Claytons 1881 Room — Restaurant in Town of Three Lakes

We were asked if we had reservations. Maybe it gets busy. So, maybe that is advisable. In fact, I would say give them a call to check on their hours on the day you want to go if that’s important to you. Looks to me like they’re not totally consistent.

We sat outside on a gorgeous sunny Tuesday evening. I asked if we could raise the umbrella. The waitress said it was too windy. There was no wind. That was ridiculous. We should have simply done it without asking. I saw others did that.

The atmosphere felt like a brewery-type establishment. They are NOT a brewery. It’s just how I would describe it. It was very friendly and relaxing. Babies and dogs seem more than welcome. I like that. We were dressed extremely casually and did not feel out of place. It appears anyone (with money!!) is welcome. The place looked nearly brand-new. The waitress said she thought they opened in 2021. The waitress was extremely friendly and sweet without being annoying, intrusive or overly attentive. She was perfect.

I had two blackberry old fashions. The alcohol was barely detectable. Hubby had two Arnold Palmers (that is non-alcoholic, just lemonade and iced tea.) He said they were very different. One had lots of lemonade and next one lots of iced tea.

The flies descended on our plates the second the food arrived. That was horrible. It was like eating in a dirty barnyard. I never stopped shooing them from my plate-literally.

We both had the $59 filet and lobster with mashed potatoes. Hubby had asparagus and I substituted mine for Brussels sprouts. The Brussels sprouts were nicely charred. I had asked for the maple syrup and Parmesan version but received plain. No problem. I didn’t care that much. And they did not upcharge us for that substitution. The asparagus was perfect. We LOVED the mashed potatoes. We would have loved a bit more of that. But it was enough. The lobster was perfect and pulled to the outside of the shell so we did not have to work at getting it free. The beef filets were cooked to absolute perfection! We both ordered them cooked medium. They were juicy and so soft with no gristle or anything to leave uneaten. I needed salt and pepper on mine. Mine had no sort of seasoning. Hubby liked his just the way it came. They were very generously sized nice thick filets. They seemed larger than 8 ounces.

We both absolutely loved our meals and our experience here. We were full and satisfied and felt good when we were finished. I could only eat half of my steak. I would have liked to share a dessert because they sounded so good. But we were full enough and did not want to spoil what we just enjoyed.

The downside really is only the cost. We spent $200 (that included the bill at $164 and a tip for $35.) So, two meals, two drinks with alcohol and two non-alcoholic drinks and NO appetizers. That is a mighty big bill for what we had even if we were...

(FINAL THOUGHT BELOW)

We went here on a Monday evening, made a reservation for 6 people. We sat at the bar, ordered a few beers and creative cocktails. Had a Leinie Honey Weiss, Summer Weiss, Blackberry Old Fashioned, The 1881, and Big Stone Sour! I took a sip of each drink and all was pretty good! I definitely favored the Blackberry Old Fashioned and Big Stone Sour.

We tried a few dishes. These are huge dishes. Meatloaf sandwich. Tangy, Mouthwatering, and Uniquely Delicious. Taste great made fresh, but definitely not good when microwaved the next day. Bread got super tough to bite when reheated, should have airfryed to reheat. Greek Grinder was absolutely delicious. The tzatziki sauce made here is the signature ingredient for this dish. The Clayton’s Cheeseburger. Simple, aromatic, and love the lightly smoky char on the burger patty.

We did get the Lemon Cheesecake Ice Cream Sandwich and the Chocolate Chip Ice Cream Sandwich. Both are good! Definitely great for kids! For me, not something I would normally go for.

The bartender was great and friendly. Pretty attentive! Love her personality and bubbly-ness. Our waiter was a young man. Friendly and sweet. Wish he was a bit more attentive, but we also know the restaurant got super busy soon after we arrived. Met the owner and he was super welcoming!

Overall, will definitely visit again for the cocktails and meatloaf sandwich. I would love to try their “Soprano Sandwich” next time or the Aged Steak. It’s pretty pricey here but it comes in big quantity and quality food. Definitely give it a visit. Call first to see if you need a...

We came to celebrate my birthday on the assumption that it was fine dining. The prices are on the high end for the area regardless of food quality. The atmosphere was more of a “clubhouse” or casual restaurant. A $49 ribeye did not come with soup or salad and there is no bread with the meal. The more affordable fish fry was $25 and came with one piece of square shaped fish that was oily and watery all at once. It had a fishy taste and was mushy inside. The French fries were good but not fresh cut or anything special and again-no soup, salad or bread. The steak bites were good but some were well done and some were rare. Oddly, those were also $25 and came with fries but on the appetizer menu where one would not expect soup or salad. Finally, I ordered the cheesecake and my husband ordered the “pop tart”. The cheesecake was more of a light mousse that I guessed was Cool Whip, Jello mix, and cream cheese. Raspberries were mixed in and on top. It was huge and beautifully presented. Despite that, it was not worth $12 and I would not categorize it as cheesecake. The pop tart was a phyllo dough square with sickenly sweet filling and toppings. It was ok. The drink I ordered was a Long Island iced tea that didn’t resemble one. All in all, the entire dinner was a disappointment that was worsened by the high price. The outdoor seating area was lovely and the inside was modern with...