Sweetwater Tavern

Reviews

• AL

  Alicia Lovato

  1 day ago
  4.0
  Our first time trying Sweetwater Tavern. I'll start by saying it's a must try restaurant! For me they are in my to 5 favorites in the area (Sterling). The atmosphere was not at all what we were expecting from the looks of the building, the name, and the delicious bbq smell when you walk in the front doors. This was low-key fancy yet casual at the same time if that makes sense. It was family friendly and also a great place for a business dinner or a date. I was highly impressed with the staff! Everyone seemed to just work well with each other, helping out when and where needed, and they all seemed happy to be there. They worked like a well oiled machine but had brief interactions amongst each other like real humans! The food.... so we're kind of calamari snobs I guess you could say. So far Sweetwater is tied for our favorite! It was fresh, tasty, melt in your mouth and so delicious paired with the onion slivers and the sauce. There so many different choices on the menu, pretty much something for everyone. I opted for the salmon and boy am I glad I did! It was quite literally the BEST salmon I've ever had! Cooked perfectly, marinated and smoked then grilled, served with mashed potatoes and broccolini, it was the perfect meal! The Hanger steak was also delicious! The only non-positive feedback is that the menu did not mention it had mushrooms in the sauce on it and my girlfriend is allergic so we had to wait for a new one to be made. But the staff was extremely apologetic and quick to fix it which we appreciated. The key lime pie and the flour-less waffle dessert were the perfect ending! I don't know for sure, but it seemed like just about everything was fresh and made from scratch. This place was very impressive and we can't wait to go back again!
• SO

  Steve O

  1 day ago
  4.0
  Beautiful place with an amazing atmosphere and interior design. The whole restaurant feels warm, stylish, and very well put together. Definitely one of the nicest spots around the area for dinner or drinks. The food is usually really good and sometimes absolutely excellent, especially with the fresh bread and steaks. However, there were a couple of times when some dishes felt slightly undercooked or not fully finished, probably because the kitchen was rushing during busy hours. Overall still a great experience, good service, great vibe, and I would definitely come back. Strong 4 stars.
• GT

  Genesis Tremola

  4 days ago
  1.0
  Do rules only apply depending on who you are? Today my husband and I decided to have lunch there. Before going, I called ahead to make a reservation and specifically asked if there would be any issue bringing my service dog. The girl on the phone said no problem at all. I even waited for her to double check, and she confirmed again that it was completely fine. I understand that some people may feel uncomfortable around animals, so I made it very clear that I only wanted an outside table. I didn’t care if it was the farthest table possible. The moment we arrived, the three girls at the front immediately gave us attitude, like we were not what they expected over the phone. My husband and I are obviously Hispanic, and the looks and treatment we received were disgusting. They made us wait while rudely repeating that “only service animals are allowed.” MY DOG IS A SERVICE DOG, IDIOTS. She literally has a service ID, and nobody even bothered to ask. I was so humiliated and uncomfortable that we left and went across the street instead. Funny enough, Olive Garden gave us AMAZING service. They were kind, welcoming, and even offered water for my baby. But here’s the most unbelievable part: while sitting across the street, I watched two women walk into your restaurant with dogs that were clearly NOT marked as service animals, and nobody stopped them. So what exactly is the policy here? Or do the rules only apply to certain people? If I could leave 50 negative stars, I would. I have NEVER felt so discriminated against and unwelcome in a place in my entire life.
• JM

  Jared Mahar

  May 10, 2026
  5.0
  My kid had a sweet 16 birthday party right down the street, so Sara and I found a place close by to get a couple of drinks and a quick bite. We are not from the area and weren't sure where to go, so we settled on Sweetwater Tavern, and what a find it was. The place was packed and lively, but we found a spot at the outdoor bar quickly, where we were greeted by Michael immediately. The atmosphere here is great. Everyone seemed to be having a good time, and people were coming and going constantly. During our almost two hour visit, there was a line in the waiting room the whole time. The outdoor bar is very large with 20-25 seats in a horseshoe and overlooking a small pond which has a walking area. The music was great, also: not too loud, but loud enough to make out what songs were playing. The food was fantastic and very reasonably priced. We started with the Classic Margarita, which was sightly sweet and very refreshing. For food, we went with the Blue Crab & Shrimp Fritters, the Sweetwater Fried Chicken Tenders, and an order of the Community Bread Basket. The bread was very similar to Texas Roadhouse with soft fluffy rolls and a sweet whipped butter on the side (so so good). The crab and shrimp fritters were one of the most interesting starters we've had, in the best way. The lobster ginger sauce and corn salsa were fantastic, and the fritters themselves had some kind of very thin onion or potato straws, which gave them a nice crispy texture. Additionally, the shrimp was chunky, so you actually felt like you were eating shrimp and crab. The chicken tenders were fried in what appeared to be a thin batter, and were crispy and juicy, with one of the better honey mustard sauces I've ever had. The fries were similar to McD's, thin and crispy and absolutely delicious. The side-slaw was particularly wonderful with an interesting addition of what seemed to be celery and scallions, which added a nice crunch and a pop of flavor. I could have eaten that slaw all day. And the portions were all fairly large, leaving us stuffed on just these few items. I also had the Painted Lady Vienna Lager, a brown ale with a touch of sweetness, which was a perfect pairing with all the bread we had. I'm not sure when we'll be back in the area, but if we ever are, we'll definitely go out of our way to stop in, and if you live in the area or are driving by, you should to.
• KL

  Kayla Lapp

  May 1, 2026
  3.0
  Food ordered with specific allergies(milk being one), food came out with cheese on it, had ordered soup to come out before my meal, meal came out before soup to then find out that they ran out of the soup that was ordered but was not told until 20 minutes later, took forever to get the bill to pay and could see waitress doing silverware in the back, but didn't come and check on us for about 20 minutes, had to ask a bus boy to grab out waitress for us. The service staff was friendly, but orders came out wrong and service was slow at the end.

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