Rowena Landing Restaurant

Dining here was a bit of a time warp.I imagine the family from Dirty Dancing coming to Rowena's in their polos and tastefully long shorts and white sneakers, sitting down for dinner after arts and crafts and canoe lessons.Family fun times! 'Merica!The inside of Rowena's looks like it hasn't been updated in decades, though that might be changing considering the blocked off section when you walk in.But there is a bit of charm to this quaint eating place in the state park.It has an awe-inspiring view of Lake Cumberland. The scenery around the lake is breath-taking, so it's only right that this spot have such a vantage point.The waitresses were the epitome of friendliness, and the food definitely took me back to a time before farm-to-table awareness, organic farming and culinary daredevils.I got the seafood special, which included fried shrimp poppers, fried catfish filets, hushpuppies and fries.The catfish was cooked fantastically. I've had some in which the breading was mushy, and others in which the fish was fried until it was crispy and dry on the inside.This was a great balance, in which the fish easily pulled apart with a fork.This dish also came with a visit to the "salad bar" -- a few containers of mixed lettuce, cherry tomatoes, grated cheese and salad dressing.The salad bar also has some pasta salad, that was quite good though. Overall I enjoyed my meal of fried deliciousness.So why only three stars? Well first of all, there was a definite fly problem in the dining room -- not so much to where they were crawling on the food but enough to where they were noticeable.And second, their hamburgers look disgusting. The child in our group ordered one, and the patty was paper thin, definitely looked nuked.I'm not looking for gourmet here, but I would hope for quality that surpasses the most basic of fast food options.With these things in mind, I'd recommend Rowena's -- if for nothing else than its killer view.

Ate here last night with wife while staying at the lodge. I had the buffet--wife had a wrap. Nice view of the lake. Good, friendly service. I was mostly interested in the fish entrée , which was great, cooked perfectly and not a hint of grease. They also had chicken, turkey and beef, carrots, mixed vegetables, green beans and mashed potatoes. Plus an average salad bar, broccoli cheddar soup, and for desserts, some sort of apple dish, cherry cobbler and banana pudding. That was a pretty good spread for 15 bucks, and I certainly got filled up. I haven't had the breakfast or lunch buffets yet, but I will at my next visit.

Cheap, tasty food with spectacular views. Great atmosphere really with friendly staff, located at the trail head and an excellent reward after a 4 mile hike. A+ would recommend

View is the reason to go here along with the limited dining options available in Jamestown. We all had the dinner buffet. Food was good, not exceptional. Service was very good. Take advantage of the state park while there. We saw deer just outside the dining room. Let the kids play at playground and played a game of checkers in lodge.

Great service and a good bargain. We had the lunch buffet. My husband had the chicken breast and commented several times how good it is ~ so tender you can cut it worth a fork. The meatloaf is light and flavorful. The salad bar offers a nice variety including spinach. The desert selection adobe made it worth every penny. If offered German Chocolate Cake, a generous variety of cheesecakes, and other goodies. I had the chocolate raspberry cheesecake and it was light and good flavor. Great service and a good bargain. We had the lunch buffet. My husband had the chicken breast and commented several times how good it is ~ so tender you can cut it worth a fork. The meatloaf is light and flavorful. The salad bar offers a nice variety including spinach. The desert selection alone made it worth every penny. If offered German Chocolate Cake, a generous variety of cheesecakes, and other goodies. I had the chocolate raspberry cheesecake and it was light and good flavor.

This is a place that is stuck in time and maybe could use a little updating. Although it does have a charm that is worth keeping. Did I forget to mention it has a million dollar view overlooking Cumberland Lake? The view is well worth the admission. The food and service were okay. Appeared they were doing some construction to the outside area at time of our visit. You really should check it out.

Literally the smallest portion of food I've ever seen on a plate. The catfish dinner came with one approximately 4" long piece of fish and about a 1/4 cup of green beans. I'm by no means stating that a plate should be rounded but when you can consume all the food in 30 seconds, they should add a little more. Very disappointing knowing what the restaurant use to be like a few years ago. Really gone down hill...