The local favorite near Waterloo Recreation Area is Portage Lake Parlor, a lakeside bar and barbecue spot on Seymour Road in Grass Lake, a few minutes from The Oaks Campground. For more choices, downtown Chelsea is about 35 minutes east with sit-down restaurants on Main Street, and in fall the Dexter Cider Mill is a classic stop. And on event weekends, you don’t have to leave the campground at all: food trucks come to us.
Here’s where our guests actually go when nobody wants to cook. We checked that each place below was operating in 2026, but hours change by season, so call ahead.
Portage Lake Parlor (Grass Lake)
Where: 12227 Seymour Road, Grass Lake, on Portage Lake. From The Oaks: a few minutes by car.
If you ask our team where to eat, this is the first answer. It’s a casual lakeside spot that draws boaters and lake people off Portage Lake, and it’s known for barbecue: smoked brisket, ribs and pulled pork. A campground employee told us it has one of the biggest barbecue smoker setups they’ve ever seen in person.
The other thing our team brings up every time is the onion rings. In their words, “they’re the kind where the batter stays on the onion ring, and we think that’s how you really know if a restaurant knows how to make onion rings.” Lots of our campers make it a regular stop for a meal they don’t have to cook.
Good for: a relaxed dinner after a day on the lake or the trails; groups; anyone who likes barbecue. Hours vary by season, so check before you go.
Downtown Chelsea
From The Oaks: about 20 miles, about 35 minutes.
Chelsea’s walkable downtown is the area’s main dining strip and an easy add-on to a visit to the Eddy Discovery Center or the DTE trail. Two Main Street spots:
- The Common Grill, 112 S. Main Street. A sit-down New American restaurant, a good pick for a nicer dinner out during your camping weekend.
- Smokehouse 52 BBQ, 125 S. Main Street. Barbecue in the middle of downtown, practical for a family lunch after a morning hike.
Our team also recommends the Chelsea and Dexter downtowns for an afternoon stroll.
Dexter Cider Mill (fall)
Where: 3685 Central Street, Dexter. From The Oaks: about 29 miles, about 45 minutes.
Family run since 1886, the Dexter Cider Mill is Michigan’s oldest continuously operating cider mill. It’s a seasonal stop that opens in late summer (August 28 in 2026) and is a fall tradition for many of our families: cider and doughnuts, then a walk around downtown Dexter. Pair it with an October weekend at camp, when The Oaks is quiet and the trails are in color.
Eating at the campground
A lot of weekends, the best dinner option is the one you can walk to.
- Food trucks. On scheduled event weekends, food trucks set up in the main campground area. Our team’s version of a perfect Saturday ends with a food truck dinner so mom and dad don’t have to cook, then a band or family dance party at the pavilion. Check The Oaks events page for which weekends have trucks.
- The camp store. Our renovated store at the front of the park carries snacks, ice, firewood, forgotten essentials, and hand-scooped and novelty ice cream. An after-dinner ice cream run by golf cart is a weekend tradition for a lot of families.
- Your own campfire. Every short-term site has a fire ring and a picnic table. Firewood is sold at the store; outside firewood isn’t allowed in Michigan.
- A picnic by the beach. There’s a picnic lawn on the east side of the swim lake for a cooler lunch between swims.
Tips for eating out near Waterloo
- Call ahead. Small-town and lakeside restaurants change hours with the season, and some close a day or two a week.
- Plan around the drive. Portage Lake Parlor is close. Chelsea and Dexter are 35 to 45 minutes each way, so make them part of a day trip rather than a quick dinner run.
- Come back before dark. Quiet hours start at 11 PM, and after-hours arrivals are easier with a quick call to the store. Kids and bikes should be back at the site by dusk.
Stay close to all of it
The Oaks Campground is a nature-first campground next to Waterloo Recreation Area, with about 120 acres of trails, a sand beach and Aquaglide water park on a spring-fed swim lake, a fishing lake, and big RV and tent sites. Rates vary by date and site; see The Oaks rates page to book your site, or read about boating on Portage Lake.
Questions
What is the best restaurant near Waterloo Recreation Area?
Our team’s pick is Portage Lake Parlor in Grass Lake, a lakeside barbecue spot a few minutes from The Oaks. It’s known for its smoker and its onion rings.
Are there restaurants in Chelsea near Waterloo?
Yes. Downtown Chelsea, about 35 minutes from The Oaks, has sit-down and casual options on Main Street, including The Common Grill and Smokehouse 52 BBQ.
Does The Oaks have a restaurant?
No. There’s a camp store with snacks and hand-scooped ice cream, and food trucks visit on scheduled event weekends.
When is the Dexter Cider Mill open?
It’s seasonal, opening in late summer and running through fall. In 2026 it opened August 28. Check the mill’s own listings for current hours.
Is there food at The Oaks itself?
There’s no restaurant on site. Food trucks come on scheduled weekends (2026 trucks included Deli Que, Hannah’s Hawaiian, Happy Camper Café and The Filling Station), and the camp store has snacks, groceries and hand-scooped ice cream.
What’s the guest-favorite restaurant near The Oaks?
Portage Lake Parlor, a few minutes away. It picks up boaters from Portage Lake, has one of the biggest BBQ smoker setups our team has seen, and serves onion rings where the batter actually stays on.
