Traditions on the Lake

We found this place by accident, thanks to Yelp! It's inside of a hotel/ condos (yes, it's both a hotel, and you can buy condo units. Interesting lol.) Andddd it's open on Sundays! Yay!

We were looking for a lunch place after church, and discovered this spot. You enter through the hotel lobby entrance and immediately see the restaurant and bar and hostess stand. The outside patio is super nice and has a nice view of the lake. Inside looked cozy as well and seemed to have a nice bar and lounge. Very cool that this is open to the public.

The butternut squash soup sounded delicious, and it was! A hint of sweet and topped w crème fresh and green onions.

The kids menu was generous. They can pick a number of things and then many large sides, such as choosing the cheeseburger and a side of Mac and cheese (so like having two meals. My son was thrilled!) He said both were very good! And took half of each home.

The French toast with strawberry compote comes with two eggs your choice of style, and two sausage Patties or bacon. We ordered bacon and we're accidentally given sausage. They immediately brought us extra bacon which was nice. Sausage was okay. Bacon was crispy and great! French toast was good but of course sweet.

I ordered the steak tips salad, that was to die for!! Foodie Heaven! Steak dips were done perfectly, moist and flavorful! A bed of mixed green, crispy fried onions, candied walnuts, tomatoes, crumbled goat cheese, and your choice of dressing. I did balsamic vinaigrette.

Good service. All the food was good! Fresh and good quality ingredients. Food came out quickly even though they were relatively busy. We loved the fresh air patio on the lake, and wished they had a path along the lake to walk etc. But no real access to it. We will be back and enjoy more of their food! Great to find this spot.

Standout asset of the property, extremely impressed with the food and beverage here. Had a large group of friends stay here over Memorial Day weekend so we ate here
multiple times over the course of the weekend and everything was top notch.

Standouts we’re chicken and waffles, Filet Oscar, breakfast taco, and the balsamic sprouts.

Shoutout to bartenders Jenny and Yolanda who gave us great service and drinks all weekend! Love seeing this type of hospitality here in Clemson, we will be back.

Another great visit. Food was great, service was good. The 5 cheese mac and cheese is my favorite. Love the Creme Brule.

When my wife asked if I wanted to try it, my first thought was a hotel restaurant for supper? I'm glad we tried it. The food was good and the service was good. Our waitress was stretched a bit, trying to run inside and outside, but she did a good job.

What a great birthday surprise! My wife and I were passing through Clemson, after a wonderful birthday excursion. We've been through Clemson many times but usually just grabbed something simple. But that's not what we wanted this time. We really wanted to eat someplace special with good food and ambiance. I decided to look for internet suggestions. My initial search for best restaurants near me, turned up things like Mellow Mushroom, a hotdog cafe, and Wendy's. Totally useless for what we were looking for and seriously, should those be listed in the best restaurants. If so then the outlook for our romantic evening was pretty bleak.

But I tried another site of "best lists". I could not believe what I saw. It sounded like the very kind of place that I have so often sought but rarely found.

They had outdoor seating by the lake. That's what I'm talking about. Ambiance! So I continued to investigate the menu. This was it! Lump Crab cakes, shrimp and grits, a steak salad, hearty and unique appetizers...plus many other selections that sounded amazing, And last but not least the trifecta was completed by a surprisingly reasonable price range.

It was PERFECT! It is part of a resort but don't let that deter you.

We had a BLT salad (which includes a crispy fried, deliciously seasoned, tender chicken breast) and the Lump Crab Cakes. I capitalize this selection because it deserves the respect. We have ordered crab cakes many times and enjoy them almost every time. But there is usually not enough sauce to satisfy my tastes. In my opinion the sauce is what sets one crab cake apart from another. These were actually swimming in a luscious pool of buttery remoulade, mushroom risotto, and lemon caper vin blanc. It was every bit as rich and delicious as it sounds.

The setting is so well designed but not formal or stuffy. Just beautiful and pleasant. And the service was friendly, accommodating, and attentive.

Walked in at 1:58 as the kitchen was about to close. They still seated us and delivered an excellent lunch. The waitress couldn't have been nicer or more attentive.

*UPDATE*

**** first time ever ALL YOU CAN EAR CRAB LEGS!!!!*****

Still one of the best places to eat in Clemson. Jordan took awesome care of us while under pressure of the fist time serving crab legs!!!

This place seems the opposite of a destination eatery. However the food is amazing, the staff is amazing and they all treated us like we were family. It was our first time here but it will not be our last.
I had the chicken and waffles, and it was better than anything I can remember. The French toast is unique and very tasty, crunchy, soft, sweet. My daughter barley let me try it before it was all gone. My wife had the casserole and it was baked to perfection. Seasoned well prepared beautifully. If you are want a more elevated dining experience i definitely recommend stopping in here!

The only negative, to me, is their beverage prices are way to high for the area. 9 dollars for one flute of mimosa and 12-26 for a glass of bourbon.

The food is amazing here. Came with a bachelorette party and we ordered the blue cheese dip and the fried green tomatoes- both appetizers were fantastic, especially the dip. I ordered the filet Oscar, and it was amazing. The parmesean risotto underneath the steak was really good. Our waiter recommended the Black Widow Blackberry Cider since we all said we liked ciders, and his recommendation was spot on. Will definitely return

Great restaurant located in Lakeside lodge. Went on a Sunday and they were serving the brunch menu. Started with the blue cheese dip appetizer and it was awesome! The steak and eggs was excellent too! The steak was very tender and cooked perfectly. We also had the depot burger and was able to add Clemson blue cheese and it was a big burger and very good as well. The blacksmith steak salad was very good and had tender beef tips. All this great food and the service and atmosphere was impeccable on top of that. You don’t have to be staying at the lodge to eat there and it is located just in front of you as you walk into the lobby.

Oh my. The wife had the steak tacos, while I enjoyed their rib eye special. Food and service exceptional once again. Never disappointed.

We had a wonderful evening. Traditions is a beautiful place. Too cold to eat outside, but inside was warm and cozy. Maple bacon brussel sprouts were my fav! Soooo good! Crab cake was really good, shrimp & grits were fabulous, and steak tips and fries hit the spot! Wine options limited, but the Malbec not bad. Thank you for a great dinner out Traditions 😘

Fantastic dinner. Steak was cooked perfect and the risotto was incredible. Definitely recommend and will return

The brunch is amazing! I've tried several dishes, and they never disappoint! Pineapple mimosa is a must.

We went for Sunday brunch, the food we got was excellent, was a little disappointed that they had run out of some of the dishes on the menu, waitress was very nice

Easily amongst the Best Food in Oconee County. Priced accordingly for the quality of the fare, this restaurant is situated inside the Lakeside Lodge located on Lake Hartwell in the very outskirts of the city of Clemson. There is plenty of outdoor seating by the pool and fire pit, with an obscured view of the lake. Park in the front of the hotel and go straight through the lobby to get to Traditions.

The food is the star of the show here. The folks in the kitchen know what they are doing! I did knock off one star on the atmosphere rating for no other reason than the establishment is a hotel restaurant and is located right behind the check-in desk and lobby. This does take a little away from the ambiance, but definitely not enough to keep us away from the stellar food! The staff is always on top of things and it is spotlessly clean.

If you are a foodie in the area you definitely want to give this place a try!

Filet Oscar⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ ‼ Thank you 🙏 Great service food and atmosphere! Greatest teamwork and staff!!

The food smelled amazing me and the to go girl talked about our nails l o l. She was really nice. The food was ready right on time. And I was amazed at the guys carrying the hot pans with no gloves. But they did a great job too .

It's one of my favorite places to go eat in Clemson. Good food, great service, nice views.

I love this place! Traditions on the Lake is my go-to place in the Clemson area. Eric is my favorite bartender; he makes the most amazing drinks. The outdoor seating provides views of the lake. They employ a fantastic chef because every meal I’ve tried is so tasty. Bonus, it's Parent-friendly.

Jenny was so amazing at keeping the poolside bar going during an unexpected power outage! Eric, the bartender, was great at finding good drinks for any occasion. Also, Lauren went above and BEYOND to help everyone get dinner during a power outage, including cooking the food herself. Everyone has been so amazing and accommodating, would recommend the restaurant and bar to anyone in the Clemson area! Such sweet ladies who are willing to go the extra mile to create an amazing customer service experience during adverse conditions! The hotel manager even brought out complimentary macaroons
Couldn't give a higher review!

As a local we often struggle with lack of restaurant choices in the area. We decided to try Traditions last night and we are very glad we did! It was pouring rain so no chance to enjoy their outdoor dining, which we will definitely try another time. I waitress was welcoming and attentive. We started with 2 of the signature cocktails, a tiger punch for my wife and their Jalapeno margarita for me. Both were excellent! My wife ordered the French onion soup which was really spectacular and I ordered the Clemson Blue Cheese Dip which I enjoyed. I especially enjoyed the toasted dill pita chips they served with the dip. Next we shared the crab cakes with a side of the maple, balsamic brussel sprouts and both were really delicious. We enjoyed a nice pinot noir and thoroughly enjoyed the evening. I must also say our waitress was well trained and properly confirmed the bottle of wine we ordered, then poured for a tasting and served it. We find these simple tasks are not understood by many of the lesser restaurants in the area. We will be back!!