The best restaurants in Guntersville, Alabama, are Old Town Stock House for a special dinner, Crawmama’s Steaks & Seafood for a lake-town classic, Rock House Eatery for steaks and gumbo, and Simmons BBQ for an old-school barbecue lunch. Add Cafe 336 or Jonica’s Bakery for lunch, and a pint at Main Channel Brewing Company, and you can eat well for a whole weekend without leaving town.
This guide covers the best locally owned places to eat and drink in Guntersville, with what each does best, when to go and how to plan around short schedules. For boating, hiking and the rest of the region, see our Lake Guntersville and northeast Alabama guide.
Guntersville restaurants at a glance
| Restaurant | Best for | Meals | Price |
|---|---|---|---|
| Old Town Stock House | Date night, celebrations | Dinner | $$$ |
| Crawmama’s Steaks & Seafood | Steaks and seafood, a lively bar | Dinner, Thursday to Saturday | $$ |
| Rock House Eatery | Hand-cut steaks, burgers, gumbo | Lunch and dinner | $$$ |
| Simmons BBQ | A fast barbecue lunch | Lunch, drive-thru | $ |
| Cafe 336 | A fresh, seasonal lunch downtown | Lunch | $ |
| Jonica’s Bakery | Cakes, cookies and sandwiches | Bakery, lunch | $ |
| Hola Michoacan | Ice cream, aguas frescas, coffee | Snacks and sweets | $ |
| Main Channel Brewing Company | Local craft beer | Taproom | $$ |
| Cash Allen’s Pub | Late nights, pool and live music | Bar | $$ |
What is the best restaurant in Guntersville for dinner?
For a special occasion, the best dinner in Guntersville is Old Town Stock House, a polished Southern restaurant downtown with a menu that changes with the seasons. For a more casual night that feels like the lake, go to Crawmama’s.
Old Town Stock House
Old Town Stock House, at 410 Old Town Street, has served an elevated take on Southern American cooking since 2015. The kitchen builds its menu around seasonal, locally sourced produce, and it changes not just with the seasons but sometimes from night to night, so call ahead if you have your heart set on a particular dish. The dining room is built for a slower, more attentive evening, with a full bar, and it is the town’s go-to for anniversaries, birthdays and date nights. Reservations are recommended, especially on weekends.
Crawmama’s Steaks & Seafood
Crawmama’s Steaks & Seafood, at 5002 Webb Villa on the outskirts of town, has fed Guntersville since 1987, and it does it only three nights a week, Thursday through Saturday. The pairing is in the name: steaks cooked to order and a rotating lineup of seafood, including catches that are harder to find on other Marshall County menus. The room is casual and social, with a full bar pouring draft beer and mixed drinks. The lot fills early, and Crawmama’s does not take reservations before 2 p.m. on the days it is open, so call that afternoon.
Rock House Eatery
Rock House Eatery, at 1201 Gunter Avenue, calls itself a Southern gourmet kitchen, and its menu runs from gumbo and po’boys to hand-cut certified Black Angus filets and burgers made from beef ground in house. The filet mignon burger is the signature, and there are weekly dinner specials, including a steak dinner for two on Wednesdays and prime rib on Thursdays. Locally sourced ingredients, herb butter and a house coffee rub show up across the menu, and there is a full bar.
Where should you eat lunch in Guntersville?
For lunch, go to Simmons BBQ if you want barbecue fast, Cafe 336 if you want something fresh and seasonal downtown, or Jonica’s Bakery if you want a sandwich and a cookie.
Simmons BBQ
Simmons BBQ, on Gilbreath Street just off the main road through town, has smoked pork, ribs, ham and turkey since 1986. It is family owned and unfussy, more drive-thru than dining room, and it draws a steady lunch crowd of locals heading back to the marinas and docks. Order the Brown Bag Special (chopped pork, a side and bread) if you are in a hurry, or a loaded barbecue potato if you are not, and finish with banana pudding. Simmons also caters and sells wholesale.
Cafe 336
Cafe 336 is a small lunch-only cafe inside the Bakers on Main marketplace at 336 Gunter Avenue, run by owner Lisa Baker. It describes its cooking as gourmet, simple and fresh: the menu follows the seasons, meats are sliced in house, and desserts are made from scratch. The lunch menu changes often, so call ahead for the day’s selections. Its Go-Chef program offers a rotating weekly lineup of casseroles for pickup until 5 p.m., which is handy if you are staying in a lake rental with a kitchen. Browse the shops at Bakers on Main before or after.
Jonica’s Bakery
Jonica’s Bakery, at 1708 Gunter Avenue, is a scratch bakery known for custom cakes and cupcakes that also runs a cafe-style menu with smoked barbecue, chicken salad, paninis and rotating sides. It is the place to grab lunch and a gourmet cookie, or to order a celebration cake for a lake weekend.
Where can you get dessert and coffee in Guntersville?
For something cold after a hot day on the water, go to Hola Michoacan Ice Cream and Coffee Shop on US 431. It is a Mexican paleteria-style shop whose ice cream is made in house with real fruit and no preservatives, in flavors like mango, lime and strawberry cheesecake. The menu also runs to aguas frescas (hibiscus, pitaya and horchata), popsicles, elote, mangonadas, superfood bowls and coffee drinks. For baked goods, Jonica’s Bakery is the other sweet stop in town.
Where can you get a drink in Guntersville?
Main Channel Brewing Company is the place for local beer, and Cash Allen’s Pub is the place for a late night downtown.
Main Channel Brewing Company
Main Channel Brewing Company, at 2090 Gunter Avenue, is named for the main boating channel through Lake Guntersville. This is the brewery’s original taproom, and a second location has since opened in Albertville. The room is casual, built for pulling up a stool after a day on the water, and the beer list rotates with the seasons. As of this writing, the taproom is open Monday through Thursday from 3 to 9 p.m., Friday from 3 to 10 p.m., and Saturday and Sunday from noon to 10 p.m. If you are heading up Sand Mountain, our Albertville and Sand Mountain guide covers the second taproom.
Cash Allen’s Pub
Cash Allen’s Pub, at 412 Old Town Street, steps from Old Town Stock House, is downtown’s late-night bar, with pool tables, an organized pool league and live music on a semi-regular calendar. It is closed Monday and opens in the late afternoon most days, staying open until 2 a.m. on Friday and Saturday.
How do you plan meals around a weekend at the lake?
Plan your dinners first, because Guntersville’s two most popular dinner spots keep limited hours or fill up fast. Then fill in lunch around your time on the water.
- Friday night: Crawmama’s (call after 2 p.m.), then a nightcap at Cash Allen’s Pub.
- Saturday lunch: Simmons BBQ on the way to or from the marina, or Cafe 336 if you are shopping downtown.
- Saturday afternoon: Ice cream or an agua fresca at Hola Michoacan after the lake.
- Saturday night: Old Town Stock House (book ahead), or Rock House Eatery for steaks.
- Sunday: A pint at Main Channel Brewing Company, which opens at noon on weekends.
If you are here to fish, eat early. Our guide to Lake Guntersville bass fishing covers guides who start at first light, and Simmons BBQ is the quickest lunch on the way back. For a place to stay within reach of downtown, see our guide to Lake Guntersville cabins, cottages and B&Bs. If you are planning a mountain day, our guide to DeSoto Falls and Little River Canyon has places to eat in Mentone.
Tips for eating out in Guntersville
- Check the day: Several favorites keep short schedules. Crawmama’s opens only Thursday through Saturday, Cafe 336 serves lunch only, and Cash Allen’s Pub is closed Monday.
- Watch the calendar: Summer Saturdays, big fishing tournaments and events like HydroFest in June bring crowds, so eat early or book ahead.
- Call ahead: Old Town Stock House and Cafe 336 change their menus often and suggest calling for the day’s dishes.
- Staying in: If your rental has a kitchen, Cafe 336’s weekly casseroles and Simmons BBQ’s catering-size orders make easy lake-house dinners.
See every listing on our Guntersville restaurants page.
FAQ
What is the best restaurant in Guntersville, AL?
For a special dinner, Old Town Stock House is the top pick, with a seasonal Southern menu and a polished dining room; reservations are recommended. For a casual lake-town dinner, Crawmama’s Steaks & Seafood has been a local favorite since 1987.
Are there restaurants on the water in Guntersville?
Guntersville sits on a peninsula surrounded by the lake, so water views are common around town, but the restaurants in this guide are known more for their food than their views. Check our Guntersville restaurants page for current options, and ask your lodging host about waterfront spots near where you stay.
When is Crawmama’s open?
Crawmama’s Steaks & Seafood serves dinner only, Thursday through Saturday. It does not take reservations before 2 p.m. on those days, and the lot fills early, so call that afternoon.
Is there a brewery in Guntersville?
Yes. Main Channel Brewing Company has its original taproom at 2090 Gunter Avenue in Guntersville, with a second location in Albertville. The beer list rotates with the seasons.
Where can you get barbecue in Guntersville?
Simmons BBQ on Gilbreath Street has smoked pork, ribs, ham and turkey since 1986, with a drive-thru for a fast lunch. Jonica’s Bakery also serves smoked barbecue on its lunch menu.