Oh Don, we need to talk about this Lighthouse restaurant of yours... Decor was fine, sat in a booth by the bar, so more of a chill-smoke a cigar-have a bourbon-bulky-dim atmosphere. The waitress was nice, although she could have come around more often towards the end of the meal. The food though, eh. A big EHHHHH. Pros: Fat Heads Bumbleberry Beer. Jumbo Lump Crab Cake - Very tasty, sad I had to share. Not fishy nor full of breading. Cons: Bread for the table - Not warm, hard crust, not my mouth's idea of a good time. Fishmarket Salad - Disgusting. Tasted like I was eating Miracle Whip. Crab Mac & Cheese - Disappointing. Bland and flavorless. read more

See all

Don's Lighthouse is a Cleveland landmark found where the Shoreway begins. It is an old and reliable mainstay on the food scene. The clientele is usually an older post-work business crowd. The staff is professional and polite. Don's is within a short walk of my apartment and I have been visiting mostly on Monday nights for $6 burgers and the $13 steak on Wednesdays. I come here almost exclusively when I have a hunger for steak. It comes with green beans, carrots and garlic mashed potatoes. The steak is always cooked to temperature and I have never regretted it. The bread that accompanies the meal is some nice crusty bread. Bypass Red and XO. Save money for retirement. read more

See all

$2 for a dozen mussels?! YES PLEASE! I'm not the biggest fan of mussels, but these are so so fresh, and in wonderful sauce/broth. Dipping this sauce with bread afterwards, is a must!! The restaurant is cute, and very close to the lake. It's clean and classy, and the staff are very welcoming. The handful of times I've been there they had great specials, so make sure you take advantage of this. One time they had a surf and turf special for $15! You can bet I took advantage of that deal, and boy was it worth every cent! The lobster was fresh and amazing with butter, and the beef was pretty good too. I will definitely be back for $2 mussels on Sunday. If you haven't caught on to this great deal, you don't know what you're missing out!! read more

Don's Lighthouse - Lobster tail special - Seafood Near Me - Cleveland, Ohio

My husband and I were visiting Cleveland this past week. We had dinner on Tuesday September 14, 2021 at Don's Lighthouse. It was a very enjoyable evening. Mary O. was our waitress and she did a great job. She helped us with the menu, she did not rush us and conversed with us about Cleveland. The food was very nice, I had the stew and my husband had the walleye. I would definitely eat there again and would also recommend it to others. My only negative comment is the young ladies sitting at the bar, they were very loud and distracting, their party should have been in a back room. You could hear them throughout the restaurant. Thank you for the great dinner Emma from Indiana read more

Love the location and building. Near the lake. Great looking bar. We ordered dirty Martinis and they were very decent! Sunday night is their $4.50 a dozen special. They tasted sooo good. Very fresh and not covered in garlic or weird sauce. We also ordered the calamari. That too was delicious. It came with a mustard-type of dip, which was ok. I like a spicy red sausce myself. The service was excellent. I'd go back again! read more

We absolutely love the atmosphere and the bar is so cozy. Wonderful happy hour and amazing food, the only complaint is that my husband and I have been going for 8 years and the waiters never remember us. They ask if we have ever been there before every time. I guess we aren't worth remembering. read more

We stopped in here on a Sunday evening and ate in the bar area. We decided to order tapas style and had: Walleye small bites for a starter, soup, escargot, beef & crab sliders and a Caesar salad. Everything was very good, but perhaps we enjoyed the Walleye small bites the most because they appear to be a local specialty and were quite tasty. All was washed down with an Argentine Malbec and a Reisling. A delightful place. The service was excellent as was the ambiance. read more

Got takeout during Cleveland Independents Restaurant week with my wife. Seafood chowder was rich and flavorful. Steak and lobster were perfectly cooked. Entree also came with mashed potatoes and either broccolini or green beans. (Large serving) . To top if off there was warm bread and a compound butter. Also included a chocolate mousse, sorbet or vanilla bean ice cream. To go containers were packed well. Hot with hot and cold with cold. read more

A co-worker and myself met for happy hour at this location after work one afternoon. I had arrived first so I went in and got us a table. Upon walking in the hostess was very friendly with a big smile on her face. She asked if I preferred dining room or lounge seating, I chose lounge seating so we could take advantage of Happy Hour. After getting seated I waited and waited and waited for someone to come over to me. After someone brought me water then I waited and waited and waited for the server to come take my drink order. About 10-12 minutes later the server finally came to me to ask me what I wanted to drink. This is the reason why I didn't give the place 5 stars. The food was great! We had the: Spinach & Artichoke Dip Smoked Gouda, cheddar and cream cheese, served hot with pita chips $3.75 We both thought it was amazing (and we've tried a lot of different restaurants around Cleveland) Stuffed Mushrooms Spinach, sun dried tomatoes, artichokes, sherry cream, Asiago cheese $4.25 Personally I wasn't too crazy about these mushrooms. Prince Edward Island Mussels Sautéed with sherry and garlic butter $5 AMAZING! Probably the best mussels I've ever had. Overall, the food was amazing, the drinks were good, the service was OK. read more

First time there; seating was available on Sat night (9/18) at 7:00! We had planned to eat at restaurant in Flats but it had a two hour wait! Menu and specials were enticing; we came there for seafood. Swordfish, Chilean Sea Bass, and Scallops were all superb with tasty side dishes and sauces. The crispy sourdough bread was devine and the wine selection perfect. A busy waiter took good care of us and included a delicious eclair for a birthday that we all shared. We will go back for sure! read more

Went here for a friend's birthday dinner and the ambiance is very nice great mood for a nice date. The food was average. The black grouper and potatoes were salty and the portion size was small especially for the price. The service is amazing though! Our waitress was very nice and attentive making this an enjoyable visit. read more

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

Great food and great service. Our server was very nice and it was my birthdays so they gave complimentary dessert. I really enjoyed myself would def recommend read more

Went last Sunday for dinner - very pleased. We walked in around 1800 and were seated immediately. Service was very good and the waiter was knowledgable about the menu, specials and wine list. Food was prompt and very good. I had the Steak and Lobster special, cooked to order, tasty and the lobster was done to perfection. Everyone else's food was very good as well. Overall, nice atmosphere - bit dated and if it weren't that I've had some of the best steaks Texas and Japan has to offer, this place would have rated a fifth star. I would recommend and go again. read more

I chose this place because of the ambiance and location; also because of all the positive reviews. We were seated in a cramped corner; there were 6 of us. We were there celebrating a birthday and no one had been to this particular restaurant. The server was nice enough, not overly attentive or very personable. I had asked for someone to come to our table to give us a little history on the building; we were handed a printed out fact sheet. Now, the food was on point. Everyone enjoyed and mostly finished their dishes. I ordered the lemon caper salmon with mashed potatos and saute'ed spinach. I have not had a better cooked/tasting piece of salmon; it was divine. My S.O. had the filet and scampi; he said it was delicious. The only disappointment with the food was another table guest took the server's suggestion and ordered the pretzel coated walleye. It was dry and virtually tasteless sans the mustard aoli drizzled on top; the brussel sprouts saved his meal/experience. Over all, it was a great meal served in a cramped atmosphere with above average service. We decided we would give it another try if we are planning on coming back to that area in the future. read more

Very fancy with great service. Most of the food is overrated but not bad. Spanish Dip is amazing though.

I think this restaurant was a very charming place. The food was awesome, the price was great and you got your money's worth . Plus our waitress was the best ever, just added great flavor to the restaurant Patty you get a 10+ in our book. My daughter flew in from LA for her birthday to be with family. Next trip to Cleveland I will definitely eat here again! read more

Had 0ver $200 in take out for the super bowl. Had a conflict, asked to speak to manager, who wanted to make sure I knew her name was LISA . she is a bully. I have been going here for 30 years and after this run in I will not be back. PETE I'm sure this is not how you would want customers to feel look into this person who is the face of your business. read more

Absolutely amazing! Their 1/2 price appetizer for happy hour is phenomenal. I had an order of crab cakes, mussels, stuffed mushrooms, and a bowl of seafood chowder. Some places will give out half portions or smaller versions during their happy hour, but not Don's. The mussels were on the smaller side, but there were probably two dozen of them! It was wonderfully flavored in garlic wine sauce and only cost me five bucks at half price. Seriously, what a steal. I'm not sure that my photo does it justice. The crab cakes ($6.95, half price) were also very good. They were on a sweeter side (drizzled honey I think?) but very well balanced with the creamy sauce. The mini salad also went well with it. The stuffed mushrooms had sun dried tomatoes and artichoke in them, covered in cheese, and sat in a sherry cream sauce ($4.50, half off). Again, amazing. It got to the point where I made my way to the ginormous bowl of seafood chowder ($7, not part of happy hour) and was too full to eat anymore. No worries, I had it wrapped up to-go. I can't believe that I walked away with all that food for under $30. Everything was very flavorful and I highly, highly recommend the mussels appetizer. The mussels are completely worth it at the full price of $10 too. Sherrie was my waiter and she was fantastic. Super friendly and great atmosphere. I'll definitely be back the next time I'm in Cleveland. read more

See all

Everything I've tried here is a 10/10... can't go wrong here. Sunday muscles with the surf and turf is amazing.

I've got to start by saying I don't often write a review, but the experience I had at lunch required the praise. My parents used to dine at Don's Lighthouse when I was a child. I heard of the place growing up but have never had the privilege of dining there until recently (moved away for 15 years). A friend and I had both been wanting to try it so we decided to go in for lunch. We started with a bottle of the Paco & Lola Albarino. The wine is delicious, not too floral like some Albarino's but just the right balance of sweetness and minerality. Our first dish was the Calamari and what a delight! It was FANTASTIC! The Calamari was very tender and is served with a delicious lemon curry aioli, a definite win. Secondly we tried the Escargot... Though not our thing, I think it was more our personal taste and not the dish it self. The dish was tasty none the less, lots of garlic and parmesan. For my main dish I ordered the Portuguese Seafood Stew. I think by saying that I can't wait to go back and have it again says enough. It was filled with homemade pasta and a generous portion of seafood. I can't wrap this up without mentioning our incredible server, Laurie. Laurie went above and beyond to make our lunch a great experience. She knew the menu very well, offered suggestions and answered our questions in detail and with excitement. Thanks again Laurie for the awesome time! I hope you get to read this and know how much special you made our lunch! read more

Don's Lighthouse - Portuguese Seafood Stew - awesome! - Seafood Near Me - Cleveland, Ohio

See all

If you are in the mood for quality seafood this place has got it. The food was incredible! We shared the calamari and I ordered the twin lobster tails for my birthday entree, which affordable and delicious!! The atmosphere is classic and clean and I loved the updated decor! The gave me a complimentary birthday dessert. What a great meal for my birthday. I heard they have an awesome happy hour too! Can't wait to try it. read more

They are delicious and service was great Took my mother here for 75th Birthday 10/2019 Awesome restaurant read more

The ownership should be proud of the staff at this fine dining establishment. Such a professionally run business from the valet forward. Excellent wait staff at all levels. Met some associates for a formal business lunch. Yes, they still take place in this day and age. Attentive waitress kept the excellent coffee flowing after each last sip. The meatloaf, burger, salmon, and perch were all excellent meals and very well prepared and presented. Keep up the great work and traditions Don's lighthouse! read more

This place was delish! I have not been here in years, decided to gondurong restaurant week. What an amazing idea. A girlfriend and I made a reservation for 6, we arrived a little early at 530 and was seated right away. We both decided to do the three course special for restaurant week. It was ONLY $33.00. This did not disappoint. I started with a basic ceaser salad, my main course was a steak with mashed potatoes and asparagus, for dessert a chocolate mouse. We also ordered a crab cake as an appetizer (we are greedy) and it was delish as well. Our waitress was pleasant and very attentive. The atmosphere was nice and it was crowded however service was still top notch! I will surely visit again! Great job! read more

At first glance this place seemed nice. However, we were escorted to the back of the restaurant where it was smelly and damp. I thought the $32 6oz steak would melt in my mouth but instead it was chewy! My husband got $32 for 4 scallops, rice and spinach. That was just okay too! The server was very brief each time she stopped by our table. Overall, all the hype we heard was for nothing. I would not come here again. Once again, I will only go to Longhorn for my steaks. Ruth Chris, please open back up, we miss you! read more

Just pulling up, I knew I was going to like this place. It's cute and quaint from the outside, warm and inviting inside. My dining companion and I each got a soup and salad. My tomato bisque soup was wonderful, seasoned just right and served piping hot. The salad was fresh and the dressing not overdone. Our wait person was not overly attentive, but did answer all the questions we had and arrived exactly when we needed them. I wouldn't say there is anything overly special about Don's Lighthouse in terms of the menu, but it seems like a Cleveland Institution and for that I'm glad I stopped in. read more

I found Don's Lighthouse to be pretty OK. Parts of my meal were good and other parts of my experience were not. I opted for the three course meal special. I had the Brie and crackers, served with nuts and dried fruit, as an appetizer. That was good/hard to mess up. My entree was good too. I had the salmon, which perfectly crisped on the outside and tender on the inside. It was served with a healthy portion of sweet mashed potatoes. Dessert was a delectable cup of chocolate mousse. Now the not so good, our party included a vegan. They were out of seitan, vegan sour cream and made her vegan veggie stroganoff super watery. Ultimately, she just asked for a plate of veggies. The nice thing, though, is they owned up to their vegan shortcomings and comp'd her meal. read more

See all

This is definitely an iconic restaurant in Cleveland. Living here all my life, I have visited Don's many times over the years. This particular visit was my first in about two years. The place still has that old school polished restaurant vibe to it. There are so few restaurants left that are like that so it is charming. It was Restaurant Week but we had to ask for the RW menu, which really irritates me as I think it should automatically be offered. Several Cleveland restaurants do this though and I'm not sure why. My tilapia seemed a little overcooked. However, the salmon and scrod were both done to perfection according to my dining companions. read more

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

Went for a bday dinner. Six people were in my party and it really started off so so. Drinks were offered and they came out. Food was ordered and everyone meal came out in about 15 mins, not bad for a Saturday night. I ordered one of the special entrees ( corn meal crusted perch = fried fish) broccolini and risotto. After eating a piece of fish I removed the stalk from the broccoli and hair was in my food. A lot of hair around the broccolini stalk. Yuck!!! The manager did comp the meal but never apologized and neither did the server, which he was subpar for the start and was not welcoming at all. This was not my first time there, but likely my last. One friend sent her steak back unprepared, the other four loves their meals. read more

Extremely disappointed!!!!! Overpriced... My Calamari was too greasy and so salty I had to take a gulp of water with every bite I was forced to push down , since I was so hungry but the server did not offer to replace it and instead just shrugged it of and proceeded to tell my her own struggles with high blood pressure , implying that it was my fault for not requesting a NO salt order prior to placing it ... The place was literally a ghost town ... So it's not like they were swamped. That was just the appetizer . My $7.00 tiny cup of soup that was supposed to be seafood soup had absolutely no seafood .I just filled up on the bread that the server bragged the fact that it's from dread smith . I was so distrait that I just took my other appetizer ( crab cake that was swimming in some kind of sugary syrup to camouflage that fact that it was not fresh and that it was mostly corn and some other mysterious fillers .... Oh yeah I did actually take one single bite ) to go . At that point I just wanted to get the hell out so I ended up not ordering a main course and opting for just a miserable espresso that the server lady ( who was elderly and seemed extremely tired of work and life ) graciously announced that they don't have cappuccinos but she'll make for me ... And naturally serve I a cheap plasticy looking cup & saucer ... Any self respecting coffee connaisseur knows the importance of the CUP . Horrible experience... I know first hand why Cleveland, Ohio gets a bad rep . ... And it's only getting worse . Am definitely going back home to Casablanca, Morocco , where I can have all the fresh fish and seafood to my heart's content ... I can have it à La Marocaine or if am I the mood à La Carte ... The authentic French way . Where for $ 60.00 I can host a dinner party ... Instead of a half assed miserly lunch .... What a rip off !!!!!!!!!!!!!!! read more

This restaurant is extremely unfriendly to those new to Cleveland. We literally moved to Cleveland this weekend and wanted to have a nice meal out in our new city. The website allowed me to make the only available reservation at 9:45pm. We arrived just shy of 10pm due to being unfamiliar with our new city. The restaurant very clearly states that they have a 15 minute grace policy for late reservation arrivals, so arriving right before 10pm should be no problem. WRONG. We were seated but then immediately met by whom I assume was the manager who said that they close at 10pm and the kitchen was currently closed and if we wanted to order we had to order NOW. I said that we had a 9:45pm reservation but was just a few minutes late. She came back at me again and noted it was 10pm and they are technically closed. I said we're new to the area and that's why we were slightly late. She again said the kitchen was closed and we had to order NOW. At this point, we didn't stick around. Who wants to stay and have the entire staff stare you down for keeping them "late"? Of note: there were about 3-4 tables seated so we weren't the only customers. Pro tip #1 to Management: if your kitchen closes at 10pm, do not allow a 9:45pm reservation to be booked. Or call and ask to move it to an earlier time. This is Restaurant Bookings 101. Pro tip #2: the manager came over to our table and spoke extremely loudly and emphatically at us, drawing attention to the situation by every table around. A more professional approach would have been a low-toned conversation explaining the situation and offering a solution that meets both the needs of the staff and diners. Demanding we order NOW is not a solution that meets the needs of the diners. read more

Let me start with we were giving a $250 gift card as a gift . We used every bit of it We started with 20 raw oysters, then lobster bisque. Then we ordered king crab legs , and double large lobster tails. Having lived in Maine I will say I have never been to a seafood restaurant that was as spot on with serves and food as Don's lighthouse is. It took us back to our time in Maine . read more

Don's Lighthouse - Best raw oysters - Seafood Near Me - Cleveland, Ohio

See all

Great happy hour here on Fridays. Excellent appetizers. Had The PEI Mussels, they were great! Bar tenders are very Friendly, will definitely be back. read more

So I have been wanting to try this place for awhile now and I was finally able to last night. Boy was I disappointed. First off the service was ok, the staff definitely had no life in them. Just the mood was very dull. Second, the food was bland, extremely bland. Between my girlfriend and I, we ordered the bruschetta which looked like the sorriest bruschetta I have ever seen. The bread barely had bruschetta on it! Not worth the price at all. We also ordered the lobster bisque which was bland as well. We have had better lobster bisque at Zoup. For our main course my girlfriend ordered the lobster tail and I had the sockeye salmon special. Both came out bland and we didn't even finish our meals. We were both very disappointed with the quality of food. If your gotta put out bad food at least lower the price tag Don's. Will not be going back unfortunately. read more

Upscale setting with responsive service. There are some enticing happy hour deals on appetizers and cocktails ($5.50 martinis), and after a very filling spinach/artichoke dip I ended up not staying for dinner. The menu is fairly seafood-heavy, slightly affecting the smell of the restaurant which will not be an issue for most people. read more

I've wanted to visit this restaurant for years and we finally made it there to try out their offerings for Cleveland Independent Restaurant Week. The place is nicely decorated and the service was very good. I started with the stuffed mushrooms and my husband had the seafood chowder. Both were good although my mushrooms were a little cold. We both had the steak Oscar for our entrees. The steak came with creamy mashed potatoes and asparagus. We both enjoyed the entrees but my steak was under cooked. I didn't send it back but it was fairly red for a medium well done steak. We both had the chocolate mousse for dessert and it was delicious! Very chocolatey! I'm not sure if we will head back to Don's Lighthouse anytime soon. Our meal was good and, since it was Restaurant Week, the price was great. But, based on the prices of the other offerings on the menu, there are a lot of other places I'd like to try in the same price point. read more

The food was great. The reason for 4 stars is I wish they had more gluten free side dish items and appetizers. They bring bread out to the table and it would be nice if they had a gluten-free option for people with serious allergies. read more

Service and food were ok. I will come back only to try happy hour, but will pass on the special occasions. As a server myself, I will not elaborate and never wish to cause ill will on anyone, but just would have liked to have a nicer experience. Times like these make me become more aware of my own self and how I am perceived by guests at my job, making me a better server, so I thank them for that at least. read more

It is a beautiful restaurant that I've wanted to try for years and finally did for a birthday dinner. The staff was amazing and the ambiance was also great. The food sucked. I was totally dissatisfied with everything I tried. The certified Angus steak I ordered medium rare can out more like gas station beef jerky. The scallops were also over cooked. I was hoping for much more from an establishment with such a rich history. read more

Wonderful wonderful food and a really great staff. Go for the cowboy steak salad of the lobster sandwich