Saratoga Lake has long been a popular attraction for natives and tourists. Over the years I've seen many changes take place. When my family first moved to Saratoga Lake in 1968, there were very few year-round residents. In fact looking around the lake at night, you could pretty much count the handful of folks who didn't leave once Labor Day came. That has certainly changed and just as the number of residents has changed, so have the local businesses. I remember businesses like Palmer's Maple Shade and Lakeview Tavern....both long gone. Some are still popular staples around the lake - Mangino's and Panza's, DiDonna's (where we held our wedding reception) and the Anchor Inn. I also remember Kaydeross Park and later the Rafters where I spent many a weekend in my single days. Not only have businesses changed.....the landscape has changed. What was once a summer destination is no longer just alive and hopping from Memorial Day to Labor Day...... the summer camps of the '60's, 70's and 80's have mostly been replaced with beautiful, spacious homes where residents live year round. We've seen a huge improvement with the construction of a new, wide bridge. I can still remember how narrow the old one seemed to a kid with a new driver's license. And just this year we saw the re-opening of Brown's Beach, reviving one of Saratoga Lake's favorite family destinations. Saratoga Lake is surely alive and thriving and that growth is happening at the lake's north end too with the opening of the new
Lake Local.
I had a chance to check out Lake Local last week and I'm happy to say, Saratoga Lake has another winning venue on its hands. Located in the previous Bayshore and later the Tropic Hut, Lake Local has recently been taken over by Saratoga's popular
Local Pub and Tea House. We visited Lake Local for lunch last week and even though it was a weekday and there was no shortage of patrons. Although Lake Local had only been open for about a week, it seemed the word was out and the crowd was 'in'. Inside of the Local the seating is rather limited. In addition to the bar, there were a number of tables along the wall that could have seated about 25 (?)........but outside....and let's face it, that's where everyone wants to be, there are a large number of tables spread out over a large area. Some were under the protection of the awning, while others were not. We opted for an inside seat because unfortunately the wind was pretty strong that day. Even so, we had a great view....
Like most businesses in their first weeks of opening, not everything was in place. Specifically the menu is still in a transitional state. I'd mistakenly looked at the menu from the Local in town and assumed this would be the same, so I was disappointed to find a very limited menu. That being said, we both found things we enjoyed.....
I ordered the beer battered fish and chips at $15....voted best in town according to the menu. It was very good as were the french fries (skin on). The cole slaw was quite good too - crispy, tasty and not swimming in dressing. John ordered the fish tacos ($13), their house favorite. They came with no sides, so John added fries which came in a large stainless mug for another $4.00.
Both meals were fresh and delicious and although it was just week two of
their opening and quite crowded, meals were served in a reasonable amount
of time. There were several servers on hand and customers seemed to receive ample attention. Our server, Angela, explained that the menu will be changing
and expanding as Chef Brady Dillon (formerly of Siro's) will be taking
over in the kitchen. Right now the menu has a large focus on seafood, going along with
the shore location, including mussels, steamers, swordfish and ahi
tuna, but also offers a burger, a chicken sandwich, fish sandwich and
hot dogs, a variety of salad options and a kids menu.
Aside from the great food the Lake Local has to offer, their other big draw would be the view.
If you want to burn off a few calories after lunch, you can rent a kayak or paddle board from their Board Shop.
Or.....if you're more like me, you can just sit in one of the Adirondack chairs and enjoy the scenery.
I'm betting Lake Local will have no problem being a successful and popular stop on the lake. In fact, their only problem might be that they won't be big enough to accommodate the crowds I believe they will attract as well as a large enough parking lot to hold the masses. But then again....that's not a bad problem to have! Next time you're looking for some great eats and a view to match, check out Lake Local....located at 550 Union Avenue, just at the north end of the bridge.
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