The Pondy Restaurant and Bar

Good food. Great service. Nice view of the river.

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 5

Service: 5

Nice peaceful place along the lake. Place is large enough to host a whole wedding party and band.

Parking: Lots of parking.

Kid-friendliness: Plenty of room for whole family and larger groups.

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 5

Service: 5

Recommended dishes: Pondy Burger and Fries

Worst experience trying to get sevice.. then the owner tried to fight me when I was talking to my friend about the poor service. There was 12 of us and I don't think any of us will be coming back.

Atmosphere: 1

Food: 1

Service: 1

This place is a hidden gem! Delicious mouthwatering food, fast drinks and service with a smile. What more could you ask for? We've been here 3 times in the last year (worth the drive from our house) and have had the sticky chicken sandwich, prime rib and filet mignon. All were to die for! You have to try their homemade guacamole and chips! You can really tell the owner takes pride in the food that they make. Also, they support the local community by hosting the ski shows there. How cool is that?!

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 5

Service: 5

Dietary restrictions: Yes

Parking: There’s wheelchair access

Kid-friendliness: Children’s places to play, video games, user friendly

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 5

Service: 5

Recommended dishes: Burger, Lambchop

"We stopped for dinner, and it was understandably busy. After waiting for 45 minutes for our food (drinks that literally never came), we politely asked the owner, who was behind the bar, if she could check on our food.

Me: "Excuse me" (very politely)
Her: "WHAT?" (Extremely rude)
Me: "Could you please check on our order?"

After her rude "What??" as if we were a burden, she did not even say anything but just walked off. I might add, the first time my friend asked her "excuse me," she turned and looked directly at him, said nothing (she’s literally at the rail 2 feet from us), and walked off.

Finally, our food came out. It was one of the saddest cheeseburgers I’ve ever seen—a small portion of fries. Honestly, I could normally care less; I just wanted my food, but when it came out, I was shocked.

The way the owner treated us—I thought she was presenting us with a gourmet meal—was just going to shut me up with that. Instead, I was given a plate of carnival-quality food. Never got drinks either…

Nevertheless, she came up and helped her staff several times directly in front of us and never said a word. I'm flabbergasted that any owner would treat any customer like this, but after talking to a couple of locals, apparently, this is her regular attitude, and it is normal, and apparently, the reason why they can't keep staff.

With that said, I would never come back or recommend this place to anyone. It was a complete waste of money. The food was terrible, and the customer service was utterly awful."

Update to owners response: I'm delighted with your response. It truly captures the essence of my review, detailing a dreadful experience with the owner. Your reply not only disregarded all the feedback but also openly showcased a significant level of arrogance, defended extremely poor customer service, and ignorantly exhibited it for the public to witness. Best wishes with your business endeavors. As a local on the lake, I'll be sure to spread the word to review your thoughtless response.

Atmosphere: 1

Food: 1

Service: 1

Party of 8 early Friday. Waited 2 hours and never got our dinners. We were leaving when single order came out with salad following. Orders came out one at a time and we're unidentified. Others never came out. Owner sat at the bar drinking and would not engage. Said short staffed etc but never informed customers. Wife of power told me to get out she was "calling the cops"? Rude arrogant will never go back!

Can't beat the view from the bar! It is a really laid back atmosphere with top notch food. The sticky chicken is always a favorite, but I also love the salads (you MUST try the dressing on the steak salad) and the specials are great - you can often get seafood or lamb chops on special, and the rice bowl is probably my favorite special.
My family loves it!

Recommended dishes: Sticky Chicken Sandwich

The Pondy has quickly become one of our favorite lake restaurants! The owners go out of their way to get to know their customers, always have fun events/live music planned and fantastic meal special's! We love supporting local families who treat their customers like family. We highly recommend The Pondy!

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 5

Service: 5

Love going to the Pondy on the lake! All the staff is so nice and they have great food! It's fun place to go while your out on the lake and they have a great outdoor area and view of the lake.

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 5

Service: 5

Recommended dishes: Sticky Chicken Sandwich, The Pondy Burger, Cheese Curds, Chicken Fingers, Filet Mignon Dinner, Pondy Burger and Fries, Prime Rib Sandwich, Batter Fried Shrimp Basket, Lamb Chop Special, Blackened Ribeye

If you haven't been here yet . . . what are you waiting for?

Every single meal I've ever had at The Pondy over the last 6+ years has been amazing, going above and beyond my expectations. From their freshly made chips and guac to their Sweet Chili Meatloaf Sandwich, trust me when I say they can take an ordinary dish and turn it into EXTRAordinary.

Whether you come for the food, the entertainment (live music every Friday night over the summer, a fantastic FREE 4th of July Fireworks display, Karaoke on New Years Eve, Farewell To Winter Fest and more), or the cold drinks, the entire staff will have you feeling like friends and family before you leave.

Thank you Steve, Devra, Lexi, Riley, Gaborik and ALL of the staff for all of your hard work, long hours, and hot shifts in the kitchen! It does not go unnoticed, and is so appreciated! ???????

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 5

Service: 5

Last night at The Pondy was absolutely fantastic! The service was exceptional, the staff really goes above and beyond. The food is always flawless, you simply have to try the Lamb Chops. And let's not forget the unbeatable atmosphere on Lake Zumbro.

As the owner of 2 restaurants in Rochester, I can confidently say that when I want a top-notch meal with impeccable service and the best atmosphere around, I go to The Pondy.

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 5

Service: 5

So went here with a big group on mothers day. Members of the family said this place was good but my experience was not the greatest. The food was not really good. Over cooked food really salty and took forever to get. They had one waitress for the entire place. Never got refills or checked up on. And I'm sure I'm going to get some excuse for only one waitress but you know what it was mothers day and they knew they were going to be busys! My daughters ordered shrimp and fries and their food came out 20 mins after my food did. Not good service. I hope they read this review and try to do better in busy situations. One waitress is not going to cut it. And I've read similar reviews about the service as well. Please do better. ( I originally gave this place 2 stars because there cheesecake is wonderful but I just found out they are from sams club and they are 17 dollars for 8. This place charges 5 bucks for one!! Now they get 1 star!! )

Atmosphere: 1

Food: 1

Service: 1

we had dinner here, food & service was great!!

We decided to go out to dinner on a Friday night, was expecting bar food (which is also available, our son had a burger and fries), but was pleasantly surprised when our surf and turf turned out to be supper club quality! Absolutely fantastic! The servers were very attentive and made sure we had everything we needed. Great atmosphere and can’t wait to return. We’re really looking forward to bringing the boat this summer!

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 5

Service: 5

Recommended dishes: Cheeseburger, Filet Mignon Dinner, Batter Fried Shrimp Basket