The weather's warming up; the water levels are up. That means one thing at the Little River Sports Bar and Grill: Business is up. The restaurant on the edge of Lake Allatoona in Canton is a magnet for diners who want to mix the ambience of the water with a menu heavy on seafood favorites.

Though Little River has been around for about 15 years, it recently acquired new owners who have embarked on an ambitious makeover. "It's always been a successful operation," said managing partner J.P. Ridley. "We just want to take it to the next level. So we've done a lot of physical renovations — put in new decks and new landscaping. We've painted, remodeled the bathrooms and extended the size of the bar. We'll be able to seat close to 300 inside and out when it's all done."

Renee Brock/special (ENLARGE)
The Little River Bar and Grill, perched next to Lake Allatoona, serves seafood and bar food staples, including raw oysters.
Renee Brock/special (ENLARGE)
Boiled shrimp is on the menu at the Canton restaurant. Not in the mood for seafood? There are ribs, steaks, chicken, sandwiches and more.
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This week, the construction crews are working on a garden dining area. They'll also be putting in a 27-foot outdoor bar that will be one of three in the space. No matter where you settle for a drink or for dinner, there's a sweeping view of the lake and the marina nearby.

New food

Paired with the physical improvements is a new menu that rolls out this week. It's a big bite, with more than 135 items, from loaded potato skins, fried corn nuggets and jalapeño poppers to crab cakes and steaks.

Ridley is most proud of the oyster lineup served raw or steamed, fried, with hot sauce and jalapeños, with garlic and cheese or in the classic Rockefeller style. Seafood fans will also go for the alligator or crawfish bites; fried oysters or grouper; and po' boys stuffed with shrimp, clams, oysters, grouper or crawfish.

But there's more than seafood to pick from: a 12-ounce rib-eye, baby-back ribs, spaghetti, chicken Parmesan and chicken breast smothered in onions, peppers and cheese are also available. The sandwich lineup covers fillers of rib-eye, country-fried steak, corned beef, grouper, tuna, turkey, ham and chicken. And there are five burgers with a range of toppings. Light options include fajitas, wraps and salads.

During the 10 a.m.-to-1 p.m. Sunday brunch, fill up from an a la carte menu of Monte Cristos, omelets, crab or Oscar Benedicts and seafood specials. Prices range from $2.99 to $7.99.

From the bar

If it gets too warm under the outdoor heaters, there's a large selection of frozen cocktails to cool you off. There's a choice of 30 bottled beers, with an additional seven on draft. A limited wine list features 11 vintages by the bottle or glass.

Just for fun

From 4 to 7 p.m. Monday through Friday, oysters, wings and shrimp are 30 cents a pop. There's karaoke every Friday and live music on the other evenings.