Topwater Grill in Santee serves California grilled cuisine from a 4,000-square-foot dining deck overlooking Lake 4 inside the 190-acre Santee Lakes Recreation Preserve on Fanita Parkway. Operated by Pacific Dining Group — a San Mateo-based hospitality firm running 28 locations statewide — the kitchen builds a Santee Steak Sandwich with caramelized onions, horseradish cream, and baby arugula on ciabatta, alongside a Chicken Caprese with pesto, balsamic glaze, and fresh mozzarella, sourcing grab-and-go staples through the adjacent Santee Lakes General Store at the same Fanita Parkway address. Local craft breweries rotate on tap next to a wine-by-the-glass program, matching the lakeside setting where seven recycled-water lakes draw over 670,000 visitors per year for fishing, camping, and paddleboarding. Açaí bowls and salmon plates anchor the lighter side of the menu for the morning crowd that transitions from the preserve's walking trails into the Carlton Hills coffee scene at Kaffee Meister on Carlton Hills Boulevard. A validated-parking program applies the vehicle entry fee toward a minimum food-and-beverage purchase of $20.