Don's Lighthouse
Categories:
Restaurants, Seafood Restaurants
Details:
$$, Carry Out, Romantic Dining, Special Occasion Dining
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Message from Don's Lighthouse
Over the past 25 years, Don's Lighthouse has delighted customers with more than 450,000 pounds of fresh seafood from Foley's of Boston and 350,000 pounds of prime beef. Classic contemporary cuisine features spectacular daily catch seafood, signature salads and pastas along with hearty steaks. Free valet parking is provided everyday at lunch. Don's Lighthouse is very close to the downtown Cleveland action--sports, theater and concert events. Situated in a landmark building at the west end of the shoreway, the great room depicts an art mural of downtown images. With vaulted ceilings in the front half of the dining room for an open airy feel, or lower ceilings in the back for an intimate ambience, this restaurant suits anyone's preferences. Make sure to mention that you saw us on Citysearch.
Editorial by
The SceneStrange: Of all the fine Cleveland restaurants on whose menus you can find any number of great seafood dishes, there are few that devote themselves primarily to seafood. The patrons arrive casually elegant, with the hooked returning on the weekend to work on their mussels. Minutes from the downtown attractions via the West Shoreway, the Edgewater Beach State Park--home of the best sunsets in town--is just across the road.
The Food
When it comes to fish, Don's is decidedly old-school (no pun intended). This popular grill in a renovated lakefront resort hotel serves crab (fresh), swordfish (fresher) and assorted examples of the Great Lakes' bounty (still flopping). Cajun and Jamaican influences have crept into the classic preparation, so your shrimp may arrive jerked and your crab dinner under a bayou blanket.
Key Points
- Happy hour
- Gift certificates
- Handicap accessible
The Inside Scoop
- When to Go - Don's is conveniently located near downtown, so plan on eating here before or after a big night out on the town.
Reviews for Don's Lighthouse
Great place to eat and have a good time with friends. the food is great , the selection is awesome and the people too.I highly recommend this place to whoever wants to get great value for his/her money.
Posted 05/02/09 | Report Abuse
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A long-time landmark on the west side of Cleveland, this is a nice restaurant, whether you're having a business dinner or meeting a friend. Food is very good, service, too. Easily reached at the end of the West Shore-way.
Posted 02/17/09 | Report Abuse
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You will always find something to enjoy at Don's Lighthouse. It's a great place to take friends, relatives, and business clients. It's definitely a classy place.
Posted 08/05/08 | Report Abuse
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Delicious. Perfect. What else can I say? Ordered an amazing porkchop served on mashed potatoes with a wine sauce that was just divine. Great atmosphere. A perfect date restaurant. Loved it.
Posted 07/26/05 | Report Abuse
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This is a nice restaurant located on Lake Ave. and very close to Edgewater Park. They have very good food, and a large parking lot. They are very expensive though. If you are looking to go out to dinner to celebrate a special occassion this might be a nice restaurant to consider. The waiters seem nice and they are very attentive, this is a fine dining restaurant.
Posted 07/10/05 | Report Abuse
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Latest reviews from Citysearch.
That was my first visit there with my boyfriend. And I was impressed with the interior design and the warmth of the place. The service was great and everyone was courteous.
We ordered the Chef's special for the evening, and neither my boyfriend and I knew about the meal, but it sounded interesting. And I must agree it was the awesome.
The food was fixed to perfection and was warm and was very attractive to the eye. I would definitely go back again and would recommend others to go.
Thanks
Don's Lighthouse
Pros: Best Chef's Choice
Cons: No draw backs
Posted 10/19/09
From the service to the food, Don?s Lighthouse is a great experience. We enjoy the atmosphere and the service. The staff is friendly, attentive and knowledgeable. The food is served hot and portions are ample. The steaks were cooked as ordered and the waitress followed up to make sure that we were satisfied with the meal. The food was well seasoned and well presented.
Pros: Very good service and food.
Posted 02/13/09
This restaurant was a great choice. I have been there twice now, once as a celebratory lunch w/co-workers, and once as a date, and both times the food, service, and atmosphere were great. The lunch crowd was busy but the service didn't miss a beat. Went for an off-night dinner w/my girlfriend who loved it. As a girl who loves nice restaurants and has lived everywhere from NY to FLA, she stated many times in the months following that this was by far one of her favorite restaurants. As a former server in college I can attest to the great service. And the food was great. The prices seemed closer to $$$ than $$ listed here, but it was reasonable and delicious. They seem to have very good specials, and I definitely recommend a visit. I will be back!
Pros: Great food, atmosphere, etc.
Cons: Possibly pricey for lunch, GREAT for dinner.
Posted 04/05/08
Don?s Lighthouse is a very unique building and would be a wonderful place for a upscale restaurant, key phrase: would be! To start the staff and Don?s are robotic to say the lease! They have little to no expression, personality or friendliness. It seems like they are as miserable to be there as you will be about half way through your meal. However, the valet (which is usually complementary) is really nice and welcoming. The walls are painted with massive hot air balloons which remind me of a child?s room from a horror movie-it?s just really creepy. Save your money and enjoy your meal by not going to Don?s and any holiday or weekend night. I ordered a steak well done it came to me rare! My boyfriend?s meal was served to him cold and our wine glasses were so dirty that we wondered if they were washed. I feel that Don?s quality of food is more of a Red Lobster than an upscale sea food restaurant. The shape of the building allows for the ?Red Lobster-like? crowd to spoil your conversation and experience.
Pros: If you have any in mind please let me know
Cons: Everything
Posted 01/30/08
I took my wife to Don's Lighthouse for our 1st wedding anniversary in May 2006. It was very crowded, but our anniversary happened to fall on Mother's Day this year, so that was understandable. It took a very long time for our waiter to even initially come to our table after we were seated, but he was trying to deal with the annoying party of 10 seated right behind us. Our food was top-notch....probably the best, most tender steak I've ever had. The desert was ok, but not the best (I had cheesecake.) My big complaint about this restaurant and probably the reason I will not go back is that the large party seated next to us had 4 children around the age of 3-5 years old.....they did nothing but scream, cry, and run around the restaurant to the point where my wife and I could not even hear each other speak! Now I don't hate children, but when I'm dropping over $100 on a dinner for two, I would like to think that other patrons would have the common sense not to take small children to a restaurant like this! I went to Don's Lighthouse web site after we had returned and wrote to them and expressed my concerns about the atmosphere....I never heard back from them. That seemed a little unproffesional and the loud atmosphere was enough to make me not want to go back, even though the food was excellent. Loud atmosphere at Don Pablo's....acceptable....at Don's Lighthouse where a meal for two costs over $100.....not very good in my opinion. If you want great food but a loud environment, go to Don's Lighthouse....but if you're like me, and enjoy a more peaceful atmosphere when dining on a $30 steak, go somewhere else.
Pros: Awesome steaks!
Cons: Loud environment, very expensive
Posted 08/04/06
My husband and I loved the look of the restaurant and the food. We went in celebration of our second wedding anniversary for a more romantic and intimate scene. It did have that scene and feel we hoped for, I went with the booth for us. This was the first time we had ever been there.We thought the food was great,and the scene was nice and all but, I do'nt know probably because of the day we chose being a Saturday and all it was very chatty and loud in the area we were in. We definatly want to go back but it will have to be through the weekdays instead of the weekend. I feel that if we go on one of the weekdays next time it will have an even more romantic and intimate feel to the both of us.
Pros: the food, the scene, prompt seating
Cons: loud talking
Posted 10/08/05
My parents live in Cleveland, and whenever I go for a visit (like last week), I make it a priority to have dinner at Don's Lighthouse. The location is perfect... right on Lake Erie. (Especially convienent for West-siders heading downtown.)
If you need a place to have a special night out, with a lover , friend, company or family... this is the place!
It might take you a while to choose your entree, because so many of the appetizers scream to be tried. I really recommend whatever special they offer on the day you go... the freshest fish in town!
And the desserts... oh, the desserts. My advice: Save room for 'em.
Pros: The Appetizers, The Entrees, The Desserts
Posted 07/21/04