The Baker House and Lake Geneva Steak House

I attended the New Year’s Eve Time Traveler’s Ball at Baker House, and unfortunately, it was nothing like advertised. The promotional description promised an exciting celebration with “DJ Illya spinning an electrifying mix to take you dancing across the centuries,” creating the expectation of a true ballroom experience with room to dance, multiple event spaces, and a lively atmosphere fitting of a New Year’s celebration.

That was not the reality.

Upon arrival, we were escorted directly to the basement Speakeasy and told that this was where the “party” would take place. The advertisement referenced a “ball,” leading many guests to assume the celebration would include access to other rooms throughout the house. Instead, the entire event was confined to a small basement bar area.

There was no room to dance. The so called dance floor allowed space for maybe five people at a time, with absolutely no room for anyone else to join. The basement Speakeasy couldn’t have been more than a few hundred square feet, and certainly nowhere near what anyone would consider a ballroom. Calling this event a “ball” feels incredibly misleading.

The space was so tight that many guests ended up stuck in the basement hallway just trying to access the bar. There was little room to move, let alone celebrate. With the entire crowd funneled into one tiny area, even ordering a drink felt chaotic and uncomfortable.

I truly cannot understand how a cramped basement bar is marketed as a space to “dance across the centuries.” It wasn’t festive, functional, or reflective of the event description. Many guests, myself included, left well before midnight. The evening was an absolute disappointment. I cannot recommend this venue for New Year’s Eve celebrations.

If you’re looking for a fun night out to ring in the New Year, I strongly suggest skipping this venue in the future. There are far better options for a celebration that feels joyful, spacious, and worth the investment.

Hero to Zero
Utterly disappointed! The heyday of this grand operation has passed. Extremely impersonal experience compared to prior ownership. We were the only overnight guests on our own, we were given a key with the responsibility of locking up the front door of the house if we were in/out prior to 10am or 10pm. The real ghosts in the house are the guests. No one checks in and asks if you need replenishing of toiletries, amenities, or sheets. Zero communication. Cameras everywhere which we thought was odd and invasive, but clearly due to the short staff and need for surveillance. From what I remember in previous years, there was SO much charm, attention to detail, and to get a spot in the dining area, let alone stay overnight was difficult due to the popularity. The sheets/towels were clean which was great, but unfortunately the comforter was musty like it hadn’t been dried after a wash. Morning coffee service consists of self serve Keurig station outside in a Dos Hombres mug. Nothing screams Vintage Victorian like a tequila cup. Don’t get me wrong if this was an Airbnb stay this would suffice, but for a 1k stay .. come on. The FEW staff are clearly operating on a shoestring budget which reflected in the food. A man approached our table at dinner without introduction and mentioned how he enjoyed the view of this table for which we later found out he was the owner. After 2 busts of meals and a quick look at recent reviews, we bailed on the brunch so we weren’t left with one more disappointment. Don’t let the 4/5 stars fool you, read the RECENT reviews first!!

We went here for the Sunday brunch and it was such a nice experience! We sat right by the windows and were able to look out at the lake while eating brunch. Beautiful view.

The food was also delicious and high quality for a brunch buffet! The staff was great at filling up our bottomless mimosas frequently. You can also request made to order eggs Benedict. The dishware and silverware was beautiful as well. I highly recommend this place for an elevated and unique experience.

Great Food and Ambience. Our server Melanie was great!

Hotel, bar and restaurant built in 1885 and still operating. There is a hotel but I highly recommend coming to grab a drink from the inside bar and you can walk and explore the outside or inside property.

We grabbed a drink and sat outside watching the sunset. They also have a speakeasy with an entrance on the side that is open a few nights a week with a DJ.

We didn't eat so I can't speak to the food but you def should get a drink and explore the property.

My best friends from college & I booked dinner reservations months in advance. We checked in for our 7 pm dinner & were told by the hostess they were severely backed up & it should only be another 15 minutes to be seated.

By 7:20 pm we noticed other guests who’d arrived after us being seated, so we asked if we could at least be seated.

By 7:30 pm, we were seated but then told due to short staffing (& their head chef walking out/quitting during the evening) that dinner would likely not be served for at least another hour.

We ordered a seafood nacho platter which came with tortilla chips & veggies/queso but no visible seafood. The appetizer looked like something you’d order off a Chili’s or low-end chain restaurant menu.

We put in our dinner order, but it was not served until 9:30 pm (remember, our dinner reservation was for 7 pm)

The salmon was dry, the medallion filets were charred, tasteless, & dry, the garlic mashed potatoes were cold & chunky/not creamy & mashed, & they gave a teriyaki/sesame seed type dipping sauce which did not match for the meats ordered.

The food & slow service was SO bad that it was hilarious. The only highlight/saving grace was our server Melanie. It was not her fault & she was profusely apologetic. She comped a few of our drinks, but the entire bill was NOT worth the money we paid.

The mansion is gorgeous, the ambiance of the historic building is enchanting, but for the price we paid having made reservations so far in advance to not eat cold/charred food until 2.5 hours into our reservation was maddening.

The Baker family is likely rolling in their graves to know what their establishment has been turned into.

My husband and I were visiting from Chicago for my birthday. My husband wanted my birthday dinner to be special.Dinner took almost an hour and was barely warm. A menu item I was looking forward to included potato pancakes. After fifteen minutes I was informed they did not have the potato pancakes.
An expensive restaurant not worth the money.

Server was nice. Waited over an hour for food that was warm at best. A group of women left after waiting two and a half hours without food. Another couple said their steak was cold.

Great little throwback restaurant in a landmark house. Wonderful service and good food. We even had some live music on a Saturday night!

Horrible! Waited an hour past our reservation for them to tell us they cannot see us, then told that we can wait and see if the food would come within an hour!!! Ruined an entire anniversary get away, as parents these nights are few and far between, highly disappointing and still charged for drinks that they said would be comped.

I really wanna give this place a five star but when they took our reservation, they asked my husband if this was for her birthday and he said yes, but unfortunately, when we got there, we got seated in a small area in a small room and a small table, the food was exceptional And our waitress was the five star. It could really use some low lighting and also some music.

Wow! What a cool place! Ashely was our server and she was amazing, food came out fast and was very good. Coming from Chicago, prices were very reasonable given the unique venue. Would recommend to anyone coming up or down!

Horrible restaurant experience! Few customers, but service was terrible! We waited 1 1/2 hours and left! The manager accepted our payment for drinks, but no apology! Unacceptable!!

Went here for the Mimosa brunch. The building is very unique and beautiful. Food was tasty and fresh. Employees were all friendly and knowledgeable. Would come back

We didn't stay here or eat here. We came for the garden tea. It was their first one, so they are still tweaking it. The music wasn't live and couldn't finish a song. I think they were having issues with it. Unfortunately their menu didn't offer vegetarian options or we would have ordered. I thoroughly enjoyed the tour of the house! It was very well done. The guide did an excellent job and knew his stuff. You can tell he researched it out carefully. I'd definitely try it again and do recommend it. Certainly would be a fun thing to do as a group. The bar was cash only. Inside the tables were set so elegant and beautiful. It definitely drew you in.