Have you ever found yourself driving home, past an establishment, and saying to yourself, one day you have to check that place out? Did you ever let that thought run through your mind every time you pass by that area and see that restaurant for months at a time? That was me continuously in regard to this place until this year when I finally decided to visit. I must say, the relaxing atmosphere and the upscale ambiance made me regret not going there sooner.
McLoones' boathouse is an American seafood restaurant located within the South Mountain Recreation Complex, right on the banks of Orange Reservoir. The view it gives its customers is akin to that of a lakehouse, surrounded by a walking trail loop and a section with Swan paddle boats, for recreational use. It is beautiful, and the only thing that matches the peaceful and serene view of the lake is the inside of the restaurant. It was a mix between your grandmother's home in the south and a long island beach house in the Hamptons.
Named after Tim McLoone, who was a Musician, Athlete, and Entrepreneur; while he was a philanthropist at heart, he had an affinity for Americana cuisine and beach house decor. Hence why all of the restaurants he owns are either by the beach, by a body of water, or on the boardwalk. Although the boathouse in West Orange was opened in 2011, it was McLoone's sixth restaurant as he already had restaurants opened and successfully operated down the jersey shore and in Maryland. You can see a snippet of his background here.
I went one rainy weekend in May, with a couple of friends, like an outing to take my mind off of the tragedy that happened at work. It hadn't planned to go out that weekend specifically, but took the offer and used it as an opportunity to finally visit.
I walked in, through two large front doors, towards this fireplace in the middle of the room. The waiters' booth was to the left and as I inquired about the reservation and my friend's seating location, my friend found me and led me to the table. I sat down to being teased about being late and being able to defend myself this time, as compared to my usual track record, I made good time. We talked; looked over the menu and It took me a while to decide as they had so many good options on the menu. Our waiter was fast and friendly and he took really good care of us.
I ended up ordering a glass of sangria, with cauliflower bites and a side of fries, and Seared Salmon. The cauliflower bites were more savory and delicious than I expected, (especially when re-heated the morning after) but when I offered to share amongst my friends, they declined, once finding out what it was. I guess some people still don't like vegetables, even in adulthood.
We shared some jumbo wings for the table, while one ordered the filet mignon and the other shrimp rigatoni vodka. We had multiple drinks and we were so full we couldn't order dessert. There was more than one to-go plate packed.
While heading out, I made a detour from the exit, as I heard a familiar song being played, in the other room. We walked past the fireplace, by the entrance to see two performers singing a popular Caribbean song, acoustically. I saw the two performers behind the keyboard, drum, and microphone and the large group of people they were singing to, on the other side.
We made it to the parking lot shortly afterward and spent the next three hours talking and laughing until it started raining and we all ran to our cars and texted each other when we got home. It was a great night with good company and great food. If you're ever in the area of west orange and the south mountain recreation complex, stop by McLoone's boathouse, you'll love the food and ambiance and leave with great memories.