Rooftop and Open-Air Bars Near Smith Mountain Lake
Smith Mountain Lake, Virginia — updated August 22, 2026
Actual rooftop seating is scarce around Smith Mountain Lake, so this list starts with the one genuine roof deck in the area and follows with the small bars in Rocky Mount and Huddleston worth the drive.
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Drinking outdoors around Smith Mountain Lake usually means a dock, a deck or a patio, not a roof. There is one bar in the wider area that puts its tables literally on top of the building, and it sits in Fincastle rather than at the water. The rest of this list covers the small, independently run bars nearest the lake, ranked by how close they come to the open-air premise and by how settled their ratings look.
1. 1772 Rooftop on Main
The only true rooftop on this list, and the only one that answers the question without an asterisk. It carries a 4.5 average from 190 reviews, which is the most tested rating in this group: enough volume that the number is unlikely to move much. The kitchen runs tapas alongside a full entree menu, with handcrafted cocktails, beer and a wine list. Sunday brunch runs 10:30 AM to 2:30 PM with $2 off handcrafted cocktails, cold beers and appetizers. The restaurant is closed Mondays. It is in Fincastle, at 18 S Roanoke St, so plan on a drive from the lake rather than a walk from a dock.
2. Olde Towne Social House
A family-owned wine bar on Main Street in Rocky Mount that describes itself as elegant but casual, with beer, ciders and seltzers poured next to a small plates menu. The 4.9 average comes from 49 reviews, which is promising rather than proven: strong sentiment, small sample. Recent menu additions posted by the bar include spinach dip, Mexican street corn dip and a ham and Swiss cowboy item. Listed hours are Thursday through Saturday, 4:30 to 9 PM, though the bar has posted early openings, so check before making the trip. No rooftop here, but it is the closest thing to a proper drinks-first room near the lake.
3. The Alley Cat
Shares the 335 S Main St address in Rocky Mount with Olde Towne Social House, so the two can be combined into one evening without moving the car. Hours listed on its own site run 4:30 to 9 PM, with Sundays and Mondays closed. The rating is 4.9 from 38 reviews, the thinnest sample of the three Rocky Mount entries, so treat it as encouraging early evidence rather than a settled verdict. Given the 9 PM close, this is an early-evening stop, not a late one.
4. Bottles and Bites
The most lake-adjacent option here, at 2641 Lake Retreat Rd in Huddleston. It works as a full-service shop for wine, craft beer, grab-and-go gourmet food and gifts, and it books live music, with bands announced for 6:30 PM starts on its Facebook page. The 5.0 rating rests on 26 reviews, the smallest count on this list, so the score says more about a loyal handful of regulars than about consistency across a busy season. Come for a bottle and a set of music rather than a full sit-down dinner, and check the page for what is playing.