Smoke on the Water BBQ Okauchee

Name: Smoke on the Water BBQ Okauchee
Address: N50W35016 Wisconsin Ave, Okauchee Lake, WI, United States, 53069
Telephone: (262) 468-5012
Price range: $30 and under
Rating: 4.6

4.6

60 Reviews

$30 and under

Barbecue

Make a booking

2 people

3 Jan 2025

19:00

Booked 5 times today

Great for scenic views
Neighbourhood gem
Great for outdoor dining

For the last 18 years, Joe Hennes and his wife Ellen have been building a family-oriented meeting place for friends to gather at Sloppy Joe's Saloon and Spoon in Hubertus. In December 2020, they purchased this property, and brought the philosophy of food, fun, and laughter from Washington County to Lake Country. They renamed the property Smoke on the Water to reflect the revamped menu which includes a large selection of home-smoked meat items. Open jams, live music, karaoke and fun events are already a regular part of the experience.

And after a decade of the lower level sitting vacant, they just launched "Below Deck," a brand new state of the art banquet facility and live music venue that accommodates about 250 people.

Whether arriving by land or sea, you'll enjoy Lake Country's best lake-vibe barbecue, cocktails, live music & friends.

Experience Smoke on the Water - where strangers become friends, and friends become family.

Dining areas

Additional information

Dining style
Casual Dining
Price
$30 and under
Cuisines
Barbecue
Hours of Operation
Mon–Thu 11:00–20:30 Fri, Sat 11:00–21:30 Sat 16:00–20:30 Sun 11:00–20:00
Phone number
(262) 468-5012
Website
https://smokeonthewaterwi.com/
Dress code
Business Casual

Location
N50W35016 Wisconsin Ave, Okauchee Lake, WI 53069
Area
Oconomowoc
Parking details
None

What 60 people are saying

Overall ratings and reviews

Reviews can only be made by diners who have eaten at this restaurant

4.6

4.6 based on recent ratings

4.5Food
4.7Service
4.5Ambience
4.4Value

Noise • Moderate

Loved For

Wisconsin
Great for scenic views
Milwaukee
Great for outdoor dining
Milwaukee
Great for scenic views
Milwaukee
Lively

Review summary

AI-generated from verified diner reviews

Smoke on the Water BBQ Okauchee offers a stunning lake view and a "great atmosphere," making it a perfect spot for a relaxing meal. The brisket and smoked meats are "delicious," with many praising the attentive service, especially from standout servers like Jill and Shannon. Despite occasional service hiccups, the overall dining experience is "wonderful" and "worth the drive." Perfect for both casual outings and special celebrations, this restaurant promises a memorable visit with its "excellent drinks" and generous portions.

60 Reviews

J
Julie
Milwaukee
1 review
4.0
1 review
Dined 2 days ago
1. Overall 4
2. Food 4
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 3
First time eating there on Jan. 1, 2025 for a birthday meal with family of 7, three generations present. Even mid-day, it was quite loud inside due to music and talking, but we were in a corner, so that helped us be able to hear each other. Our server, Sydney, was friendly and efficient, very top-notch. Everything was well-paced. The food was generally very good to excellent, including two appetizers, six different entrees, and three shared desserts. The birthday girl, unfortunately, had a very, very dry beef brisket sandwich; too dry to even want to finish it. However, there were many stand-out items that will bring us back: the bruschetta bites, the home-made chips, pizza, the raspberry fizz cocktail, key lime pie, and the bread pudding. I can imagine that outside dining during the summer would be delightful.
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M
Mary
Milwaukee
1 review
5.0
1 review
Dined 2 days ago
1. Overall 5
2. Food 5
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 4
Lily was our server and she was wonderfully attentive, The portions are HUGE. We started with the burnt ends, highly recommend. Food was great and staff was wonderful.
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J
Jamie
Milwaukee
2 reviews
5.0
2 reviews
Dined on 24 November 2024
1. Overall 5
2. Food 5
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 4
So glad we found a new spot! Huge variety and everything was great. Our waitress was awesome which is rare these days
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L
Liz
Milwaukee
4 reviews
5.0
4 reviews
Dined on 23 November 2024
1. Overall 5
2. Food 4
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 5
Great experience, staff was knowledgeable and friendly.
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J
Joe
VIP
Milwaukee
29 reviews
4.0
29 reviews
Dined on 10 November 2024
1. Overall 4
2. Food 3
3. Service 3
4. Ambience 3
Smoke on the Water was a good overall experience. Visited on a Sunday night so the restaurant was mostly empty, so service was attentive and food came quickly. Food was pretty good, not great - table had a variety of dishes, sentiment was the same across the board. Would be a great spot in summer with the patio, will come back again when the weather is nicer to give it another try.
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C
Chip
VIP
Denver
12 reviews
5.0
12 reviews
Dined on 9 November 2024
1. Overall 5
2. Food 5
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 4
Excellent drinks and service. The food was great as well. Had the brisket and smoked chicken platter. It was a very large portion for the price. We’ll be back.
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R
Richard
Milwaukee
4 reviews
5.0
4 reviews
Dined on 4 November 2024
1. Overall 5
2. Food 5
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 5
Another great experience at Smoke on the Water! We love the feel of the restaurant and the people there. It is definitely worth our drive! We brought family to celebrate a birthday and not a single person was disappointed with their food. We loved that the owners came to say hi and check how our experience was (as always). They even wished my spouse a happy birthday and offered him a dessert or birthday drink. We love that the food is great and the prices aren't out of this world expensive. You get great food at a good price. We highly recommend Smoke on the Water. It's a place to impress guests, a date night or even just a place to make new friends with the great, welcoming staff.
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P
Patti
Milwaukee
2 reviews
5.0
2 reviews
Dined on 27 October 2024
1. Overall 5
2. Food 5
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 4
Our server, Amber, did a great job! The food was excellent!
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A
Anita
Milwaukee
3 reviews
4.0
3 reviews
Dined on 26 October 2024
1. Overall 4
2. Food 5
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 4
Probably unfair to judge a dinner during a Badger Game, costume party and band regarding noise level, but based on today’s service and previous visits, I would definitely recommend Smoke on the Water to others.
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M
Mary
Milwaukee
2 reviews
4.0
2 reviews
Dined on 23 October 2024
1. Overall 4
2. Food 5
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 5
Pretty place for lunch and to look out on the lake.
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FAQs

Smoke on the Water BBQ Okauchee is rated 4.6 stars by 60 OpenTable diners.

Yes, you can generally book this restaurant by choosing the date, time and party size on OpenTable.

Make a booking

2 people

3 Jan 2025

19:00

Booked 5 times today

Google Map for Smoke on the Water BBQ Okauchee

N50W35016 Wisconsin Ave, Okauchee Lake, WI 53069

Dining areas

Additional information

Area
Oconomowoc
Hours of Operation
Mon–Thu 11:00–20:30 Fri, Sat 11:00–21:30 Sat 16:00–20:30 Sun 11:00–20:00
Price
$30 and under
Cuisines
Barbecue
Dining style
Casual Dining
Dress code
Business Casual
Parking details
None

Website
https://smokeonthewaterwi.com/
Phone number
(262) 468-5012

Smoke on the Water BBQ Okauchee

Make a booking

Dining areas

Additional information

Menu

What 60 people are saying

Overall ratings and reviews

Loved For

Review summary

FAQs

How is Smoke on the Water BBQ Okauchee restaurant rated?

Is Smoke on the Water BBQ Okauchee currently accepting bookings?

Make a booking

Dining areas

Additional information