Don’s Lighthouse

I’ve been wanting to try Don’s since I moved to Lakewood 2.5 years ago. The iconic building is beautiful, historic, and hard to miss during my commute downtown from the west side, but I figured I’d save it for a special occasion. My birthday was this past weekend and my parents are big seafoodies. I’m constantly trying to get them to come up to CLE and try new things, so I figured now was as good a time as any to finally check it out …
Reservation was at 6:30 on a Sunday. The restaurant was relatively empty but had an upscale, welcoming atmosphere with white, linen tablecloths and candles lit on the tables. We ordered a bottle of chardonnay, the shrimp cocktail to share, and a round of salad and soup (lobster bisque and one seafood chowder). They also brought out complimentary bread with herbed butter.
Everything was simply «okay.» The amount of lobster in the bisque was somewhat substantial, but the consistency was very oily. Wine was wine. Shrimp cocktail was shrimp cocktail, but came with extra horseradish (yum). Salad was meh, although they did split it without my bf and I asking because we implied we’d share (props). But the most memorable thing up to this point, to be honest, was the free butter.
For entrees, my mom and I went with the freshline scallops, my dad got the crusted walleye (looked good), and my boyfriend ordered the seared salmon (looked a little rare). Again, I wasn’t blown away by the food. I actually started feeling a little sick while I was eating my entrée, but I thought maybe I was just full or tired (it had been a loooong weekend). So I sort of just picked at it some more and asked for a box. Big fan of leftovers anyway!
Service sidenote: Our waiter seemed a little off — he flat out didn’t answer me when I asked him a question and at one point dropped a menu — but being a former server, I gave him the benefit of the doubt. He also brought me a chocolate éclair with a candle in it for my birthday. It was delicious, much appreciated, and hands down the best part of the meal for me.
The rest of the table also wanted dessert, so my mom ordered tangerine sorbet, my dad got the chocolate mouse, and my bf went with the crème brûlée, which was really good at first but looked a little undercooked and congealed towards the end.
THIS IS WHERE THINGS SHIFT …
An overall okay experience took an extreme nosedive when we got home. After watching TV for 20 – 30 minutes, the bf suddenly became very sick. Without going into too much detail, it was very obvious he was suffering from some sort of food poisoning situation that he needed to flush out of his system. After he did and got some sleep, he was back to his normal self.
Sighhhh. I’m incredibly supportive of local businesses and I’m not one to normally be negative, but this was really unfortunate. If the food had been incredible, I miiiight attempt a return. But as much as I hate to say it, we probably won’t go back. :\

My first time at Don’s Lighthouse! Such a good date night restaurant. I have never seen vegan beef stroganoff on a menu, so I already knew what I’d be ordering. The bread they give you pre-​meal was fresh and I really like the slightly sweet herb butter that it came with. My boyfriend and I ordered the Don’s Sampler to start. I can only speak for the bruschetta since I’m vegetarian, but I was told the crab cake was great and didn’t skimp on the crab. Dinner was amazing. The noodles were spinach I think (they were green) and the mushrooms were cooked perfectly and soaked up all the flavor of the sauce and truffle sour cream. My one complaint was the seitan… it tasted more like cubes of bread than the meaty texture I’m used to with seitan. I also tried some of the mashed potatoes, which were super flavorful and garlicky. It’s a little pricey, so next time I’ll try to go when they have a special. 4 stars though for having a veg dish on the menu that isn’t a black bean burger.

Waitress was not friendly and food was average. I would not go again

Very disappointed! First time there! Poor service, maître d’ was rude, and it took forever to get our meal! Waitress had to many tables and could not keep up, she was very nice and very polite. The prices where way out of line for the quality. Sorry to say I would not return.

Absolute perfection. This is hands down the best restaurant in all of Cleveland. Whether you want scallops or steak you will not be disappointed. Eat here for fabulous food and a great date night!

It ha been years since I was last here. Wanted a special daddy daughter dinner. We drive from Wadsworth. First, watch your GPS as it can take you through some very sketchy neighborhoods (I grew up in Cleveland off W25th). Parking lot well lit. Host greeted us and server were very nice. Chicken was outstanding. Kobe meatloaf was amazing. Salmon was very good. Filet Mignon was over cooked and on the dry side. Appetizer was Calamari and mushrooms which were very good. Watch price as dinners are alacart. Decent wine list. Overall a bit pricey. Watch what you order. And Sheri was on point as a server. I will come back and bring my wife.

This place has been here at this location for ever. I was going here in the 70’s when I lived here in Cleveland. Thought I would check them out on my recent visit. They still have good food A-​OK. great selection of seafood items will not disappoint you. But do not expect to be blown away either. Service is good. If you are a walleye fan they always seem to have it.

Do you like seafood? If the answer is yes, you need to try this place out! The menu options for Don’s are amazing and none of it disappointed us. We got the seafood sampler for an appetizer and the scallops and the salmon for dinner. The seafood was really very good, as was the service. I tend to have a tough time deciding on dinner and will ask my server for their opinion and our waitress had great thoughts and tips to help me decide. (I went with the scallops and they were just as flaky and buttery as she promised.) The service continued to be good throughout the entire meal, impeccable really, and the food continued to pack on flavor after flavor of deliciousness. If you could pick up Don’s lighthouse and place it in a newer, hipper location or restaurant, I would promise I’ll be back. But right now, it’s really just the food and service that are worth returning for, and I agree with other reviewers that have said you can spend just as much on similarly good food, but with better ambiance. Don’s needs a facelift, the décor updated. You’re sure to get really great food here, but you may find yourself feeling a bit like your parents before you leave…

Lame, food was underwhelming, i got the catch of the day which was some type of snapper and I swear i could have got bettwr seafood at red lobster. The service also i was not impressed woth, our waitress was very rushed. And i felt often we were being ignored. Décor is outdated, we dont plan on going again.

Service was great!
Was in on a Friday night around 8pm and the place was dead. The menu and décor just seem so dated. The food was blah. I can spend just as much money at newer restaurants, get more food that has more creativity and flavor. These are some of the reasons I most likely won’t be back.

Always pleased with my meal here. Tonight’s special was $ 10 off surf N turf so I had that and it was so tender and yummy. My only complaint is that they don’t offer baked potato, but the whipped tators are delish .
Our waitress was so friendly and accommodating, that’s always a plus !

The crab cake appetizer was delicious. I got the scallops which were good but the sauce that came with it was gross. I found myself eating around it. The waitress was very slow. Our appetizer came out right away, but our main course took forever, she gave us the the wrong drinks and it was pretty hard to flag her down. The place was crowded so reservations are recommended.

Came here Saturday with high expectations but were not impressed. I ordered clam chowder and 6 oz filet mignon and my husband got the catch of the day red snapper. The clam chowder was really good. But the filet mignon was pretty dry for being medium and lacked flavor. The sauce that came with it wasn’t too good but it was my own fault for not asking for a replacement. My husband’s snapper sauce it came with was good but fish had no flavor.
Overall we spend around 85 dollars and were very disappointed. Maybe our pallette is not sophisticated enough but essentially everything lacked flavor. We regret not just going to Longhorn for steaks which cost less and has way better food.

I’m writing this from a conversation I had last night with a very good friend.
He took his girlfriend there for dinner after he had proposed to her earlier in the day. I have not been there since the place was called Don’s Lighthouse Inn. The food and service was always excellent. His fiancée always wanted to try the place so he made reservations at my recommendation of what I thought was the same venue.
They both tell me they were disappointed. The food was… eh, mediocre at best. His lake perch was… well…just terrible. I’m not sure what she ordered but they both said one try was enough..

I have experienced better! Over priced! I ordered the buttermilk chicken breast which came with Cajun spinach and polenta. The chicken was cooked just right and the polenta served to balance out the salt in the spinach. Too salty! The bread and butter was tasty. The after dinner root beer was tasty also. My side salad was a joke and came with very little dressing already mixed in it. For the price of the meal I believe the salad should have come with it but it was an extra $ 6.00. I have no desire to ever come her again. If I am going to spend big on a good diner i’ll take my business elsewhere!

I’ve got to start by saying I don’t often write a review, but the experience I had at lunch required the praise.
My parents used to dine at Don’s Lighthouse when I was a child. I heard of the place growing up but have never had the privilege of dining there until recently (moved away for 15 years). A friend and I had both been wanting to try it so we decided to go in for lunch.
We started with a bottle of the Paco & Lola Albarino. The wine is delicious, not too floral like some Albarino’s but just the right balance of sweetness and minerality. Our first dish was the Calamari and what a delight! It was FANTASTIC! The Calamari was very tender and is served with a delicious lemon curry aioli, a definite win. Secondly we tried the Escargot… Though not our thing, I think it was more our personal taste and not the dish it self. The dish was tasty none the less, lots of garlic and parmesan. For my main dish I ordered the Portuguese Seafood Stew. I think by saying that I can’t wait to go back and have it again says enough. It was filled with homemade pasta and a generous portion of seafood.
I can’t wrap this up without mentioning our incredible server, Laurie. Laurie went above and beyond to make our lunch a great experience. She knew the menu very well, offered suggestions and answered our questions in detail and with excitement.
Thanks again Laurie for the awesome time! I hope you get to read this and know how much special you made our lunch!

A co-​worker and myself met for happy hour at this location after work one afternoon. I had arrived first so I went in and got us a table. Upon walking in the hostess was very friendly with a big smile on her face. She asked if I preferred dining room or lounge seating, I chose lounge seating so we could take advantage of Happy Hour. After getting seated I waited and waited and waited for someone to come over to me. After someone brought me water then I waited and waited and waited for the server to come take my drink order. About 10 – 12 minutes later the server finally came to me to ask me what I wanted to drink. This is the reason why I didn’t give the place 5 stars.
The food was great! We had the:
Spinach & Artichoke Dip
Smoked Gouda, cheddar and cream cheese, served hot with pita chips $ 3.75
We both thought it was amazing (and we’ve tried a lot of different restaurants around Cleveland)
Stuffed Mushrooms
Spinach, sun dried tomatoes, artichokes, sherry cream, Asiago cheese $ 4.25
Personally I wasn’t too crazy about these mushrooms.
Prince Edward Island Mussels
Sautéed with sherry and garlic butter $ 5
AMAZING! Probably the best mussels I’ve ever had.
Overall, the food was amazing, the drinks were good, the service was OK.

I don’t know why, but I was always suspicious of whether this place would be any good or not. My doubt was for nought. (Had I know this was the sister restaurant of Don’s Pomeroy House in Strongsville, which I love, my concern would have been allayed sooner.)
I went on a Tuesday around 815p. The bar scene was quite lively, though the dining room fairly quiet aside from one other table and one group leaving. The bar was pretty noisy, but the sound didn’t reach the dining room.
The seating is quite comfortable and can be rather private — and romantic if that’s what your needs require. We sat at a two top in the window. While by the looks of other patrons the smart casual dress code is not enforced, the décor of the place was up to snuff — elegant heavy drapes on the windows, white table cloths, and an oil burning lamp in a fish holder set a nice tone.
The service matched the elegance of the décor and the food did not disappoint either. We started off with the mussel appetizer. The mussels came in a massive round bowl with an equally large plate for the shells. The dish was served with 2 seafood forks inserted into 2 lemon slices. This is the kind of attention to detail I love — 2 people, 2 lemons, 2 forks. The broth was simple and there was nothing extra in it — no sausage or tomato chunks as is common other places, but it was really good and flavored with garlic.
This place has a ton of seafood on the menu — 8 types of fish entrees not to mention all the seafood types of apps. I ordered the South American Tilapia. The seafood entrees come with specialty sides and accoutrements, but can alternatively be prepared more simply with just potatoes, veg and your choice of simple sauce. I would probably go the simple route to be healthier in the future, but for my first time here I had to try it as the chef designed it. This just sounded too good to pass up: Pistachio crust, Thai chili brussels sprouts, crab cake, wasabi crème, sweet soy. The Thai chili Brussels sprouts were heavenly!

Oh Don, we need to talk about this Lighthouse restaurant of yours…
Décor was fine, sat in a booth by the bar, so more of a chill-​smoke a cigar-​have a bourbon-​bulky-​dim atmosphere. The waitress was nice, although she could have come around more often towards the end of the meal. The food though, eh. A big EHHHHH.
Pros:
Fat Heads Bumbleberry Beer.
Jumbo Lump Crab Cake — Very tasty, sad I had to share. Not fishy nor full of breading.
Cons:
Bread for the table — Not warm, hard crust, not my mouth’s idea of a good time.
Fishmarket Salad — Disgusting. Tasted like I was eating Miracle Whip.
Crab Mac & Cheese — Disappointing. Bland and flavorless.

I came to Don’s Lighthouse for my 25^th birthday dinner and got the twin lobster tails which was the perfect birthday dinner!!! And reasonably price for the quality, I might add. A few weeks later, I brought my friend here before seeing Wicked and got the filet. I ordered it medium and it seems a little charred on the top, but still good nonetheless.
This is one of my favorite Winter dining spots. It has such a cozy and quaint feel and I love the look of the inside, as well as the outside. They offer valet parking, but I have always been able to find a spot to park without needing to use the service.
I heard they have great happy hour special in the bar area, and on Tuesdays they have a lobster tail dinner for $ 15!!! I just recently found this out and can’t wait to take advantage of it. I have always had great service, too!