Lighthouse Restaurant & Bar — Restaurant in Portland

Nice place with good food and a menu with good choices. I've been to The Lighthouse 4 or 5 times in the past and had enjoyed my time there each time. I really want to like this place. But, my experience with the bartender who took my order today will make me think twice before (or if) I ever go back.

I ordered Hendricks gin with club soda, and tacos. I received the drink right away and paid the total bill(and tip)long before the tacos arrived. When I asked the bartender why there was an additional $4 charge for vodka I hadn't ordered, she seemed confused, offered no explanation, but said she'd take it back off my bill. I waited patiently, over an hour for the tacos. When she finally brought the tacos, they came in a to-go box that I hadn't asked for. I told the bartender I hadn't ordered tacos "to go". She just looked at me and seemed miffed at me. At that point, I picked up the to go box, turned and headed toward the door, when I heard her (in a loud voice)sarcastically accusing me of walking out without paying my tab. I went back to the bar and showed her my receipt. She offered a blank stare and no apology. She eventually offered to comp me for the tacos, but after a few minutes, said she couldn't credit the money back to my card. She said if I would sign their $10 gift certificate, she would give me that instead. An apology would have been worth more than the $10. Customer service = Zero Customer satisfaction...

Don't order the hillbilly melt. It's mediocre at best. The other food we got was fantastic, I will say. But the service was terrible. They screwed up on our orders twice, and didn't seem to understand what customer service is. As our food was being brought out the waitress brought it to the wrong table, and I tried to flag her down asking "is that the fried chicken plate and hillbilly melt?" But she shook her head and said "this isn't your food." abrasively. Then after going to another table and finally checking with the bartender, brought it to our table. They were barely what I would consider friendly through the experience, and when I went to pay I had all three employees in the front make eye contact with me and the check in my hand walk away to do tasks that did not include helping other customers who could have been before me, waiting for about 7 minutes while one of them loaded a dishwasher when there were plenty of clean dishes in plain sight before they felt it necessary to assist me with cashing out. Unfortunately this is not the worst service I have received, hints the 2 stars, but I would not recommend coming here. It's worth driving somewhere else, even if you find you find yourself on this slightly secluded...

The food was excellent. We were told that it was the busiest Tuesday they have ever experienced. Our waiter was very friendly and he explained that due to the traffic back up this evening, they got swamped. We had to ask a few times for our drinks. He even asked if he had forgotten anything, of which we informed him that we had not received our drinks or clam chowder. One clam chowder arrived after we received our entrees. Then the sodas and ice tea arrived, another reminder about the second order of chowder being missing, but it never arrived. We informed a lady who had delivered our meals earlier, and she appeared to have her purse in hand and snarkily replied, "Sorry, I'm leaving for the night. You will have to ask your waiter." It was just a busy night, I guess.

Return visit...8/17/24 Today, we had the best server who made excellent recommendations for our lunch selections. I went with a special benedict with avocado, tomatoes, and Hollendaise, plus hashbrowns. My friend went with the country benedict, which is a buttermilk biscuit, sausage gravy, fried chicken, poached eggs, more gravy, and is served with hashbrowns. All very good. I bumped my rating back...