Average food, service and menu. It is the Christmas Lights that the family MUST visit. While there is an entry fee, well worth the price - 5 million lights at 6:00 PM. We have been visiting for the past 38 years. "This is our 38th year," said Owner Tony Satariano. "We are now at the magical number of 5 million lights." "And honestly, once it's up, it's truly a lot of fun," Satariano said. "Everybody comes here... They're all in a good mood. It's a universal feeling and fun time, no matter if you're my age or your age." We arrive 5:15 - 5:30 PM, and enjoy the grand illumination. Dress for the weather as much of the event is outdoors. read more

Clifton Mill - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Clifton, Ohio

I can't rate the restaurant but the Christmas lights tonight were fantastic. What a cute little ceremonial event to kick off the Christmas season. I've never been. Seeing tons of people show up to enjoy the hot coco, cookies, popcorn, hotdogs and Santa was great! read more

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UPDATE: I have recently now been to Clifton Mill three times, two times during the fall season-- and let me just say that the crowds are so much better during the fall than Christmas. Sure, everyone should see their Christmas lights display at least one time in their life (see previous review, the crowds are crazy!)-- but I think my favorite time to come here is during the fall when I'm hiking in the gorge or John Bryan State Park. I still have not sat down and eaten food at the mill (it's on my list!), but I have loved to browse the gift store and walk around the property. The fall colors are spectacular in yellow springs during mid October, and this mill is the perfect backdrop to all things fall in Ohio! read more

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Pros: Located in historic Yellow Springs Restaurant and gift shop Friendly service Cons: Food was pricey and only meh Mill wasn't working and was unclear if it is ever open for tours Gift shop has pancake mix, but it is super expensive as are all the nick nacks Parking is limited Ice cream is grocery store brand; missed opportunity partnering with Young's Dairy Out of the way from downtown Yellow Springs Walking bridge closed for repairs Pro tip: Skip a mid-week visit and come when they have their Christmas lights up read more

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How great! So many pictures to share. The food was very good and very reasonably priced. The pancakes were some of the biggest I've ever seen! The service was good and it was timely. The interior is lots of natural wood and is very cozy. read more

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I wanted to love this place. But it was a let down. First it looks huge in all the pics. But the part that was open to the public (of the main building) is small. The gift shop has over priced items. The Clifton Mills mixes are just a small part. Pancake mixes mostly. There were just 2 of us and it was not crowded but for some reason we had to wait several minutes to be seated. Daughter has soup which she said was ok that came with a piece of corn bread that was stale. I had the chicken salad on bread with kettle chips. There were huge chucks of celery in the sandwich. It tasted good. But there was not enough of it for the bread. Kettle chips were ok. Just something store bought. We walked around after. Maybe it's a different experience at Christmas. But there was nothing to see - besides the Mill. And the grounds needed upkeep. The view of the mill is very pretty from the covered bridge. But I would not travel far for the over experience. read more

Clifton Mill - View of the mill from the covered bridge. - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Clifton, Ohio

Christmas lights review: excellent! It was worth the 1 hour drive to see this spectacle! Lights lights lights, plus Santa - real deal guy, waving at us from the rooftop! My husband was ecstatic! -- plus an enormous miniature village with so many fun details, plus a Santa display that defies description. Had a hot cocoa too, with lots of whipped cream. Cute tiny store. And - spoiler alert- there's a musical light display! We were caught off guard on this one and were delightfully surprised and mesmerized. Know before you go: hard to see the parking signage in the deep dark night, but look for the staffers with lighted batons. We went on week night and had manageable crowds and no difficulty parking in the adjacent lot. The web cites food available including sandwiches but we saw only popcorn and pretzels, so eat before you go. Can be pricey so be sure you enjoy every bit of the Christmas marvelousness! read more

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Had lunch with wife today and got the 1/2 and 1/2. I had white bean chili soup and wife had chicken noodle soup. Soup was ok, nothing to write home about. We both had BLT, one small piece of bacon on each 1/2 sandwich! Wow. Find the bacon win a prize. Thought it was a joke. Won't be eating lunch there again. Btw, service is slower than the posted sign saying service will be slow. read more

Was it awesome YES Was it worth the money NO $15 a person? No restaurant no bathroom just Porta pots. The drive there is crazy scary and the gift shop is sad. read more

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We stopped in for lunch on Memorial weekend Saturday. There was a wait for a table but not too bad. The wait for the food was kind of long so plan on that. We had a table by the water. It was a great view. I had a buttermilk pancake and eggs. My husband had the Reuben. The pancake as everyone says is huge! I ate about a third of it. My husband is a Reuben fanatic and this one passed the test. My only complaint is that the mill museum area as described on the website is not open on Saturday. The young lady said that also something is broke in there. Oh well. Lunch was good and the views awesome. read more

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Me and my family went to this brunch restaurant as it was recommended to us from a friend. But, it was definitely not worth the hype. I ordered a dish that was something along the lines of stuffed potatoes and it was just plan bad. The potatoes were somehow dry, and were not seasoned at all. Additionally, the potatoes were loaded with some scrambled eggs which were drowned in milk, to the point where the eggs had no taste. And, the only redeeming quality was the tiny dash of bacon garnished on top of them. Which did not make it better at all. Then, my other family members both order pancakes with additional sides. The pancakes were unbelievably dry, even after putting syrup on them, the pancakes would just soak it all up like a sponge and somehow still manage to be dry. Another side my family had were sunny side eggs that were oddly hard. French toast was another side, which was basically just plan white toast. The only good thing about the meal was the bacon they provided. Now if you like minute and cute Christmas decorations, the restaurant has decorations around the outside area. But that doesn't compensate for their food one bit. You'd be better off spending your money at IHOP. read more

Since this is such an aesthetic restaurant in a historical part of town, I want to give it all the benefit of the doubt. They offer a beautiful and clear view of the mill outside of the windows and it has a cozy, rustic log cabin feel inside. I got the mushroom omelet with American cheese. When our waitress handed me my slightly burning hot plate, it was covered in grease and sticky. The mushrooms were very filling and I couldn't finish the whole meal. They do have gluten free sorghum pancakes but you can't substitute them with anything; they have to come plain Our waitress was very to-the-point and very quick taking our orders when i could have used a couple more minutes reading the menu. Multiple times she said no to our questions abruptly with little explanation. I did enjoy the little gift shop and the view. This place could be cleaned up a bit and revised, but otherwise I still will be back to enjoy the historical mill. read more

Clifton Mill - mushroom omelet - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Clifton, Ohio

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Food was great as well as the service. Food was homemade. Ambiance was exceptional, old country charm.

We made a very disappointing trip here from Columbus (60 miles). First the eating area is unheated and it was 29 degrees outside. We ordered the following: chicken salad sandwich (good). Cup of chili (not bad but also barely warm). Fruit cup (old, gross, inedible). Side salad (full of rotten lettuce). We told the server about the salad and she said, "I'll have to tell someone to look into that". I told the woman at the register about the salad and she reacted like I had spoiled her day. She said the best I can do is give you 10% off ($2.80 off a $28 bill, the salad was $6.29). I paid the bill and will never return to this place. A shame because we love old mills. read more

You don't come here for the food, not that the food stinks, but it's average AT BEST. Burgers come out dry, but if you get breakfast food you can't go wrong, but your sausage will be dry too. You come here for the Christmas store and amazing Christmas lights and scenery. This truly is a beautiful place. This place used to be (don't think it still is) a grain mill. At night you can come here for the Christmas light show, with a nativity scene as well. read more

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My son goes to a nearby college and many parents had recommended this place. We finally decided to try it while visiting him. We went for lunch on a Sunday. We had about a 40 minute wait. The outside mill area was nice to view during the wait. The server was very kind and friendly. The pancake was huge! The Rueben sandwich and burger were fine. read more

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Ultimate country breakfast spot. Great service, delicious corned beef hash, coffee is spot on. read more

Clifton Mill - Corned beef hash, over easy egg, raisin toast - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Clifton, Ohio

A Dayton area holiday tradition the Clifton Mill holiday lights display. This year limited to 25% capacity which actually made it nice to walk around and see the lights and displays. The main attraction are the lights over the mill, covered bridge and water which helps power the mill. Admission is $10 a person & there's plenty of free parking by the mill. Several locals we're trying to have you pay for parking in their yards but is not necessary. The Santa collection has over 3,500 Santa's from around the world collected by one family. Santa has his workshop and says Hi to visitors from the top of the chimney. There's a huge train display, covered bridge and light show. The light show only had one Trans Siberian Orchestra song, know it's hard to program the lights but would be cool to have more than one song. read more

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Tony Vanoy & I went to Ohio today August 19, 2020 to see the Historical Clifton Mills built-in 1802. It is a 5 story building located along the Miami River that runs through the Clifton Gorge Nature Park. The Mill is free to walk around. There are other outside buildings including a covered bridge. There is a gift shop, restaurant and you can take a half hour tour for $3 Great place to visit. They also WON the Christmas Light Competition on TV last season. Definitely recommend all to visit. read more

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Stopped on a road trip and had a great experience. Just two of us having lunch. The food was delicious and service was excellent. All of the staff was extremely friendly. They were also putting up the holiday lights for the upcoming season. Hope to make it to see that! read more

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I find it surprising the ratings here are so high. I don't find Clifton Mill anything to call home about, particularly for the lack of awareness towards guests. A breakfast rush will always be an issue but there were several elderly with canes and walkers and there is nowhere for them to sit and wait for their table. The have a sign that says they would like you to limit your time at the table to 90 minutes. Considering the time you wait and the Denny's style service, that sign is pretty tacky. Clifton Mill could have at least have menus displayed or accessible to guests while waiting if they want to shave off some table time. I asked for the WiFi password since Clifton Mill is a cellphone dead zone but, "sorry we can't give the password out." Who doesn't have WiFi offered to their guests? If you are seating in the dining room to the left where there is no view, it will be pretty noisy. We asked for a quiet table because my two senior parents don't hear well, and once again, the answer was no. You'll need to sit up by the nice view and quieter dining experience. The food came out pretty quickly and was reasonably priced, but it's overall not a welcoming place or real "experience." Next Yellow Springs trip, we will skip the place that doesn't make their guests needs a priority. They just want you in and out, sadly. read more

As far as Christmas lights go.... Clifton Mills grossly downsized their lights display. Literally a small squared section of lights with only a santa museum, overpriced cafeteria of popcorn and $8.50 cocoa, plus a santa workshop you can only look into windows of. Sure, the light show is great, but considering everything takes only 15 minutes and cost $15 per person! Dont waste your time or money! read more

Stopped here as a diversion on a road trip. The mill is certainly photogenic to say the least. I was disappointed the mill was not operating when I visited. I really wanted to see the inner workings below the ground level. But during October they are busy prepping the Christmas lights for the upcoming holiday season. So there are no mill tours. I did eat in their restaurant just behind the gift shop. The seating is limited. I expect it could be packed during their busy season. I was there late afternoon about 1 hour before closing. It was me and two other tables being served. Food was mediocre but not bad. Prices very reasonable. I was expecting to pay more. Service was good and friendly. I had fun walking the grounds photographing the mill and the covered bridge. read more

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This was a short drive from Yellow Springs and we hadn't had lunch yet. After finishing up earlier than expected at Yellow Springs we drove to Clifton Mill for the first time in years. Although there was already a decent size crowd there we were able to get a table for lunch in 20 minutes. With a table by the window with a view of the creek and the covered bridge we were promptly waited on and got our beverages. We both opted for a cup of soup that came with a huge piece of cornbread. Frankly the cup of soup was more like a bowl and was very filling. The thought of dessert eft our minds as we were too stuffed. Service was very good and attentive. Our glass/cup was always filled. It's only a few minutes away from the Clifton Gorge which we visited after lunch. read more

Clifton Mill - A view of the mill from the covered bridge. - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Clifton, Ohio

Got a craving for pancakes? Come hungry and you'll get your fill at Clifton Mill in Clifton, Ohio. Ask for a box...you'll need it. Or, just take a hike at John Bryan State Park first and eat both humongous pancakes and you'll get a third one free. read more

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The food was average. I had chicken salad on whole wheat. It was a little different than chicken salad I've had in the past, not in a bad way. It had whole grapes, almonds, celery, chicken and a creamy sauce. The pancakes which my wife had were as big as the plate and you got 2 of them. Service was good and it was like going back in time because inside and out was like going back to the 1800's read more

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You have to stop at the mill anytime you're in yellow springs. The view alone is worth it. Not to mention some of biggest pancakes I've ever see. As usual we had great service with multiple people checking us to see if we needed anything. Our food was out sighing 10-15 mins. As someone who loves biscuits and gravy they have the best gravely anywhere I've ever been. When you're done take a stroll over to their covered bridge. They are also right by the best hiking trail with multiple falls to see. read more

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Great place to come. Even not doing the holidays. You can come walk the gorge even in the summer. Has nice trails. Decent gift shop. It's just a getaway when you want to get away. Is this a place I would take a friend that came from out of town during the holidays? Yes, 100% read more

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Service was pretty good all of the waiters were very attentive and nice to us. Food was buss, i got the french toast and it tasted really good. Overall the atmosphere was cool and we walked around the side of the building to see all the cool stuff. Nice place. read more

Clifton Mill - outside of the place, super cool - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Clifton, Ohio

Visited the weekend following Christmas. The lights and the mill are quite beautiful this time of year. They really go all out, with a covered bridge light show, spinning mill wheel of lights, and even a miniature village with model trains and animated people and cars. Prior to Christmas you can meet Santa. You can also admire their large collection of Santa kitsch, or stroll around the gift shop. This was a fun off-the-beaten-path stop. Be mindful though, it is rather quaint. I'm not exactly sure we got a full ten dollars worth, but in the end it was only ten dollars. read more

Good breakfast, cute restaurant with lots of history. Service was good. My only complaint was the restroom which was slightly dirty...they had been very busy before we were there so I'm not knocking them for that because I'm sure they were understaffed. read more

Clifton Mill - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Clifton, Ohio

This is a lovely place to visit and enjoy the scenery and food. In addition it has a store with lovely items for sale. Our experience was awesome. The food was good and so was the service. We ordered the grilled chicken sandwich and a cheeseburger. However, the ONLY sides they offer is French fries or chips (which was a bit disappointed as they should be able to offer more of a variety such as coleslaw or apple square (in my opinion). The BEST part of my meal was the hot apple pie a la mode with chocolate ice cream. Next time I visit, will order the breakfast instead. Mind you, when we arrived it was after 4 pm and was empty (it closes at 5 pm). We were attended by 2 waitresses which was odd. The prices are very reasonable and what make it so amazing is the scenery and it's history. When asked about the history of the restaurant, it was established in 1802. They have pictures on all walls which makes it interesting. We were informed that one of the best times to visit is during the Christmas Holidays. It's definitely a place you would like to visit with friends or family during any season and take amazing pictures. read more

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Excellent food and service! Wonderful view! It can get very busy on a Sunday morning. Give yourself plenty of time.

We did stop at the Mill the best views were from the bridge. I wish they had some viewing windows inside so you could see the working mill. The grounds could use some updating. read more

The food was good and the service was excellent! The surrounding grounds are very pleasant.

Had such a beautiful time with my grand daughter Walking the traiks Eating at the very unique mill Wondrful memories i will hold dear from this place read more

Clifton Mill - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Clifton, Ohio

Looking for a Christmas outing? Clifton Mill Christmas Lights! Gorgeous! My first visit and for us it was worth the drive. Lights turn on at 6pm. Cost $10 a person to enter. 3 years and under free. Parking is free. I think they should have kid pricing. Maybe $5 for 10 year old and under. But I feel the $10 help cover lights, music, staff and etc. Every 30 mins there is a light show in the Cover Bridge area. Place to see vintage Santa's, sleds and toys. Take a look at Santa in the toy shop and then come through the chimney on the roof. Village scene has many moving pieces and memory triggers, nativity, work area, and inside treats. There are restroom in the restaurant but porta-john available. Seating inside restaurant to warm up and the porch gives a wonderful view of the covered bridge. Arrive early in evening before it gets crowded. Walkable, there were people in wheelchairs and babies in strollers- everyone seemed to be able to see everything. read more

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The restaurant is interesting and the view of the stream is great. Service is adequate.The food is plentiful and good.

Giant pancakes! Nice Folksy atmosphere. Beautiful setting! Great Service! We will return! read more

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Restaurant rating: From the other reviews, this must be the place for good old-fashioned pancakes (which were not selected on this visit). The omelettes were huge, both the mushroom-stuffed and the "everything" omelette. There were 2 large chunks of mushroom, that's it, and they were barely sauteed. Both omelettes were dry -- very dry. When we asked for butter (due to the texture of the omelettes) we were met with a "dead stare". The toast? Well, it wasn't really toast, it was more like bread that had a slight roughness on the outside. Leaving it in the toaster longer would have improved the crispiness. Service was OK, not super-friendly or welcoming, just a bit abrupt. It was as if the staff did not want to be there, did not really care about hearing your comments or feedback. Those characteristics seem more common in diner in a metropolis, not a small town tourist destination. The items hanging from the ceiling of the "general store" (front of restaurant) provide a visual history. Area rating: Other than the fact it's a working mill, which is fascinating & historical, the grounds were not impressive (this visit was late spring), nor were the buildings that surround the mill. It would be nice to have signage, historical makers, to make this a well-rounded tourist experience. NOTE for wait staff: guests are within earshot of your comments about other employees. Save those comments for your breaks outside the premises. read more