Great ambiance and appeal! However the food was not the best which was unfortunate since it was a girl's night top pick and we had high expectations. Maybe I'll try the brunch at a later date but not for dinner...
Lori K.
I don't know how Southern Lights is still in business. Friday afternoon, I went after work - I hadn't been in years - hoping to unwind with a nice meal and glass of wine. For some reason, the hostess assumed I was getting a to-go order when I casually mentioned I had seen the angel hair with crab cake online and it looked very tempting. Maybe it was because I was alone. She rang me up and told me it would be out in a few minutes. When I pointed out the mix-up, that I'd be dining in, she told me to pick a table. I hadn't been seated 5 minutes when my "order" (I never officially placed an order, was never given a menu nor asked what I would like), the meal arrived. Not only was I disappointed that I had been given no opportunity to order a salad, side, drink, or see other options, but the dish itself was rather unremarkable (for $19) and consisted of Rice-A-Roni style angel hair pasta with a sad little crab cake plopped atop. It was not the relaxing after-work dining experience I had planned.
Renee H.
This is a charming neighborhood restaurant that exudes hospitality and warmth with unique menu options and impeccable service !! We chose Southern Lights to celebrate my mom's 80th birthday and it did NOT disappoint for such a momentous occasion!! Our server was well-versed on the menu options without being pretentious or overly solicitous. Every drink re-fill and used dish was attended to right away. The food itself was exceptional ! The salmon entree was cooked to perfection, as was the buttermilk chicken. The sides, mashed potatoes & vegetable medley, were fresh and delish, just wish there were more of the veggies ! The wine selection was top-notch and the choice of glass size offered a very European touch. The ambiance was relaxing and inviting and the clientele were all treated like family. It seems the staff and owners know most of their customers, greeting them by name. The table near us even eagerly offered to take group pics for our little celebration ! Southern Lights is a gem of a restaurant where the owner stops by to THANK you and check on your satisfaction, another touch of southern hospitality that leaves a GREAT taste in your mouth !!
Greensboro N.
I had a friend recommended we go there for dinner. Terrible idea. We started with two appetizers and thankfully stopped there. We got the flat bread as one and what was described in the menu and what we got was another. The "flatbread" was a large round thick pita with diced tomatoes and a drizzling of two sauces. It listed it as having prosciutto but we counted about 6 little "bits" added to this. Terrible. Bread was hard and in no way was this even close to a flatbread. Thankfully we stopped there, finished our drinks and left. Not a place for me! Now I know why it's been so long since we had been there. Not worth it and grossly over priced.
Dottie Cooke
I had a flight of soup..Tomato Basil, Two Bean Chili and Seafood Gumbo with a half Mediterranean Salad. All were delicious! A great lunch or dinner spot with courteous and attentive staff.
Greg Hausler
Consistently good service and food. Nice atmosphere and outdoor seating. Excellent choice for a date.
Calvin Sutton
Excellent food and great service! It's a little pricier than expecting but well worth it once you walk inside and sit down. I think the location is maybe what threw me off as it's in a strip mall, but it's tucked away around a corner from the other businesses and bit hidden. It definitely didn't have that strip mall feel on the inside and they've done a very nice job with the atmosphere. We went with some friends on a week night and and it was pretty busy. It's probably worth getting a reservation as I think the wait was a bit long for those without one. We went when it was a bit cooler outside, so we didn't have a chance to sit on the patio. I'm a bit skeptical about the noise from Lawndale traffic but our friends swear it's not too loud. I'm excited to go back when it's a little warmer and see how it is! Oh, and when you pull in the parking lot, just park out on the north side of the building, there are about 6 or 7 spots right in front, but no easy way to turn around if you bust on getting one of them which makes for a fun adventure backing out of the lot! You'll see what I mean when you pull in. It's worth the short walk!
Nicola Williams
Absolutely delicious!!! Portion sizes are perfect and the prices are reasonable. Staff is very friendly.
Cay B.
Lunch here was a huge disappointment today. Service was mediocre at best. We had to ask for our wine order twice before it was finally delivered after our meal. I ordered the fresh catch and the fish and fries were sitting in a puddle of grease and the fish was overcooked. I except better from a $30 lunch.
RoteFreiherr
Out to dinner with colleagues for dinner. Menu was limited `- one would get much more on a hamburger joint.. Chocolate mousse was served in 'soda float' glass and could. not be distinguished from chocolate pudding.
We were there for a birthday party with a group of people. Service was ok. We couldn't even get enough menus for the whole table. Had to ask a few times for certain items. I ordered a scallops and pasta special which was a very small portion with 4 small scallops and a little bit of pasta in a small salad sized bowl for $15. Would have been fine if it tasted good but the sauce was runny and had no flavor. My husband got a "seafood sampler" which has 6-8 small pieces total (fish, oysters and scallops) for $17. His mistake for not realizing this was probably an appetizer due to the extremely small portions but he said it was good. The fried chicken and fish and chips meals looked the best with a decent portIon. Didn't take pictures or express our disappointment since we were with friends.
Pat Gibbons
A wonderful place for lunch with friends. Always excellent food and service.
Jeff S.
Entrees were excellent: tuna and sea bass. Everything else: atmosphere, drinks, service, and decor - lacking.
Sumiko Dowling
Love the food! Loved the place! Ambiance! Great food! Top notch service! I'm going back with friends!
Great ambiance and appeal! However the food was not the best which was unfortunate since it was a girl's night top pick and we had high expectations. Maybe I'll try the brunch at a later date but not for dinner...
I don't know how Southern Lights is still in business. Friday afternoon, I went after work - I hadn't been in years - hoping to unwind with a nice meal and glass of wine. For some reason, the hostess assumed I was getting a to-go order when I casually mentioned I had seen the angel hair with crab cake online and it looked very tempting. Maybe it was because I was alone. She rang me up and told me it would be out in a few minutes. When I pointed out the mix-up, that I'd be dining in, she told me to pick a table. I hadn't been seated 5 minutes when my "order" (I never officially placed an order, was never given a menu nor asked what I would like), the meal arrived. Not only was I disappointed that I had been given no opportunity to order a salad, side, drink, or see other options, but the dish itself was rather unremarkable (for $19) and consisted of Rice-A-Roni style angel hair pasta with a sad little crab cake plopped atop. It was not the relaxing after-work dining experience I had planned.
This is a charming neighborhood restaurant that exudes hospitality and warmth with unique menu options and impeccable service !! We chose Southern Lights to celebrate my mom's 80th birthday and it did NOT disappoint for such a momentous occasion!! Our server was well-versed on the menu options without being pretentious or overly solicitous. Every drink re-fill and used dish was attended to right away. The food itself was exceptional ! The salmon entree was cooked to perfection, as was the buttermilk chicken. The sides, mashed potatoes & vegetable medley, were fresh and delish, just wish there were more of the veggies ! The wine selection was top-notch and the choice of glass size offered a very European touch. The ambiance was relaxing and inviting and the clientele were all treated like family. It seems the staff and owners know most of their customers, greeting them by name. The table near us even eagerly offered to take group pics for our little celebration ! Southern Lights is a gem of a restaurant where the owner stops by to THANK you and check on your satisfaction, another touch of southern hospitality that leaves a GREAT taste in your mouth !!
I had a friend recommended we go there for dinner. Terrible idea. We started with two appetizers and thankfully stopped there. We got the flat bread as one and what was described in the menu and what we got was another. The "flatbread" was a large round thick pita with diced tomatoes and a drizzling of two sauces. It listed it as having prosciutto but we counted about 6 little "bits" added to this. Terrible. Bread was hard and in no way was this even close to a flatbread. Thankfully we stopped there, finished our drinks and left. Not a place for me! Now I know why it's been so long since we had been there. Not worth it and grossly over priced.
I had a flight of soup..Tomato Basil, Two Bean Chili and Seafood Gumbo with a half Mediterranean Salad. All were delicious! A great lunch or dinner spot with courteous and attentive staff.
Consistently good service and food. Nice atmosphere and outdoor seating. Excellent choice for a date.
Excellent food and great service! It's a little pricier than expecting but well worth it once you walk inside and sit down. I think the location is maybe what threw me off as it's in a strip mall, but it's tucked away around a corner from the other businesses and bit hidden. It definitely didn't have that strip mall feel on the inside and they've done a very nice job with the atmosphere. We went with some friends on a week night and and it was pretty busy. It's probably worth getting a reservation as I think the wait was a bit long for those without one. We went when it was a bit cooler outside, so we didn't have a chance to sit on the patio. I'm a bit skeptical about the noise from Lawndale traffic but our friends swear it's not too loud. I'm excited to go back when it's a little warmer and see how it is! Oh, and when you pull in the parking lot, just park out on the north side of the building, there are about 6 or 7 spots right in front, but no easy way to turn around if you bust on getting one of them which makes for a fun adventure backing out of the lot! You'll see what I mean when you pull in. It's worth the short walk!
Absolutely delicious!!! Portion sizes are perfect and the prices are reasonable. Staff is very friendly.
Lunch here was a huge disappointment today. Service was mediocre at best. We had to ask for our wine order twice before it was finally delivered after our meal. I ordered the fresh catch and the fish and fries were sitting in a puddle of grease and the fish was overcooked. I except better from a $30 lunch.
Out to dinner with colleagues for dinner. Menu was limited `- one would get much more on a hamburger joint.. Chocolate mousse was served in 'soda float' glass and could. not be distinguished from chocolate pudding.
Restaurantji Recommends
We were there for a birthday party with a group of people. Service was ok. We couldn't even get enough menus for the whole table. Had to ask a few times for certain items. I ordered a scallops and pasta special which was a very small portion with 4 small scallops and a little bit of pasta in a small salad sized bowl for $15. Would have been fine if it tasted good but the sauce was runny and had no flavor. My husband got a "seafood sampler" which has 6-8 small pieces total (fish, oysters and scallops) for $17. His mistake for not realizing this was probably an appetizer due to the extremely small portions but he said it was good. The fried chicken and fish and chips meals looked the best with a decent portIon. Didn't take pictures or express our disappointment since we were with friends.
A wonderful place for lunch with friends. Always excellent food and service.
Entrees were excellent: tuna and sea bass. Everything else: atmosphere, drinks, service, and decor - lacking.
Love the food! Loved the place! Ambiance! Great food! Top notch service! I'm going back with friends!
Good food, nice place, convenient location.