Centralia House Restaurant — Restaurant in Centralia

What they did well, they did very well! The rest? Well...? I'll begin by saying that the wait staff was prompt, courteous, and attentive. The piano player was entertaining. The setting, almost historically perfect. The food, however, was a mixed bag - certainly not what I expected for the prices charged. While the bread and butter was excellent, the salads were under-dressed. While the folks in our party who had steaks seemed happy, the Cajun/Creole dishes were deeply disappointing. First, I didn't understand what they were doing on a "fine dining" menu, they just didn't fit. But I gave it a shot and my Shrimp Creole lacked seasoning of any sort - I had to ask for Frank's Red Hot Sauce just to add some flavor (the bottle was mostly empty and had that red crust around the top - better to season the food in the first place!). Now, I don't like my food excessively spicy, but a little something, please? Maybe it was an off night for the kitchen staff, but I'm thinking it is time to hire a new chef and revamp the menu - and please, when a large group (we were 15 total) makes reservations , please work a little harder at seating...

An hour wait for the entrees, and there was only one other party of two ahead of us. Vegetables were frozen, and so was the bread. My husband’s ribeye was overcooked. My Seafood fettuccini alfredo had diced shrimp and not a lot, and imitation crab meat but was described in the menu as diced shrimp, crab, shallots, and tomatoes. The escargot was tasteless and drenched in oil. The service was slow, especially since there were only four parties in the entire restaurant. The waitress did not bother to apologize for the escargot or comp it. The manager argued that imitation crab is crab. I had them take my dish back and remove it from our check, so I left without a meal. Neither the waitress or manager asked me if I’d like something else. The manager was rude, did not apologize, and dressed in a tee-shirt and jeans. This restaurant is supposed to be an upscale establishment, yet the booth seats are cracked, torn and band-aided with duct tape. The check was 49 dollars for six snails, a salad, a tiny cup of canned soup, an overcooked steak, and frozen veggies. Do not waste your time...

2021 update I have been six time since it reopened. The NY Strip is as good as ever and on a fee occasions spectacular. The regular items are still on the menu and with the same recipe and as good as ever….two bean soup, Caesar Salad, portabella mushrooms, Chicken Creole, Pepper Steak are all incredible. If it isn’t right, ask for Craig and he will do his best to take care of you. He is very committed and working really hard to make a historic restaurant even better.

review from 2018 It keeps getting better! The menu is great and the specials are worth trying. Their steaks are truly world class. Last week I had the Special NY Strip Black and Tan. Easily one of the top 10 steaks ever!

Centralia is truly lucky to have this gem! The food is great and the historic building brings a unique ambiance. I will put their fillet against the...