Magic Lamp Inn

Disappointed in this longstanding high-​end restaurant. For the prices quality of the food is good but not spectacular. The service is good and they’re attentive. The expensive brunch is okay, but darkly light and the omelet station was in some strange side hall that was hard to find. The desserts taste mass produced and premade. The cheesecake was half frozen. The tacky part is the new owner hangs out in the lounge by the fireplace poorly dressed in t-​shirts and shorts the last time I was there. He should be checking on service, food quality and satisfaction of his patrons if he wants better reviews. I wouldn’t waste my money again.
For a great Sunday brunch, which is hard to find in the IE, is Pine Haven café in Upland. Affordable and creative menu.

I’ve wanted to come and eat here for the longest time and finally I did. The people are super friendly, service was excellent, and my salad was fantastic! I’m so glad I decided to stop in for lunch.

The atmosphere is authentically reminiscent of the Rat Pack days. They seem to draw the retiree crowd, but mainly in the bar. I like to sit in the dining room near the big, old step-​down fire pit & imagine all the good times people in the past have enjoyed there. Their food is pretty good, but not outstanding. I like to go for the ambience, more so for the food. However, my 11-​yr-​old son adores lobster bisque & this is the closest place I know of that has it regularly on the menu. Some restaurants try to duplicate the old school steakhouse feel, but this place is the real deal & had a LOT of history.

Third time here and the same story. This time three empty stools at the bar they claimed were taken. A glass of water was put in front of the empty seats. The crowd was light.
I sat at a nearby table to get a drink and a menu. It too 15 minutes to get someone to take my order for a beer. Then it took another 10 minutes for anyone to return to take my order. I lost my appetite after the long weight.
I noticed 25 minutes went by and no one (like last two times) showed up to sit in the held empty seats at the bar they claimed people were sitting at. Coincidence? I think not. Check other cool local places in th area.

Went there to have a nice dinner with my bf. We ordered the steak and lobster dinner to split. The steak which was a filet mignon was really chewy and hard, and the veggies were soggy. When I let the manager know about the quality of the food she said she would give us a discount for the inconvenience, that really wasn’t the point. I just wanted to let them know that the quality of the food was poor. Anyway, they said they would get rid of the split charge, which we were never notified of and we still ended up paying over $ 70 on a horrible dinner. I’m not going back there. Sorry not sorry

If you’re 80, this place is the bomb… But for a party of 6 20 – 30 somethings, it was not amazing. We had mediocre drinks, scallop appetizers in gravy (don’t ask) and mediocre «special of the day» ribeye.
The service was adequate, although a tad on the grumpy side, imagine Dick’s Last Resort server on their first day.
I feel like it was one of those obligatory life things, like when the gays tell me «don’t knock it til you’ve tried it». Well dude, it wasn’t that great.

Had dinner at the bar this place was packed, bar service was great… meal was just ok had the Lobster Bisc way to salty and the Lobster was mushy message to the chefs ad your lobster at time of table service makes for a better dish… stake was ok mash Potatos to ferm too … vegetables over cooked ! Oh one more thing i was the youngest person in the bar at 47 and was asked to dance by a 80 + year old lady verry sweet ! Can i say Cougar Village! !!

Yes it is an older crowd. But this place is a piece of history. Old school waiters, not servers!, old school service. Yes there is a bit of a price tag with it. This is a nice place for a banquet. Warm atmosphere. Chateaubriand excellent.

We were sadly disappointed in this establishment. Being there since 1955 they seemed to have gotten stuck in a rut.
We had a large party and they sat us in a setting that seated eight, not comfortably to be sure. We were pretty much sitting on top of each other.
The servers constantly reached over to pour water and coffee, once actually bumped me in the head!
Onto to the less than spectacular meal:
Soup: Frozen French Onion Soup, very little croutons and onions, a whole lot of saltiness, almost as if the cooks were crying in the soup from being stuck in the kitchen since 1955.
Salad: A blast from the past, Iceberg lettuce a cherry tomato, some shredded carrots and choice of four dressings: House, Italian, 1000 Island, Blue Cheese. Best part the salad was practically swimming in the dressing.
Entrée: 8 oz Prime Rib, Cold fatty with more gristle than you could want.
Twice Baked Potato: Lukewarm, dry and starchy.
Yorskshire Pudding: Again cold and flavorless.
Vegetable Blend: Overcooked and cold.

The décor of the place was authentic and I liked the woodwork, especially the ceiling. This meal was for a couple of people’s birthdays and was mentioned in the reservations, but no one seemed to care or wish anyone Happy Birthday.
Our server also had an attitude and was short with us as we ordered. I am sorry that we came here and will not be back anytime soon.
Chef or the owner needs to contact Gordon Ramsey and update the menu, it is in some serious need of upgrading.
Tip to chef: No one had served Relish Plates as an appetizer since the Nixon era.
I do wish you the best and hope you will get with the times. There is a whole lot of new things that one can do with a steakhouse, please please get modern!
Good Luck!

We have recently moved to California. We live in Rancho Cucamonga and have seen the Magic Lantern many times in our business travels. My husband and I decided tonight we would finally stop in and enjoy a nice dinner.
We were almost immediately disappointed. We waited for someone to come and seat us. A waiter finally came.
We were seated and after a while our waiter showed up and complained about how busy he was and said «but don’t worry, I’ll get to you».
It was Sunday evening, 7:30ish. The place was not busy at all. In the room we were in there were 2 other tables.
The service was one of the worse we have ever experienced, and we dine out roughly 2+ times a week.
As far as the food goes, I had the beef stroganoff. It was okay. My husband had the White Fish with capers. The white Fish was dry and it seems like it would’ve came with a cream caper sauce.
He ordered a glass of white wine with his dinner and managed to finish his complete dinner before the waiter even came back to the table. He never asked how our dinner was or if we needed anything.
When he did show up he realized he forgot the wine and offered to comp it.
We graciously declined and asked for the bill. Which he did, but did not return to pick it up So we had to take it up to the hostesses booth and wait for someone.
This all took place while the 2 owners sat and drank wine.
They were there all evening and never bothered to help out the staff.
The bottom line is, we will never go back to the Magic Lantern.
Tracy and Jody Snider

I have been doing Christmas Eve here for 10+ years. I appreciate their willingness to make the customer happy!

This is one of those nostalgic places you see when you drive by, odd-​looking, and knowing it’s been there a really long time like it’s steak house rival across the street, The Sycamore Inn steak house. Both have been there around the same amount of time, give or take a decade. The roof of the Magic Lamp Inn and the brick work is instantly distinguishable, you won’t miss it.
I’ve heard small bits of rumors about the restaurant, all mixed reviews, but it was on my bucket list of places I wanted to try.
We were greeted by the most emotionless host on the planet. One if my managers asked me if the host was trying to have a staring contest when he made eye contact. Sort of the opposite expectation you’d have of a host’s main job responsibility. He eventually lead us to our table.
The waitress was pleasant, and we quickly noticed that we were the youngest in the restaurant (in our 30’s) by a mile. So it’s definitely an older crowd here.
Our appetizer of shrimp cocktails was ok. The shrimp were the largest shrimp we’d ever seen — there were 4 of them, and tasted well enough. Seafood ravioli was the same portion and equally as good. Priced around $ 13 each appetizer.
I ordered the beef sandwich with swiss cheese, and it was, eeeeh. It was ok. Tender beef, under-​seasoned, with slightly toasted bread, but nothing to write home about. It reminded me of a Bob’s Big Boy type of sandwich. For the three of us it was around $ 90. Three meals, two drinks, two appetizers. I’d recommend the claimed «$ 10 starting dinner» across the street at Sycamore. There’s a bit more effort for the money there.
The company that owns the Magic Lamp really needs to hire a strong executive chef to create a new menu and train a new kitchen staff. The history of this restaurant, the age of it, curb appeal, and reputation of the Magic Lamp can really set the foundation. Get rid of the plain Carrow’s /​Bob’s Big Boy menu and food, and turn it into a high-​end four star.

Classic place. So far haven’t tasted anything bad in several occasions. Love the sautéed mushrooms. Martinis are awesome. Relish plate with dinner. Planning on trying their Sunday brunch. They do special events. Steaks done right!

We had dinner here for the first time last night.
Service was fantastic,
Food was hot and tasty,
Atmosphere was vibrant and kitschy (in a good way),
And they wished us a «Merry Christmas» on the way out.
Winner! We had a wonderful time and we will be back!
PS — big thank you to our server, Scott, he was great!
PPS — in comparison to their competition across the street, the Magic Lamp Inn is superior in every way.

Came here for Thanksgiving dinner, I went with the buffet…
Parking: Private lot, across from Sycamore Inn.
Restaurant: Classic style, old school to the core. Reminds me of Sir George’s Buffet/​Smörgåsbord (for those who are in the know).
Food: As for buffet, I liked it alot as they served traditional Thanksgiving food along with prime rib.
Service: Outstanding and friendly, I thought the service really sets this restaurant a part from other restaurants in the area.
Overall: 4– stars and will be back again soon.

It is our anniversary
The place is so romantic!!! Beautiful. The waitress so kind… I am happy that we chose place today!!!

I have not been here since 1970. We decided to go out with our friends for dinner and The Magic Lamp came up. So we drove from Riverside to Upland. At 6:00 PM, there was plenty of table with a large 60+ crowd in the bar area. The décor is very outdated but in a great nostalgic way. I mean this place has been here since the Route 66 heydays. Very cool old fashioned vibe.
We started off with cocktails, an Old Fashioned and a Cosmopolitan. Then a large tray of assorted veggie snacks and an ample offering of cheese bread was served. Most of the menu prices are between $ 30-​$ 50. So bring your credit card. I ordered the Surf & Turf. I should have ordered the steak medium rare because their medium well was a tad too over cooked. But still the flavor was amazing. Succulent scallops, grilled marinated shrimp surrounding a good portion of mashed potatoes topped with cooked spinach.
There were a few inconsistencies with the menu that we mentioned to the waiter. He made things right despite the entrée change. At the end of our meal, our waiter brought out some cheesecake, tiramisu, and some orange liqueur custom made by the chef himself, on the house for the menu mixup. This is how a restaurant makes things right with the customer. This gesture will by far make me come back again. Most places just apologize.
We were never rushed through the dinner. The staff was super prompt with water refills and wine. Worth the visit.

We came for our anniversary, and the staff made our experience very special. Fred, our server, is wonderful. If you ask for him you won’t be disappointed.
We ordered the Chateaubriand for two. It was a perfect medium rare. The vegetables were tender, but definitely not mushy. I had to try both the bordelaise and bearnaise sauces. Both good sauces, but if I choose one it would be the bearnaise.
We will be back!
PS After I posted the review, the owner stopped by our table. Just one more great experience in a night full of impeccable service and great food.

Finally tried this place after living in the area for 15 years. Went on a Wednesday night at 7 pm and dining hall was almost half full. Prices are about what I expected. Service was very good. Must give a shoutout to our server Scott who gave us the right amount of attention, with the right mix of friendly and professional.
Appetizers were very good and decently priced. Traditional preparation which I liked. Small Cobb salad was enough for 2 – 3 ppl as starter. Escargot and French onion soup very good, too.
Dinner is where meal started to derail. Kitchen made me the ‘other’ shrimp dish (not the one I ordered) and my kid’s iron steak was overdone. Luckily our server noticed her hesitation. He promptly returned her steak to the kitchen but it took awhile to arrive, all while hubby and I were already eating.
All of our dishes tasted great; it was unfortunate what happened with my kid and I because it ruined the flow of this fancy dinner. Server Scott must have comp’d my dish because the bill was lower than it should have been, so thank you for that. He also brought me a To-​go bag with the shrimp dish I had ordered. Another very nice thing to do. I think we’ll return here and try again.
So…5 stars for service but 3 stars for overall experience.

Came here today for dinner with my family and I absolutely regret coming here.
Everything is expensive. If you plan on having a good meal, expect to pay at least $ 30 – 40 for something decent. I ended up just ordering the soup since I was shocked at the prices.
Everyone else ordered steaks and stroganoff which didn’t even look all that great. The portions and quality totally don’t reflect the price.
With this review, I vow to never come here again, but if you absolutely have to; Load up on water and the burnt cheese bread since that’s the only thing that will get you kind of full.