The Lakewood Restaurant

Was here on a Saturday night for dinner. We had a last minute addition to our party and they accommodated our request for a larger table when we called ahead to inquire. Nice atmosphere with a bakery (Baby Scratch) adjoining it. The bakery was closed but they stated we could still purchase bread and take it home. Our table ordered a few small plates for the table to share - the broth the ricotta dumplings was delicious. For my entree, I ordered the NC flounder. The fish tasted fresh and the harissa seasoning complemented it well. I also had a taste of the short ribs and I would have to say that that dish with a side of radishes and kimchi was the star of the night. The only thing lacking a bit was the service. Our waiter was pleasant and seemed to be trying hard, but lacked knowledge about the dishes and hadn’t tasted some of them. We also had empty drink glasses on the table for a period of time and were not offered another round of the drinks we ordered. For this price point, service should be a bit sharper.

Phenomenal! Having now been to The Lakewood multiple times since the opening of this restaurant, the seasonality and incisiveness of the menu at this restaurant is amazing. The service has improved significantly and the wine selection is quite good. The pricing is on par with many of the other top restaurants in the region including The Durham, Mateo and Mother & Sons. (By the way, having lived in Philly recently for 5 years, I think that Mother & Sons is underwhelming). So don't ding this restaurant for the prices as you are getting equivalent food to other restaurants who are in the same price range. Certainly on par with some of the top restaurants in Philly. A must is the chicken liver mousse on grit cake and don't miss out on the desserts. I would suggest other items, but the seasonality of the menu will likely mean that it won't be there for your visit. Bon appetit!

The food, location, and service were all exceptional. We went the first day they were offering brunch, and you wouldn't know they were just starting based on our experience. The pastries, as expected, were phenomenal. Our entrees were flavorful and varied, and presented beautifully. Our server was helpful, knowledgeable, and great to chat with. We will most certainly be back soon!

It's Thursday night and the 1st time at the restaurant....The Lakewood is a neighborhood restaurant located adjacent to Scratch Bakery and Cocoa Cinnamon in Durham. The restaurant is very clean and has a modern feel allowing for casual to formal dining. We ordered the blackened wild NC catfish with creole mustard and red rice (pictured), Asparagus cacio e pepe, Ricotta gnudi in green garlic brodo, with roasted olives and chickpea croutes (pictured), Shrimp toast with sweet and spicy chile sauce, Savoy spinach salad with grilled halloumi, pickled eggs and crispy bulgur, with lemon tahini dressing and the Carrot cream tart with milk jam and salted walnuts (pictured) plus one glass of wine. The catfish, the spinach salad (really really good!), and the carrot cream tart were all excellent! Our meal cost $92.46. The wait staff were very hospitable and efficient.

We had a very enjoyable dinner at the Lakewood. Lovely, cozy atmosphere, attentive service. We enjoyed the Gypsy Schnitzel with Spätzle, The desserts were outstanding. We'll be back.

Somewhat disappointing experience. The ambiance and location are spot on for a cool Durham location, and the rooftop bar is very nice. Unfortunately, what is made up in esthetics, fell a bit short for my tastes with my entree. I tried out the linguini with clams and fennel. I was a bit skeptical at first, and those fears proved true. The marriage of the licorice flavor with the sungold tomatoes was just more than I could handle. Alas, the flavor of the dish without the twi would likely be too bland. The wife had the roast chicken and she was quite happy with it. I tried several bites, and it was cooked to perfection, quite juicy. We did have a NC smoked fish dip with chips, and it was decent, but not enough to warrant a second time if we were to return. As far as cocktails, I had a negroni (with aperol as requested) while my wife had a specialty cocktail (the botanical). While acceptable, in this day and age of craft cocktails, this is where this restaurant could shine. Finally, Phoebe Lawson is known for her Scratch bakery ( which is aptly found at "pie fantasy" dot com)... but no such pastries were to be found on the menu. The only baked goods were a shortcake (covered with stone fruits and olive oil ice cream or a brownie with milk chocolate peanut crunch). Mediocre and we sadly won't likely return for another $70 meal.

This wasn't a great experience. My wife and I were meeting a friend for an early 5:45 reservation and the place was virtually empty. When we asked for a wheelchair accessible table (it seemed like we had the place to ourselves for the moment and there was nowhere in the reservation menu to request an accessible table ahead of time) the hostess seemed agitated and snapped at my wife about consulting a seating chart. The rest of the service was fine, but this soured us on the front end. The food ranged from inedible (avoid the fish dip, which is made from less than fresh blue fish, thankfully removed from our bill) to okay. My steak was seared medium rare but cold by the time it arrived. Our friend's chicken looked quite good with healthy portions. The deserts were better, but the coffee ($3 per cup) was old and nearly room temperature. None of this was abysmal but three people can eat better in Durham for $130. The decor is taken as straight from the CB2 catalogue; fine perhaps for a second date but not nice enough for an anniversary or other special occasion. Dress is more casual than the website might have you believe. There's very limited parking (seriously, like three spots), so prepare to park in the shopping center next door.

Lovely brunch, good place to bring young children. Their dishes ranges from well-done traditional (omelette, eggs Benedict) to innovative. Good coffee too. I ended up not really liking the dish I ordered so I shared a friend's. The server noticed I hadn't eaten mine and didn't charge me since I didn't like it. Excellent customer service, I never would have thought to even suggest that.