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Smoke on the Water BBQ Okauchee, Okauchee Lake, WI

Smoke on the Water BBQ Okauchee

4.5
4.5
71 Reviews
$30 and under
Barbecue

Make a reservation

2 people
7:00 p.m.
Booked 3 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 am–8:30 pm Fri, Sat 11:00 am–9:30 pm Sat 4:00 pm–8:30 pm Sun 11:00 am–8:00 pm
  • Phone number
    (262) 468-5012
  • Website
    https://smokeonthewaterwi.com/
  • Dress code
    Business Casual

Menu

View menu on restaurant's website

What 71 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
  • 4.2Ambience
  • 4.4Value

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.

71 Reviews

  1. Steve

    Milwaukee

    1 review

    3.0

    1 review

    Dined 2 days ago

    1. Overall 3
    2. Food 3
    3. Service 3
    4. Ambience 3
    We each order the Valentines special. We had a tall table for two, which does not allow for much table top space. The salad arrive before the appetizer, and both delivered to our table with in a couple minute of each other. We barely had started our salad and the main course arrived before we had finished either the salad or app. The girls who delivered the main course just stood there and waited while we tried to make space to set the plates down. My wife had the steak which was done medium rare like she ordered, but the potatoes and veggies were not even warm. I ordered the chicken which was overdone and dry and my pasta and veggies were also cold. We had been there previously and eat an appetizer, which was very good. Will not be going back for a special meal offering. Table setting could of been bit more appropriate of a Valentine special event with cloth napkins and maybe a candle or flower.

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  2. Stuart

    Milwaukee

    1 review

    1.0

    1 review

    Dined 2 days ago

    1. Overall 1
    2. Food 2
    3. Service 3
    4. Ambience 1
    This was advertised as a Valentines dinner with live music. There was no live music. It was loud and people were crammed together. The server was amazing. The food was sub par and they added costs on that were not mentioned in the menu or by server. The piece was extremely high for the level of food that was served and false advertising on the live music, making for terrible ambience.

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  3. Tricia

    Milwaukee

    2 reviews

    5.0

    2 reviews

    Dined 2 days ago

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 4
    Went for Valentines Day - the special food & drink menus were great - the food was amazing and the Smoked Old Fashions are perfect! Can’t wait to go back!

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  4. Robert

    Chicago

    3 reviews

    5.0

    3 reviews

    Dined 3 days ago

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Cassidy was very friendly and gave us excellent service during our visit. Our food was delicious and we will definitely be back.

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  5. Jessica

    Milwaukee

    1 review

    5.0

    1 review

    Dined on February 2, 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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  6. Julie

    Milwaukee

    1 review

    3.0

    1 review

    Dined on January 26, 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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  7. Maureen

    Milwaukee

    34 reviews

    4.0

    34 reviews

    Dined on January 24, 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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  8. Harold

    Milwaukee

    1 review

    5.0

    1 review

    Dined on January 23, 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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  9. Julie

    Milwaukee

    3 reviews

    5.0

    3 reviews

    Dined on January 11, 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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  10. Julie

    Milwaukee

    1 review

    4.0

    1 review

    Dined on January 11, 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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FAQs

Smoke on the Water BBQ Okauchee is rated 4.5 stars by 71 OpenTable diners.

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

Make a reservation

2 people
7:00 p.m.
Booked 3 times today
Google Map for Smoke on the Water BBQ Okauchee

N50W35016 Wisconsin Ave, Okauchee Lake, WI 53069

Dining areas

Additional information

  • Neighbourhood
    Oconomowoc
  • Hours of Operation
    Mon–Thu 11:00 am–8:30 pm Fri, Sat 11:00 am–9:30 pm Sat 4:00 pm–8:30 pm Sun 11:00 am–8:00 pm
  • Price
    $30 and under
  • Cuisines
    Barbecue
  • Dining style
    Casual Dining
  • Dress code
    Business Casual
  • Parking details
    None
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