After reading some of the reviews on here we weren't so sure about trying it and we had never eaten here before. We couldn't find a problem. My wife had the Chicken George and it was perfectly good all the way around. I had the Swiss Dip sandwich and it also was very good, one of the best I've had in quite some time. Wait staff was all good, no complaints there. Only one slight problem, the girl serving had forgotten my fries but she brought them out in about 2 mins. Food temp was good with everything. It's a nice place to eat and the food was very good was what we found. Definitely will be back to try the Prime Rib on a Saturday. We don't just throw 5 stars out there over all the years. It takes quite a bit to just get 4 stars from us. It's difficult to tell with some reviews anymore. Reviews we had read of a some other restaurants where people had given raving reviews over a length of time and we found the exact opposite. And we could tell it wasn't just an off day for them. We could tell by the ingredients they use and how it's prepared. They're using sub-par ingredients (in our opinion) for one thing yet charging right up there in price. We don't have a problem eating here again anyway. Definitely will be back. read more

I would avoid it on a holiday as they are not prepared for it. They were out of a lot of items. Our server came back and said they were out of things and we had to change our order. Our server was very helpful but stretched very thin. It is very convenient having an elevator right up to the restaurant. The restrooms are right there. On this day which was Mother's Day two of the toilets in the women's room were out of service. I think the ambiance is so awesome right on the river with plenty of windows to watch the boats. read more

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I've eaten at this location twice now. We really enjoy the Clinton riverfront location. Always eat the chicken George as it's "world famous." This time we all noticed the chicken was a bit darker in color than usual. Not sure if it was a bit over cooked or if the oil was a tad old. A nit, because the chicken was still tender and tasty. And our server should have been a bit more attentive. I had to get my own mustard. Then salt. And refills were slow. Not sure why, only 3 tables served including ours. Plan on going back at least one more time before we leave the state. read more

Love me some Chicken George when I come back home!! Candlelight in Clinton, IA is a great place to have lunch. It was a beautiful day to sit on the patio overlooking the river. I was with my family and we enjoyed a great meal. read more

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Stopped in to give the Chicken George a try, at lunch today. For October, they have free, complementary onion rings, appetizer for everybody. Ordered the half pound original chicken George and fries to share and some soft drinks. Service was very quick and friendly. Food service was quick and food was delicious. In case anybody's wondering, the batter is more of the consistency of a tempura batter . Very light and not heavy tasting, so very good! Very nice to sit in the outside deck and watch the boats and river go by! read more

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Wow! What a view and ambiance! Candlelight Inn has the single-most beautiful view in all of Clinton! My partner and I enjoyed an all-you-can-eat fish fry on Friday and it definitely exceeded our expectations. This is a gorgeous spot for a romantic date. We watched the sunset while two eagles flew by the windows as we dined on the water. It doesn't get much better! The food is great, but nothing stands out that makes it unique outside of the restaurant setting itself. Nonetheless, I will be back and can't wait! Wonderful service as well! read more

Candlelight Inn - Fish fry! - American Near Me - Clinton, Iowa

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Friendly and delicious Split the NY strip with onions and mushrooms with my gf at the bar. Steak was cooked just how I ordered it between medium rare and medium. Usually when I order it that way it comes out over or under cooked, but they nailed it. read more

Tried a dine-in experience for a change (last one being a few years ago), wished we had not. It was a busy Saturday night, and the 4 of us were seated in a VERY small booth. Took a while to get waited on, waiter was rushed, sweaty, distracted. Received our drinks, placed our orders, finally received food. After that, nobody came back to check on anything - our waiter would be at other tables around us but never stopped back; we had to flag down another server just to get drinks refilled. And THE FLIES! I have never sat down inside of a restaurant with this many flies - we actually wished we had a fly-swatter, they were that numerous. Waiter finally came back with a horrid margarita (all sour/tart mix and minuscule liquor). When we asked to speak with a manager, the waiter wanted to know why, we explained the problems, and he took off the drinks/meal from our bill. We had hoped that Candlelight Inn had recovered and returned to a nice dining experience, but it has not. Sad. read more

Wasn't sure what to expect, but the Buffalo Chicken George is awesome. Nice place with good service. Food with a view.

Candlelight Inn is a nice restaurant overlooking the upper Mississippi river and the Clinton marina. They have a large dining room, a separate bar area, and an outdoor deck with lots of seating. It's a great place to soak up the sun and enjoy your favorite libation or take in the tranquil scenery from the comfort of your table. The service and ambiance are on point, but the quality of the food seems to have slipped in recent times. In late May of 2023 we had a large table at Candlelight, there were about 18 of us in total. Several of us ordered the filet medallions entrée; two 3 oz. medallions over wild rice with Jack Daniels sauce and your choice of a side. What we received were several plates in various states of disarray. Some of us received rice, others didn't. They claimed to have ran out of wild rice. Seriously? In the middle of dinner service on a Sunday evening? My brother ordered his sans the Jack Daniels sauce and with a side of french onion soup. Since he didn't receive wild rice, they sent out a plate with two obviously overcooked medallions that closely resembled lumps of coal. Fast forward 10 months, my brother and I decided to give them another try. This time for a weekday lunch. We each ordered a margarita, a cheeseburger, and french onion soup. My brother also ordered onion rings. The margaritas were very acidic and you couldn't taste the tequila. The food was just OK to put it kindly. I'm not certain that I'll let them fool me a third time. read more

Candlelight Inn - 5/28/23: Filet Medallions. They were out of the wild rice that this entrée is supposed to come with. They served this instead! - American Near Me - Clinton, Iowa

Candlelight used to be synonymous with great food. The last couple times have been subpar at best. We decided to try again tonight for a birthday. It seems like it's just reheated fast food. Greasy appetizers; hard chicken and cold potatoes. Very disappointing. Won't be back. read more

It looks really dated and they don't allow dogs on their patio. We didn't eat here because we were camping with our dog.

Friendly service and great view makes any meal better. Known for their chicken tenders and they are tasty. The seating on the deck may require some effort as it is popular but i would add, worth the wait. read more

Candlelight Inn - Great view, but just not quite warm enough. - American Near Me - Clinton, Iowa

Another delicious meal and fun day with family. Always enjoy our time here and Evan is such a great waiter! read more

Candlelight Inn - Mother's Day with mom and sister - American Near Me - Clinton, Iowa

Very nice restaurant. Cucumber salad dressing is really good! NY strip was excellent. Onion rings were ok. Too thin with too much batter. Service was excellent. Only thing I'd change is the music. Terrible. Was putting me to sleep, read more

Candlelight Inn - American Near Me - Clinton, Iowa

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Came here for the first time with my coworkers. It was said that this place had the best prime rib in town, but I wasn't impressed. We ordered the prime rib (thin sliced, bland, and I got the King size too), prime ribeye (delicious and very flavorful), boom boom shrimp (delicious and the flavor is similar to Chinese walnut shrimp), fried mushroom (juicy and batter is delicious), and the highly recommended Famous Chicken George (super juicy, flavorful especially with their Jan's sauce, tender, and cheap). The staff here are friendly and fast. The parking lot is huge and they're located next to a small boat harbor with a lighthouse and the beautiful Mississippi River. read more

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Can't go wrong with any dish that has Chicken George in it! We had the Mac and Cheese version, Broiled Chicken of the Sea, and regular order of Chicken George. Delicious! Service was excellent and the views of the river were great too. Will be back! read more

Candlelight Inn - American Near Me - Clinton, Iowa

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Nice view and decent date night. Fancy drinks are very small and cost like fancy restaurant devils but food is not what I would call fancy. Chicken George is the star of the show I love the dipping sauce that goes with it. read more

My first impression of walking in I wasn't greeted by anyone, didn't know if I had to wait to be seated or do I seat myself. So I took it upon myself to have a seat near the window looking over the Mississippi River. It was a nice view. But the server/bartender was very nice. He help us with the drink menu and he also knew the price to the drinks that's a plus because they are not in the menu. I order the Chicken George and it was all you can eat. It comes with one side and I ordered fires. They were hard like they were cooked to long that was big negative in my book. Make it so bad they were not hot, just warm. I thought that I will get new fries being that it was all you can eat but I guess I was wrong which is understandable. After I finished my chicken they brought out 4 strips at time. They were piping hot which that's the way I wish the first order would have came out but they were also just warm like the fries. My fiancé the mac & cheese Chicken George and the cheese wasn't melted. It was also lukewarm and also dry. We didn't complain about that but when we got near the bottom of the pasta we noticed burnt pieces of pasta and at that moment we knew that the meal wasn't worth the money. The baked potato was not fresh at all it was brown!!!! Overall the service was nice just the food wasn't up to par. read more

Candlelight Inn - Baked potato - American Near Me - Clinton, Iowa

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Went there fir a birthday dinner last night and was not impressed. The web site says that they hire "the best cooks"....pulling up I seen two of those cooks outside of tge back doors on a smoke break. We went inside and was seated by the window which was pleasant, but there was only six other tables filled and tge rest empty at 5pm it should have been busier. We ordered our food, my wife sweet and sour chicken and I had the walleye cheeks but we noticed that they only come with 1 side and no salad at a premium price! All of their dishes are like that. When I got my meal I expected tender light flakey fish (cheek meat should be the most tender and juicy) . I have never had stringy, tough dry fish but this was worse that eating a 10 year old banty chicken! Bad cooks, too expensive for worse than fast food quality but hey great view! My advice.....covid is over get way better or get out of the business. If you're going to charge premium prices have premium dining experience and better full meal choices. For the reader if you want fish, save your money and go to Culver's, their walleye is better and costs less! read more

Dad ordered prime rib medium as did my husband. Was basically raw . Had to be sent back. Waitstaff was good but too busy and hard to flag down to send dinner back. Pretty spot. Loud . Gluten free options limited. read more

This is not even close to as good as it used to be. I won't be going back! The food tasted like it was sitting awhile , and the service sucked. I waited for over 45 minutes just for a refill & my bill. read more

Candlelight used to be a go to place when we came home to visit family and wanted a nice place to eat with great views of the river. Friday night was honestly one of the worst experiences we've had and one of the all time worst meals ever. We made a reservation and the restaurant wasn't full when we arrived. Our server took our drink and appetizer orders and we got both relatively quickly. The boom boom shrimp was delicious! Light crispy batter, perfectly cooked shrimp and a creamy, spicy sauce. But the mixed appetizer platter was a huge disappointment! The cheese curds were over cooked and most of the cheese had leaked out. The rest of them were tough and dry. The onion rings were good but the mushrooms were in a giant ball of batter and were mushy. Plus, our appetizer plates sat and sat until we finally were able to flag down a busboy to clear them (our server had disappeared by this point) We waited for a very long time for our mains and they were brought by a young man (not our server). My mom and I had ordered ribeyes medium rare and we could tell immediately that they were over cooked. Upon cutting into them, they were well done and we told the guy that was unacceptable and we needed them redone. They were also so thin! I've never seen a ribeye that thin before and I find it hard to believe they were 12 oz as advertised. In addition to our hammered steaks, my daughter's order was messed up, they forgot to bring ketchup for the kids burgers, and our server basically ghosted us once our meals were delivered! She never once came to ask if we needed more drinks or how our food was. We tried getting her attention multiple times but she ignored us and would just zoom past our table. My husband finally got up and went to the front to the hostess desk to try to get a manager. Everyone had finished eating by the time our new steaks arrived and they came with no potato! They were cooked properly but the meat was absolutely disgusting. Mine was so tough and full of gristle I had a hard time finding an area on my steak that was edible. all of the steaks were covered with this seasoning that was gross. My daughter never did get her order fixed and by the time we got ketchup, the kids burgers were cold. The manager apologized and he did take a little off of our bill. But the manager cant make up for poor food quality. All of the steaks were sub par. Others at the table had the NY Strip steaks and they said they were tough and didnt taste good either. Look, i get that places are often understaffed and im willing to be patient, but if the food sucks and your server goes past your table multiple times without even looking or asking how things are, thats a problem. its very sad to see this restaurant go so far downhill. read more

We live nearby and usually eat Candlelight once a week. Tonight, we ordered delivery and though it arrived on time, my husband's entree showed up with no chicken in it. I phoned and explained to them what had happened and there was a fresh replacement at our door in less than 5 minutes! Great job Clinton Candlelight! We appreciate you! read more

Chicken is a 10, best ever, waitress was awesome. Come on Monday or Tuesday if you want a great deal on the chicken.

The servers are outstanding. The chicken george is alright but the dipping sauces need a lot of work. I was extremely disappointed in the French onion soup. It was a gummy, unflavorfull mess in a little bowl with pieces of onion that were uneatable. They literally could not be chewed. The view is nice, I just wish the food was worth the money. I had come here before on Friday for the all you can eat fish. The fish was extremely greasy and the fries were cold and hard. I spent most of the next day in the bathroom. read more

I've always LOVED the Candlelight for YEARS!! Since ~2013 this was my favorite spot to meet up with friends and family. If I remember correctly cheap happy hour margaritas were Friday night. It was one of the greatest memories I had with this place. Though Saturday, August 29, 2020 lunch was a huge disappointment. 4 of us were there and aside the appetizers of Boom Boom Shrimp the entrees were less than desirable. We had 1lb and 1/2lb of Chicken George, Beef & Garlic Fettuccine, and Bob's super salad. My go-to dish is the Chicken George, but wow has it gone downhill... the beef in the Fettuccine dish was tough and 3/4ths of the pieces were covered in fat. Luckily the Shrimp saved the day. The waiter might have been new but he wasn't attentive but he did take care of another table. I don't hold it against anyone, new or nervous, but we couldn't get the check for 20 mins and had to hunt down someone for our bill. For over $100 meal, it was a huge disappointment, we all decided that would be our last visit, unfortunately. The view is absolutely beautiful inside though. Watching the boats on the river. Outside seating was packed. It was a beautiful day to enjoy the view. We were inside in a booth which was relaxing aside the music that was so loud (like being in a club) that we couldn't hear those sitting on the opposite side of the table... read more

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Arrived before it got crazy busy. Was told 15 minutes. After 35minutes we said we would go outside. After 10 minutes of waiting outside, we left. Never saw a waitress. Wasted almost 50 minutes there. read more

The best part of this location is absolutely the views and atmosphere, but the food is also very good! I ordered the famous "Chicken George" or "Prime George" and I'm not sure if it was worth the hype. It was well cooked and well seasoned but not particularly exciting. Our table though was absolutely lovely - right over the water and the service was fantastic. Definitely a great place for a family night out read more

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There is a great decor and they have some of the best food in Clinton. For the area, the prices are a little high (I think they rent the space from the city?) but worth it for any kind of special night out. It is located on a riverboat just off the Levy and Riverside Park, with the bike trail and quite a draw. When were went there while walking the dogs, we were told that they couldn't be on the outside deck or lower patio. I would be much more likely to patronize them for drinks if I didn't have to come back home and then return. At that point, it is better sit on my patio and keep their profit in my pocket. read more

We recently went to the Candlelight again! They have a few new items on the menu. Fried brussel sprouts as an appetizer. We tried it.. Nope! Too much vinegar and just a squishy mess. You can take this one off the menu. New mac and cheese??? UGH I loved the old mac and cheese. read more

Delightful riverside supper club with great food, staff and location. The Chicken George is a must try - it's what chicken tenders WISH they were! We sat on the outside deck and had a great view of the barges, boats and almost the widest spot on the Mississippi! read more

Great location for the restaurant over the Mississippi River and they were the originators of chicken George which is a local favorite here in the area. prices are a little high but for the quality of the restaurant and the food they might be worth it read more

Great view of the river! Prime rib (queen size) was very good. There is a strange spice that is the crust. Didn't care for it. Fresh side salad & shared delicious onion rings with hubby. He got the Prime Rib Stack. Don't do it!! Prime rib was shaved thinly on top of mashed potatoes & topped with onion strings. Too much au jus, it could almost be soup. Taste was ok. Overall good food & service. read more

Great food. Great service. Great staff. Great location. Get the Chicken George and onion rings!

Overall, we had a good experience. The food was good and reasonably priced. The only complaint I have was the wait time. We were told there would be around a 20 minute wait but ended up being almost an hour. We later found out that we were accidentally skipped. Honest mistake and will return again. read more

Candlelight Inn - Chicken George - American Near Me - Clinton, Iowa

Have ate here a few times while in town for work. The good: Wonderful location and view of the river Food is pretty tasty. Mostly fried items but the sampler platter is gigantic, and the chicken George while simple is a tasty dish Plenty of seating The bad: Slooooooowwwwww service. Always seem to be understaffed. Sat down at 7:15 tonight, didn't see a waiter for 10 minutes. Got drink order and he disappeared again for a while. Food didn't get out until 8:20pm. Waiter looked completely stressed out and going 20 different directions so I wasn't too mad. Come here when you aren't in a huge hurry, the food is good. read more

The location is great with a Mississippi view. The service was attentive. The prices are on the high side with all sides ala cart. The food was good. I had the the house special Chicken George. The sauce reminds me of a Chinese sauce used in Honey Walnut Shrimp. I would go back. It would not be in my top ten goto sites. read more

This has an excellent location, veiw is great, patio is great. Food, only average. Best to go when kitchen isnt busy. read more

Candlelight Inn - Plank salmon - American Near Me - Clinton, Iowa

the Candlelight Inn is located right on the beautiful Mississippi River. the dress is pretty casual even though it has a more fancy look and feel. similar to Olive Garden's vibe. this is a fantastic place to take the family for Sunday afternoon lunch. the wait staff are friendly, attentive and speedy. they also have a pay at the table system so getting the check takes no time at all. they are known for their Chicken George which is an incredible dish. the chicken strips are lightly battered and comes with Jan's Sauce and two side options. i chose the sweet potato fries and onion rings, both were great choices. the onion rings are lightly battered as well and the fries are actually wedges so don't be fooled. the Chicken George is actually a pretty large portion that could be split between two people who are moderately hungry or known to have smaller appetites. i definitely recommend hoppin over to Clinton to check out The Candlelight Inn. read more

Candlelight Inn - The Original Chicken George - American Near Me - Clinton, Iowa