Lakeside Restaurant And Bar

Food above average, service and waiters good, busing tables poor. If a drink is sitting in front of a chair, even if it is ¼ full, it should be left on the table and bus all the empty glasses that are in the middle of the table even when the bill is presented but has NOT been paid yet. The first time a partial drink was removed, management did replace the drink. Towards the end of the evening when the bills were presented, we put our credit cards with the bill and got up to dance leaving the remainder of our drinks in front of our chair. When we came back to the table, the bills were there with the charge slips and the remainder of our drinks were gone. Told the waiter who in turn told management who came over to the table and ASSUMED we were trying to get 2 free drinks, which was NOT the case. At this point we signed the charge slips and left. In the future, IF and when we ever go back and this issue happens again, we will not bother saying anything to management, but instead of leaving our 20% plus tip, it will be more like 10%.

Lakeside was recently taken over by David and Tricia V. — former owners (4 – 5 years ago) of Greenhouse Café on Ratzer Road. Greenhouse was our favorite Go-​To restaurant, offering delicious reasonably priced classic Italian dishes and always great specials. When we saw in the local newspaper that David and Tricia were back at Lakeside, we went immediately — and we were thrilled. Same great service — with Sal, the head waiter from Greenhouse — and the same great dishes. I had the special chicken principessa and my wife had blacken tuna — both were wonderful, even the sides were great. And the Bar overlooking Packanack Lake — will become our new favorite place. Very happy David, Tricia and Sal are back — best of luck.

Very relaxing restaurant and they have great hamburgers too

I would never go back. We had a 7:30 reservation and got seated at 8:30. Our food didn’t come until 9:30. No acknowledgement from the owner. He did come over after 2 hours to offer free dessert. The food was random. But– the music was great.

Local /​casual feel restaurant and full bar. Solid food and service. Menu has a variety of tasty foods & reasonable prices. Jukebox, private and public seating available.

Originally re-​opened with no liquor license. Have now secured a liquor license. Good menu, food and bar service. Plenty of seating in bar area or dining room also available. Reasonable pricing. Would recommend you give it a try.

Went with a large group (10). Service was solid and food menu had a broad range of options from burgers to osso bucco. We ate a diverse array of dishes from the menu and no one was disappointed.
At the time we visited, they didn’t have their liquor license but they do now.
Casual, reasonable dining in Packanack Lake.
Wouldn’t go out of my way to make a trip here but great for local Wayne residents.
Hope they stay around, was kind of slow the night we were there.

After reading a few reviews from Unilocal I decided to try this place with my girlfriend. I liked the fact you can bring your wine and it looked like a great place. I went there this evening at 4:30 ¹⁄₃₀ there was no one at the dinning area only a few people at the bar, we sat at the back at a 2 person table, our waiter Armando was great he saw that the table was small and combined another table next to us to give us a little extra room, really nice of him. About an hour and half into our sub par meal the owner David came over and RUDELY asked us to move our drinks and coats, so we did thinking someone was going to sit there, I placed my coat by my side. After 45 minutes 5 minutes before we were leaving, he came over and personally sat a couple next to us, he asked me and I quote «move your coat» my coat was nowhere near the other guests nor was it blocking anyone. I said to him we are leaving anyways. He had the nerve to say I hope you liked it I didn’t even respond nor did my friend, any owner would have instantly asked if there was an issue, he obviously knew what the issue was. In a restaurant where there was so many empty tables he chose to single us out. 2 ladies that were just catching up on life. I HAVE NEVER in my life been treated like this from any owner of a restaurant. IT WAS BORDERLINE RACIST! Yes I said it as there is no other reason for him to act this way oh and I heard how he spoke to his bus boys let’s say he’s not a nice person. DON’T WORRY DAVID I AND MY COAT WIll NEVER STEP FOOT IN YOUR AWFUL BUSINESS AGAIN!!! I DID LIKE MY WAITER, who apologized for his boss’s behavior. my review is don’t go!!! NO STAR the food wasn’t even that good.

Awful food, awful service. My chicken marsala tasted like rubber and there was barely any food in the dish. Avoid this place unless you enjoy sub par atmosphere, food, and service.

I agree with the guy below me. Definitely give the new owners a chance. This is the first time I have ever been to Lakeside. I am not from the area at all, but went to Lakeside because of a friend’s baby shower. I was very impressed by the cleanliness and the owner was super nice and enjoyable to talk to. The view is also extremely beautiful from the bar. I think this place could be an awesome local hot spot (even though I won’t be able to really enjoy since I am so far away – bummer!). I think as soon as they get their liquor license and possibly get a band or two to play on a Friday or Saturday night to attract a nice crowd, it could become a great place. The food was also delectable. In the summer time, this is going to be a great place for people to enjoy the nice view of the lake, especially when going to beach bars in this area isn’t an option. This is the closest you can get!

Had a very nice dinner on Saturday night. After a disappointing first attempt by some previous owner, this great local spot has reopened with a new and improved direction. Great to have somewhere in the neighborhood (other than Blossom) to go again. Best of luck to the new Owners.

Now open for lunch at noon. Closed Mondays. Bar license has not come through yet, so take advantage of BYOB savings for a month or so. Give the new owners a try. The bar has been restored to its original wooden tradition facing the lake. The restaurant and kitchen are the big news. Comfortably elegant. Service on a level with the finer restaurants anywhere (Sal the front end manager is very knowledgeable and makes you feel at home). The food is imaginatively conceived and perfectly executed. We started with a salad and the Minestrone. High quality mesclun greens well prepped and dressed. Minestrone was in a chicken base not tomato and prepared to order: each component had its own distinct flavor. The Fusilli with tomato basil came perfectly al dente with a very fresh tasting, well balanced sauce. The dijon salmon was perfectly cooked and moist, sauce not overly salty with well crafted side vegetables tossed in garlic. Saved the best for last: the lunch special menu lets you pick from a solid list of apps and mains 1 each (or a main and a dessert) for $ 12.50. That has to be the best deal in town. Not skimpy quantities either. We will be back soon for sure. Come see for yourself!
Second review: had the vegetable soup– very good, but the minestrone if available is to die for: always ask. The Chicken Capricciosa is a Milanese with a nice constructed salad on top. Great lunch pick. The dijon salmon equaled its first perfect rendering. I started with Prosciutto con Melone: perfectly ripe Honeydew wrapped in good quality prosciutto crudo. Then we splurged on freshly-​made Tiramisu (pic attached): artistic presentation, light and very well balanced.

Stopped by for dinner with my family last week and was pleasantly surprised.
Service: Odd would be the best way to describe it. Waitstaff was fast and attentive but our waiter was distracted by other tables on several occasions. He also seemed to not fully grasp some of the menu items (especially specials) and appeared to completely lose interest once we declined dessert. He was friendly though for the most part which almost made up for these issues.
Food: Quite impressed by the quality, taste and pricing of the menu items I ordered. The special kale salad was flavorful, well executed and dressed impeccably. The short rib was very tasty and huge for the $ 18 price tag (I’ve seen portions half the size go for $ 28 at other area restaurants). It’s possible that a cheaper cut of meat may have been substituted but as the flavor was on point I wont speculate and don’t really care. My only gripe was in the presentation, the dish needed a dollop of mashed potatoes or polenta underneath/​on the side.
Overall Impression: I will be returning in the near future. Also, the fact that they are a BYOB (for now) makes this establishment even more appealing.

Outstanding. My wife and I had dinner at the newly reopened and renovated Lakeside Restaurant and Bar and we were thoroughly impressed. The food was delicious, cooked to perfection, and the service was very attentive and genuinely concerned with making our experience a great one. The new owner has done an exceptional job renovating the place — it has a very warm and inviting atmosphere.
I had a terrific steak that was charred on the outside and juicy inside — for about $ 25 (we recently moved from NYC and the same steak there would be twice the price). My wife had a daily special in the Cornish hen, which I tried and we both agreed was top notch. Appetizers of a Caesar salad and a daily special of Mozzarella and prosciutto were similarly excellent.
Definitely worth visiting. The new Lakeside should have wide appeal, with a very well priced menu that runs the spectrum from Burgers to fine traditional Italian dishes, and is family friendly. BYOB now but I understand a liquor license is soon to come and there’s a large, comfortable bar area with multiple large screen TVs, making that area a great place to catch a game.
Great food at very reasonable prices, terrific service and an excellent décor. Lakeside will definitely be on our short-​list of go-​to restaurants.

Dinner at the lakeside was delicious! The service was friendly, helpful and top notch!
I hope to dine again soon as there are a lot of items on the menu I want to try. I was impressed with the choice of daily specials, and when I ordered one it was made with fresh ingredients as expected. When I dined at the Lakesdie it was a BYOB restaurant, however when the liquor license is purchased this place will have business like never before!
I hope foir their sakes this happens before the holidays!

Finally a place that is just what we needed in Packanack! Excellent food at the right price, including a kids menu with all of the key items. Nice environment. Choice of more casual (perfect for families) or formal in the back room.
Great service from Thomas and a very attentive wait staff overall. Food came out quick, ingredients seemed fresh. We had the basics — wings, salad, burger, along with a homemade fettuccine with chopped short rib. Everything was very nice. Children’s pasta and grilled cheese were hits with the kids.
I withhold 5’s for a perfectly incredible service and food experience… Lakeside is very close! Still BYO as of 11÷18÷15− but likely to have their license by Christmas.
Definitely check this place out, whether you’re a local or an out of towner! Great spot — hope it sticks!

Food was absolutely delicious! Went here with family and we had a wonderful time! Love the atmosphere and the rustic look goes perfect with being right on the lake! Great price for the Filet Mignon and came out exactly the way I ordered. Had the carrot cake for dessert and it was to die for!!!

Great place! So glad there is a restaurant in packanack to go to. It’s a BYOB right now and they will have liquor license soon. Food is very good and service is great. Had a great dinner and experience tonight. Definitely recommend and can’t wait to go back.

Great local go too! We have been there several times and the food is simply prepared and consistently delicious! The atmosphere is warm, casual and relaxed. A new weekly favorite for sure.

Newly opened Lakeside Bar and Restaurant in Packanack. A familiar location with a new name and local restaurant legend David DiCenso has brought back much of his staff from the Greenhouse to create what Wayne needed. An affordable and good restaurant. From a 10 oz burger for $ 8.50 to one of the best beef short ribs (I only got to taste them, my son had them). I had the St Louis ribs perfectly cooked with a nice char and flavor.
We also tried the crab cake which was also excellent.
In an area starved for good restaurants, Lakeside fills the void