we gave the Light house a third chance and we were glad we did the service was very good and the hostess and front end staff were wonderful, no wait for our table at 5:30 on Fathers day great job! Food was great, only one item could better, when you make a crock of baked French onion soup you cover the entire to of the soup with cheese, that is why most people order it for the crouton and the cheese. other than that it was great, we ended the night on the lake watching the sunset and walking on the pier. a airplane was taking off and landing on the lake giving us all a show but the sunset was the real attraction. Fix the soups and pay a little more attention to cleaning the table as the guest eat and I will give you 5 stars plus. I order the stuffed shrimp with crab special and it was terrific. we ordered three appetizers, onion scoops, calamari and the flat bread pizza and they were also great. the new full service outdoor dining with the fireplace built in the tables looks great, we are going to try that next time. Thanks Lighthouse great job My daughter and her husband went to the lighthouse Friday 8/14/09 made reservations for 8:30. Got to the restaurant at 8:10 and checked in. noticed that the host was engaged in a slight argument about not seating a group, they were complaining because their name was crossed off the list and were never called to be seated. My daughter and her husband ordered drinks and went outside to wait, and wait, and wait. After 40 minutes my son-in-law inquired and was told that it would be "a few minutes." after another 35 minutes he inquired again and was told that he and his name was crossed off the list and he was already seated...WHAT....no...........no....! Finally were seated after over an hour wait and given a free appetizer. I called the restaurant for my kids because I recommended the place. I talked to a very professional young lady who informed me that they were aware of the problems and it had happened a couple of times that night. they said a manger would call on Saturday 8/15/09.....no call! I called back today and spoke to the same very professional girl who was shocked that the general manager did not call my daughter. She said that he will call today and she will call me back to tell me what he said and why he did not call. The girl that I spoke to on the phone twice is a true restaurant professional and has a great personality. I will update this review after the phone call... Oh by the way, my kids told me the food was good, not great just good........ If the manager calls we will try again with a larger group for my birthday....watch for an update. HERE IS THE UPDATE! 8/23/09-------went for my birthday, big mistake, once again the staff is very rude........they got their noses in the air because they have the business for now.......not for long. Manager called my daughter and told her they would comp. the appetizers if we came back for my birthday, so she made reservations for 9 people for today, 8/23. She was told in no uncertain terns that 3:00 was the only time that they take groups, (ours was 9) they will not take any large group after that. wait till business dies off on the winter they will beg to have groups any time. we arrived and were seated promptly, we were seated at two tables next to each other ( less than 12 inches away) one side was a long booth the other side was chairs. I immediately slid the tables together to have one long table and so we can converse, (it is very loud in there). then the waiter came to the table and said "you are not allowed to put the tables together, it is a danger to our staff and it makes it hard to service the table, as he was telling us that he started pulling the table apart. I said you got to be kidding me, whose rule is that? he sent a manager over to see me and see explained sarcastically that we violated a Lighthouse rule and the tables must stay apart, wow I was so embarrassed after she informed me of the violation. That alone will stop me from ever eating again at the Lighthouse. but the food is also a problem....French onion soup that is terrible, a floating piece of old bread with cheese on top...it did not even resemble Baked French onion soup, salads with old yellow lettuce and warm dressing mixed into the salad before it comes to the table....we thought it was someones garbage that they did not eat. appetizers were a joke, the onion scoops were oil soaked and contained the outer peels and the calamari was rubber and loaded with oil. Steaks were good, but not done to the correct ordered temps, pork chop was good but not worth the attitude of the staff............I would not recommend the Lighthouse to anyone, I hope a better place opens that knows how to treat customers read more

Quick review: Great food, excellent service. Detailed review: I had never been to Lighthouse, but it was recommended to me by some locals to host a surprise anniversary party. I took their word and started setting up the party for 60 guests with Candice at Lighthouse. She was extremely helpful (and patient) especially with someone like me who doesn't set up these functions too often. I made numerous changes over the 2-3 weeks before the party date and she handled all my requests quickly and considerately. She responds faster to email than anyone I can recall. I got to one of the 2nd floor reception rooms just before the party began, and the layout and decor were just perfect - no customizing required. The view of the lake area was very nice, and that was in January. I hear it is gorgeous in Summer. Candice was not working the day of our party, but Kevin was there to manage the private parties. Honestly, I couldn't imagine a more accommodating host than Kevin and the rest of the crew that day. I botched some technical details regarding the slide show for the room (HDTV and projector) and Kevin put in the extra time to help me get our slide show on screen anyway. There was a wireless microphone provided for speeches as well, and we had none of the usual issues with unfamiliar sound systems. The mic worked well and the rest of the audio was set up just right - everyone could hear perfectly. We had some other unforeseen issues as well, but Kevin and the other staff handled everything calmly, quickly and with class (unfortunately I didn't get anyone else's name). I received a number of compliments from guests just about the service. Very impressive! And most importantly, the honorees really enjoyed themselves. We opted to give our guests 3 choices for a plated luncheon, and again, I got quite a few compliments from the guests. I personally had the chicken piccata which was delicious. As per Candice's suggestion, we went with an open bar option instead of the per-person package. Since this was an afternoon affair, she correctly advised that most folks either wouldn't be drinking or would have a small number of drinks. While money was not our top priority, it sure was nice to save as much as we did on drinks, and come in under budget. The draught beer selection seemed to be limited to a couple standards, but I don't know what bottles were available in the bar downstairs. I didn't hear any negative comments from guests about the selection though. The building itself has lots of wood and an overall nautical theme which is just clever enough without being kitschy. I can't comment about the restaurant food and service as we were in the upstairs private rooms, but if our experience was at all indicative of the regular restaurant service then I imagine dining at the Lighthouse restaurant must be quite enjoyable. As I mentioned, our final bill was quite reasonable even with the requisite 20% service charge, which they certainly earned plus an extra tip. Since I live on the north side of Chicago, I don't know when the next time I will be Cedar Lake, but if I have the opportunity I will certainly return to the Lighthouse Restaurant for dinner. read more

A mostly seafood with steaks restaurant on the southeast shore of Cedar Lake in Lake County Indiana. White tablecloths with a Ralph Lauren-like nautical decor. There is a spacious bar area for you to wait for your table, which we did, for 10 minutes on a Saturday night with 7:00 reservations. You need reservations here. We had crab cakes for an appetizer, which were the best I've had outside the state of Maryland. I had the Lake Perch. My wife had fresh Chilean Sea Bass. Our offspring had the small Filet Mignon 8 oz. & Jumbo Fried Shrimp, respectively. All seafood was fresh in taste & consistency, and my boy ruined his steak with ketchup, but ate it all fast. The service was quick. They were knowledge able and helpful with the kids, letting them walk out on the pier while me & my love ate our salads. During our stay, they did not rush us along even though it was very busy. The cost was reasonable at $160 for a family of 4. We don't really drink much of the alcoholic beverages, where restaurants make their killing. So, anyway, dress nicely but no jacket required. If you want a table on the glass you may have to wait awhile. There's no outdoor dining because of the problems that adverse weather would cause. We dine here a few times a year, it is an outstanding seafood restaurant. Highly recommend. read more

I stopped by The Lighthouse Restaurant in Cedar Lake, Indiana, and honestly, this place delivered exactly what I was hoping for and more. The atmosphere is beautiful -- right on the water, relaxed but still classy enough that you feel like you're somewhere special. The service was solid from the moment we walked in. Everyone was friendly, fast, and actually paid attention, which is rare these days. Now the food... that steak was on point. Cooked perfectly, seasoned just right, juicy, tender -- everything you want when you're paying for a good dinner. You can tell they know what they're doing in the kitchen. The sides, the presentation, the whole plate just came together clean. It's the type of place you bring your family, your girl, or even business clients and feel confident they're going to enjoy it. The view over the lake makes the entire experience even better -- especially if you go around sunset. It adds a whole vibe that makes the night feel a little more special. Overall, I highly recommend The Lighthouse Restaurant. Great food, great location, great atmosphere. Definitely one of Cedar Lake's gems, and I'll be back for sure. read more

This rating is not directed towards the food or quality of this restaurant. It is more so directed towards the employees and management of the kitchen. The employees here are not respected and are very much unappreciated. I wouldnt reccomend anyone to work in the back of the house of this facility. No matter how much work and dedication you put into this company you will not be granted the pay you truly deserve. The head chef Ken Mcrae is seldomly present, he doesn't take the time to build up and encourage his staff; when he is there it is only to criticize and point out flaws in your work. Recently one of the sous chefs had resigned and her position became open and instead of giving this title to someone who is deserving and qualified for it Ken deemed it wise to hire in Trey Matson for this position whom which mind you is a former employee who was fired years prior for sexual harassment. The lighthouse kitchen staff deserves better treatment and more recognition and last but not least a head chef that values the cooks who help make this steakhouse the 5 star restaurant it is. read more