Puddle Jumpers Lakeside Grill & Bar

In such a great location, Puddle Jumpers is definitely a restaurant to keep in your favorites. There is a lot to enjoy within walking distance, as the restaurant is right next to the park and other establishments. During my visit, the staff was polite, inviting and welcoming. They sat us quickly and delivered our food just as fast. Throughout the day, you can see sea planes coming in for a landing and taking off🛬 on the lake. What I loved most, Puddle Jumpers IS PET FRIENDLY! They have a spacious patio for all who enjoy being outside. This will be a regular spot for us.

Took the family to Puddle Jumpers for an afternoon lunch. The place was kind of cool. Right off the water, with just Sea Plane parking area and railroad track in between. There was a sidewalk to crossover to get closer to the SeaPlane. Kids thought that was cool. Without question, the restaurant was themed out with the Sea Plane nostalgia. Crazy set up as you walk into the bar, but we later learned of the multiple dining rooms as well as an upstairs dining space. They also had outdoor seating, but that day was way too hot. Good was pretty good. We started with the Kettle chips and dip. Carmelized onion dip and chorizo beer queso cheese type of dipping sauces. We ordered both sauces to try. Very unique flavors but they kept you going back for more. I must say, the Mahi Bites were pretty good - they looked like chicken tenders but there were good and came with a lot. The fries had a seasoning which was a nice change up from traditional fries. We also ordered the Ye Olde Black & Blue burger. Very juicy, good flavor. Wife didn't care for the blackened but I thought it was a solid choice. Kids got a cheeseburger and salad, and a Pitadilla (chicken and cheese quesadilla but with pita bread). Cheeseburger was eaten but the PitaDilla was a little on the bland side. Too much Pita bread for the kiddo. The area had a few other restaurants and a cooler slower beach vibe. Nice area to check out and explore. We will be back again and try out some more options. It would also be a great spot to watch the Sea Planes take off and land. Fairly close by is a really nice park too.

This is their mushroom Swiss burger. It was cooked to perfection & very filling! (Brought half home for later) The onion rings were quite tasty too! Food came out quick & hot! Server David took great care of us. Never had to ask for drink refills or extra napkins, etc. Will definitely go back again! 😎

A 3.5. This is a great location, with beautiful views of the Lake in Downtown Tavares, FL., viesws of water airplanes landing, boats, jet skies, etc. Service is incredibly friendly, fast, and perfect. A local place. The food is classic comfort food of a beach type sport bar. Burgers are classic. Tasty, good mix quality of meat, with no excessive condiments. Again, a classic burger that I can eat again. Fries and onion rings are also good with large portions. Good cold beer. Nothing fancy on libations. HEY!! Is a sport bar in a lake beach town. No mayor city here. My 3.5 comes because of the lack of cleaning of the place. Food on the floor, dirty toilets, dirty glass windows looking the lake. Is a prime location they should keep it like that. They can improve.

I go here quite frequently and always have a wonderful time. The staff is friendly and the food is very good. I'll be honest, it gets a little hectic when it gets busy so if you have a little patience then you'll be fine. Personally I prefer only good vibes anyhow. I like all the different food choices they have but if there's no special going on I go with the Hard Landing platter which is a half pound of peel and eat shrimp, a crab cake and fried mahi strips plus a side or two.

Beautiful sunny afternoon to have appetizers and beverages on the porch. Food was great. Beer was cold. The lake view is just gorgeous. Our server was Sandy. Very friendly and light conversation. This is a favorite of ours.

First time visit on a Friday about 12:45 PM , seated right away . Friendly staff we decided to eat inside since it was pretty hot outside. Food was great, as was the service .

I returned here with a group of women after a bad experience several years ago and boy am I glad I did. All of our food was fabulous! I had the chicken fingers and they were so huge and delicious. Service was absolutely stellar!

Well, welcome to Fl it was real hot out and the mosquitos were doing some hatch thing so there were zillions. So we ate inside. Had a couple of beers and my wife had coconut shrimp , fries and slaw. The wait staff was awesome and very friendly and efficient. The shrimp were perfect, the fries close to but not hot enough the slaw well..... that was bad. A bit of vinegar or salt would have solved that. The beer was cold. It was nice watching the sea planes take off from the dock. The only issue was the windows looking out on the lake were dirty. Real dirty. Would I go back ? For sure. So only 4cstars due to the windows and the bathrooms were questionable.

I think I'm adding a star from our last visit because of excellent service from David. We sat inside due to the heat but would have enjoyed the music outdoors. There were six of us and we started with a huge order of fried pickles and ranch. Entrees were an Asian chicken salad which seemed improved with more chicken, coconut shrimp (6 huge shrimp but needed more coconut), salmon, mahi bites (delicious), and a kids burger. We had leftovers in hand when we left. As before, it is a pleasant view of the lake from any seat and the specialty drink are, in a word, special.

Valentines lunch with hubby, niece and nephew. Server was attentive, friendly and helpful. We ordered mimosas, beer and Bloody Mary along with fried pickles and coconut shrimp for appetizers. Ordered fish and chips , blackened chicken ceasar salad , cheeseburger and jalapeño burger. Everyone enjoyed their meal. Definitely recommend !!

Stopped here after going boating with Freedom Boat Club. Our waitress Emma was very thoughtful and brought water out from my dog Roxy, which I really appreciate. We had half an order of peel and eat shrimp which were cooked very well and had a late seasoning to them. We also had the fish and chips and substituted the pork rinds and a side salad for the chips and coleslaw, which I think was a good decision. The pork rinds came out crackling and hot. They were a little bit over seasoned, the side salad was fresh crisp and I really liked the ranch dressing. The fish was OK not my favorite but definitely fresh just had too much better for me. Next time I would order something different. The location is perfect overlooking the lake and you could see the sea Plains coming in and parking, which was also a nice added benefit

We walked into this place wanting to enjoy being on the water and watching the sea planes come in and it was perfect place for that! We went directly outside and only had 1 round of drinks because they were unable to put college football on , but I would like to go back to this place sometime and eat outside while the planes come in . Eustis is a really cute city and their downtown area is small but they have a ton of little bars and restaurants that's worth checking out. We came from Orlando and wanted something different so we were happy that we stopped by this place for sure!

Friday night, place is busy. Food and service is good. The patty melt was cooked med-rare the way I asked for it , along with the homemade chips and 2-4-1 beer hit the spot. The fresh turkey sandwich was also good. Prices reasonable,I will return.

To start with the food is 5 stars across the board. The Macho Nachos were stacked with chips,chicken, sour cream, salsa and easily could feed a family of six. The Mahi was exceptional and cooked perfect. They aren't kidding when they say the wings are huge. The Nashville hot were hot, the Asian spicy were spicy, and the teriyaki had lots of sauce. The boiled and fried shrimp were excellent as well. The only disappointment was our server. She got our order right and disappeared. A kitchen helper brought out our food. Our drinks never got refilled and the hostess brought to go boxes. She eventually showed up with the bill but by then it was too late. We still gave her a decent tip. They also had live entertainment on the deck which was very good.

A very cool spot in Tavares near the dock. I had a great blue cheese burger and she had a chicken Caesar wrap. We sat outside with a view of the seaplanes as we enjoyed the meal. Service was quick and efficient! Definitely stop by here when in Tavares!

for years, this was our hang out, especially in the winter, and I went today and they screened in their patio, and there is no longer smoking anywhere on their patio, I probably won't go back anymore, we were valued customers! Discrimination against smokers.

Had a great experience here! They do offer "call ahead" which we took advantage of on a Friday night knowing there are 200 retired paratroopers in town for an event! We were seated right away and promptly greeted by a very pleasant server....so much in the menu hard to choose but knew I had to have room for the Brown Butter Cake! Our food was good only thing was the lettuce in the salads was hit or miss, burgers were cooked correctly and had a good flavor...loved the French fries and the Crab Cake! On the water and good food !

Came here after a sea plane ride. Short wait they have a text system to notify you table is ready. Food offerings are mediocre, considering the place is on the water you would think they would have more seafood options. The views are fantastic. I can see the water as well as the sea planes coming in and out. Food mediocre, service was fine. When we got the bill, I was surprised by this un tipped service charge. I don't even know what that means.

Great view of the water. Delicious hot food. Great menu selections. Friendly and courteous staff. Cute little town.

Pleasant staff. Good seating. Great view. Seating both indoors and outside. Water views available. Recommend the Turkey Brie and raspberry sandwich!!

We enjoyed our lunches and the service. The interior is decorated with airplane propellers and old pictures. Our server was fast and efficient. My shrimp tacos were great. Wife enjoyed her burger. Using my Yelp app, I saved 10%. Nice. I think I will return when the half-priced Fish and chips are available.

Food was delicious and very good service with Lake view outdoor dining! Don't leave table w/ food on it though, wait for server because a bird came down on my plate and flew off with an onion ring.

Right on Lake Dora- great atmosphere. Great service. Super drinks. Peel and Eat shrimp was incredible. We will be back!

I've visited this restaurant a few times and, each time, the food was good and the wings are great! They have daily deals on tacos, wings, etc. and $5 mimosas everyday. Our waitress was attentive and kind, and service was quick. Great place to grab lunch with friends, by the water. Or, stop by for a quick working lunch.

I loved the atmosphere, drinks and food at Puddle Jumpers. Sitting on the outside patio is the way to go. The lake view is tranquil and the sea planes are fun to watch. Our waitress was friendly, quick and knowledgeable. I ordered a the "Gosh Jam It" burger. It's a seasoned burger with caramelized onion and bacon jam that the top with goat cheese. This burger a a big juicy..delicious...treat. It is a must order.

Food is good but way overpriced as I see it and service is average. Been there several times and i like it less each time and don't expect to return.

Regrettably, my El Diablo burger was about a 2.2 (compared to my 0.9 for Outback's [Leesburg], 4.4 for BTW's [Tavares], and 4.7 for Tiki Bar & Grills [Lake Minneola]). Patty tasted as if prepared on an unclean flat-top in overused cooking oil. The taste of the jack cheese, fresh jalapenos, and sriracha, which should have been delicious and somewhat assertive, was surprisingly muted. The lettuce was limp and rubbery, forcing me to pull it out and set it aside. And lastly, the "medium" I requested was closer to "medium rare". On the plus side, my wife said her Asian chicken salad was fairly decent due to good quality chicken pieces and ample flavorful dressing, though the crispy noodles seemed scarce, giving it a 4.0. This restaurant could really shine if their burgers were dependably good and flavorful with quality ingredients, professional landscaping improvements were done on the lake side where the outdoor seating overlooks, better table/chair heights for those that are a bit mismatched to offer more comfortable seating, and reducing the volume of the live music by nearly half so patrons needn't yell to hold conversations at their table. Many restaurant owners would absolutely kill to have a location like this, so PJ really should pull out all the stops to make their eatery a true premier destination. Leaving the parking lot 2 blocks to the east proved to be a major fiasco, though this was probably no fault of the restaurant, but patrons may want to be aware: when we returned to our car, all 3+ exits had been chained off, forcing us to drive counterclockwise against the "one way" to find the lot entrance in order to leave. We were fortunate no cars were entering at the same time, because someone would have been forced to throw his gear into reverse to unclog things.

Looking for a nice outdoor dining experience on the waterfront, this is it. The service was a little slow, but they were very busy on this lovely Saturday. The food was good and the view was great.

We loved everything about this restaurant. We had our dog so we sat outside. It was cold so they turned on the propane heater for us. The view was beautiful overlooking the lake & sea planes. Also palm trees with Christmas lights were beautiful. Our waitress Courtney was so helpful and kept a check on everything. We met the manager Brandi & enjoyed visiting with her. The appetizers (fried pickles, onion rings & pretzels) were delicious. We ordered the platter & split it. A lot of food! Also the live music (I think his name was Greg) was excellent. A very enjoyable evening.

Really great food and view! Service was quick and accurate. Anything with the raspberry sauce is a must!

Good Food! Location has a Fabulous View! Has a very nice Atmosphere and with great Service!

Food is good. Wait Staff are on the ball. Great fun to sit outside and watch the sea planes go in and out. Happy hour 2-4-1 beers until 7. We really enjoy the place.

Good food, great views and our server Aubrey was wonderful. They even have their own beer!

Pretty good tacos and burgers. Good service and interesting atmosphere. Located on lake Dora with an aviation theme. The

What a fantastic find! Great food, great atmosphere, and honeslty, one of the best servers I've had in quite some time! Alexis was personable, attentive , and knowledgeable of the menu. Came back 2 days later because of the quality of food and servixeFried Pork Rinds

Beware! The food might be great but despite what this website says, they do not do delivery!

Ample outdoor parking. Restaurant is well appointed, clean. Great ambiance. Outdoor seating available. Restroom clean. Middle of the afternoon on a Saturday. A bit on the noisy side. Staff friendly, professional and attentive. Service was mediocre - nothing to rave or complain about. Quality of food was very good. Ordered the black and blue burger. Wife ordered mushroom burger. Both very tasty. Would go again.

Standard bar fare. The view is nice (you can watch the sea planes takeoff and land). Our pretzels and beer cheese appetizer was very good. My wife and I both ordered salads. Hers was buffalo chicken, mine was citrus salmon (a signature dish). Both were supposed to be made with field greens, but instead both were just iceberg lettuce with some red cabbage mixed in. The iceberg lettuce was even a bit limp. The citrus salad had mandarin oranges, they were just canned. My wife enjoyed her salad without the greens. When I pointed out the lack of field greens to our waitress, she didn't offer any remedy, so I just sent my salad back and finished off the pretzels and beer cheese. I don't think I would visit this restaurant again.

We met upstairs at a special 50th anniversary party. Host brought own cake. The Italian buffet was very good. Green beans, ziti, shrimp in tomato sauce, chicken in cream sauce So all was tasty. Staff was helpful and attentive. View was beautiful as sun set over lake and watched sea plane take off. Some used bar for drinks and beer. Water provided. Very spacious and comfortable.

The food was good .. the service .. SO SLOW . Waitress apologized twice for the " long" wait .. then she never came back! We saw her working at the bar. We had to ask 2 other servers to cash us out. There are at least 4 other restaurants right in that location! An oyster bar that shucks raw oysters that looked good .

I will definitely return. Great atmosphere good food. There was a small line but the wait was short. The table was fairly sticky but not so bad that my arm hairs were.left... Many choices (will return mostly to try some other goodies) Had the Jalapeño Cornbread BLT it was very good but sort of sad that the Jalapeño and Cornbread part didn't "stand out" *maybe a spicy mayo would make that draw???

I was in town with a few family members and we ran across this restaurant. Across the table we ordered an assortment of entrees. We ordered the Mahi bites, crab cakes, beef tacos & mahi tacos, sirloin steak, a steak house burger, a cajun chicken sandwich. The Mahi bites were far from bite sized Mahi pieces; they were large pieces of fried Mahi fish and as plus they were on special this day. The crab cakes were made with real crab and were so moist they melted in our mouths. The Mahi tacos were made with grilled Mahi and very flavorful coleslaw. Both the steak & the burger were so juicy. The service was exceptional. The server was very friendly and patient with our somewhat large group. She was very accommodating with all of our orders and loud talking. The restaurant itself sits on Lake Dora. The view of the water is very calming and pleasant. It was also exciting to see the seaplanes coming and going. We will definitely be back to enjoy this great restaurant. Next time I'll take pictures of the food.

Lovely place to eat. Have been both upstairs (for something with family) and downstairs, both times the food, employees, quality, and atmosphere has been the same; perfect. Great food, great service, but sorta slow. I get it though, it's a pretty busy establishment! Have went many times, from with family to with my now ex, the memories made there have been great, and I bet it won't disappoint for a while. After I ate here with family me and some family explored all of downtown Tavares. That night was perfect. Never forgetting it. Thank you for the memories and the ones I'll make, Puddle Jumpers! (PS: The logo is cool too!!)

Hi-de-ho people - we are back out doing our dinners. Still have 5 folks and use the same 5 categories for scoring. Atmosphere, Service, Quality, Portion, Value. Total score 92 out of 100 with top score being tied at 25 for Food Portion and Service. Lowest score was 17 for food quality with some comments being: very greasy, batter on fish was "hard", soggy fries. But over all with 92 out of 100 we would recommend to everyone.

Good food, beautiful deck to enjoy, the servers were very nice. Crab cakes are excellent and fried sweet potato tater tots are so good and unique!

There isn't a better location for bar/restaurant right on the waters of Lake Dora than that of Puddle Jumpers. Though the waters of Lake Dora are of a murky alga green, it's still a beautiful sight to see with plenty of charming waterfront houses and wildlife. Best of all you get a great view of it from Puddle Jumpers which has a second floor overlooking balcony area, an outside patio bar. Another best is that Puddle Jumpers is also the location of the pontoon equipped water airplanes that you'll see landing and taking off of the lake; on which you can also buy a ride. Puddle Jumpers menu is rather large with every thing from pork rind to fried pickles, a good assortment of various burgers, tacos, wraps and custom signature drinks of which I liked their Mount Dora Ice Tea and also their house made Barnyard Chili. The atmosphere of Puddle Jumpers is very much family sports bar like but in a fun sort of way with plenty of room around for those who just care to relax.

We contacted them ahead of time to let them know we were coming with a group of 20 people. They were ready when we got there and handled the group well. Lots of menu items were chosen and everyone was very pleased with their food. No complaints about food or service. It was great. Service was good particularly with a large group. Would go again if I come back to this area again. There is not a whole lot of parking but places close by.

They have the best Nashville Hot Chicken Sandwich in town! Service can be slow at times but overall the staff is friendly and very attentive. The only negative is when you sit outside, you have the potential to get ambushed by cigarette smoke or vape at times, but that depends on the clientele not the restaurant's fault.

I really enjoyed my dinner at puddle jumpers. we sat outside by the water and the atmosphere was really nice. We had onion rings as an appetizer, and it was served on an airplane mold, which was really cute. The food was delicious and the service we got was excellent. I highly recommend puddle jumpers!!

Underwhelmed experience. Pros- Live band was great! Wings were tasty (sauce could of been a bit spicier) and people were friendly. Onion rings weren't hot enough. Heard the hamburger was great! The nachos were looking good. Cons- subpar service. Even when a place is busy, it's possible to stay a bit more organized with orders, refills and such. I'm sure I'll give this place another chance, just didn't think the food was as good as I expected it to be. Limited beer selection Will wait to sit outside next time. Stick to grabbing an app & 1 drink ahead of bar hopping someplace else.

AWFUL - you will be sick! I ordered a burger and fries - two days ago and I have been on the toilet bowl since. DO NOT GO unless you want to be sick. Someone should check the kitchen and health code

All show, no go. The location is awesome with a great view of the lake, but the food is mediocre at best. Been there twice and ordered a burger and appetizer both times. The burger is nothing special, even a little on the greasy side. They ask how you want it cooked, but cook it to well done anyway. Onion rings were so greasy too. Great place for drinks on the lake, but I'd probably eat somewhere else.

Location and view is everything but food is disappointing. All our fish meals were not good. Salmon was over cooked, mahi flavorless and fried fish in the fish and chips was breaded heavy and greasy. Nothing had any flavor. When we mentioned it to the server she said she doesn't eat fish. Onion rings and house salad were both good. Would go for drinks and apps but if your looking to have good fish near the lake look elsewhere.

The food is ok for what the place is, a lakeside grill and bar. However, the 1% non-tipped service charge is a terrible idea. Why does the customer have to tip the cooks and other employees that don't work for tips? And also pay a credit card fee. We're not going back until the policy is changed.

Came for lunch with a party of 15 from work. Our server was attentive and got all our orders right. The food was delicious with generous portions. There's enough space in the dining area to not feel like we are disturbing other patrons meals. The food came out promptly and we were checked on consistently throughout our meal. A manager came out to check on us again towards the end and asked for feedback. Will definitely return!

Food, drinks and scenery were amazing! Can't wait to go back on Sunday!!! We sat at the outside bar and enjoyed ourselves so much. Our bartender was busy, and did an amazing job!