Dear Butch,enjoyed meeting you last summer,you've come up with some great Ideas on the lake! I have a suggestion,you remember of course where the Roof Garden was and that part of the amusement park,why not return that back to the 'glory days' look what happened to Vegas when they went 'kid friendly/!! Most of those shops are empty all summer and who cares about the Iowa rock hall of fame? Give It a thought Butch!
Review Source:This place is purely about atmosphere. The palm trees, tiki bar and docks are nice for the lakes area. If you want food above adequate, this is not the place to hang out. If you want a cocktail that is not made from mix--or stored in gasoline jugs--this is not the place for you. Â But, hey if you like shitty domestic beers (only choices), sugary drinks and frozen pizzas, this is the place for you.
Review Source:Possibly my favorite bar ever. Â Boat up on a sunny day. Â Tie up andi go chill, dink and enjoy the frequent live music all day. Â Pretty good bar food. Â Great drinks, and always some eye candy waitresses. Â :) Â nice cabana atmosphere. Â Great view across the lake, and always a good crowd. Â My only complaint is that its not warm enough for this to be a year round bar. Â Guess that's Iowa got ya tho. Â O oh yeah the pina coladas are really god on a hot day.
Review Source:Kind of out of the way from the rest of the Okoboji area, but it's worth the drive. Of the places I stopped at on Labor Day weekend, this was definitely my favorite. Palm trees, a sprawling deck area with plenty of seating, a few Tiki-style bars, and a GREAT house band.
On the night I was there, everyone was really fun and friendly, and the band was digging in to some lady named Gretchen (who allegedly made some complaint about the language being used by the band. This only resulted in a crowd-favorite song with a repeating "Gretchen! Gretchen! Who the f*ck is Gretchen!?"). The only thing that was kind of a bummer was the closing time, which was 11pm for some reason.
Drink prices were about average for the area. Oh, and don't ask for a Diet Squirt can because those are only for the owner for some reason.
Every town with a lake should have a Barefoot Bar.
No Shirts - No Shoes - No Problem!
Following an afternoon excursion on Lake Okoboji on the Queen II, my son, Gayle and I decided to stop for a drink at the Barefoot Bar on our way home to the cottage. It's located within the Parks Marina and it's a little tricky to find your way and park once you reach the sign.
The Barefoot Bar is large, is nice decked out in a Tiki theme, and with a little shade from a readily available umbrella, offers a scenic, comfortable, and relaxing experience. And by California standards, the drink prices were almost cheap. I especially appreciated the availability of swimming and other play options for my son, while Gayle and I were enjoying our drinks and eating his portion of the nachos. We came too early for any entertainment, but the Barefoot Bar offers a full schedule of music and other recreational options (such as the Dock Hop).
I also came away admiring the hard working entrepreneurial genius of the owner - Butch Parks, who I have never met and whose hard headed Okoboji zoning adventures will be touched on in my upcoming review of the Okoboji Boatworks. Not only does he execute a great customer focused and employee-friendly business model, but combining it with a sometimes low-margin maritime business, brings a whole new meaning to making a "Boat Load" of money.
Barefoot is one of my favorite bars to visit on the lake and it's worth the jaunt over to East Lake. They went all out on the decor, from palm trees and thatching to tiki huts in place of bathrooms. Â The frozen drinks are great - my favorite is the Miami Vice - but I would skip the mojitos (new this year and not particularly good). Â
Every once in awhile, they do a seafood boil which is absolutely delicious - but the regular food is pretty good too. Â I have to admit, I mostly come here for the drinks and the atmosphere!
It can be tricky to find a table if it's crowded, but there's an upper-level bar where we can always find a seat. Â There's a playground and a new lakeside slide this year if you go with kids.
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