Lighthouse Point Bar and Grille — Restaurant in The Villages

Really wanted to like it. Maybe there are some specialty dishes that are worth trying. The view is nice if you get to sit by the windows or on nice days to sit outside. I think that's what draws people here. The inside decor is fine. It's got a nice nautical theme and it is loud inside. However, arriving on a weekday by 11:40 it was an issue to get a table. But I think the hostess stand is in the wrong place. It's just a couple feet opposite the door to get in so there's no place for people to go that are waiting. With all the people standing there it's hard to tell who's next and they also block the bathroom doors at the hostess stand. We had to sit at the bar because there was a wait for lunch. The bar is a little bit tight and it's a bit chaotically organized. There's stuff everywhere and you're right next to a rack If you're at the end that has kind of like a serving station and all the fruit type things for drinks. Anybody coughing can be in contact with uncovered food. We didn't like watching some of the waitresses grab fruits and vegetables with their hands. The same hands that just served food, handled checks, cash and credit cards. We watched celery being pulled right out of a glass jar and also when loading up oranges and cherries and olives. A toothpick was used but a hand was used on the opposite end to put the stuff on the toothpick. I don't know about you but I really don't like people that touch everything else to be touching my food. It took a while to get a refill of water and when the glasses were returned to us they were reversed. We know this for sure because one of us put the lemon inside the water and the other one of us put it on the outside rim. Plus the shaded rims were different sizes so we knew ours got reversed. Not a big deal since we are married but it makes me wonder if sometimes you might get somebody else's already used drink straw.

The burger was decent but I've had better. There's no seasoning on it and although the flavor and texture was decent and it is quite a large patty, it wasn't cooked as ordered. I ordered medium and got between medium well and well done. So that made it a little bit on the drier side. The fries to me had no flavor. They were a little bit chewy. They didn't even have salt on them so no seasoning. And the seasoning at the bar was at the other end and I didn't even see seasoning until I was almost done with my food. So there would have been no good way to retrieve it unless you flag down a server to get it for you. I am a french fry aholic and for me to not even eat half of them says something. I don't eat coleslaw but my husband does and there was no juice or sauce in it so it was pretty dry. The fish sandwich which was haddock had a nice portion. Had some vegetables on top and looked appetizing. However, there's absolutely no sauce with it. So it lacked flavor and it also made it dry. The green beans were literally just steamed green beans. No butter, salt or pepper. Just steamed green beans that were bland.

I'm going to post pictures and I don't know if they do the food Justice or not. It's probably hard to see that some things don't have sauce or seasoning or are dry.

Watch for upcharges. We were informed of up charges and we should have thought to ask how much extra. I wanted to substitute a pretzel bun for the brioche bun because they used to serve it that way at least according to an old menu I saw. It was something like $2.29 more to switch to a pretzel bun. But fine. My fault for not asking. If you don't want french fries, you have to pay an up charge for any of the other sides. The green beans were an extra $3.40 more with a french fry trade-in. I can't believe they had a small little half cup of green beans cost that much more than to serve another side. Again, we should have asked. I don't think we would repeat that for plain beans. But the pretzel bun was Good. So if you're going to do an up charge I guess spend your money on that. Also if you like to earn points there is an up charge to use a credit card. Hope you have a...

We wish we had read the reviews mentioning the condescending hostess, the owner's dismissive attitude, and the poor customer service at The Lighthouse before attempting to dine here.

The week prior, we visited and, due to a long wait, made a 6:00 p.m. reservation for the following Thursday, looking forward to enjoying their all-you-can-eat crab night. Unfortunately, we never had the opportunity to taste the food.

We arrived early to ensure we’d be seated on time, only to be told by the hostess that we had missed a 5:00 p.m. reservation—a time we never requested. Both of us clearly remembered booking for 6:00, and the staff acknowledged that an error may have occurred. We were told we’d be seated indoors as soon as a table became available.

However, we soon noticed multiple walk-in guests being seated ahead of us. When we politely questioned this, we were assured that was not the case. After quietly speaking with guests at two tables, both confirmed they were walk-ins who had been seated before us.

When we calmly brought this to the owner’s attention, hoping for a reasonable explanation or even a simple apology, she responded by removing us from the waitlist altogether. In a condescending tone, and speaking in third person, she stated: “We don’t treat guests that way.” The irony was not lost on us.

There is no “we” here. My friend and I have worked in event planning and hospitality for many years. We understand what excellent customer service looks like—and it does not involve gaslighting guests, punishing them for respectfully pointing out a mistake, or refusing to accept responsibility.

To make matters worse, it was especially disheartening to see the owner wearing a cross while acting in a manner so inconsistent with the values it symbolizes. Kindness, humility, and integrity—cornerstones of both hospitality and faith—were notably absent. Symbols of faith should be reflected in one’s actions, particularly when dealing with others.

Reviews suggest this is not an isolated case. Inconsistent seating practices, preferential treatment, and a lack of accountability appear to be common themes. We also noticed that the dining area was not being properly cleaned—fries and pieces of seafood were scattered beneath recently vacated tables, adding to the poor impression.

While we can’t comment on the food, we can speak to the unwelcoming atmosphere, lack of professionalism, and disappointing leadership we experienced. We sincerely hope the management reflects on the consistent concerns raised in reviews and takes steps to improve how all guests are treated—with fairness, respect, and basic human decency.

REPLY TO OWNER'S RESPONSE: To label a detailed, respectful account as “not truthful” without offering any explanation is not only unhelpful—it’s deeply telling. At no point were we rude, disruptive, or unreasonable. We were guests who showed up on time for a reservation we clearly remember making, and who were treated unfairly for calmly asking for clarification.

Your decision to publicly respond in this way rather than reflect, apologize, or seek to understand only reinforces our original impressions. We sincerely hope you reflect on the repeated patterns described by guests and recognize that leadership in hospitality requires humility, not hostility.

Wishing your team growth and improvement...

We had lunch at the Lighthouse Point Bar and Grille on a weekday in March 2024. We arrived to find them busy and had to wait. They told us 15 minutes for the wait, which we chose to do. The problem is that they never called or texted us. After almost an hour, we confronted them. But first we had to wait for the couple in front of us in line complaining that a couple that arrived well after them was seated quickly and before them. They were told that they had reservations. But the couple responded by stating that they don't take reservations. The employee stated that they "Normally" do not take reservations. So to us, it was apparent that certain people are provided preferential treatment over everyone else. Now it was our turn to ask why we have not been called either verbally out the door like everyone else, or by phone either call or text. They said they texted us. Apparently we were only unable to hear our name out of all the others called. And our phone doesn't work, even though I was able to get a spam call while we were waiting. But they did seat us immediately. So far, the Lighthouse Point Bar and Grille was not worth the long drive we made to visit. It seemed like we were not welcome at this restaurant. But things did get better. That's when we met our server named Regan. We ordered our food and drink, pretty quick since we knew what we wanted. Regan was great throughout our meal. She was friendly and attentive. But our food was delivered by someone else. It was what we ordered. But we both were missing a part of our meal. Thankfully Regan checked on us and noticed before we could say anything. She then quickly rectified the situation. The food was good. But by no means the best we ever had on our respective meals. Prices are subjective to one's opinion. I found some prices on the high side, while some prices quite reasonable. All in all, they were not bad. But like I said, your opinion may differ. The atmosphere of the Lighthouse Point is all about having a meal on the lake shore. The views are very nice. The decor was fitting to what this restaurant is trying to be. And of course there is the lighthouse that towers over the restaurant. All in all, our visit to the Lighthouse point was bad and good. We felt like the restaurant was preventing us from being allowed to dine there for what ever reason. Thankfully our server saved the day. Regan made the atmosphere and meal worth the visit. Other than that, nothing was all that great or even decent or fair in some ways. The food was pretty good, but not great. The prices were subjective. And the restaurant kept us from our table for what ever the reason and poor excuse. Maybe we'll try them again sometime again to see if we might have a different experience. But maybe not. It's hard to get over being passed over for a table both by the employees never calling us, as well as the employee admitted preferential treatment other customers were afforded over others. Us being...