Lakeside Bar + Grill

So, this morning was an unexpected pleasure. On a Google search we stopped in for breakfast. The food was great and the service was tremendous!! Jo, our waitress was so attentive and pleasant. She even made sure my service dog was happy. Jo- you are remarkable. Truly a Marriott/ Bonvoy superstar!

We dined at Lakeside Kitchen and Bar on Christmas night. I’ve always wanted to see inside this hotel and dine. The entire staff at this hotel couldn’t have been more unwelcoming. No one greeted us or made eye contact. We were seated immediately and don’t see a waitress for a while. When we were greeted by her, her first remark was that she was incredibly busy and she had a lot of tables. (The dining room we could see was almost empty and there were 3 tables in total served by other staff.) I needed hot water for my baby so I could heat her bottle- that took forever. She had no knowledge of the seasonal cocktails and could not answer questions. She made the “so busy” remark so often to us that we felt BAD for taking up her time. My grandmother was so put off that she wanted to leave. We were not given more water. Or offered another glass of wine. Or coffee. Or dessert. Again, the dining room was pretty empty (three table in total) and she could not have gotten rid of us fast enough. When she finally brought the check, my husband put his card in the booklet. She came back a long time later and said “Oh, I forgot about you.” The food was very good. It’s a shame we will never eat here again because our service was so bad. I understand we chose to dine on a holiday, and maybe they were understaffed, but there were hardly any tables and a restaurant should be equipped to be busy and still give great service.

Apparently, Lakeside has recently changed management which may account for the quality of the food. The menu looks enticing and there are healthier options as well as a well chosen menu of entrees for dinner. Interesting choice of holiday themed drinks also which we enjoyed. Service was great and the surroundings are obviously updated and pleasant. I had the Blackened Red Snapper which would be fine if all you are expecting is Red Snapper on a plate with no vegetables, no salad, just a colourless filet covered in grits and sprinkled with a few sprouts. My companion chose a hamburger, probably a better choice. For dessert, we shared their "avocado cheesecake" which seemed like an intriguing idea but sadly, the flavour was bland and uninspired. It is surprising to me, especially at this price point, that the menu options are not more professionally presented with appropriate sides.