Social Profile: 
✔️Breakfast ✔️Brunch ✔️Lunch ✔️Dinner ✔️Dine in ✔️Take out
… View more
Address and Contact Information
Address: 42860 Crescent Lp, Punta Gorda, FL 33982
Phone: (239) 567-7913
Website: https://lakehousedining.com/
Menu Photos
Photo Gallery
Related Web Results
Home | The Lake House FL
HOME. TLH_LOGO_REV101821-04.png. Modern American SCRATCH KITCHEN & CRAFT COCKTAILS SERVED WATERFRONT on the beautiful lake in Babcock Ranch. ABOUT.
The Lakehouse Kitchen & Bar at Babcock Ranch | Punta Gorda FL
The Lakehouse Kitchen & Bar at Babcock Ranch, Punta Gorda. 7522 likes · 120 talking about this · 6875 were here. New, Modern American style food on the…
The Lakehouse Kitchen & Bar at Babcock Ranch, Punta Gorda, FL
Book now at The Lakehouse Kitchen & Bar at Babcock Ranch in Punta Gorda, FL. Explore menu, see photos and read 99 reviews: “Made reservation on a Friday …
Reviews
Ellen Phillips
We love this venue. The food is good and dependable. I wouldn’t say it’s spectacular but they do have a new chef and we’re still trying out the new food options. The mussels are amazing.
The venue is right on the edge of Lake Babcock so with any seat will get you a beautiful waterside view. It’s always busy and you can always find a friendly face to chat with and make some new friends.
… moreThe venue is right on the edge of Lake Babcock so with any seat will get you a beautiful waterside view. It’s always busy and you can always find a friendly face to chat with and make some new friends.
Ben Schumacher
Updated review (12/11/25)
We’ve been going to Lake House since we moved to Babcock three years ago. It’s always been pretty average food. Sometimes a little above, sometimes a little below. But it appears that things are going to be VERY different under new head chef John Hill.
I’ve written some poor reviews about Lake House the last few years and when I walked into the restaurant tonight I was greeted by Chef John, who had recognized my name on the reservations list from my poor reviews I had given. He acknowledged the short comings of the past (and of my poor experience the first time I ordered from his menu a few days prior). He told us his backstory and his plans for how he was going to turn things around at Lake House. And he put his money where his mouth was right from the start.
We had an exceptional experience. The service was fast and attentive. Chef John personally delivered our food and brought a few things we had to try, including a re-do of the poke bowl I had been disappointed in a few nights previously. This time it had about 4x as much tuna as the first time and it was beautifully constructed with plenty of everything.
Every bite we had was fantastic but the stars of the night were the sweet pea hummus with scratch made naan, the mushroom gnocchi, and chocolate mousse cake (made by Chef John’s wife and the new Lake House pastry chef).
We also had the pork belly and shrimp fried rice (very tasty and perfectly rendered pork belly). Flavorful fried rice without being oily.
Skirt steak entree was a perfect medium rare – super tender and delicious.
Fettuccine ragu was very tasty. Homemade noodles with a punchy, flavorful ragu.
The brussel sprouts were perfectly cooked – crispy but not overly hammered like they are sometimes. I did want a little more Carolina gold bbq flavor. It was a little more subtle than I would’ve preferred (but I really like that type of bbq sauce).
Shrimp and andouille risotto was very good. The andouille wasn’t overpowering which it can be sometimes. We thought the risotto was a tad underdone but still very good.
The seared salmon was perfectly cooked and very tasty. The coconut rice with it was really good and had really strong coconut flavor (in a great way).
The mushroom gnocchi was amazing. The gnocchi was so tender – it melted in your mouth. Big chunks of mushrooms in a very tasty Marsala cream sauce that had great, deep flavor.
I wouldn’t normally order a hummus app because it’s hard for that type of dish to be worth it but this dish was exceptional (also beautiful presentation). Delicious hummus, with whipped goat cheese, and scratch made naan which was awesome.
Lastly, the chocolate mousse cake was phenomenal. We were very excited to learn that Lake House would now have a pastry chef because previously there was never anything on the dessert menu we felt we had to have.
Can’t wait to see how Chef John continues to improve the food and service in the months ahead. He’s off to a great start.
Review update – 12/3/25 – ordered takeout from the new menu. Got the tuna poke bowl. It was very disappointing. Despite being $24 there was barely any tuna in it. There was also not enough of the other items so it felt like I was eating a big bowl of plain rice.
Origins review (2023) We are Lake House regulars. It’s always been average food. There are a couple things I like to get but generally pretty average. So I was excited to hear they got a new head chef. I ordered the salmon special which was supposed to come with sweet potato and two kinds of mushrooms. There were no mushrooms on the plate and a tiny smear of potato. Very disappointing. The salmon was cooked very nicely.
I’ll be back because it’s we don’t have other options in Babcock but I need this place to be better.
… moreWe’ve been going to Lake House since we moved to Babcock three years ago. It’s always been pretty average food. Sometimes a little above, sometimes a little below. But it appears that things are going to be VERY different under new head chef John Hill.
I’ve written some poor reviews about Lake House the last few years and when I walked into the restaurant tonight I was greeted by Chef John, who had recognized my name on the reservations list from my poor reviews I had given. He acknowledged the short comings of the past (and of my poor experience the first time I ordered from his menu a few days prior). He told us his backstory and his plans for how he was going to turn things around at Lake House. And he put his money where his mouth was right from the start.
We had an exceptional experience. The service was fast and attentive. Chef John personally delivered our food and brought a few things we had to try, including a re-do of the poke bowl I had been disappointed in a few nights previously. This time it had about 4x as much tuna as the first time and it was beautifully constructed with plenty of everything.
Every bite we had was fantastic but the stars of the night were the sweet pea hummus with scratch made naan, the mushroom gnocchi, and chocolate mousse cake (made by Chef John’s wife and the new Lake House pastry chef).
We also had the pork belly and shrimp fried rice (very tasty and perfectly rendered pork belly). Flavorful fried rice without being oily.
Skirt steak entree was a perfect medium rare – super tender and delicious.
Fettuccine ragu was very tasty. Homemade noodles with a punchy, flavorful ragu.
The brussel sprouts were perfectly cooked – crispy but not overly hammered like they are sometimes. I did want a little more Carolina gold bbq flavor. It was a little more subtle than I would’ve preferred (but I really like that type of bbq sauce).
Shrimp and andouille risotto was very good. The andouille wasn’t overpowering which it can be sometimes. We thought the risotto was a tad underdone but still very good.
The seared salmon was perfectly cooked and very tasty. The coconut rice with it was really good and had really strong coconut flavor (in a great way).
The mushroom gnocchi was amazing. The gnocchi was so tender – it melted in your mouth. Big chunks of mushrooms in a very tasty Marsala cream sauce that had great, deep flavor.
I wouldn’t normally order a hummus app because it’s hard for that type of dish to be worth it but this dish was exceptional (also beautiful presentation). Delicious hummus, with whipped goat cheese, and scratch made naan which was awesome.
Lastly, the chocolate mousse cake was phenomenal. We were very excited to learn that Lake House would now have a pastry chef because previously there was never anything on the dessert menu we felt we had to have.
Can’t wait to see how Chef John continues to improve the food and service in the months ahead. He’s off to a great start.
Review update – 12/3/25 – ordered takeout from the new menu. Got the tuna poke bowl. It was very disappointing. Despite being $24 there was barely any tuna in it. There was also not enough of the other items so it felt like I was eating a big bowl of plain rice.
Origins review (2023) We are Lake House regulars. It’s always been average food. There are a couple things I like to get but generally pretty average. So I was excited to hear they got a new head chef. I ordered the salmon special which was supposed to come with sweet potato and two kinds of mushrooms. There were no mushrooms on the plate and a tiny smear of potato. Very disappointing. The salmon was cooked very nicely.
I’ll be back because it’s we don’t have other options in Babcock but I need this place to be better.
Theresa Collins-Hill
The good: my martini was good.
The bad: sat at the bar, had to flag down the bartender EVERY single time we wanted a drink, to order, to pay the bill. While I think he was feeling under the weather due to an arm injury, his service was subpar.
The worst: I ordered the pasta with Marsala sauce and blackened shrimp. The shrimp was flavorful. The pasta was dry yet sticky. When I asked if this was how it normally looked (after having to flag the bartender down yet again), he said he’d get me some more butter sauce…what??? I tried flagging him down again for clarification, but was ignored. The kitchen then brought out a small bowl of congealed…. Something. I’m pretty sure that a bar straw and olive skewer should not be able to stand straight up in a sauce. The straw and skewer stayed in this upright position the entire time.
The good: my husband had the salmon and mashed potatoes. He said it was good. Not great, but good.
Very disappointing overall.
… moreThe bad: sat at the bar, had to flag down the bartender EVERY single time we wanted a drink, to order, to pay the bill. While I think he was feeling under the weather due to an arm injury, his service was subpar.
The worst: I ordered the pasta with Marsala sauce and blackened shrimp. The shrimp was flavorful. The pasta was dry yet sticky. When I asked if this was how it normally looked (after having to flag the bartender down yet again), he said he’d get me some more butter sauce…what??? I tried flagging him down again for clarification, but was ignored. The kitchen then brought out a small bowl of congealed…. Something. I’m pretty sure that a bar straw and olive skewer should not be able to stand straight up in a sauce. The straw and skewer stayed in this upright position the entire time.
The good: my husband had the salmon and mashed potatoes. He said it was good. Not great, but good.
Very disappointing overall.
Loulee O
A hostess gives the 1st impression, ours probably needs some hospitality training.
A little smile goes a looong way!
Our server on the other hand was friendly & hospitable
The food looked really good, but strangely, really no flavor.
We had a sandwich, order of tacos, 2 drinks & 2 glasses of wine – $110
The view and atmosphere were peaceful but not high on our list to return.
… moreA little smile goes a looong way!
Our server on the other hand was friendly & hospitable
The food looked really good, but strangely, really no flavor.
We had a sandwich, order of tacos, 2 drinks & 2 glasses of wine – $110
The view and atmosphere were peaceful but not high on our list to return.
Belle Kusske
I can’t rate the food as I have been waiting 30 minutes. I also can’t rate my drink as that hasn’t come yet. I can rate the greeters though as it took them 10 minutes to greet us. As well as our server when she came over here all of two times. And I can also rate the cleanliness as our table was set with silverware (that still had food in it) and table was not wiped down. Last thing I can’t rate is my mother’s birthday dinner as they asked in the reservation what the occasion was and then never celebrated with us. The chef was good though. Over all… super excited for Oar & Iron to open!
… moreAleida Johnson-Sannella
I’m not usually one to write reviews, but I felt it was important to take a moment to share this.
It really feels like The Lake House has turned a corner. The overall experience is noticeably better than it used to be, and it shows. It seems like some changes were made behind the scenes, and the results are paying off.
Christen has been a huge asset to the team, and it was genuinely great to see a familiar face again. I actually knew her from New Jersey, where she managed a high-volume restaurant called Shogun—so it’s always nice when life brings you back around to good people.
The food was excellent. Since it was late, I kept it light and just had the French onion soup, and it was lovely. Even the presentation stood out—the bowl it was served in was different in a really nice way, and it made the whole dish feel elevated.
All around, a great experience. Looking forward to coming back soon.
… moreIt really feels like The Lake House has turned a corner. The overall experience is noticeably better than it used to be, and it shows. It seems like some changes were made behind the scenes, and the results are paying off.
Christen has been a huge asset to the team, and it was genuinely great to see a familiar face again. I actually knew her from New Jersey, where she managed a high-volume restaurant called Shogun—so it’s always nice when life brings you back around to good people.
The food was excellent. Since it was late, I kept it light and just had the French onion soup, and it was lovely. Even the presentation stood out—the bowl it was served in was different in a really nice way, and it made the whole dish feel elevated.
All around, a great experience. Looking forward to coming back soon.
Kara Pleasant
Drinks were amazing. Great service. Bartender was super friendly. Nachos were a great portion. Fun atmosphere.
… moreBrad Clodfelter
My review will cover two visits to the Lakehouse over the last week. There was a menu change in between our two visits and I have to say, we weren’t disappointed with the new selections. Our food and service was excellent with the restaurant being busy on both occasions. The entrees were all nicely presented and quite tasty, but the Boom Boom shrimp was a little skimpy for the price. The Grouper entree was generous, but might benefit from a little more seasoning.
After reading some of the latest reviews, I had to reread them, wondering if they were talking about the same restaurant. We will be back, since it’s such a lovely place to dine when the weather is warmer.
… moreAfter reading some of the latest reviews, I had to reread them, wondering if they were talking about the same restaurant. We will be back, since it’s such a lovely place to dine when the weather is warmer.
Johnathan Plummer
Experienced the new drink and food menu today. To say the least, it was the most lackadaisical nachos and ceasar salad I have had in a while. The drinks were fine, a little too much pulp in the Tai. Also, need to train staff to not have such an insincere mood. Overall 4/10, but atmosphere is great.
… moreJin
Haven’t been to the Lakehouse in a few years. Decided to give it another try last night and was pleasantly surprised by the changes made. The new menu was wonderful. I tried the short rib and my partner got the gnocchi, both were absolutely delicious. There wasn’t a wait for us to sit outside which was nice since they seemed busy. Our server Gabby was great, very attentive and recommended the dishes we both enjoyed. The view of the lake was unbeatable. We can’t wait to come back!
… more