The Tavern At Trail’s End! Rustic Vibes, Brilliant Food At This Unique Lake Of The Ozarks Restaurant

Just off Highway 5 in Sunrise Beach, down a little gravel road, what was once a dive bar at one of the oldest buildings in the Lake of the Ozarks area has been transformed into one of the most-raved-about restaurants in the entire region: The Tavern at Trail’s End.

John and Sherri Buchanan, owners of The Tavern at Trail’s End, have figured out the secret sauce to running a successful restaurant.

John & Sherri Buchanan - Tavern at Trail's End — photo via Facebook

“He’s last-minute, he doesn’t plan anything out!” Sherri says, laughing about her husband. He agrees: “I didn’t even know what I was going to cook for you today until we were on our way here.” The two are perfectly polar opposites in their skill-sets:

John, the creative chef, whose culinary sense has risen beyond the realm of rules into the plane of the poetic;

Sherri, the administrative mind, who runs the front of the house and business administration with remarkable focus, military precision, and infectious enthusiasm.

Neither seems able to fully grasp how the other does what they do; and neither could get along without the other. This is a match made for restauranting success, and wherever they’ve gone, their customers have been the direct beneficiaries. Eat at one of the Buchanans’ restaurants, and you’ll leave thrilled with the experience and raving about the food.

The Buchanans opened The Tavern at Trail’s End in 2021, after running several successful restaurants in the St. Louis area. Wearied — like so many — by the city’s oppressive Covid protocols, John and Sherri sought reprieve and a new adventure at Lake of the Ozarks. Fascinated with fixer-uppers, they gave their real estate agent an obscenely low price target and said, “Let’s find our next restaurant.”

They landed on the locally famous bar Hurricane Dolly’s. The definition of a dive, the restaurant — John remembers — had plastic tablecloths stapled to the de-laminating tabletops. An upside-down Christmas tree hung from one corner. The smell of smoke penetrated every surface (John made the mistake of wearing his leather jacket during his first visit… couldn’t get the smell out). It was perfect.

They gutted the 19th-century building — which, according to legend, had been a trading post for French and Indian fur traders — and rebuilt the kitchen from scratch. The renewed interior is open and warm, with a cozy sitting area at the front near the well-appointed bar. The exterior still looks like an 1880s trading cabin, with an imposing stone chimney and a low beam stretching across the gabled entryway.

The vibe: rustic elegance.

Now is an excellent time to dine at The Tavern at Trail’s End: you’ll have less competition for tables. But unless you’re eating at 4 p.m. or 8 p.m., it’s still prudent to make reservations.

The Tavern is also hosting New Year’s Eve dinner, which shouldn’t be missed.

The 4-course meal with a set menu is $85/person, for a 90-minute seating. Call 573-374-2895 for reservations.

Make your reservations, step through the low entryway, take your seat, and order: you’ll be among the many who have discovered and fallen in love with this hidden gem. Take our ordering tips — below — or order celeb Jenna Fischer’s favorite Tavern dish: the Korean Sticky Ribs.

Jenna Fischer & John Buchanan at The Tavern at Trail's End — photo via Facebook

“I’ve traveled the world,” the St. Louisan — known for her iconic role as Pam in The Office — said in a message to John and Sherri after her first visit to the restaurant. “And I’ve never had Korean Ribs that good.” She orders them every time she returns. (John made up the recipe, of course. He smokes the ribs in-house and then braises them in root beer.)

At some point during the meal, you’ll likely meet Chef John, making his rounds, checking on his guests. He’ll ask what you think about the scallops, or make sure you’re sufficiently impressed with the spinach dip (spoiler: you are).

Ready for dinner at The Tavern at Trail’s End? Head to 258 Trails End Rd, Sunrise Beach, just across Highway 5 from Captain Ron’s.

Online: thetavern-trailsend.com

On Facebook: The Tavern at Trails End [LINK: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100068374270156]

When you go, here’s what to order at Tavern at Trail’s End...

To Eat

Start:

Fried Green Tomato Caprese Salad

You’ve never, ever had a Caprese salad like this. John invented the recipe one night on a whim: he wanted to shake-up the standard Caprese, and thought, “Why not fried green tomatoes?”

The result is outstanding; the green tomatoes retain a crispness and still pair wonderfully with the Buffalo Mozzarella. Adorning the array are tomato jam and caramelized onion balsamic jam. The whole dish is drizzled with a balsamic reduction.

Spinach-Artichoke Dip

You’ve probably already heard about this spinach dip. People rave about it, and for good cause.

“What’s the secret there?” we ask John.

His reply sounds like something our mother would say: “Just love.”

Yes. And that love looks like a spinach dip in which every component was added thoughtfully. Nothing was squeezed from a tube or scooped out of a can. Surprisingly large leaves of fresh spinach top the dish, which is blended with just the right cheese-to-spinach ratio. You’re not dipping flimsy chips-from-a-bag into this spinach dip: John wouldn’t allow it. He uses egg roll wraps to make the house chips: cut up and deep-fried.

“I cook from scratch because that’s who I am,” John explained. “If I don’t do 100 percent, I can’t do it.” He notes that cooking from scratch is actually what allows such brilliantly good food to be so reasonably priced, considering the quality. Raw ingredients and fresh produce are far cheaper to procure and prepare — if you know what you’re doing.

Continue:

18oz Cowboy Ribeye with Honey-Ancho-Chili Glaze, Roasted Garlic Mashed Potatoes, and topped with flash-fried shoestring onions.

If the name of this dish doesn’t sell you on it, then just mosey along, pardner. The honey-ancho-chili glaze imparts… everything. Sweetness, spice, caramelization.

And back to the “from scratch” thing… these steaks are cut fresh in the Tavern’s kitchen. The price-per-pound is reduced dramatically, and John can get the thickness he wants. Then he doesn’t have to charge an arm-and-a-leg for a Cowboy Ribeye. This is how food should be done.

Speaking of “done,” the correct doneness for this steak: medium-rare. Trust us.

Sweet Chili-Bourbon Glazed Salmon on Wild Rice Pilaf with vegetable du jour

This is wild-caught Norwegian Salmon, from Nova Scotia.

Delicious. The glorious sweetness of the glaze complements a surprisingly savory salmon. The photos speak for themselves.

Dessert:

Gooey Butter Cake

It’s hard to screw-up gooey butter cake. But it’s even harder to make gooey butter cake like this. Rich-but-not-too-rich, this is a decadent, comfort-food kind of dessert that belongs in a place like the Tavern at Trail’s End, where the rustic and elegant combine in a delicious dance.

To Drink

Wine — By the bottle, glass, or flight

Sherri talks with pride about the growing wine list they’re building at the Tavern. Beloved brands like Caymus are served. But they’re also building a cellar of personal favorites from which customers can order.

Whether it’s a glass, a bottle, or a flight, wine-lovers will sip with pleasure at the Tavern.

Old Fashioned

It’s hard to recommend an Old Fashioned, because those who love them will order them, and those who don’t, won’t. But John has managed to find a way to enhance this king of cocktails. The simple syrup is house-made — you might expect as much from any self-respecting mixologist. But the bitters is house-made too. John rattles off his secret recipe faster than you can write it down… you might catch him say something about “juniper berries”… but it must be this bitters recipe that makes this the absolute best Old Fashioned you’ll ever have.