Dinner at Puddle Jumpers Lakeside Grill comes with something few restaurants can put on the menu: an expansive view of Lake Dora.

Located along the downtown Tavares waterfront, the restaurant offers a relaxed setting for enjoying dinner, drinks and live music. Guests can dine indoors, settle onto the screened patio or head upstairs, where the lake becomes a striking backdrop for an evening out.

Owner Jon Aramino describes the menu as “American Fare with a twist,” pairing familiar favorites with flavors diners may not expect. Along with steak, seafood and signature burgers, choices include a bacon jam and goat cheeseburger and fried cheese “pontoons” served with chipotle raspberry sauce instead of marinara.

“We like to have things that people are familiar with, but we also like to offer new and unique things that taste delicious,” Jon says. 

Puddle Jumpers is a scratch kitchen where approximately 90% of its dressings and sauces are made in-house. The kitchen also hand-batters its fish and chicken, makes its own crab cakes and introduces a fresh catch and butcher’s cut each week.

Weekday specials, with the purchase of any beverage, offer another reason to stop in. Diners can find a $12 cheeseburger Monday, specially priced tacos Tuesday, a $9 coconut shrimp appetizer and half-price bottles of wine Wednesday, eight wings for $8 Thursday and $4 off fish and chips Friday. Happy hour runs from 3–6pm Monday through Friday with $2 off all bottled and draft beer, glasses of wine and all well and signature drinks.

On weekends, the waterfront becomes even livelier with solo musicians performing from 6–9pm Saturday and 3–6pm. Sunday. Puddle Jumpers is also testing full-band performances from 7–10pm on the first Friday of October, November and December.

Upstairs, the restaurant’s refreshed second floor is open for dining when it is not reserved. The space may also be rented for birthday parties, reunions, weddings and other private gatherings, with banquet information available online.

“It’s a beautiful place to sit and hang out,” Jon says.

Jon brings 37 years of restaurant experience to Puddle Jumpers, which he opened in September 2015 after working nearly every position in the business, from busser and cook to server, manager and owner.

“Having my own place allows me and my chefs the creative freedom to offer a great place for people to go for spectacular views, quality entertainment and some of the best food around,” he says.