Great food, cozy atmosphere, and consistently friendly service. The Candlelight Inn never disappoints--everything is flavorful, fresh, and comforting. A Rock Falls staple that always feels welcoming and worth the visit. read more

absolutely terrible. we ordered carry out, a combo platter (fried vegetables) it was raw. this is the second time it has happened. the 1st time we let it pass but this time i called the manager. she sent us a voucher for the $14.95 platter. so i order carry out again only i ask for french fries or onion rings instead. nope manager said that i have to buy the same thing that was undone a third time!!!!! i don't think so. we won't be going back and we were regulars. i'm going to frame the voucher and put it in my garage. read more

Candlelight NEVER disappoints! I haven't been in for years due to moving out of state but Chicken George was something I would dream about. I was in town for a family reunion so I had to stop in. It was just as good as I remember. Chicken George with Jan's sauce is one of a kind. They offer several other options if you do not want chicken. The restaurant was so clean and the decor was very nice. However, I do wish it was a little brighter light in the restaurant but I guess they get the name Candlelight for a reason. Our waitress was AMAZING! We had a large party and she was so great at attending to all of us. I was so glad I got to stop in during my time in town and Chicken George will be something I dream about until my next visit. read more

Candlelight Inn - Chicken George - Steakhouses Near Me - Rock Falls, Illinois

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My Ribs were charred hard and burnt. Was not pleased at all. Should have refused the plate!

Don't get me wrong, we love the Chicken George. The last two visits the baked potato was cold and one evening I had the quarter chicken and it was luke warm and very dry. It didn't look or taste like the chicken I remember. This was within a few days of each visit. We enjoy the atmosphere of the restaurant very much. read more

Decent dining spot in Rock Falls. Went here for dinner for my brother's race weekend. I think he had Philly cheese steak. I had fish fry and veggies. We both shared a mixed appetizer Pros: + Real good bang for our buck. Roughly $60 after tip with a couple of drinks and an appetizer. + Food portions on the tall end. Most people shouldn't leave hungry + Service was pretty good despite being crazy busy. + Really enjoyed the appetizer. + Good place to bring a date. Cons: - For me the fish and veggies could have been a little better. The veggies specifically were a tad dry and bland. I don't get perch often and maybe I missed something but it was more mushy than flaky Bottom Line: Solid stop worth an additional shot. read more

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The food was good as was the service. We seem to have a meal there whenever we are in the area. It has been consistently good.

This restaurant charges an extra tax on the credit card 3% surcharge. It isn't about the amount (it was small) but rather the principal of the situation. I don't think restaurants or any other business should be charging additional sales tax on the credit card surcharge. The tax should be on the food and drink only. Additionally, instead of apologizing, the manager was arguing with me and blamed it on the credit card company- "The credit card company set it up this way, and I can't do anything about it." Unbelievable, that a manager of a restaurant doesn't control the expenses of the business and blames it on the Credit Card company. I would suggest not patronizing the Candlelight Inn restaurant or any other of Matt Prescott's restaurants including Palmyra Pub, Brinks, Corner Tap, Emersons, read more

Over priced fried garbage. I worked at the sterling location in 2018. They made everybody breakfast except me. They made it clear that they were just gonna use me and we're hoping that I would quit. What a sick culture. I'm really glad they close down. There is a love love, meanness That is out of control, rural backwoods little towns that has created Unhappy, miserable people I'd like to make himself feel superior by putting other people down. It's so infantile this company has no exception. Going to go to one of the gentleman managers when I brought it here I was always welcomed in the bar is really nice too. It's a nice atmosphere, and it's very pleasant to just have a meal alone or with a friend or with a big party. candlelight will accommodate you. read more

I always love Candlelight Inn and chicken George, especially. We usually always went to the Sterling location. This was the first time I went to the Rock Falls location. We were driving through, so I went to pick it up as a Togo order. The lady didn't know how to ring it up and had me go to the bar. This was annoying. It took her about ten minutes to get my food, but food luckily still warm. Chicken George came through and was still amazing! Love this place so much. It's really fancy inside. I would try to come back sometime. Anything for the white sauce! read more

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D food was OK; I went w/ my friends (a couple). For Appetizer, we ordered d Onion Rings; looked fine, but batter-coating was too thick ; tasted like it had been fried much earlier, waiting for some diner to order it ! n d dipping sauce was like Ranch dressing from a bottle. My lady friend ordered d Chicken George, a 1956 original "recipe" concocted by d original Candlelight Inn. It tasted bland ; I've had better chicken strips from some fast-food places n again, d side dipping sauce was just ok. My Guy friend n I had "EAT ALL YOU CAN SHRIMPS"/ Thursdays ; d shrimps were huge n butterflied, had a nice crunch, OK taste, but didn't have d "oomph" in it. My guy friend was ready for a "shrimp" refill, n we couldn't find d server; nor did anybody come around to check on d " eat all u can shrimp " orders/ d treat for d day. By d time I finished my shrimps (I'm a slow eater!) again no waitress around to order seconds ! Once we were served our orders, no one even bothered to check if we needed anything else or how our orders were. Maybe some wait staff called in sick, but that shouldn't be our problem. D next time our waitress came around was w/ our bill ! Oh well, time for d Manager to " shake " things up n get their act together far as cooking/timeliness,taste n seasoning are concerned; n more in number/ n attentive wait-staff should be hired ! Sorry for d thumbs-down review; I used to go to their Sterling Restaurant ( it's now closed ) n d food n service was good; even as I was going home from there, I was already thinking of when I'll be returning ! 2 STARS** read more

I love this place. Best chicken George ever and the best prime rib ever. Mine is seasoned and grilled to finish. The owner and staff always do outstanding job and the place is always beautiful read more

Candlelight Inn - Prime rib season and grilled to finish - Steakhouses Near Me - Rock Falls, Illinois

LOVE this place. Chicken George is my favorite. My family comes here every time guests are in town.

Love their Prime George (grilled, seasoned chicken strips)!! A great alternative to their famous Chicken George (fried, breaded chicken strips) read more

Candlelight Inn - Prime George - Steakhouses Near Me - Rock Falls, Illinois

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We met there for a family birthday, we had a reservation and even though we were the first people there upon opening we had to wait for our table. The parking was plentiful and very convenient. The restaurant for the most part is handicap accessible however the restroom isnt as you have to navigate 2 doors to get into the restrooms. The tables are pretty close and the staff doesn't wear masks, so Covid is a concern. The server we had was very nice however he definitely needs some training. Our orders were all jumbled up so we had to wait for corrections inorder to eat. The cook also could use some training as both steaks were served very overdone. What appeared to be a manager came by and asked how things were and we brought it to his attention and he too agreed it was over cooked. They did take 1/2 off the steaks which was appreciated as only about 1/2 the steaks were not leather like. It is odd they now charge for the entrée then separate charges for everything like salad, soup and sides. It appears the quality has gone down and the prices have gone up. read more

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We were on our way to a wedding in Des Moines and needed to stop for gas. Once we got off we decided to grab a bite to eat before we continued on. This was THE best decision of the trip. We came in on 12/30/2023. We were immediately greeted by the hostess and sat at a table in the bar. Our server was Corey. He was phenomenal! He was handling the bar and the room next to it, both were pretty crowded. He kept our drinks full and always stopped to see if we needed anything. He even ran to the back to grab us a sample of Chicken George since it was our first time there and we had never heard of it. He didn't even ask, just did it. As our meal was delivered and we were eating, the MOD and other staff came to refill our drinks and remove any dirty dishes. That said a lot about management & staff there. My only issue is we don't have this restaurant closer! read more

Great chicken, famious for their reciept for the Jane sauce. Delicious. Servings are good. Have good mixed drinks friendly

The food is not bad. It's actually excellent for the area. Where I live we have much better restaurants. I bring my brother-in-law there because he enjoys the chicken George. I once had a steak, but it was over cooked. I will go back again. read more

Food and service is always good. We've never waited long for seating or service, even when they're busy which is often. We love to visit for birthdays and anniversaries. My favorite is the kale quinoa power salad, and the Prime (grilled) Chicken George. read more

Outstanding experience on 2 consecutive days! Our server, Corey, was exceptional...very attentive both times. When we returned for lunch after having dinner the night before, Corey let us know that he had a party of 40 coming in. He got us a great table and coached us to order quickly so we could get ahead of the crowd. Food was exceptional both times and fried cheese curds, fried mushrooms, cod and, of course, the famous Chicken George were all big hits! Thank you Corey for taking such good care of us...y'all go to the Candlelight on 1st Ave, y'hear?! read more

Love the food here, experience is amazing every time I go. Highly recommend to anyone interested

Chicken George was fabulous! Service was friendly and fast. Atmosphere was cozy. Highly recommended by our hotel, Holiday Inn Express!

Dined at the Rock Falls Candlelight location on 1/28/2024. Ordered a salad, Chicken George (crispy) and onions rings (crispy as well) for the side. One of the salads came out drenched in so much dressing that it was barely edible. Entrée came out incorrectly - no onion rings with one of the orders. We didn't see the waitress at all while dining. No follow up for coffee warm ups, no follow up to see how the meal was. Waited 10 minutes to get our bill ... was not asked if we'd like dessert. The bill was tossed on to the table and the waitress walked away. No other Candlelight staff in sight as we left the restaurant. I left a message on the Candlelight Facebook page Sunday - received no response, so made a call and spoke to a very rude, snarky manager. I was pretty much reprimanded for not telling someone about the poor food and service before we left. When no one is around, am I to walk around the restaurant and find someone? Is that not the job of the waitress to follow up!? Obviously, the management staff and waitresses are not concerned about their customer's dining experience. Needless to say, we will never be back. read more

Food is good but the price is outrageous. To feed a 4 person family your looking easily $60

Good place to get shrimp. Fast service and most of the staff are friendly. Good drinks . Little pricey but all an all wasn't to bad

SUPPER CLUB We were on our last road trip of the year back to Chicago and we decided to stop off in Rock Falls for a late lunch. There was snow on the ground and the parking lot had Christmas music playing. It was a perfect place to stop before the holidays. There was a little boy who wanted to seat us but he didn't want to talk. He grabbed two menus when we walked in and started walking to a booth. We simply followed. I'm assuming he's part of the family. I loved that he wanted to help by seating us. I tried talking to him but his shyness got the best of him and he ran off. His Mom who was watching over him laughed. Hopefully he will get better. As I looked through the menu I noticed they were famous for their Chicken George. The menu also said that if this was your first trip they would bring out a sample for free. I told the waiter it was our first time, which it was and he brought us out a plate of three chicken strips to try. They were incredibly hot, so we had to wait a little to try them. They were good but not the best chicken fingers I've ever had. I'm glad I got to try them but I probably would never order them. We wanted to start out with an app and we went with the Bang Bang Shrimp. They had some nice kick to them and totally hit the spot on a chilly day. We had eaten breakfast very early and after driving over 6 hours we were very hungry. My coworker ordered soup and she wasn't totally happy with it. She thought it was too salty and that happens when a soup stock comes from a can. Most places don't make their own stock. I typically avoid restaurant soups for this reason. The salt makes it nearly impossible to eat. I can't take stars off because it wasn't my soup but I'll share the warning. I decided to go with the Swiss Dip. It had shaved prime rib, Swiss cheese and au juice to dip in to. The sandwich was good. I'm glad I ordered it. I upgraded my side to the mac m cheese based off our waiters recommendation. I must admit that the mac n cheese wasn't really good. I think the chef put to much white pepper in here. I was a little let down because I never eat mac n cheese and when I eat it, I want it to be mind blowing. Our waiter was also really a character. He refused to use a service tray to clean tables even when a food runner offered it to him to use. He would just drop utensils left and right. He would also stack the dishes up against his chest and walk away dropping forks and knives along the way. If you needed our waiter just follow his trail of drops. I had to laugh at this but I'm sure there are a ton of health code violations happening with all the dishes against his chest. We were lucky that we were his first table of the night. We didn't get his dirty dish shirt but the other diners after us sure did. We probably won't ever stop here again. We happened to be starving and this was the only place that had great reviews and wasn't fast food. The interior is charming and the space is comfortable. It's a great roadside pit stop with some elevated food. It was a perfect stop for us in 2017. Now bring on 2028. read more

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After suggesting to go to candle light at one point, after an important day, "let's go to candle light" I said, walking inside I was so confused but impressed by the Interior decoration and efficiency of the food but not quick as if feeling anyone were in a fast food. Chicken George 4.7/5 crispy and juicy, then the side salad crisp and crunchy fresh vegetables, and last the bread stick soft and warm as if it were fresh. Get the Buffalo George it's worth the extra dollar if anyone is enjoy a little kick on the throat. read more

I drive a toxic waste truck for a living. Im on the road 5 days a week so I eat out often. Somedays i am so hungry i dont change mywork clothes , and Ijust go to the restaurant closest to the hotel. In this case Candlelight Inn looked like a really fine place that might frown on my "rustic" look. Much to the contrary the bus boy clearing the table next to me, broughtmeout their signature dish sample. It was a breaded chicken tender with somedipping sauce...fabulous but I forgot the name. The bartender served me acold beer quickly, and my Prime rib was cooked and arrived at my table as i typed this review. Looks good...gotta go read more

I loved everything about the place the food is fantastic. Don't have any criticism. Don't know why I didn't give it five stars. The manager came over to see us the waitress was wonderful drinks were good everything just fantastic I think I will give it a five read more

Prime rib was done to perfection. Plank salmon was succulent. Onion rings sweet and salty. Cherry beer on tap was so yummy! We will be back. One or our favorite places. Thank you read more

Candlelight Inn - Plank salmon all gone! Cherry beer - Steakhouses Near Me - Rock Falls, Illinois

Candlelight it such a dissapointment now. I have been unhappy with them for years. and to be honest stopped going at all. However, many of our out of towner visitors still want to go there because when they come home, they want to go to the Candlelight they remember, and get their great Chicken George. However, that place is long gone, and unfortunately so are the reasonably priced, menu selections and juicy pieces of chicken tenders that were once served. Yes it was great once, but now the pieces are so thin they are often overcooked and dried out, and incredibly overpriced. Being from this area, I have been going to Candlelight for over 50 years. Sadly it is nothing close to what it once was. If you get past the novelty of Chicken George, there is an enormously slashed selection on the menu. What was once an elaborate, plenitiful 'steakhouse' menu in leather binders has now been reduced to a placemat on the table. No longer are there 'dinners', everything is ala carte. Considering this, the prices are just ridiculous. Service is a bit disconnected, you are served by two or three different people. Staff is unfriendly and seem unhappy. Our waiter was incredibly over-the-top rude and seemed angry to be there. Unfortunately we were unlucky enough to have this same waiter several times in a row, with worse treatment each time. Needless to say, our out of town guest is finally over their desire for Chicken George. I'm glad because now I never have to go back at all. Sadly, Bob and Jan's Candlelight is gone. read more

My wife and I wanted to take our son and daughter-in-law and their kids out for a nice dinner in the Sterling-Rockfalls area. This is a great place to go. We were out to mix it up. The starter appetizer is great for sharing. Nicely fried not greasy. The kids shared the pizza, loved it. Our entrees were properly cooked and nicely plated. Please view the food photos. Great servicer, good menu, never rushed fair prices. We'll be back. read more

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Talk about a RANDOM delight! My family and I went to Illinois to visit family a little over a month ago. We decided to drive from Chicago to Le Claire and needed to stop to get food. We were on a time crunch, with many places closing soon, and called 30 min before closing to see if they'd be open for a table. They said yes and we dined on some of the most delicious food and THE warmest environment any three of us have ever experienced! We had the Buffalo George, Chicken GEORGE, fried pickles, and shrimp. The salads were delicious with their signature cucumber dressing! I wish they had a place like this in San Diego! Sincerely! read more

Still has amazing steaks, great service and a good bar. The salad bar is nice and you can even get an acceptable wine.

Disgusting! A step down from a Waffle House! The table was as sticky as a movie theater floor, The napkins and menus were stuck literally to the table! The service was non existent. No host, 2 waitresses for the entire restaurant! Could not get drink orders for 15 minutes. The beverages came after repeated requests and after the appetizers arrived and were given to the wrong people. The food was cold, the orders wrong, the night was a complete waste of $150 - ABSOULTELY UNACCEPTABLE I would be embarrassed to own and run such a establishment. read more

It's alright. The prime rib was very fatty and super salty. Sweet potato fries were alright. The don't have meals here, everything is a la cart. I might return even though it is expensive. read more

We only do takeout orders from here, and we love the chicken George here. Chicken is very tender and moist! Not dried out at all. We drive all the way from Chicago to visit family and we almost always stop here for takeout . The staff here is also very friendly! That's a plus! read more

Very pricey 7 dollars for half order of chicken strips 2 dollars extra for fries extra for salad did get ketchup with meal!

Everything was wonderful. Service was great! It was a very, unseasonably cold night. Wish more people had enjoyed the evening out.

Visited this spot a few weeks ago and I'm still thinking about how sweet Courtney was! She left an impression that was so positive, I'd travel back just to request her to be my server! Food was delicious but this review is for her customer service! read more