Macaluso's — Restaurant in Nesquehoning

We (3) ate here on a Wednesday night, about 8:15. It was an outstanding experience in every way! First, our server, Lisa, was exceptional. She was friendly, polite, attentive and very professional. Lisa is an asset to the establishment! In fact, all the staff were so friendly and so welcoming! Second, the food was terrific! The bread is yummy (2 baskets!). I had the Cream of Portabella soup, which may be the best mushroom soup I've ever had in my life (and I've had a lot!). My son had the Italian Sausage and Scamutz casserole, which he gobbled up and said was great. My husband had the Chicken Macaluso, also said to be great. And I had the Filet Mignon w/Hot Honey Butter, which was a special that night. Fabulous! Broccoli on the side, steamed perfectly and "mashed" potatoes, which are chunky and just delicious. Also, had the Gorgonzola Salad as an accompaniment and it was amazing. For dessert we had a Banana Pudding parfait with whipped cream and a lady finger garnish, and the Mango cheesecake, which was so creamy and flavorful. I've never seen Mango cheesecake as an offering before. Also, I appreciated the option of non-alcoholic drinks that were more "adult" than soda. I had a Lavender Lemonade that was simply heavenly. So subtle, but tasty. Third, the atmosphere is very nice. Darkened room, tables not too close together, Frank Sinatra playing inconspicuously in the background, twinkle lights. This is definitely an upscale place, and yes, it is pricey. But we felt it was worth every penny to have the experience we had. This is what fine dining should be. We are from Bucks County, Pa. and there are no shortages of "upscale, fine dining establishments." Macaluso's rivals any of them. Close to Jim Thorpe and Lehighton, large free parking. Bonus, we arrived at 8:15 and last seating was at 8:30, with closing time of 9. We were not rushed in any way. Food came out staggered, so we were able to enjoy each course without the next one getting cold. We left about 9:45 and were not made to feel we were an inconvenience. This was the highlight meal of...

We went here for our 25th wedding anniversary.. WHAT A MISTAKE!!! We got in there at 405 and looked at the menu waiting for server that sat at the bar when she finally did come at 415 she said the chef came in and was putting specials together... After 40 minutes she finally came back with specials and rattled them off my son and I got the bone in rib eye and my wife got the rack of lamb and we also got the stuffed portobello as an app.. well after half hour the apps came out was ice cold... Then another half hour the salads came out the size of a coffee cup plate then another 35 minutes the steaks and lamb came out .... Well the steaks were paper thin and pan fried, server said they did not have the equipment to Pittsburgh them like we asked.. shouldn't she have said this when ordering? not to mention the little pile of cold mashed potatoes.. my wife's small rack of lamb came ice cold. Told the server she took it back 5 minutes later comes back with it and was still cold and she only cut into one little piece and said take it back and take it off the bill. Another server came out and said because my wife ate half they were charging us for it.... I said let me talk to the manager well the cook came out and said she ate half I said bring it back I will show you a d she said it is meat and did not want to kill it??? What does that mean? I said I cook all the time it was cold and she took one little piece take it off the bill so the did.. and the check came thru charged 12 for an ice cold spinach stuffed portobello and$42 for each thin undercooked Ribeyes unreal!!! Now I know why the place is empty!!! Was there 2 1/2 hours to waste $122...... McDonald's would have been better!!! Never again and I will make sure to tell everybody I know to...

So I found this place on the internet and the price was reasonable. I read the reviews for The Lantern Lodge and was concerned about booking. So I called them and Spoke to Toni the owner. I told her my sister's and I were going to be coming to Jim Thrope for a birthday getaway. I told her there were two reviews that concerned me. One was about the room and no hot water. She told me the rooms are clean and the beddings are nice beddings and also they do have hot water. She assured me we would be fine and to let her know closer to when we were coming and we would have a cocktail when we got there. We arrived on Dec. 9th and were staying for two nights. They let us look at the room before paying. The bedroom has two full size beds with a TV and a chair and a bathroom. It is an older place but was clean. The beds were comfortable. Keep in mind we only needed a place to sleep and take a bath because we were out visiting and doing things in Jim Thorpe. We had cocktails that were very good. The reviews for the resturant were very good and made reservations for the next night before going to a Christmas concert. The dinner was excellent. My sister's and I had a wonderful time and the Birthday girl was very happy with our weekend. I want to say thank you to Toni,Pam and Lisa for wonderful service. Don't always believe the reviews you read. Call and ask about these things. I would recommend this place to anyone. I would suggest to Toni it would be nice to have a coffee pot in the room so to start your day because places for breakfast are about 10 minutes away. Also a hair dryer. P. S. When getting ready to take a bath let the water run for about 10 minutes. It takes a little for the water to heat up but then you have all the hot water you need...