We’ve been to Bella’s quite a number of times beforehand always enjoyed it. This time very sadly it was a disaster! We had the corn shrimp bisque. You knew you were eating corn and shrimp from the texture, but the shrimp had the flavor cooked out of it. I ordered a Rueben sandwich and specifically asked for very light dressing. Both the sandwich and salad that were served me we drenched in dressing. My partner ordered a caesar salad with chicken and that too was drowned in dressing! Very, very disappointing experience. To add insult to injury, when I informed the waitress, she said that I should just remove the dressing from the sandwich. And when I refused to eat it after just one bite ,she took it back and had the kitchen reserve it after wiping off as much dressing as they could! Not the way to treat a patron
aberfitchgr534
We had heard great things about this place so we wanted to come here. They do not take reservations and we came at an off hour at 2pm and still had to stand outside in line. I assumed they were packed inside, but the host kept coming back every 5 minutes and seating one group. When we finally got seated they were not packed so it must have been a lack of staff. Menu had a big selection. We had the reuben and Lobster roll. Our friends had Lobster bisque and the fish sandwich. The reuben sandwich was very good. The Lobster roll was average. We also had a peanut butter bomb, it looked better than it tasted, the cake was a bit stale. The patio is right on the river so it is very peaceful and relaxing. Our server was not the most attentive or knowledgable. Overall we had good food and average service.
Sherpa30666340619
This by far the nicest restaurant in Clayton if you want to eat outside along the river. Our server Joey was friendly, efficient and a spot on server. Although the restaurant was short staffed you would never know it, he was awesome. The food outstanding, creative and the bread was to die for.
24michelleo
Service was great. The views were beautiful. The food and drinks were terrific. They were very accommodating for our group of 8. Sat at 2 tables, but they were near each other. We just put the young adults (cousins) at one table and the rest of us at the other table.
lesleyraez
My first time in Clayton and first time visiting Bella. There was a small line out the entrance which instantly told me this was going to be good. The line moved quickly and my friend and I were walked down to the lowest desk to a two top right off the water. Just sitting there would have been 5 stars but then the food came. I decided on the pastrami Rueben because of the legendary dressing from the area it originated. How could I order something else?! The sandwich was the best pastrami Rueben I’ve ever had. Unlike a corned beef, the pastrami was thinly sliced and cooked to perfection. Perfect amount of sauerkraut and dressing on deliciously toasted on toasted marble rye bread. I could only eat half, the portions were large, but wanted to eat the whole thing because it was so good. The service was great and our waitress was so friendly and helpful. If you’re in Clayton and see a line at Bella’s, don’t let it stop you. It’s definitely worth the wait. Oh, and, the cocktails and pastries are the best on the river.
Wendy R
We took our labs the second time we visited Bella's. Given a patio table, a blanket for me, and individual water bowls for Percy & Marshall, we thoroughly enjoyed our lunch. The half chicken salad sammie and soup really hit the spot. I had the lobster bisque (again!) John had soup special of shrimp & corn chowder. Can't pass this one up--something for all and supreme staff looking out for creature comforts.
richinvermont
We were visiting with a local family as we do every August. Always for decades make our breakfast visit. Had a very nice server who too our order. This year they had live music. Was too load for conversation where we were seated. Said we would like a different spot if possible. Waited outside the bathrooms. A man who I guess was representing Bella’s talked at us. No apology, no offer to give us a quieter table. Our waitress was trying to reseat us. We said we have decided to leave. He said what did they have and was told coffee. We started walking up pay. He said “if you don’t pay I’ll call the police “. We payed and he said I guess I’ll just give your order to the band. Never an apology just an arrogant individual who doesn’t care about customer service. Bella’s has lost some loyal customers even though only once a year for us. The locals are from Clayton and were very apologetic. They will never go back. Went to Koffee Kove just up the street. Great service and great food.
snydercyn
Lunch at Bella's was a great meal. Limited waiting to get in as it is first come, first served and the line moved quite quickly. It was a busy day as the Antique Boat Festival had started that day. The staff was very friendly and accommodating. The menu and specials had many varied choices to pick from. There is indoor patio and outdoor seating. The food was very good. Definitely recommend.
687sandyn
This place was so nice and we sat outside on the water. Had eggplant and was really yummy plus had a non alcoholic drink that you would die for. Waitress was very friendly too. I would definitely check out this place for lunch. Very pleasant experience.
kgus1530
This has been a regular spot for my family to enjoy coming for breakfast for years during the summer. View is lovely. Excellent service. Menu selections are very good. Some entrées are expensive, others are reasonably priced. Note that fried potatoes are an extra charge on the breakfast menu, and I would not recommend them, as they are hot served hot. Watch for overcharges on the bill. Also, note their tipping calculation also includes tax in the bill total . After, a discussion of an issue with management, no apology, only a partial refund on an overcharge, unfortunately I will be taking my business elsewhere in the future.
Fantastic Lunch and Great Atmosphere!! Living in the area, it’s sometimes easy to take for granted the wonderful establishments in the 1000 Islands region. It has been several years since I visited Bella’s for lunch. I can’t wait to go back sometime this summer, it was sooo good. I had the turkey cranberry panini and my friend had the adult grilled cheese. Both were excellent! We sat out by the bar which was lovely! The drinks and service were top notch. I highly recommend Bella’s to anyone from near or far. If I could give higher than 5 stars, I would.
fionah85
The restaurant serves excellent dishes, but the process for getting a table is frustrating. There's no way to put your name down or get on a waitlist, so guests end up crowding around the entrance—often in the heat—hoping to be seated. It's chaotic and takes away from the overall experience. A more organized system would make a big difference.
52KarenO
Located on the water, Bella’s is a great restaurant for both breakfast and lunch. We ate there twice in one day. The Patrons line up in the early morning to review the pastries and breads available for take away. The staff quickly seats those inline and servers are quick to bring drinks and menus. The drinks menu is vast and portions are shareable. The beet salad was refreshing with walnuts, feta and chicken. We purchased a multi-grain bread for the trip home.
ClintAdvisor
The GOOD: Nice outside seating and atmosphere. Friendly staff. The BAD: We waited over an hour for lunch. We were so hungry that by the time they seated us we ordered something from the bakery to hold us over till lunch came. Their baked goods were so stale and dry, but we gobbled them up because we were hungry. But when the waitress came over, i asked if their baked goods were made fresh? Her response was "yeah" but then said they may be a day old. They tasted much more than evwn a day old. She apologized but did not take them off the bill. The UGLY: the live band that was there butchering Van Morrison songs...LOL!!
jasontN9740FJ
Great breakfast good portions very friendly staff and the view of the river was absolutely amazing would recommend for breakfast
We’ve been to Bella’s quite a number of times beforehand always enjoyed it. This time very sadly it was a disaster! We had the corn shrimp bisque. You knew you were eating corn and shrimp from the texture, but the shrimp had the flavor cooked out of it. I ordered a Rueben sandwich and specifically asked for very light dressing. Both the sandwich and salad that were served me we drenched in dressing. My partner ordered a caesar salad with chicken and that too was drowned in dressing! Very, very disappointing experience. To add insult to injury, when I informed the waitress, she said that I should just remove the dressing from the sandwich. And when I refused to eat it after just one bite ,she took it back and had the kitchen reserve it after wiping off as much dressing as they could! Not the way to treat a patron
We had heard great things about this place so we wanted to come here. They do not take reservations and we came at an off hour at 2pm and still had to stand outside in line. I assumed they were packed inside, but the host kept coming back every 5 minutes and seating one group. When we finally got seated they were not packed so it must have been a lack of staff. Menu had a big selection. We had the reuben and Lobster roll. Our friends had Lobster bisque and the fish sandwich. The reuben sandwich was very good. The Lobster roll was average. We also had a peanut butter bomb, it looked better than it tasted, the cake was a bit stale. The patio is right on the river so it is very peaceful and relaxing. Our server was not the most attentive or knowledgable. Overall we had good food and average service.
This by far the nicest restaurant in Clayton if you want to eat outside along the river. Our server Joey was friendly, efficient and a spot on server. Although the restaurant was short staffed you would never know it, he was awesome. The food outstanding, creative and the bread was to die for.
Service was great. The views were beautiful. The food and drinks were terrific. They were very accommodating for our group of 8. Sat at 2 tables, but they were near each other. We just put the young adults (cousins) at one table and the rest of us at the other table.
My first time in Clayton and first time visiting Bella. There was a small line out the entrance which instantly told me this was going to be good. The line moved quickly and my friend and I were walked down to the lowest desk to a two top right off the water. Just sitting there would have been 5 stars but then the food came. I decided on the pastrami Rueben because of the legendary dressing from the area it originated. How could I order something else?! The sandwich was the best pastrami Rueben I’ve ever had. Unlike a corned beef, the pastrami was thinly sliced and cooked to perfection. Perfect amount of sauerkraut and dressing on deliciously toasted on toasted marble rye bread. I could only eat half, the portions were large, but wanted to eat the whole thing because it was so good. The service was great and our waitress was so friendly and helpful. If you’re in Clayton and see a line at Bella’s, don’t let it stop you. It’s definitely worth the wait. Oh, and, the cocktails and pastries are the best on the river.
We took our labs the second time we visited Bella's. Given a patio table, a blanket for me, and individual water bowls for Percy & Marshall, we thoroughly enjoyed our lunch. The half chicken salad sammie and soup really hit the spot. I had the lobster bisque (again!) John had soup special of shrimp & corn chowder. Can't pass this one up--something for all and supreme staff looking out for creature comforts.
We were visiting with a local family as we do every August. Always for decades make our breakfast visit. Had a very nice server who too our order. This year they had live music. Was too load for conversation where we were seated. Said we would like a different spot if possible. Waited outside the bathrooms. A man who I guess was representing Bella’s talked at us. No apology, no offer to give us a quieter table. Our waitress was trying to reseat us. We said we have decided to leave. He said what did they have and was told coffee. We started walking up pay. He said “if you don’t pay I’ll call the police “. We payed and he said I guess I’ll just give your order to the band. Never an apology just an arrogant individual who doesn’t care about customer service. Bella’s has lost some loyal customers even though only once a year for us. The locals are from Clayton and were very apologetic. They will never go back. Went to Koffee Kove just up the street. Great service and great food.
Lunch at Bella's was a great meal. Limited waiting to get in as it is first come, first served and the line moved quite quickly. It was a busy day as the Antique Boat Festival had started that day. The staff was very friendly and accommodating. The menu and specials had many varied choices to pick from. There is indoor patio and outdoor seating. The food was very good. Definitely recommend.
This place was so nice and we sat outside on the water. Had eggplant and was really yummy plus had a non alcoholic drink that you would die for. Waitress was very friendly too. I would definitely check out this place for lunch. Very pleasant experience.
This has been a regular spot for my family to enjoy coming for breakfast for years during the summer. View is lovely. Excellent service. Menu selections are very good. Some entrées are expensive, others are reasonably priced. Note that fried potatoes are an extra charge on the breakfast menu, and I would not recommend them, as they are hot served hot. Watch for overcharges on the bill. Also, note their tipping calculation also includes tax in the bill total . After, a discussion of an issue with management, no apology, only a partial refund on an overcharge, unfortunately I will be taking my business elsewhere in the future.
Restaurantji Recommends
Fantastic Lunch and Great Atmosphere!! Living in the area, it’s sometimes easy to take for granted the wonderful establishments in the 1000 Islands region. It has been several years since I visited Bella’s for lunch. I can’t wait to go back sometime this summer, it was sooo good. I had the turkey cranberry panini and my friend had the adult grilled cheese. Both were excellent! We sat out by the bar which was lovely! The drinks and service were top notch. I highly recommend Bella’s to anyone from near or far. If I could give higher than 5 stars, I would.
The restaurant serves excellent dishes, but the process for getting a table is frustrating. There's no way to put your name down or get on a waitlist, so guests end up crowding around the entrance—often in the heat—hoping to be seated. It's chaotic and takes away from the overall experience. A more organized system would make a big difference.
Located on the water, Bella’s is a great restaurant for both breakfast and lunch. We ate there twice in one day. The Patrons line up in the early morning to review the pastries and breads available for take away. The staff quickly seats those inline and servers are quick to bring drinks and menus. The drinks menu is vast and portions are shareable. The beet salad was refreshing with walnuts, feta and chicken. We purchased a multi-grain bread for the trip home.
The GOOD: Nice outside seating and atmosphere. Friendly staff. The BAD: We waited over an hour for lunch. We were so hungry that by the time they seated us we ordered something from the bakery to hold us over till lunch came. Their baked goods were so stale and dry, but we gobbled them up because we were hungry. But when the waitress came over, i asked if their baked goods were made fresh? Her response was "yeah" but then said they may be a day old. They tasted much more than evwn a day old. She apologized but did not take them off the bill. The UGLY: the live band that was there butchering Van Morrison songs...LOL!!
Great breakfast good portions very friendly staff and the view of the river was absolutely amazing would recommend for breakfast
Loading...