, and great food. Ordered the Onion soup, Pretzels, and Red Snapper. Won't go into the nitty gritty but I enjoyed everything about my meal. read more

Jake's on the Water - Onion Soup and Pretzels - New American Near Me - Potsdam, New York

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Live Love Jake's. This was such a great meal after graduation. Would give up my first born child for an unlimited supply of their maple butter (actually if that means giving up my cat nevermind - I just really like their maple butter. you get the point) read more

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1st off they didn't even have our reservations when we got there so she decided to stick us in the corner. So glad the waitress Holley came and offered us a deck seat by water as we were told none were available by hostess. Bad on her part ! Do your job more efficiently... one of the problems with society today is "I'll do minimum effort". Everything else was excellent. Holley was on top n super friendly. It was worth the effort coming from 5 hrs away. Food is terrific everything was cooked well and no long delays. View from deck is tranquil. Definitely recommend but make sure they get your reservations.............. read more

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Service was great! Food was outstanding! Ambiance was wonderful! Overall great food, service and environment. read more

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Great food in a beautiful setting. We like eating there. Don't miss the cauliflower appetizer.

My favorite place to eat in the area. Beautiful outdoor patio on the water and the food is always top notch.

Great food, great service, great location! Customers are always treated as the number one priority!

Been a customer since opening. We love the casual setting and the Lake veiw. Food and service have always been either quite good or hit or miss. Today was horrible. Ordered 3 hot drinks,cold at service. Sandwich (19$), was greasy inedible prison food. Server couldn't care less. Salad of the week,was obviously from last week. Won't be back, sad really. read more

After exploring the area and striking out at couple other restaurants in the Potsdam area, I found this place and decided to take the quick drive. The original allure of course was the water. Entering with low expectations I was super happy to find the food is actually phenomenal. As a vegetarian options are always limited in certain areas of the country. The pizza, amazing. Fries, and amazing, portabello sandwich, fire!! Plus the staff are all super cool. Felt welcomed and went a lil extra on my first visit. Yes I came back the next day to eat. Stop be if you can read more

Jake's on the Water - New American Near Me - Potsdam, New York

Great service -- walked up to hostess on a busy evening without reservations...without skipping a beat, we were welcomed and seated at the bar. Our server was quite welcoming, and recommended the margaritas as alcohol-forward when asked which of the cocktails were strong; we each ordered a refreshing watermelon martini made from fresh watermelon purée, and I later ordered a blueberry margarita that I'm still dreaming about! For dinner, my partner who grew up in Potsdam ordered the Ahi tuna salad, and I ordered the chef's cut which turned out to be blackened prime rib. The Ahi tuna salad was great, especially with the wasabi mixed in with the dressing, and my prime rib was cooked to perfection at a lovely medium rare. The pictures tell only part of the story, but fail to convey the welcome and attentiveness of the wait staff-kudos to management for fostering such a positive environment! read more

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We enjoy Jake's, but the table by the wood fire pizza maker is awful. You have servicers back & forth and dumping dirty dishes behind you. This last visit was for our son's graduation & service was excellent but our table was less than desirable but we didn't let it dampen our celebratory mood! read more

The ambience was amazing. This restaurant sits on the Raquette river that's been dammed to form a Lake. It's a beautiful setting. Especially on nice weather days when you can sit out by the water. Probably one of the most beautiful settings for dining in the north country. The ambience and service were definitely five star. But the food was a huge disappointment. I ordered the crab stuffed sole. And my partner had a steak. The sole was mush. It had the consistency of mashed potatoes. It was clear this had been frozen and refrozen several times. The stuffing wasn't any better. This was a special item on the menu. The steak was disappointing as well. This was our wedding anniversary dinner. I won't be going here again unless it's just for drinks or hors d'oeuvres on the water. I want to love this place. But the food is really bad. read more

Honestly the food here was so freakin bussin good job and the waiter did a little dance when he brought us the food it was savage

Still fabulous Gorgeous inside Fantastic service Beet salad awesome Boom boom cauliflower best I ve ever eaten! Pizzas great Cocktails off the hook read more

The location is stunning, the food was delicious and service was phenomenal, we took our 8 year old and let me tell you he had so many options he didn't know what to get! We will definitely be visiting soon read more

such yummy food and soooo pretty!!! Everyone is so sweet and awesome and funny! So kuch fun!

Starting out by saying that I would have rated it 3.5 stars not 3 stars. The restaurant sits adjacent to a lake and the inside has 2 floors. Tables are spaced well and it is not noisy despite the large amount of people present. We sat on a hi-top next to a large window and had an excellent view of the lake Our server was also working the bar and she was great. The Manhattan that I had and my wife's sage gimlet was really good. They had a good variety of whiskeys and gin and a diverse collection of draft beers. We started with a poutine and it was tasty. The gravy had good flavor. The fries lacked the crunch that I liked but all in all it was good and would order it again. I am a bit of a poutine aficionado. My son said his pizza was pretty good. We have unreal pizza at home so not surprised. My wife and I ordered the filet medallions wrapped in bacon in a sauce with mashed potatoes and asparagus. Price was reasonable but the bacon was a little undercooked and my filets were medium versus medium rare leaning towards the rare side. There was not as much flavor as I would have expected but not bad. Mashed potatoes were bland. Value was great for the price read more

Always delicious and a great atmosphere. I love the specials and the calamari appetizers. The sushi rolls are good when they have them and they make great cocktails. read more

One of the top 5 restaurants I have been to and I have been to many all over the country! The food is amazing and so is the service. I drove 30 min to eat there and I would drive it again and aga. The views are beautiful too! read more

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the upstairs is not where you want to sit for a good view area. the food was very mid overall. both ny strip steaks were over cooked compared to our preference and over seasoned with salt. the appetizers were small and good but nothing amazing or special. the view of the lake is the best part. the drinks were water down and didn't seem as strong for 2 shot drinks. overall was not terrible but was not amazing. read more

Jake's on the Water - Current menu 2025 August - New American Near Me - Potsdam, New York

What a beautiful dinner experience tonight at Jake's. It's my birthday and they made sure I knew I was special. Felt like I was a queen. Drink special I love tonight. Just enough spice. I always love the cauliflower. I asked them to bend the rules a bit for my menu choice. Then a beautiful birthday card signed by staff and a delicious piece of birthday cake. First class place. read more

Excellent service! Went for brunch but got the Mac n cheese ... you have to try it! Pizza looked excellent as well.

Service was decent. Food was super good! Got Parmesan truffle fries as an appetizer and they were amazing! Had the Sweet Heat pizza and that was also cooked very well and tasted delicious. read more

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The service and food were great! I had to stop in Potsdam and made a quick decision to have a late brunch. They have a beautiful view of the water and a great food selection. Clearly they seem to be quiet popular so they were out of some of the items that I would have liked to try. The atmosphere is more of an upscale bar and restaurant. Totally recommend this as a stop in or out of town. read more

Jake's on the Water - Classic Breakfast $13 - New American Near Me - Potsdam, New York

We love Jake's. Great local dining and one of the best option around for higher end dining. Always great service, fantastic seasonal cocktail menu, great food. It's my go to for meeting friends or a chill date night. They're great with allergies and meal accommodations (if it's slow, don't be that person lol). Best truffle fries ever. read more

I ordered the burger medium, it was raw. The truffle fries were French fries with some magic dust sprinkled on them. Not good. The pizza looked good, but I did not try it. The service was very good. The ambiance was really nice. We were there in November so the outside seating was closed, but it was directly on the water so I'm sure it is beautiful in climate weather. read more

Just a spectacular place! This is where my wife and I had our first date. There's also a dock to boat up and park at. Reasonable price for what you get, too. Farm 2 Table! read more

It is really sad to write this as we have been going to Jake's for a LONG time - for birthdays and other special events. My daughter, who loves Jake's, is home from studying abroad and its a beautiful evening for a dinner out. We had a reservation but were told the outdoor tables were full. We said we can wait and have a drink - then they said - we don't allow waiting for an outside table. Huh? After much discussion where I was so surprised by the lack of accommodation to wait we decided to stay and eat inside. Then not 20 minutes later and before our app came - there were not only one but FOUR outside tables empty. Now, customer service would dictate they come get us and say lets' move you out - it seemed really important to you. Nope. We had to sit right by the window and watch the four empty tables remain empty. Meanwhile more tables became open and then people after us were seated outside. It was like we were sentenced to indoors no matter what. So our special date out became a conversation about how rude they were and how sad it is you can't even make a reservation for a table outside. We won't go back. Ruined the night. I work with a lot of visitors and students in the area and won't recommend anymore. I will refuse to meet friends for dinner there. Too bad - another North Country business not following proper customer service as you might see in a bigger city. Also, our waitress was pretty grumpy....so.....bummer for us. On top of it all I asked for a manager to come over to see us sometime during our dinner - never sent her over. I asked for an email of the owner or manager - never gave it to me. read more

I went for a romantic night out and was pleased. The lighting of the restaurant made everything seem cozy and intimate. Our view of the water was spectacular and added to the magic of the location. Food was EXQUISITE. We had apps, entree, dessert, drinks. Everything was perfectly made. Planning a birthday there next and excited to see how they dazzle this time! read more

Fantastic service, the staff were warm and welcoming. The lemon beignets, cinnamon bun, and eggs benedict were incredibly delicious! Even in the off season, the ambience was great. read more

A+ service, the bread and butter is to die for! Awesome spot on the water, would highly recommend for team or family events.