Mango's Bar & Grill

Mangos Bar & Grill at Smith Mountain Lake is a casual eatery, with a lot more to offer than just food.  It has a whole Caribbean island vibe, including a laid-back atmosphere, and offers both inside and outdoor dining. This is the perfect place to come when you want to kick back with a cold beer on a hot day, or a hot toddy on a cold day. This is where my friends and I came by after a day boating on the lake. We just pulled up to the dock and wandered on in, hoping they’d be cool with our shorts, sandals and t-shirt attire, which they were.

The food is fairly eclectic, but everything revolves around fresh food served in unique ways. They have an extensive speciality cocktail menu, and I encourage you to try at least one of them if you enjoy cocktails.

Mangos is considered a Smith Mountain Lake institution. They are the go-to place for locals, which says a lot about the high quality of their food and service. Both locals and tourists are also happy about the affordable prices, making this a reasonable place to come with the whole family during the day. They maintain an active presence on social media, and you can easily gauge the level of their popularity by all the positive comments that they regularly get. If you’re looking for a casual place for filling food without ever being disappointed, Mangos is it. Whether you’re just off the boat after a day on the lake like my friends and me, or you drive straight to Mangos from your Smith Mountain Lake vacation rental, Mangos fits the bill.

Our Experience at Mango's Bar & Grill

Mangos is part of the Bridgewater Plaza, just off of Booker T. Washington Highway, otherwise known as Rt. 122. It’s just shy of Hales Ford Bridge, on the west side. Parrot Cove Boat Rentals is just across the highway. You’re going to see a square stone sign with the Smith Mountain Lake Visitor Center sign on it, right in front of the Bridgewater Plaza parking lot. It’s a little bit tricky because Mangos is the back of the plaza, facing the water.

There’s ample parking in front of Mangos, as well as the lot by the highway. What you want to do is follow the service road around to the left until you get to the second parking lot by the water, in front of the covered boat docks. If this is full for any reason, you’re allowed to park out by the highway, too.

Mangos has the largest outdoor deck on Smith Mountain Lake, which probably plays into why the place is such a popular destination. The outside tables and chairs are wrought iron, not plastic. If you want to get the vibe of being outside without actually being outside, the restaurant has an open back, in style with the Caribbean flavor of the place. High stools and tables are situated inside, on the edge of the outdoor deck.

It can be extremely hot and sunny on the deck in the summer, but the tables have umbrellas, so there’s ample shade. They also have sun sails hung overhead for more coverage, which actually helps during times when there’s a sun shower. They have fun little string lights hung over the deck, making this a cozy spot in the evening hours, too.

If you miss getting here for the summer, don’t worry. This isn’t a seasonal bar & grill; Mangos is open year-round. Their open hours are from Monday through Tuesday and on Sunday, 11 AM to 9 PM. On Friday and Saturday they’re open from 11 AM to 11:30 PM.

Mango's Music and Entertainment

Another magnet for Mangos is the fact that they have live music. They support all the best local bands and DJs and you can see them perform on the outdoor deck on Friday, Saturday and Sunday. If you want to find out who’s playing ahead of time, just check their Facebook page.

From May through August, Mango’s has Thursday night Karaoke, and I can tell you firsthand it’s a blast! It’s a fun night out when the week’s not quite over.

Mango's Bar & Grill Menu

I always get an appetizer when I come to Mango’s just because they’re so interesting. My favorite is the Fried Reuben Spring Rolls, made with traditional corned beef, sauerkraut and Swiss cheese, but wrapped in a spring roll wrapper instead of bread, with Russian dressing on the side for dipping. Yum. They offer a lot of fish and shellfish dishes, as well as seafood tacos and burgers. But my absolute favorite—especially in summer—is the Candied Mandarin Salad. It’s a big salad with greens and candied walnuts, Craisins and other toppings that make it sweet and flavorful, but still full of goodness.

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