The Patio Restaurant

BEST donuts! So many yummy donuts here, the coconut is a household favorite for us. They are surprisingly large and filling. They also freeze well! Remember to bring cash. They do not accept card. $1.50/donut.

TL;DR: Go here for the donuts and ice cream and skip the rest.I've been coming to Lakeside for years and, as a kid, never really understood why we didn't go to The Patio for lunch or dinner. And then a few years ago, I got some food that was underwhelming. Because The Patio was all that was open after 3 today, I went to have a perch sandwich because, after all, it is on Lake Erie where the perch are fresh. The sandwich, clocking in at $15, was three small, fried nuggets of perch that were neither crisp, nor juicy, on a few-days-past-fresh bun with a bag of chips. AND--served in a Styrofoam container. For being a business that relies on Lake Erie tourism, you'd hope they'd care enough to drop the Styrofoam for something a little less harmful to our planet.They serve Tofts ice cream, which is always great, and they make an amazing donut. Other than that, catch a meal elsewhere.

This is kind of an old-time restaurant. Average food on the menu, but the specials are disappointing. The service was extremely quick and pleasant, and the food came out quickly. I am not sure if I would recommend lunch/dinner. However they do have made to order donuts in the morning. These are amazing. They also have the only Mountain Dew slush that is worth ordering.

One of the few restaurants in the area that has a 4 stars rating. So we tried the fried chicken and fried perch they were ok, breading is fairly decent it comes with 2 sides I picked coleslaw and potato salad. We capped it with their peach crumble pie which was the best part. It was really good. Didn't try the donuts they didn't look inviting they also have ice creams by the scoop.

What a fun place! We arrived at our friend's home in Lakeside, OH around noon, unloaded the car, had carry-out lunch from Lago's and then we walked to The Patio for some ice cream. The folks working at The Patio were friendly and warm and my chocolate malt was delicious. It was creamy and rich with lots of chocolate malt flavor. My parents, our two boys and my wife all liked their ice cream too. We came back the next morning to try some of their donuts and those were delicious-nice crunch on the outside and warm and fluffy on the inside. My dad, our youngest son and I stopped into the café to have breakfast. I had their special, which included two eggs any style, two sausage patties or four strips of bacon, American fries, and toast. Our waitress was great-attentive and kind and the food was delicious. I had mine with eggs over easy, sausage patties and wheat toast. It's just an excellent place. You should definitely check it out.Fair warning, they accept cash payments only. Checks and credit/debit cards are not accepted.

Yikes!The chicken noodles over mashed potatoes was as to be inedible. We actually had to go to another restaurant to get food. Picture the worst cafeteria food from grade school then take it down a notch. The noodles were undercooked and the chicken was just boiled without any seasoning. No gravy over it either. My wife sent hers back. I choked down half of mine as I was starving. To think I left the Tin Goose Cafe due to the hour long wait for a table. I wish we had waited. The coffee was the nastiest Vietnamese Robusto that is also the cheapest garbage you can buy. The salad was just shredded heart of iceberg lettuce.

I don't think you can review any of the restaurants in Lakeside without taking into consideration one simple question: Would this establishment stand a chance of making it outside the gates of the community and out in the real world? Keep in mind, there are very limited options in Lakeside, and things are not much better in the surrounding area. People don't have much choice but to eat at The Patio if they are staying in town for more than a day. So, with that being understood, back to my original question, I seriously doubt that The Patio would stay in business if not for the fact that it's one of three choices for dinner every single night. It's not a terrible restaurant, but it's just so incredibly mediocre. I've been coming to Lakeside for years and have eaten here more times than I can count (see above paragraph about the limited choices available) and I have never once walked away feeling like I had just gotten my money's worth. First of all, it's a less than appealing dining room. Very dated, usually with a handful of dirty tables, and often flies buzzing around from table to table. The menu is boring. The lack of creativity is matched by the poor execution of very easy to prepare foods. On top of that, everything is way overpriced - especially for what you get. The service is less than great and often extremely unfriendly. Plus, why in the world is this place still cash only? Now, let's talk about their ice cream and donuts that everyone raves about. I'll concede the point on the donuts. They really are excellent. Not much of a variety in flavors, but they are always quality. As for the ice cream, yeah it's good ice cream - but it's Toft's. The very same ice cream that you can get from a million other places all over Lakeside, Marblehead, Port Clinton, Sandusky, etc. Not sure that The Patio can get that much credit for cracking the lid off a tub of ice cream that was shipped in on a truck. It's not their ice cream! They didn't make it on the premises. They didn't come up with the flavors. I can get the same stuff from a gas station down the street. The last thing I'll say is that it kind of sucks writing this review because the owners of this place are lovely people who clearly treasure being a part of the Lakeside community. Still, gate fees to get into Lakeside are steep enough, the fact that this restaurant keeps doing the same stuff year and year with the same unfriendly staff and the same uninspiring and overpriced menu is a true shame. I just wish they'd try harder.

Best little restaurant we have ever visited. We eat out almost every meal. The Patio has a great atmosphere, menu, staff and great cooks. The Patio chicken we prefer over Amish restaurants and anywhere else. Their house salad dressing is so good. It is a very busy place. Parking is limited.

The chocolate frosted donut with coconut is top tier. The other breakfast options were hot, fresh and just as delicious!

Decided we were hungry and happened to see the patio restaurant first. Sort of classic menu, not really a specific type of food. Both ordered burgers. Not a lot of flavor but a solid place if you're just hungry and need a bite to eat. Coleslaw was good, a little strong, but the most flavor. Try adding seasoning to the french fries as a default option.