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Smoke on the Water BBQ Okauchee, Okauchee Lake, WI

Smoke on the Water BBQ Okauchee

4.5
4.5
67 Reviews
$30 and under
Barbecue

Make a booking

2 people
21:30
Booked 2 times today
  • Great for scenic views
  • Neighbourhood gem
  • Good for groups
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

Menu

View menu on restaurant's website

What 67 people are saying

Overall ratings and reviews

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

4.5
4.5 based on recent ratings
  • 4.5Food
  • 4.7Service
  • 4.3Ambience
  • 4.5Value

Noise • Moderate

Loved For

  • Wisconsin

    Great for scenic views

  • Milwaukee

    Great for outdoor dining

  • Milwaukee

    Great for scenic views

Review summary

AI-generated from verified diner reviews
Smoke on the Water BBQ in Okauchee offers a delightful lakeside dining experience with "amazing food" and "great service." Diners love the "super cute atmosphere" on the deck and the "delicious" smoked dishes, particularly the brisket. Friendly staff and "top-notch" service ensure a welcoming visit.

67 Reviews

  1. Jessica

    Milwaukee

    1 review

    5.0

    1 review

    Dined on 2 February 2025

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Huge menu with a ton of options. Everything is delicious! The service was amazing too. Highly recommend!

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  2. Julie

    Milwaukee

    1 review

    3.0

    1 review

    Dined on 26 January 2025

    1. Overall 3
    2. Food 3
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 4
    This was our 4th time here. On prior visits, food was just okay, but we keep giving them another try since we love BBQ and we live in Lake Country. This visit, our server was great, and overall experience was fine. Some of the food was a hit, like the sides, but the BBQ itself continues to be underwhelming. We had ribs and brisket, which were both kind of dry. We much prefer both at Boondock's BBQ. Our friend had the meatloaf and didn't care for it at all.

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  3. Maureen

    Milwaukee

    34 reviews

    4.0

    34 reviews

    Dined on 24 January 2025

    1. Overall 4
    2. Food 4
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Surprised this great restaurant didn’t have much lunch traffic. We’ll be back to sit on the deck this summer!

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  4. Harold

    Milwaukee

    1 review

    5.0

    1 review

    Dined on 23 January 2025

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 4
    4. Ambience 4
    we thought the food was great. this was our first time to your restaurant and we enjoyed it, we will be back.

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  5. Julie

    Milwaukee

    3 reviews

    5.0

    3 reviews

    Dined on 11 January 2025

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 4
    We had a party of 6 - service was prompt and attentive and the food was delicious!

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  6. Julie

    Milwaukee

    1 review

    4.0

    1 review

    Dined on 11 January 2025

    1. Overall 4
    2. Food 3
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 4
    The Friday fish fry was ok. Breading was tasty, and the perch was very fresh. It was a bit too greasy for my liking and the fries were cold. Previous meals at SMOTW were outstanding though.

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  7. Julie

    Milwaukee

    1 review

    4.0

    1 review

    Dined on 1 January 2025

    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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  8. Mary

    Milwaukee

    1 review

    5.0

    1 review

    Dined on 1 January 2025

    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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  9. Kevin

    Milwaukee

    47 reviews

    5.0

    47 reviews

    Dined on 8 December 2024

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    The soup was absolutely incredible!! The service was great and the food was delicious.

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  10. 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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FAQs

Smoke on the Water BBQ Okauchee is rated 4.5 stars by 67 OpenTable diners.

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

Make a booking

2 people
21:30
Booked 2 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
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