The Hooded Merganser Bar and Grill Reviews

Incredible views of the lake and delicious, beautifully presented dishes.

We were told about the restaurant when we were staying at the Penticton Lakeside Resort & Conference Center about it being one of the best in Penticton... that is definitely NOT the case.

The views are stunning and it's a gorgeous restaurant. However the food is sub-par if that. We had Earls the night before and had a way better meal. My husbands pasta 'cream sauce' tasted just like straight skim milk without any salt and their chicken is literally pulled off of a rotisserie chicken as if I was buying it at the grocery store. Nothing about that meal was great by any means. I left thinking why did we spend that money when I could make that and better? I also didn't like the drink I was made and didn't drink it and she still charged me.

Trust me if you want something quick and easy and you're at the resort fine, but I'd suggest going anywhere else before I'd go back here!

The plating made the food look unappetizing... and indeed it was.

Beautiful setting on Okanagan Lake to celebrate 37 years! The food was delicious. Wonderfully presented. Megan is an amazing waitress. A memorable evening to look back on with fond memories.

The Hooded is a "must do" for anyone visiting Penticton. The views from the restaurant are stunning and the food is both excellent and excellently priced. You can get local wine both by the glass and by the bottle and they have a good selection of cocktails. The only negative thing I can say about the restaurant is that the beer selection is dreadful and "safe".

If you visit my "must try" food items are:
1. the calamari and,
2. the plate with the roasted garlic, brie cheese, and pate.

Great view of the lake and the food and service were great.

Very nice location and view, yet the food is overpriced for its quality.

Used to be good must still be but i wouldnt know since we couldnt get in the entire weekend as it was fully booked

Very good service, pleasant staff, good food and that view!

We love it here! We come every year when we visit Penticton. Something on the menu for all of us in the family. Burgers to sushi to beautiful hearty salads. Service is really great here, attentive and knowledgable as I am gluten and dairy free. We continue to be impressed.

Lovely restaurant overlooking the lake. Great food abd service

The hood is a go to spot for friends and I. Food is great & the views are amazing. Just wanted to say thanks to Erin for being the best server ever today at brunch.

Wonderful food and service Rachel couldn't have been more attentive.

Just ok at best. Ordered the ribs and received more fat than meat. My had the teriyaki salmon bowl which look like something you would have received in a cafeteria. Prices were ok. Service was ok(although when the waitress took away our plates of mostly uneaten food she didn't even ask if everything had been ok) we have been here before and remember everything being much better!
Ps still can not beat the setting!

Amazing view! Service is top shelf and so is the food.

Location is nice, but the food service is brutal. Takes 15 mins to get a drink not to mention sit time and 2 hours for an average meal without desert.

Magnificent setting (especially with patio dining), attentive and friendly server, good food (especially the brownie dessert). So why not a higher rating? We were dismayed by their policy of no masks and probably wouldn't have made the reservation knowing it. When questioned, they said they observe distancing but in fact that's impossible when serving a table. This is the first time we've encountered that policy in B.C.

What a precious find! Consider finding the rainbow's end at the end of the path.

I am in love with the pot roast sandwich, but *really* wish they would bring back the sweet potato wedges.... the one thing that brought me back time after time after time!

Great meal tonight, it was my mothers birthday
And Chef and staff did an incredible job taking care of my family. Thanks chef and staff.
If you happen to be in penticton check the Hood Merganser. A Great place for drinks and meal.

Overall pretty solid food. Not everything was cooked absolutely perfectly but truly very good. Exceptional views and nice staff.

The Hood Merganser
We found this place by accident on the Aug 2nd long weekend, very busy everywhere else. The place is amazing, we sat on the Patio and the view is spectacular to say the least and even more so as the Sun went down. The food was excellent and very hot and their selection of BC wines was incredible. THAT SAID.... the service was inattentive to put it mildly and the server seemed to go everywhere else and forget about us. He bought water with him when we arrived but not once did he refill our empty glasses, I sat there waiting for another beer (they only sell sleeves or bigger for Guinness) and when I went looking to get another one he said ok np, 10 minutes later still no beer, I went up to the bar his answer was a little rudely, well the bars backed up right now, would have been nice if he told me that. When we paid the bill my wife was talking to him and he just left mid sentence. It would probably have been funny if it was a comedy skit on tv but not in a better class restaurant..

Food was excellent, Chris was an amazing server from start to finish. Seating outside was picturesque, however there are a lot of spiders running around on the floor and railings so if that bothers you sit inside.

Food and drinks were amazing, beautiful view the raspberry cocktail was one of the best drinks I have ever had. We will be back!

Worst service I have ever seen, it was empty and we got told there so busy.
Waited around for 20 minutes with no server, then had to ask for server, waited another 10 mins, and had to walk out.

Great service, and a wide variety on the menu. Lots to look at out on the water. We didn't have to wait long for our table.

We hadn't been to the Hooded Merganser in Penticton for several years. The former menu which was excellent has been replaced with very limited entrees (September 18, 2020) which was disappointing as it did not provide a lot of options. The food was good but the prices were high, especially for a glass of wine, which ran in the $14-18 range. The halibut portions were small for $34. It is in a great location at the waterfront, and they were following Covid guidelines with proper spacing between tables. I don't think we would go back or recommend this restaurant unless the menu has a significant upgrade.

Terrible customer service. menu is so 2008
Worst cuisine

Incredible location with a wonderful view of the southern most tip of Okanagan Lake. Great food. Friendly, helpful and efficient service. Great experience overall. You won't be disappointed.

Good food, good cocktails, beautiful view of the lake.

With the patio doors wide open and a nice breeze, we just enjoyed another breakfast at the Merganser. The poached eggs on avocado toast were perfectly cooked and the side salad had a very nice light dressing. My husbands ham and cheese omelette was perfectly cooked. His potatoes were slightly overcooked but he enjoyed them. Another person in our party had the waffle with blueberries. The waffle was really good but i would pass on the blueberries until fresh blueberries are in season. They were hard and not juicy. The whipping cream made up for it. Update:. Another great breakfast. Potatoes were cooked perfectly this time and the fresh cherries were enjoyed by all.

Our waitress Wendy was super awesome. Thanks Wendy!!!
Food and drinks were all delicious and beautifully plated.

we had my sons rehearsal dinner at your restaurant Friday June 12, and we had a few people that did not get there steaks the way they wanted, and sent them back and still one person did not get it the way they wanted, my son was very disappointed and said the price was too expensive for what you got he thought maybe he would at least be compensated for the mistakes but nothing at all and he spent a lot of money at your restaurant,he told me he probably would not come back, we are from penticton, but he had a few people from the UK and he is now living there as well.
just wanted to let you know we were very disappointed.

Very nice location on the lake. Very helpful waiter. She never made us wait. We will go back for sure.

Rude and refused to sit a party of 7 one day and a party of 6. Staff were rude and short with patrons in a place at 1/2 capacity if that!
10/10 will not go again !

My son and I were looking forward to eating here. However when we walked in we were told our only option would be to order takeout because..... in 30 minutes they would be at their peak busy time and be full.

When the restaurant is not very busy their staff should be more attentive. Food and drinks were good but their staff need some training on customer service.

Service and server (Wendi) were awesome.
Portions are small and need to be seasoned better.

The food was more than good, the view stunning and early dinner was the perfect time to go. The servers were experienced and portion sizes larger than I'd expected. When leaving the bar atmosphere was getting busy but didn't notice it much when in dining space; that was nice! Would love to try brunch or lunch here as well!

The food was OK (skip the burger, it had almost no taste to it), but the service was awful. We had a waitress bring lemons instead of limes as requested for our water and when we asked if we could please get limes instead she insisted that we were wrong and was incredibly rude. My suggestion would be to choose one of the many other restaurants where the food and staff are both more tasteful.

My husband and I visited hooded mergansa for lunch today. We were very disappointed. I ordered the blackened tuna salad. When it arrived at the table and it had no avocado. When I asked about it the server said they did not have avocado today but offered no remedy for the situation. I asked him why he didn't tell me before ordering the salad and he said he didn't know they were out. I feel like servers should be informed about food items they are out of so they can inform customers. Also Avocado is an important part of the taste and price of the salad so I asked him what he would do to fix it. He eventually came back and said he would take $2 off. I feel as though a manager should have visited the table I would have been much happier with a new salad and an apology which I never received. I was still hungry after the salad so I ordered some yam fris. This menu item is normally one of our favorites but these fries are done super thick so the inside is like mush, not crispy at all, not even on the outsides. I could not eat them. The server never asked why we didn't eat them. He just brought the bill and we paid and left. The service was poor and the food was gross. We are spending the weekend at the lakeside hotel so we would love to able to utilize the restaurant it's to bad we won't be able to.

65 birthday party for sister-in-law and brother-in-law. Party of 20. Great food. Great service. Alice did a great job looking after us. Thanks.

I nearly always eat here when im in penticton. The brunch is amazing and the view is spectacular.

Ridiculous how great everything was here.
Food, staff, views everything was phenomenal and we were a big group. A must

Amazing restaurant with fantastic views of the lake. The space is open and airy with choices for sitting outside, in the bar area or the restaurant proper. Food is fresh with many locally grown ingredients. A very flavorful and varied plant-based menu featuring Beyond "meat". Full bar with a large selection of local wine. Friendly and attentive staff.

Great view, I had the creole chicken and it was OK. Chicken was cooked slightly overdone and presentation was simple at best.

Fantastic restaurant with lots of vegan and non vegan options. The grilled calamari was great and the views were great. Highly recommend

Great view and that's about it......way over rated otherwise.....service sucks at it best....

Nailed it! After a poor experience elsewhere our evening was redeemed by Jefferson before heading to a concert. Great spot on the water!

Girlfriend had a chicken burger that was unedible as it was so soggy. I had a burger that had a wonderfully fresh bun but completely tasteless otherwise. Good waitress but disappointing food and expensive. Guess your paying for the view.

The beef dip and wonton soup are adequately named favorites as they are delicious! Wine selection is good & they have their own gardens/farm. Sitting right on the lake is quite fun and original.

Had a wonderful birthday meal here with my hubby. It was a little tricky for us to find it..especially with wonky GPS, but once there, it was well worth it.The view was gorgeous and the service and food was excellent. It was surprisingly reasonably priced. Our waitress had a great sense of humor, which was a bonus. We will likely come back again when in town.

The server was great but he seemed like he had way too many tables though he was running all over the place. I ordered the ribs and they were terrible. They were dry not tender and over spiced. There was barely any meat on the bone. However they redeemed themselves I sent it back and had the butter chicken which was fantastic and faultless. The server was nice and looked after us.

First time at this spot and I was blown away by the view. The hostess was very welcoming and the excellent service continued with our server Erin. She was very genuine, warm and knowledgable about the menu. Also the plant based taco bowl is life! I will be back for sure! Love it.

3 of the 4 appetizers ordered, they did not have... The entree I saw online and went to the restaurant for, they did not have. This is a pandemic we are living in, not a drought. The wait staff did their job, and did it fine. It was a management issue and lack of planning. They just have to try a little harder.

Grant (Greg?) was very rude to us. We showed up in a group of 7 and many tables were open. He alleged that they were completely booked up; he clearly didnt like how we looked and was discriminating against us as the restaurant was nowhere near booked. There were at least ten tables open.

Great atmosphere in a beautiful setting. I don't think you can get a bad seating since everything faces the lake. We opted for a booth as it was elevated above standard tables. Staff were friendly. Good selection of wines and beers. Salmon was a bit overdone and dry but other than that, everything was great.

Tried to book a reservation for this evening, we did so 2 days ago and had no issue.
I was told this morning not a chance.
Not usually a big deal but my father is in a wheelchair and has very little mobility. For someone to not even try and understand is aweful.
He requested to go back to your restaurant for his last evening here and an effort could have been made.

Great location, server was great. Waited 1hr and 25min for foods to arrive. Slow as molasses. Food was awful. Not recommend .

Excellent restaurant inside the Penticton Lakeside Resort. This restaurant is right on the lake Okanagan and has magnificent views. Food is great. The service was ok during our stay but that changes depending on who is serving you that day. It was a bit pricey too.

This place was amazing. The staff were attentive, but not intrusive. The outdoor setting is simply beautiful, granted on a stormy day only indoor seating is appropriate.
The food was spot on, and their selection for beverages was above par for most establishments of this type.
Prices are reflecting the traffic of tourists more than locals, but are not unreasonable.

Service is great, food is great, location is great!

Absolutely amazing! Our server Meagan was amazing!! Super friendly and gave great recommendations. Our dinner was absolutely delish! The dessert was blueberry panna cotta and it sure blew our minds! Thanks for the great service and delish meals!

Sat outside on the water, the heaters were nice and made this possible. The food was absolutely delicious, all four of us loved our meals. The cocktails lovely. Most importantly our server Megan was wonderful, best service on this entire trip. She was funny, informative, and made our evening.

Once again a fabulous dinner and drinks. Thanks all!

The hood never disappoints. Very delicious and fresh! The beautiful view never gets old

Great brunch, amazing view and our waiter Francis was wonderful. Will be returning for sure.

Great place with nice sight on the deck. A bit expensive $$$

Incredible service. Beautiful setting. Delicious food

Excellent food and the view of the Okanagan lake is superb!

Great cocktails and amazing views. The food could use some refinement

Had one of the best salads ever ! Creative menu. Lovely setting. Classy, Good service. We had lunch, lots of smiling faces on other clients faces. Will go back for dinner when in Penticton. Thanks JP

The food was just ok, nothing special and a little overpriced. The service was lacking, and on our particular visit, it wasn t overly busy. We watched the server apply her lip gloss with her finger without sanitizing or washing her hands afterwards. The fake plants were covered in cob webs, which is very unappetizing. The general cleanliness of the establishment was seriously concerning. The views were about the only part of our visit that were worth the experience.
-Sincerely, four unimpressed patrons.

We went there for brunch and were seated fairly quickly (we did have reservations but that doesn't always matter at some places, here it worked). Our server was pleasant and knowledgeable. She was a little slow to come over when we were seated, but it was busy so not too bad. She took our order and the coffees and teas took a bit, with the food arriving soon after. She checked back a couple of times but that trailed off a bit.
The food itself was very good. We had a range of preferences for the cook on our eggs (runny to super done), and we all got what we ordered.
The prices were as expected for a resort hotel restaurant, which is to say a little high but worth it.

The food was good, fry portions were fairly sparse (seems other tables portions were normal though) but the issue was the service. The server was cold, didn t clear plates, fill waters or drinks and when she was at the table she seemed bothered by our requests (refills or another beer). Food was good tasty

The food was good. However, the service was not very good the waitress did not come back to ask if our food was good or if I wanted another drink. The only reason I am giving 3 stars is because she offered 50% off on the food. Otherwise this would have been a solid one star

EDIT:

Decided to come back a second time and boy am I glad I came back. Kyle was amazing server, gave amazing suggestions based on our preferences for both food and drinks.

The jalapeno drink is perfect.

Rating went from a 1 to a 3 to a solid 5!!!!

View great food good. Ordered a glass of Pinot Gris. On the menus it said $9. My friend and I had 2
On the bill they came to $28 for 2 glasses Maybe it was a bigger glass of not know but did not ask for a larger one. 2 wine came to more than the dinner. Not going back lots of better places in Penticton

Bartender excellence Pleasant atmosphere while at bar Good conversation with customers hosted by bartender Some original drinks created to my liking so personal attention will ensure return visit

Wake up every morning and go for breakfast at this place. I've never experienced such a luxurious breakfast place in my life thank you

Tune Burger is delicious, and they have a good view.