I could not find nothing wrong with this place. It was my first time here and the experience was great. The food was delicious. The wine we ordered couldn't be better. I was very happy with everything we got. After dinner before dessert the lady even combed the crumbs off the table which I only see that at upscale places. The wait staff was on top of things. Its a little pricy but you get what you pay for as I believe. I think this places needs another dollar sign next to its name to make it 3 total lol But its all good. read more

Dinner was fantastic. Appetizers, bread with honey thyme butter was out of this world, dinner of filet and lobster and filet was great. Depending what kind of crowd you are attracting, you might want to have the servers wear shoes other than tennis shoes, they should have a better personality and the window ledges next to booths should be dusted and cleaned more often. The "old" atmosphere did not interfere with the dinner served, however when you pay the kind of money to dine at a well known facility and it is your first time there, you notice these things. Not sure if I would make the venture out considering we traveled from the East side suburbs. read more

Don's deserves a 5 star rating due to it's quality and consistency. I have never had a bad meal here, and typically it is outstanding. Efficient, knowledegable staff, fresh deliciously prepared food. My wife and I had the Portugese Seafood Stew, which was fresh, tasty and perfectly seasoned. Our son had the surf & turf for his birthday, and would have ordered more, but he was stuffed. We are typically able to get a table at the time we desire. Likely because the restaruant is not in the 'burbs, or in one of the trendy restaurant districts, it is not wall to wall people. Take advantage of it's easy access and enjoy a great meal in a relaxing atmosphere. read more

Most favorite restaurant in Cleveland!! Consistent food and great service! The bar is the best kept secret in the area!

There was about a year when we did not return to one of our favorite places due to changes in the kitchen and management, but I am happy to say that for the last few years they have remained excellent in the quality of their menu, bar, and service. The first thing that impresses is the extraordinary late 19th century architecture of the building, which, we have learned, was the first dedicated BBQ restaurant in Cleveland. Once inside, it's rather like stepping back a few decades into what would have been a high end restaurant in the 70s. There's nothing shabby or worn, it's just the vibe of the place that I find kind of charming. We prefer dining in the bar area, which is spacious and welcoming, and more comfortable than the somewhat kitschy prissiness of the dining room. They have a very well stocked bar, and the barkeep knows how to do a generous pour. The wine list is not extensive, but very well curated. The service is consistently friendly, helpful, and, if you're a regular, often hysterical. The menu is really superb, in an old school sort of way. Superb seafood, steaks, and house specials are delicious and plentiful. Desserts are excellent, particularly their frequently changing bread pudding special. One note: the matre d' is quite rude, which at first we found off-putting, but after awhile we realized this is part of the odd charm of the place. He's rude to everyone, all the servers and guests joke about it, and it's worth putting up with. They have one of the best and reasonable filet mignons in town, although I think it's best to get the red wine reduction on the side. Their raw oysters, also, are fresh and wallet friendly. The pre-dinner salads are big enough to share. This is one of the places we take out of town guests, and they have never been disappointed. read more

Either this or Blue Point has the best happy hour in Cleveland. Other places (Hodges or Pier W) have better atmospherics and good food - but the happy hour food at Blue Point/Don's is simply excellent and a great value. Check them out! read more

Don's Lighthouse - Clam bake & roasted chicken - plus diced potatoes & asparagus! Seasonal special at Don's Lighthouse. - Seafood Near Me - Cleveland, Ohio

Great spot for a work lunch. Had the shrimp salad. Large portion of baby shrimp on salad. Also had dessert. Large portions for dessert as well. read more

Favorite spot in Cleveland! Been here a couple of times and the food never disappoints. Our last encounter was unfortunately not so great. We arrived an hour and half prior to closing. We sat in the dining room instead of the bar area. Pour waitress was nice at first, but her attitude changed when a table she had previously didn't leave a tip. Our food came out promptly and just as we had ordered. I ordered the Portuguese Seafood Stew and my fiancé ordered the salmon. Both were delicious as always, but as soon as our server brought our food, she kept coming back to the table literally ever couple of minutes to ask if we wanted dessert. I'm puzzled, because we literally haven't had our food long enough to finish let alone even look at the dessert menu. She then brought our bill, even though we were only half way finished with the meal and we told her we would look at the dessert menu after we finished. Plus keep in mind, the place is still open for another 45 min. She literally stood roughly 8 feet from us staring at us like if the restaurant had been closed. Mind you, the bar still was open and people were coming in to eat. We had just finished and was going to ask for the dessert menu, when she came up and asked us to pay our bill. I was shocked....we both were. Plus we still had wine left to drink. So we waited until we finished our wine, to take care of our bill. Sorry but I'm not going to chug down a half a glass of wine so you can leave early. Her attitude ruined our dinner. We always stop here every year when we come up for a Browns' game, but never again. read more

Worst management ever. They have good food depending who is cooking and manager states he will take care of you next time but then conveniently doesn't respond to emails. This establishment needs to close or act like its 2020. read more

We had Easter Brunch at Don's Lighthouse. The water poured in our glasses smelled like Lake Erie on a bad day and had a metallic taste. Not good. Our waitress replaced our water with bottled. I have serious concerns on how the water smelled. (My opinion). The Brunch was extremely limited. It was dark in the room. Nothing was labeled or decorated. I could gave eaten eggs and bacon anywhere. The prime Rib was outstanding but nothing to go with it. A scalloped potato, twice baked potato...something to make it a brunch lunch. Nothing resembling lunch. Very limited! The dessert was just embarrassing. All in all I would skip this brunch. read more

Don's Lighthouse - Seafood Near Me - Cleveland, Ohio

Man my experience here was terrible my girl had grouper an I had the fried shrimp .the fish we didn't pay for cause it was spoil an my shrimp taste just like bread with no season on it I definitely won't go back. That grouper was awful read more

First meal in Cleveland: no to the salmon. No to the Mediterranean chicken "stew". Just, no overall.

Amazing food and service every time we come here! French onion soup is incredible... As well as the entrees... and cheesecake... perfect!

Love Don's Lighthouse over the years. But when ordering dinner tonight asked about portion size of salmon to expect on full size salad. Waitress responded, "six ounces." Dinners arrived with much smaller portion that had to have been 2-4 ounces of salmon. I had to point it out and ask for more. Appreciated that they cooked and served more. But we should not have to ask. Most restaurants in town offer hearty portions of salmon. Please don't scrimp! read more

not sure what happened, but apparently not only has the food taken a fall, but the presentation as well, it appeared as if it were put together by a 3rd grader. quality was as if i were eating at burger kings value meal that was in the warmer. wine was good. read more

I had a fantastic, juicy, perfectly grilled burger and fries at Don's Lighthouse on 10-8-16 at around 6:30pm. I was with a friend who had a burger and a bowl of Don's French onion soup. I've been eating at Don's Lighthouse since the late 70s--always great service and excellent food. I am pleasantly surprised that the burger & fries are priced so reasonably: $10.90. The onion soup is about the best in the area. I love Don's Lighthouse as I have never, ever had anything but delicious and properly prepared foods here. Their steaks are wonderful, but I'm more of a great burger freak. The only other places that can make almost as good a burger are Don's Pomeroy House and the Cabin Club. If you love good, juicy, steaky burgers, order one at Don's Lighthouse. You will be happy. read more

I haven't had a meal here in well over a decade. Don's is a Cleveland landmark and has been around forever. My husband said his walleye was the best prepared he has ever had....high praise as he is flirting with age 65. My lobster tail was excellent and my sons filet perfect!! I think we won't wait another decade to return. read more

Very disappointed! First time there! Poor service, maître d' was rude, and it took forever to get our meal! Waitress had to many tables and could not keep up, she was very nice and very polite. The prices where way out of line for the quality. Sorry to say I would not return. read more

We stopped here after a day at the rock and roll museum on Saturday. We took the Lake Rd home which is about 45 minutes west and as we were stopped in traffic, I spied Don's Lighthouse. I hadn't eaten there since the 70's and we decided to stop in. They had just opened for dinner and since it was early they had room for us. Well we weren't disappointed. Our server was top notch and helpful in every way. We started off with a cocktail and escargot. Both were perfection. Our steaks and the accompanying veggies and potatoes were delicious. Old school restaurants like this are in short supply and I'm happy to get reacquainted with this one. I'll definitely make it a point to return soon. read more

I have not been to Don's Lighthouse in many years...Still just a beautiful as ever.....But this experience was not charming at all....We sat in the bar dining area.....Ordered 2 Steak & Lobster tail dinner's @ $46 each...and a few drinks......She brought out the butter warmers for our lobster tails....I ask the server if the butter was real..she informed me that is was real butter....This was the same kind of butter oil they use to make popcorn....it had no settling on top of any cream ..nothing ....Just one consistency..STRAIGHT FLAVORED OIL....I'm not sure what's going on here.....but for 2 Steak & Lobster tail dinners @ $46 each I would definitely expect real butter with my lobster tail....Has anyone else encountered this ?????? read more

Slightly overpriced. Quality is questionable. Nice looking building. No lake view. I I ordered four sandwiches. Burger was undercooked. Chicken cordon bleu was juicy in the meat but dry overall. Cuban had less meat than what you get at any fast food joint. It was mostly pickles. The bread was reminiscent of a gas station sandwich. They had some higher price meals, but I didn't want to risk it, so I can't judge that. You might want to go there for that. read more

Great food, friendly wait staff. Due to noise level only gave 4 stars. Will definitely go again though.

Went to Don's recently and had the Portuguese Seafood Stew. It was just OK. For $25 I expected much better. Another person had the steak and lobster. He said the steak was ok, a bit overcooked, but the lobster tail was way overcooked. Again for $40 he expected the food to be cooked properly. But the drink prices are ridiculous. We were charged $8.30 for one grey goose and tonic. I think Don's has priced themselves as a high-end restaurant. Clearly, they are not. read more

last night was the first "date night" my wife and i have had in over a year. All my life growing up i have always wnated to eat at Don's Lighthouse. So last night i took my wife there to eat. it was more than disappointing. Our server was great. Angela (i think was her name) was very friendly and attentive. My wifes glass of wine she ordered (her first in a yr as she was pregnant and breast feeding) was old. She could taste that the bottle had been open for quite some time. The "fish chowder" was not a chowder at all and was more of a bowl of tomato soup that tasted like fish with some diced potatoes in it. My wifes filet was slightly undercooked, which was crazy to think seeing as the chef CUT INTO MY WIFES STEAK to check the temp of the steak. My Steak Oscar was on the other hand perfectly cooked as far as the Med Rare steak i like, but the blue crab on the steak tasted well past the best by date on the can it came out of and the hollindaise (not even a bernaise) on the steak seperated. So the "chef" that made it over heated it on the double boil while making it. As a former chef myself i NEVER would have put a seperated bernaise/hollindaise on a plate. Finally, to top it all off the asparagus was not properly prepped by breaking off the raw ends before steaming so every bite of asparagus was tough and stringy. We were very disappointed in our experience and will NEVER return to Don's Lighthouse for dinner again. read more

Took my husband here to celebrate his retirement. Was extremely disappointed. My chicken was close to inedible and all portions were small and tasteless. The prices they command were ridiculous for what was offered. No wonder the dining room was practically empty on a Friday night, although the bar was hopping. Perhaps it was the happy hour offered. Whatever, this is a place to which we will never return. read more

Had heard about this place for a long time and was anxious to go there when the opportunity presented itself. It was just okay at best. it was understaffed so the service was not good. The lettuce in the salad had brown edges on it, and the serving portions were on the small side. Would not go back read more

Went here for a congratulatory graduation dinner with my boyfriend's and my family (10 of us in all). The wine selection was excellent, the sauvignon blanc that we ordered especially. Our server was very diligent about refilling our water and making sure that we had everything we needed. The appetizers we ordered were the bruschetta and the stuffed mushrooms, and they were very savory and yummy. I had the scallops; they were a bit unevenly cooked but still had the right texture and a good sear. They risotto was a little al dente for my taste but it was still very good. I tried my boyfriend's salmon and it was very, very good, likely due to the sweet sauce they put on top of it, which complemented the salmon very well. My sister and her boyfriend both ordered the steak, which was well-prepared and tasty. The only thing I did not like was the fact that it smelled so fishy when you walked in the door of the restaurant - that's to be expected, obviously, because it's mainly a seafood restaurant - but I always thought that fresh fish did not have a distinct fishy smell, and the degree of the scent threw me off a little at first. Overall, it proved to be a wonderful setting for a great family dinner. It's been in the area for a very long time - my dad said he went to a birthday party here when he was only five! - it's obviously a staple in the area, and after this experience it's obvious why it's remained so popular. A very good restaurant for sea-food lovers. read more

Why can't restaurants get the bread right? This bread was boring. The butter was boring. There are restaurants (Rocky River's Salmon Dave's) that have GREAT bread. This should be a given. I ordered the grouper - which was great fish - however, the roll was as hard as a rock. The fries could have come from Mickie D's and the cole slaw had a bit too much horseradish (to the point where your sinuses cleared). All in all, I have to give the whole lunch a 2 out of 5 stars. read more

Lame, food was underwhelming, i got the catch of the day which was some type of snapper and I swear i could have got bettwr seafood at red lobster. The service also i was not impressed woth, our waitress was very rushed. And i felt often we were being ignored. Decor is outdated, we dont plan on going again. read more

The crab cake appetizer was delicious. I got the scallops which were good but the sauce that came with it was gross. I found myself eating around it. The waitress was very slow. Our appetizer came out right away, but our main course took forever, she gave us the the wrong drinks and it was pretty hard to flag her down. The place was crowded so reservations are recommended. read more

Was not impressed with this place. After years of wanting to go here maybe I had high expectations. We went here for a work meeting, the service was ok. The bartender would not even look at us. She seemed to have favorites, which is fine but I would have liked to been acknowledged. The food was just ok. With all the new restaurants downtown I feel like they have to step it up. Wouldn't bring anyone back here again. read more

Very good waitress and great sliders, mussels need some work tho were bland and just not good. I really liked the crab cake tasty and Cesar salad was great as well :) read more

I have been to this place several times and will return. I ordered a filet & shrimp and the shrimp was a little over cooked. The atmosphere is kinda dim but nice. Had a dark chocolate mousse for dessert which was delicious. Overall, everything was pretty good. read more

I have experienced better! Over priced! I ordered the buttermilk chicken breast which came with Cajun spinach and polenta. The chicken was cooked just right and the polenta served to balance out the salt in the spinach. Too salty! The bread and butter was tasty. The after dinner root beer was tasty also. My side salad was a joke and came with very little dressing already mixed in it. For the price of the meal I believe the salad should have come with it but it was an extra $6.00. I have no desire to ever come her again. If I am going to spend big on a good diner i'll take my business elsewhere! read more

It ha been years since I was last here. Wanted a special daddy daughter dinner. We drive from Wadsworth. First, watch your GPS as it can take you through some very sketchy neighborhoods (I grew up in Cleveland off W25th). Parking lot well lit. Host greeted us and server were very nice. Chicken was outstanding. Kobe meatloaf was amazing. Salmon was very good. Filet Mignon was over cooked and on the dry side. Appetizer was Calamari and mushrooms which were very good. Watch price as dinners are alacart. Decent wine list. Overall a bit pricey. Watch what you order. And Sheri was on point as a server. I will come back and bring my wife. read more

Absolute perfection. This is hands down the best restaurant in all of Cleveland. Whether you want scallops or steak you will not be disappointed. Eat here for fabulous food and a great date night! read more

My husband and I went there tonight for my 50th birthday. We went with joy but left with disappointment. My husband ordered one glass of wine, but we were charged for two glasses. Plus, I ordered a dish (steak and lobster), which had a $10 off, but we were charged for a full price. The waiter(ID #10006) said he made a mistake , he also said, " I thought, someone brought other wine for you..." Well, one mistake is understandable, but two mistakes are hard to accept just as a mistake. read more

I'm writing this from a conversation I had last night with a very good friend. He took his girlfriend there for dinner after he had proposed to her earlier in the day. I have not been there since the place was called Don's Lighthouse Inn. The food and service was always excellent. His fiancee always wanted to try the place so he made reservations at my recommendation of what I thought was the same venue. They both tell me they were disappointed. The food was....eh, mediocre at best. His lake perch was...well....just terrible. I'm not sure what she ordered but they both said one try was enough. . read more

Don's Lighthouse has a great atmosphere first of all... Me and my date had to sit at the bar because of lack of the reservation which I didn't think was necessary because it was 2 o'clock in the afternoon. But none the less even though we sit at the bar I would give her waitress 4 out of 5 stars. I ordered surf and turf which was in my opinion very good. The only problem I had with I was the vegetables that came with the surf and turf we're not cooked that well. All in all my experience at the lighthouse was definitely 4 to 4 and a half star experience. I would definitely go back. read more

Best restaurant we visited in a one-week vacation to Cleveland/Akron/Oberlin/Canton Ohio. Enjoyed the food so much, we ate there twice. Both Brian and Tara provide excellent friendly service. Enjoyed the very fruity Pomero salad; the poppyseed dressing (which I requested on the side) was OK but not great. For dinner, enjoyed the VERY tasty Faroe Island honey-glazed salmon (the yummy glaze tasted to me like maple syrup) with roasted butternut squash, broccolini, pear chutney and candied pecans. The salmon was cooked to perfection--crisp on the outside; moist on the inside. Possibly the best fish entree I've ever had. For lunch, enjoyed the pan roasted honey-glazed rainbow trout with roasted butternut squash, candied pecans, green beans and pear chutney. The trout on the lunch menu was a small portion priced accordingly; the salmon for dinner was a larger portion priced accordingly. Dessert was tangerine sorbet; a tad acidic but sweet and very tasty and a flavor of sorbet that I've never seen on a menu. The restaurant is in a very beautiful historic building. Easy parking in their own parking lot, attended by a valet at busy times. read more