The Hooded Merganser Bar and Grill Reviews

The location and views from the restaurant were beautiful. The food was well presented and very tasty. We ordered a salmon burger, artichoke pizza, chicken tex salad, and ahi tuna salad. All very delicious.
The only ' issue ' was that
there was a group of people on the deck that appeared to be drinking heavily and they were quite loud... at one point there was a gentleman singing into a broom handle.. and at another point there was a young lady lifted and the man teased he was throwing her in the water. (I think alcohol should have stopped being served sooner? For everyone's safety - the restaurants too)
Other than the situation outside the lunch was enjoyable... we were bringing my 82 year old father there for Father's day lunch.. the maitre'd seated us at very nice table and the staff were pleasant. I would like to try coming again. Maybe it was a once in a lifetime event.. Lol

Great service, amazing atmosphere and location, delicious breakfast!

Drove all the way out for the plant-based menu with our family and was told there is absolutely no vegan options because it was too early. Waitress said she didn't know if they could make anything vegan for us. Very unhelpful and poorly trained. Restaurant is not accommodating and I have a car full of disappointed people.

Very noisy atmosphere, average food and service. Nice view though.

Service was excellent. Food (Wonton Soup) was fantastic. View, classic Okanagan....priceless... joyous experience.

Had a review written before but changed it after my most recent visit, the cocktail menu has a good variety, I would recommend the Isra s sour the calamari was perfect although I feel that the portion was a bit small. For the mains my girlfriend and I got the steak and salmon, both work seasoned amazingly and good perfectly, would recommend for a nice brunch or dinner.

My husband and I went here for our anniversary and were very excited to come back to the Hoided Merganser and had made Reservations over a month prior. The Hostess was rude and refused to seat us on the patio when we had requested patio seating in our reservation over a month before stating that they couldn't accommodate requests. People behind us were catered too and had their table moved to accommodate their request but they wouldn't accommodate ours?!? Front off house staff need a lesson in customer service. The menu is limited due to Covid and not very exciting. Was expecting at least one grilled steak option but all they had was a sous vid flat iron. Burger was good but not what I was wanting when going to a restaurant like this. Overall we were extremely disappointed and upset with how we'd been treated and the low caliber menu. The old menu was amazing, the new menu and host staff left much to be desired.

Food was terrible, the pizza was very thin, yet it somehow managed to retain enough water to be soggy. The only thing thicker than the calamari was the manager, who blew us off after asking him about the poor excuse of a dinner.

I like this place... nice room + view .. pleasant servers ... good food ...not too uptight

I don't get down to Penticton often enough to enjoy this eatery as much as I could. Beautiful view of the lake, wonderful ambience inside, slightly upscale with appropriate pricing. Simply put, I've never had a meal here that disappointed me.

Such a friendly family restaurant
There's a family room with a change table.
Very clean.
High chair is available.
Lots of room for kids 4-7 years colouring is available.
The tables are big for a family.
The view is fantastic including in January
The food is awesome.
The onion soup
The lam
Rice and salmon the sauce is like home made.
Fresh vegetables.
Great choice of tea.
The staff is very attentive and kind.
Would like to visit them again!

First time here. Food was fabulous and well protected from the - 18 celcius and 40 knot winds. It was fun seeing the water spray onto the windows were we were sitting.

Can t beat the views. Great ambiance - lively and loads of fun. The food was excellent for the most part. Highly recommend the Brie and roasted garlic as well as the prawn appetizer. Dynamite roll was good but I ve had better.

Excellent food and service. Everything was cooked to perfection. Great atmosphere

I told my boyfriend to surprise me when we decided to do lunch and I loved it. Food and service were both excellent and the view is amazing. Highly recommend this place, you will not be disappointed.

The patio on the lake is the best in the Okanagan in my opinion. There is also a great wine selection here to go along with a fantastic menu. Definitely recommended!

I love taking visitors to the 'Hood' for breakfast! great food - fabulous views. A real treat

Food was good but staff could be more accomodating.

You can't beat the location, sitting on the deck on the shores of the Okanagan but the salad I ordered had two key ingredients missing and were replaced with something else. They were the reason I ordered that particular salad. I should have been advised ahead of time so I could reconsider my order

Location is really beautiful, the service was excellent, as was the wine selection. The staff tried their best to accommodate my allergies which I appreciated, but more menu options would be even better. Specifically, a vegan option would be amazing.

Awesome location for sure, service was prompt and friendly, and food was very good. I would definitely recommend it to visiting friends and family.

Excellent food and service. Pretty fair price for a high end meal.

Great beef dip! As good as it gets for views of Okanagan lake. Beer was nice and cold.

We made reservations via OpenTable for a table for two. We arrived on time but they didn't have a table ready for us. Instead, we had to wait over 20 minutes for our "reservation". Eventually, after 20 minutes of waiting, we decided to just leave. When I told the man at the front we were leaving, he told us our table was just about ready, they were just "waiting for them to settle their bill". Perhaps someone can correct me but isn't the point of a reservation to have a table reserved for you at a specific time? I'm sure there's a whole Seinfeld bit about reservations (which is exactly what we experienced).

I can't write a review about the food since we never actually got seated.

Nice location at lakefront and in the hub of Penticton's tourist area. Romantic sunset can be seen from the patio. You do pay a premium to be at that location with prices a little higher than most other restaurants and menu selection is ordinary. The food was okay. It was really the experience to be at the tourist hub and be right next to our hotel that drew us there.

But overall, a number of people including myself, say the food is very bland and tasteless. Nothing extraordinary. Good marketing to draw people there but not the best food experience.

Service was slow as molasses on a frosty winters day. Took a long time to order drinks, longer to receive them. Food was okay. Had the sashimi, pad thai, spicy roll amd crab cakes.
Pad thai lacked spice and sushi was poorly rolled, over riced and skimped on the tuna. Should be called rice roll with a touch of tuna.
Scenary was amazing!

The patio and lounge are beautiful. Staff were super friendly and attentive. Ordered the Thai Green Curry Bowl and it was absolutely delicious.

Awful!!!! Had half a beer and one shooter and was told we had to order food before we could be served again....first time in my entire life being told this

They are awefully late in service and does not even refill water. Today i went there on my son's birthday and they served the food 1:20 minutes late.... The food is not special either... Only thing one can go is for the view. Would not go there again.

The view is unbelievable and the service was good. Food is decent; wouldn't say spectacular but overall very good. Worth stopping in have been here a few times now.

Mediocre food, poor service. Not recommended.
Consistently inconsistent. Occasionally good, more often not so good. Never better than a 'B' grade experience. Recently, a solid 'F'
We have eaten at the 'Hood a few times, but likely never again. Certainly no time soon.

Beautiful view, great food, beautiful and comfortable interior. Not too expensive and definitely worth the date night.

Delicious breakfast. Great atmosphere. Awesome service.

It was okay. I went in late August. It appears to be quite upscale. I found the menu jumped all over the place. There was sushi, a burger and fries option, then a few Italian pasta dishes. It felt like the restaurant couldn't decide what it More

Food and service are excellent! One minor criticism; when two guys order $40, 12 Oz rib eye steaks, please bring out two 12 oz steaks, not a 12 and a 6. One of our cuts was literally half the size of the other. One of us was still hungry!

Great restaurant and have been several times since moving here in early summer. Highly recommend.

I had the thai green curry, it was nice and spicy. BF had the rack of lamb with parm fries yummy. Pretty much had the place to ourselves 430 we must have missed the rush.

liked it. beautiful location. food was above expectation. had a really tasty warm brie and roast garlic appy. shared the 10 oz filet mignon blue rare, perfectly cooked warm in the middle tender and well aged. Came with some excellent roasted rainbow heritage carrots and a peppercorn demi. service was also excellent. recommended

Daughter and son in law got married on the SS Sicamous and all the guests had arranged to have breakfast there in the morning. They had to deal with about 60 of us all coming in at the same time. They hurriedly put tables together for us and Carol was amazing. Thank you.

Good food but noisy and expensive for what you get. Three stars because the chef is decent and bar menu is good. Not a place to take a family and probably not the best for a quiet date or private celebration with a significant other.

Fantastic food, great service and price

Went here for breakfast and lunch on different days - consistent unabashed delight.

Great espresso drinks.

Food was high quality, well priced and portions were good.

Atmosphere is wonderful, right on the water with lots of windows and vista views.

Can not recommend more highly.

I go there for breakfasts and love it . I go there for dinner and love it. Down to earth real people staff. A good experience out . Great views ..

Service was very slow, even though we arrived at 5:00 pm and restaurant wasn't busy yet. I ordered the ahi tuna, which I couldn't taste at all with the browned seseme seed coating (way too much coating). My husband ordered the $40 rib eye steak, medium rare. The rib eye didn't have the eye - the fat was around the medium well steak (it looked like a $34 New York steak cut) and it was a bit chewy. When my husband asked the waitress if she thought it was medium rare, she said she didn't know meat. He decided to just eat it. We ordered dessert and after 20 minutes asked about it. The waitress looked into it and advised there was a mixup in the kitchen and asked if we still wanted it. My chocolate mousse was thick like a stew and was hard to eat, as it constantly poured over the sides of the small spoon. It was sickingly sweet and sat heavy in my stomach for hours. We were very disappointed, as we have enjoyed our meals thete when we have come to town on our holidays for several years. Not sure if we want to return after our two and a half hours spent there.

The Hostess who was seating us could improve but once seated the waitress we had was so wonderful. I even told they girls at the front as we were leaving to please tell the management how awesome she was to us.

The halibut was amazing and a great selection of local wines to enjoy.

Such a lovely place. It is so classy and so many beautiful views. It really isn't that expensive for what you get.

Great service ! Great experience ! Amazing spot on the water .

Could be described as the nicest restaurant on the waterfront of Okanagan Lake. Great food and service. Reservations are a must, especially when it's the busy tourist season. During windy days, get a great view of sailboats out on the lake. In the evening, for supper, go a bit later and catch the last light of sundown on the water. Outdoor seating on the deck is nice when it's not too breezy.

This was such a wonderful lunch! Excellent service by friendly staff. Beautiful view and the food, the food was incredible!

Professional staff make meals in this beautiful location so enjoyable. The food has never disappointed us. Their prime rib is nice but if you prefer lighter fare, try the ahi tuna salad.

excellent local eatery. creative menu and good offerings from the bar. The view of the lake is spectacular. in summertime ask to sit outside. this is a must try place in Penticton

Food okay, service okay, a little pricey and the credit card machines were not working...not a memorable experience

Yum! Great food Great service my starter of scallop and pork belly was fantastic! Ask for the patio as its right on the water

Excellent food and service, one of the best views in the city.

Gorgeous views, great food and good service. Highly recommended.

Came here for our 3 year wedding anniversary, we had asked for a outside seat with our reservation 2 weeks prior, didn't get one. Then the food took a little over an hour to come, wasn't hot and didn't have much flavor at all. We decided to get a dessert and ended up waiting 50 minutes for it to come.We read the reviews so had high hopes but definitely won't be coming back. Not to mention tables around us were complaining about their food as well. When we left we realized we got charged to much....I got the featured pasta, add chicken. Pasta was $18.00 + $8.00 for the chicken. We were charged $24.00 ,+ $8.00 ..

The Hood is the nicest place I've been to eat in the city. Whether it is brunch or dinner, the food is very good and service was great as well. The view is spectacular outside as well.
It is a very popular place so getting a table at night or for prime time breakfast hours may be difficult.
I'll be happy to go back and eat there again!

Over priced, over sold and under quality. Sounds like a tourist trap to me. Maybe change your sun eaten sign on the highway.

I am currently seated at our table for 8. We arrived and were seated at 9:50am and didn't even have a staff member approach our table to offer even water until 10:25am. At 10:56am and we got our coffee, at least. I will not be returning to the Hooded Merganser, and neither will the rest of our group of 8. The only reason I am giving 2 stars is because of our server, Melissa, who really deserves 5 stars, but the restaurant does not. The serving staff had ABSOLUTELY no support from the manager, Grant (who, by the way, appeared to be berating his serving staff in full view of customers at every opportunity.) I've read lots of reviews raving about the food, but when it arrived, the hollandaise was overcooked and congealed, very vinegary, and tasted off, quite frankly. We all agreed the best part of the meal were the Chocolates that came with the bill. I don't want to support a business that clearly doesn't support their employees, period.

If you looking for amazing views of Okanagan lake while sitting over the water this is an awesome place for a quick stop for a beer or glass of wine. I cannot recommend the cocktails, they sound good in theory but they just aren't mixed well, really not sure why but some fairly basic drinks were very uninspiring. Food is ok, nothing to write home about but also not terrible.

Went here for breakfast after staying at the "resort". You pay for the view - food was overpriced for the quality, it wasn't bad, just didn't meet expectations. The atmosphere was good but the service was the worst part of the experience.

Good steak. Rest of plate bit oily. Left full. Will go again.

I loved the Ambiance and the location of the restaurant, but was disappointed in the food and length of time it took to get our meals. Very average food for what could be a high-end experience.

Food is okay. I do think the food has gone quite down in quality over the years - lunch and dinner, brunch is just fine. It used to be a premier restaurant especially with the location but now while the atmosphere is fantastic, the poor server was run off her feet and had to bartend as well... We had the thai green curry, pot roast, lamb, bibimbap, club house and ahi tuna and aside from the tuna, everyone's food was very bland - we did let our server know but its not for her to apologize about. This was the third time in a row the food wasn't great so while you can usually chalk it up as an off night as a local I won't go again unless they do a serious overhaul with their kitchen.

Very diverse menu. We have gone on numerous occasions and have tried many dishes and they have all been excellent. Last night we experienced the best service we have ever had in the Okanagan in 25 years with Katie. Highly recommend you ask for her.

Beautiful location right on the water! Been coming here for years, consistent good food and great local wine selection. Call beforehand in Summer as they do get busy!

Tried the pizza. I think they tried so hard to make it fancy they forgot to make it taste good. Service was good.

Beautiful view. Very romantic and food was excellent

Celebrated our wedding anniversary with a lovely table with a specular view of Okanagan Lake. Menu was limited but food was amazing. I had salmon and my husband gobbled their fantastic 5 star pork chop. Cheese cake and sage cake deserts were yummy!!! Good value for money and service was excellent. We appreciated their covid protocol.

Decent food at a cheap price! Unfortunately your desserts were terrible and not worth even half of what they cost. Overall good experience and good service. A formally trained pasty chef would have justified the high dessert prices and execute on the quality expected.

Very good experience at the Hooded Merganser. Food was top notch - amongst the party we ordered the tuna, halibut, and a very tasty grilled cheese w/ mango sandwich. Kids menu selection was very good and the kids loved the cheese pizza and vanilla ice cream dessert. Our server was very attentive and was quick with all our crazy requests. Will definitely mark this as a spot for us to come back to the next time we are in Penticton.

Not bad. Nice service and location, but the food is not great as other reviewers have commented. I would put it below that of cactus club or Earls in the city. Reasonable price and decent appies.

Excellent food, great views, exceptional service. Celebrated a birthday here and the staff were very accommodating.

Great place with a beautiful lakeside view. The food here was excellent and they have a pretty good wine list with both local and international wine. It can get pretty loud with the acoustics though and costly depending on the visit.

Our waiter was great. The food was ok but not what you would expect from a restaurant of this statue. Pricing is what you would expect.

To be completely honest I was surprised at how amazing this restaurant was! I didn t expect much from , what I thought was, a tourist attraction (since it s right on the water next to a big hotel). The burger was amazing, tuna sandwich was good and I probably had the best butter chicken in the entire BC! Wine list is great and very very affordable. Service was on point! Would definitely recommend :)

Was there last weekend with family. Loved the Cauliflower Steak. It was yummy.
But our waitress was awful. She didn't know what a lime is and even ARGUED with us when she brought us lemon slices when we asked for lime slices.
How can someone get to be a waitress in a nice restaurany without knowing the difference between a lime and lemon. And to be so rude as to argue about it??
But keep up with the vegan food. Thank you.

Has definitely improved over the years. The food lives up to the scenery.