Candle-Lite Lounge

We have lived two miles from the Candle-​lite for over 10 years and just recently decided to try it. If you go around 4:30 or 5:00 on a weeknight, you can pretty much chose any seat you want. Everything is homemade and honestly we have yet to dislike anything, but there is a very long wait for the food to come out. Even the apps. In general, the waitresses aren’t the quickest, but I wouldn’t say they’re inattentive. I think maybe they just juggle other things in the kitchen. They don’t know us at all and I can’t say we’ve been treated badly because we’re not friends of the family. The vibe inside the restaurant is kind of cold and bland. You can still smell stale smoke emanating from the walls from all the smoking done in years gone by. Not much to look at all except for some TVs, which, by the way, could stand to be turned to family friendly programming during the dinner rush — the headlines on the news have prompted some interesting conversations from our kids (i.e. rape, murder, etc). I try to make my kids sit with their backs to the TVs so we can get through a meal without someone being afraid they’ll be killed by whatever degenerate is on the loose that day. Overall the Candle-​lite isn’t usually our first choice for a meal out, but if we’re tired and don’t feel like driving to Cranberry, it hits the spot. Taco Tuesday is a great deal in particular and the tacos are really good.

Sucks balls dont go here period!

We were excited after having moved to the area to find a local restaurant without having to go to Cranberry. Unfortunately after eating there a handful of times, we won’t ever go back. We’ll drive farther to get better service. The food was good, but the service has much to be desired. It seems that if you aren’t «known» to the family that runs it, then you aren’t worth the time of day. Most of the servers are nice and efficient, but it always seemed that we got the one we didn’t care for. We waited for 20 minutes one time to even get placemats and a hello. Another time we waited 30+ minutes for wings! The waitress was apologetic and bought us a drink, but still ridiculous to wait that long.

Composite review:
This is the quintessential neighborhood hangout place for lunch, dinner, and drinks. Everyone is «local» to the neighborhood. It is NOT a destination site but a place where many people visit routinely. Everyone probably knows your name and if not wonders why not? A small place really. On a busy road. The turn in can be crazy in early morning and later in the day. Ample graveled parking lot. Sports on TV, and other events hosted.
Local.
f8 and be there.

This place has a wing special on thursdays and has very good, albeit unusally hot, wings. I generally go there on most thursdays with some cool neighbors to take advantage of the cheap and delicious wings, but there is just so much wrong with this place that its almost not worth it.
The wings are really really good, and the burgers, while typical, are definitely passable.
I know that i’m going to sound like i’m bashing, but really… I could be a lot harder on the place.
Atmosphere:
The place is family owned and for the most part all of the family works there. That said, i’m new to the area (and so are my neighbors that I go in there with, actually I met them there) but the vibe is so weird when you walk in if you aren’t a «local» who is known to them. Its not just me, I’ve heard others say that. The one weird thing is the one arm of the bar just has off duty family members sitting there drinking. Nothing wrong with that, it just makes for a weird vibe. Candle Lite definitely does NOT have a good bar athmosphere.
Service:
Generally I get the same bartender since I go on a regular night. He holds glasses by the rims as he fills beers (disgusting) and is generally not a good bartender at all. You just get the feeling that he couldn’t give a shit. Since I usually order the same thing my bill has come to $ 13ish a few times. I put a $ 20 bill on the bar and was given back a $ 5 and $ 1 bills and some change. I then asked him «hey man, I appreciate you expecting a $ 5 tip but c’mon man… help me tip you and give me some $ 1s». Rather than taking that tip (I waited tables and bartended for a lot of years and you have to make it easy for people to tip you) he got defensive and said «do what you got to do» and never did give me change so I left the $ 1 and change. I was blown away by the attitude.
Another instance I was given cocktail sauce to dip a jalapeño popper in (which was disgusting, btw) and but after some attitude I got some marinara and was told «the cook is new» but never a sorry. There is no service culture there at all. Zero.
Food:
Wings, good but very hot. I ususally order hot but the mild here is like hot hot in most places. Very good though. The burger is good too, obviously frozen and very pedestrian but consistant and good. The rest of the appitizers are under $ 5 and generally disappointing. They have a «bar fries» dish (bacon cheese etc) that sells for around $ 3 and its kind of a joke. Its a few fries on a plate with some minimal stuff sprikled on it. I know that can’t do much for $ 3 but I’d much rather pay $ 6 – 7 for a legit appetizer. And to be honest, other than appetizers that’s all that i’ve eaten there. I’ve been told a big part of their business is dinners and they might be excellent and if I ever go back and have one I’ll happily amend this review.
The bottom line is that (and I wanted very badly for this to be a place that I could hang) the vibe is weird, the service is non existent and with the exception of a few things the bar menu is weak and borderline amateur. The Candle Lite might well have been an awesome place in the past but now is one of those 2^nd and 3^rd generation joints that have lost their way and live on an old reputation. The bar area is messy and there is too much junk laying around on shelves and around the bar. The beer is served in the same glasses that I have in my cabinet that I bought at walmart and all in all the Candle Lite is just a disappointment. Its a bar that is in desperate need of a make over and some outside management.
Sorry guys, its the truth.