Lakeside Bar and Grill

In the not too far distance from Lake Pleasant you can find a beach themed restaurant that is serving up an eclectic menu. You have a vast variety to pick from ranging the globe of cuisine styles. The theme is laid back, the atmosphere is laid back, the staff is laid back and the food is full of comfort. The staff may be laid back in attitude, but the service is quick and friendly. The toughest part of eating here for some may be trying to decide on narrowing down to just one option to order.

We arrived at lunch hour and the place was already in full swing, but there is a great amount of seating including an outdoor patio, as well as quite a few large party tables available. We settled into the menu and started the task of picking only a few items to order. After some tough consideration, we had our selections and were ready to get into the laid back atmosphere.

We started with the Loaded Potato Boats ($8.49). These hand sliced potato skins each have a somewhat uniformed look, but it is evident from the ranging sizes that they are cut in house. It is nice to find a place that is not mass-producing items, especially appetizers. The potato slices were full of meaty potato and then topped with melted Monterey Jack cheese and smoked bacon pieces. They also are available with diced green onions, but we excluded them for our order. It is served with a scoop of sour cream on the side, so you can add it or leave it off based on your preference. Each bite actually felt like biting into an individual loaded baked potato. The cheese is perfectly melted and the smoke flavor from the bacon ties the entire bite together.

We then ordered the Hot Pastrami ($10.99). This is a served as a warm sandwich on toasted rye bread. On the rye bread is piled high, thinly sliced warm pastrami. Then they melt Swiss cheese and apply some Thousand Island dressing to the bread. It comes with a choice of a side item, more on those choices in a bit, but we chose Cole Slaw for this sandwich. The sandwich was a hearty handful and I recommend using two hands to pick it up. The pastrami was lean and full of flavor and with all the ingredients combined you can see why it is a popular menu choice.

The next item we ordered was the Chicken Caesar Wrap ($9.49). Quite simply this is a chicken Caesar salad all wrapped up in a warm flour tortilla. On the side we ordered whiskey battered Onion Rings for an additional 99 cents. The chicken pieces are plentiful and there is just the right amount of Parmesan and Caesar dressing inside the wrap. The onion rings had great crunch and flavor. It is a fairly large wrap and you can get full quickly. I feel it is a good option for people that want a sandwich, but are also trying to eat a little better. It is a good alternative to a straight salad.

I want to touch upon the side item options for a moment now. While you can find the normal side items such as French Fries and Cole Slaw, you also have the option at no additional charge to choose other items too. Some of these items are unique that I have not seen often if ever. You can choose smashed potatoes, cottage cheese, sautéed vegetables, a baked potato, and even spaghetti marinara. So you could order a baked meatball sub sandwich with a side of spaghetti marinara. That is not something I tend to find too often at a restaurant that isn’t Italian specific. There are a few other options for an additional charge including a cup of soup or a side salad, but to me you have a lot of amazing options that unless you are craving one of the additional charge items, I would forego them.

The service was quick and the food pacing was fantastic. It is always frustrating when the food comes with the appetizer, thankfully this is a well-run kitchen and we didn’t have that happen. The wait staff all seemed to be assisting one another, so drinks were kept filled and warm food was delivered fresh. Several times we were attended to by several different servers, even if only to see if the meal was going well. If you are finished with a day on the lake swing into Lakeside Bar and Grill or maybe head in just to feel like you were out on the lake. Either way you will find good food and a place to be mellow.

Location and Website: 9980 W Happy Valley Rd, Peoria, AZ 85383 http://lakesidebarandgrillaz.com