Kowaliga Restaurant
295 Kowaliga Marina Rd, Alexander City, AL, 35010
Kowaliga Restaurant Menu
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Visit below restaurant in Alexander City for healthy meals suggestion.
Visit below restaurant in Alexander City for healthy meals suggestion.
Visit below restaurant in Alexander City for healthy meals suggestion.
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Address :
295 Kowaliga Marina Rd
Alexander City, AL, 35010 - Phone (256) 215-7035
- Website https://www.kowaligarestaurant.com/
- Click To Get Directions
Opening Hours
- Tue
- Mon :Closed
Specialities
- Takes Reservations : Yes
Delivery : No
Take-out : Yes
Accepts Credit Cards : Yes
Good For : Lunch
Parking : Private Lot
Bike Parking : Yes
Good for Kids : Yes
Good for Groups : Yes
Attire : Casual
Ambience : Casual
Noise Level : Average
Alcohol : Full Bar
Outdoor Seating : Yes
Wi-Fi : Free
Has TV : Yes
Waiter Service : Yes
Caters : Yes
WE SERVE THE FOLLOWING STATES
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Jay K.
OK. First of all, the food is very good. I waitress Kaylan? Was just as good as the food overall a very good experience. However, the beginning of the visit was not good at all we passed through 3 to 4 groups of young folks,maybe college students, that need to be trained on customer service! The first 2 to 3 looked at us we had to ask them what do we do they pointed to the hostess stand??so overall that was probably 6 to 7 young folks with blue shirts on that I think we're supposed to be working but they absolutely did not have a clue about customer service. As a matter of fact, we felt like one huge bother to them. But at the end of the day with the great visit.
(3)Cathleen E.
One of our fave things to do at Lake Martin! Midday bar and nibbles stop by boat. Friendly service.
(4)Ernest W.
SUMMATION: View, décor, and service were excellent and charming. The food was very good, but serving sizes were too small, particularly for their prices. Menu is limited. NAME: Kowaliga Restaurant on Lake Martin ETYMOLOGY: Named for the wooden Indian [1] that Hank Williams immortalized in 1953 song "Kaw-liga" [2]. SIZE: 350 seats TITLE: "Charming but Scant" [Tripadvisor, review #322, submitted 17 April 2015] ALABAMA TRIP REVIEW NUMBER: 10 MY RATING: Average (3/5) E-MAIL: sjones@russelllands.com TELEPHONE: (256) 215-7035, FAX: 256-215-7038, Cell: WEB PAGE: kowaligarestaurant.com RESERVATIONS: no TAKE OUT: yes HOURS OF OPERATION: 11 am-2 pm and 5-9 pm Wednesday-Friday; 11 am-2 pm, 2-5 pm*, 5-9 pm Saturday-Sunday * limited mid-day menu OWNER: Russel Lands Corporation, Vice President Roger Holliday EXECUTIVE CHEF: Russ Bodner GENERAL MANAGER: Rob McDaniel MANAGER: Stacey Jones LOCALITY: 295 Kowaliga Marina Road, Alexander City, Alabama 35010 OCCASION: took friends out PARKING: Ample, paved parking lot on land, also docks for boats, and our friend once landed a float plane here and docked it. VIEW: Marvelous views of Kowaliga Bridge, Lake Martin, etc. The sunset would have been nice, but the weather was too cloudy. AIR-CONDITIONED: yes OUTSIDE SEATING: Tables on a covered porch with ceiling fans GREETING: Excellent, no waiting, led to table. LAYOUT: At end of a peninsula with water on 3 sides. Many tables inside and out. DÉCOR: Charming setting and view. Wood tables and chairs, cloth napkins, no table cloths, unimaginative decorations except the wooden Indian (Kowaliga IV carved by Cory Worden). INTERNET: free WiFi SPECIALS: Thursday Wing Night BAR: full-service drinks WATER: ice water poured from pitchers into pint glass jars CUISINE: southern FLATWARE: heavy stainless MENU FORMAT: Xeroxed paper page MENU ITEMS: appetizers, sandwiches, salads, steaks, chowder, seasonal vegetable plate, catfish [3], shrimp, chicken, deserts [see their web page] WAITSTAFF: very good BREAD: No bread and butter served, but 2 large, excellent hushpuppies came with each meal. APPETIZERS: 1/2 lb of large, excellent shrimp (6 for $18); no crab claws on the menu SALAD: good tossed salad, but could have been larger ($2 extra to replace side). ENTRÉE: 2 broiled Channel Catfish filets were excellent; fried shrimp, pork chop, and smoked chicken were very good. Presentations were ordinary and unimaginative. Serving sizes were too small for the prices. SIDES: Black-eyed peas were good. CONDIMENTS: A 6-pack, paper carton of 6 squeeze bottles of ketchup, tartar sauce, mayokatchup, etc. was very messy and tacky. SALT AND PEPPER: on table SERVING TIME: very quick, salads before shrimp were gone, and meal before salads were done. DESERT: Excellent fruit (apple) cobbler with ice cream and chocolate brownie with ice cream. Lemon pie with whipped cream was in a small, aluminum-foil dish, obviously not home made, and too small. BATHROOM: Clean, well lit, modern, stall, impaired stall, urinals, multiple sinks, foam soap, paper towels. COST COMPARISON: expensive COMPARISONS: More expensive and smaller portions than most similar restaurants. AWARDS: Their Catfish Taco was rated one of the top 50 best tacos in the USA (2014, Food Network Magazine); McDaniels was a semifinalist for the prestigious James Beard Foundation Award for best chef in the South (2013). REVIEWS: rated Good, 3.5/5, 24 reviews (Tripadvisor); Good, 7.4/10, 19 reviews (FourSquare); Good, 3.7/5, 17 reviews (Yelp) [4]; Very Good, 4.2/5, 150 votes (Facebook); Good, 7.3/10, 12 reviews, 43 votes (UrbanSpoon) HISTORY: Toppy and Charlotte opened the original Kowaliga in 1953. My First Mate visited it several times 1955-1956. She remembers their first wooden Indian was just a cigar store advertisement one, the restaurant was just a hole-in-the-wall place by the road, the original bridge was much lower, and very tall pine trees lined the road. In later years, it was renamed as "Cecil's On the Lake", but was burned down in 1999. A year later, Russell Lands, who owns the property, built a new restaurant on the same site, and since 2000, leased it to Johnny Sullivan, who owns two Sinclair's restaurants in Montgomery. Sullivan called it "Sinclair's Kowaliga Restaurant". When the lease came up for renewal last fall, Russell Lands took over operation of the restaurant to re-create the old Kowaliga by closing, renovating, and reopening 24 April 2013 [5]. FOOTNOTES: [1] The first 2 wooden Kowaliga Indians, which stood outside the original restaurant, were stolen. The 3rd, was made of concrete, survived the 1999 fire, and now resides at the Russell Crossroads Discovery Center. The new one, stands nearly 9 feet tall, was carved out of a pine tree, and is affectionately known as "Kowaliga IV." [2] Williams was an Alabama native who grew up in Georgiana and vacationed in a cabin on Lake Martin. He recorded the song in 1952
(3)Lacey H.
Best view on Lake Martin and a damn good fish taco! Boat over and Watch the world go by while sitting on the deck with a branch water in hand! #lakemartinliving
(5)John-Bryan H.
Best place on the lake for the whole family. Great bar scene is great and always casual.
(5)Chris J.
The food was hot , fresh and on time. We arrived for the simple "mid day menu". The fried catfish tacos are very tasty. The fish is cooked perfectly and the slaw is fresh with a hint of cilantro. The grilled jalapeño that is served with it is a welcome addition. I highly recommend the fried catfish tacos. Our waitress, Jesse, was very friendly, and very attentive but not overbearing. Her service to us was perfect.
(5)Cindy J.
We love this restaurant, service is friendly, food is great and we always feel welcome. I didn't give five stars only because I wish a little more seafood was on the menu but what is there is always tasty, always prepared well and we never leave hungry.
(4)Terry D.
Great Southern food. Lots of catfish. On the lake with a wonderful view. They have an outdoor porch that overlooks the water. It was my first time eating collard greens. They told me it was like spinach - or not! I'm not sure how Southerners gained a taste for that foul stuff. The rest of the dinner was great. Everyone in our group loved their food. Prices were fair too. It's in Alabama, so the hospitality from the staff was wonderful. They made us feel like family. When I visit again, I hope to go there. Well worth the trip!
(4)William D.
We ate at the new Kowaliga Restaurant for the first time on July 26 2014. Jessica was an outstanding server. Family had the Catfish, Ribs and a Hamburger. Plenty of food and tasty. Ribs were smoked & done to perfection. The Brownie with Ice Cream topped with Hot Fudge was mouth watering. We had axe party of seven and were seated immediately even though the restaurant was packed with patrons! We welcome this new restaurant on Lake Martin which takes the place of Sinclares! We did not order anything from the Bar! Highly recommend!
(4)Massimo F.
Food, service, location, view, beers, homemade delicious desserts, view, food ... I'll go back every time I'll be around there
(5)S D.
Great view with easy boat access. Bar service good and friendly staff. Atmosphere meets a lake expectation. Food is underwhelming and the menu is weak. This place could use a food overhaul...it really has potential. I come here about 8 times a season.
(3)Darren G.
Sub par again. Food average... Took an hour to get our food. Thank goodness for the sunset otherwise it would get one star. Will be back after the menory of yet another bad experience expires.
(1)John C.
The view alone is worth 3 stars. Kowaliga was taken over by Russell lands and they totally redesigned the building, menu, concept, everything. I think the food is great and I've had about 5 months to sample it during the week and weekends. The fish tacos, onion rings, and Conecuh sausage are my three favorite apps in that order. Entree- catfish made Kowaliga famous back in the day and they do it well now. For newbies, Squealers are catfish on the bone. I've had all the sandwiches except the brisket but I hear its good. The cheeseburger is awesome and all the rest are good. Kowaliga is making an effort to use local Alabama products like Wickles Pickles and Conecuh sausage. They also have a very good beer selection. The prices are not outrageous. If you're looking for a fast food experience with a frozen sandwich priced to the tenth of a penny, this is not for you. But if you enjoy lakeside dining and a view without rival, come try it. Where else can you boat up and eat like this? A Lake Martin classic.
(5)Bill H.
I went to the original when I was young. I can't remember what I had then but I liked it then and based on a first visit I think that this will also become a favorite. For this trip, I had a 2 piece catfish fillet with Mac & Cheese plus onion rings. All items were excellent and the 2 piece was huge. The onion rings and hush puppies were outstanding. And what a view! This place is definitely on the meal plan.
(4)Gary F.
We recently stopped in by boat and had some great drinks and apps! Onion Rings A+ Peel and Eat Shrimp A+ I gave 4 stars as we had great service. A great place for bite by boat.
(4)Roaming E.
Awesome! {First, a side note. Notice that the poor ratings of this restaurant are from people with just a few reviews to their credit. As a general rule, pay no attention to any review from any reviewer with less than 25 postings. They are typically from someone trying to hurt or help a restaurant. Not someone who is actually interested in helping fellow yelpers.} Our party of 5 had a weekday lunch there today. The views and atmosphere in this place are just awesome. The service was perfect. Our waitress went out of her way to help my elderly mother and as granddaddy would say, "had a smile so sweet it was drippin sugar." The bar has a great liquor selection, the menu is full. Now as to the food: I had the best fried catfish I may have EVER had. Their hushpuppies are perfect. Murphy's salad was refreshing. Everyone at our table agreed they have the best onion rings any of us have had. We can't wait to go back for an evening meal.
(5)Thomas A.
Went to a private reception there. The heavy hors' d'oeuvres were outstanding. The fish and seafood was delicious. This indicates many menu items of tasty ingredients. The decor is well done with many Hank Williams memorabelia from his career. The view of Lake Martin is beautiful !
(4)Greg H.
This place isn't closed. It is very open. On Saturday August 3, 2013 the manager was completely inept. We were told that their was a 45 minute wait. We waited for 1:20 before we were seated. The waitress was frazzled but pleasant as she took our drink orders. We waited another 16 minutes for our drinks. As we waited we saw 9 empty tables while we knew that the hostess was still telling people that there was a 2 hour wait for a table. When the drinks cane back we'd been on site for 1:36. I asked the waitress for an estimate about how long it was going to take for our food to come or of the kitchen. She honesty said that she had no idea. I explsined i appreciated her directness but that wasn't acceptable to me and that we wouldn't be ordering. We were not unpleasant with each other at all, she understood and told us to take our time collecting or things and leaving. We never got to the food and we won't be trying this place again any time soon. They were incredibly understaffed. Management ineptness and deciet stole my evening.
(1)Marcus C.
We have frequented both the old ("Sinclair's") and new versions of this restaurant and will continue to do so for the good food, the location (not many options to boat to on Lake Martin), and the ambiance. But, our experience on Labor Day weekend 2013 warrants a 1-star review. If I had not eaten here before, I would never go back. Our party (4 adults 4 children) arrived by boat before 5:30 for an early dinner. The restaurant was less than 1/3 full when we walked in. There were a couple of other parties in the lobby waiting to be seated, and the hostess was handing out those little vibrating pagers that let you know when your table is ready. After sitting in the lobby (trying to keep our young children from climbing on the wooden Indian) for almost 30 minutes, I asked the frazzled "hostess" why we hadn't been seated when I could see at least 8 open tables in the main dining room, and many other open tables outside. She explained that they were trying to make sure they had enough waitresses, because she didn't want to put us at a table and have us wait on service (because that would be so much worse than waiting in the lobby, I guess...) but assured us we were "next" on the list. After another 5 minutes, they seated us at a 10-top outside that had been open since before we walked in. I asked the poor girl that showed us to the table if I could speak with the manager. She responded that the "hostess" was the manager. When I expressed my surprise, she clarified that she was actually the "assistant" manager. So, I asked to speak to the actual manager, and took my seat. The waitress came by after 5 minutes to take our drink orders and immediately apologized that it was "so crazy" in the restaurant (which was still less than 1/2 full around 6:00). She was cheerful and knowledgeable, but everything was painfully slow. She had odd excuses for the slowness: "Oh, nobody brought your drinks out yet--let me check on that" ... "sorry it took so long for these beers, the line at the bar is really long" ... "It's just so busy in here". At one point we stood up to find a water pitcher to refill our own glasses. Lots of other employees (high school aged kids bussing tables or carrying food for the waitstaff) standing around being under-utilized. They smiled apologetically at our frustration. The food itself was solidly good. The fried chicken livers and hush puppies are great appetizers, and the water-dog or grilled Conecuh dog are great. It was just really hard to enjoy them after the long wait poor service. I cannot imagine how bad the service became once the restaurant filled up later in the evening. The "real manager" never appeared... To summarize: (1) The "hostess" / manager was completely unable to deal with a 1/2-full restaurant. Her incompetence was embarrassing and disrespectful. (2) The waitstaff was either poorly-trained or overwhelmed. This shouldn't happen on a weekend that you know will be busy. It was Labor Day. At the lake. With beautiful weather. With an Auburn football game 30 minutes away. How can you be surprised that people want to eat at your restaurant? (3) The food was solid, but not good enough to overcome the other shortcomings.
(1)