Lighthouse Inn Restaurant

My wife and I were out tonight and had a great meal. The food is wonderful. Cooked like I ordered.
I normally have the ribs. But tonight I had steak.
The staff is excellent from the young pretty hostess Amanda who always has a smile on her face to the waiter Ty, who made sure we had full drinks and was friendly to talk to.
The dessert is the freshest in town. I think they are truly homemade because they are truly the best. I will be back soon.

We had dinner there last Friday, had not been to the restaurant in 4 yrs or so. not because of a bad experience, but is a bit out of our way.
We will be there a lot more often. our food was OUTSTANDING and the service was super. Prime Rib, Tender, flavorful. Crispy hashbrowns with onions and cheese.yum. All 4 of us thought it was a special meal. one of the best I have had in CR in a long time!

One steak was great at our table, the other not so much but they tried by remaking it.

We enjoyed everything from the minute we arrived. Very friendly hostess, waiter, and waitress. Steaks were fabulous. Broasted chicken awesome.
Ribs to die for. Prime rib a little fatty.
Coffee was delicious. If you go away hungry it’s not the supper clubs fault.
Refills on drinks kept coming.
Will be back on Valentines day.

The reason for the 3 stars is because they have no vegetables! The sides are all potato based. The service and food was always good, but we stopped going there because of no veggie options.

Love their fall off the bone ribs and garlic mashed potatoes. The wife loves their Alfredo. And the margaritas are good as well.

My fiancée and I decided to give the Lighthouse Supper Club a try. We went on a Thursday evening. Business was pretty good for mid-​week. The inside décor and atmosphere is difficult to describe. A bit stuffy and formal, somewhat dark in lighting and colors. Old memorabilia here and there. Some will like the vintage atmosphere while others would say the club is in need of a makeover. We got the appetizer platter with fried cauliflower, onion rings, and mushrooms. A pretty decent start and a lot of food to split. I opted for the fried walleye fillet while my fiancée went with the sautéed scallops on rice. The batter on the walleye was somewhat chewey. I think it would have been better if rolled in seasoned breadcrumbs instead of battered. The scallops were nothing special and not a bargain at nearly $ 20 for 5. Service was a bit slow although very professional. Overall, we were a bit disappointed at our experience but not to the point where we would not try it again.

We’ve been here a few times in the past, most recently about a week ago to celebrate a birthday. Off the beaten path would be an understatement, as it is on a mostly empty stretch of Mt. Vernon Road on the outskirts of town. It’s not the type of place that you would happen to find yourself driving past and say, «hey, let’s grab some ribs.» No, you’d have to make a conscious effort to make your way here.
It’s definitely an old-​school supper club, though I’m not sure what makes it a «club». There are definitely regulars at this place though, and each time we go the clientele seems to be just a little older. The restaurant itself also feels very old and dated. This is not necessarily a criticism, as it does feel like you’ve taken a step back in time when you walk under the disco ball outside and step into the dark restaurant. The floorboards, however, seemed very loose and every time someone walked past you could feel the floor moving beneath your chair.
One of their specialities is the BBQ rib meal. They do an excellent job with this, as the meat really does just fall off the bone. I’ve had their prime rib in the past, and while it doesn’t rank up there with my all-​time favorites, it’s a commendable effort. The seafood (which others in my family had this evening) was a little uninspired but still good. I’m a sucker for fried appetizers, and with the Unilocal check-​in special we got a platter of fried mushrooms, cauliflower (my favorite), and onion rings (disappointing, unfortunately).
What I liked best about this place, however, was the relaxed tempo of the meal. Too many restaurants are eager to take your order right away, clear your appetizers immediately, and bring out the entrée before you’ve had a chance to really start enjoying your meal. Here, they allow you plenty of time to consider the menu and to enjoy your appetizers or soup. After they’ve cleared the table, it can be several minutes still before your main dish appears. Dinner should never be rushed, and at the Lighthouse Inn that certainly won’t be the case.
Service was friendly; the manager stopped by our table to make sure we were happy. We enjoyed our meal and will likely come back on a future visit to this area.

Part of me wishes that I had been born in the time of supper clubs. The idea of dressing up and going out for a night on the town, complete with a drink, dinner and entertainment sounds amazing. I like to think that the Lighthouse would have been one of those places that a great time could be had. Unfortunately, the experience we had at the Lighthouse could only be described as entertaining. But not in the way they had intended.
So we have been meaning to go here for years. It is one of those places that every time you drive by you think, «I should go there». We finally did.
I was a little worried that my black jeans might not be dressy enough. The old guy in gym shorts calmed my fears.
From the moment you walk into the restaurant you can see that great attention has been paid to making sure that every piece of décor has been painstakingly purchased to go with the theme. Who knew that they made so much crap with a nautical theme. I really loved the stuffed seagulls hanging in the bar and the large copper pot turned into a table. The plexi-​glass revels the ocean bottom scene. The remainder of the restaurant is outfitted in what must only be early American supper club.
The restrooms are clean and the chairs would make a nice place to sit and have a conversation, if that’s what you want to do when you go to the bathroom. Watch out when you go into the stalls. If you are over 6 foot you may be ducking. Ceilings are low.
The menu isn’t overly large. We had thought about an appetizer, but $ 10 for onion rings seemed excessive. We looked over the wine menu and were not impressed with the selection or the price. Many of what are $ 10 bottles were priced at $ 35. Had we brought our own it was a $ 12 corkage fee.
We both decided to go with the ribeye dinner. Dinners came with choice of soup or salad and choice of potato. Want to share that entrée? Six bucks for sharing.
Our server mentioned that it would be an upcharge for the blue cheese dressing, since it was homemade. Had I known it was a $ 2 increase I would have went with a different dressing. $ 2? really. It wasn’t good enough to warrant an increase.
So we got our salads. Nothing special there. A typical salad mix with some darker greens tossed in. Had I known that my blue cheese was that «amazingly pricey» I would have been more in awe. There was a big chunk of blue in it, but there was no sign of any blue veining.
The steaks came out with the potatoes and we cut into them. I was immediately struck by the thinness of the meat and the almost complete lack of fat on it; no marbling at all. The first cut indicated that this steak was over cooked. A medium rare it was not. Husband’s wasn’t much better. Over cooked on one side and undercooked on the other. The server came over and took them back.
So they came out again, this time closer to the correct cook. We decided we would not say another word about them. The poor potatoes were the same ones as had been originally on the plate and were somewhat cool.
We did not go with dessert.
Service was fine and our server did a nice job. The woman walking around with the water pitcher was not going to let us dehydrate. I never got a chance to empty the glass.
So I’ve mentioned the drinks and the dinner. Supper clubs should have entertainment. They did, but I don’t think we were viewing it in the same light.
The bar portion had a piano player who was singing. Remember that character that Bill Murray played on SNL, had the cheesy lounge act? We saw it live. He was playing what sounded for all the world like a Casio keyboard with sound effects and singing elevator song versions of songs that were big in the 1970’s. It was laughable because his phrasing was so overboard. After the meal we went in to see what the lounge looked like and I fully expected him to be wearing a crushed velvet tuxedo.
The couple in the booth across from us had the same thoughts and we bonded over joking what song he would ruin next. You haven’t lived until you hear Credence Clearwater Revival’s «Down on the Corner» sung by this guy!
We did also have a floor show. The older couple behind us (70’s?) were very animated, at least she was as she told her husband everything that he didn’t remember. My favorite line was «I don’t think that in the 24 years we’ve been married you ever loved me.» or «Remember when we made love the first time?»
I don’t know which act was the most entertaining. I do know that several times I had to shush my husband from laughing so loud and one time he almost spit out his water. Again, the couple across the way were also enjoying this. It almost seemed surreal; like I had stumbled into a SNL skit or was being filmed in a segment of «What Would You Do?».
I won’t lie to you. I finally get there after 25 years and it might be 25 more before I go back. But as Ed F said in his review, if they don’t take it up a couple of notches they are going to be lost when the old folks die off.

Looking for something different my wife and I decided to give the Lighthouse a try. We were not exactly expecting Fine Dining, but more of a supper club atmosphere. This restaurant has been around for some time and it shows. The décor, seating, carpet, walls etc are all showing their age. We were there on a Friday night and the place was roughly 50% full, even with such a low turnout (especially in CR on a Friday) the service was very lack luster. We were routinely left waiting for drink refills and the bread before the meal was stale. The live music in the attached bar area (Josie’s Dive) spills over into the dining room quite heavily making conversation a chore at times. My wife ordered a steak, generally a pretty safe bet at a supper club, however she had to send it back as it came out under cooked the first time… which is odd after waiting over 30 minutes. The steak was not high quality meat in any sense of the word and was more akin to what you would find labeled as steak at an all night diner. I ordered the fish and chips and was surprised to see it actually came with potato/​kettle chips instead of french fries or even more traditional english chips. The fish was disappointing at best, there was more breading than fish, and the breading was so hard and crunchy it was difficult to eat. Some of this could be forgiven if the menu items were not priced for fine dining. We will not be back.

Nice quite place to go. The ribs are probably some of the best you can get around these parts. Has even some history with al Capone. If your looking for something different then the same old thing and same old atmosphere go check it out. Your taste buds won’t be disappointed

I love the tradition and history of these old landmark restaurants. The nautical lighthouse décor is classic Americana. They even tell a great story in the menu about its prohibition days as a rural Inn (built in 1912) on the Lincoln Highway and would attract mobsters from Chicago to hang out until the «heat» was off. I presume not much has changed in the last 40 years or so including the menu which caters to its aging clientele.
We hadn’t been here in years when we stopped with friends on Saturday night. They had a nice jazz band playing in the bar. I liked the bar stools around the piano for some upfront and personal entertainment. There’s a nice aquarium in the main dining room, the alcove room for small more intimate parties and another dining area in the back. The Lighthouse is known for their ribs but I didn’t order them on this visit because I feel there’s a lot more than good BBQ than «fall-​off the bone» tenderness. If that’s all you want then you can make them in your crockpot at home. I opted for the walleye which tasted fairly fresh, just not seasoned. My wife loved her bacon wrapped filet and it was cooked just right. They had a busy night and had run out of a few things like baked potatoes. Mine came late, was slightly undercooked and steaming hot like it just came out of the nuker. Our young server was good and had a great personality.
I would agree with the other posters that the menu needs updating with a few chef inspired entrees that have a little kick to them. I would love to see these old supper club like restaurants survive but I fear if they don’t change to accommodate the expectations of the younger generations, they will go the way of the buggy whip manufacturers when the current crop of 80– and 70-​year-​olds die off.

This place is pretty good, not the most modern or sophisticated place but a nice place to take your family and have a good meal. I have only come here once but I had a perfectly pleasant experience. As far as restaurants go in CR, this place is one of the better ones as my in-​laws tell me.
Dinner started off with basil bread served with olive oil and parmesan cheese. Followed by your choice of soup or salad. If you choose salad, go for the homemade bleu cheese dressing. I had scallops for dinner which were slightly crispy and reasonably fresh. One of their specialties are ribs which come falling off the bone and heavily sauced. Pretty good but definitely a heavier entrée. As for the sides, the sweet potato fries are recommended. I was dying to try the twice baked potato but I passed that up for a normal baked potato. I regret that now.
We didn’t even attempt dessert because we were so full. Gotta love a restaurant that has a neon sign outside that says «Immediate Seating» which never turns off.

So much potential. So little in return.
Atmosphere: Good. This part does live up to its reputation. The history is cool.
Food: Decent. Nothing spectacular, nothing horrible. Have had the ribs, which were good, and a couple other dishes.
Prices: High-​ish, but not outrageous. But, what they lack in high prices, they make up for in absurdity. For example, they charge extra for extra butter. It’s even on the menu!!! Seriously? If it’s really that important to you, add 5c to everything on the menu and let me feel appreciated when you honor my request for more butter and let me at least think you aren’t nickle-​and-​diming me to death.
Service: Only been twice, first was adequate, second time was atrocious. We got their an hour-​and-​a-​half prior to closing, there were only a handful of customers, and we were treated as if we were imposing and bothering them. Our waiter even told us he wanted to leave early.

I had never heard of a «supper club» before but apparently they are popular in the midwest and also is how hubby characterized the Lighthouse. In fact, am still adjusting to using the word «supper» for dinner, and «dinner» for lunch. I don’t think I will ever be able to make the transition.
Other than our waitress and a busboy, we were the youngest in there by at least 30 years. They even set us apart from everyone else in an empty room to even further emphasize how out of place we were. It was very funny so hubby and I ended up laughing most of the dinner, making it one of the more fun date nights we have had. Food was absolutely mediocre, very bland with overcooked meat, perfect for what seems to be the typical «supper club» crowd.
Our waitress was fantastic though. Super nice and she even gave us a run down on the interesting history of the Lighthouse Inn and Restaurant. Mobsters used to frequent it and also ladies of ill repute. Awesome — I love places with history. I just wish the food was better.

Fabulous food, fantastic atmosphere!
Yup must try the Fillo Wrap Asparagus!!!

I was first introduced to this location almost six years ago now and every time since then, when I have come back to Cedar Rapids, I have to go and visit. This past Friday night was no exception. The baby back ribs are to «die for» and are one of the items that I have had multiple times. The service and staff are always great and all are friendly. The other reason I go is for the Jazz Group that plays on Friday and Saturday nights. Being a person who loves lighthouses, the name here initially intrigued me and when I saw the light in the middle of what seemed like a corn field at first, I was impressed. I will be back as many times as I can!

Easily one of my favorite places to relax and have a drink. Great atmosphere, friendly workers, good selection, reasonable prices.
I’ll be honest, I’ve never actually had any of the actual dinners, but I’ve had almost every appetizer on the menu, and there’s nothing better to wash down a refreshing brew. Close friends, whose opinion I trust, speak highly of the dinners, however.
Add in the live Jazz on Fridays and Saturdays, and you’ve got one hell of a way to spend an evening.

One dinner here and I’m sold! The place comes with history. yes, Capone dined here. As did Dillinger. It’s got that authentic supper club, old school dining feel to it.
My future in-​laws took us to dinner and suggested the ribs… and I’m glad they did. They were fall off the bone fabulous! Seriously. I didn’t have to get my hands dirty at all. (Yeah, yeah I know, that’s half the fun of eating ribs) but not when you’re trying to make a good impression on the future parents, know what I mean? ;) The french onion soup was not the best I’ve ever had, but faaaar from being the worst (I’m a little bit of a french onion soup snob anyway). The bread was phenomenal and the garlic mashed potatoes were yum yum garlicky!
The wait staff are super friendly and very attentive. It was really nice to see that the owner is so involved in his restaurant. He made the rounds checking on customers and I ever caught him bussing a few tables. You don’t see that very often anymore.

Old fashion supper club. A real blast from the past. Large portions farely well prepared. No surprises. Garlic mashed potatoes and pasta Alfredo the only items that probably have been added in 20 years.
Barbequed ribs are very good and fall off the bone. Sauce unique and good, but not at all spicy if that is your preference.
The small loaf of basil bread that they serve with first course was not fresh and it was slightly sweet. I don’t like the combination of sweeter bread and herbs. They did offer olive oil dipping as well as butter. This would have been better with a bread that wasn’t sweetened.
Variety of live music is played in lounge on Friday evenings. It has been jazz when we have been there. We have enjoyed sitting there and listening after dinner.