We spent just over three months at our house in Lake Placid this summer and fall. As always, we visited some of our favorite restaurants and tried new ones. Here’s a run-down of our 2024 memorable meals in and around Lake Placid, and a few that weren’t so great.

Highly Recommend

• Rivertrail Beerworks. We went to Rivertrail Beerworks in Saranac Lake on the opening first night, and it was definitely the place to be. So fun! It seemed like everyone in Saranac Lake was there. It’s owned by the same guy who owns and runs the Lake Placid Pub & Brewery and Big Slide, so the quality is very comparable. Beer was great. Fish and chips were excellent. I loved the heated outdoor section of the restaurant. Highly recommend.

• Heritage Indian Grill. This new Indian restaurant opened this summer and we were anxious to try it for a change from our usual pub food. It did not disappoint! I ordered the Chicken Tikka Masala, Eric had the Lamb Rogan Josh and we also shared some Garlic Naan. Everything was so delicious. The location (down from Hannaford’s and the laundromat) leaves something to be desired, but the interior space was freshly decorated and nice. We will definitely return.

• Capisce Coffee. Capisce was new in 2023 and I returned several times this year. I loved this little gem of a coffee shop. Located on Cascade Road, it’s not in walking distance for us, but totally worth a stop if you’re out and about. Such a cute place. We had a very good spice Masala chai tea latte and they also sell coffee beans. I also still enjoy Origin Coffee on Main Street and also in Saranac Lake.

• Lake Placid Pub & Brewery. When our friends visit, we take them to the Lake Placid Pub for our favorite fish and chips and local beer. Everyone enjoyed it immensely. Be sure to hop on their website to check the wait time (and sign up for a table if there is a wait) before you go. Another awesome local pub is Big Slide, owned by the same guys, and their menu is a little more hip and foodie if you’re going for a date-night vibe.

• Cafe Rustica. I personally think Caffe Rustica has the highest quality food in town. Eric and I have dined there many times, and it is always our best meal. However, this year when we went for our anniversary, I ordered the duck and was not overly impressed. It was good, but not great. In the future, I’ll stick to their seafood and pasta dishes. They also have a solid wine menu if you enjoy wine. Reservations are usually a smart bet. The only downside is the location in a strip center.

• Simply Gourmet and Big Mountain Deli. One location (Simply Gourmet) is on Saranac Ave. about 2 blocks from our house, and the other is on Main Street. Although we’ve probably tried close to half of their different sandwiches, our usual order is the no. 1 Marcy on a caramelized onion roll. The sliced apple makes it. But you can’t go wrong with any of the sandwiches, soups or salads. I also like their breakfast burritos.

• Barley Sandwich. This sandwich shop in Saranac Lake is next level. The guy that owns and runs this shop is crazy amazing. His beef of weck is renowned, but he only makes it on certain days and not every week. Whatever you get there, it will be excellent. My recommendation is to stay open-minded and just let the guy behind the counter (aka the owner) make you whatever he thinks - chef’s choice. We went several times this year when biking through Saranac Lake on the Rail Trail.

• Soulshine Bagels. There aren’t a lot of places that still make their own bagels from scratch in house, but Soulshine Bagels does. We love them! One of our favorite rituals is to get the Polaris bagel sandwich with lox and head over to the lawn behind the Lake Placid Library to eat at their picnic tables beside Mirror Lake.

• West Shore BBQ. Being from Texas, we’re somewhat picky about our bar-b-que. Okay… very picky, especially when it comes to brisket. I know Smoke Signals is popular, but I have a hard time paying their prices. West Shore BBQ on Saranac Avenue launced last year (2023), and they’ve really upped their game since then. This year we returned and had a brisket sandwich that was OUTSTANDING. Serious quality and perfectly smoked. They have the real-deal smokers from Texas and make delicious brisket, pulled pork and ribs, as well as top notch sides. Unfortunately, they’re only open seasonally.

For more highly recommended restaurants, check out my all-time favorite restuarants listed in this post.

Solid Options

• Uno Mas. Another newbie for the Lake Placid restaurant scene. Uno Mas took over the space where the Thai restaurant used to be, back behind Saranac Sourdough on Saranac Ave. I really liked Uno Mas and give them an A for effort, even though it wasn’t as good as the Tex-Mex I’m used to in Texas. I thought their chips and homemade salsas were really good. I ordered chicken enchiladas and a margarita, and it was all very tasty. Eric was a little less impressed (maybe he needed a margarita!), but overall we had a good experience. They’ve updated the decor and it’s a pretty cute spot. You can find them on Facebook and Instagram, but no website.

• Fresh Tracks. Super cute pink-and-green breakfast/lunch spot. If you’re having a shopping day on Main Street and feeling sassy, I’d definitely stop in here for a lite bite. Eric and I split a chicken salad wrap that was pricy, but a solid portion for sharing. The table next to us ordered Acai bowls that looked amazing and that’s definitely what I’ll try on my next visit. However, if you’re not feeling hip and flush with cash, go across the street to the Big Mountain Deli for more extensive lunch options at better prices (see separate review above).

Our other local staples where we ate and had good meals this year included: Players, Dack Shack, The Cottage, China City, Ray Brook Brewhouse, Blue Line Brewery in Saranac Lake, Noon Mark Diner in Keene Valley. All are solid choices. Players has an amazing burger. If you want the ambience of a lake view, the Cottage is great (although they have a limited menu). Ray Brook Brewhouse is off the beaten path and almost always has an available table when everything else is crazy busy. And Blue Line has some of the most reasonable prices for burgers and pizza when you’re tired of paying Main Street prices. Noon Mark hands down is worth the drive for a patty melt on a cold or rainy day.

Meh

• Fratelli’s Pizza. Their Saranac Ave. location is new, but Fratelli’s has been in Wilmington for a while. It was our first time to try it, and we went twice for pizza at the Lake Placid location. It was good, but I think two times was enough. It’s fine in a pinch, but honestly I think their prices are high for what you get.

• Generations Tap and Grill. The Golden Arrow restaurant has a new indoor-outdoor seating area right on Main Street that’s nice and inviting. After walking past it several times, we decided to try them again. Who doesn’t want to sit out on a fun patio for al fresco dining? Well, once again it was … meh. We both ordered the Beef of Weck (a Buffalo specialty) and it didn’t come close to our expectations. Maybe we just haven’t found the right dish, but I doubt we’ll be back.

• Big Z’s Hangout. I won’t lie. We had a bad experience at Big Z’s Hangout. We went for a special comedy night with stand-up comics up from NYC. The comics were great, but the venue was terrible and the food was meh. I guess I shouldn’t expect very good food at what’s predominately a bowling alley, but even the hamburgers were mediocre. I definitely would not return unless someone REALLY wanted to go bowling. It’s not set up for live performances.

We tried to eat at the new White Bear restaurant on Wilmington Rd, but the wait was over an hour. It’s owned by the same folks who own Black Bear on Main Street, which is generally over-priced for what you get … so I wasn’t waiting in line for that. Maybe next year.