Great spot on the water for dinner in Ithaca! Highly recommend the buffalo chicken egg rolls - they were always a favorite at my sorority formal which we used to have here. I also really like their spinach & artichoke dip, but the real main perk here is the view, so I would recommend going when the weather is nice (by Ithaca standards) and dining al fresco! read more

The BoatYard Grill - Spinach & Artichoke Fondue - Seafood Near Me - Ithaca, New York

The food and service are consistently good here. Great ambiance with nice views. I usually get the specials when you come here and have always enjoyed them. Kid friendly and good is for dates and family as well. read more

Very good dining experience. We dined outside by the water under a tent-thing. Positives: Our puppy was also welcomed and treated like a little prince. I had the sizzling garlic steak and my mom and fiancee had the scallop/shrimp entree. We enjoyed our food. The server was also terrific. A++ Negs: The veggies were on the same plate as my delicious steak and were saturated in grease and garlic and I couldn't eat them. They were mushy and gross. Most of the staff seemed about 16-19 years old. They were very nice kids... but didn't seem experienced - they just seemed lost... standing around. Our server was young, but we lucked out as she was good at her job. We liked our server a lot. My verdict: I would highly recommend this place for drinks, appetizers and even sandwiches... I wish I got The Gutenburger - named after a great Ithacan!!! I might not recommend this place to drop $20//$30+ on entrees and entertain family or dates. The food was a solid B- and the whole experience didn't have any real wow factor. The sides were all quite underwhelming. Final Thoughts: Ithaca has so many great places to eat. This is by no mean a bad choice, but there is a chance that it could suck the night you choose to go - if you get a bad seat, the wrong waitress, order the wrong thing... So, if you go, order carefully. Personally, I regret not going to the Glenwood Pines / The Pines on this occasion. The Pines has always been good and it's only gotten better throughout the years. I was back in town for 3 days - and I feel that I kind of wasted a dinner here. I grew up in Ithaca and wanted to take my lady to a place on the lake. While this wasn't a restaurant I grew up with, I understood that the owners were well known to Ithaca and it was a safe choice. read more

Based on the Yelp reviews, we came here for dinner on the our last day in Ithaca. I had the special, petite surf and turf, which was a 5-oz filet, 2 seared scallops, asparagus and potatoes. Everything on that plate was Delicious. I liked my steak rare, and it was done perfectly. My bf had Creole tuna medium. He was very happy with it, not too spicy, and said it was done just right. The dinner here was the perfect ending of our vacation ^_^ read more

We waited for our sever to come over after we were seated for over 20 minutes (this was at 3:30 in the afternoon so they weren't too busy. I had to explain to her what celiac disease was and that I'm highly sensitive and would get sick with any cross contamination. Lunch came out 45 minutes later and my burger was covered with French fries that came out of a shared fryer so I couldn't eat any of it. Apparently the lobster tail was decent and the peach chicken was "alright but very dry". read more

Food is consistently good and ambience is great, esp if you can score an outside table. Which brings us to the biggest detraction if boatyard: no reservations and a completely confusing call ahead process. We called at 5:15 for call ahead, hoping for a 6:30 table. They said we don't have 6:30 available but have one table left outside at 7 we can give you. F doesn't that sound like a reservation tho? We get there and are told it will be an hour wait and no outside guaranteed. Wha???This is the absolute reason we hardly ever go to boatyard - the seating policy just makes no sense and is extremely frustrating. read more

Last night we had the pleasure of being hosted by Gina. She gave us an excellent recommendation to start with the fresh calamari & she was not wrong, it's tender & delicious. Gina & her coworkers were prompt, polite & extremely accommodating. My husband had the Nashville chicken sandwich & I had the Lemon Shrimp & Grits special (put it back into rotation on your menu! It's soooo good!). Overall we had a very pleasant dining experience & Gina was the absolute gem that made it possible. Thank you! I didn't get pictures of my food because it was to yummy to waste time. read more

Honestly , what's wrong with people in Ithaca? Great food, great service and amazing view - what else do you need for a 5 star. Delicious clam chowder, crunchy Caesar salad, Fresh salmon fish grilled to perfection, lovely tacos. I just didn't feel right not giving this place a 5 star. read more

The BoatYard Grill - Tuna sushi - Seafood Near Me - Ithaca, New York

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Call ahead seating very poorly run. We called ahead for seats at 6pm. At 6:30 we still were not seated even though there were 5 open tables that could have been serving guests. I asked how much longer and they were confused even having 4 hostesses. We went to Mix and had a great meal. Take reservations and you won't have to juggle the calls and stress. BTW the view isn't that great of the canal that you can treat customers this way. read more

TAKE RESERVATIONS. Wow. They really need to rethink their model. We dutifully called the day of and 'reserved' our 7:30 arrival time. Showed up on time. Waiting another 1:15 to sit. Ordered entrees only, given the lateness. Got our food at 9:45, a solid hour after sitting, over 2 hours after our check in time. Food is fine, perfectly passable straight down the middle fare, but the waiting is ridiculous. Would not return unless they figure it out. read more

It's possible that kitchen staff were just having a hard night, but so did we: The wait for food was the longest I've ever experienced, anywhere. We called ahead for a 6:30 reservation, and when we arrived, were told that meant a 40 minute wait. We were seated after 55 minutes. After ordering, our food took 75 minutes to come (at 8:50). That's really rough for anyone, never mind with kids. When the food did come, my fresh fish fry was good quality, but the coleslaw portion was the size of a side of ketchup. Everyone else's food was "B" quality. All this was especially disappointing given the super long wait, and the cost (expensive for us). I'm all for giving people the benefit of the doubt, but even so, we won't be going back. read more

This is my go to whenever someone is in town. Beautiful ambiance on the lake and amazing food. The only thing is that they don't take reservations but we never had to wait more than 15 minutes. We love their Buffalo chicken wraps, salmon and fried calamari. I've been here multiple times and I really liked everything I ordered. read more

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This was a quaint little spot by the- you guessed it, boat yard. We were lucky but the parking lot was pretty packed on a Friday night. They don't take reservations but you can call if you're on the way. We were told there'd be a 30 minute wait, but it was much shorter, thankfully. There's a sign inside that says what the temperature is outside, though I thought it was a bit colder than what was stated. The heat lamp unfortunately did not travel far so I'd rather be inside if you are comfortable with it. The view was nothing great because we were closed off under a tarp, but definitely good to have options outdoors during COVID. I ordered the New England Clam Chowder and Scallop Stuffed Shrimp and it was delectable! Great fresh seafood. The scallops were cooked just right also. Guilty as charged but I ended with the warm chocolate chip cookie topped with banana ice cream from Purity and caramel. It's definitely worth visiting! read more

We had dinner there on a recent Saturday. It was fine, but the menu could use some refreshing. The Nashville Chicken sandwich had a really odd spice in the coating and was not similar to my other experiences with Nashville hot chicken. The salads are good. I would love it if they brought back the sizzling potato chips. read more

The Boatyard Grill is my favorite restaurant. It's on the water opposite both Cornell and Ithaca College crew team's headquarters. There's always plenty to watch on the water. The food is delicious, varied and served beautifully. It is also reasonably priced. The ambiance is great. I always sit outdoors by the boat slips. My server yesterday was Mark. He remembers me from last year. He even remembers the specialty drink I order. After dinner, I sit on the Adirondack chairs at the point and read and watch the world go by on the water. Delightful! It's an hour from my house but worth the trip! read more

Located right on the water, my friends and I decided to try out the boatyard grill, we had a great time here. The initial wait was 45 min but we got a table after about 20. We were seated out on the porch area, so it was a little on the colder end, but not freezing. I ordered the clam chowder, the lobster and shrimp slider, and the makers sirloin. All very very good. I was pleasantly surprised the steak came out medium rare like I ordered. Points for that. The beer manu seemed pretty standard, nothing amazing or bad. The service was also pretty good as well, but again, not the greatest or worst. All in all, it was a good dinner and I would definitely recommend for anyone in the Ithaca area. read more

This restaurant has disappointed us for the last time 3-4 years ago the Boatyard was our go-to restaurant for a consistently great meal. At 45 minutes away it's somewhat of a hike to get there but it was always worth it. Tonight we tried it for the second time in eight months. The outcome was worse than the last time. We booked a 7pm "call ahead" seating reservation and arrived a few minutes before 7. We were told the wait was 30-40 minutes. I'm not sure how you can book a call ahead reservation and still be told the wait is 30-40 minutes but, after having this happen twice now, it appears to be the norm at this place. After sitting at the bar for almost 45 minutes and getting served the worst dirty martini of my life (I think the olive juice was bad), I finally asked the hostess when she thought we would be seated. We were assured we were second in line. We were finally seated at almost 8pm at a table that was in their outdoor area. The tables were metal, the chairs were metal, and the table clothes had the consistency of a vinyl tarp. Given that there were many unoccupied tables inside, and we hadn't asked for outside seating, it certainly wasn't appropriate to seat us out there. We asked to be reseated in the main restaurant they moved us to a booth table in the bar. This was much better than the outside area but unfortunately, seated across from us at the bar, was a woman and her companion with two dogs, one of which was in her lap, the other on the floor. She brought them into the restaurant in a baby stroller. The majority of her time at the bar was spent taking social media "selfies" or "Tik Tok" videos with an extremely bright spotlight with the dog in her lap. It took at least 15 minutes for the restaurant manager to ask her to stop, and he didn't ask her to take her dogs outside to the outdoor patio. For the record Boatyard's pet policy is: "Fido is welcome to join you at one of our pet-friendly outdoor tables while you enjoy your meal." We looked over the menu, and what caught our eye immediately were the Prime Rib and Swordfish specials. Unfortunately at this point the waitress told us that both were sold out. My wife ordered the Lobster lollipops instead. The waitress described them as "Cold Water Lobster Tails" and shrimp skewers. When they arrived they were over cooked Spiny (warm water) lobster tails. As there was no sauce and little seasoning, my wife asked the waitress for some melted butter. The tiny take out container of butter arrived almost 15 minutes later, after everyone else had finished their meals. To finish the evening we ordered the Sizzling Cookie to share. Normally this is a cookie baked in a cast iron skillet pan. What we got tonight was a store bought chocolate chip cookie, placed in the center of a cast iron pan, with ice cream on top. I'd like to think this was an isolated instance. It was the Saturday before Mother's Day, and it was busy. But the fact is this place is always busy. It wasn't any busier than when we went 3-4 years ago. It wasn't any busier than it was in late August last year when we dined there. It's a popular place because it's on the water and it's in a college town. It's certainly not popular because you get a great meal. read more

Got take out and it was not bad, we ordered the fish tacos and calamari. A little soggy because it was in the take out box, but flavor was good. My favorite from them was actually the fries! Super crispy and they season it so well! read more

We stopped in on a Friday night after not coming for years. The warm weather apparently made a lot of people come because the staff were running at full speed. They still have lobster lollipops and I enjoyed an amazing Old Fashioned. The special was prime rib and I got one of the lady ones at 6:30. The rib itself was a little tougher than I've had but seasoned really well. The baked potato was missing some of the promised ingredients and was just shy of being fully cooked. My molten chocolate dessert had a chocolate disk in it, not molten, but I think the whipped cream was hand made. Our waitress was attentive but really busy, and has a great personality. So I would come back for lunch or in a week night to get a perfect experience. read more

A classic ithaca staple. Great place to bring family when they're visiting, frequent site of Cornell Greek life formals. Long wait times always though. read more

The BoatYard Grill - Salmon - Seafood Near Me - Ithaca, New York

Best dinner Ever! Totally worth the bra and mask. We had the specials, prime rib and stuffed lobster. Perfectly cooked, and the waitstaff was top notch! The Covid protocols were the best I've seen. Requested and received outdoor seating. I can't tell you how happy I am right now. Our server, Gina(?), was so accommodating. Can't love this enough. Happy Easter, happy birthday, happy birthday, and every other holiday we've missed. Totally worth the wait! read more

Great good and good service! Although, the food took awhile to come out. They brought bread though which was nice. We also did call ahead seating for 7:30 and were not seated until 8:25. read more

Oh my glob. I've never been disappointed as long as i've been coming here. If it's busy be prepared for your waiter to be gone more than 5 minutes, definitely make a reservation, but the food is great. You also probably arent getting out cheap, but if youre celebrating or that doesnt matter to you, Stop by! For the non seafood eater: buffalo chicken wing eggrolls. read more

The BoatYard Grill - Scallop stuffed shrimp - Seafood Near Me - Ithaca, New York

We knew it was popular when the parking lot was packed at 5:30pm with a 50 minute wait. I am really surprised they don't offer reservations. Fortunately you can take drinks out back and overlook the lake while you wait. It is beautiful out there! We were seated outside and there wasn't much air flow. The building blocked the nice lake breeze, and a tent in front of the outdoor seating blocked the view of the lake. I was a little nervous when I saw a woman fanning herself and her husband dripping in sweat. Needless to say we were that hot shortly after, and the two small fans didn't come close to cutting it. I definitely wouldn't want to go there on a really hot day. The food and service made up for how much we were roasting! My husband LOVED his calamari, and how they uniquely added peppers with it. Their fresh bread was fantastic! I got the sizzling lobster, which was quite good. I probably wouldn't get it again though as it comes with couscous which no matter how many times I try it, it always tastes like cardboard. My husband got a lobster and shrimp linguine special and loved it. I finished it off with a cheesecake that was so huge, I couldn't finish it, even though it was delicious. read more

our weekend stay in ithaca, NY resulted in two dinners at the Boatyard Grill. saturday night is a zoo and had wait times upwards of 60 mins but we waited mostly due to lack of available options. sunday was more reasonable and was hardly a wait. wait staff was very friendly and everyone wears a mask. soups were fantastic, probably the best new england clam chowder i have tasted. my husband says the onion soup was also very tasty. my husband is an onion soup guru, for whatever it's worth to you. our entrees were well cooked, i had fish both nights and they were both cooked well, just right. steaks my husband had were also cooked to his preferred medium rare. prices here are very reasonable and portion sizes are large. overall very happy with this place. thanks ithaca! read more

The BoatYard Grill - bowl of new england clam chowder - Seafood Near Me - Ithaca, New York

Great service, delicious food and great scenery. Yesterday was day 2 of reopening post Covid-19 lock down. Staff did great! Thanks for a great night out. read more

The BoatYard Grill - Seafood Near Me - Ithaca, New York

Came in for lunch. Had a great seat facing the water. Ambiance was awesome. Largest Bloody Mary very nicely presented. We ordered the fish tacos-- delicious, 3 to an order, the lobster and shrimp slider was good needed alittle more pizazz not much flavor, shrimp and lemon grits plentiful and very nice. The food was delicious, service was professional. Would def recommend. Will come back and try for dinner. read more

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Best food I've had in Ithaca so far. We got spinach artichoke dip, Buffalo egg rolls and the calamari. Our waitress was very nice. The wait was long but it was totally worth it! Would highly recommend if ever in the area! read more

The BoatYard Grill - Buffalo Buffalo Chicken Eggrolls, Fried Fresh Calamari, Spinach & Artichoke Fondue - Seafood Near Me - Ithaca, New York

Boatyard Grill was fantastic! We visited during Father's Day Weekend anticipating the wait to be long. I had read previous reviews that mentioned wait times were roughly 40 min. It took about 30 min to seat two of us, we overheard that larger parties were taking a little bit longer, and we had to be in person to be placed in line. They took our number and texted us when our table was ready with a 10 min window to show up. For the shareable we got the Buffalo Chicken Egg-rolls, which to my surprise were delicious. The buffalo chicken is not too spicy and the ranch on the side adds just the right flavor combination. I definitely would recommend this item. For our main plates, my wife got the Sizzling Garlic Steak and I got the Maker's Mark Sirloin, both Medium Rare. I enjoyed my steak but really liked the sizzling steak because it comes out in a cast iron skillet that is pipping hot and the flavor was amazing. They both came with potato wedges on the side. Would go with the sizzling next time. No desserts, too full. The staff was great and Gabby, our waitress, was really nice. Overall great experience! read more

They got me again. I went for the Jumbo scallop special $29. Much to my chagrin ( a phrase that never goes out of fashion), my medium sized, not even in the realm of "jumbo", scallops arrived. Three scallops. I shit you not. Three fuckin, medium sized scallops. For $29. Anointed with some spinach and risotto. Slack jawed and dumbfounded, I ate my three Junior scallops in about two minutes. They were good but not ten dollars a piece good. Times are tough, my friend. I shan't be back for awhile. Service was exceptional though. At least there was that. I love The Boatyard but they're trying my patience. I'm not even going to mention the draft beer and glass of cheap red wine for $24 while waiting at the bar. And requesting a specific table to the hostess who told us no problem and promptly gave it to someone else who arrived after us. Not going to mention that. read more

We went on graduation weekend so it was crazy yet they still kept the drinks and food coming. Well done!

A little off the beaten path, The boatyard grill is a culinary delight that is worth seeking out. It sits right in the water, has great ambiance, great service, and an excellent choice of food and drink offerings. Our dinner, drinks, and dessert were perfect but I was most impressed but our waitress who made us feel right at home and very pampered. I will definitely be back when in town again. read more

Parking was difficult due to the location. Went in my birthday and we made reservations in advance for party of 5. Service was pretty good, no complaints. Best fried calamari app I've ever had... it is so fresh and melted in your mouth! Sushi appetizer was delicious and reviled many sushi restaurants! Don't get the fish tacos though... they were super bland ... had no flavor. Great cocktails. A little pricey but portion size is really good on everything we had. Overall I'd recommend this restaurant and would go again to try another dish. read more

Went with a party of four. The food was excellent and the service was equally so. I was passing through the area, but if I were a local, I would definitely go again. read more

Ambience very nice. Friday night parking lot full and 45 minute wait. Waiting staff was excellent. Food was not great. The scallops had sand in them and the rotisserie prime rib special was barely warm. Although the cook of medium rare was good. The georgia peach grilled chicken was dry and overcooked. Although it came out hot and the sweet potatoes and peaches were good. The asparagus was not tender like I like it. read more

It's has an incredible view and dining area. Loved sitting on the canal sipping a very well made old Fashioned with a beautiful lady. The service was good, and the dogs drinking out of to go containers was great to watch. The only reason for 3 stars is that the food, although good, was very generic. It tasted like we were eating at a chain restaurant, as opposed to this privately owned spot on the canal. It wasn't very daring or something that would stick out. Speaking of stick....don't call overcooked rice nuked in a soup cup, sticky rice. Fortunately the perfectly cooked salmon and strong broth made up for it. read more

Cool restaurant and atmosphere. Food was good/average. Not over the top like we'd hoped. Small portions. I'd try it again simply for the atmosphere. read more

Whenever I visit my daughter who is attending Ithaca College, I take her here. Good food and a nice atmosphere. Food is fresh and the portions are large. Can't go wrong. I wish they took reservations and then it would be perfect. read more

Accurately named, The BoatYard Grill does indeed live in a boatyard. I came for lunch on a Saturday afternoon and ordered the Coconut Shrimp for an appetizer and the Pan Asian Scallops for an entree. The prices were pretty cheap, but the portion sizes for the lunch menu are much smaller than the images I found on Yelp, which must've been from dinner. The coconut shrimp appetizer to split was very good, but perhaps a little over fried. The coconut provides a good texture to the shrimp and the sauce the shrimp is glazed in is a good mix of sweet and spicy. The scallops were cooked perfectly and were amazing, but the mushroom and ginger broth they were in was a little salty. The sticky rice and vegetables in broth were really just filler that I ate to avoid being hungry. The service at The BoatYard Grill is excellent and the food was good, but I don't think I'd crave the food and think to come back. read more

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Arrived at 2 pm on Saturday-closed. Opens at 4. I assume labor shortage. The place is so good busied ourselves and back at 4-30 and now a 1 hour wait. Not all bad as you can sit outside with refined lake view in warm weather. Eventually sat on patio fir COVID reasons. Two people serving at bar so painful wait for $12 drinks. Food good to better than average with helpful waiter. Spring rolls fat and unusually good. Burger ok and fish good. Recommend this place for locality and moderately good food as long as you can wait till 4 pm. read more