The Oaks Lakeside

As a wedding photographer, I've experienced many venues, but The Lakeside at Chippewa Lake in NE Ohio is one of my absolute favorites. Its timeless and classic atmosphere creates the perfect setting for a wedding reception, and I absolutely love their beautiful ceremony space. The staff here is fantastic, ensuring everything runs smoothly. The versatile indoor and outdoor spaces, along with the well-appointed bridal suites, make the wedding day seamless for couples. Additionally, the waterfront scene provides the perfect backdrop for stunning sunset portraits!

Everything about the Oaks is good just make sure you make a reservation and go in the warmer months so you can sit on the patio. Would highly recommend for any special occasion or just to enjoy a great meal in an outdoor setting. The patio and the view are wonderful.

Great experience! If you have found yourself with a few extra dollars because your budget for nights out went unused for the first part of 2020, why don't you upgrade your date night and go to The Oaks? We went there to celebrate our anniversary and could not be happier! The staff is exceptionally friendly. We were greeted at the door right away and screened for a high temperature, which makes me feel somewhat easier now we are starting to venture out more. The staff all had masks (worn properly) and was very good at not overly handling items. The tables are spread out appropriately on their gorgeous patio. We felt confident that the staff takes the current health emergency seriously and we're comfortable with our dining experience. Haven't had that great of service in a long time. Please make a reservation and check it out, you'll be glad you did!

Anniversary date! We could not have asked for a better evening. Food was flavorful, the setting featured splendid views of gardens and Chippewa Lake. Tonight there was also live music! We plan to come back!

I came here to eat for the first time and I’d like to begin by saying it was spectacular! The service here is beyond amazing! The food is delicious and the atmosphere/ view is beautiful! I’d like to thank our kind server Keaton and our talented chef Eric for the most wonderful experience! I would most definitely recommend this restaurant to anybody looking for a great time! It was lovely!

We went to The Oaks to celebrate our 32nd wedding anniversary. It was a perfect night to sit on the patio and watch the sun set. There was a band playing loud enough to enjoy but not too loud you couldn’t have a conversation. I had a steak and my husband had the lobster ravioli. Both were fantastic. We had a wonderful evening.

We booked the oaks for our wedding and I’m so glad we did. Not only is this venue gorgeous with amazing food - the staff is out of this world amazing. Leigha was my rock through my wedding planning and I don’t know what I would have done if she wasn’t there to help me. She made all the blips that unexpectedly came up painless and was such a calming presence from booking. I highly recommend this venue!

I came here for my first time over the weekend during their Night in Paradise event, and I was blown away by the beautiful property, sunset, and incredible food there. I am from Kent, and this seems like such a hidden gem! The staff was so friendly, and I can’t wait to come back again. Cheers to the staff who put it on!

The Oaks is such a special place. The food was amazing and oh the mashed potatoes! Service was perfect.

My husband and I just spent a delightful evening on the patio watching the lake and enjoying some truly amazing food. Our waitress Kelly was outstanding and every course was exceptional. We have been there several times over the years and make the 45 minute trip because we are never disappointed.

We came for the last night of all you can eat 🦀. My first time here. Beautiful outside view of sunset. Good photo opp area. Dimly lite bar area inside was cozy. Will be back to try other menu items... and see another great sunset!

Our school rented this establishment 's large room for the high school prom. The food was excellent, the staff was amazing. The grounds are beautifully maintained, and we found the building to be in great shape and very clean!

This was our first time. Of the three people in our party to enjoy the colossal panko crusted shrimp in the sweet and sour chili sauce it came with green beans and potatoes side salad and an assortment of fresh breads brought to the table that included butter and a small dish of a relish salad. Another member of our group had the t-bone steak t-bone steak was done to perfection. We also shared an appetizer of the calamari with onions and peppers along with a sweet chili sauce. The appetizer was very good I would have preferred to have a little bit more sauce with it though if I were to go back again I would ask for extra. The assortment of breads served at the table included a homemade white loaf and a type of dill bread muffin. Afterwards dessert included a sampling of their chocolate tort that also had a chocolate mousse served with it and a little bit of whipped cream there were big chunks of chocolate in the chocolate tort but it seemed more reminiscent of a frosted chocolate brownie with the chocolate mousse on the side The size of it was more than enough for two people to share at a very reasonable cost. It's always a nice view looking out over the lake. The service was okay I believe they may be experiencing the same problem that a lot of restaurants are right now with not having enough weight staff hired due to covet. But the food was very good and we enjoyed it. This place has a very long history being originally built in the 1870s. Make sure you read the back of the dessert menu which includes a detailed description of the history of the place. It is very interesting.

Pork chop and shrimp scampi were delicious. 🤤 The cheesecake also was great. Service was amazing and view was beautiful. We definitely be back next time we are in town!

Great resturant on the shores of Chippewa Lake. Very open spaces. Food was great, service at first was a little slow, but it was was extremely busy, but it improved as the meal went on. This is also a party center and hightly recommended for weddings and 0ther parties

I have been to The Oaks twice, and both visits were equally impressive. This gorgeous restaurant is so secluded that it amazes me that anyone was able to find it prior to GPS. Sitting at the edge of Chippewa Lake, the view is stunning! If the weather allows, a table outside is a must. The food is always outstanding. I highly recommend the Jerk Chicken if you enjoy spicy cuisine. We were last here for a baby gender reveal dinner for my daughter-in-law and son. Everything was perfect and the staff joined in our excitement at discovering our newest grandchild will be a boy! Highly, highly recommend this beautiful venue.

Our first time here to this hidden little gem!! Wow. We loved it. It's tucked away right on the water. The sunset from the dining room where we sat was breathtaking. The food was fantastic. We both had the pork chop. It was cooked perfectly. Juicy throughout. Excellent service. Such a cute place. Can't wait to go back and sit out on the patio that overlooks the water! I highly recommend! We will be back!

So on the outside the place looks pretty mundane. But as he walked in the front door, it’s a whole different experience. The place is really awesome inside. We had a great view of the lake and even though it was all frozen and cold and leafless, it was a great Setting. But the inside of this restaurant is very very cool. The food was very good as well. The only thing? The potatoes could’ve been seasoned but or nicely done regardless. Crabcake and the salmon Benedict were good. We’ll definitely be back for dinner sometime.

We came here for Valentine’s Day last year and unfortunately had a pretty disappointing experience. Because of that, we were hesitant to return but we’re so glad we did. What a turnaround. This year, the food was excellent and the service was outstanding, even with it being a busy holiday. It was clear they made real improvements, and it showed in every part of the experience. We truly enjoyed our Valentine’s Day dinner and appreciate the effort the staff put in to make it a great night. We’ll definitely be back.

This is the kind of place that I truly enjoy. A historical structure with a lot of the history intact. Next to the lake. Great food and service. A little pricey but no complaints about the experience!

Went here for New Years Eve with a party of 6. Prime Rib was listed on the special New Years menu and I love prime rib!! However, when we got here we were told they were not serving it and instead serving a rib steak. Very disappointed as even on December 31 their website and facebook page said prime rib would be served. We were given oysters in some type of sauce and some different appetizers to start off with. Most of us did not eat the oysters and the appetizers were just ok. We were also given a delicious olive tapenade with our roll. We each received 1 roll and you were not able to get more bread at all even if you wanted to pay for it. This was just wrong!! Also you could not get a salad and in the past a salad was served with our meal at the Oaks...so this was surprising. But it looks like this has changed on their menu. Anyway we had a nice table by the window which we requested when making our reservations. I had the rib steak, mashed potatoes and yorkshire pudding. The steak and potatoes were good but the yorkshire pudding was awful. It was hard and tasteless. Two of our friends got the 14 oz grilled pork chop and both said it was very good. My husband got the shrimp scampi with 6 colossal shrimp and bucatini. However he only got 5 shrimp. It was busy and he just did not want to address the issue. He said it was just ok. Another friend got the manicotti crepes and they were not good. They were totally burnt. I felt really bad for her as we all thought she should send them back. But again it was very busy and she did not want to wait for another meal as we had already waited a while. Finally another friend ordered the whitefish with the Maryland style crab cake and said it was very good. The two desserts we ordered were the baked alaska and cheesecake. The cheesecake was good but the baked alaska was just ok and not worth the cost. I do recommend the Oaks Lakeside however, I would not go here again on a busy holiday night. I will wait and go back in the summer where I can sit outside and enjoy the view of the lake. I completely forgot to take the pics of our meal...but did get the appetizers and some of the decorations. Oh and we did get a small glass of champagne with our dinners.

Went here for Easter lunch today with a party of 8. What a cool, unique place! The warm rolls were my favorite! The buffet was laid out easy to walk through without waiting in a line of any kind, even though the place was packed. Very impressive! Though I wish there was a bigger selection, the food was delicious. The staff was friendly and attentive. My water glass never went dry. We took a walk out back and oh my, what a beautiful landscape with the lake!

This is a quaint lakeside restaurant that is very cozy. There are stairs to get into and throughout the restaurant. Keep it in mind if you have a loved one who can't manage steps. The Easter brunch was in fact a lunch there was no breakfast food. The ham, lamb and roast beef was delicious. The veggies were room temperature. The mashed potatoes and penne pasta were good. The desserts were plentiful and satisfied the sweet tooth. I plan to come back in the summer to enjoy their beautiful patio seating.

Beautiful as always, service friendly and competent. Mahi mahi overcooked. Everything else we ate was great though!

Only gave it a 3/5 because of management...not the servers or location. What a beautiful place! We can here for the first time and had such a wonderful evening. Reservations are definitely recommended. Our service was good and the food is a bit pricey , but it was delicious. This was Friday evening, we came back on Sat....again we would have made reservations for their Mothers Day brunch, BUT on Saturday we got there early and asked if we could sit outside, sure, but we couldn't sit in the 1st row of tables, they told us they were all reserved. We were there 2 hours and nobody came, before we left, a group came and I asked them how long in advance they had to reserve....they told me they just walked in (!) As pretty as this place is, I will never come back, and this is coming from someone that would have gone three days in a row to this place. And to top it off, my husband went to ask, and the owner was very rude to him. This review has nothing bad to say about the servers, they were all great....management has a lot to learn from them.

Beautiful location, but lackluster service. We had an 8:15 reservation yet we were there for nearly two hours (restaurant closes at 10). The patio was uncomfortably loud with obnoxious customers blabbering on, which ruined the atmosphere. My drink order was the only one the waitress got right. I ordered the seafood pasta special and it was bland as can be. The shrimp was fresh but extremely fishy tasting. I only ate the meat and left the rest. Pork chops and cod were good. I'd come again but get something different next time.

Pretty disappointed. Patio was very nice especially at sunset. It was cooler so we sat inside but the windows were big and had the same view. This was just nothing special. Caesar salad was huge, and pretty "store bought" tasting. Shrimp cocktail was ok. Rack of lamb was waaaay overdone. Asked medium rare. Saw the slightest bit of pink. I cut it open right in front of the server who was like "oh yeah everything looks right." Potatoes were so overcooked, broccolini was good and so was the sauce. Other dish was a $44 halibut special that was so over cooked it was mushy, or it was frozen at a point. Dessert was pretty boring. Silk pie was barely whipped and mostly pudding. And the topping on this evening was that we ordered a few drinks "on the rocks" and we were charged $1 per drink for ice! Just fountain ice, not even a big cube or anything special. I'm sorry, I'm not a cheap eater, but I have never heard of this. I'd consider going back if they had a pub/patio menu for the outside. that was sandwiches or burgers. But their fine dining menu was disappointing. Save your money on the gas to get there, and ice money.

The patio is the only amazing part. Was very disappointed paying $58 for a filet special when it was the most bland meal I have ever had. It is way overpriced for what you get. There was 2 of us and it took us 2.5 hours to eat and wait to pay because everything takes forever 😬.

Every year the week of my wife’s birthday, I take her to dinner to 4-5 of her favorite restaurants. Great atmosphere here. But this year, we were less than impressed with the food. We’ve had better steaks at chain steakhouses, that cost half the price. Our server must have been newer, because 2 or 3 times, she didn’t know the answer to our question, and had to go find out. My wife’s drink was out, and we waited 10 minutes for our waitress to notice. She noticed, and said she’d bring her drink, and 5-10 minutes later, passed by and said she had forgotten, and would bring it. That took longer than minutes. 18 of the last 20 years, we’ve made the 35 mile drive to The Oaks. Last year we were a little disappointed, but wrote it off, as any restaurant could have an off night. But this year was a real disappointment. And when fine dining restaurant knows it’s your wife’s birthday, the thought of a little cupcake at the end of dinner or something of the sort, I don’t think is an unreasonable act of acknowledgment. Have to admit, some old habits, are meant to be replaced by new things, and save the 50 minute drive for something closer to home.

it was our 19th anniversary. food was ok, the drink was good. they were out of steak... but the pork chops were amazing, however, mahi mahi had zero flavor. servers were yelling at kids instead of addressing the parents, but ours was kind. her name was Anna & she was super sweet. the view outside was beautiful. but the price for the mediocre food was just too expensive.

Comically awful. The view and landscaping from the back patio was breathtaking. That’s where the compliments end. The service was the absolute worst I have ever experienced from a place not labeled “fast-food.” Insane. Absolutely insane for how beautiful of a place. Dinner conversation with my wife was drowned out by all the surrounding tables throwing a fit over the service. Food was delivered by a kid with a disgustingly filthy shirt I wouldn’t have wanted dishes washed while wearing. The food could have been a quarter price coming from something with wheels and even then “mediocre” would have been generous. I WAS WAITING FOR THE HOST FROM A BAR/ RESTAURANT MAKEOVER SHOW TO APPEAR WITH CAMERAS. I was so excited for my occasional really nice dinner date but I left feeling they should have paid me. I’m embarrassed for them. Male. 34. Size 10.

We had a reservation for 5 for a Saturday evening. This was the first time there for most of us. We had a booth by the big window with a lovely view of the lake. Two of us ordered from the appetizer menu because of the entree prices. I ordered the wedge salad. The waitress tried to get me to add chicken but I said the bacon and eggs on the salad were enough. When the salad came the bacon was cubed like pork belly. Unfortunately is was cold and soggy. One got the grouper entree. It looked huge when it arrived. He soon found out it was mostly breading with not much fish. Two people ordered the duck breast. The meat was cold and the skin was not crisp. The waitress wash pushing them to also get side salads. I didn't hear comments about the seafood bisque so assuming it was okay. If you are going to charge that much for an entree, everything on the plate should be delicious and cooked well.

The food was good and the place is beautiful. Hard to argue against that, however that doesn’t outweigh the immense lack of quality service. The food is expected to take a bit longer due to the higher quality of the entree, a 45 minute wait however is inexcusable. If the food takes time, a high quality server can offset the frustration. The server I had was however not high quality in any regards. After I received my bill I did not see my server for upwards of 25 minutes until she finally returned to accept my payment. When i ordered drinks, it took 20 minutes to recieved them and when I did she measly mustered out “sorry, i forgot” despite clearly writing down the drink order. I wish the service was better because the food and the atmosphere have such potential, however that isn’t the case.

We make an effort to visit this restaurant once or twice a year because of its beautiful ambiance and usually, the food and service are excellent. However, the past couple of times, the food has been subpar, and the long wait for food has become excessive. We arrived for our dinner reservations at 5:15 PM and ordered shortly after, but our food didn’t arrive until 7:15 PM. I hope these were just a few bad experiences, and I genuinely hope to return in the future because the environment is beautiful. Nevertheless, waiting this long for food is simply unacceptable.

Haven’t been here for years, and last time was a great experience and great food. Tonight, not so much; thought I would take my wife out for her 45th birthday to a nice restaurant, and it turned out very disappointing, not sure if they have new ownership or what, but the inside smelled like a funeral home and looked like it too, so we sat outside for dinner and the sunset. Our first table and chairs were covered in ants, we moved tables, and it took the server 15 minutes to take our drink menu, and 15 minutes after we ordered to bring us water. The calamari was clearly previously frozen and reheated; was chewy like rubber bands and had an overly strong fish smell. After waiting for another 15 minutes for our 2nd round of drinks, here comes my Cesar salad; was a complete joke, it was literally a stalk of lettuce with salad dressing; I started feeling like the chef must have lied on their resume at this point. Main course, I felt they couldn’t mess up the NY Strip Steak right? Wrong! It was cooked fine at Medium, but soo much grizzle, must have either been frozen or just a bad cut of meat. Then just waiting to pay the bill took so long, we just got up and walked our bill to the bar and paid there. Overall, $300+ later; this was a very disappointing experience and will not be coming back or recommending this place until it is under new management. Only positive thing I could say about it was the drinks were good, and the view of the lake and sunset were nice.

They apparently serve raw chicken now. I spent over $300 on a meal for 4. We sat outside in the dark because they were so behind in the kitchen. I didn't notice until I came home and tried to heat up my leftovers. DO NOT EAT HERE!! I WAS SICK AFTER THIS!!

I had high hopes for this restaurant, but unfortunately, my experience was far from what I expected. Despite having a 7:30 PM reservation, my party wasn't seated until 7:50 PM, and during that time, the hostess never provided us with any updates or apologies. The biggest disappointment came with the food. I was served a raw lobster tail, which is completely unacceptable for a restaurant of this caliber. To make matters worse, the risotto was bland and lacked any real flavor. For the price point, I expected much better quality and attention to detail. Overall, I can't recommend this restaurant. The poor service and subpar food made for a very disappointing evening.

While the outdoor seating was comfortable with a beautiful view of the lake our dinners were less impressive. My wife ordered the $45 short rib with mashed potatoes and asparagus. The vegetables were ok while the short rib was 80% fat. I ordered the $36 manicotti which was ok though the ends were burnt. We’ve been there several times over the years and this will be our last visit. Too bad because the atmosphere in incredible.

4th time here and unfortunatly each time the food is very bland and overcooked. Not what you would expect at a fine dining resturant on the water. Service is always hectic and they never seem staffed or prepared for guests. We gave it one last chance as we really wanted to love this place cause of the atmosphere and location on the water but we had to leave before finishing our entree’s as everything was over cooked and chewy. If you decide to go here I would recommend just grabbing a cocktail and watching sunset but make sure to come on a full stomach. Very sad

Very Disappointing Experience Our neighborhood group of eight went to The Oaks in Chippewa Lake for a holiday brunch, and unfortunately the experience was a complete disappointment from start to finish. Meals came out at different times, with some dishes arriving very late—including a simple $18 salad and a waffle breakfast. My Eggs Benedict was served cold twice. I sent it back both times. On the third attempt, the manager personally brought the dish and stood over me, instructing me to eat it. I tasted it and pushed the plate away, extremely uncomfortable with how the situation was handled. Things worsened when it came time to pay. Our server took our credit cards and did not return. After waiting over 10 minutes, I had to locate her myself just to get my card back—only to find I had been charged for the cold breakfasts I had sent back twice. When I questioned this, the manager insisted that I “loved it,” putting words in my mouth instead of addressing the fact that I never received a hot, acceptable meal. Our entire group left very disappointed. This was not the level of service we expected from such a well-known restaurant. We will be avoiding The Oaks until they get back on their game.