Tired of the high priced, overrated restaurants in Naples, Florida? Check out The Lake Park Diner, which offers great food at reasonable prices in an enjoyable setting. It’s a gem.
Pedro and I were spending 5 days in Naples, Florida, visiting friends from up north who wanted to escape the winter blues. In addition to the excitement of seeing our good friends, we were curious about Naples itself because it was our first time there.
Indeed, Naples lives up to its reputation of being a beautiful, somewhat exclusive enclave of snowbirds basking in Florida’s sunshine and gorgeous scenery. Lovely, well-manicured and a bit bland, Naples has a lot to offer a long weekender – magnificent beaches, a beautiful downtown with lots of independent shops, plenty of parks and nature preserves, and tons of restaurants. Unfortunately, most of the restaurants we went to were pricey. Our mission: find a restaurant with great food and a fun atmosphere that doesn’t break the bank. Not easy to do in Naples.
On our second night, we were driving back to our hotel when I spotted out of the corner of my eye a curious looking structure with large letters on its front – “The Lake Park Diner”. Because of this place’s uniqueness and the fact that we love a good diner, I yelled out to Pedro, “Stop and turn around. We have to check this place out.”
I am pleased to say that my instincts were spot on. The Lake Park Diner turned out to be our favorite place to eat in Naples. In fact, we liked it so much, that we ate there twice. And, we wish it would be franchised so there would be one near us.
A Fantastic Concept
The Lake Park Diner prepares fresh, innovative, delicious, healthy food in a relaxed, smart setting, all at reasonable prices. (That’s a lot of adjectives but each one is well-deserved.) The creators of the Lake Park Diner consider it to be the future of casual dining. We hope it is! It focuses on quality and sustainable products, pitting customers’ health and the environment first. As the website states, “We believe that when you grab a quick bite to eat, you shouldn’t have to feel guilty about it afterwards.” It doesn’t believe in the use of steroids, antibiotics, hormones or GMOs in any of its food. Moreover, it sources the best, most sustainable and organic products when possible to meet the standard for its menu.
As with so many new establishments, Lake Park is counter service. You order and pay at the window, grab a table and wait for the food to be delivered by one of Lake Park’s enthusiastic servers. It is informal dining at its best – – well thought-out, efficient and very pleasant.
A Menu with Something for Everyone
The Lake Park Diner’s menu features a wide-variety of outstanding, interesting items. The menu is extensive but essentially it’s comprised of: Small Plates – lettuce wraps, buffalo cauliflower, deviled eggs, crispy brussels, chicken soup; Salads and bowls -Thai noodle, 4-grain, Caesar salad, brussels/pomegranate, taco, mediterranean, kung pao beet bowl; Organic Chicken – rotisserie or buttermilk fried; Sandwiches and Grass-Fed Burgers; and Main Entrees – miso salmon, steak and frites.
There are tons of delicious sides and a kid’s menu too. Desserts feature a butter cake and a variety of ice cream sundaes and shakes. In addition, there is a wide-ranging Breakfast menu, but sadly, we did not have an opportunity to check it out.
There are so many great options on Lake Park’s menu that we had difficulty deciding what to order. I bet you will too.
Relaxed and Inviting, Lake Park is a Place You’ll Want to Hang
The first thing that hits you when you arrive at Lake Park is how much fun it looks. Bright, clean and very appealing, it features a large covered patio with tables in front of a wide building with huge windows. That’s where Lake Park’s kitchen and bar reside. It’s a real treat to see everything that goes on in the kitchen. On the side is another building, also with big open roll-up garage doors and tables. Hip and understated, Lake Park’s atmosphere feels festive, fun and fresh. Undoubtedly, you’ll want to hang out here for a while.
An Inventive Menu of Cocktails, Wine and Beer
As an informal dining experience, you would not expect The Lake Park Diner to have much in the way of spirits. However, its focus on drinks is terrific. This is definitely a place where you’d be comfortable hanging out and enjoying a few great cocktails.
Lake Park has a full bar with some really inventive drinks – think lots of crafted fruit purees, herbs and botanicals in interesting and surprising combinations. Even the classics have a twist. For instance, the Lake Park Mojito features rum, muddle mint, blueberry, cucumber, lime juice and club soda. Or take the Tropical Colada, Lake Park’s version of a piña colada, which combines rum, pineapple, turmeric syrup, coconut cream, and lime juice. Its wine selection is strong and it serves some great artisan beers.
Try a flavored Spiked Seltzer if you prefer a low-alcoholic beverage; these have become very popular in the last couple of years. And for those of you non-alcoholic drinkers, make sure to try the Infused Lemonade. You can add up to two additional fruit flavors of your choice to both of these drinks. There are a total of 18 flavors available such as pineapple, strawberry, passion fruit, peach, ginger and mint, to name a few. I tried the infused lemonade with mango – it was very refreshing and extremely tasty.
Consistently Delicious Food
We ate there two days in a row, bringing our friends and their friends with us. We sampled a lot of Lake Park’s offerings and everything was fresh and delicious. Its hamburgers were huge, juicy and flavorful. The salads were fresh, well balanced, nuanced, and filling. The main courses (salmon, chicken) were perfectly cooked, crispy on the outside, juicy on the inside, and well-seasoned. I especially liked the variety of sides – perfectly cooked French fries, crispy brussel sprouts, turmeric roasted cauliflower, truffled parmesan shoestring. The grain bowls, featuring a variety of savory grains with vegetables and a protein, were delicious and substantial. Likewise, the ice-cream sundaes and milkshakes were enormous and well crafted.
My only recommendation would be to add a few more non-ice-cream desserts – a cake, a pie, a pudding. Knowing Lake Park’s attention to detail and excellence, I’m certain that it would add some extraordinary desserts. (I’d love to go there later in the evening for dessert.) In all, there was not a dud in the mix.
Not Your Standard Diner . . .
There is so much to like about The Lake Park Diner that I could go on and on raving about it. It seems so new, innovative and relaxed that you’ll feel good being there. (You’ll feel even better when you see the bill because its prices are reasonable.) The extensive and imaginative menu has something for all discernible taste buds. And don’t let the word “diner” throw you off; its food and beverages are consistently first-rate.
This experience brings me to the following question – is Lake Park really a diner? Well, certainly not the kind of diner I ate at as a kid in New Jersey. Let’s call this a diner for the 21st Century. Regardless of how you classify it, The Lake Park Diner is a place you’ll want to go back to over and over again, just as we did. It offers delectable food at great value. Now that’s a lake you will definitely want to jump into. It is that good.
Location and Hours
Monday-Thursday 11am-9pm
Friday 11am-10pm
Saturday 9:30am-10pm
Sunday 9:30am-9pm
The Lake Park Diner
Summary
Fresh, innovative, delicious, healthy food in a relaxed, smart setting, all at reasonable prices.
