Wheeled in for a meal and cold beer- the service was incredible, everyone was so polite and professional, the food was wicked and what you would expect from a BBQ, we talked with Mark - the owner who was extremely nice to talk to....a family run buisness with a remarkable history, hoping to spend the night on our way back thru- a great biker destination, highly recommend ya stop and check em out!!

We had the most incredible meal there The shrimp was delicious but the scallops were to die for.

Cool place with a long history! Relatively fast service and very polite staff. I got the "meat-lovers choice," which came in a good portion. Very delicious. Definitely check them out if you are in the Saranic Lake or Lake Placid area.

Scallops cakes were great. Also the blue cheese potatoes salad! Great ribs and pulled pork

I'll have to agree with everyone else - I don't know who could give this place less than five stars! We were immediately greeted and given menus since we ordered to go. Our order was taken promptly and courteously. Our food was prepared in less than fifteen minutes and the restaurant was fairly full so that was a nice surprise. As for the food - DELICIOUS!!! I haven't had pulled pork that delicious since I moved from Georgia. My wife loved her fried shrimp as well. We'll definitely be back when we go back to Potsdam.

I don’t see why there is a room rating for this it isn’t a hotel. They have high quality drinks served. The ribs are fall off the bone tender. The waiters are friendly. Great place for a summer BBQ experience it’s difficult to think of a negative comment to make about this place. The location is good just before entering Lake placid before the trooper barracks. Only issue is it’s a little awkward to pull out of because it’s on a decently trafficked highway.

Great place for lunch after a long motorcycle ride. Service was top notch and the food was excellent. We will be back.

We had dinner here and the food was pretty good. My wife loved the pulled pork and the wings are good as well. We had Vlad as our server and he was really nice and polite. Overall, if you looking for a place with good food/service and live music it is place to go

Iconic roadside eatery with an eclectic menu. Often has live music. BBQ and lobster and many other options. Been going here once or twice a year for decades. Stop here for lunch on almost every trip to the Adirondacks. The food is exactly what I expect for a roadside eatery. I appreciate what the new owners are doing to respect the history of the place. Be glad that places like this still exist.

Lobster pail and shrimp seafood basket 🤌🦞 Lobster was very fresh and flown in from “Bawston.” St Louis ribs were also tasty. All around great food for LP/Saranac Lake area

We had a pretty good meal here and enjoyed the experience! Dog friendly outside which was a plus. Solid sandwiches, great fries, and everything was served piping hot. Would come back.

We stopped on our way home from Sackets Harbor. It was very busy with rugby weekend but service was attentive and fast. We each had 1/2 rack of delicious ribs and took some home. This might be our annual stop from our annual trip.

Greats experience! Our hostess told us they were just waiting for a table to be free and the food would take about 40 minutes. It took about 5 minutes for a table to free up and the food showed up only about 10-15 minutes after we ordered. The food was great and the waffle fries were seasoned to perfection.

We LOVE coming to Tail O the Pup every year - and hope to come back every year, forever! The cabins are rustic, affordable, dog-friendly(!), and have all the basic necessities, including a mini-kitchen with a fridge, TV, and heaters. Some of the cabins have little front porches, which we love sitting out on. It’s in the perfect location: right across the street from a great brewery and an ice cream shop, and less than 10-15 min to Saranac and Placid in either direction. Mark, the owner, is super responsive and just a legit great dude. And to top it all off, the restaurant’s food, drink, and live music are FANTASTIC. We love this place!!

Not bad. Didn’t stay at any of the rooms but the pulled pork sandwich is decent. Service was great. Even brought out water for the dogs

Great outdoor BBQ spot close to Lake Placid. Ribs were super tender. Will be coming back next year for our yearly placid trip!

The food was delicious. The local beer excellent. Service was very good, you just need to be patient.

So to be totally honest food is more of a 4, but the vibes are excellent and I want to counteract all the haters here. It's a 100 year old bbq joint in a tent, in the adirondacks, so it kicks ass just by existing. Mac n cheese was great, chicken was super juicy and pulled pork was great.

The most amazing food , as well the staff are wonderful and very welcoming . The best place for just a day out with friends or family. A great place and feel so at home there. Love the live music. Do not pass up going to here.

After seeing the reviews we weren't expecting much. I have to say we were pleasantly surprised. The fish and chips were fresh, hot and very tasty. Large portion and not greasy at all. The homemade coleslaw was also very good. The wings had a nice smoky flavor and the seafood corn chowder was very flavorful and hot. When we were here it wasn't very crowded and maybe that makes the difference between good food and bad. Vladimir was our server and he was excellent also. Very good experience!

My partner and I drove by this place by chance and decided to go back for some dinner. The staff was kind enough to take our order near last call, and we got some fantastic BBQ. I had the pulled pork dinner with cornbread, and my partner had the pork sandwich with waffle fries. Everything was seasoned and cooked so well! The pork was tender and kept its moisture, while the cornbread was soft and fluffy with a touch of sweetness. The sandwich was stuffed and delicious! A beautiful dinner with a lovely view of the treetops.

I’ve been a local for 8 years now and have driven by this place a dozen times but never stopped in but always wondered how legit it was. My gf and I stopped in today for lunch after checking out their FB page. I had the lobster with a side of St. Louis ribs, 3 fried shrimp, corn on the cob, the potato salad and cole slaw. Lobster is lobster… it was a hard shell 1 1/4 #’s and as should be… delicious. Ribs were a surprise. Not fall off the bone but really tender as it should be. Perfectly cooked. Sauce..l std bbq. Good sauce but nothing that stood out. Potato salad was great! I think there was bacon and blue cheese in there. Really very good! Cole slaw also fresh and I’d guess made on premises. Really good as well. Corn on the cob was overcooked a bit but also delicious. Fried shrimp was up to par. Bo surprises there! GF had the fish and chips. Fish was good quality, likely flounder, and had a good crisp batter. Chips were waffle chips which were a little underwhelming. I don’t know if they were frozen from a bag but did not taste like fresh cut chips. Seemed under cooked. Maybe frying in peanut oil would improve the end result. Everything came together to make a better than average meal and at a good price. Service was mediocre. Overall a solid 7/10. Definitely would repeat.👍

Shout out to Mark and his great team! We stopped here to pick up dinner. Food was prepared in less than 15 minutes. But when we got back to the hotel we discovered that 1 of the meals was missing! I called the restaurant and they had noticed the mistake after we had left. They sent out somebody to deliver the missing meal. When he arrived he gave us a HUGE box with 3 times the amount of food that we had ordered plus they refunded us the missing meal amount. Talk about customer and service and how to keep their customer satisfied!

Date of visit: July 3rd, 2024 While on a roguetrip to Lake Placid, we drove past this spot, and wondered what it would be like. So we stopped in for dinner, and were pleasantly surprised. This is a very rustic outdoor dining spot, with many picnic tables amongst trees. You sit at your picnic table and the server comes to take care of you. There is a stage for a band to provide entertainment. While we were there, there was a performer entertaining the guests. We ordered the Clam chowder, roasted chicken, and a lobster roll. The clam chowder was spectacular. It was everything you hope a good clam chowder will be – thick, creamy, loaded with seafood, and a hint of spice. The roasted chicken was perfectly cooked, and served with potato salad and a slice of fresh watermelon. We also ordered corn biscuits as well. Our main server was fantastic – she was very engaging and helpful. There were others who assisted in bringing drinks and meals. Etc. every one we encountered was very nice and helpful. Prices were perfectly reasonable and not expensive at all. This is a fantastic dining experience, one that you will not soon forget. Overall this is a great BBQ restaurant with delicious food and pleasant atmosphere.

+4

The ribs are fresh and juicy, the soup is hot, and the service is warm and friendly. The open dining area is both comfortable and lively. We absolutely loved it!

Clams were great. Ribs were super tender. The chowder was amazing. Only downside was the 2 IPAs on tap weren't available.

Kathryn Patchoski

The authenticity is pure. Few places like this still exist and if you understand that you will feel right at home. We got there late after a long day. They were about to close, but were so kind to still serve us. We got the fried fish and ribs. The fish was amazing; the breading was flavorful and the fish was so moist.

D Q

Restaurant review: What a gem! Staff was very nice and accommodating - we had two curious pups with us. Well run and interesting place. The food was exceptional! Will definitely return.

Nick O'Keefe

This place is an awesome! A real must when you visit the area. The lobster roll here is comparable to the ones I've gotten in Massachusetts and Maine. The waffle fries were delicious! My wife really enjoyed her fish fry too. They do a top notch job. The staff was super friendly and attentive it was refreshing. We got to eat outside, the whole experience was really cool, it's got a nice "campy" vibe! A real unique charm that you can't find anywhere else. We will for sure be making this a regular stop for us whenever we come this way. You guys rock!!!

Stephan Obarewicz

If you want to drive away from all the gentrification that hit Lake Placid years ago and sit at a casual, comfortable and no fuss kind of place where the common folks go to so to avoid being ripped-off by food chains or tourist traps, Tail O' the Pup is the way to go. Set between the Lakes Placid and Saranac on road 86, in the beautiful Adirondacks, you'll notice it right away from the red and white wooden structures. If you like the outdoors, there is plenty of picnic tables available so you can gulp up ribs and lobsters under the sun, pine trees and feel the fresh breeze from the Adirondacks. The venue also offers an indoor dining room for rainy days. There is plenty of choices on the menu as there is also on tap for those seeking the pleasure of malt and hops. Otherwise, you can opt for a jug of pop .I had the half rack of ribs with lobster and a side of coleslaw. My significant other had the half rack only. We were both amazed by the quality, for such a reasonable price, and it goes without saying, the quantity; We couldn't finish. I mean, once done, We had to walk around for 45 minutes before hoppin' back on the motorcycle.

Wayne Landreth

Me and my taekwondo class came here after hiking up Mountain Cascade. We were looking for a place to eat that wasn’t super crowded and we came here. I dig the outdoor and rustic aesthetic. I’ve never been to a restaurant where everyone is seated outside on picnic tables under a huge cover so that’s neat. Our server was very nice to us. I ordered the Wade Boggs without onion and pickles as I don’t like those. And my drink was the frozen lemonade. After the hike up and down the mountain and running out of water, that frozen lemonade hit the spot. And I could it was made with real lemons as real lemons have that bitterness as powdered lemonade is sweeter. Everyone has a their preferences but real food is the way to go for me so that was nice. I had to go to the rest room while waiting and since this was my first time I was confused but I found the room and again it has that rustic aesthetic. I really did feel like I was on an adventure, like being in the Yogi Bear universe or in an Adam Sandler movie. The wait wasn’t too bad. Our server came and brought us our food. First off the fries which are waffle fries, the give you a very generous amount which was a nice surprise. And my sandwich came exactly like I asked, no onions and no pickles, just lettuce and tomato. The chicken was excellent, it wasn’t a cheap chicken patty, but a legit piece of chicken with layers, perfectly fried and crispy. And with the added melted cheese blend, absolute deliciousness. The fries again were also good, perfectly crispy and complemented the sandwich nicely. About half way into my meal I was feeling myself getting full. But no so full I couldn’t finish. My buddies and teacher couldn’t dent their meals. They all got the barbecue dishes, ribs, barbecued chicken, corn bread, my teacher got pulled pork sandwich. And they could barely finish their meals so they got to go boxes. Perhaps I made the right call to get my meal as I finished it up. But then again, I am a big eater haha! I did get another frozen lemonade which honestly did take a little while for it to come, I was considering speaking to my server again about this but then a girl came to our table with it so I was happy. We all paid separately and my meal including amounted to $47.20. Some people will say this is expensive but, the experience was cool, the service was nice, the food quality is top notch. So I think it’s worth it, especially if it’s a once in a while thing, why treat yourself? The frozen lemonade did cost extra for refills which I knew, so for anyone who wants a refill on certain drinks except soft drinks, as even the glass bottled soda drinks cost extra for refills. Overall my experience was very positive!

+14

Lorraine G

We went for dinner and had freshly made hamburgers fried shrimp and barbecue. The corn bread was delicious as was all the rest of the food. They had a young man on the mic playing a guitar with an amp and he was really exceptional! The music made it lively and fun. The waiters were sweet and attentive. Everything was perfect!!

Joelle

I came here in summer of 2020 and had a great meal and overall enjoyable experience as there was live music playing. Fast forward 5 years, my husband and I were looking for a kid friendly place to eat and I immediately thought of tail of the pup due to the outdoor seating and playground on site. I honestly don’t know how this place doesn’t have more stars. We were seated promptly, our food came fast (perk when eating out with little kids), service was good and the food was great. We all shared a rack of ribs and a pulled pork sandwich. Sides were corn, coleslaw and cornbread. 10/10 on the cornbread.

Food was very good. Very good!! Chicken Livers were very tasty little over cooked but still flavorful. Service was friendly. Biggest fault here was all of it came together. Ordered Chicken Livers for appetizer. Would have been perfect to enjoy them first rest then tackle burgers. Still not sure weather waitress said he was tired...or fired. She b.c somewhat laughed it off. Still wont deny food was good. Fries were thin cut flats. Very good. Burger cooked just right. Brisket on top tasty. Just didn't need it all at once!!

+2

Nice friendly people. The fried scallops were exquisite, lightly breaded and tender. The ribs were tasty but could have used more time cooking. They were not fall off the bone tender. The corn on the cob was perfect. We were very glad we stopped here for lunch. We will go back again.

Definitely not a tourist trap, at least currently. Didn't stay here; cabins are quite old but are priced appropriately. Food is very good, had bbq but no seafood (we go to Maine frequently so are used to very fresh fish) and it's also priced appropriately. Very kid and family friendly. Our two grandsons (2yo and 14yo) enjoyed themselves all evening. The only drawback is the parking; some park on the shoulder but many park in the Curtis Lumber lot next door. Not a big problem, though. As for the negative reviews in the past, take note that this place has changed hands twice in the past four years, and most of the negative reviews are from prior management.

Good service I liked the outdoor picnic bench style dining Ribs were very delicious, thank you kindly for the large portion. Pulled pork could be more tender but it was still tasty. Bbq chicken was also good. Thank you for the large size portions and drinks. I think you need to add baked beans to the sides menu

Had a wonderful weekend get away & stay at Tail O The Pup. Great location, very easily accessible to both Saranac & Lake Placid areas. Only complaints were the driveway entrance had a big trench & had to go super slow over it. And the beds weren't the most comfortable, but we made due with their renovations being done. Thank you for allowing us to stay! Would highly recommend to our friends & family & would stay here again.

Staff was friendly and food was good. They had ran out of a lot of stuff when we arrived but everything they had was good. I was sad they had no cornflake milkshakes, I was curious what that taste like. The ribs were a little dry, but I thought they were pretty good for the price. The brisket was soft and a little under salted. But the food still taste good. The fries were thinly sliced and fried perfectly. The crab cakes were a good combination with the corn. I would drop by again for hopefully that cornflake milkshake. <3

Wow...If you can handle an outdoor rustic environment that serves a hell of some good ribs then plant yourself at a picnic and munch away. What I had: - half a rack of ribs = not a lot of a smoke ring but very flavorful and one of the best I've had - corn on the cob = a little bland & unsweet but ok - cheddar biscuits = a bit dry but good - mac and cheese with pulled pork = I Didn't get to try it but the table ate the whole thing and said it was Very good. Note: definitely willing to return and try the rest of the items on their menu

Delicious BBQ ribs, fish and chips, and scallops. All was so tasty and fresh. We had a great meal and the sides of beans, corn, and slaw was perfect. Crafted beers along with the food fulfilled our expectations. The hostess was so nice as was our server. Strongly recommend this place for those with a hearty appetite!

Did not lodge there. Food was good though! Live music was nice but being seated directly next to the stage it was definitely too loud for proper conversation.

No experience with the rooms but the food was very good. We just got take out but the full rack of ribs and sides is very generous and my wife loved the fish and chips

Had this one on the list for a couple of months and what a fun vibe it was! The smell of barbecue hits you as soon as you park and get out of the car. We ordered ribs and waffle fries each and they were as good as they looked! An absolute must-stop in the area.

We ate here while we were staying at the campground next-door. The food was good. The service was great..

BBQ ribs, pulled pork and chicken, and lobster too! Had the combo, ribs, pulled pork and half Chick. Other order was 1/2 rack ribs. Ribs are St. Louis style. Al We ate it over 2 meals, ribs were huge. All food was nicely done and tasty. Outdoor seating, So expect bugs. Service was quick. In summer, get here early to avoid long lines.

+2

Pamela Ho

Room could be cleaner. Vacuum would have been nice to have. Can't turn off lights outside. They will shine in your face all night. Great for hot water(on demand) and heat if that's your only requirement..if you have expectations that this is fancy, don't. The coffee pot was dirty if that's something that matters, bring your own. Seven minute drive away are great coffee options. The discounts for food options when staying at the cabins is awesome. The food is amazing. The service was great. Everything was fast.

Bethany Innella

Cute little place with a lot of character. It was dead when we visited because it was a cold day in August. Food was good - but the pulled pork was very dry on our visit and the lobster mac and cheese had clearly been sitting for some time or reheated. Otherwise it was a good experience.

Crystal Kipp

Excellent service! My huskies meal was put in first to cool down for them, their order was customized to what they like. Owner was very attentive to checking that everyone was taken care of. Highly recommend for a unique atmosphere and good food.

I've driven past this place for years, and always wanted to stop. It was nice for kids to have the playground while waiting for food, but numerous broken/missing steps and rungs made portions of the playground unreachable or unsafe. As well as fixing broken items, a single line of fence between the road and the playground would be a nice addition. The service was courteous and timely. I had the Wade Boggs (A fried chicken sandwhich), which was okay, but the breading was excessively greasy and dense (even for fried chicken). The waffle fries were flavorful, and likely worth a quick stop in the future.

Food was terrible. Service was alright. Fish was odd tasting, was obviously fried in old oil. Pulled pork sandwich was super dry. Took a long time to get food although they weren't busy. Not worth going to. Edit: randomly received a 17.50$ compensation, so going to raise the rating because obviously the owner cares enough about his establishment to read the reviews. Must have just been an off day. I'll try again .

Good bbq, only1 side included. Outside seating only. Baked bean a bit boring. Meat was good, only 1 flavor of bbq sauce. Live music was very good.

We stopped here for lunch during a recent road trip. It was so different looking and interesting we couldn’t resist. Well we were disappointed. Although my pulled pork sandwich was very good, the blue cheese potato salad was bland and didn’t taste anything remotely close to blue cheese. The lobster roll was good but not great. And the place is apparently run or owned by a local brewery but they were out of one of the local brews. How can that be if we went there 15 minutes after it opened? Our server seemed pissed that she was even there and the hostess threw out menus on the table and walked away as she was 5 feet agreed of us. Cool concept since it’s been there for so many years but poor execution.

Value for money is pretty good. It came to $32 before tip for what's pictured. The food was not bad, but the pulled pork was super varied. Some bites moist and delicious, others dry, and one bite in particular was super spicy. The fries were pretty mushy, but the coleslaw was delightful. The bread was pretty bland, but seems like maybe if it were warm it would have been quite a bit better. The worst part was that the bathrooms are all outdoors with no changing tables. It was pretty difficult and chilly for the poor baby.

Too few servers. The beans are canned pork n beans with corn kernels and bits of green peppers. The cornbread is almost flat and dry. The meats are good. The traffic noise is a lot. Potatoe salad has too much in it, trying too hard to make it tastes good. They do say they have live music every day, night I think. One of the girls restrooms has a rotten floor because the toilet leaks (leaked). The floor is so soft that falling through is a real possibility. The smell of the is awful too.

Not exactly what I expected but the food was just okay ... nothing to write home about really ... I passed this place for so many years and always thought I should stop by and try it . I dont know maybe I chose to go too late in the season . However I doubt that I will go back I have talked to other people that tell me that this place is hit or miss sometimes it's good other times not so much but at these prices I want a hit every time ....

Not sure why this review type shows rooms as this was a bbq joint. However, I was in the area and wanted to give them a try. From the outside, it looks like a great barbecue joint. Except parking! Be careful trying to park in front. Ordered ribs to go with corn on the cob and potato salad. Ribs needed sauce, so make sure you ask for some to go or eat there. Didn't get to try the corn as I got corn bread instead. Didn't like the cornbread but dont like any cornbread. Ribs were good, nothing special. BBQ sauce on the side was 100% needed and great. Glad I checked before pulling away. They had a lone man as the host who was extremely nice but disappeared for a while cleaning off tables as I stood waiting to place an order. I guess call ahead if you want takeout. Would love to give it another try soon as the menu looked great.

627 K

3 stars so as not to skew the overall average. I was at Tail O’ The Pup about 25 years ago and I remember two things: I was unimpressed and it was smoky inside. I haven’t been back since until today. Apparently it’s gone through a few ownership changes and now it’s owned by Blue Line Brewery. They say on the menu that they don’t serve Baby Back Ribs and only serve the Meaty St Louis Ribs, so I ordered a half rack of ribs and corn bread. It strangely came with a slice of watermelon that I think came out of the freezer. The taste of the corn bread was pretty good but it crumbled when I tried to pick a piece off. Finally the ribs: Unremarkable. They sure looked like baby back ribs (see photo). The taste of the BBQ was good. That’s where the quality ends. I wouldn’t call them meaty, especially since they say they are. They were difficult to eat. The meat was dry and hard for the most part and there was a lot of non edible gristle to pick through. I get that we’re not in Texas, Kansas City, or the Carolinas, but if your establishment has a huge sign highlighting BBQ, for the last 30+ years, you better have good BBQ. And what’s with a place that specializes in BBQ, but doesn’t offer Brisket? I’m disappointed. This place is more of a hangout than a place to get BBQ. My advice is to lower your expectations and not order BBQ. You may get a good burger or a decent pulled pork sandwich, but then again, you may not. Maybe this was just a bad day for them (Saturday at 2:30), but it may be another 25 years before I try again.

Pauline Nelson

Food was good. Service was terrible. There wss only about 4 or 5 tables occupied. We watched a family come in and get seated. After 30 minutes they never even got their drinks, so they walked out. I asked for our check and a To-go container. 25 minutes and no waitress. When she showed up, no To-go containers. If I could have left a quarter for a tip, I would have.

Jeff Wood

I’ve been going here for 30 years. We drove 5 hours just to have dinner with family when we heard they were eating at the Tail O’ The Pup. For the first time, the food was just fair. I had the lobster which once cracked open didn’t look good. I pointer out my concern with the waiter / young man, who said I’m not sure how it’s supposed look & walked away. The corn was tasteless, and to coleslaw was dry… It wasn’t very busy so I was surprised at the condition of the food & the service. I’ve had some amazing meals and awesome experiences over the years at this place. Just disappointed at to experience last week.

cynthia lin

We went there for the food and it wasn’t great. I ordered a mac&cheese and it was basically room temperature. I had to ask them to reheat it for me. The pulled pork sandwich was very dry. As for the fish and chips, there was only one piece of fish and the rest of it were fries. The pork ribs were good.

+2

Kaitlin Perez

Third trip to this establishment. I have ordered the lobster pot meal and then lobster rolls the past 2 times. I think the recipe changed this year, not for the better; however, it was not bad.. just had added corn and maybe incorporated langustina lobster too? Not sure, but it was better in previous years. Great live music and playground. The parking can be tricky as there are limited spaces right in front of the restaurant. Outdoor seating covered by a large tent. Good variety from seafood to BBQ.

When you get food the food is good. The menu allows for add ons to the lobster in the form of shrimp, clams, and ribs. But the chef doesn't allow you to add the add ons. I first tried doing two orders of the shrimp, was told we could only do one, tried doing the ribs instead and was told the chef would make no accommodations. It isn't an accommodation if it is on the menu. The waitress was nice but frazzled. From the looks of it the entire staff appeared to be underwater and we were there before the dinner rush even began. My wife's food came out ten minutes before mine. However when food did arrive, it was good. Kind of made up for the bad experience.

We bought 2 BBQ lover platers and "supersized" them both ( full racks of ribs). These platters were supposed to have "Piled high pulled pork" along with a half a rack of ribs, half of chicken and 2 sides for $33 for each platter and then a $8. Up charge for each platter for the full rack of ribs. Needless to say we spent quite a bit of money for what we thought would feed our family. For the food itself, we actually only received a small cup of pulled pork per platter, not piled high as advertised, and the sides were very small. The BBQ ribs were ok, not great and all the food seemed to be old. The biscuits were like hockey pucks, but the waffle fries were good. And to boot, it wasnt ecen busy. We would not recommend this place.

Had shrimp at best was very bad. I got severely ill. Also was so loud had to leave within 10mins. How can anyone enjoy eating food with the music so loud? The food was good many years ago. Not anymore. Waitstaff was very young and hard working. We loved seeing that coming from a family who owned a restaurant. Please improve quality. We'll be back to try again.

Honestly, my expectations of this place when first driving by this, I was excited. However, my family and I had such a disappointing and bad experience. Maybe it was because we went too early before the dinner rush, I'm not sure. We ordered two family platters with ribs, pulled pork, coleslaw, pretty much everything. The ribs were OK, Waffle fries, amazing and the coleslaw was ok. But everything else, the biscuits, came out basically solid, the pulled pork and chicken, extremely dry with no flavor. If you're looking for a good BBQ place this is not the place to go. No issues with the service, just the food was not worth the price. Do not come here.

Great idea and concept. Loved the outdoor seating while listening to live music. Cool to see all the motorcycles parked on the grounds seeing that my party was too on a motorcycle trip. The service though was atrocious. I understand that there was a mass shortage of help this season but out our party of 8, I think maybe only 2 ppl actually were plased with their meal. Ribs clearly weren't smoked. Wings were extremely dry. The flavor of everything was just ehhhhh. Nothing about the food will have me wanting to come back anytime soon.

Cool place, however we were there for approximately 20 min (on a Tuesday afternoon) without being served. The people sitting behind us ordered their drinks, received their drinks, as well as ordered their food, without us even speaking with a server. We ended up leaving when people, who arrived after us , had a server come to their table (still no server had come to ours).

Nice young man serving us for an early dinner, had high hopes rolling in with family and seeing the quaint old school sign. Ordered the mixed meats with chicken, ribs, pulled pork - mediocre at best - the cornbread is an afterthought: thin, dry, crumbly, little flavor - like it had been sitting out for a day. Super dry pulled pork super dry, needed to be slathered with the bbq sauce to revive. Pork ribs nothing special - go anywhere down south and they will be blown away. Plus they don’t use MSG as a flavor enhacer, they let the meat speak for itself. I accept the tourist summer rip off prices but don’t dial it in please because it’s a magnet for families wanting to have decent bbq when traveling.

Just go into town. I spent $44 for a lobster roll and mac & cheese. The lobster roll was the size of a Twinkie, supposed to be on a hotdog bun. Over usage of corn, even in the Baked beans. Claims to be a barbecue joint, but doesn’t have barbecue Sides. I was going to say something, But the staff seemed easily agitated, and the Google responses are hilariously aggressive. Genuine waste of money, this is my first Bad Google review. God bless and I'm sorry if your business is struggling, however the food was disappointing, and the service was underwhelming. Good location though.

Gregory Harvey

Have been in area on off season. Was able to try them today. Everyone has different taste. This place do not meet mine. Ordered 1/2 chicken and 1/2 rib platter with baked beans and potato salad. Salad was very good. Beans average, slight flavor but not earthmoving. Chicken was tender but no flavor, ribs were St. Louis as expected, but lacked a barbecue flavor or smoke flavor. Did not finish eating any of it and did not take with me. Atmosphere is great love the concept. Probably get one timers coming up seasonally. I am one timer. Did not stay in a cabin. But that is probably fun!!!

Absolutely horrible service, owner/manager had a horrible attitude and was nasty to us even though we were nothing but polite to him. Will never return, and do not recommend. 0/10 *** There was no ambulance or EMS anywhere on the property as the owner is claiming in the statement below.

Well my husband and I decided to grab a bite to eat. We live in the area and never have been told the Tail Of The Pup. Unfortunately, we will not be returning. Let’s start with the hostess. Started to greet and talk to us with a large amount of food in her mouth. We did not understand a word she was saying. Our waitress. Was wearing short shorts and her butt cheeks were hanging out. She only checked on us once while we were eating. By the way you were no where near busy. My husband got the pulled pork sandwich a f it was extremely dry. I got the lobster roll and got sick due to corn and relish being in it. I’m big on seafood and that was absolutely disgusting! We waited 20 mins after our meal was finished for our waitress to give us the bill.

Went there for lunch yesterday and was very disappointed. My wife and I have eaten there many times over the years and enjoyed good BBQ. The new chef changed the menu completely offering many fewer choices and much higher prices. The portions are smaller and the quality of the food is mediocre, at best. We had the fried, breaded chicken livers ($9.00) as an appetizer and they were greasy and overcooked. My guess is that they were already cooked and just dunked in hot oil to heat them up. In my opinion, they were served too quickly to have been made to order. Our pulled brisket sandwiches ($16.00) were dry and lacked any smoke flavor. The sandwich was served with French fries and a few "pickled" raw vegetables that tasted only of vinegar. Very sad that a favorite restaurant of ours has gone down the crapper. Where is Gordon Ramsey when you need him?

I can remember this restaurant being the best in the Adirondacks. You could smell the barbecue a mile away. Today we stopped thinking it was going to be amazing. The service was terrible, the food wasn't fresh. My burger wasn't thick and delicious like I was expecting, very thin and dry. The chicken and ribs weren't fresh were dry and barely warm. The waffle fries were minimal. Our waitress never asked how our food was. Very disappointed...we will never go back. Will be telling our friends not to waste there time or money.

There were 3 other tables also dining when my party of 2 was seated. Drinks came quickly, waitress was rude in regards to rushing us to order our meals after we placed the appetizer, so we asked for just a couple of minutes to decide. It took literally 15 minutes for her to come back to take our meal orders. Our appetizer (which consisted of a couple of chicken wings and cornbread) was brought out 40 minutes after ordering it, and 10 MINUTES AFTER OUR DINNERS WERE BROUGHT OUT. waitress was still severely unfriendly, and the ribs were over cooked. The chicken was drier than any meat I’ve ever eaten. We were so annoyed by this point, that we asked for the check, but from another waitress because ours had disappeared for another 20 minutes. After leaving we called to speak to a manager just to let them know that we had a terrible experience. Upon speaking to the manager he said “ok call me back in like two hours I’m busy right now” so we didn’t even bother. Extremely unprofessional and undeserving of business with that attitude. I’m glad that we paid $80 for less than decent food and even worse hospitality.

Best Ribs Ever? Definitely an overstatement. While not the worst ribs I've ever tasted they were quite tough and the fat was not properly rendered. Fries were cold and bland although the cornbread was tasty. Nice atmosphere to grab a beer but I would recommend to skip their food. I seem to have remembered the food being better but it's looks like it's under new management and their kitchen has dropped in quality and consistency. Server was very nice and attentive though. P.S. the frozen margaritas were pretty much margaritas with chopped ice.

Have driven by this place for many years. Never at a meal time, except today! Go a lobster roll. What a big disappointment. Tiny bits of lobster that tasted like tuna fish. And way too much corn. Was like a corn sandwich. Well now I know I never missed anything. . .

Food was tasteless and cold. There were 10 in our party. Food took way too long to be served and we had to inquire with our server for the remaining meals that weren't brought out. Pulled pork, ribs and chicken all tasted old, waffle fries were cold and stale. We used to love eating here and the food and service was always excellent but the last 3 times, both were horrible. We thought it was due to just reopening after the pandemic, so gave it one more try after a few months but no improvement so we won't be eating here again anytime soon.

I really don’t like to give bad reviews but this is what happened to me yesterday,been going here for years and always very happy but yesterday i ordered the soup,onion rings and the rio grande salad,the soup and the salad were amazing but the onion rings were completely soggy, when i showed the onion rings to the girl who served us,she said simply that’s the way they are without even trying to change them, Im sorry but I never had soggy onion rings and I’m sorry for this review but i tried to fix it before i wrote this Thank you

Came in and asked if we were able to sit at the bar, the hostess was clueless. I’m assuming the man who came out to speak to us was the owner, extremely rude and nasty. We went to the bar anyways and the girl behind the bar said she wasn’t serving. We came to have a good time and spend our money here but after his horrible attitude, lack of professionalism, and the fact no one knew what was going on in that place we just walked out. Do not recommend. And now the owner is replying about an ambulance outside the place and medical emergency in the dining room which is a complete lie. No ambulance, and we did look in the dining room on our way out because we both were curious about the place. Shows more how unprofessional the owner is to lie about such things instead of apologizing for terrible service. Stay away from this place it’s bad news!

We went and ordered just cornbread and it was awful. Super thin looked like they burnt it at the bottom. First and dry and that shouldn’t be. I wished I opened the take out box before I left, because I would have asked for my money back. Really bad and terrible of them to sell that to someone.

honestly this place has a ton of potential and they might have been half way decent when they opened 50+ years ago but I went to this place twice in a row. all i wanted was steamers. the first night they forgot to add them to my order and never brought them out. the second night after waiting in way too long of a line to be seated and completely mismanaged wait staff running around and turns out.:: they ran out of clams. third time will not be a charm.

Rustic? More like Disgusting! Stayed two nights this past weekend and were extremely disappointed with the accommodations. The day we were arriving we got a message telling us, the toilet was broken, the floor in the bathroom was rotten and the heater had just been replaced so the tiles had been removed. When we arrived we saw that the top of the toilet tank was broken and the flush handle was snapped. The owners solution was to put our hand in the tank water each time we wanted to flush to pull the chain up. We asked if they could fix it as we didn’t want to stick our hands in the toilet each time and his solution was to give us gloves. I got some rope and tied it to the chain to make a handle so we didn’t have to get our hands wet. The place was also filthy and didn’t look like it had been seriously cleaned in a long time. The shower was full of hair, the coffee filter basket was disgusting, and half the windows didn’t close properly, the door had a massive gap letting cold air in unless you cranked the heat. Charging $150 a night for this place is insane. There is also no owner on site, we found this out when we accidentally locked the key in the hut. Turns out the “front office” has been rented out to a tenant. The owner was completely unresponsive and useless. Lied constantly about not seeing messages when Airbnb showed they had been read. Response to Owners Response: 217 USD is exactly 300 CAD so $150 CAD a night. The owners response here is exactly how they responded to our messages, making excuses for themselves and ignoring the point. If you run a motel, maybe have a back-up maintenance guy in case yours leaves town for 9 days. Claims they only knew about the broken toilet right before check-in, but ignores that the floor in the bathroom is rotten and clearly has been for a while. You didn't "miss" the coffee pot, you just clearly don't care enough about your guests to clean the rooms and then make excuses when complaints come in. Pointing to a rating of 4.4 stars doesn't mean a thing when this is what you get. Also you have a 3.7 star rating on google.

+4

I had an extremely poor experience at this place. 1. We were given old menus with outdated descriptions and pricing. 2. My pulled pork was filled with bone and cartilage (see picture for the inedible portions I pulled out of the food). It was nearly every bite. 3. For some reason there seemingly is a half-eaten / broken watermelon slice on each dish. 4. I advised the waitstaff and their resolution was to provide me another plate. Why would I want more bad BBQ? 5. Restrooms were poorly attended and lacked essential items. This left my friend stranded in an unfortunate situation...which I found hilarious. The people in the parking lot saw recognized my frustration and indicated their dinners were horrible as well. For two of us, the bill was $57.00. A better use of that amount would be two travel down the road about half a mile and buy some cokes and beef jerky from the local tractor supply store.

Stopped for an early dinner last week, a great location and friendly staff. Unfortunately our meal, the lobster roll was not so delightful. The lobster was over cooked and difficult to chew. Our waitress Robin was very friendly and offered to adjust our bill, however we had just paid and were on our way out. We would not order the lobster roll again, a very disappointing meal.

Cosmic Kitty

Our food took a very long time, and when it arrived, it was cold. Meat was dry, coleslaw was bland, fried fish was greasy and tasted old. The place overall has become very run down. I don't recommend. I looked through the reviews first, and I am shocked at the snarkiness of the owner's responses. That alone shows the unprofessional and uncaring attitude of the current owners. Sad. This place was an Adirondack icon. 😕

Bella Hoit

We had wonderful lobster/seafood dinner.3-4 times during the past week. We returned today. I once again had a lover roll. It was horrible. It didn't even have much lobster in it. They put corn in it, never before. And not enough lobster to make a claw. It was horrible. We complained, no price reduction. The waitress didn't seem to know her job either. No reduction in price or an "I am sorry" Shame on them.

Shayan Milani

I Threw Up After Eating Here – Save Yourself the Headache I’m only writing this review because I threw up after eating here and don’t want anyone else making the same mistake I did. Overall Experience: Complete trash. Don Hamp honestly made the best review here, and I wish I had looked at the reviews before coming here. Atmosphere: All the outdoor seating was swarming with relentless bugs. Not exactly their fault, but definitely made the experience miserable. Food: Trail Burger – Bland, tiny patty, and served on a sub bun (seriously?). Zero flavor. Waffle Fries – The only decent thing we had, but not nearly enough to redeem the meal. 1/2 Chicken Meal – The worst offender. The BBQ flavor tasted like grease trap runoff, slimy, and the inside of the chicken smelled like a dirty dishwasher. We forced down part of a leg because we hadn’t eaten properly in over 5 hours, and regretted every bite. (Ate 1/4 of the chicken) Cornbread – Dry and unimpressive. (One bite) Watermelon (side) – Made no sense on the plate and added nothing to the meal. (Untouched) After such a terrible meal, I asked to send it back and get a refund. The staff offered me just 10% off, which was insulting. After pushing, they spoke to the manager (who wouldn’t even come out to face me) and finally gave 25% off. Still unacceptable for food that was basically inedible. Once I got back to my Airbnb, my body completely rejected everything I ate there. Final Verdict: Save yourself the headache, the money, and the stomach ache. Don’t even look in the direction of this place.

Don Hamp

It’s a red and white themed enterprise that feels like a dirty, gloomy country fair. In the grass by the entrance, the eyes of the badly weathered five foot wooden lobster, missing a few legs, crudely caulked, & repainted red many times, sadly suggests you should turn around. The outdoor dining room of red picnic tables lies under a sagging, leaf soiled, mildewed canopy festooned with mostly broken Christmas lights. Surrounding you is a fence of plastic chains interspersed with stacks of used beer kegs. (A prison yard ambiance. Do that many people attempt to bolt without paying?) The “cabin” featuring ice cream is a attended by an unsmiling teen who says if you want ice cream you can cross the street (A life threatening move on 86) The men’s room welcomes you with a broken door leading to a urinal and single stall built from a warped and chipped plywood last painted white well before 1967. The sink (almost in the stall) has a fancy mirror and lipstick-on-this-pig ornate waterfall faucet. On the way out there is a paper towel dispenser that has lost every fight and probably never contained paper towels. The food, fine if you like oil soaked pulled pork. My corn was definitely not picked that day. It’s not just bad, but hilariously bad and that is why you should visit. Together let’s enjoy the owner's response below.