Harry & The Natives at Lake Okahumpka

This is the first one we did not approve, and it needs explaining properly, because it is not what it looks like.

We were coming off our day of playing retirees in The Villages, deep inside that retirement community, and we were left wondering whether the menus up there also work for breaking a diet. Searching and searching we found Harry & The Natives, on Lake Okahumpka, which is one of the most typical spots in the area.

One fact I tried to explain in the video and got tangled up in, so let me make it clear here: the original business opened in Hobe Sound on December 7, 1941, as Cypress Cabins and Restaurant, and it has had several names over the years. This location, the one on the lake, is new: it opened in 2025.

And the place is beautiful. Atmosphere 10, no argument. The decor, the music, the vibe, the way they take care of you and the lake in the background. Service 9: we got someone who treated us very well and even made the jokes you would expect when two young people wander into a world of adults.

Two warnings before we go on. First: do not go in August. We went in August and we sweated at the table, lake view and all. The second one is about your wallet: on our check the suggested tip started at 20%, not at 18 or 15 like we have been seeing in Miami. Count it in before you order.

To start, the deviled eggs with caramelized bacon. They come three to an order, which is already a strange decision, because nobody brings you odd numbers unless they want you to order more. The bacon was caramelized and it did the job, but the eggs arrived cold.

For the main, pasta for both, and here we do have to give them credit: it is handmade pasta, not commercial, and you can tell. It was very good. Separate and free advice: if you are on a first date, do not order pasta. There is no pretty or dignified way to eat pasta.

We did not order dessert, and that is the problem. The two on offer — the lemon pie and the chocolate bar cake — both have alcohol in them, and in this series the cheat day is done with food, not with drinks. The calories have to come from the plate. We ended up looking for dessert somewhere else.

And the price. $121 for one starter, two pastas and two drinks, no dessert. That is where I have to stop, because that is expensive and it disappointed us. Price: 2. It is the lowest score we have given in the whole series.

So why do we not approve a place with a 10 on atmosphere and a 9 on service? Because the stamp is for cheat day, not for restaurants. The portion was small, there was no dessert, and we ended up classifying the food as fit: we left hungry. A place you walk out of hungry cannot pass a cheat day.

If what you want is a beautiful spot to relax with a view of the lake, go without worrying. If what you want is to break your diet, this is not it. This one is for keeping it.