The food was delicious and the restaurant was just like a lovely log cabin. Carsten was our server and she was just on point and very polite and made us feel very welcome. We didn't have to ask or search for anything. I would definitely recommend coming here. It's a wonderful experience and the prices are reasonable. read more

"Retreat? More like Retreat from Flavor." If you're looking for a place with gorgeous views, a nice interior, and food that tastes like it was prepared by a distracted toddler with access to a microwave -- look no further! Let's start with the espresso martini, which arrived looking like it had just lost a bet with a gallon of skim milk. It tasted like someone whispered the word "coffee" into a glass of dairy and then threw in three coffee beans to give the illusion of effort. Fancy? Sure. Flavorful? Absolutely not. I've had stronger coffee vibes from a candle. Didn't get any appetizers, probably a blessing in disguise. Straight to the pasta, which came out looking like it had just been scooped out of a kid's menu at a bowling alley birthday party. Imagine Chef Boyardee got promoted and immediately overcharged for it. That's the vibe. As for the service, it was slow enough that I had time to consider starting a new life as a lake hermit. When it came time to pay, I literally had to write down my order to help the server -- who then still managed to create a culinary version of musical chairs with our table's meals. Everyone got someone else's dish, which might've been fun if it were a potluck. It was not. The scenery? Gorgeous. The inside of the restaurant? Super nice. Honestly, if they'd served the ambiance instead of the food, this would've been a five-star experience. But alas, The Retreat truly lived up to its name -- I retreated straight to the nearest gas station for a Lunchable and some dignity. read more

We have visited several times , ALWAYS ! A professional accommodating staff , the Chef is incredible! So nice to get this level of quality dining in this area . The Retreat is a must for fine dining!!! read more

Food was good but for the price I would have expected better. She crab soup was not very creamy, a little watery and tasted fishy. Steak was overcooked, but the mashed potatoes were excellent. Pork chop was excellent. The view over the water is nice and the atmosphere was pretty. Our service was good. First thing I noticed when I walked in, was fingerprints all over the place on the glass and screens. Bathroom was clean. read more

The Retreat Lake Wateree Dining - Shrimp and Grits - Southern Near Me - Ridgeway, South Carolina

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When we arrived there was one other table in the restaurant. We ordered drinks. We asked for bread - no bread available. They use to serve a corn bread/ biscuit . We wanted to split a wedge salad (only salad on the menu) -- Decided not to due very limited salad dressing available (one doesn't like blue cheese). Ribeye was cooked to PERFECTION!!! We ate every single bite of BOTH of them! The sauce is really really good ! Yukon potatoes are on point. I wanted another serving. Service was barely ok. Still left 20 % Food was DELICIOUS !!!! Excellent chef. But please offer bread and a salad option. 2 beer - Mountain Candy 2 ribeye steak/potato $108 Upon arrival, the hostess/waitress looked at two other employees sitting at a nearby table puzzled, walked over to chat with them and proceeded to seat us (tbh - it was weird). read more

The Retreat Lake Wateree Dining - Ribeye & Yukon gold potatoes. - Southern Near Me - Ridgeway, South Carolina

Such great southern food, my husband and daughter shared a bbq plate that they got to before I could get a picture ;) Not only was the food delicious the view was gorgeous. The only reason I didn't give it 5 stars is because I was unaware how busy it would be, so get those reservations in before you visit or else you'll have to sit outside like we did. Although we didn't mind one bit we were hoping to catch the live band. Must try guys! read more

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We love the convenient location. The food is generally good, but the price point pulls it down a bit. Recent experience was a $25 pork chop with a tablespoon of peach chutney... that was that phase of the Al a carte menu...all sides were priced separately. Stayed away for the summer returned a couple of weeks ago for a quick bite and was pleasantly surprised by the wing special that they were offering at lunch. The wings were delicious. Return for dinner the following weekend dinner was reasonably priced and included sides. It's an ebb and flow. Service is the same... sometimes great other times it's meh. read more

We went for brunch.. my sister,my husband and me. The place was empty except for one family table. Three more groups came in as we ate. My sister and I ordered burgers which were delicious! The fries were perfectly awesome! My husband ordered shrimp and grits which were good ... but very short on the grits! A huge bowl, but very small amount of food. We split an $8.00 choc chip cookie with ice cream for dessert. Our waitress was slack despite so few customers. We had to ask for more drink and for the dessert menu. She was pretty much absent from the scene. The view of the lake was beautiful! read more

Great upscale, local restaurant at Lake Wateree. Also love that it's accessible by water.

What a bummer. We went for a Mother's Day Buffet after I had seen a menu online and also beautiful pictures of lakefront dining. All we got was disappointment. The buffet did have everything that was listed online but none of it was very good. The fried chicken was tasteless and dry. The ham was not good quality. The chocolate chip cookies were way underbaked. Peach cobbler had no topping- just peach. I could go on because not a single food item was up to par. We also didn't get a lake view- instead we were surrounded by a large selection of taxidermy. Not at all what we expected. And, given that it was a buffet and the restaurant was half full, I'd expect more attentive service. Really, I was just hoping for a water refill. Try somewhere else. read more

The Retreat Lake Wateree Dining - Decor - Southern Near Me - Ridgeway, South Carolina

We enjoyed our dinner! Small restaurant which is exactly what we needed. Friendly staff and the food was great too.

Awesome views of the lake! Great drinks and service. We were 6 in the group and everyone loved the food. The stars were the crab cakes and the pork. Lots of ooo's and Yums at the table. It's great that you drive up and tie off your boat, have a delicious dinner and motor back home. We will be back! read more

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BEST FOOD I had in SC so far. Im from Louisiana and it has been challenging find a restaurant with good food around here. We live in Lancaster and go to Charlotte to eat. This place is great! We got there at night but we will come back during the day I bet the lake view is beautiful. Staff was friendly, drinks were good. I had the Salmon dish and everything in that plate was delicious. read more

Scenic views, amazing service and the food was yummy! Kids each had a meal they finished! We split the BLT wedge (dressing was amazing) then had the burger (cooked perfectly) hand cut French fries, and the fried chicken. Wow the Mac n cheese! We will be back for sure. Also to note, the porch has chairs to look out and I don't know who was in charge of the music playlist, but they didn't miss! Literally all night! read more

The Retreat Lake Wateree Dining - From the side porch - Southern Near Me - Ridgeway, South Carolina

Ambiance was great, we had high expectations for this place when we first walked in. Service was decent, server only came by two or three times and did an okay job on supplying refills, taking our order, etc. The food is what makes this place disappointing. The baked Mac and Cheese side was $7 (which is expensive for a side) and the driest, most unseasoned Mac and Cheese I've ever had. Everyone at our table said all food was quite bland, with exception to the wedge salad, the server did grind fresh black pepper over it. read more

Food here is upscale abs really good. The building is a cabin that looks like it's straight from the mountains. You'll actually feel like you are there. Beautiful scenery as my family has lived on this lake over 20 years and this is still a place I recommend to visitors. read more

Great hamburgers. Fish special sounded good but lacked seasoning. Service was above average. Ambiance is s nice, overlooking water

Fantastic food, excellent service, awesome views and good prices! An anniversary dinner that will be repeated!

Food was awful! No flavor whatsoever and the fish (grouper) was so tough you need an knife to cut .. Way over priced for the quality of the dish. Service was great and the view was fantastic. read more

Steaks and Grouper are especially good. Great view of the Lake and great service. You can come by car or boat