Dillon’s KC BBQ Bayou

Love this place

One of the worst dining experiences I’ve had in a long time.
Unlike the Dillon’s located on Thunderbird Rd, in Peoria, which I rated 5 stars, I was disappointed to find that this location didn’t have the full menu offered by Peoria,. No ribs at all. Mostly sandwiches.
You would think that being located on a boat dock, you would be able to enjoy looking at the water and boats as you dined, but unless you stood up from your table, there’s no way to see the lake. Also, the music was way too loud to be able to talk to your partner while eating.
And $ 6 for parking? Ridiculous!
This was the first time and the last time for the Lake Pleasant location.

Other than having to pay $ 6 to get into the park and the long wait for a golf cart ride to the dock, everything about our visit to Dillon’s was good. Our pulled pork sandwiches and wings were served hot and our cocktails were served cold. I wish they had more outdoor seating or would leave the windows open to make you feel like you’re on a lake. I prefer the Dillon’s at the Wildlife Zoo Park over this location, but he food was still very good!

Tried this for the first (and last) time Sunday (06/​05/​2016) afternoon.
Friends of ours were going out to Dillon’s Bayou for a late lunch and invited us to come along. We told them we’d meet them out there because we like Dillon’s BBQ, and had not been to the Lake Pleasant location.
To start with, my 2 star review is for the location of the restaurant and the hassle of getting to it. Be forewarned, there is a $ 6 entrance fee to the marina (even if you are just going there to eat at Dillon’s). After paying the entry fee, drive towards the blue canopy, park, and wait for a shuttle (6 seater golf cart).
When you get on the cart; hang on, because the stop signs there are NOT for the carts, just the cars and trucks of the customers. I found this out when we left; because unlike the golf cart driver, I stop at stop signs. If I hadn’t stopped, I would have wiped out a group of customers, whose driver doesn’t think that stop signs apply to him. There is also a bucket on the golf cart and a sign that says «tips are appreciated», your tip is back at the entrance, where I just payed $ 6 to park my vehicle. It’s about a 5 minute ride down to the restaurant, past the boat ramps, and along a cause way/​floating bridge to the restaurant and store area.
About the restaurant…
When we entered the restaurant, we asked if they comp the parking or give you a credit on the bill, no such luck…
The place has the feel of a bar/​club (not a bad thing at all, and in nice weather would probably be a lot of fun if you have a boat docked out there, or come out to go boating).
Several Unilocalers mention the views and the fact that the restaurant is on the water. The views are nothing to write home about… We were seated behind the hostess station, about 50 feet straight in from the entrance looking north. From this viewpoint, you can look at some covered boat slips, the floating bridge, or part of the bay with a model of a pirate ship. If you look just right, you can see a small view of the rest of the lake. Maybe I’ve been lucky, but I have eaten at many restaurants with views of a lake when I was growing up in upstate New York; so to me, this view is not worth the $ 6 parking fee, or the wild ride and exhaust fumes of a golf cart to eat here. Maybe there are different areas that I didn’t see where there is a spectacular view; pity, I won’t be back to find that out.
About the food…
Junior had a cheeseburger and fries (the usual…), it looked good, if a little to well done; but he was happy with it. The fries are the standard Dillon’s steak fries, and while not just out of the fryer, they were tasty and somewhat crisp.
A side note about the burgers… I overheard our server telling our friends that the burgers all come medium well. I don’t care if it’s a bbq place or not; when a restaurant specializes in meats, you should be able to get a burger anywhere from still mooing to well vulcanized!
My wife had the chicken club sandwich (grilled), it was good sized; and she said it was good, had 2 long strips of bacon on it along with cheese and ham. My wife also choose the steak fries and was happy with them.
I had the pulled pork sandwich w/​the sweet heat bbq sauce, and cole slaw for my side. The sandwich had plenty of pulled pork on it, but it was a little dry. Dillon’s pre sauces their sandwich before you get it, and if I had remembered that, I would’ve asked for my sauce on the side. The pulled pork was served on what to me was a potato roll, it was very fresh and very good with the pulled pork. About the bbq sauce, our server was kind enough to warn me that the sweet heat bbq sauce was very hot; I didn’t really notice much heat, but the flavor was good; it was sweet, but not overly so.
I’d give the food a solid 3 stars. As I have eaten at the other Dillon’s (World Wildlife Zoo, Arrowhead, Thunderbird), I don’t think it was quite up to Dillon’s normal standards, but it was tasty and filled us up.
Our bill was $ 37 before tip, 3 sandwichs w/​sides and 3 soft drinks. Not too bad nowadays.
All in all, I wouldn’t return. The hassle of paying to park, the wait for the shuttle, the lack of a great view, and food that I can get at any of the other Dillon’s means it’s just not worth it to me. If you’re a regular at the lake, I’d say give Dillon’s a try, the food for the most part is solid, and it seems to be a nice place to kick back and re-​charge after a day in the sun/​water. As for me, I’d rather go back to the one at World Wildlife Zoo and watch the sharks!

Was with a group of 8 people. 6 people got their food within 10 minutes. My friend and I got our food (a quesadilla and taco salad) –an hour after everyone else in our group was done eating. They said we will take care of you… Us right, $ 9 taken off our meal is not taking care of us… Food was just in by the time they brought it out. Dillon’s is the only option out on lake pleasant but I would rather drive 30 minutes to get food outside of lake pleasant to ever eat at or grab a drink at Dillon’s again!

First, ignore the whinny people who complain about parking, the shuttle, etc. It’s on a lake! It is ON the actual lake, not near it or next to it. Where did you think you were going, Hyatt Regency! Do you really expect to have parking on the lake? Come on, getting there is half the fun, if you have the right party attitude. ITS ON THE LAKE. take a chill, relax, oh and by the way, you had to unload the kids, blah blah. Come on it’s a sports BAR. Take the kids to Chuckie Cheese. Great bar, great food, a bit slow sometimes with the drinks. But you will have fun if you have the Jimmy Buffet attitude that you are going to have a good time ON THE LAKE. Also, great music on the weekends. Like all the other Dillon’s, we enjoy each and every time we go.
And by the way, if you chat up the golf cart guy, they can be real fun and you are already enjoying your time before you even get there.

Just had the worst experience ever at Dillons. I’ve been many times before and this was a one time issue but it just outweighs the good experiences. I checked in for a group of 6 adults and 2 toddlers. They told me it would be a 25 minute wait but it turned into an hour and 20 minutes! Not because the restaurant was more pack or anything like that. It was simply because they crossed our name off the list. There seemed to be no reason for it, «it just happens sometimes». With the girls being very young they didn’t seem to be too bothered with their own mistake. They simply said they would try to get us another table soon. What great customer service.

I write one star reviews very rarely. This one has to be written. This has to be THE worst dining experience I’ve had in many years. This place has SO much potential. It’s on a beautiful lake, for goodness sakes! Dillon’s has moved over from Scorpion Bay to this location and so much can be SO amazing here. Summer isn’t even here quite yet and I can tell you that they missed the mark the other night from every angle that they possibly could when we decided to dine here. I felt like kids were running this place! It was like NO one cared and how fast can closing come so we can get out of here! On this day we were visiting our friends who dock their boat here, we walked over about 515pm for dinner and wine on this particular beautiful evening. The outside seating was full, (not that we were asked if we wanted to wait), so we were seated inside and were not addressed by our waitress for several minutes. She did arrive and apologized that there were only two of them that evening to, ‘bear with them’. We noticed that there seemed to be two girls and about six guys? doing something? And just one bartender. We finally ordered several minutes later: a Reisling; a starter of Fried Pickles; an order of Chicken Tenders (Fries and Cole Slaw side); a Pulled Pork Sandwich with BBQ Beans and my BBQ Turkey with a Salad and Mac/​Cheese for the side. Reisling comes in a plastic glass that looks like a cheap wedding reception from the 1970’s! It’s pretty funny, actually! But the problems began when our meals arrived before the starter. Who doesn’t dislike that? As the guy goes to place my meal… he knocks over an entire full ice water ALL over me, my phone, into my brand new Kate Spade bag! We grab the bag and the iPhone. The expensive things! I can dry eventually! The poor guy is embarrassed and just kind of stands there; The waitress is what makes it bad. ‘Are you okay? Your not really all that wet, are you? Your phone… I mean, it’s turning on now, isn’t it?’ We suggested we move. Not her. She just acted like she didn’t care a bit! Meanwhile our food was placed and had now gotten cold during this water fiasco. And yes. I was soaked from my left legs to my booty… to my right leg! I was wearing running pants and it has that material in black that whisks away moisture. On to the meal. Horrible. My turkey was dry & ice cold on the slices on the ends. It was so dry it was almost not chewable ! As if it had been heated in a microwave. All of the meals were now cooled in the fiasco that she didn’t care to even attempt to fix, reheat? OR re do! Some kid comes over now, ‘Are you okay’? I was. Another one. Who I swear. seemed high, as he had to ask and re ask the same thing because he was not understandable. NO. The wine had tipped and now had less than a sip in it, someone at the table joked! He didn’t get it. (That was a hint: Replace the wine the employee tipped over ??!) We had not got our starter YET or my salad OR one of the other sides! The waitress brings the cold Fried Pickles and goes on and on about how the kitchen is ‘really messing those tickets up lately’ … Then says ’ You know that was not his fault (the water incident); I’ve done that a 100 times and it happens!’ OF course I know it’s not his fault!!! What is the fault now is you acting like this is not any big deal to me… our meal…& me sitting here wet. I get that accidents happen. it’s the follow up that makes or breaks the situation. The bill comes and I am now a little beyond upset & I said, ‘Okay my dinner needs to come off this bill… right.now.’ Because we had been charged full for every thing that was wrong with this meal. How appalling is that? She was genuinely confused. A bit goes by. I see rolling eyes from her and whispers with her and her co workers as they roll silver for the next day’s opening, (the restaurant is now closed). She took the meal off and comp’d us a cheesecake. NOT one person seeming like a manager came over; Not once did this waitress seem to care. our meal was screwed up even without the water all over me! Learn how to take care of customers and get it together. This place has THE absolute best position for business on the lake! GO with that and make it wonderful! This was anything but… I rode back to PHX wet. and placed my iPhone in rice :) Thanks for the stressful meal on the beautiful lake! Jeesh!

This use to be one of my favorite places. Use to be!!! The food quality has dropped considerably. Chicken had no flavor. Mac salad use to be the best. Just noodles and mayo, found 1 carrot. Then they have the nerve to ask for a tip when you use your credit card. Ended up paying cash because they said I had to put a gratuity on it to proceed. Really??? Where are the Hawaiian people that used to own the place. Being from the Islands, it was a treat to go to L&L. Now I’ll do the drive to Leo’s BBQ. Very disappointing

Was told the wait would be under 20 minutes. Waited for close to an hour before we left. Atmosphere is cool and drinks are good but to spend 6 $ to park and walk down to the marina. Not worth it. So many better places to go for ½ the hassle.

Solid 4 stars. We are members at lake pleasant so we go here often. Yes, if you aren’t members, you have to pay $ 6 to get into the park. Yes, you have to park up top and walk downhill about ¼ of a mile or call the golf cart to come and get you. In exchange for your trouble, you will see beautiful views, wildlife, desert plants, the lake, the boats and you can dine on some good bbq and watch the sun set. The service is so much better now that it’s Dillion’s. The lake is fun and the atmosphere is casual. Green chili stew in winter. Anything else in summer.

Lake Pleasant location is so noisy. Music was so loud, we had to yell just to talk to other people at our table. Drinks were served in plastic cups. Hostess seated our party of 4 at a high top table. She dropped off the menus and left, even though only 2 stools at the table. We found 2 more stools to bring over to the table and moved the table a bit to get one of the stools in since it was so close to another table. Waitress served incorrect beverages and forgot to calculate the Groupon discount. Had to track her down to fix. Credit card machine not working, so I did not get a copy of the receipt. Was charged $ 10 too much according to my bank statement. Had to pay $ 6 to park and then wait for a shuttle that expected a tip. I like Dillon’s food, but will not go to this particular location again.

Bad service, no one come asking for orders for 30 mins. I asked three waiters wondering by, no one helped

We have eaten at Dillon’s when they were at Scorpion Bay for a few years. Love the new and expanded location. I can’t speak for the car parking/​walking/​shuttle situation because we usually come in by boat. The food quality was mixed. My brisket sandwich had good flavor, but the meat was dry as was my daughter-in-law’s brisket sandwich. My son and my wife’s food was good. Even at the old location Dillon’s food was always good, not great. Dillon’s Bayou compared to the old restaurant at Pleasant Harbor is a night and day improvement. This place has the same energy and vibe as the old Dillon’s at SB, only bigger and better. We will be back.

Stopped into the KC bbq today for lunch after our boat cruise. I would have to say I was a little let down. The food was okay, but not great. I ordered the burnt beef, with broccoli and cottage cheese. My meat was dry, but guess you should expect that, being they called it burnt. Also my broccoli was barely cooked, and sent it back to have it cooked longer, then it was edible .Our waitress was great, and the scenery was really enjoyable. So, I would say, try it, you might have a better meal than I did.
It’s defiantly a unique setting, and no one else in our group had any complaints.

Yo yo yo AZ peeps if you really want a kick back enjoyable Sunday with a good munch and drinks head out to Dillion’s on the Harbor at lake Pleasant. So relaxing and so much fun!

What a mess! We drove an hour from Ahwatukee after getting an email ad from Dillon’s showing a nice restaurant on the lake. We enjoyed Dillon’s on Central before it closed, and also enjoy the one at the zoo, so we thought it would be a great way to spend a Sunday afternoon. But, the marina has made it next to impossible to even get close to Dillon’s.
We were surprised to find a gate, where we had to pay $ 6 for parking and were then directed to a shuttle lot. We played along, figuring it must be a system that works, but boy were we wrong. We parked, unloaded the kids, and went to wait under the blue canopy as instructed. Instead of a shuttle, a big golf cart pulls up and is rushed by the people who have accumulated in no order under the blue canopy. There are no instructions for how or where to line up, and the shuttle driver takes people based on the room in the golf cart. The golf cart comes once ever 15 minutes or so, and there are large groups parking and waiting under the canopy. After a half hour standing in the parking lot with three kids and having people arrive after us and board before us, we gave up and left.
Absolutely ridiculous. This system cannot make sense to any rational human being. Instead of random seating in the form of picnic tables and benches, give people a clue that they should line up. It should have made sense to anyone arriving that all the people under the canopy were waiting for the shuttle, but apparently not. It was a free for all.
Is it not more practical to have one person in each vehicle drop their group off at Dillon’s and then park in the parking lot and take the shuttle back to the restaurant?! Then, you only have one person from each vehicle trying to board the golf cart instead of five and six people from each vehicle. Really, there just doesn’t seem to be any thought given to this at all.

HUGE SURPRISE! We used to come to the restaurant when it was under a different name and different ownership and vowed never to return because the service was so horrible. The service today was way better and our server (Kylie) was incredibly friendly and made sure that we had everything that we needed from the minute we got here! The menu is simple, the food is really good and the service was excellent! SO HAPPY YOU’RE HERE DILLONS!

Food and service were very good considering how busy it was and the staff was very friendly. We had burgers and potato salad, both were excellent. In nicer weather two sides have garage doors to let the night in, should be fun.
They had a live band playing and it made you feel like you were somewhere on vacation, people were really enjoying themselves. Mostly a «over 30» crowd on the Saturday night we were there.
It costs $ 6 to get into the park and park, then you take a shuttle from the parking lot to the restaurant for a tip or you can make the hike, either way it adds to the experience.
I can’t wait for friends from out east to visit so I can take them there and it’s less than a half hour drive from home.
Defiantly will be one of my favorite places to go this summer.

We had no idea they had moved from the county park over to Pleasant Harbor Marina so we had a little visit at the county park first then went over to the Marina. By the time we got to the marina it was dark so I don’t have great pictures. But the new location is great! You will have to pay to park and pay for the «shuttle» to the restaurant on the dock, but the experience and the food is worth it! We happened to visit on a grand opening night so the place was packed and the wait was long for both a table and the shuttles afterwards, but overall it was a great experience. We shared the catfish which was delicious and our table mates got the pulled pork BBQ — they loved theirs too. The atmosphere was so cool being so far out on a dock, with all glass windows. They had a live band which added to the cool atmosphere. The shuttles deserve a mention of their own as an original experience. The ramp to the dock is really long and the golf cart shuttles drive you out there for a tip. At one point they have to pass each other which is interesting. Overall a cool night out — I highly recommend it!

Go for the atmosphere not for the food. My food was cold, nachos were not even average and cold, sent them back. Waitress forgot to bring my friends side dish. The food was all overpriced and below average in taste in our party of five. Service in all honesty was excellent and the place is a good place to take out of town guest for a cocktail. I would not eat here again.