Friendly folks, good atmosphere. Other BBQ places have it better. Almost saw a fistfight as an old man yelled at the in-house band.

Love staying here for a weekend getaway! The food is consistently good and the service is friendly and prompt. Gotta try the Jamaican jerk wings, they are the best ever. Full bar and nice outside dining space. Fire pits are staggered throughout the property. Definitely would recommend for a couple or large group looking to have a casual barbecue experience with friendly folks! read more

Don't come here if you want to eat cucumber sandwiches with your pinky in the air. But if you like Guinness on tap, more delicious smoked ribs than any human should eat in one sitting, great sweet potato or grid cut fries in a 1950's style roadside joint, you've come to the right place. Try the two tone beer (Guinness on top, light ale underneath) and the RIBS!!! Don't wear a white silk shirt. Take your cholesterol medicine. Enjoy. As for dirt- hey, most of the tables are OUTSIDE! The tables are decently clean, but you're sitting at picnic tables on a concrete pad. Think picnic, not maitre'd. If you get really lucky, the owner will tell you what he saw on the way to the 1964 World's Fair. read more

Great food.. the ribs were excellent, sauce is great and sides are fine. Mostly locals though they can attract tourists with some outside things going on. But the locals eat here. Other reviews say not but we saw only locals. Some eating a large meal and others a cup of chili. We were there in the early fall during the heavy tourist season. Would definitely recommend.. Reminder this is casual so the prices are not tourist as you may see inside the Lake Placid village itself. We also love bbq in many locales like Memphis and Kansas City. If you like Arthur Bryants you will find this fine. read more

I've been going to ToP forever. iMHO, over the years it has gone gradually downhill. Today stopped by at 4 pm thinking that off peak the food and service might be better. Service was better; food was worse. Ordered the Barbecue Lovers' sampler. Chicken breast/wing dry, overcooked, all but inedible. Brisket dry, overcooked, barely edible. Ribs fatty, hardly any meat. Pulled pork was excellent. I probably should have complained but we had errands to do in Lake Placid and our nice waiter was already having trouble keeping up with several tables. Not sure why I keep coming back to ToP Maybe hope springs eternal. read more

My family had been here two years ago(the last time we were in Lake Placid). We liked it so much that first time that we went twice that week. The atmosphere is ultra casual (outdoor picnic tables) and there is a playground for the kids to play on while they wait for their food. So we couldn't wait to go back during this vacation. Wow, what a disappointment. We should have known when the hostess warned us that our order would take about a half hour because the kitchen was behind. But we didn't mind, figured kids could play while hubby and I had some drinks. Well, we didn't even get drinks until about 25 minutes after sitting down! Our app came before drinks. It was supposed to be poutine, but it was waffle fries topped with unmelted shredded mozzarella cheese and lukewarm gravy. We waited another 60 minutes or so(thank God for the playground but even the kids came back 3 times looking for their dinner!) and then paid for the beers and app and walked out. The waitress kept telling us ours was the next order, but she must have come over and told us that 5 times. This place changed owners this past Spring so we're chalking it up to that but what a bummer of a night. We're crossing this one off the Lake Placid vacation list. read more

Very disappointed in the changes in this previously reliable and reasonable go to place outside of Lake Placid. We heard it was taken over by new owners and the unbelievable increase in prices is evidence of that. This is not a place to pay $25 for a lobster roll! We were told there was a 20 minute wait, which is somewhat standard and we went to the bar. The building had a terrible smell. I asked for a margarita and had to wait until someone came to unlock a bottle of tequila. Then, after my server asked me twice if I wanted salt, the rim was unsalted. When we were seated we were told they were out of cheese curds, which is a standard and highly requested appetizer here. French fries were shaved thin potatoes, more like chips. I got the impression that everything was cutting corners to save money. I'll never know why people mess with a good thing. Prices are way too high for the quality of food and service here. read more

Great place! We were worried due to the recent reviews, but our service was excellent. We had a number of questions in our large group due to a food allergy and the manager even came out a few times to help answer. The BBQ was delicious and everyone loved their meal. The potato salad and coleslaw was excellent and made in-house. I got a side of the green beans and they were fresh and cooked perfectly - not overcooked like many places We felt the portions were good for the price. There is a playground for the kids along with an outside pool table and foosball. We enjoyed live music even on a weeknight and the atmosphere was fun, under a big tent on picnic tables. Would definitely go back if we're in the area! read more

This place is terrible. I came here with a free drink card and it only took 2 dollars on a 6 dollar draft beer. Paid 30 bucks for a clam bake and am still hungry. Many better places in the Adirondacks. read more

I drive by this place twice a day and have always wondered if it had changed. And after a 15 year hiatus, I tried again. Looks like it'll be another 15 years before I go back! They never fail to disappoint. For the life of me I can't figure out why so many people rave about this place. Years ago I found the place dirty with poor service and mediocre food. Today I can say the service was better, however the tables were still sticky and the food was expensive and not remotely good. Was craving clams. Ordered 2 dozen to share with friends. They were tiny and flavorless, with the exception of the excessive sand in every single one. I got the fish sandwich. For $10 I got a very small fillet which was very similar to a frozen fish patty. It didn't even come close to fitting in the bun. It came with a small cup of coleslaw which was spicy. Spicy coleslaw? My personal rating was a single star, though others in the group had decent meals so an extra star was earned vicariously. The ribs appeared to fall off the bone. My boyfriends burger was a big greasy mess which is exactly what he wanted, but they didn't cook it as he asked. They did have a band, made up of two men in their 60's with a music track doing most of the work behind them. They weren't that bad for background music though. Not worth my money read more

Don't be fooled ... The playground and music drew us in but we had to leave after nearly an hour and a half when our food STILL hadn't come. The waitress was very sweet but she was totally under water. Too bad it was so terrible. We had high hopes. read more

Go at an off time to get better service and hotter food. We all the the clam bake and enjoyed it a lot.

Fun place. Barbecue was good enough. Service was good enough. I'm not sorry I went. If I lived here I would go again.

I've been going to ToP for a bunch of years and the food and the service wasn't good. I went on July 3, 2014 and it was GREAT! Big Kahuna Burger was great, all other eight people at lunch enjoyed their food as well. Our server, Courtney, was fantastic! read more

After seeing the 2 stars I almost skipped this place. We had the chicken & ribs (dark meat), good smoke, good sauce and good service. I would certainly recommend the "Pup" and I'll be back! read more

Had a great time and a decent meal here. Service was surprisedly quick as it was pretty crowded. We were seated right away and there was a band playing and lots of things going on all around us. We checked out the cabins and made friends with the girls rugby team from Suffolk county. Really had a fun time. Over all, it was a good experience, except that the bill was more than expected. I think it was the 10.00 big beers. Lol read more

Great place! We went here in the fall. Good service and food was good! Had smoked chicken and ribs. The chicken was outstanding! Ribs were so so but good none the less. Cornbread was good and the wife had a burger she said was awesome. I would go back in a heartbeat. This is the kind of place that is a hidden gem and should not be judged on appearance. read more

Food was ok. I have had better BBQ, but it was good. Fried fish was very good. I is very casual. Great place to bring kids they have a playground. Not to expensive but think they could come down a couple of bucks. read more

One star is one too many. As you approach Tail O'the Pup there is only one option...speed up! Risk the ticket and go ANYWHERE else! If the horrible food doesn't get you, the flies will! read more

I have been here several times as I have family in the area and vacation in the Adirondack park fairly often. If you really want BBQ, keep driving. The first time I went was with my mother who thought the BBQ was good and I love BBQ. The service was slow, and the food arrived almost room temperature and my mother was very upset and wanted to send it back and of course we could not find our waiter. We finally asked another waiter and she said " she would get our waiter" , which didn't happen, we asked yet another waiter, still no help, finally we just ate our food. The BBQ is not really BBQ, almost no dry rub, barely smoked, no bark of a true BBQ. The brisket was very very dry, bland, only way to eat it was lubricate with sauce. The pork ribs again no dry rub or smoke, but rather burned on a grill and sauce poured over it. The BBQ sauce could have been any cheap sauce. TOTAL disappointment, my mother asked me if I liked and I told her I'll get out my smoker next time she visits and take her to "The Wood Pit" in Montclaire and let her experience a true BBQ. LOL, now she really loves BBQ! We went this August again when I was visiting my mom as there is no other BBQ we know of in the region. It was even worse than before, I avoided the brisket and ribs, so we ordered chicken, when it arrived ( finally) we started to eat and OMG the chicken was raw inside. Luckily the waitress was nearby. I told the waitress our chicken was pink inside and not cooked....She replied " smoking makes the meat pink" ...WTF!!!!!! I replied there's pink liquid on my plate from it and chicken does not get a pink ring in it like beef or pork! She took the plates and as she walked away " said "assholes" under her breath. I went and found the manager and told him what happened, he responded " I'll be right back" about 5 minutes later he returned with the waitress and told her "apologize" and then told her "go get our chicken".with the waitress fuming gaze...I told the manager we had two beers, I want my bill now. Lol, he then send me bill for the chickens dinners and two beers. Really ? Long story, and no I did not pay for the chicken, and no I will not ever go or recommend. Sadly, not a true BBQ, really more of an outdoor bar, local hangout and tourist trap. Get a burger and some beers! Gets a bit rowdy with drinkers and language, not a place I would want to take young children later in the day. read more

Super casual outdoor BBQ place - family friendly & pet friendly - HUGE portions of ribs. All portions were hearty. A great, fun family place for a casual meal outdoors read more

Their new tv commercial lured me into thinking I was going to get super BBQ, great service, and a great time! WRONG!!! The teenage girls playing waitress were MIA most of the time. Anytime we asked for something, it took forever for her to bring it. The food was HORRENDOUS! My ribs were tough, the cornbread was dry and they dont offer honey butter (or anything to go on it) finally got some melted butter, but she brought only 2 and there were 3 of us that wanted it, and the slaw was ok. My husband's pulled pork was decent tasting, but it was just a platter of meat! They at least could have offered a biscuit or hamburger bun to put it on. My mom got the lobster (looked like a crayfish it was so small). And suffered from Montezuma's revenge for the next 2 days! The prices were equal to an upscale, fine-dining facility! I wish I hadnt dragged my family that far (over 2 hour drive) for this disgusting meal. I would love to get hold of that guy on the tv commercial and make him sit down and eat his food, he would probably close the place down! read more

KEEP DRIVING!!!! Ok, so we knew basically what we were getting into. Not exactly fine dining outdoors on picnic tables. But you would think that you were sacrificing comfort for lots of good food and courtesy at a fair price right? Not so. I hat to complain about portions of lousy food, but that was our first impression, "this is it?!?!" The poutin was nuked, the ribs were tough, the quality was horrible. The only thing good was the beer, but I only had one of those because the server never came back to ask if we wanted another. The prices are crazy high. $12 for a lonely tuna sandwich. $35 for a small lobster and half dozen clams. I guess they wouldn't be so high if the food and service were good. Sure the waitstaff was "cute" like some other reviewer said, but I'll take ugly, friendly and competent over that anytime. And "eddie" the owner? after introducing himself and telling us, "let me know if you need anything" he was a total douchebag after we tried to politely tell him what had happened. After my friend said "Fine, than just bring us the f#@ing check" he said he was calling the police on us and went to the phone. We are still not sure what he was going to tell the police, maybe, "could you come arrest these people who think my restaurant sucks?" Anyway, there are a million great places in Saranac Lake and Lake Placid to go without wasting your time on this one. read more

I wish I didn't have to give even one star for this place!! I spoke to Ed (the owner) twice while making a reservation for the Canada Civic Holiday weekend. I gave my credit card number but mentioned that I did not want to pay with a credit card...could I pay when I arrived? He said, "Sure...this is just in case we never see you again." That was fine. On the day of our check-in, we were so excited to arrive and got out of the vehicle with our dog. The guy comes charging out of a building like we were trying to check-in with a wolverine and says, "There's no dogs here. You can't have a dog here!" This a campground-style place, by the way, not a four-star hotel! So, I was flabbergasted and said that it never said anything on their website about dogs not being permitted. His actual answer was, "Well, I have signs posted all over the place." OH! I'm sorry!!! I guess we couldn't see them from CANADA!!! So, with no remorse or sympathy he tells us to go to the office to tell them that we wouldn't be staying and to get our refund. We thought about just leaving and then realized, "Refund? I'd better make sure he didn't charge us after asking him not to." So, we went in and explained to the girls who were working in the office. I said that he had told me he would only charge my credit card "if he never saw us again." So, the girls checked and said that he had charged one of the nights and they refunded my credit card. I was feeling so annoyed that I couldn't leave without saying something more, so I knocked on his office door and said that I really thought he should mention on his website OR when I spoke to him TWICE that there were no dogs permitted. His response was that most people mention that they have a dog when they call. So, I said "You know, Lake Placid is well known as a dog town, so you might want to give some serious consideration to...oh, I don't know...CHANGING YOUR NAME?!?!" Tail 'o the Pup...SERIOUSLY???? He was right about one thing: He will NEVER see us again!! read more

We had eaten here a few years ago and the food was OK but expensive so we decided it would be possible to stop in again. We waited for 20 minutes....inside to even get the menus. Several employees passed us and did not acknowledge that we existed. The place has turned into a dump and serves no purpose as a restaurant. I really don't know what their purpose is. There were cars in the parking lot but not much serving/eating going on. We left after half an hour and went into Saranac Lake and had a nice dinner which was well served and tasteful. DON'T WASTE YOUR TIME OR MONEY HERE. read more

We've driven by enough times and wanted to try the place out so we stopped for lunch on a Friday about 2pm. The Hostess sat us and gave us menus and that was it. That. was. it. No waitress or waiter came to us for drink orders and there were at least 3 on staff at the time. Only 5 tables had customers and the rest of the tables were empty so it wasn't because they were busy. After 20 minutes of waiting and getting looked at by the Hostess and completely ignored, we got up and left. Never got to try any of the food. It's a shame that the customer service is so severely lacking because we liked the casual idea of the place. read more

We were so excited to try this place since we drove by it so many times on the way to and from Saranac Lake. The outside is very cool and looks like such a popular place. We must have been there on a Friday/Saturday night, normal dinner time so we expeted it to be a little slower, but this service was absurd. We are pretty patient people with backgrounds in food service, so we aren't ones to complain about slow service, but this was something in the league of its own. When we walked in, it took about 10-15 minutes for anyone to come greet us (should have left then, but again, we were looking forward to trying this place and didn't mind waiting and looking at all of the cool decor in the place). After about 15 minutes, we were seated and given menues. The next time we saw someone who worked there was another 15 minutes, no drinks, nothing. It wasn't like there were 20 tables filled and 5 servers working quickly, it was more like 5 tables filled and NO servers walking around. While we were waiting to order there were other tables at different stages of their meals -waiting to order, waiting for their food (30 minute wait), waiting for their check, waiting to pay, and the table next to us said just leave now, it's not worth it. I know, I know, we should have left, but we stuck it out. To make a long story short, it took about an hour and a half for the entire ordeal,and the food wasn't even good. We saw our server who turned out to be a kitchen worker, about 3 times over the course of an hour and a half, he appologized, but no explanation was given, but he was trying to be quick. I don't know what to make of the night because being extreemly short staffed with a combination of a server/someone who was actually a cook, who didn't talk to his 5 tables with less than 15-20 minutes between each visit. Maybe it was a fluke, but I would save youself the time and go into Saranac Lake or Lake Placid to eat!! read more

We were there last night and what a waste on time and money. We both ordered 1/2 chicken dinners with 2 sides (it included 2 sides) and when we got out plates we were surprised by the meager portions that would feed a child. The chicken barely had and meat on it. Now, let's talk about the sides: I choose potato salad and collard greens and my girlfriend had beans and baked potato. With the exception of the baked potato the sides equaled to approx 2 tablespoons. For 14.00 dollars a plate you should get your monies worth. We sat there for 15 minutes waiting for silverware after our food arrived but it never did. I had to go get us napkins and silverware or we would still be sitting there waiting. Horrible service and food. Do not waste your time or money. We will never go again. read more

The worst experience I've ever had at a restaurant. I've been many times, it was a place we used to look forward to visit every time we come to the area. Today was our last visit. On a cool evening we had a group of 8 and we were not able to get a seat in the semi enclosed outdoor area together so we opted to eat in the open outdoor area with the stipulation that we would be able to have a heater. All of the heaters outside were out of propane however the semi enclosed area had 7 that were functional. We asked to have one. Just one. The other area had patrons in shorts and tshirts, but they refused to move ONE heater from where the people were wearing TSHIRTS! It's 49 degrees outside, 9 Celsius. My food was cold before I could even start eating it. I have worked years in customer service management and if any of my employees were that un-accommodating they would not be working for me anymore. read more

I've never written a review before but decided after my experience in the twilight zone last night that it was well warranted. I'm a native to the area and have generally avoided this place due to the old owner. I heard there was a new owner and that a local girl had a hand in it as well. Where do I even begin... the food was tasty and the portion sizes have definitely increased. The waiters and waitresses were all super nice and the service was great. Then came the twilight zone. I knew they had live music but never banked on this kind of entertainment. There was some sort of commotion in the kitchen, an argument of sorts although we couldn't hear what was being said we could hear the voices. A cook then came out of the kitchen and judging from his body language I was sure he was going to clock the waiter. He didn't but he sure did yell, a lot. The yelling was absurd and it happened more than once. At one point he yelled at the waiter boy saying he was Jesus and this littler waiter boy was his disciple. I know Jesus and he is not that man. Sadly that man will have to answer to Jesus one day. I did not see the local girl around but have heard many great things about her. The new owner guy was there and for whatever reason just seemed to walk away from it all and leave "Jesus" to run his disciples. I sincerely hope this place works out as it would be nice for locals to be able to go there again but after that show it seems this new guy isn't far off from the old owner. read more

We (teenager and two parents) went to Tail O'the Pup in summer 2011 only wanting a a good BBQ place and found its listing in a local Lake Placid guide. We were blown away by the experience -- food and the atmosphere -- and we live in NYC! First, the venue is unique - the bar is is a summer camp style cabin and there is a camp fire set up on the side by the cabins, where you can grill so'mores from the dessert menu. (We did.) The whole thing could be dismissed as an ironic iconic mock summer camp environment -- except it's not mock at this point, because it goes back to the 1920s and for the same reason, its not ironic iconic. It's actually deeply moving if you have ever gone to summer camp. The food is good -- not great -- but good. And if it's summer camp all over again, good means great! We had mixed BBQ platters, and the so'mores and enjoyed every bite! We also enjoyed the live entertainment -- old school blues. And we enjoying chatting with some nice Canadians who had been coming for years to stay in the cabins. Apparently there are many folks up North who also appreciate the place. So, if you want an atmosphere that will make you feel that you are in a totally different environment that is laid back, and feels removed from the rest of your day, this is a good place to relax. If you never went to sleep away camp, especially upstate, dislike hiking, camping, and "roughing it," this is probably not the place for you. For the rest of us, this is heaven! Our teenager and both parents had a blast, and we will be back! read more

we were there on 6/19/15 at 1.15 pm I had to go up and ask for a menu because the girl was to busy talking to a cowoker and she inored us then when we wre ready to order I told her we were ready to order an she just walked away an didn,t come back so we left I should of went to the manager a complained but I was to upset staff should do ther jobs read more

it was overall, OK. The food is overpriced and the portions are massive (for dinner). We both got the pulled pork and it was extremely watered down and fatty. I also got a cornbread muffin and it was completely burned on the bottom which made the inside very dry and crumbly. The green beans were killer though. My husband got the same thing except some different sides. He liked it more than I did. Our service was good, but the most disappointing thing was.. we didn't have a lunch menu in our menus... only dinner.. so we paid $14 for each meal versus getting a way smaller portion and cheaper (for lunch like we wanted). Our waitress answered several questions for me in the menu about wanting smaller portions and never once mentioned that there was a lunch menu we didn't have in our menus for some reason. The band that played was AWESOME and it's really the atmosphere you're paying for, not the BBQ because the food is only OK. read more

Well let's see... I went to this place because I was hired for the days entertainment. I showed up before noon for the 12:30 to 3:30 show. At that point the owner came over and push us till 1. We played from 1pm till about 3 with a break in between. From there we had a two hour break. So we order up some food . I got the chicken and ribs. The service was good, the refills kept coming and our food was brought out pretty quick. Presentation was so-so. But the food itself was god awful!!! The ribs had a taste like they were left in a propane grill with a NASTY flare up. They were also on the dry side. The chicken had the same taste. I asked the others that order the same thing and they said the same. The sides were sophomoric at best. The rest of the night I kept burping up the nasty burnt taste. YUck! Then beside the terrible food at the end of the night, after playing ALLLLLL day and into the evening the owner shorted the band and was conveniently no where to be found to explain... All in all the whole experience was lack luster. Not to mention the 2hour one way commute. I would say eat somewhere else!!! A Mc Donald's McRib would be better... read more

well... interesting is all I can say. small portions, strangely presented, waiter smelled of alcohol.. food was.. eh.. so NO........ .way expensive for what you get.Atmosphere was different.. so it seemed interesting.. but in a strange vibe way. read more