Lakeside Roadhouse — Restaurant in Kawartha Lakes

This is a terrific little roadhouse in Cowans Bay on Pigeon Lake. My two sons and my daughter-in-law went for dinner prior to a Peterborough Pete’s game. We arrived and the server told us to sit where we like. We sat at a window booth overlooking the lake. We had been here several years earlier and back then the restaurant was a little old and tired and the outside deck had a couple tables and half of it was used for storage. This is not the case any more. The inside now has been totally redone and is bright, cheerful and clean with 11 TV screens - you’ll never miss any action. It is bright and friendly inside. The server came over and explained the menu and answered questions which was a big help. She took our drink orders and brought them. We were still reviewing the menu. Just before we settled on our order a group with about 14 people arrived and there was only one server since one had called in late. We thought we might miss the start of the game since the server needed to take their drink orders and also had to prepare them all herself. She was very efficient and my son went to the bar and made her aware we had to get to a Pete’s game. Once she delivered the drinks to the other group she came promptly toour table knowing our situation. We ordered our meals - two pints and a pound (beer and wings) one butter chicken wrap, and one pasta Bolognese. She also had to take the order of the large group however called on another assistant and told her our order and to put it in while she c was writing the other orders. All dishes were excellent the butter chicken wrap, the butter chicken wings, the spicy honey garlic wings and the pasta. The waitress also had a drink from the bar that was made by mistake and she offered it to us which we accepted. She really went out off her way to ensure we were taken care of so we could get to the game on time, which we did. So to wrap it up… the food was very good, the service above and beyond, the atmosphere was excellent and more quaint then really large roadhouses or sports bars and the prices are very reasonable. All in all it was an excellent experience that made us all glad we came and since my son has a house on Pigeon Lake, it is convenient and great stop when we visit. I am really looking forward to more visits and the summer to enjoy the outside deck - I really want to try the burger - I saw another patron get one and it looked amazing. The new owners have really taken an interest in creating an excellent casual eating experience with a focus on quality. Give them a try… you won’t be disappointed. They really are making the effort… something...

I HATE WRITING BAD REVIEWS BUT IF TOU HAD A EMAIL ADDRESS I WOULD HAVE SENT MY COMPLAINTS THERE INSTEAD OF ON HERE. We have waited for so long for this place to open, and we had really high hopes. Unfortunately right after entering I was not impressed with the servers attitude. The restaurant was basically empty and she sat us right in the middle of the restaurant. I asked to sit by a window and the server then rolled her eyes and she moved us to the left corner where you can only see out the window if you sat on the right side. After taking our drink orders I asked if we could move to another booth so we could all see out the windows. She didn’t seem impressed and then I over heard her say to a male coworker “There’s one thing I hate and that when I sit someone down and they want to move”

I guess she thought we wouldn’t hear her but we ALL did.

Honestly at any other restaurant I would have gotten up and left but I really wanted this place to work out because it so close to our house. I think they did an amazing job cleaning up the place. Aesthetically it was great but it just left a bad taste in my mouth. My food was terrific and my daughter enjoyed hers. Unfortunately my guest said the gravy for the poutine was burnt and I tasted it myself. It was. Also I’m sure they did a big clean up before the restaurant opened but they have to keep up with cleaning because the windows were full of dead bugs. And the tables were not stocked (cutlery, napkins, pepper etc.) I might go take out next time…

-retired...

We just moved to the area a couple of months ago and decided to give these guys a shot because they are very close to us. After sitting down, we ordered drinks and then food. When ordering food, my stepson and I wanted to order the chicken fingers and fries ( we wanted to have poutines, but for some reason, this wasn't aloud. " Not really sure why, but something like this could easily be done and could be a big up charge for the bar. So we both ended up just getting a poutine. (This made our bill much less and the potential revenue for the bar was lost) After getting our food, we ate for about 10 minutes, and we all needed refills, but our server didn't realize it for over 20 minutes. (Keep in mind the bar was next to empty), and the servers were over by the bar just chatting most of the time. We had another small mix-up with the food. My wife asked for grilled chicken in the wrap but got the crispy chicken (not a big deal)

Overall, the food was good. Just typical pub food. Servers definitely need to pay more attention to their tables. Maybe we went on an off night or something... We will most likely be back in the future.

One last thing I want to add is.. I used to manage a pub for 3 years when I was younger and had a pizzeria for over 7 years. I understand the food industry and customer service as I've done it most of my life.

Give...