Lakeside Restaurant in Kirklees

We have just had our wedding here and all I can say is wow! It was the most beautiful day and every detail I asked for was done for us. Marton was amazing from the very first meeting to book our wedding. He and all his staff went above and beyond and nothing was too much. We had so many compliments on the venue and the food was just perfect, we opted for bbq and there was so much choice. We wanted an outside ceremony and it was just beautifully presented. I cannot thank Marton, Matty and all their staff enough for making all our dreams come true. We will be coming back for our Sunday carveries we they are amazing as well!

Have to say we turned up with no booking. 6 adults 2 with mobility issues and one under 2 years. Cannot fault the staff, they were all under pressure as it was busy and we hadn’t booked. Sorted a table no fuss and through our meal were genuinely helpful. Lovely staff and the food was fantastic ( we had carvery)

Visited whilst at the zoo where there is plentiful free parking and plenty to do. Really friendly staff and gorgeous food. It was buffet style today and very good value for money. Drinks were great, nice tables, clean loos. Couldn’t fault it at all.

I wanted to express my heartfelt gratitude for the wonderful job you did in organising a Holy Communion last week. The venue was beautifully set up, creating the perfect atmosphere for such a special occasion. The food was absolutely delicious and received numerous compliments from our guests. Every dish was prepared to perfection. Additionally, I cannot praise your staff enough. They were attentive, courteous, and went out of their way to ensure that everyone felt welcome and well taken care of. Their professionalism and warm demeanour truly enhanced the overall experience. Thank you once again for making our Holy Communion a memorable and joyous event. We look forward to celebrating many more occasions with you in the future. A special thank you to Marton and Milena, who were exceptional!!!

We visited today. It was an amazing decision we made to go there, the food was really nice and the atmosphere was good too, the staff remained amazing throughout, as we been there for the very first time so we didn't have that much idea about how things work, Kendel and Marton remained really good with us, they assisted us with ordering and service was really good too. Highly recommend to go there

Had a family meal for 15 for my Mum's 80th everyone was impressed with the food great selection of meats and veg. The service was fantastic and there was a really relaxed atmosphere we spent over 2 and half hours there and the staff were attentive and professional.Highly recommend this restaurant for family get together great value for money

Lovely food staff very courteous and polite lovely surroundings would definitely recommend.

Lovely restaurant with quick service.

all good nothing to complain about. Great surroundings. lovely setting Always enjoyed every time. just try there Sunday roast

Attended a private function, really welcoming staff very attentive and food was very tasty.

Very clean. Helpful staff. Good food. Great for family get together. Cater for all ages. Our party was aged 94yrs down to 18weeks. Great for everyone 👏

Little jewel hidden away in Heckmondwike. The food was lovely and the service was very good too.

It good for a Sunday carvery the food is really good a little over cooked on the beef for me you do need the gravy to moisten it up, don't be worried about asking for more meat as they are a little light when cutting it . Bit the staff are fantastic .

Was at the Dinner Dance, Saturday night. Good food and service but spoilt by overloud music. Our request for it to be turned down seemed to be ignored... our table was directly opposite the speakers which meant conversations were almost impossible during the meal. After we'd eaten we moved to the sofas in front of the bar area which took us away from the party area and atmosphere. This marred what could have been a fabulous evening. Organisers, please be aware of your customers comments...

amazing food excellent service good value for money .relaxing atmosphere

We came here for Sunday lunch while visiting ponderosa. The carvery was delicious with a really good range of veg and potato options, much better than a chain offering. We will definitely return.

We were here for the Wedding Fayre, not too big, dance floor, bar, restaurant, beautiful lake, great venue for your next wedding. I am a Wedding Photographer and I would be happy here Oh by the way the staff were friendly, good service and good food 😀

I very much enjoyed our visit to ponderosa lakeside restaurant. The petting zoo was fun for the kids and we looked forward to the carvery afterwards. The service from the staff on the floor was fantastic , great value for money and an all round good experience . Special mention to our server Demi who’s bright outlook make our kids day. The manager however, must of had a bad morning as appeared grumpy and lacklustre , when we approached. he seemed disinterested and passed us to a member of staff on all occasions so hope the tips and feedback lands in the correct wage packets.

We’ve been coming for years and absolutely love everything from the greeting from the friendly staff when you go in, to the speed of service. Staff make a fuss of the kids and are constantly checking everything is ok. Food I regularly refreshed and there is a good selection of deserts. Never made to feel rushed and a lovely setting area outside when you’ve finished your food.

If only I could give zero stars! Booked for carvery 4pm, on arrival the waitress didn’t take into consideration our disabled family member as she marched across to the table and told us to sit down. We hadn’t been here before, so we asked do we go to the bar for drinks to which we were rudely told, we will come when we r ready, u just look at the menu!! One waitress said soup of the day was tomato and another said it was vegetable! It was tomato when it arrived at the table. U r not allowed to serve yourself carvery.. Never asked about allergies. Forgot the children’s meal, then when we asked for it it arrived wrong! Carvery was awful, wafer sliced meat, small amount of meat, rubbery Yorkshire pudding clearly been sat there all day. Veg piled up in a mess on top of each other, roast potatoes were dried out and wouldn’t even cut on the plate. Could it get any worse, well when the carvery was switched off at 4:30, the staff piled their own plates up, or takeaway tubs with all the meats and then the chef comes over to the gravy and licked the spoon!! Disgusting!! The waitress was eating her dinner behind the carvery and picked it out of her teeth when walking to our table with desserts. Never would we ever go here again. Never would we recommend here. Food Safety team within trading standards should be made aware they were terrible. Even the bill at the end was wrong. No manager to discuss this all with either.

Our nephews wedding reception was here the food wasn't to everyone's taste but then venue was lovely

Warm, clean , friendly. Full menu available. Well trained staff. Food was nice tasted fresh and the buffet was re stocked promptly.

do you want to have an exceptional service that makes you say wow, here you find the perfect restaurant, try it and you won't go wrong, absolutely amazing

Absolute jewel of a place Great facilities and great food

A little noisy, but child friendly. Fantastic food for the price (the Yorkshire puddings were HUGE). Lovely interior, a bit of a long wait but staff were friendly.

The Lakeside is very well run, the staff are unfailingly helpful and friendly, the food was sumptuous, we were enchanted by the Chris White Jazz Trio who created a happy atmosphere and added a touch of class

We covered a mehndi event lovely venue

Really nice restaurant that's hidden away and Highly recommended for weddings and special occasions it's like a country side restaurant and has beautiful lake and outdoor area to sit outside especially in lovely weather they also have a outdoor bar to serve cold drinks & snacks on arrival

Lovely calm setting in the function room with views of the lake & gorgeous food.

Went for Sunday lunch today with the family first time we have been and it was lovely great carvery and all staff lovley highly reccomend and we will be back 😊👍

I had my wedding at lakeside on 25/06/2022 and I can honestly say it was the most magical day ever , from me and my partner first walking in to discuss venue to the actual wedding day Marton was amazing nothing was too much trouble and any worries I had he reassured me. The staff members at the lakeside where amazing and made every single guest feel like they was the only guest. As soon as we walked in we had drinks and canopies then whilst we had the photos Marton and his staff looked after the guests making sure everybody was happy I can't thank the staff at lakeside enough for how perfect my day went the food was amazing for the sit down meal and the evening food was amazing if I could give them more stars I would not just the people that run it but ponderosa itself aswell its a perfect venue for wedding or any celebration and I will definitely be booking for any future events we have thankyou guys again from the bottom of our hearts you made fairytale a reality ❤️❤️xx

Lovely place I strong recommend to visit

Great place for wedding parties

A very nice relaxing venue set in a beautiful spot and the buffet food is outstanding 👍

Went for Sunday carvery with our little one and won't go again. Very poor variety of choices when comes to vegs and add ons , can't put these on plates yourself , guys who were serving absolutely confused with simply task to put on the plate meat customers asking for ... Beautiful place thou so it is a Shame. They di weddings and conferences thou so maybe just shouldn't trying to make extra money on sth they don't know how to do 🤷

Carvery is fabulous after walking round the zoo brilliant, staff great. Been numerous times will definitely be going again.

What a fabulous venue for my daughters wedding. The room was dressed superbly by Marton and the dedicated team, they really couldn’t have done more than they did, fantastic. The food/menu we selected was delicious and all cooked and presented perfectly. The surrounding picturesque setting was ideal for the photos. Would highly recommend.

We went to Ponderosa Zoo today, while there we got hungry so we decided to step in to the Lakeside restaurant. First impression when we got in was quite good, until one of the staff members came. The man was pretty arrogant and we've been told that he would not have a table for 4 adults and 3 small children for at least another hour. We asked if can we eat outside as there was plenty of tables and none of them was occupied. We've been told that they don't serve food outside. Ok fair enough, we booked a table for an hour later and we went back then. The staff, again, was arrogant and disorganised. I had impression they don't know what to do. After we sat down we were waiting for 10 minutes to order drinks. Then when we ordered drinks ( water and three glasses of coke) we were waiting for at least another 15 minutes to get them. Finally, we got the bill. We asked a young girl if they've split the bill like we asked, she said we need to use our own calculator to work it out. It never happened to me in any other restaurants. NEVER. After what we were told and how shocked we were we worked it out, paid the bill and we all said we won't go back there ever again. When we got outside we were shocked again as people just sat outside having lunches OUTSIDE where they apparently are not serving food. I wouldn't recommend going there to anyone.

Great carvery for a Sunday lunch.recommended.

Nice Sunday outing at pondersea finished off with a lovely carvery and pint beside the lakeside 🍴🍻👌

Great place to have Sunday dinner. Food great, staff wonderful. Give it a try. You won't regret it.

A good value family venue, food is plentiful and of good quality. Has facilities for young and old. Gardens and small zoo to stroll around.

What an amazing little find. Can not believe we have only just found this place. We had such an awful experience at our local resturant the previous night ( which we will never return to). Today we could have been made to feel more welcome by the team here. We have a one half and 2 and half year old. We where made to feel so welcome, so relaxing, (which is so difficult with two toddlers) on top of the really great service which can honestly say every team member delivered, the food was absolutely fantastic all fresh, served by welcoming friendly chef. Then the cherry on the cake for my husband had to be the price. We had 2 starters at our local before we left and this cost the same price and we where all happy and full. You need to visit. One best days we’ve ever had out as a family. We will be back.

Carvery was disappointing. Food wasn't hot enough, carrots/some of the brocalli were undercooked. Beef was chewy. Gravy very salty and could have stood a spoon up in it. Was under the impression pensioners paid a reduced price?

A lovely place and the staff were really friendly and helpful. The food was really nice and brought a sad day to a lovely end thank you.

A little slow to take our drinks order which left us a little underwhelmed and optimistic on wether we should stay or not. But the food was awesome, pricing very reasonable and the service afterwards was lovely. Thanks!

Quiet a decent carvery, nice surroundings . Friendly staff. Veg nice and fresh and Yorkshire pudding good. Chap serving meat was a bit miserable and tight with the portions.

Xmas day second sitting felt like leftovers from first sitting red cabbage soggy carrots sitting in water sprouts not cooked enough roost potato s pigs in blankets one of each should have been extras on table no roast parsnips poor do for 60 paunds each

Very nice food good service

A beautiful environment and friendly staff

Good quality carvery . Friendly staff. Great location

Fantastic place for events and family gatherings.Food fresh and staff really friendly.Well done ponderosa.

Work Christmas party and the food was really well prepared considering how many were in attendance!

Ponderosa was great not didn't go to the restaurant cafe thingy

A well organised wedding and reception. A great place with an animal farm next door.

Fantastic place and in such a wonderful setting

Soecislnplace gir children and families..weddings ..party s 🎉❤🦔👍🐾🐾

Lovely food and a nice building to eat its reasonably priced with nice staff I definitely going again

Fabulous carvery today. One pf the best I've ever had. Lovely waitress and gin and tonics a fair price too

Lovely cooked meal. Ordered lasagne it was delicious. Daughter ordered fish and chips and granddaughter had chicken nuggets, chips and beans. Meals were not overpriced. Definitely will go again

great for the kids and adults space to run around and see animals.

I have been there a few times and it still a great place to visit and enjoy the atmosphere

A crackin place for all the family

Food was ok and staff were friendly

Food lovely and the staff are very good - very attentive towards the kids. Perfect family day at Ponderosa with great food to boot.

Visiting the zoo, and called in for lunch, was carvery, (sunday) very well priced, lovely food and good service. Would go again

Great Fish & Chips and friendly helpful staff, but really disappointed that all the tables had crumbs on and it felt grubby.

Had our wedding there.....excellent service and organisers

Every thing great food service staff

Brilliant venue! Management and staff always very helpful and friendly too.

A little expensive for the quality. Service good, and the food came quickly. Took a little bit of advantage of sole provider of sustinance.

Visited on a Thursday lunchtime during the school holidays. Although the Ponderosa Zoo was busy, the Lakeside Restaurant was fairly quiet. The restaurant is spacious and has a bar with comfortable seating. The kids menu was restricted to items such as chicken nuggets, mini fish and chips and a couple of pasta dishes for £4.95. No drink was included and no puddings were available on the menu. We had jacket potatoes with tuna from the main menu which were ok but expensive when compared to other similar restaurants. Would not visit again. A picnic would seem to be the best choice when visiting the zoo.

Lakeside restaurant was closed and alternative food at cafes very poor I opted for a chicken pie at the giraffe hut which was microwaved the temperature of the pie was warm on the outside and cold in the middle staff need extra training especially in food hygiene so 1 stars

Nice food and reasonably priced the outdoor seating area is lovely over looking the lake will definatley return and recommend

Lovely place to take kids for a day out ,expensive cafe though so take a packed lunch with you as food at the cafe wasn't nice & was very expensive

Restaurant was not open closed for a wedding but didn't know this before we got there but the rest of the park was open it was great for the kids

Posh. Friendly assistant managers. Helpful. Conversational.

Pleasant surroundings and service.

Fantastic food, staff and venue We have just come back from a lovely Sunday Carvery at the Lakeside Restaurant, celebrating a birthday and fathers' day. From the very friendly welcome from the manager through to the attentive staff and chefs, you can't fault the service. We have visited a number of times before but the food and set up was particularly good today. It's perfect if you have children too as you can make it into a day visit by going around Ponderosa, seeing all the animals and playing in the parks. It also has an indoor play area in case the weather isn't great. It's a perfect place for a family day out, particularly if you want to combine it with an excellent carvery on a Sunday. The restaurant can also host functions and weddings and with the gardens and lake area, it really is a lovely setting for a special occasion.

Really nice place for a drink and a small bit to eat.

Loads to choose from. All in one place.

Lovely wedding venue plenty of outdoor space and parking . Drinks a little bit expensive .

Ponderosa farm is a good place to take the kids plenty of animals to see with plenty of information about the animals as well. There are three different play areas for the children and a indoor play gym also. There is a restaurant here personally I think the food is mediocre and a little overpriced but they have a little cafe and a food hut within the grounds I think the cafe is best priced. It cost £21 for a family of four and there is plenty of free parking

Very good meal n ideal grounds for taking family photos afterwards. Ideal for my 70th Birthday wiv family varying ages of 9 months to 95 yrs old! !Everyone enjoyed meal surroundings n good service.Thankyou made my birthday.

Excellent Sunday carvery - delicious food and good atmosphere. Lovely setting beside the lake.

Nice place for a family day out

Fabulous Sunday lunch. Staff very friendly.

Amazing experience. Good for young kids

Excellent night at lakeside for the Motown evening x

Są fajne zwierzęta jest duży plac zabaw dla dzieci i piracki statek

Very good value for money and very good food too.

It's OK. The restaurant has nice surroundings but the food is as basic and bland as it gets. Fish was still frozen raw in the middle.

Just been for Sunday lunch for mothers day had lovely afternoon food great will go again

Sunday carvery all home cooked including the Yorkshire puddings & even lamb on offer for only £9. Excellent value for money & worthy of a visit. Staff & chefs couldn't be more pleasant.

Just had the most fantastic afternoon at Lakeside Restaurant the carvery was excellent. Peter and his staff could not have done anymore to make our afternoon better. Thank you so much there were 10 adults and 6 children we all had a great time.

Went today with grandparents and 17 month old daughter. First arriving the staff were friendly, however I asked for a highchair and asked for a cloth and spray as it had old dried food on. We all had hand battered fish and chips with beans, my daughter having the child's version. When it arrived, I went to cut up my daughters to see an actual FLY on her fish, I think it touched the fish after it was cooked as the fly wasnt actually in the batter but dead on top. We were given just an apology and fresh meal, however that was it, no complimentary drinks/dessert of such nor offered a refund. On the walk out I realised there were bits of food allover the restaurant, there were 2 active servers just doing small jobs like putting ketchup on a table, there were hardly many people. Went to see animals and insects, not eat the insects!! My overall experience was ok but won't recommend or go again, food should be thoroughly checked before serving and atleast clean the basics.

14 of went there this afternoon for my Birthday The food was 1st class The staff were very welcoming and friendly will definitely be going back again. Will be recommending Ponderosa to all my Family and friends x

Great Christmas dinner...and the barman Liam was exalant.

It was my husbands 60th birthday party there last night and it was fantastic, with many thanks to manager Peter and his lovely staff who were so helpful, nothing was too much trouble and they were all so pleasant. Thank you guys

Love this place we have been to quite a few party's and never had an issue