Lakeside Cafe

Food was excellent! Service was very good and the portion size were TOO big!
Good variety of items on the menu, prices not too high.
We loved it!

UPDATE: The chef and the staff have moved over to Boulevard Café in Daly City (the old Lyon’s restaurant location on John Daly Blvd @ #280); place is owned by Lakeside Café eldest son, Billy, along with others.

CLOSED.
Another fine San Francisco restaurant gone.

I heard they’re closing down, a little sad because it looks like they serve the senior community here. the staff was really nice, the food was good. it’s more like a 3.5 but overall good experience.

I come here for breakfast when I have a nearby medical appointment but not sure why. Constantly disappointed. I’ve never developed a taste for blackened home fries. This restaurant is a candidate for Restaurant Impossible.

RUMOR THEY MIGHT BE CLOSING!
We’ve been coming here for years for that simple yet well prepared full course meal. It is nice to come to a neighborhood place and everything is done really well. Had the grilled salmon and my wife had the chicken Marsala. Salmon was fresh and the chicken was tender as usual.
I’m concerned about these folks closing for the sake of a landlord who needs to line the pockets with a bit more cash. What about all the folks who work there let alone the family that runs the place?
I wish good things and have kind thoughts for the employees and owners. Hopefully something will work out. Hate to see this place disappear!

Doubt you’re gonna see this place on Diners, Drive-​Ins and the Dickheads Who Ruin Them anytime soon. It’s basic, but decent. Basic but polite service. Breakfast specials are $ 6 and a fair size. Regular breakfast plates are $ 8 – 9 and the usual «can’t help but think of starving kids in Africa while you’re eating it» huge size. Competent omelets and french toast, OK corned beef. The potatoes are interesting, seems like they just cut the potato in chunks with the skin still on and just drop the chunks in the fryer. Comes out fine tho. No clue about lunch, sorry.
Not worth going out of your way for but perfectly fine when the Muni M decides to just not do its job and just kick everyone arbitrarily off somewhere around West Portal of a chilly morning.

This restaurant has a nice back room for parties. I had a get together here and it was great. The food was good. Everyone got to choose from some entrees. Its quiet and private. Its really good for a private party. I haven’t eaten here besides just for that but what I experienced was really good. They do well with their service. I like this restaurant.

Came here for breakfast/​lunch on easter sunday.
They were busy but not crazy busy. The staff was friendly from hostess, server to bus boys. They could have been by more often to check on our satisfaction but oh well.
Food was reasonably priced and it all comes down to taste right.
we ordered a burger, Swedish pancakes, corn beef hash, and everything tasted great. Fresh and cooked as desired. Def will come back again

Classic brunch spot. Always packed on the weekend, but pretty quick turnaround. I really like this place because it’s got a huge number of regulars (that means it’s good).
For brunch, I’ll normally get an Eggs Benedict. For lunch, either the Reuben or Patty Melt. You feel a little sleepy after you finish off the sandwich, but hey… that’s how you know it’s good.
I’ve only had one bad experience here. I ordered a Salmon Benedict that came with a salad on the side. The Benedict was good, but as I was eating the salad, I saw a yellow ladybug, which made me nauseous. I told the waitress (who is no longer there btw) and her response was, «at least it’s not a spider.» A different waitress came by to apologize to me later.
Irregardless, I will still come here to eat, just not salads.

(See pic) Review #1327. Not a lot of restaurant choices in this area but sometimes you only need one.
Seldom ordered chicken but decided to do so this evening. The grilled chicken breast was juicy and tender. It had very simple and basic seasoning and it was perfect with the steamed vegetables and highlighted with pineapple cubes!
Service was very nice and they kept refilling my coffee until I finally had to stop so that I can actually sleep at night from all the consumed caffeine.

I’ve been to this café twice for lunch because it was convenient. On my first visit, the food was average and the prices are a bit high. On my second visit, I ordered from the «Daily Specials» menu and got the Grilled Rainbow Trout for $ 14.95. Oh my goodness…, it was sooo good! The fish was fresh, tender, flaky, and full of flavor. My BF had the BLT, which was surprisingly good as well. Because of the better experience the second time around, I’d definitely go again.

More fruit.
Not so much my first visit (check out the first Unilocal below).
This time as part of a delicious grilled chicken breast complemented with chunks of pineapple and vegetables.
Let’s call it even.
$ 14 gets you a dish almost large enough for two (was not really hungry) and the service was great. More veggies instead of mashed potatoes was no problem at all.
And still plenty of old people.

I’ve been coming here for years, every time I’m in SF. The food is always good and reasonably priced. I ordered New York steak with vegetables and mashed potatoes. It comes with a salad (salad dressing was really good) for only $ 16.99. The early bird special is a pretty good deal, so be there before 7 pm!

This is a cool meet up spot when I’m getting together with old friends and family. The menu is pretty standard American diner fare — breakfast, sandwiches, salads and early bird specials. I like the «bargain» breakfast deals that are around $ 5 – 6 and just enough when I’m trying to stick to my diet.
Servers are friendly, but if it is crowded they can get a little behind during weekdays. However, they are very accommodating, especially for large groups and families. I’ll have to head down here sometime to try their dinner menu sometime.

Where do you take mom and dad to breakfast when they fly in from the midwest? Look no further than Lakeside. It’s a café that will give them hope that you’re not living amongst heathens and remind them of the charming corner cafes in whatever –ville –burg or –ton in which you were raised.
It’s location on Ocean in a rather innocuous section of town will put them at ease. Here you can find some standard breakfast selections (sorry – I’ve been a couple times but not ventured beyond the breakfast/​brunch menu) that won’t leave their head spinning in an emulsion-​infused-​demi-​glaze stupor. They serve wild things like eggs, bacon, and breakfast plates. It’s not all unimaginative, though. Let mom get the eggs Florentine and maybe dad will go crazy on the fresh crab omelet. It’s loaded with chunks of real crab (with a «c») and enveloped in a floofy egg hug.
Mom and dad will have plenty in common with the regulars. Lots of wise faces around, and plenty of families. Not that there aren’t younger folks. Plenty of the internet generation are around to enjoy the breakfast, and even some small groups of local kids come by so it’s a family friendly place that appeals to just about everyone. But leave adjectives like «swanky» and «hip» in the car. You probably won’t need them here.

Someday, when you’re past the idea that your birthday party should be a rave, you’ll find that your friends appreciate nothing more than a birthday party that starts early with wine, progresss to a perfectly good dinner, includes a few funny announcements along the way, and closes with a comically orchestrated «happy birthday» sing-​along and a cake with so many candles that it’s a miracle the Fire Department wasn’t called. The Lakeside Café is a perfect choice for that day.
R decided to throw himself a birthday party for having hit a major milestone. Those friends of his that used to spend all night on the dance floor at the End-​Up, DNA Lounge, and Earl’s are now more than happy to begin a party at 6 p.m. and be back in bed before 11 p.m. Mission accomplished.
Lakeside Café has a long, skinny private room that they filled with two long rows of tables for R’s party of 50. The standing-​room space was spare, which caused guests to group together intimately while sharing their pre-​dinner wine. The logistics worked favorably to make the party feel intimate rather than cavernous.
Guests eventually settled into seats, self-​selecting seating arrangements by affiliations. The former square-​dancing guys, now canasta-​players, formed one group that morphed into the group with work affiliations. At the other long table, the family/​relatives section morphed into the water aerobics group followed by the random one-​off people who seemed to naturally gravitate together.
Dinner began with a salad, followed by a choice of pasta, chicken, or halibut. The salad was very good as was the halibut (served with mashed potatoes and a steamed vegetable side). (I didn’t try the other food, but it looked good as well) Fresh bread on the table rounded things out. The food was not exciting but it was quite good none-​the-​less and it struck me that this is probably why this place is a destination joint for the neighborhood: Good, fresh, simply prepared food, served well, and without pretention. Sometimes simple is all that’s needed.
Service was excellent and unobtrusive. The servers kept the meal moving along but in a way that never felt like a rush. 50 dinners were served in a way tha everyone seemed to be enjoying their meal at the same time.
I know, at some point, most of the party-​goers had left and R commented that we’d probably ought to go also, so the staff could close up and go home. It wasn’t late, but this crowd of party-​goers night-​owl days are in their rear-​view mirrors. We exited into the rain, umbrellas being inverted from the wind.
Happy birthday R! Great party! Thank you Lakeside Café!

The two blocks of Ocean Avenue between 19^th Avenue and Junipero Serra, which is called Lakeside Village, is one of the family-​friendly parts of the city. Most businesses have the name started with «Lakeside.»
I found this family-​friendly diner/​café and started my swing shift with the «Early Bird“special. The «Early Bird» special is another version of the «Happy Hour» meal in the evening.
There are ten set «Early Bird» specials and two rotating specials ranging from $ 12.95 and up. And I ordered one of the specials: The Yankee Pot Roast. For $ 14.95, I get a slice of a slow-​cooked beef roast with a drizzle of thick beef gravy with a scoop of mashed potatoes and steamed vegetable wedges on the side. The beef was very delicate and tender. The thick gravy on top of the meat had a very strong wine flavor.
My meal:
My meal also comes with a bowl of soup and slices of warm French bread. And since I was here on a Friday, the soup was the New England Clam Chowder. The soup was nowhere near Pike Place’s version and very bland. The chowder from this café is definitely a skip. «Yes, I’m still talking about Seattle again!»
My soup:
My total was a tad over $ 16.00 and I used my Mastercard for my meal.
My experience from this café was ok. The staff was friendly and continuously giving me fresh bread and refilling my water. I might try other «Early Bird» specials from this café.

What? What? Tell you about… What? Tell you about Lakeside Café? Did I hear u right, Sonny Boy? Where is my paper and pencil? What? U want me to write it on this magic machine??? (Computer). What? I don’t know how to work this thing. (bang on the side of PC to get it turn on). I just write the review in pen and paper. Then.
So if u r not in Florida for some reason, come here!!! This is the meal for you. I remember this place just like I remember the Grand Canyon being just a ditch. Let’s see here, boyo.
Breakfast is a treat, as I tend to wake up early due to my morning duties. Breakfast is $ 5.95 Monday to Friday until 11:30.
Omelettes (7.65 to 9.25) choices are Bacon/​Ham n Cheese, Mushroom n Cheese, Shrimp, Mouse Trap (cheeses) Greek (feta), Denver (diced Ham), and Vegetarian.
From the Griddle
Old Fashioned Buttermilk pancakes 6.45, half stack is 4.75.
Texas Style French Toast is 6.75.
(note: odd seeing Texas Style and French in the same meal item)
Blueberry Pancakes 7.75, as half stack is 5.50. Yummy!!!
Waffles are 6.95.
Sides items are: (ranges from 2.15 to 4.50) eggs, ham, Smoked bacon, link sausage, chicken apple sausage, bagel, English muffin, potatoes, cold cereal, toast
Note: cold cereal is 4.50. Yes rip off. At less if you’re old, u won’t have peer pressure to get it! Lolz
Beverages: (2.25 to 3.15) Orange, Grapefruit, Apple, Tomato, and Cranberry juices. Coffee, Hot Chocolate, hot teas, milk and soft drinks.
Lunch: served from 11:00 AM to 5:00 Daily.
Getting my walker hold on now. Umm. What r we talking about again? Oh yeah, 1956… See I was talking to James about the automobile. What? Oh you want to know more about this place! Ok. OK.
Soup of the day are different each day. (4.75)
Love the Spinach Polenta (9.50) Salmon Cake (9.25), Chicken Quesadillas (8.95), and Fried Calamari (9.95).
Salads: (ranges 6.95 to 12.95) Casesr Salad, Greek, Spinach, and Asian.
Luncheon Entrees: Filet of Sole (13.95), Pork Loin (12.95), Grilled Chickrn (12.95), Calf Liver (12.95), New York Steak (15.95), Salmon)13.45) Angel Hair Provencale (9.85 to 14.75) Rigatoni (9.85 to 14.75) and Spaghetti (7.95).
Before u go eww on Calf’s Liver, it taste like veal.
Burgers and Fries: from the grill ½ pound burgers are made from 100% Black Angis Chuck. (8.25 to 9.55)
Other Sandwiches are Reuben (9.95) Tuna (9.95) Pot Roast (11.75), Turkey (9.45), BLT (8.25) and Shrimp Salad Sandwich (10.95)
Early Bird Specials are 5−7PM $ 14.95. Great for seniors like myself who Birth certificate is in Roman numerals. Flowers scare me.
Now about the staff. There were ok, deep Eastern European accent in some of them. Good service, not as good as those waitress in the last supper. The inside is confusing, but I don’t where I am, most of the time anyways. Where am I??? Who are you?
Overall: good for every age, but better with age.
Now get off my lawn, it’s 7 PM, time for sleep!!! Zzzzz

Come on folks, who thinks this place is just for the senior citizens? I don’t even know what that means. Have you seen Lakeside’s burgers? Hot, meaty and tasty –d@mn come here baby you can be my gf!
This place grinds their own beef in-​house using 100% Black Angus Chuck to create their fantastic ½ lb burger. When I saw that on the menu, I knew I wouldn’t be able to resist.
I said «I’d like your Hamburger California please» ($ 9.95). She said «How would you like that cooked?» Yeah baby, you know I love it when you me ask how I want my meat — 1^st sign of a good burger joint! — «Medium rare, baby»
Lakeside’s burgers are straight up good. A hot juicy well seasoned beef patty topped with mushrooms and artichoke hearts and smothered with gooey melted jack cheese. By the time I added the tomatoes and lettuce, which came on the side, I had a burger that was way too big to eat gracefully.
Linda C. ordered the Warm Spinach Salad with Tenderloin of Chicken, $ 11.95. I’m not a big salad eater and the thought of warm spinach did not appeal to me but just one bite changed my whole perception. Warm fresh spinach with chunks of grilled chicken mixed in and layered on top of cantaloupe pieces was actually very good.
I always love finding places with surprisingly good burgers, Lakeside is one of those. So, for you burger aficionados come give it a try and let me know what you think.
Next time? Patty Melt.