the help sucked especially Friday night june11 place was packed. great band. couldn't get help couldn't get help with a cab car service or anything. phone died. over priced one waitress. horrible night no air conditioning Hope that great band never plays there again read more

Old school family owned restaurant that is always a great place for friends and gatherings to enjoy a nice meal together! The prime rib is excellent and the bar is always welcoming with a good selection. Service is always with a smile and attentive staff read more

We go there often. Their blue cheese dressing is homemade and AWESOME! The servers are very nice and very accommodating. The Ambiance is friendly and low key. We eat frequently in the bar area and never too nosy even with bands setting up. The dining room is very nice and even attended an event in their back room. Just a great local quaint place. Great Prime Rib on weekends! read more

Stopped in for a drinks with a group of friends. One of our friends was in the band that was playing so it made the night even more exciting. He They had plenty of seating at the bar and in the dining room surrounding the bar. We had a few appetizers to go with our cocktails. The bar service was a bit slower but our waitress was on top of it. Overall I like the feel of the bar and staff was friendly. Plenty of parking in the private lot. read more

The Lamplighter Restaurant & Pub - the bar - American Near Me - Chester, New Jersey

We are infrequent diners at The Lamplighter, but after a couple of "busts" while searching for the holy grail of prime rib, we (three couples), decided to try The Lamplighter on the recommendation of a local "foodie friend". We were not disappointed. Five of us devoured three king and two queen cuts, together with scrumptious baked potato and brussel sprouts on the side. My king cut came out cooked just right ...on a hot plate (extra points !) and our sixth diner gave a thumbs up to her swordfish ocean dinner. Service was very friendly and prompt..drinks were as to be expected in a good pub. The music was in another room and sounded just fine. We're definitely going to return now that we've found our prime rib mecca and the prices are very reasonable. Even the doggie bags are pretty snazzy. I may have to carve my initials into the back of my favourite chair next time. read more

We like to come in for a weekend lunch-- it is always empty or close to empty, but sitting near the bar is cozy and the house salad is the classic, fresh, crunchy salad I dream of. They always have interesting specials and we have never had a bad meal here. Service is always friendly. read more

Dark pub feel, but don't let that fool you. Brian will treat you like family and will never let your drink go empty. Very attentive service, came with a big group and they made sure to get our kids situated first. Good food and good atmosphere during COVID, what more can you ask for? Was only disappointed because I was too full for dessert- and the dessert menu looked really good! Easy and laid back- would definitely come back again. read more

Food & Service 5 stars both are phenomenal! A group of us went to see a friend in the band that was playing. Gave 4 starts because the establishment just needs a refresh! Affects the ambiance & vibe. read more

I've dined at The Lamplighter several times, the food is always delicious. The restaurant presents a fashionable style that many new restaurants today lack. Each time I go your treated like family. I highly recommend this restaurant and look forward to going back. Garett B. read more

Read menu on line, get there nothing the same. They need to remove on line menu. John had shrimp, over cooked not cleaned. Pizza was made of cracker crust. If you like bad food go there. read more

Old dingy dated and dumpy..this place is falling apart..The stairs to get into the place are a hazard..the roof and gutters are falling off the place. Once inside you will find a restaurant stuck in perpetual 1980..this place is very dirty and dingy looking with water leak stains on the walls due to the roof being in disrepair. The food isn't much better. The bratwurst was downright disgusting and the corned beef a little better. I definitely would not come back here. read more

It's been quite some time since I've tried the lamplighter. But I tell ya what, the old school looks hold true to the nature of the people inside. The bar is beautiful and the people serving you are so welcoming and kind, you feel at home right away. The food is delicious and they have specials all the time. The deserts are homemade - I highly recommend the whiskey cake, it's awesome! I don't know why this place only has 3 stars, because it truly sticks out to me as Old school Chester. Good food, good people, good times. read more

Stopped her on a whim after visiting family in Kessler. Wasn't expecting much, but WOW. Get the blackened salmon. It is OUT OF THIS WORLD!!!

The Lamplighter is a family friendly, professional place to dine. Located in Chester, New Jersey, this establishment overall is a good choice for a nice dinner out. While it may not be as memorable as it's neighboring Redwood's Bar and Grille, Lamplighter offers a nice warm atmosphere and very tasty dishes that your family can enjoy. The staff is professional and dedicated to great service. It's obvious that Lamplighter's goal is to make your dining experience exceptional. I had ordered the Lobster ravioli....the wait time was moderate, about 20 minutes. The overall quality of the food was good, however the sauce lacked some flavor. Lamplighter's menu had some great offerings, I would like to return soon and try another dish, as I feel my visit did not fully capture the full potential Lamplighter's has to offer. read more

This restaurant had amazing food! Had the boiled salmon, bake potato and carrots, with a salad! It was the best salmon I have ever had, salmon was moist not dried out, like Tuna fish( I have had salmon that was dried out) but, this was amazing the carrots were just right and jubilee mix! The bake potato was cook just right and nice fluffiness! Price was good for the meal, for Chester NJ! read more

Based on reviews this place must really be bad; don't believe it, best food in area. Good bar, reasonable, service was excellent and welcome relief from long day of work. Our party of 5 had no complaints. Salad fresh and good Italian vinegar dressing, red clam sauce and pasta, rack of lamb, veal piccata, steak, whiskey cake for dessert all very good...... read more

Stacey the waitress was awful. She had such a poor attitude and talked under her breath every time we ordered a drink. She spilled a drink on one person in our party and did not apologize. She had a sour puss on her face the whole night. She was slow to get us drinks. I feel bad for the next party that she serves. We will not be returning to this restaurant. read more

The absolute best restaurant I have ever been to living in Chester. Over 15 years I have visited this restaurant exploring many items on their menu, all to be amazing. Their blackened option for steak and fish is the reason I come back as well as the UNREAL blue cheese dressing. A MUST. And, the hospitality is amazing. Bob will go far and beyond to make your experience personable and truly family oriented. I am so happy this place is still open during Covid. read more

Been going here for years. Great family atmosphere, solid food and the best cheesecake on God's green earth!!

We stopped here after pumpkin picking with a group of 6, we couldn't find anyone at the host stand to seat us, so we walked around for 5 min. They finally sat us down inside, in a dark depressing corner, so we asked to go outside instead. The tables were all dirty with food, and I asked for it to be cleaned and the server came over with a wet napkin and smeared the dirty table all over and swiped it off onto our lap. We were all looking for seasonal beers, and they didn't have any. They only had basic beer. When we asked for a menu the server told me to go take a picture of it at the front door, so we had to leave our seat to go get the menu. The inside smelt like mold and was extremely dated. The service took really long for everything. They had very basic meal selection, so we all got burgers and chicken fingers to be safe. We found hair in our French fries, and the plates were filthy. The bottom of all of our plates had food residue and what looked like mold. Once the meals finally came, almost and hour later, the burgers were not cooked how we asked and we had to stare at our burgers and drool, because we had to wait till she came back around to ask her for ketchup, mustard, salt and pepper. The soap in the bathroom was not antibacterial, so I'm not sure how good that is at killing the virus. The table we sat at was on a huge angle, so all of our drinks kept sliding, so we had to hold them. It was a pretty terrible experience and I would not recommend. No seasonal items at all. Server was a young boy and a women named Stacy. read more

The Lamplighter Restaurant & Pub - Dirty plates. - American Near Me - Chester, New Jersey

The food is very good. My favorites are the blackened salmon salad, the lemon pepper tilapia, and the cheeseburger. My husband always gets the prime rib when it's a special, and his other favorites are the filet mignon, the sliced steak salad (yes, he's a red-meat guy!), the clams over linguini, and often whatever the special is. The bar is huge and the place overall is warm and welcoming. The exterior is a little dark and run-down looking - don't let that put you off. The staff are all very friendly. read more

I've been here for both lunch and dinners. For lunch, it's good. Burgers and the salmon salad are good, and sitting in the bar area has a old time pub like feel. But for dinner I was disappointed - uninspired but passable food. Both the menu and decor seem to be stuck in the 1970s. If you're looking for a retro throwback setting and meal, go for it, but I think there are better choices in the area. read more

I've gone a couple of times and usually the reason I'm going is to watch the band that is playing there that night. If not for the band, I would stay home because I can make food better than they can. The Italian food I've had there has been terrible short of the fried mozzarella sticks which were a little too greasy but still received a passing grade. The nachos are to be avoided. The service is poor and the decor is great if you are stuck in the 1960s. And a quick tip, don't order top shelf alcohol because the time I ordered Absolut on the rocks I would swear I received Smirnoff. read more

We have never been to Lamplighter and from the reviews I was a bit scared however they were a restaurant in the area that had seating for Christmas Eve. I have to report it wasn't as bad as all these reviews make it out to be. We went there as a table for 7 and were seated in the dining area. I did get a look at the bar area and it seemed large and inviting- very typical sports bar look. The dining area wasn't as large but it's a very nice set up without tables being to close together. Our server was so SO nice and was super accommodating especially towards my children and that's a big plus for me. Our food was pretty good. They had a special menu for CE and it was varied although I'm betting the prices were slightly higher than the norm. Most of the food was prepared well. We did have to send a steak back due to temperature but it was taken care of immediately and came back in a relatively short time period. I ordered the fish which I thoroughly enjoyed (I admit it was a little over seasoned) Another at the table got shrimp scampi and she really enjoyed as well! The kitchen was very accommodating with our orders for the kids and took seriously my warning that my son has a severe nut allergy - which Again is a big plus for me. The desserts were awesome and overall we had a really lovely time here. My hubs and I r looking forward to visiting again so we can sample some of their regular pub menu. I'm very glad we went as it's close to home and may become a spot to frequent Thanks Lamplighter for ending our beautiful evening with a very good time! read more

Outstanding food and excellent service. Don't believe the negative reviews from people who are experts only about burgers and yahoos who don't know the first thing about vodka. Been going here since it was born from Roberto's restaurant many years ago. Yes, exterior is a bit tired but inside it's cozy and something rare these days, quiet enough to carry on a conversation without having to shout. Try the Shrimp Luciano and enjoy some genuine Italian cuisine. read more

Good food, great service, very accommodating and friendly owner. Place can use a small update inside and out.

Very tired in all areas. Mediocre food. Try Italian ( Benito's ), Japanese (domo7) and Thia Kitchen all three fine food at good value.

My husband and I go there frequently. We always have a great meal. My husband loves the clams casino. Wednesday night they have a GREAT salad bar. We love all the staff! Leslie Chester NJ read more

Soooooo sooooo bad! Such a shame. First, the good. Location! Imagine the business they would do being within walking distance of Alstede Farms IF they were an even semi-OK restaurant/bar! And...that pretty much sums up the good. 1) The building has not been improved or maintained in the over 20 years that we've lived in the area. Nothing. After hours, every light, inside AND outside, is off. Looks abandoned. There is an outside patio that we've never seen anyone at. There is a giant awning that practically covers the front entry. Based on appearance alone, no one would ever go there. 2) The food is simply the worst you can imagine, with one and I mean ONE exception, the burgers. Pretty good, but not great. The buffalo chicken wrap was so bad, bartender took it off the check, inedible. Nachos were a joke. Never going back. Had a company Christmas lunch there years ago and was awful then but in the interest of trying to keep it local, we tried again. Done with a capital D unless they do a major overhaul. read more

The 4 stars are for food only (which is the most important part of any restaurant, right?). To be honest, I was disappointed when we walked in but as we'd made prior reservations and as the greeter was so pleasant we decided to stick it out. Glad we did. My disappointments were with the tacky, outdated decor and old-home smells... BUT.... our server was very polite and professional despite it probably being one of his first days on the job (very young and inexperienced but willing to help and friendly). My first surprise was with the house red wine - a lovely, dry, fruity merlot. However, the food was a total surprise. It was soooo good. I had grilled Tilapia (it said fried on the menu but the chef happily agreed to grill it), which so so soft and well-seasoned. I also had a lovely salad and a plate of just-perfectly cooked brocchli. The Other Half had baked clams casino (good) and then rack of lamb with jacket potato and salad. He raved about the rack of lamb and believe me he is really, really fussy about his meat - particularly lamb. If you're looking for good service, excellent food at decent prices Lamplighter is the one. Pity that the place needs a good spruce-up! PS. I got a clean fork between courses - so that deserves another star * read more

I've only eaten here once and the food was bland and uninspired. The decor is very dated and it smelled musty when I walked in. The outside of the building is in dire need of fixing up and the landscaping is nonexistent. On a positive note the wait staff was friendly. read more

Weekend Entertainment is why I rated this restaurant with 4 stars. If you like good old fashioned Rock n Roll, there is a fantastic band that plays there named "Rock'n Daddy". If you prefer a more mellow time, you must see "Maleea". There are not too many places where you can go out for a reasonably priced meal and be treated with top rate entertainment. read more

Been the many, many times and was never unhappy with either service or food - just love their lemon chicken. Feels like you are entering a warm and cozy place where the staff is very polite and proper. Highly recommend the Lamplighter for someone who just wants a great place where it is quiet and comfrotable, a place with very reasonable prices. GREAT STAFF!!!!! read more