Reviews & Ratings for Marina Grog & Galley - Lake Lotawana

07/21/11

Beware!!! It's a NO Talking - NO Laughing Zone!

by Joanne Lee at Citysearch

This is the last place I would recommend taking a group (we had 9) for a variety of reasons. Our "Ladies Night Out" group drove here from Johnson County - For several years we have eaten at some of the nicest restaurants in the Kansas City Metro, Never have we been treated as we were here.

For starters, our table overlooked the parking lot. Forget those "amazing lake views" they advertise. Upon being seated, we looked over the Speciality Drink Menu, which we sampled and discussed while deciding on an entree. This was normal conversation with hardly a laugh. The restaurant noise, overall, was high enough that you could not hear from one end of our long table to the other. So, occasionally voices were probably raised somewhat to be heard, but nothing out of the ordinary for 9 women discussing the menu.

Apparently, Jack, the owner, thought we were being too loud and asked us to "keep it down". We then ordered and within minutes the salads arrived and before the waitress could serve them, Jack, again asks us to be quiet. We asked him if he would like us to leave. He said "that would be fine". We paid for our drinks, left the upset waitress a tip and left Jack with what would have been close to a $1,000.00 tab. The couple next to us said we were not bothering them at all.

Two of us had been there before - None of us will be back!

Having eaten all over the world and from coast to coast with groups much larger than 9, never have I ever been asked to "be quiet". Marina Grog and Galley has probably some of highest prices that I have experienced in the US or Abroad in the very best restaurants, for a meal that is mediocre at best and does not even guarantee a lake view,

There are so many wounderful restaurants in the area with amazing atmosphere, appreciative owners and staff, reasonable prices and absolutely delicious food.

My recommendation: Put this one at the bottom of your list! IT IS SOOOO NOT WORTH IT!!!!

04/05/11

Not great food or service

by beachy gul at Citysearch

Went to celebrate a birthday, Service was slow. Steaks were mediocre, potato was cold, Waitress sat down at the bar to have her meal and we couldn't get her attention to help with a undercooked steak. We ordered a dessert and the waitresses comment was."Let me see if the cook is still here'" WHAT???? Then she came back to say she just caught him and we could get our dessert. WOW.And this was a $170.00 meal for 2. Won't go back !!

08/22/09

Manhattan Prices, Sizzler Food

by Bereft at Citysearch

I bought a $40 Kansas CIty strip, justly expecting a great steak for the price. It was over cooked, tough, burnt on the outside, and completely devoid of flavor. The clam chowder, while reasonably endowed with potatoes and cream, was suspiciously light on clams. The lakeside setting is very pleasant if a little shy of the website's photos. The prices are shooking. The food is below average.

To be fair my wife had the Hawaiian snapper and loved it. But for me this restaurant didn't deliver.

• Pros: Setting
• Cons: Food Cost

03/30/09

Simply OUTSTANDING in EVERY WAY!!!

by nurse64137 at Citysearch

I found this restaurant by pure good fortune. My scallops and crab mac & cheese were superb. My friend's Walleye was, too, and we joked how this place made McCormick & Schmick's look like Long John Silvers!! Our server was delightful as was the host/owner. The decor was lovely and suited the lakefront setting perfectly. I'll definitely be back--as often as possible!!

• Pros: Fabulous food, atmosphere, and service
• Cons: A bit spendy

08/29/07

Decline in this restaurant

by cb1408 at Citysearch

I read the reviews posted on this site and feel in agreement with the 1st several reviews. The food is over priced, the service was average or less and the owner ( Jack) is indeed rude and not customer oriented. My husband and I have been going to this restaurant for special occasions almost since it opened and have enjoyed the steaks and services over the years. Then a couple of months ago I choose this site for my group of 6 ladies that meet once a month for a fun place to dine and get together. I was embarrassed that I choose this site for the group. We had reservations and had expected a nice table. Instead we were "stuck" upstairs in an area that barely got service and the food was well below par. No one in my group enjoyed their meal and grew weary of waiting for any kind of service. I wrote an email to the owner and posted on another food site about my disappointment. I simple was asking if they were having an off nite and felt they had declined from the past years. The owner responded to me with a sharp scolding for my comments and said that everyone else loved his restaurant and I was the 1st person to complain. He basically said he didn't believe me and didn't appreciate my posting of poor service. His tone was not businesslike at all. He whined on and on about how hard he and his wife work, etc. It was helpful to see the other postings detailing the same experience as mine. I clearly will not go back to this place. There are just too many other good choices that are more convenient. I think you need to be in the owner's "in crowd" to get good service there.

• Pros: Nice waterfront location
• Cons: Service, food and owner

06/05/07

Poor Service, Below Average Food

by leadoff55 at Citysearch

My wife and I were really excited to be spending our anniversary on the dock enjoying the view of the water at Lake Lotawana. We had made our reservation two weeks in advanced and were assured that we would have a table overlooking the beautiful lake. Upon our visit we were seated inside the restaurant instead of outside on the dock. After several attempts of convincing our rude hostess that our reservation we settled for a seat inside.

After contemplating whether or not to leave at this point we opted to stay since it can be very difficult finding a restaurant on a Friday evening. To make a long story short, the food was terrible and overpriced. I would strongly recommed not visiting this restaurant. The restaurant is dark, and the demographic(s) of the typical customer is over sixty years old, white, and they probably reside within a close proximity of Eastern Jackson County. For the price of our meal, I will be sure to visit the Country Club Plaza in Kansas City.

• Pros: On the lake with a great view of Lake Lotawana
• Cons: Poor service and overpriced food

Editorial Review by Christy Buena

by Contributor at Citysearch

Located on the shore of Lake Lotawana, the steakhouse serves meat and seafood entrees and offers waterfront views.

06/19/06

Special Occasion ruined by this restaurant

by elk1900 at Citysearch

Save your money. Food quality mediocre at best. Management did not act upon issues or offer any form of compensation for our complete dissatisfaction. We will not return.

Waiter and especially bus boy service was outstanding.

• Pros: service
• Cons: management treatment of customers is disgraceful

07/15/05

50th Anniversary Party The Bay Room

by doctorl at Citysearch

Reserved the Bay Room for a party size 14 three months ahead of time for parents 50th Anniversary Party. Owner agreed to have two children with the party and offered to make a special meal for them. Seemed customer focused. One month before the party-Refused children to come to the Bay Room, and denied his invitation to make a special meal for the children. The owner was extremely NOT CUSTOMER FOCUSED! I felt the owner thought my group should meet his standards.. He changed his mind after his committment-and RUINED the 50th Anniversary Party!!! I would NEVER RETURN ..would you want such poor customer service? We were going to spend around $2,000 dollars-we were not important-WOW! The owner even shared with me that he had a child in the Bay room after he told my other family member no children were allowed. He contradicted himself over and over!

• Cons: poor customer service, not committed, owner contradicts

01/03/03

wonderful

by ataylor25 at Citysearch

my husband asked me to marry him here. It was so wonderful. Jack the co-owner thanked us for choosing his restaurant and we received a complimentary glass of champaigne. we sat outside on the docks after our meal and watched the sun set over the water. I couldn't ask for a better proposal.

• Pros: service, people, settingq
• Cons: parking, lighting