Lanzi’s On the Lake

So here is the thing with Lanzi’s. I’ve been going here for as long as I can remember, practically growing up at Sacandaga every summer. The owner is very nice and has been super generous to my family over the years. You can dock your boat at Lanzi’s to grab food if you are out and about on the lake. Lanzi’s also hosts car shows and events which is fun too. The food is okay at best as it has gone downhill over the years, but it’s good out of convenience. The view is beautiful and perfect during events for fireworks or the ring of fire.

We often stop here when we’re arriving or leaving the Adirondacks. The food is decent, with a few beers on tap. It’s not amazing, but it’s a kind-​of-​fancy restaurant in an area where there are few. The best thing is the lake view.

Have to say, I underestimated this place when I saw the empty dining room. We had a great dinner with friendly service and delicious food, and they were super nice to my 4-​year old (who admittedly was very well behaved tonight). I had the lamb shank special, which was delicious but possibly had a bit too much mushroom risotto to go with it (so much rich food on one plate!). Everyone else enjoyed their meals as well, including my kid and his cheese pizza. It’s a special occasion-​type place, but since we’re only here once a year, I’ll keep it in my back pocket.

Went for dinner last night; Great lakeside location — sat on the deck with a beautiful view of the lake and the Super Moon. The good: fresh mozzarella salad, spicy shrimp appetizer, corn on the cob and breadsticks (warm and buttery!).
The bad: mahi mahi was overcooked and bland. London broil was badly overcooked and tough. French fries cold. Neither of us finished our entrees. Husband had Chicken Parm and it was just ok.
Maybe the burgers and sandwiches are a better bet?
Ladies room was a mess; wastebasket overflowing and toilet paper all over the stall floors.

Typical bar with food that operates at full only during summer months. You can pull your boat right up to the docks and sit outside with Lake Sacandaga in view.
Expensive for «bar» quality food. Very different on quality of foods and service from year to year– probably also improves as the summer runs on.
Today– very disappointed with the «hot» wings. Sauce was all butter– no flame! Special soup was awesome! (Spicy ckn southwest) and definitely spicier than «hot» wings. Beers served in plastic (lame/​cheep) and tables outside are home cheepo type plastic. If this was strictly a blue collar place– it would be grand! However, if you looking for high-​end food, look elsewhere!
Server was awesome. But these places have nearly 100% turnovers from year to year, so judging service is perspective.

This place rocks. I went here for dinner once, sat outside with such a beautiful view of the lake. You can pull your boat right up to the dock if your out on the lake and want a bite to eat. The food is excellent. We had a wonderful waiter who was not overbearing at all. Some say it is a bit pricey, however, I disagree. Your not just paying for great food, but great scenery, the staff is wonderful and not overbearing. All around great atmosphere.

The first thing I ordered was a (likely less popular) draft beer, it had chunks of bad beer floating in the foam, the first sign that the draft lines were dirty. Tasting it confirmed that the lines were dirty. So I tried a different draft beer, again, dirty lines.
The 55ish year old female blonde bartender was doting on what appeared to be her ‘regulars’ and instead sent over the young female bartender to take care of us when things went sideways.
I ordered a round for our group (there were 7 of us) and we spanned two sides of the corner of the bar. She never asked anybody in our party if they wanted a drink but I suspect she split our bill incorrectly but since half our party left after this, I didn’t get a chance to compare his tab.
Unapologetic after sending back that bad draft beer, offered a replacement beer instead of a refund. Sent me the ‘lite’ version of the beer I wanted, was visibly upset when I asked for it to be corrected.
I ordered a ‘daily special’ which was a ‘fried oyster’ platter. The oysters were undercooked, nearly raw. I like raw oysters but was not expecting them with a crispy battered crust. The other person in my group who sampled them nearly vomited due to the texture.
I paid my tab, headed out the door and the 55 year old bartender and a bouncer-​looking guy chased me out accusing me of skipping out on a tab, when in reality one person in our group was staying behind at the bar. He went outside for a cigarette but left his sunglasses and a full beer at his stool.
I’m not sure what caliber of clientele Lanzi’s is used to catering to but I was really offended that they gave me bad beer and bad service then accused me of dining and dashing after already paying my bill and tipping generously. Perhaps because I was wearing my ‘fisherman’ clothing and was dressed down, she didn’t realize that I have a white-​collar career and am employed in the public eye and will now tell everybody I know and every one of my customers about this terrible experience.
Also, what appeared to be a ‘Manager’ was sitting at the bar while drinking and yucking it up with the ‘regulars’. This is unprofessional in any bar/​restaurant scenario, obviously.
The décor, atmosphere and overall odor of the place was a bit sour, musty and could use a good scrubbing.
Appalling experience altogether, I won’t be back.

Great place to stop after a hard day on the lake! Best wings, hands down-​EVER! Cold beer & docks to park your carriage.

Surprised by poor service. Had Fathers Day dinner with our extended family at Lanzi’s. We had a large party and Lanzi’s had one waiter serving the table. Poor guy was a bit overwhelmed, even the the restaurant was far from full. We never got several of the items we ordered and one arrived quite late. The food we did get was good. It was an uncharacteristic experience at Lanzi’s.

The food, staff and view are wonderful. Wait staff are attentive without being overbearing. If you live across the lake you can pilot your boat right up to the dock.
The portions are plentiful and the price is well suited for a place with such ambiance. Sitting outside enjoying a meal with family on a warm summers evening is all one could ever want.
Patrick W.

Great place wonderful view. We had dinner here in September and it was very nice. The inside temperature could have been a little warmer, but the food was great and the owner came by to ask if everything was to our liking. He did not stay too long, and let us have our meal without hovering.
The waitstaff was there when we needed something and then not there. This is a nice lace for dinner, I will try it for lunch on a warm fall day and be back next summer to be able to try the outdoor seating area.

Lanzi’s best selling point is the outdoor seating with sweeping views of the lake. One can take the boat, dock on Lanzi’s pier, walk to a table, have a drink and eat. They also remain open even after summer which makes for a reliable choice in the area.
We do an annual trek to the lake and when after grilling and kayaking for days to our heart’s content, head to Lanzi’s to bid good-​bye to summer. Before, they had smelt for appetizers (shared by 4) which was very tasty and really cooked well. Sadly, they don’t have it anymore. :(The fish and chips are also well made and so are the burgers.
However, the blue marlin salad was disappointing as the fish was dry and the salad unimaginative and wilted. They can also improve on table assignments for the waitstaff as no one knew who should attend to our table.
Over all for the view, Lanzi’s is a great restaurant for the Lake Sacandaga area.

On our way back from a weekend in the Adirondacks we decided to stop for lunch at Lanzi’s. We had heard some good things about it and wanted to try it out. The place has a beautiful view over looking the lake and we asked for a table outside. For drinks I had a Pepsi which tasted strange, a Blue Moon, served in a plastic cup and a cranberry and vodka served in a small plastic cup. The drink portions could have been bigger especially for the price and the plastic cups lowered my appeal for the place. We started with an appitizer of smelt that was delicious, a good size portion and a great tasting batter. Then we waited for ever for our lunch. The place was not busy and it took them forever to bring us our food. The waitress never said she was soory it was taking so long she just kept saying is everyone ok. No we aren’t ok we need our lunch.
When it finally did arrive it was good. I had the fish and chips (must have been a fish n chips weekend for me as I had it at another restaurant in lake Placid) and there were four big pieces of fish and a good amount of steak fries with two types of sauce-​tartar and cocktail. It was also served with sole-​slaw which was very bland. It had no flavor. My wife had a chicken ceasar salad that was huge and very good and another person in our party had a cheese burger and said it was big and very flavorful but had too much bun.

I agree with the previous post that it is a bit pricey, however a little unknown secret is that you can ask for a «Light Menu». It has all of the same items at more reasonable portions and prices!

For the area they are bit over priced — but also — for the area they are quite high class.
The setting is beautiful. They are located on the Great Sacandaga Lake/​Reservoir. They have docks for people who pull up on boats in the summer.
The Lanzi brothers are good cooks and have a background in Italian gourmet. They own another restaurant that seems to be much more stylized to Northville on the edge of the lake in Northville called the Sport Island Pub.
The smelt as an appetizer here is amazing. The calamari are also delicious. The salads are fantastic. They have amazing deck dining here in the summer when the weather is nice. The down side is that their chairs out on the deck are quite small and I am not so small.
The service I have received here is exceptional. They have some great pasta dishes and can often customize dishes upon request. My only complaint would be that the fish is typically not wild and does not seem very fresh. This could indeed be because of the distance to a sea port.
That being said — nice hangout place on the weekend. Beautiful place to eat in the summer.

this is one of those places of my childhood. my family would pile into our boat, load it up with beers and cheeses and more beers, and then drive it over to sand island to spend the day. on the way back home we’d hit lanzi’s. there’s a boat dock right out front, so it’s super convienent.
it’s very nice inside, it’s all wood and stone. the food was usually pretty good from what i can remember. typical upscale quasi italian fare. the view is killer though. i’d recommend going around sunset.
def worth a visit if you’re in the area.

Had lunch here on the way to the Adirondacks. The view is first rate. They had a lot of tables inside with a great view of Great Sacandaga Lake.
Pretty large menu with the regular choices. I had the daily special which was a Pannini sandwich with pepperoni, roasted red pepper and fresh basil.
I would recommend eating here.