Great value, really good Italian and Tex Mex food! Consistent quality because some of the cooks have been there for 30 years! Now, that truly speaks to the loyalty and family atmosphere of this iconic local favorite. The portions are quite adequate and the pralines are legendary. Cozy booths, and well stocked bar and party room. To-go is no problem. Manager Darryl is the man who makes it happen. Staff is friendly and aim to please. We celebrated our mother's 90th birthday here and the staff really enhanced our experience. This past Christmas Darryl even personally delivered to our now 93 yr old mother when no delivery service was available! Great folks and great food. Don't pass up the meatballs or the tamales! 10/10 we recommend and always make a visit here when we are in town! Thank you! read more

Ok, it was pretty good. I had the pork chop. Joe had smothered hamburger steak. His dish was great!! Mine was just ok. Not great but really not bad either. Salads are served in really small bowls which was weird. Waitress was really nice and quick too. Will definately go back. Prices were acceptable. We spend $42 for 3 people but we got to-go desserts too. I like how the remodeling looked like the original. Because it's still new, it's still clean. They have a really cool mural on one wall that is all of Arlington's historical and popular spots. We really enjoyed that! read more

Seriously one of the worst dining experiences I've had in a long time. Not one thing went well. Bad service, very avg food when it finally came out right. Always blaming kitchen for mistakes is just bad management. Then they meseed up the bill after apologizing profusely. Sadly won't be back...was hopeful bc it has so many options to make my kids happy. read more

What can I say, you get it or you don't. Candellight inn has occupied this spot since jesus broke his first dinosaur bronc. I had awkward dates here in the '70s. Recently remodeled and now not scary at all, the restaurant is staffed by genuinely friendly and, well, real wait staff. You'll know it when you see it. Cozy booths line the dining room, each with a small old style jukebox control on the wall. I didn't try it this time. and then there's the food. Not cuisine, food. "These are the original recipes," our waiter grinned. Yep, they are. Straight from the '50s and '60s. American tastes have broadened greatly in the last couple generations. Keep that in mind. I am well into my '50 and this is what we had when we went out when I was a kid. It is simple so keep your order simple. Steak, baked potato, Coors, pie. Simple fare and not expensive. The Mexican food in genuinely disappointing, but authentic to the era. I remembered when fajitas first appeared on menus. This is from before that time. So my mate and I debated whether the place is ironic or nostalgic.Looking at the clientel it is a mix of nostalgia and affordable. No dish quite reaches $20. It seems to me only a matter of time until it is discovered by the hipsters., that is if there are any hipsters left in Arlington now that the Pitt Grill is gone. Cold beer, cheap food, great potential for a gathering. Check it out. read more

Food was not very good as I had a burrito and unfortunately it tasted like the ones you buy from a convenient store that you warm up in a microwave. Also, the service was subpar as I kept having to ask for more water and the wait for my appetizer and food was too long. No apology. read more

When I was a kid in the 70's, if I got a good report card, I got to pick the restaurant and it was always here. It was the little jukeboxes that I liked. I remember being amused that you could order spaghetti with a side of taco. When I learned that this place reopened I had to go, but my expectations for the food weren't high. I was pleasantly surprised. Three out of five of us had Chicken Fried Steak. We all agreed that was really excellent. Two of us substituted a small salad served beforehand for the green beans. I really liked that the ranch came in a plastic pour container so that I could put the perfect amount on. My father had a burrito and he said it was really good. My daughter had the Kraft Mac and Cheese which was just as you'd think and made her happy. The service was great too. read more

Went this past Sunday. Was seated quickly. Ordered drinks and an appetizer. After this the rest of the experience felt rushed. Waitress was so concerned with hurrying to get the rest of our order taken that she never bothered to bring our appetizer. Food took a bit of a long to arrive which would have not been a big deal if we had our appetizer. I ordered the Club Sandwich which was good. My Girlfriend ordered the Spaghetti with Meat Sauce. Her food was very salty and cold. Just does not make sense to rush our experience only to bring out cold food. Was really disappointed in my visit here. read more

Best chips and salsa , spaghetti and steak are very good Everything else is just ok , taste like the next Tex-mex restaurant down the road read more

One of the toughest Chicken Fried Steaks I.gave eaten, the Mexican food is good, as well as other items on the mrnu. But avoid the Chicken Fried Steak. Service was great. read more

Awesome place! Great food and atmosphere! Quite and perfect for an intimate date or large group of friends! Will definitely be going back

New building is amazing. The bathroom is super nice. I know it's weird to say that but I mean it is unusually nice. Generous and tasty glass of pinto noir (8.50). Had the enchilada plate with side taco. Wish I could say it's amazeballs but it was average. Tiny detail: I requested no beans & they forgot. No biggie. (To me) Hot sauce was good. Bought a slice of strawberry cake to eat @ home - i dont recommend this cake. It was over the top too sweet & not a strawberry in sight. Other than forgetting no beans service was good. Will be back but probably for old times sake not so much for the cooking and taste of food. Some people say that yelp reviews are skewed but I my friend am the real deal. A candlelight inn customer for 40 plus years. Real person=authentic review. Peace out. read more

It was awful. Got the "signature" chopped sirloin. Ugh! Just an overcooked, dry, tasteless flat hamburger patty. The salad was a joke. Best food was the baked potato. How can you go wrong with a baked potato. Pregnant server walked up rubbing her belly and stated, "ya'll ready?" Hadn't even got our drink order. Never smiled, introduced herself and when we left a VERY substantial $20.20 tip because we were trying to pay it forward, she turned without even a thank you. Btw we went due to a review in the Star Telegram........they were wrong! read more

Great tex-mex restaurant! We got the combo fajitas for one(ton of food for two)! Atmosphere was extremely neat! Guacamole wad so delicious very zesty! read more

Candlelite Inn - Personal jukebox - Mexican Near Me - Arlington, Texas

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Definitely ate in the dark but it was ok because the food was good and the drinks were good. Just visiting but was glad the family found this place. They had something for everyone read more

Since 1957 - 60 Years the Candlelight Inn on Division in Arlington TX. has been serving Great Cuisine, Service, Drinks and atmosphere to natives and tourists alike. Great Value for the food. read more

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Finally visited since they reopened. It's brighter and cleaner than the old inn but kept its charm. I use to come here as a child fairly often and it is almost the same. Bring quarters for the jukebox if you're lucky enough to get a booth! There is something for everyone and while the food isn't amazing it is tasty and prices are decent. Staff is friendly. I'd really want to give it another 1/2 star if I could. Worth a visit. And a must if you ever went here in the past for memories sake. read more

First time here, and I have to say, how disappointing. I ordered the chicken parmigiana and they gave me a teriyaki chicken breast covered in what appeared to be provolone cheese with a side of spaghetti. Not sure I will go back read more

Food was good, tables spaced out for social distancing, only problem was the server was not very well attentive to our table. Been coming to this place for years read more

Wide variety menu, great little restaurant. I been coming here since the 70's. I have recommended this place to so many people.

What a great experience tonight! To start, the food was not amazing but it was not bad. Chips were good, salsa was ok, green stuff they brought out was just food processored pickled jalapeños but tasty. Guacamole was essentially just blendered avocados and lime juice. I had chicken fried steak which was tender enough..slightly too much breading but no complaints. Mashed potatoes and green beans were fine. My wife and I both had margaritas which needed an extra shot of tequila to be very good. Our waitress the whole night was clearly buzzed if not drunk, but she took good care of us and was entertaining. Gave us pixi sticks with our check! The kicker was a table of Elvis impersonators with Christmas lights who rode in on scooters. If it's ok with the King it's ok with me. We'll be back for sure. The ambiance is excellent. read more

The place itself is dark, hence the name. This can be both good and bad, you decide. The menu offers the basics of Italian, texmex and some grilled items. More heavy on the Mexican side. The lady ordered the Italian Steak, this was nothing more than a sirloin with pasta on the plate, and I had the fajita sandwich. The steak was not bad, good job there for being a dinner steak. The pasta was laughable, typical mass produced low quality crap overcooked and canned sauce (Domino's has better pasta). The "garlic bread" ha, was piece of white toast with garlic and butter, it came out hard, cold and tasted like, well nothing. The sandwich had decent chicken and was not bad, it was chicken, onion, pepper and fajia seasoning, that it, it also comes on a hot dog bun, the bottom was soaked bread from the steam of the chicken, nothing like wet bread to fill you up. Lastly the chips and salsa at the start, (hence the heavy favor on Mexican side) were just plan gross. The salsa tasted like ketchup, hell it could of been ketchup, but i could not see. The staff was very nice about this, its not their fault the establishment uses low quality products, cuts corners and has chefs that cant do the basics. I would not recommend Candlelite Inn to anyone. No seriously, money is better spent at a fast food joint. And i have to note, the restrooms, very clean and nice. read more

If you are schizophrenic and love dingy restaurants, then you will love Candlelite Inn. Another beloved Arlington hole in the wall, the menu is all OVER the place and it's really dim inside to hide the dirt. The private booths are cool and the food is totally average.... read more

Can't decide what you want to eat, but want a casual and comfy place to drink a pitcher of beer while chosing on a steak, enchiladas, or spaghetti? Com'on in to Candlelite Inn. read more

Italian Steak; Sirloin steak, spaghetti, bread, salad and chips and salsa; $9.99 Glad to see the Candlelite Inn back open. Ive been back twice now and enjoyed the experience for the most part considering that they are getting back on their feet still. Over the years this place has either been stellar or simply okay depending on the management. My advice to Candlelite in is to decrease portion sizes slightly, increase prices slightly and boost WAY up the attention to detail in their food. People would much rather have a little bit of something perfect than a whole lot of something just okay. But where else can you go eat Italian/Mexican/American and they serve chips and salsa to everyone(which was excellent). Now that Candlelite Inn is back I wished that someone would take back the Arlington Steakhouse and return it to its older self. read more

Good bang for your buck Mexican food. Server was polite and the establishment was very clean. Will return

Nice redo, good service, awful food. Sorry to have to say it. The menu is all over the place- spaghetti, enchiladas, steak. Maybe the kitchen should pare down the options and concentrate on doing just a few things well? We were unfortunately seated in the new banquet room, which was too bright, too noisy and utterly devoid of any charm. The experience might have been slightly improved upon had we been seated in the original dining room with the cozy booths and dim lighting. read more

I've been going to Candlelite since I was a baby. It's not your traditional tex-mex fare. The pizzas are okay and the steaks aren't tough, but nothing special. I come here for the killer burritos and the best beef bean and cheese chalupas I've ever had. They serve beer in these huge beer goblets, two of these and you're buzzing. I hope they don't close because that would deprive me of a reason to go to Arlington. It's really dark, the way Campisi's used to be. The booths have this juke box system, and if Patsy Cline is on, I'm probably there. read more

The updated 2.0 version is nice inside and out as well as adding a bar which was a great addition. Service was ok but not stellar. My main problem lies in the food. The last time I visited years ago I was unimpressed and disappointed with a falling apart chicken parm so I hoped my last memory would be gone with the opening. Sadly as I read in the paper old cooks were to be rehired I guess that happened since my Mexican plate seemed closer to the yellow cheese stuff you'd get at school cafeteria. My wife's steak was cooked well (medium) but practically totally unseasoned. Baked potatoes were alright though seemed small. I don't know what they are thinking with the salads but they seem more like what is the side topping for the tacos that were not ordered. Our guests were equally amused with the salads. My best part was my two couple large beers which were cold and good. I want the place to succeed and I believe that keeping the place going is important but the cooking has to be addressed for long term growth. If prices had to go up 20% it still would be just fine and cheaper than any chain. read more

Despite the family and friendly atmosphere, the food was very poor quality. My side salad was nothing but a small bowl of shredded lettuce that looked like it belonged in a taco instead of in a salad bowl. The "smothered" chicken that I ordered was simply some grilled chicken breasts topped with some sauteed mushrooms / onions underneath a slightly melted slice of cheese -- definitely not anything that deserves to be called "smothered". For the price, the portions are very large but the quality leaves a lot to be desired. I will not be going back to this establishment. read more

Well this place was a disaster and a disappointment. I use to eat here a lot over 30ish years ago. The smothered grilled chicken was over done and the onions where under done and cheese was not even the right kind of cheese for that approach. The surf and turf was average at best. The one saving grace was the chicken and rice soup was excellent. Sorry read my other reviews I'm not a overly critical person. I blame Food network. read more

I went with my mother for a Sunday lunch and her steak was not cooked properly at all not even close, and my burrito was just ok, but we went back to give Candlelite Inn another chance thinking maybe they needed more time to re-open, but we ended up with the same result. I HOPE THEY GET IT TOGETHER BECAUSE BACK IN THE DAY IT WAS ONE OF MY FAVORITE IN THE DFW. read more

I am never trusting anything again. So I went here with high hopes because I heard friends talk about it and it was near by. Boy was I disappointed. My boyfriend got a burrito, first off the waitress told him the plate was really hot and it was barely warm, the meat was dry and had no flavor. I got the Philly cheese steak and once again dry and no flavor. Our server was very nice though and the place was cute but I suggest don't go there if you like good food. This place was average at best. read more

We were very disappointed with our recent dinner experience at the Candlelight Inn. While the restaurant's remodel is great, the place was clean, the service was acceptable - the food was not good. I had the Chicken Parmesean - the chicken was well cooked and acceptable tasting with lots of cheese melted on top but the spaghetti and the sauce were not good at all. The noodles were overcooked and the sauce was very tart. My husband had the chicken fried steak, baked potato, and green beans - he was very dissatisfied and said the most acceptable part of his meal was the loaded baked potato. Our daughter did not care for her spaghetti either eating only the meatball and leaving the noodles and sauce. Our meal cost $50 including tip. For the price we feel the food should be a higher quality. Unfortunately, we will not eat here again. read more

Pretty cool odd little place, food was good, prices are good, wait staff was friendly. Try to get a spot over in the booths with the miniature jukebox's. Really it's a neat spot in the heart of Arlington where there isn't much out of the generic realm. Consider this place the anti-Chili's. read more

This schizophrenic restaurant can't decide if it's a steakhouse, an Italian or a Tex-Mex restaurant. The food is as poorly executed and bland as you might expect from a place that has no idea what it wants to serve. It's not completely disgusting but it's certainly not good. The atmosphere is dim and un-inviting and the service is fair at best. It's a crappy restaurant in a crappy part of Arlington I'd rather avoid. The quest tastes like cheap cheese substitute from a jar and the salsa tastes like ketchup. read more

If I could give zero stars, I would. I'm visiting family in Arlington and was looking forward to doing to the infamous Candelite Inn from all the talk they said about how great it was. It's been recently redone and the new management kept some of the old restaurant's traditional dishes. My aunt called about 2 hours before we planned to come and asked if they took reservations since it's Memorial Day weekend and was told they did so she made one for 4. We were running a little late so my aunt called to notify them and the hostess told her that they don't take reservations and there was already a wait. We arrived at the restaurant and checked into the hostess station and told them we had called earlier about running late for the reservation and promised to get a table sooner because of the mix up and told the wait would be about 20 minutes or less for a wait that looked to be more like 45 minutes. Luckily, we only waited 10 minutes. We were hurriedly greeted by our waitress who appeared to be very flustered (understandably so since they were busy). We ordered our drinks and when she came back, mine was missing. I wasn't worried about it and assumed she just couldn't carry them altogether, but our waitress began to complain about how the other waitstaff didn't now how to run the training station where the drinks, chips, and salsa are kept and someone had spilled salsa all over the floor so the tea was on the other side of the restaurant. She made it seem as if ordering a tea instead of a water like the rest of our table was such a burden for her. We all ordered and I got the Italian steak which is an 8 ounce sirloin that comes with spaghetti and a salad as an appetizer. The salad was a clump of shredded lettuce with cheese and a couple of piece of diced tomato. I ordered Italian dressing with it, but our waitress did not tell us that it was actually a vinegar and oil dressing and not the typical sweet and tangy Italian dressing so I was blindsided by the sour, bitter taste. The salad was sub par and not only was it low quality, it came in a tiny bowl, the same bowls they bring lemons out on for your drinks. My steak was cooked okay and the spaghetti wasn't as incredible as my family had talked about it being in the original restaurant, but it wasn't disgusting. For the sake of all of the memories my family had at the original establishment, I really wish I could give the remodeled and revamped Candelite Inn a great review, but the experience we had was definitely disappointed and I know we won't be returning. read more

Thanks to all yelper reviews. We found and chose this location for family lunch after graduation ceremony, due to the reviews, food variety and location. We couldn't have been happier with the service, pricing, atmosphere and food selection. We didn't have to worry about what food people liked or didn't like because of selection. Our group arrived at different times we told them our party was approximately 25. They didnt make us wait for entire party to arrive before seating us. They sat us in one of their banquet rooms served chips and salsa and sat attendees as they arrived. The pricing was better than expected. Our ticket for 12 of the party was 95.00.(lol we spend more than that on 2 for date night). Top rank service we had 1 dedicated server and I must say no one's drinks were ever empty and everyone's order all 25 of them were hot, well plated, and CORRECT. (I KNOW HARD TO BELIEVE BUT IT WAS!) Congrats to our grads we love you. ONE more comment the atmosphere and remodel was awesome grad and family pics from inside were great could definitely provide fun, casual, business,and even romantic atmosphere for dinner. read more

Candlelite Inn - Grad 2015 we love ya - Mexican Near Me - Arlington, Texas

It is nice to have Candlelite Inn open again. It is like seeing an old friend that you have missed for a few years. I have had the spaghetti twice since they have reopened and I liked it both times, it was like the old Candlelite's spaghetti and I enjoyed my meal. I also got a small side of guacamole to see if it was like before and it was... yummy! My husband got 3 crispy beef tacos with guacamole and he enjoyed his meal as well. It is good to see so many people going to the restaurant and giving it a chance. There are far too many chain restaurants in Arlington and we need more locally owned and operated places like this. read more

I've been here twice and ordered two different dishes - once for dinner and once for lunch. I can see why/how it's a local favorite but it's definitely not for me. The food, while a decent size for the price, reminded me of cafeteria food both in flavor and in aesthetics. It was bland (other than salty), greasy, and canned/boxed. I wouldn't recommend this place unless you're looking for a really cheap/quick bite to eat. read more

If I'm having a hard time deciding where to eat with my friends, I always suggest The Candlelite Inn. It's mixture of Italian, Tex-Mex and American cuisine makes dining out a walk in the park. The only negative thing that I have to say about this place is that the chips and queso make me full before my actual meal arrives, but I'm not complaining because Candlelite's queso has always been my favorite, even before it was remodeled. One of the most impressive items, in my opinion, is the everything burrito that extends the entire length of the plate. Give me that and one of Candlelite's delicious margaritas and I am good to go! read more