Good Eats

The Wake Eatery at City Harbor gets an enthusiastic thumbs-up Good Eats

Story by David Myers Photos by David Moore

Rose and I sat on the deck above the water and enjoyed wonderful cocktails. Mine was a Hurricane, Mobile style, and hers a Blueberry Wake. Speaking of wake, we fixated on the wake of a passing boat and commented on how the sun shone through, creating a sort of rainbow. The breeze was cool and refreshing.

Were we on an exotic vacation? Nope. Were we at Gulf Shores? Nope. We had the privilege of being one of the first to visit the wonderful and brand new Wake Eatery at the City Harbor on Lake Guntersville.

After years of planning, negotiating, constructing and polishing, the beginning of Guntersville’s new era is here. The Wake Eatery is the first establishment to open its doors and, with emphasis, I can say it was worth the wait.

Hometown business person and entrepreneur Mary Melton is the spark behind The Wake Eatery. With the support of her two teenage children, Hannah and Ethan, she developed a dockside concept to serve boaters and landlubbers alike.

“The location just sold it for me,” Mary says.

She presented her concept to developer Patrick Lawler and, with a good deal of “persistence,” landed the prized location at City Harbor.

The eatery’s motif grabs you immediately: antique outboard motors mounted on a wall, an open view of our gorgeous lake, a beautiful window scene depicting the wake of a water craft, bar and food service inside and on the deck, televisions inside and out. Mary signed a lease on the location in 2020 and has been developing her concept since. She began hiring in February of this year and the staff is ready.

Now for the food.

After arriving and looking around, we sampled a few of the house cocktails. Developed by a Mobile mixologist, they were a perfect refreshment for dockside sipping. Dubbed the Blueberry Wake, The Sunset Hurricane, The Bobber and the Mojito, take your pick. They’re all good.

The establishment is also pleased to share classic mixes such as the old fashioned, mimosa, martinis and more.

There are six beers on tap and many choices in bottles. There’s a rotating wine selection as well. That should be interesting. Tip: Do yourself a favor. When you’re ready for grub try the fried mac-n-cheese balls from the appetizer listing. I couldn’t stop “sampling” these crispy and delicious little rascals. But don’t ignore the rest of the appetizer offerings. The list is loaded with items that perfectly complement dockside sipping as you await your main course. Rose and I split a Hangover Burger, which, so far, is the eatery’s most popular dish. In addition to a half pound of Angus beef, the sandwich featured a fried egg, bacon and the Eatery’s Hangover Avocado Sauce. Look down the menu, though. There’s a nice list of burgers. My eyes fixated on a quarter-pound chili dog and I intend to order it next time. A few bites into our Hangover Burger, the Hannah’s Cheesecake Cup with homemade moose mix topping. chef delivered a plate from the entrée selections. He chose his mahi-mahi plate with sides. It was juicy with a great charred flavor and grill marks. Other entrée selections include grilled and fried chicken plates and boneless wings.

Mary spent years boating on Lake Guntersville and many times had sought a place to pull up, tie off and get something to eat; not just something to eat, a great meal. That’s what kindled her vision. She wanted a place where folks could get off the boat and get really good food. “That,” she says, “is what I geared my food toward.” She created an establishment at which

The Hangover Burger and mahi-mahi plate are among the “thumbs-up” dishes. Signature drinks are, from left, the Sunset Hurricane, Blueberry Wake, The Bobber and Mojito. The Wake Eatery at the City Harbor at Lake Guntersville opens seven days a week. Friday and Saturday: 10:30 am to 11:30 pm Sunday through Thursday: 11 am to 10 pm.

people could come in out of the sun with flip flops and boating attire and bring in the kids. Her booths are even equipped with charging stations.

The Wake Eatery fulfills Mary’s concept in robust fashion. Boaters can tie up just outside the deck and go in and have refreshment, lunch or dinner.

Another option: call in an order and pick it up to go. The menu serves many items that fit perfectly into that setting. There’s a variety of wraps, sandwiches and salads in addition to the appetizers, burgers and dogs. All come with selections from an impressive list of sides.

Before we head down to the water, let’s talk about dessert. Ethan’s Tropical Bread Pudding is a gem, but you can’t ignore Hannah’s Cheesecake Cup served with the topping of the day. We tried it. Double thumbs-up – for it and The Wake Eatery.