It's a place I've driven past for decades but never stepped into, but today is the day to change that. The moment I walked in, every face seemed to turn my way. I was the only speck of pepper in a room full of salt. With all eyes on me, I gave a wave, some folks smiled back and understood what i was doing others weren't quite sure what to make of it. The vibe is old-school texas dining. It was mofos in there with actual spurs on their boots. Clean, no-frills, and straightforward. Concrete floors, a mix of mismatched chairs in earth tones with the occasional pop of red. You seat yourself, and service is quick. my server showed up almost immediately with a laminated 8.5x11 menu featuring a tight lineup of Americana comfort food. I went with the chicken fried steak, with Brussels sprouts and mashed potatoes on the side. The Brussels sprouts were split and grilled, simply done with a bit of butter and salt--nothing fancy, but solid. The mashed potatoes? A perfect base for the white gravy, which was the standout on the plate. The chicken fried steak itself had well-seasoned breading, but I wish the meat had been more tender. That said, the gravy was so good it honestly deserves to be bottled and sold at H-E-B. Because when you have already committed to overeating why stop, i tried the peach cobbler dessert. I should have stopped, this was terrible, it looked like someone dumped a can of peaches in syrup over raw dough...it tasted just the same. Such a let down with everything else being at the very least good. read more

Lakeside Restaurant - This was not good...at all. - New American Near Me - Madisonville, Texas

Stopped here on the way to Galveston, and it was delicious. Small town country feel, casual dining, and very laid back. We love this place! Their salad bar is really good and has variety for toppings, and the burgers and fries are delicious. My kiddo had the catfish and it was so crispy and tasty All the staff were very friendly and welcoming! read more

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Very good breakfast here. Service was not super fast but not super slow either. Friendly staff. read more

Lakeside Restaurant - Chicken fried steak breakfast platter - New American Near Me - Madisonville, Texas

Lakeside Restaurant in Madisonville truly deserves a five-star rating. It's excellent by every measure: the food is delicious, the atmosphere is warm and welcoming, and the service is outstanding. The staff is cheerful, attentive, and truly makes the experience great. I ordered the chicken fried steak on my first visit and savored every bite. Lakeside is a true gem, and I'll definitely be back. Five stars. read more

It was okay. All young girls working. It was hard to get there attention. The fried squash is not fresh. The food wasnt bad but I wouldn't return. We were passing through town. Its right off the highway. read more

I have to admit I was skeptical at first to try this place. It had a lot of not so good reviews. I was really glad that went. I met a friend from out of town at 7 am when they opened. It was very clean inside. Lots of tables. We both had coffee (and lots of it!) My friend got the egg plate which was 2 eggs and hash browns, and a biscuit. I got the 2 pancakes with sausage and 2 eggs. It was absolutely wonderful. Everything came out piping hot and in a very timely manner. Our waitress was great. She didn't mind at all that we were there for almost 3 hours. She just kept topping off our coffee which was superb. I will definitely go back and try the lunch/dinner menu next time. read more

Lakeside Restaurant - Eggs scrambled hard, hash browns, and a biscuit - New American Near Me - Madisonville, Texas

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Service was ok. Food was ordered and came out barely warm. Ham and Cheese omelette was ok. Kids French toast was bland. Grits would have been good if they were hot. Disappointed. read more

Food was amazing, service was good, very cozy and friendly! Definitely ordered with my eyes, not my stomach haha. Literally only made a yelp account to tell you all how fantastic this place was . Cant wait to go back! read more

Great service but the food was average at best. CFS was small and the gravy was sub standard.

The ambiance was very family-friendly, and it felt like everyone there already knew one another. The service was great, very attentive, with a kind waiter, and everything arrived in a timely manner. The food was also great. The burgers were highly praised by the family, and the staff was careful and attentive about meeting the dietary needs of different family members. The ranch was a standout of the night, easily becoming a favorite topper for the salads, fries, and even the burgers. I would absolutely return. The entire experience was delicious, fun, and perfectly country. read more

Nice stop on way to Houston. Catfish and salad bar was great! Kids liked the Chicken fingers too. The chocolate pie was awesome!

I have dined there many times and have enjoyed mgr. Cory's great food. The wait staff has always been very friendly and very attentive. Cory keeps it very clean and neat. There is no better place to get fried catfish, chicken fried steak or chopped steak. I recently had their breakfast and if it's a country breakfast you're looking for look no further. I can't wait to try their cheeseburger. If it's as good as it looks it will be great. If you're traveling from Houston to Dallas or to College Station to a ball game take the Hwy 21 exit west toward town its immediately on your right. You can't go wrong! read more

Food was Hot and tasteful. I ate the Catfish dinner with Corn nuggets and salad. The waitress was very attentive with joyful energy. The scenery was western history but with an updated look. read more

Staff is very friendly and attentive. Catfish basket and season fries are DELICIOUS!! And sweet tea is wonderful as well.

We stopped here on our way to Houston. It was a nice quiet place. They serve breakfast all day! We had the chicken fried steak and eggs and it was so good! Service was good! Everyone was polite and attentive. read more

It was a country diner feel with down home cooking. Very laid back and casual. The catfish and corn nuggets were very good. A lot of fried selections. Our server Jordan was very attentive and made our lunch very pleasant. She was a very good server. read more

Chicken fried steak was burnt. Mentioned it was burnt. So another was cooked for Us, but it was also burnt. I think the cook is either new or distracted. I've eaten there many times and this is not their normal. 5/9/24 5pm. Service was awesome! read more

great food and service. love going here for a meal and friends. love the breakfast served all day now!

Catfish was good and crispy. Had the spicy French fries and they were yummy. Waitress was nice and attentive.

We weren't sure about stopping here to eat since the parking lot was empty. A Sunday afternoon approximately 2:30 pm on 4th of July weekend. Just to set the stage. But we had been driving and needing a break, we decided to go in. The restaurant was dark and cold. It needs more lights. We were greeted quickly and our drink order was taken. When the waitress returned we ordered chicken fried steak, okra and onion rings and fried catfish, fried squash and onion rings. I saw the cook put our food on the serving counter but the waitress was too busy sweeping to notice. It sat on the counter for about 5 minutes. The chicken fried steak was cold along with cold cream gravy. The onion rings were bland. The okra was ok. The catfish was hot but flavor wise was just ok, squash was hot but again, bland onion rings. I think the cook finished the chicken fried steak first and then cooked the fish but can't say for sure. This makes our second visit and are not planning on a third. I love supporting hometown restaurants but they have to be good. read more

Great restaurant right off the interstate. The fried catfish and fried okra were cooked perfectly. The service staff were very friendly and responsive, without being overbearing... read more

Always consistent in food, peaceful atmosphere, friendly folks. Definitely a place to keep coming back to.

I'm a little surprised the net reviews here aren't better. I'm naturally generous with this sort of American Mom and Pop greasy spoon, but for the genre this one was actually quite good. Chicken fried steak with mashed potatoes was much as you would expect. I took the larger cut which actually turned out to be more food than I really needed. I did have them make my second side into bacon cheese fries, which were the fun and delicious, topped with perfectly-executed bits of crisp bacon. I would recommend the white gravy over the brown. The brown was fine, but not memorable. I had chocolate cream pie for dessert. It wasn't exceptional but it was tasty and modestly priced, making it an excellent touch to my meal. Service was friendly and appropriate but the staff is small so I can only imagine that the people who have bad reviews on the service here were just dealing with different individuals. read more

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No ac and bad service and mediocre food and my friend could not even eat the food. He states that it was cold and tasteless. They took a good while to make our food which was only a sandwich and a chickenfried stake. read more

Hubby got the Sunday special (chicken fried steak/mashed potatoes and okra). I got the catfish basket with fries and hush puppies. We really enjoyed the atmosphere, the servers were attentive. The dining room was clean and they stayed on top of bussing the tables. We were just passing trough in our way home but we will stop again when traveling in this direction. read more

Was nice. Food was good and staff friendly My son and I had the Burgers. No complaints no problems. read more

Hubby and I have stopped here several times on our way back to Houston from Centerville. I have NEVER had a bad experience here. One thing I have learned about small town restaurants- sometimes out-of-towners are not welcomed with the same warmth as locals. That is not the case at this restaurant, the servers are experienced and friendly. The reason I am even writing this review is because another cafe in Madisonville had better reviews and I decided to try that one today. This turned out to be a bad decision. Although I will admit the atmosphere and food were very good - the service was such that I won't go back. Lakeside will get my business from now on. I firmly believe that eating out is more about the experience. Food and atmosphere are a factor, but having a server who is attentive and pleasant will be the reason for my return business. Give Lakeside a chance next time your traveling down I45 through Madisonville and see if I am right. read more

Wanted to pass on fast food in the area so decided to try this spot. Stopped in on Easter Sunday for an early dinner. Understandably not much of a crowd, our server was attentive and came to check on us a couple of times during our meal. Food was basic and was as described. Majority of my party had the catfish that was well made (but too greasy as I had serious heartburn after) and one of my kids had the chicken tenders (huge portion) could have had more seasoning prior to being fried. Seasoned fries and the okra were yum! If we are in the area and the timing is right may give the breakfast menu a shot. read more

While driving through Texas, we noticed the billboard advertising this place. Anything with the name "Lake" in it has to have a great view, right? No. The lake that it's named from was behind it and more like a creek. You can't see it from inside of the restaurant and there didn't appear to be any outside seating. That's my soapbox. The food... can be described as a greasy spoon. They had a salad bar and a hot bar with good looking options. I wasn't all that hungry and the steak fingers looks interesting to me, so I decided on those. Fantastic! Think of country fried steak, in small strips. The fries were also excellent. Service was very weird. The waitress hardly spoke to us, when she brought out our meals, she sat them done without saying a word, not even acknowledging my "thank you". No refills from her either. It was more upsetting than the lakeless view. read more

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Lakeside has one of the best burgers I've ever had. I don't know what it is but the burger is amazing and go ahead and get it on a sourdough bun! It's a huge burger - juicy, flavorful, and fresh. We don't go anywhere else if we are wanting a burger. It comes with a side as well - onion rings and seasoned fries are good options. We have also eaten breakfast here a few times. It is your typical small town diner breakfast, eggs, bacon, sausage, toast, etc. but still good and coffee is great! The service is friendly and the environment casual. It is a great place for locals or for visitors passing through looking for a good meal that isn't fast food. There aren't a lot of food options in Madisonville but I'd say it is one of the best. Save fast food for another road trip and stop at Lakeside for a good meal. They have also started taking to-go orders over the phone for pick up. If you're needing a quick meal, call 15-20 ahead and pick up when you come into town. read more

If you looking for a restaurant on the lake, keep driving. Looking the buffet, no need to stop. One trip to the salad bar and one entrée and one dessert. Chicken was okay and dessert was more moist than Death Valley. read more

So good! If you're in the area, check out this restaurant. We had catfish with hush puppies, fries and onion rings. Saved room for blackberry cobbler, too. Prices are very reasonable, and the service is better! Tell Paisley we sent you. read more

Excellent customer service and friendly staff. Daily specials are great and there breakfast is delicious!

We were traveling from Dallas to Houston. We stopped for late lunch. Had Mushroom Swiss Burger & onion rings, catfish sandwich & tater tots, and coconut cream pie. All were as they described and tasted great. Waitress was super friendly and attentive. In & out in about 1 hour. It was a nice break in the drive. True, as we read in other reviews, no lake to view in sight, but map shows beyond trees. read more

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Lakeside was a nice pit stop for my husband and I. When you go in, you wait for someone to sit you. The menu consists of breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Breakfast will not be served from 11-2pm. They have a small salad bar that you can use if your meal comes with a salad. It also seemed like they were setting up a buffet, but we were too early for that. Husband ordered a burger, which he swears was amazing... But might have a little bias seeing as he was starving before we got there. He gave it a solid 8 out of 10 though. I ordered their chicken fried steak. When ordering, they giver you an option between 4 or 8 oz. That was awesome. I ordered the 4 oz with mashed potatoes. The chicken fried steak came out piping hot and still crispy. The flavor was good... I'd give it a 7.5 out of 10. The mashed potatoes seemed like the kind you just have to add water to, which is great for me, but other people might like lumpy potatoes. Service was good, but we also got there around 10am. Overall, we're pretty glad we stopped there. read more

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We had seven people in our party. We asked when we sat down if we could still get breakfast and were told yes. We waited over thirty minutes before anyone came to take our order. By the time they waited on us breakfast was over. So we ordered lunch. Service was terrible and the wait staff had really bad attitudes. They need a lesson in customer service. Food took over thirty minutes and when it came out they were missing one order. Mine. They put the order in and fifteen minutes later than everyone else got their food - mine came out. We ordered straight off the menu and nobody had any special requests. The service was so bad I thought surely an owner or manager would come out and at least offer to comp some of the bill. But the bill came and they had added a 20% gratuity for a "large party". Just a bad experience all the way around. The food was good but there are plenty of other choices nearby with good food AND good service. They even had a sign hanging up by the exit that said "if you don't like the service make an offer and run it yourself". Skip this place!! read more

We stopped here while we were driving on 45. The reviews on Yelp! were dissuasive, but Google offered a bit better opinion. I can honestly say Yelp! was generous. The food was somewhat below average for a greasy spoon, mom and pop place and the prices where outlandish! A cheese burger is $11, 8oz chicken fried steak is $15. ( Total bill was $75 for 2 adults and 3 small children) The food was bad enough that my kids (who hadn't eaten for 4 hrs) would hardly touch their food. The experience was topped off by the service. It seemed as though there was only one person working in the front of the house, even though there were only 3 tables, she seemed to be completely overwhelmed. She was very pushy when she asked for our drinks, not wanting to let my kids know what drinks were available.. Do yourself a favor and avoid wasting your money! read more

Stopped in on way to Houston and really enjoyed the food & service! Brenda was such a nice waitress & made us feel right at home! The chicken fried steak, mashed potatoes, green beans, & toast was soooo good!! My son had the seafood plate and really enjoyed it! Food came out quick and hot! Great place to stop with clean restrooms & restaurant! read more

Lakeside Restaurant - Chicken fried steak & seafood plate - New American Near Me - Madisonville, Texas

Didn't ask for much. Ordered simple chicken strips and French fries. Not eatable. Mistake. read more

Had the chicken fried steak. Very delicious. The gravy is plentiful and seasoned really well like most would do at home. The breading is really good. The meat was tough in some spots but no fatty pieces so I know the steak was of higher quality. I usually don't order chicken fried steak because it is one of the simplest yet easy you screw up dishes. I typically prefer chicken fried chicken but this chicken fried steak was really good. Driving through from Humble to Dallas. Staff very nice. Beautiful restaurant. They even have a salad bar. read more

Lakeside Restaurant - Chicken fried steak - New American Near Me - Madisonville, Texas

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