Gaby's by the Lake

Gaby's was lovely. I had the lobster mac and cheese which was wonderful. The staff were amazing and very pleasant. We ate here a few times, and it was always nice. The atmosphere was fantastic.

Atmosphere and service were ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️!! Food was meh. The bbq nachos were amazing but the salmon dinner was super salty and the hoecake had zero flavor and the pasta was just ok. The blueberry crisp dessert was fantastic!! Our server Val was the best part of the meal! We got the nachos at the pool again the next day and they were even better. Maybe stick to apps and dessert or sandwiches here!! Pricy for food you don’t like!

Wow! The Ritz-Carlton on Lake Oconee maybe the best hidden gem in the south. If you’re looking for relaxation, golf and water sports this place is truly breathtaking. Gaby’s by the Lake is on the resort and the perfect complement to the relaxing atmosphere around. Situated right on the lake ,the drinks and food are excellent. My favorite spot is the table seating by the bar which is the perfect lunch or dinner spot after a day on the course!!

Very beautiful place. We had business dinner here and it was a nice experience. The servers were polite and accommodating. They had good vegetarian and vegan options. The lake views are very pretty.

Is not just by the lake. Is an experience, the staff always exceed any expectation, promptly to serve, the food is incredible. The new pool bar is a great adition to enjoy the day by the lake. Gaby's have all you need to enjoy a wonderful day. Did I mention that it is located at The Ritz-Carlton Reynolds Lake Oconee? The cherry on top 😍

Edited: My family went back to Gaby's due to another restaurant being closed. It was awful. The kids pizza was worse than frozen pizza from the grocery store - chewy, barely edible, double the price, and half the size. The chicken tenders were similar - worse than frozen grocery store tenders and 75% bad breading. Three of us got the Japanese rice bowl, and the rice was ... al dente. I'm sorry, but if you can't get pizza, chicken tenders, or rice correct, why are you even a restaurant? The busser was clearing away dishes on my table before we were done eating, which breaks one of the only rules for bussing a table. I had to tell them to go away and come back when we were finished. They *again* seated us at 2 different tables and service was just slow. So slow. Microwaved pizza and chicken tenders don't take 30 minutes to make, and I can't believe how much I paid for them and half a cup of undercooked rice and a few veggies on the side. Avoid. Every other restaurant we've been to in the area has had better food, bigger portions, and had better prices (including the restaurant *inside* a gas station). -----‐---------------------- (Original review) It is a convenient location and has some wonderful dishes. However, it took a *long* time to get orders taken and for the food to come out. My salad came out far after everyone else's food (weird). They wouldn't put tables together to accommodate us, which meant we had to sit at 2 different tables (I guess they only have one table that accommodates parties of over 10 people). The flatbread pizza, seaweed rice bowl, garlic paremsan wings, and Asian chicken salad were really good. The kids chicken tenders and fries were small and not great and are double what they cost at non fancy restaurants (which have larger portions and taste better). I guess I just expect more from the Ritz. If I'm going to pay that much for lunch, I want impeccable service and food. This was not that.

Excellent location and service . Resturant Manager Cat, has an exceptional approach to customer service.

I went to Gabby's for lunch with my party of five. Everyone's meal tasted good and was presented very well. I would highly recommend this restaurant. Our meals were a little on the pricey side but then again, we were eating at the Ritz. All in all, it was worth it. The staff could not be more friendly and helpful.

Well where do I start? First, like other reviews, we were told it would be a 20 minute wait. No worries- we grabbed drinks at the bar. 20 minutes went, 30 minutes went, then we finally asked and they looked at us like it was our fault. We were seated. And the waiting began again, for 15 minutes. There were only about 6 other tables taken and everyone was looking around for some help. We placed more drink orders and some apps, trying to get something. My "dirty" martini was served in a plastic cup....and was dry. We finally decided to throw in the towel considering the drinks took an extra 25 minutes. Find somewhere better.

I dined at Gabys for lunch with my husband, dad, and stepmom on a Saturday around 1:30 PM. The restaurant was quite busy, and we were informed it would be a 20-minute wait for a shaded table. We decided to grab drinks at the bar while we waited. After 40 minutes with no text about our table, we checked in and discovered their texting system wasn't working. Once we were seated, everything improved. Our waitress was friendly, and my drink was refilled frequently. However, I noticed that prices have risen significantly since my last visit, particularly for appetizers, which are now in the $20 range and feel more like entrée pricing esp for the lunch hour. The BBQ nachos were fantastic and offered a generous portion. The hummus was decent, though a bit unusual in flavor, but my stepmom enjoyed it. I really liked the jerk chicken lettuce cups, which had a nice amount of chicken and flavor. If I had to nitpick, the chicken seemed like it might have been pre-frozen and diced. The lobster sandwich was just okay and not something I would order again. Service & atmosphere were great. Overall, despite the initial hiccup, we had a pleasant experience.

Wowza, the executives at the Ritz should do a quality check intervention ASAP. After a spa visit, I sauntered for a waterside light bite and glass of wine. The bar was packed, but I was finally able to belly up next to two over-served bros gossiping about some woman they knew and wanted to discuss in the most sexist way. There were about 4 or so bartenders managing the area, but often seemed to be checking their phones and rolling their eyes. I finally got the attention of one of them and ordered a glass of sparkling rose. I was apathetically poured a glass of still rose. I opted not to say anything and just drink it because it took long enough to get said drink. I ordered the Bang Bang fish tacos as a late lunch. Mind you, the menu doesn't explain what exactly the fish is or how it is prepared, so I had to ask. For those out of the loop, it is a Swai fish. The bartender failed to explain they're also fried. Fried wouldn't have been my first choice, but I love bang bang shrimp sauce and thought it would be similar in presentation and flavor. Either way, upon delivery, the flour tortillas were hard and crispy, indicating it sat lost and forgotten under a heat lamp. The fish was over fried, dry and reminiscent to a fast food/buffet fish. The slaw was way too mayonnaise heavy and the purple cabbage stained everything around the plate because it was left for so long. The side was a few red, white and blue tortillas chips I could get at any, everyday restaurant. The food was entirely forgettable for a $25 Ritz Carlton lunch. All of that to say, my bartender was too busy not ringing up drinks for the regulars on the other side of me. I didn't want to raise a stink, so despite the disgusting lunch and wine I didn't order, I decided to cut my losses and head out. Later that day, I came with a group of girl friends. It was our friend's 40th, so we were limited on options, plus I was willing to give this place the benefit of the doubt on account that maybe the bartender was backed up and/or despite the late lunch visit, they were maybe just having a roughy time. Either way, we opted to drink a few cocktails to start. My "dirty" martini was the slowest to arrive and was the "cleanest" dirty martini I've ever had. Oy vey. Dinner. I wanted to eat some greens, so I opted for the Kale Caesar ($19) and added shrimp ($18). The Caesar was described as having some tomatoes and chickpea croutons. When it arrived, it was a bowl full of romaine with like, 4 tiny shrimp, a few sprinkles of chickpeas and very little dressing, nor dressing on the side. When others who ordered the Kale Caesar inquired why there was no kale, the server said she wasn't really sure. Either way, it was a pathetic equivalent of a bagged salad for basically $40 because it was "the ritz". On our way out, I observed the health score was an EIGHTY ONE, y'all. 81!!!!! Do you know how much you have to screw around to achieve that kind of score? I worked at several restaurants over the span of about 10 years across my teens and early 20s and I know how much restaurants can get away with and still not get a score of 81. Barf. Don't ever plan on returning and I certainly hope others will think twice before going. They're hanging in the laurels of being a restaurant within the Ritz, but the quality doesn't reflect the cost.

Went to Gaby's to celebrate a friends graduation on may 3rd at 6:30. The atmosphere was nice with a great view of the lake with some shade above us. Our server was so sweet and attentive!!! (i forgot her name but she had red hair and was shortish) We got an appetizer of the BBQ pork nachos and pimento cheese hush puppies (no pics i forgot because i was too busy scarfing them down). THEY WERE DELICIOUS!!!!! entree was the scallops and those were also pretty good, slightly overcooked but overall good. After we enjoyed a few drinks at the bar and the bartenders were great! I would recommend Gaby's!

Underwhelming. This restaurant was set up beautifully on the lake/Ritz Carlton which probably explains the upcharge $$$ for basic foods. Food: very basic American foods w/ not too many side options. With my sandwich I was given option of: french fries (heavily seasoned and salted), mixed green salad or truffle fries (+$6). It would be nice to have other options... the food took about 30-40 min to come out. Service: Sammy took care of us and was pretty attentive, bringing us our still water ($ extra). It took 25 minutes for us to be seated (we were on the wait list and was never called- we just went ourselves because it seemed they had forgotten about us). Ambiance: partial outdoor/indoor areas were nice for the lake view. Parking can be difficult to find-- and it would be nice if there was an area of designated parking.

At Gaby's, located on the property of the Ritz Carlton, you'll enjoy beautiful views of Lake Oconee, a relaxed casual atmosphere and classic cocktails with a modern twist. Their menu changes seasonally and is concise. Tonight we shared their classic Caesar Salad at the recommendation of our waitress. It was deliciously fresh, crunchy and topped with shaved Parmesan. Their Stoned Baked Pizza we shared as our entree and is more of a flatbread style pizza. The rectangular shaped Meat Lovers was covered with pepperoni, Italian sausage, pancetta, house marinara and a four cheese blend. During lunchtime, Gaby servers will wait on poolside guest. At poolside today, I ordered the Pepper Shrimp. Surprisingly this interesting combo of fried shrimp and fried jalapeños was delicious! It's on the starter menu and served with condiments of lemon dill aioli and chili lime sauce. A nice lunch spot, or casual dinner spot, while visiting.

The patio was a great place to be by the lake. It was a cold day but the sun made it a good sitting outside weather

Solid hidden gem if you're looking for a higher end dinner spot. The co-owner actually came out to serve us and food was delicious. Only knock here was on one dish that was a poke bowl which came out with uncooked rice. They took it back in to re-cook it but it was still raw. So...slightly awkward but everything was good.

Service lakeside. Excellent waiter. Food limited to menu items available. A brief walk from concierge at Reynolds Ritz Carlton entrance. Excellent cocktails. Outdoor covered & patio seating.

It sounds like our experience was different than others, based on the number of good reviews, but our visit to Gaby's was not great. I think a lot of it has to do with being short staffed, but they should seat fewer customers (or space them out with wait times / reservations) if that's the case, to improve the experience of those who are seated. The good things: We were seated immediately on the dog patio and the hostess brought out two beds and water for our pups. The Mediterranean Platter, Poké, and Spring Orzo Salad were yummy! The view was fantastic -- loved watching boats come to the dock! The not so good things: After being quickly seated, we only saw our waitress twice. Our appetizer (the Med Platter, which should have only required assembly) took so long to arrive and they delivered it to the wrong table initially. Our waitress did not come to take our entree orders for a long time. We requested a refill of water and she never returned. Our entrees arrived without silverware, and though we requested it, the staff member never returned so we got up and walked to get our own silverware (at which point the hostess asked if we needed anything and we asked for water and napkins). Of our 4 dishes, the burger and catch of the day sandwich were nearly inedible. The proteins were over cooked and the buns were soggy. When we received napkins (again, no silverware) they gave us bar napkins... For the price point, our experience was really bad. The poor food quality maybe could have been overlooked for the view, if the service hadn't been so slow and inattentive.

We had a great experience at the Gaby's Ritz Carlton location. We were concerned that our jeans wouldn't meet the dress code, but luckily their slogan is "No shirts, no shoes, our pleasure." We had a lovely table overlooking beautiful Lake Oconee and enjoyed seeing Ritz Carlton's beach and walking meandering sidewalks down to Gaby's. The ambiance created by the fireplace was very charming for late afternoon and the hostesses, manager, and food deliverer were very friendly. Ben, our server, made our experience very special. He ensured that he recommended gluten feee options and that the kitchen knew that my tuna poké should be gluten free. The Red Mule was a great drink, and the poké was ver high quality. My husband enjoyed a lobster grilled cheese with truffle fries. All-in-all, a fantastic experience.

Absolutely amazing experience! We were staying at the Ritz and wanted a special birthday celebration and they didn't disappoint! The service was phenomenal and so was the food. Also when found out that my daughter in laws name was Gabby they treated her to a hat for her birthday

Our 2nd visit here with friends visiting from California. I had an amazing black bean burger. My husband had the vegan flatbread which we loved on our first visit, but not as much this time. Our friends shared a burger and fries. What a lovely view on the lake. A good lunch stop on our way to the Masters and so love that they have plant based options on the menu making it enjoyable for us as guests and the server.

Absolutely beautiful setting! The entire aesthetic of the restaurant is beyond belief! An absolute treasure of a location. We're here for a conference and have the breakfast buffet here and it was delightful. Fresh fruit, eggs, chicken sausage and everything under the sun! The coffee and juices are incredible as well! Highly recommend this place to anyone looking for restaurant on the water with a great vibe and great service! The wait staff was super friendly and chipper for being so early :)

This place was by the lake, had a nice view while you eat good food. Share the food. Margaritas are great and servers are polite, courteous, and friendly. Great for brunch and dinner.

This is my first review I have ever felt the need to be written. Gaby's not only has beautiful outside seating and tremendous service it has some of the best spring rolls I've had IN MY LIFE. The rainbow spring rolls have truly changed my life and is a must have if you find your self in the patio seating by the lake. THEY ARE A MUST! Compliments to their chef.

Gorgeous restaurant right on the lake... and food is outstanding. I get the same thing each time, their Grilled Chicken Peanut salad. Everything is great. Fish tacos are my hubby's fav... It's the Ritz so it's another level of nice. We come here often as residents of Reynolds. Make reservations early, as they fill up...

Good food and ambiance by the water. Appetizer with tuna and rice was cold and hard, not unless just placed for decorative and not for eating.

We've been to Gaby's about 4-5 times over the past year and the experience has remained consistently average with 2 outliers: Our first visit was exceptional - the waiter was incredibly helpful with ordering and made sure it was prepared properly. The second time we went, the service was equivalent to a 2-star restaurant. We were seated outside by the docks under the hot sun (this was in the summer) without an umbrella. In fact, I had to move it myself so we got some shade. The waitress seemed to have too many tables to serve and the food took over 30 minutes to arrive for which she was unapologetic. The other times the service was sub-par and nothing out of the ordinary. The food was always prepared with great consistency. We've tried the quesadilla, the veggie burger, tuna poke, Gaby's burger, the salmon, and the pizza. All of them met expectations. My favorite would have to be the burger which seems to be their popular option. Definitely do not miss out on the fries, they are crisp and taste like perfection. Overall I'd give the food a 4/5 and the service a 2.5/5

Love Gaby's! The location overlooking the lake is gorgeous. It's a great place to watch sporting events and the food and bar are top notch. Bartenders Max and Adrian are friendly, professional, and make fantastic drinks!

The food, service and ambiance was excellent. The plates are big portions probably ate too much but we will know better next time. I highly recommended Gaby's not only because we share the same name .

Great people from the time we pulled up to the front door and the food was great as well. Me & my family will be back very soon.

We were excited to come here after eating at the Italian restaurant at the Ritz. We arrived at 6:30 on Tuesday evening and were greeted by friendly hostesses and seated pretty quickly. That's where the positives end. Our server took a while to get to us and got the bar drinks out but took over 10 minutes to bring water to the table. My husband had to get up and go looking for someone to bring us water. The server said she asked someone twice to bring water but she didn't take the initiative to bring it herself. Our appetizers took a long time to come out --server said the kitchen was backed up. When the appetizers finally arrived, they were cold. Not even lukewarm. It was obvious they had been sitting there for a long time before making it to our table. Several of us ordered fish tacos, and while the taste was good they were varying degrees of warmth, none hot, and also not consistently portioned. Our daughter's salmon was very bland and a small portion. Our server disappeared and never came back to check on us, ask if we needed anything else, and never asked how the food tasted. It's like she knew we wouldn't have anything good to say. Seriously disappointing on all levels. We won't be returning. Oh and then there's the 81/100 health score. Even Dairy Queen has a higher score. Save your money.

We ate there a couple times over the past weekend, and the food was consistently good. Service was very mixed. On one occasion, they apparently forgot we were seated and assumed the other server was covering. We waited at least 20 minutes before being approached. They were nice by comping us desserts, but it still took a really long time. It seems like they're having real staffing issues, either that's because many of them appear to be not locals and possibly new to the Ritz Carlton brand.

Went there on a slow night as there were several dinner events going on both on the Ritz property elsewhere. Service was spot all night on and the shrimp appetizer and steak dinner were done very very well. If you're in the area or at the resort, this is a great "casual attire" choice to consider. Oh and the view/atmosphere is fantastic. It's one of my favorite spots as far as casual vibe, food and location and I don't say that to shortchange the food. They do a great job with the quality and presentation. These folks manage the menu well.

Best setting for drinks/dining on the lake. Staff is super friendly and food is delicious.

This place is so good we went twice in one day! It is the restaurant poolside at the Ritz Carlton in Lake Oconee. Megan and Morgan were both phenomenal servers who took great care of us. The handcrafted burger was legit! The bacon on it was extra crunchy. The pizza was very good as well. Nice and crispy with great flavor. Highly recommend!

AMAZING!!!! Food and service was so good. Definitely the best salmon I've eaten, and I order salmon often. The ambiance is so so nice!! We sat outside and it was so beautiful.

Super cool spot by the lake, I really expected to freeze to death because of it being "outdoors" but plenty of enclosure and heaters for the season. Food is on point for a casual dining spot and I bet it gets slammed during warmer weather. Yes you can make reservations! And I recommened doing so just to make sure. Many of the items are shareable so you probably should. We split the pizza (which had like 4 or 5 cheeses on it---yum) and a salad...and walked away stuffed.

We came to this restaurant just for a few drinks. The bartender was a very young very pretty little girl named Mary who very clearly should NOT be bartending. She looked like she was 16 years old. She checked our IDs with an attitude and then asked what we would like. I ordered about $100 worth of shots and she made them with Titos instead of top shelf so I asked her to remake them, she did with an attitude. The shots were NOT strong enough after the remake but I decided to be nice and just take them. I then asked to charge them to my reynolds account and she asked to see the membership ID and I told her I did not have it and she refused to charge the shots to my account. She then asked if I had a picture of the card and I did not. She wouldn't just take the member number. Another bartender (Adrian) sided with her, we then asked for the manager. The manager took care of our issue. The bartenders had to apologize To us and make us another round of shots for free, Moral of the story, children should not be bartending. The Ritz-Carlton needs to get control of their employees.

Exceptional dining on Lake Oconee in true Ritz fashion with great service in middle Georgi.

Great place, atmosphere is awesome the food is delicious. We came over by boat ordered pizza to go and took it back on the boat. The service was wonderful well we had some cocktails at the bar waiting for the pizza!

Great view of the lake and fun bar. Food is OK. Drinks were OK, not a great Bloody Mary.

I love this bar! On the water with a beautiful view, pretty bar and amazing cocktails. I had a English Blueberry cocktail, gin, lemon and blueberries. Probably something else that I can't remember, oops. But it was very refreshing. I've had food here another time which was also yummy. Nice atmosphere. Perfect place to boat up to and enjoy the evening

Excellent service and amazing food. The bbq pork nachos were amazing. I'd definitely go back just for that. The atmosphere is very elegant and classy. You don't have to be a member of the Ritz to go to this restaurant and it's has a beautiful infinity pool there (which you do have to be a member to go to). I went to this restaurant for a bachelorette dinner and it was great for pictures and there are various dinning areas to choose from. I highly recommend this location for its food, service and overall experience.

Had lunch here before our golf round. Thought we had plenty of time, but they struggled to get lunch out due to a couple of large groups 8 people each. Not sure what the issue was. They had plenty of servers. Must have been an issue with not enough cooks in the kitchen. Ordered the lobster grilled cheese with fries. While there was not much lobster it was good. Ordered fries, but got fruit. I did not have time to ask them to bring fries because we had to get to our tee time. Waitress by mistake refilled my Pepsi with Iced Tea. She was very sorry, but it just added to the odd lunch. Two stars is because I expect better from a restaurant at a Ritz Carlton hotel where the lobster grilled cheese is $25.

The view, the food, the staff (Megan in particular), all make this our go to whenever we visit Georgia.

Friendly servers. Atmosphere is nice. Outside dining only during lunch time. We were a little concerned about eating outside during this sunny 95 degree weather, but the covered areas and the big fans really helped to keep the heat away. Very casual dress as its next to the Ritz outdoor pool. Food is pretty good. The chicken pot pie is more on the low calorie side as far as flavor goes. The fried catfish tacos were pretty good. The barbecue chicken wings were tasty. The buffalo wings were so spicy hot that my husband couldn't eat them. Since we were staying at the Ritz, it's a good place to get a quick bite. The 4 star was because their service was a little on the slow side both times we ate here. But it's a nice place to eat by the lake.

If you don't know where to go you should go there the food was delicious but just a bit slow

I had a great time enjoying the view and a beautiful day by the lake. Service A+ and a nice layout. Food choices limited and range, but avg $22 and cocktail will run another 15$.

Decent pool/lakeside food. The fish tacos are the way to go along with the boiled peanut hummus. You're paying a ritz premium to eat/drink by pool/lake. I would avoid the quesadilla and get the sweet potato fries or the BBQ ranch house chips as a side. The chicken tenders did look really good. The service is better than expected for poolside.

Great food. Great atmosphere. Super casual. Highly recommend. If you are staying at the Ritz it's a must go to. Perfect for lunch or dinner. Staff very nice didn't have to wait long for food even though it was busy.

The quality of the food and the menu offerings has severely declined over the past few years. I long for the days that they offered the tastiest chicken sandwich and lobster grilled cheese. I think they need to reconsider their chef. The mushroom pizza was terrible - I left over half of it on the plate, and it didn't even taste like "pizza." The lobster sandwich was barely passable - a real disappointment for anyone who ate here years ago. My experience this year has taught me that eating off property is becoming a better and better idea, as the food here is just not worth it.

My wife had the Margarita Pizza and I had the chili. They were both impeccable. We would highly recommend enjoying lunch here on your next visit.

Love it but can't wait for them to open back up for visitors again!! The salmon is perfectly cooked.

We spent the weekend at The Ritz and ate frequently at Gaby's. My daughter was celebrating turning 5 years old, and the staff, especially Robert Gunnison, made our dining experience so special! Thank you!!!

Our family has gone to Gabby's for special occasions for five years. Our son called ahead to ensure they were accepting outside guests for Easter lunch and was assured we were welcome. We arrived after driving an hour, valet parked and went to the restaurant, were we were refused service because we were not guests of the hotel. This happened after they seated another outside guest party. It was early, the restaurant empty and they did not seem to care when our son explained he called ahead and was advised they would accept outside guests. This does not align with The Ritz-Carlton customer service they promote. We tried to resolve with the hotel and they were not interested in making it right. Not a great way to treat a loyal patron who was looking at utilizing the hotel for a business retreat. We will go back to the Atlanta area restaurants where we are always welcome.

We went yesterday for lunch. We've had some great experiences here, but yesterday was not one of them. Even though it is November, it was 82 degrees and we were sat at a table outside in the direct sun when there were plenty of open covered tables. So the sun was in our eyes and we were getting hot. Our drinks were brought fairly quickly and we ordered the pulled pork nachos as an appetizer. Then our waitress must have went on break. No one came to take our order for our meals or check on us for a ridiculously long time...about 45 min. to an hour. A different person delivered our nachos about 25 min. in and we didn't say anything about taking our lunch order because we thought she must be a runner and we all still had our menus in front of us...clearly we still needed to order...and we thought our waitress would be by to take our lunch order soon. We ate the nachos for around 20 minutes and completely finished them. Then our waitress finally came back about 5-10 min. after we finished the nachos and joked that we must have liked our nachos and are we ready to order...um...we'd already been there for almost an hour and did not want to finally put in our lunch order and wait another 20-30 minutes. So we said we'd just like the check. It was $50 before tip for just the nachos and 3 drinks (a soda, beer, and a mimosa). Apparently a mimosa is now $15. So we all left a little hungry and paid a lot for a plate of nachos and drinks for 3 people. I don't mind paying more at the Ritz but I expect better service for cost. To be there almost an hour and not be able to put in our lunch order while sitting directly in the sun on a hot day was pretty unpleasant. We won't be back for a while.

Our annual Holiday Honeymoon. However my first time at Gaby's. We choose to eat outside in the water. Lightly breezy, 60 degrees. He ordered the burger while I tried the more adventurous kale salad. Wonderful service, excellent twist on traditional burgers and sandwiches. My only negative: $3.50 for a glass of tea. A bit excessive. I'll drink water (or wine) instead.