Lakeside Grill is located off of Lake Hefner Parkway (State Highway 74) at the Britton Road exit. There is a cluster of restaurants along the lake shore, and all are known for being "noisy" (this is a code word signifying that they probably serve almost as much alcohol as food). Lakeside Grill has a bar, but I have not found it to contribute substantially to the noise level of the restaurant.

After several visits I finally made it when the weather was warm enough to check out the outdoor patio. As in other Oklahoma City restaurants, though, the patio has become the de facto smoking area for the restaurant since state law has all but eliminated indoor smoking. The views, though, are just as good from inside the restaurant if you want to avoid the smoke, as I do.

The dinner seafood entrées all come with a House Salad, and I think this is one of the best parts of the meal. The lettuce is fresh, and the dressings are made from scratch. I thought the Cajun style vinagrette dressing was flavorful and fresh, but others have been equally good.

Several soups and appetizers are available as well. Pearl's served a Seafood Gumbo that had a dark color, and was filled with so much rice, seafood, and other ingredients it was easier to eat with a fork than a spoon. I do not know if the gumbo now served is the same, but Maryland crab bisque is also available for a soup.

Several sandwiches are served, and they are not cheap but they are good quality. The Tuna Blackened Sandwich made a good casual meal for a moderate appetite.

At the original Pearl's I had Pecan Crusted Trout that was split open and filleted. The skin was left on the bottom to keep it moist, and the top was deep fried. The cooking method was called "light deep frying" because it was only fried for a short time, leaving the crust crispy but the fish moist as if it were baked. This dish was quite a unique and delicious experience. I do not want to leave the impression that the fish was top quality, because it did have to be flown in. The cooking style used at Pearl's, however, might well compete with some of the best fish houses in the country. I certainly thought the pecan crust was first rate, and the fish itself was fresh enough to be free of the telltale "fishy" taste found at so many restaurants.

After the change to Lakeside Grill I found the trout to be more greasy than before with the fish not being as flavorful. It still did not taste "fishy," though, so it was still a good dish. This was during the restaurant's transition period, though, and I suspect the trout is now improved along with an overall improvement I have seen in recent months.

Fried Shrimp has been the standout dinner I have tried, with a fresh shrimp and a good tasting crust. My standard for judging shrimp is based on trips to Galveston, Texas, and for years Oklahoma had nothing that approached the fresh catches found along the Gulf. These days, though, the shrimp is getting a lot closer to tasting fresh, and Lakeside Grill has some of the best.

In the past I have driven all over Washington, Oregon, and northern California trying to find good fish and chips (as well as sampling several places in London), so this gives an idea how picky I am about this dish. Of course the Pilsner Tempura'd Fish and Chips at Lakeside Grill did not compare with ones I have had in other places, but they were surprisingly good. I thought the tilapia was a good choice and the crust was good. Lakeside serves a house made tartar sauce, but my required malt vinegar is also available. I have had fish and chips in areas of the country where they supposedly know how to make them that were a lot worse than the ones here, so I suppose this is a pretty good recommendation for ones in Oklahoma.

Of course, most restaurants in Oklahoma are pretty expert at making french fries, so the "chips" part of the dish was quite good.

Even though salmon is my favorite fish, I am even more reluctant to try it outside of the Pacific Northwest than the fish and chips. It would be a mistake, though, to pass up the Cedar Plank Salmon at Lakeside Fish Grill. I try to be objective in writing these reviews, and my objective judgment is that shrimp is the best dish at this restaurant. Subjectively, though, I am such a big fan of salmon (when it is done right) that this has to be the standout dish at Lakeside Grill. The fish was cooked well, and the soy sesame seed glaze with wasabi that topped it was a plus (usually adding any kind of sauce to salmon is a letdown).

Many of the side dishes seemed to be the weakest link at Pearl's, but less so at Lakeside. The Hush Puppies at Pearl's were a bit greasy, and the Garlic Mashed Potatoes (New Orleans style) left such a strong aftertaste I could not help but think they had mistakenly been made with too much garlic. I liked the Squash Rockefeller, but it was not outstanding. The Texas Toast was pretty good. I am leaving all of these descriptions here because I do not know which of the side dishes served at Pearl's are still available at Lakeside Grill.