Lighthouse Restaurant

A real gem! Their food rivals many of the top restaurants in Chicago and arguably the best in NWI. Known for their quality steaks and seafood. We always have a wonderful experience when visiting. Kelly always takes immaculate care of us when we come.

On November 1, 2025, I had mine and my husband’s 50th wedding anniversary party at The Lighthouse. I started planning it a year ago, when we had our 49th anniversary dinner there (one of many over the years). I signed the contract and started the planning with Lauren. Unbeknownst to me at the time, after planning with Lauren, the restaurant had changed management and I resumed planning the Sarah O’Reilly. Sarah was helpful and kind, had wonderful suggestions and listened and responded to every call and email.
I had originally booked the smaller banquet room thinking my guest count would be less than 60, when it went to 75 (64 was the finally yes count), she said that even at 60, the smaller room might be tight but that the bigger room was available and she moved me to that room. My husband and I met with Sarah in the venue and went over table placement, cake placement options and finalized my menu choices. Working with Sarah was a wonderful experience, and I will miss it!
The meals were perfectly cooked and presented with all my guests raving at them. We had the 8oz filet, the chicken piccata and the macadamia crusted walleye. We also had 8 children’s meals and those were also delicious. We also had one gluten free meal and it was also perfect.
The wait staff and bartender were attentive, friendly and always had a smile on their faces. Renee, the head server was there meeting all of our needs, sometimes even before I knew I needed them!

The bottom line is that our 50th wedding anniversary was a triumph. I can’t thank The Lighthouse Restaurant, Sarah, Renee and her staff and the bartender enough. I apologize for not getting all the names, especially the bartender because she was wonderful. Well done.

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 5

Service: 5

Too much food! Went home with 2 bags. Celebrating our 45th wedding anniversary.

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 5

Service: 5

We haven't been to the Lighthouse Restaurant in years. After looking at the menu online, we decided to go. Upon arriving, we found out it is under new management. No worries! We had an amazing waitress named Karen, who went above and beyond to see that we had a wonderful meal! I noticed the menu was different than the one we read online. I was disappointed that Chicken Marsala was not on the menu in front of me. I told Karen, and she said that although it was no longer on the menu, she wanted to talk to the chef to see what he could do. Not only did he agree to prepare it, he gave Karen a sample of the sauce he was going to use to see if I liked it. It was delicious! Not only did we all thoroughly enjoy our meals, my husband said that his prime rib was likely the best he's ever had! What a delightful evening! If you go, I highly recommend Karen!

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 5

Service: 5

Recommended dishes: Chicken Marsala

The tables are kind of tight especially if everyone came to eat!!!!! but I can make do because the food, the service, and the atmosphere is excellent!!!!! I followed this place for about 5years, finally went with a party of six on October 11, celebrating my cousin's birthday!!!!! I was right back on the 25th with another party of six just because I wanted that magnificent Porter house steak meal again!!!!! I love this place!!!!! Everything is all beautiful!!!!! I highly recommend this establishment!!!!!⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️+ a million!!!!!

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 5

Service: 5

Recommended dishes: Buffalo Shrimp, Lobster, Salad

Prices are ridiculous and food is mediocre. This is my 4th time visiting this restaurant and my last. My wife ordered the scallop entree and it had only 3 scallops on the plate. The steaks average around $60-$75. The only good item was the wedge salad. New chef, smaller portions, and higher prices. Never coming back and very disappointed

Atmosphere: 4

Food: 1

Service: 5

I am not a fan of the changes the new owner made to the menu. There really isn't many chicken options. So I ordered a steak and there was this wierd pool of grease around my steak, like a lot of grease or oil or butter, i don't know what it was, but it was too greasy to enjoy the steak. The service was also very poor, the waitress did not check on us much and we waited 30 minutes after we were done eating, plates waiting for containers, empty drinks, and I had to get her attention to ask for more drinks and a dessert menu. All in all, I am not happy with the changes that have been made and probably won't be going back as much as we did before. :-(

My husband I had the lake trout. I have had bluegill that was larger. Was not impressed. I realize they are aiming for upscale but I feel its way overpriced for what we had. We will not be back. Service was fantastic.

The food was good an our waitress was very nice. I gave 2 stars for Service because we had made a reservation this past Saturday and arrived before time an had to wait while a couple with no reservation was seated before us (we were chatting with them). We pointed this out to the young hostess and was told they were waiting longer than us so they got to go before us. We asked what was the point of a reservation, and she couldn’t provide an answer only stating why they should go first. Now I’m a person of color and the couple with no reservation wasn’t, one could argue that’s the reason. If the policy is to seat those on a first come basis then by all means remove the need to make a reservation. Otherwise honor the reservation, that incident definitely cast a shadow over the evening. Had our reservation been honored or a better reason for someone else to go before us, I would’ve given 5 stars no hesitation.

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 5

Service: 2

Consistently excellent over the years. The server recognized me even though it had been a few years since the last visit. She brought refills and took great care of us. The manager checked in too. The lobster bisques is always good. The hostesses consistently work with customers to get them good seats by the windows.

Loved this restaurant. Crab dip was delish. Salads and homemade dressing so good. Server Kelli made our whole experience that much better. Kept our drinks filled, gave recommendations on soup and food. Brought us ice cream for our anniversary. Appreciate the view, atmosphere and whole experience.

Dined here with my wife for our anniversary and it was a great dinner. The service was fantastic, our server was very attentive but not pushy. We were able to have a long, comfortable dinner, ordering & eating at our own pace. All the food was fantastic - while pricey, it was worth every penny. We will definitely be coming back for our special occassions.

This restaurant is right off the water. The food is great. The staff is excellent. The fish and meat are both excellent.

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 5

Service: 5

Another great meal at the Lighthouse!
Great in every respect.

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 5

Service: 5

Chef Mike is a master artisan of his craft. Every dish from the fresh oysters to my perfectly cooked steak Oscar were absolutely delicious (not to mention a stellar mixologist). Combined with top knotch staff/service, this place is an absolute gem. As a regular foodie from the Chicagoland area, I would put the food here on par or above with some of the nicer restaurants in my neck of the woods. As an added bonus, the view over cedar lake in the evening is oh-so-beautiful. Will be dining here again soon.

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 5

Service: 5

Recommended dishes: Crab Cakes, Small Wedge Salad, Duck Fat Tater Tots