Specializing in fresh seafood, prime steaks, delicious sauce pastas and much more!
We offer a fine selection of wines to compliment your meal and in-house dessert. The Lake Grill is a local favourite for casual fine dining in a relaxing atmosphere. Good food to enjoy for every occasion, whether it is a business lunch meeting, a gathering with friends and family, a gourmet breakfast on the weekend or an evening with fantastic food. Chef Jose Mendoza knows just how to make of the finest meat, fish and vegetables.
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At just 16 years old, Jose left home looking for adventure and life experience. Traveling through the United States, he worked kitchen jobs in California and Boston, progressing from washing dishes and prepping food to eventually cooking. Discovering his passion for food and cooking, Jose made it his goal to own a restaurant and become a chef. In 2006, he opened The Lake Grill in Whitby. “Since I started working in kitchens, I’ve wanted to own my own restaurant," says Jose. "This is a dream come true for me.”
Beyond The Lake Grill, Jose hosts a televised cooking show every month and he has even competed in some of Canada’s most prestigious televised cooking competitions. “I’m a social guy,” he says. “From the competitions and TV shows to every day interactions with my customers, I like being friendly and open.”
I never heard of this Restaurant. I saw them in my phone book and checked them out on this website, watched their video and wanted to try them out. The food was amazing! It tasted so fresh. I followed up with dessert and it was really, really yummy! I recommend this restaurant to anyone and I plan to eat there often.
I think some of the other reviewers went to a different "Lake Grill". We were quickly and warmly greeted at the door; the room is warmly decorated (too loud for an intimate dinner, but did not interfere with conversation); our servers were attentive and helpful; the meals are beautifully presented, hot, and delicious (it a little salty), with interesting sauces. This is a gem in the Durham Region.
The feast for the eyes is not in reference to its location or interior decor. The room is smallish, made to seem smaller and definitely noiser by the low ceiling. We actually had to shout our name at the host/server for her to hear our reservation. The place was hopping on a Saturday night, but its small size and the sheer noise was uncomfortable.
Sparking water arrived with ice cubes? Wine, the wrong bottle, arrived open after our apps and after we asked for it again...
The crab cakes were more like slightly flattened crab balls, I prefer the flatter cake variety to maximize the crispiness, but the crispy coating was excellent and the crab tasty. The baked goat cheese was just soft enough, another few seconds in the heat would have been perfect. The soggy "toasted" baguette brought the whole dish down. Toasted is supposed to mean browned and crispy - this was neither. Positioned on one side of the plate was the roasted garlic and on the other a mango? chutney, but why? The flavours do not work together at all. Weird.
The seafood fettucine was delicious! Chunks of seafood in a garlicky sauce that was not too creamy. The shrimp were huge and very tasty, but one of the scallops seemed to have some grit. Sadly, the red snapper dish was not at all delicious. While beautifully presented, therefore dug into in anticipation, the fish was flavourless and dry. The entire dish was bland, but the risotto cakes were horrible! They tasted like little fried starch pucks. The salsa was somehow dry - no juice in the fruit. Service was inadequate - no one came to check on us, just to pick up our plates. The wine was wrong and was never presented to us to correct.
Nevertheless, we will likely return - most of the food was pretty good! Plus, we overheard the table next to us who said they had tried almost everything on the menu and like everything - except the red snapper,
Note, we learned after eating this meal that American red snapper is another unsustainable fishery. So, it joins the list of fish like Chilean seabass, orange roughy, farmed salmon and bluefin tun, that are off our menu. Think about what you eat.
Today was my first time at The Lake Grill...Unfortunately I am moving out of Province and did not discover this hidden gem of a restaurant until today....Had a fabulous meal with my daughter and grandson....We will be back within the next two weeks for one more superb meal...Heather (Metro)
I LOVE THIS RESTAURANT!! So much in fact, that I'm there weekly to eat:) The food is fabulous, the staff are wonderful. Jose is an awesome guy. I would recommend this restaurant to anyone I know. Jose offers a great menu, with tons of selections to choose from. Every meal I've ever ordered has been delicious. My kids love the place & have been eating there since they were old enough to eat, and they eat well every time they're there. I can't say enough good things about the Lake Grill. Good food, good atmosphere, wonderful staff & awesome regulars;)!! Definitely worth going to!
the chef in this restaurant is fabulous. the food is AMAZING! The atmosphere is friendly, and the wait staff often remembers repeat customers, even if it is only their second visit - often by name. Given the hundreds of people who pass through this quaint little restaurant on a continual basis, that is outstanding! I have only rated the service as adequate because they just plain do not have enough servers for the numbers of people they have in the restaurant - that's unfortunate because the wait staff is pleasant, well-informed and extremely friendly. I have been here numerous times and will continue to return because I have nothing but the highest praise for the variety, preparation, and creative fare served by the outstanding chef and his staff!
Great breakfast! The portion sizes are just right and the food is always fresh. The owner is a lovely woman. I'm surprised to read some of the other reviews and comments regarding the owner and her staff. We've never had any problems whatsoever. Enjoy!
We have heard from other friends who went here and loved the food, we tried and totally agree! The food was homemade, fresh and fantastic !!! Loved the homey atmosphere - reservations for dinner are a must
I love this place, it's Whiby's best kept secret and I only share their location with friends. I eat here often during the past 3 years as I live nearby. Norma and Jose make you feel like family once you come through the door. A little surprised at some of the negative comments, I suspect they went to the wrong restaurant. As many of the descriptions of The Lake Grill were inaccurate. Can't please everyone I guess, but for me and my friends it's top-drawer for service, food, ambience and friendliness.
This is the best kept secret in Durham! The food is amazing... the chef is personable and it has an intimate atmosphere.
Breakfast - try the Boston Omellette or Jose Signature Breakfast
Lunch/Dinner - Everything is great and made fresh.
The Lake Grill is one of Whitby's best kept secrets. We heard excellent reviews from friends and had to try it out. The menu was a pleasant surprise with the variety of choices. The service was friendly and impeccable with just the right amount of time between the presentation of the appetizers and then the entre followed by an excellent dessert.
We followed our dinner serveral days later with breakfast. The trick we learned was to arrive before 11 am since the restaurant gets packed at that time. One of the best breakfasts can be obtained for 2 people for less than $25.
My favourite restaurant in Whitby and the BEST breakfast going!
Chef and waitresses are friendly and personable. Fantastic atmosphere and wonderful new renovation!
The best food in town hands down!
We ate lunch here and my BLT was very well done...
We ate lunch here and my BLT was very well done. The restaurant however looked a bit run down. I wouldn't bring someone here to impress them. For a restaurant with such good food, they may want to make it a bit more upscale looking. In any case, the food was good for a reasonable price. I would go back for dinner as I hear good things.
EDIT: We went here this weekend. It was terrible! My husband was convinced by the server to try the boursin-stuffed hamburder, which is new, and it burned his palette and his thumb when he bit into it and the hot cheese squirted out. I ordered a califonia wrap, that has NO taste of avocado at all. I asked for some and the server was NOT happy at all. She didn't smile and barely even looked at us when she spoke to us. She brought me some guacamole to put on it! I actually got food poisoning from the chicken in my wrap and was sick the whole evening. The only good thing: the calamari with chipotle aioli sauce was fine, and the girl who seated us actually served me a coke zero "from her own stash", which was very nice of her. We won't be returning.
I heard it was good, but I had to check it out myself
Just like the title says, I had heard excellent reviews about the restaurant, so when I was in the neighbourhood, I decided that we had to stop by and sample the cuisine.
Wow, was I pleasantly suprised. The ambiance was good, the waitress was pleasant and funny, and the chef was friendly and personally interested that the food was to my satisfaction.
Now, I'm Italian, and I know when I'm eating an Italian dish and how it should taste like, and I was blown away by the savory condiments and oils that permeated my palate as I heartily ate my seafood pasta. My mouth is still watering as I recall last night's gastronomic experience.
Vito D'Alessandro
I can't wait to go back, and driving an hour from my home to do so, is a worthwhile experience
After a couple of my best friends and I had a wonderful dinner there, I couldn't resist bringing husband to experience the great food. As he is the cook in our house, he had a great conversation with the chef at the restaurant. The service was excellent and the dinner suggestions were right on! We will be going back again!
A lovely quiet spot in Whitby that has not been...
A lovely quiet spot in Whitby that has not been overcome by crass consumerism or the feel of "the franchise restaurant." The service was friendly, prompt, and attentive. One had the feeling that you were being served as if one was a member of a family. The meal was excellent--well prepared, creative, and reasonably priced. The vegetables were very fresh and full of flavour. Brilliant and well worth a return visit.
The service was a slow start. We waited 15+ minutes for the wait staff to take our drink order.
The food when it arrived was tasty, but we found our beef to not be as hot(temperature wise) as it should have been.
The waitress was good but a little forward in some of her comments she made towards our party.
On the whole we enjoyed the food and would return.
Great Breakfasts of all types. One of my favourite casual dining places in Whitby. Always enjoy going back.
Even my wife , who is a superb cook herself, gives them kudos for the quality of the food ( at reasonable prices).
