Highlands Bar and Grill

The food was good quality, tasty and affordable. The staff and owner were incredibly friendly. Service was great and the wait wasn't long for the quality. Clean restuarant and bathroom, I will be coming back again.

Unfortunately I don't get to eat here often because I live on the other side of the lake, but when I do it's always excellent! Hands down the best prime rib in the County!! A bit pricey but worth it! Great salad bar and soups too! Doesn't look like much from the outside but I highly recommend you give it a try!

We are heading back home to oregon, found this restaurant after hearing good reviews from the staff at best western, the food is so delicious! My husband got ham and egg breakfast, I tried the hobo breakfast, the food is so fresh and great service. I would definitely eat here again! Unfortunately I'll probably never be back in this part of California again, but if you do stop in this town, I highly reccomend this place!

Great service, great food. Two visits, zero complaints. Hidden gem in Clearlake. The calamari steak is novel. Veggie omelette scrumptious. Friends like sandwiches—club, chicken Parmesan, burger. Happy!

I always enjoy the food drinks. Most of the owners and staff are great and helpful. The salad bar is always fresh and a good selection of food. It is also a safe place to go to for dinner or lunch. I have been going there for years. Number one in clealake.

We had our holiday party there tonight and everything was perfect. Not one complaint from a group is pretty good! The fish was the hit of the night and the desserts were scrumptious.

My family had an amazing meal here. We ordered pot stickers, and mozzarella sticks, steak, scallops, a patty melt, a chicken avocado club, a kid’s burger and a kid’s chicken strips. Everybody enjoyed their food and the service was excellent. We’ll definitely be back.

It’s a simple restaurant and you would drive past it in a heart beat Im so glad I read these reviews in advance and took the chance to go. We were craving prime rib and theirs is excellent and the rice pilaf and even the humble green beens were perfect. Service was fast and kind and we owners who had been there for 40 years were so efficient and you could tell the locals felt like family. We loved the clam chowder soup of the day and the bread had a wonderful deep sourdough taste. The owners talked about retiring soon so I wouldn’t wait. A lovely spot.

I love this place! My husband and I have dinner there at least once a week. The food is good (ALWAYS ask about the specials) amd the people are friendly. And now they offer Sunday brunch! The banana French toast was delicious.

OMG the food is good but the bartender is great. Best drinks I've had in awhile

Everything was amazing, the manager Gon has really made this place something special.. great atmosphere, good service, great food.. art on the walls are by a local artist.. the painting are out of this world... Come in an try...

Old school excellent American food! Our party had omelettes and the snapper lunch. Everything was perfect. The service was so good --> like you can't usually get any more! Perfect timing like she could read our minds :D Howard was right there, onsite, mixing perfect drinks (we sat on the bar side, there was also a nice comfortable family-dining side).

Food was so good big portion. Great service. Would come back

Great menu. Friendly staff. Best bartender ever.

David Price

OMG the food is good but the bartender is great. Best drinks I've had in awhile

Shannon Isbell

Everything was amazing, the manager Gon has really made this place something special.. great atmosphere, good service, great food.. art on the walls are by a local artist.. the painting are out of this world... Come in an try...

Suzette Susanne

Old school excellent American food! Our party had omelettes and the snapper lunch. Everything was perfect. The service was so good --> like you can't usually get any more! Perfect timing like she could read our minds :D Howard was right there, onsite, mixing perfect drinks (we sat on the bar side, there was also a nice comfortable family-dining side).

Jennifer Underwood

Food was so good big portion. Great service. Would come back

Chris Cottelit

Great menu. Friendly staff. Best bartender ever.

The First time my wife and I went there we met an awesome bartender that recommended food,made great drinks,and even helped us take a picture.That is why we came back.On that trip we met the manager.He also gave us food recommendations and made great drinks.He also recommended other places that we might like in the area.The food and service are great.

Enjoying lunchtime, my first time visiting this cozy lounge. Ample portions of fresh fried fish &chips. The bowl of clam chowder was delicious as well. The service was excellent. A very welcoming atmosphere. Very pleased with everything and everyone working there as well. If you're looking for a relaxing place to enjoy your meal, come and check out Highlands bar & grill.

We are always looking for a good restaurant in clearlake. We've tried several, and this one was excellent. The service was outstanding. The only thing is that it's a little dated but didn't take away from the good food.

This is the only restaurant in Lake County that offers fine dining options. I can't think of another place that has Filet Mignon and Lobster. They also offer Rib Eye, New York, and Prime Rib. They have an extensive menu with many items you would expect as well as many you might not. I just enjoyed the best Valentines Day dinner I have had in years. I had a filet mignon with a loaded baked potato. My wife had the prime rib with the same potato and we shared a tiramisu. Everything was perfectly cooked and the service was awesome. This is exactly what I've come to expect from this restaurant.

I come to this restaurant every week. The food selections are very good. My go to are the fried pot stickers for starters. The fisherman's platter is one of my favorites, comes with a variety of scallops, Prawns and fried fish with a side. Another favorite of mine is the chicken club sandwich with avocado 🥑 and bacon 🥓 . I try to switch it up and try everything on the menu and will update. The service is quick and precise. Food comes flying out of the kitchen. The Bartender Autumn is amazing and has a wide variety and knowledge of drinks to make and keeps a good atmosphere. They have a secret item on their menu which is my favorite its the breakfast burrito 🌯 that is one of my favorite. If you are in Clearlake this is definitely a place to checkout. Best bang for your buck.

We just moved to the area and we were looking for some great food to eat while we were moving in and I feel like we stumbled upon a real hidden gem. The vast variety of many options are all mouthwatering and palatable, even for someone who doesn’t always eat fish. I was very pleased with everything that I had and can’t wait to make this a family regular spot.

Nick Subia

The First time my wife and I went there we met an awesome bartender that recommended food,made great drinks,and even helped us take a picture.That is why we came back.On that trip we met the manager.He also gave us food recommendations and made great drinks.He also recommended other places that we might like in the area.The food and service are great.

CasedGod

We just moved to the area and we were looking for some great food to eat while we were moving in and I feel like we stumbled upon a real hidden gem. The vast variety of many options are all mouthwatering and palatable, even for someone who doesn’t always eat fish. I was very pleased with everything that I had and can’t wait to make this a family regular spot.

Ana **

We are always looking for a good restaurant in clearlake. We've tried several, and this one was excellent. The service was outstanding. The only thing is that it's a little dated but didn't take away from the good food.

Sean Lumsden

I come to this restaurant every week. The food selections are very good. My go to are the fried pot stickers for starters. The fisherman's platter is one of my favorites, comes with a variety of scallops, Prawns and fried fish with a side. Another favorite of mine is the chicken club sandwich with avocado 🥑 and bacon 🥓 . I try to switch it up and try everything on the menu and will update. The service is quick and precise. Food comes flying out of the kitchen. The Bartender Autumn is amazing and has a wide variety and knowledge of drinks to make and keeps a good atmosphere. They have a secret item on their menu which is my favorite its the breakfast burrito 🌯 that is one of my favorite. If you are in Clearlake this is definitely a place to checkout. Best bang for your buck.

Margaret

Enjoying lunchtime, my first time visiting this cozy lounge. Ample portions of fresh fried fish &chips. The bowl of clam chowder was delicious as well. The service was excellent. A very welcoming atmosphere. Very pleased with everything and everyone working there as well. If you're looking for a relaxing place to enjoy your meal, come and check out Highlands bar & grill.

I don't know about the other reviews but for me and my wife this place was great. The fish platters were some of the best we've had , as to restaurant quality. And the staff both friendly and knew the food menus so we actually got everything we wanted. And unlike some other places they never allow you to sit empty handed, water soda, etc, from the time you walk in the door. What else can I say for a place I ate at twice than this is the spot for Clear Lake.

The service is pretty good, but I have encountered a rude waitress three out of the seven times that I have been there so far. However, the bar makes excellent drinks at fair prices. The food is pretty good as well, it can get a little pricey though. For example, it's $56 for a steak and lobster dinner, which I would gladly pay if the portions were bigger. It was a very small portion and the steak was very fatty. I also ordered it rare and it was cooked close to well done. However everything else that I have had there, such as their chicken parmesan, has been excellent.

Howard's is one of those gems that has been in seedy, gritty clearlake California or decades. Great place to get together. Comfortable bar, comfortable dining room, a great place with an older crowd. Food is always consistently good, good drinks, fair prices. Can't go wrong come in here. Always a lot of fun.

Love this place you will not be hungry leaving here. They give you warm yummy bread and butter while you wait. Most meals come with soup and or salad. The best salad bar around. (Was the best salad bar it got closed because of covid.)The steaks are so tender. And they even serve ice cream for dessert. Comes with most meals.. They have a bar as well.

Not what I’d call a typical steakhouse, but unique in its own right. The owner was very engaging, humorous and genuine. The service was prompt and attentive. The food was a mix of good and great. I had the raspberry iced tea which was pretty good. The clam chowder was not fresh but still good. But the chicken fried steak… that was the bomb digity. It was huge, crispy, tender, and full of flavor. I’m not a bar kind of person but for the area, it seemed to be a friendly Cheers-like environment with a restaurant attached. I’d definitely come back when I’m in the area.

First time visited, Saturday morning breakfast. Very nice food and atmosphere. Visited the dinning room rather than the bar. Good breakfast choices.

Not a bad little relative hole in the wall spot. Looks as if it opens up around dinner time, due to a larger space beyond the bar, more for larger parties and/or dinner service. Value for the money was good. Food was above average, interior was comfortable although not the most updated or refreshed, but the service from the bartender/host/service was top tier. Recommended spot and a place I would visit again if in the area. No complaints, outside of somewhat of an odd parking and access/entrance situation.

E. Stephen Fulkerson

First time visited, Saturday morning breakfast. Very nice food and atmosphere. Visited the dinning room rather than the bar. Good breakfast choices.

Daniel D

Not a bad little relative hole in the wall spot. Looks as if it opens up around dinner time, due to a larger space beyond the bar, more for larger parties and/or dinner service. Value for the money was good. Food was above average, interior was comfortable although not the most updated or refreshed, but the service from the bartender/host/service was top tier. Recommended spot and a place I would visit again if in the area. No complaints, outside of somewhat of an odd parking and access/entrance situation.

Their food is awesome or at least it was until I found a black hair in my soup. Found hair the last time I went there before the whole covid-19. My husband found black hair under his steak. Just make sure to check your food really well before eating. I'm never ordering from there again. The first time I I figured it was just an accident but two times? That was it for us.

Everything about this place is dated, the food, the menu the building. The prices are high, but the food is decent. Portions we're a bit small this time, literally 1 zucchini slice 2 tiny pieces of cauliflower and some cabbage slices constituted a side of veggies. My dad likes to eat here because the food is consistently decent, and he likes that they have a salad bar. In short this is your grandpa and Grandmas style of restaurant. I had the calamari steak, with a baked potato, soup and salad bar. The calamari was pretty good, the baked potato was a little dried out,and the veggies we're skimped on. The salad bar was running low but they brought some more out for us, and I still love when a restaurant includes a scoop of ice cream with your meal.

Mindy

Everything about this place is dated, the food, the menu the building. The prices are high, but the food is decent. Portions we're a bit small this time, literally 1 zucchini slice 2 tiny pieces of cauliflower and some cabbage slices constituted a side of veggies. My dad likes to eat here because the food is consistently decent, and he likes that they have a salad bar. In short this is your grandpa and Grandmas style of restaurant. I had the calamari steak, with a baked potato, soup and salad bar. The calamari was pretty good, the baked potato was a little dried out,and the veggies we're skimped on. The salad bar was running low but they brought some more out for us, and I still love when a restaurant includes a scoop of ice cream with your meal.

Great food great service,the previous review was while it was still Howard's Grotto, like most people that aren't raving about the bar,or the view that doesn't exist I'm disappointed with the portion and quality of the food served. The prices have went up and something as simple as a side salad wasn't served with the prime rib. There wasn't sourcream or butter with the baked potatoes or horseradish for the prime rib.

Great location overlooking the golf course. Beautiful restaurant. We went for lunch on a weekday and we're surprised that several menu options were no longer available. The food that was available was in the decent-good range. The bartender was pulling double duty as the server for the tables. She was lovely but clearly not being well supported. I would definitely go back and try some of the items that were sold out/86ed on our last visit.

Disappointed. Did not offer complimentary bread or dessert with your meals. Miss you Howard. Service was good. Portions are respectable as well as the prices. . I Ordered the bone in prime rib. Ordered it medium revived it rare. Meat was tender, lacked flavor. I could not finish it. The Au-Jus was terrible. Mash potatoes were lumpy and lacked seasoning as well. Gravy was ok. For a 61 dollar meal, this new owner kitchen only come to 50% of the standards Howards grotto had. I'm not going back any time soon.

Joseph Gonzalez

Disappointed. Did not offer complimentary bread or dessert with your meals. Miss you Howard. Service was good. Portions are respectable as well as the prices. . I Ordered the bone in prime rib. Ordered it medium revived it rare. Meat was tender, lacked flavor. I could not finish it. The Au-Jus was terrible. Mash potatoes were lumpy and lacked seasoning as well. Gravy was ok. For a 61 dollar meal, this new owner kitchen only come to 50% of the standards Howards grotto had. I'm not going back any time soon.

MaryBeth Mosko

Great location overlooking the golf course. Beautiful restaurant. We went for lunch on a weekday and we're surprised that several menu options were no longer available. The food that was available was in the decent-good range. The bartender was pulling double duty as the server for the tables. She was lovely but clearly not being well supported. I would definitely go back and try some of the items that were sold out/86ed on our last visit.

Eloy Benavidez

Great food great service,the previous review was while it was still Howard's Grotto, like most people that aren't raving about the bar,or the view that doesn't exist I'm disappointed with the portion and quality of the food served. The prices have went up and something as simple as a side salad wasn't served with the prime rib. There wasn't sourcream or butter with the baked potatoes or horseradish for the prime rib.

I have not eaten here before and came after reading the reviews. I was excited at the amount of seafood and steak options I saw even if they were on the pricey side. I ordered a steak medium rare and got a well done steak. They did remake it but the new one while more pink/red was not what I consider medium rare. I think the grill must be to hot as the outside was over cooked and there was a very skinny line in the middle of "rare". Both steaks were very tough and somehow the less cooked steak was tougher. Lots of fat on the steaks to. Everything was dry, bland, and tough. So probably a place I won't be back to. The wait staff was wonderful and very attentive.

Oh no what’s going on I have eaten here a couple of times in the past few months so when asked by some out of town friends if I thought they should stop here I said yes it’s a safe bet, but they called me to see they where not at all impressed they had a burger and a fish sandwich no lettuce tomato pickle lettuce dry as the dessert they said has the cook been changed along with the recent name change too?

Worse food and service imaginable!! Please do NOT eat here. I came here for thanksgiving and was completely disappointed. My food was flavorless and not appealing to look at. I told them I didn't like my food and they took it back. 5 minutes later they tell me I still have to pay for my food. They ruined my thanksgiving and were very rude about the whole situation. The police was called as well because we could not come to an agreement. Save yourself the time and money! The biggest disappointment in Clearlake!

I love Howard’s grilled shrimp scampi! Can not be duplicated! This is my all time favorite steak and seafood restaurant! I have been dining here for over 30 years and definitely recommend it! Great food great service. Salad bar and full bar accents your Heavenly meal! Plus they have really affordable burgers on the menu for the kids. It’s a win all the way around. Cant wait to dine there again hopefully soon! :) 6/28/25 revise my review.. this is now highland bar and grill and it’s absolutely terrible. Terrible service. The waitress took 2 party’s orders that arrived after us before ours. They no longer include soup and salad with dinners unless it’s steak or lobster and the clam chowder was terrible nothing like the way it was when it was the grotto. The portions were terrible my son got maybe 10 fries with his fish. They give u 3 small pieces of bread. It was all around terrible experience and way over priced it cost $98 for dinner for 2 and I’ll definitely never go back! Do not recommend since the new owners took over!! Thumbs down and it’s a shame I loved there grilled shrimp scampi when it was Howards now it’s not the same either!! Terrible prices!terrible food!! and terrible service!!

I went on July 23, 2025 about 4:15 PM. I sat there. I asked the lady if they’re open and they sell food. She said yes you can say wherever you want. I waited there for about 15 minutes and the people that work there seeing me that I just got there sitting down waiting for me to get some food and nobody would come to help me or take my order I think they don’t want to stay because of my brown color. I think and they looked racist to me

We had high hopes that the new Highlands Restaurant would be better than the previous Howard’s Grotto. However, we arrived and it was not clear where the front desk was. We had to get our own menus because the hostess was busy dealing with paperwork of some kind, instead of seating the customers. After finally getting our order in we had to wait a full 50 minutes to recive our food, which is way too long to wait for a simple meal. The food is mediocre at best. Not much flavor and not at all what I call fine dining. Howard’s grotto was better than it is now and it was nothing to cheer about. Once again, disappointed by the food and service in Lake County. Should have stayed home and cooked myself. Would have been cheaper and better quality! Not returning.

Our hostess/waitress was one of the best in Lake County. The atmosphere has all new artwork in the dining area, which is nice. Although there were two that had 1 👁 eye, they were both looking at us. Little weird. The food was terrible. I ordered scallops in lemon and butter, vegetables, mashed potatoes, and gravy. The other 2 people with me ordered bacon wrapped filet mignon, salad with Italian dressing, vegetables, and chopped red potatoes. The Italian dressing was oil and watered down vinegar, no spices. Even the waitress went and tasted the dressing on her own accord when she saw they weren't eating it and came to our table to tell us she didn't like the dressing and offered to get something else. Our vegetables were sliced steamed carrots with no seasoning. The same goes for the red potatoes. The filets were charred marked and raw on the inside and tough. My mashed potatoes were a giant ice cream scoop of potatoes with a very thick brown sauce poured down one side. The presentation of all our food reminded me of a cafeteria style meal food just tossed on a plate. The appetizers were good chicken wings and potato skins. The drinks from the bar were good. One of us asked to speak with the manager about the food, and the manager listened but didn't seem to care. We all want every restaurant in Lake County to be great. Even good would be ok. When this restaurant was Howard's Grotto, the food was consistently good or decent. I will never go back to this restaurant for food again. Fast food is more appealing. I might go there to the bar side for a drink, maybe. To the owner, please get someone in there who can make good food and who knows how to plate the food. To the cook, taste the food before you decide to put it on the menu. We paid over $200 for the 3 of us, including 2 drinks each for 2 of us. I didn't want to pay for the food, but the waitress was so incredible that we just paid it. We won't go back, though.

Friend was eating in restaurant, said he would like a cheeseburger to go and to make WHEN HE WAS DONE EATING. He also made it clear that it needed to be cooked well done, no pink raw meat. Well, the burger was brought to him in a to-go bag AT THE SAME TIME his food was given to him. So I end up with a cold burger. Worse yet, it was ONLY COOKED on the outside, inside was completely raw. So gross. I called to let them know and was offered a refund. Well, friend is gone cause he dropped it off to me on his way home so can’t go back and that is so not the point or issue. Following directions has been a major issue since these new owners took it over. I stopped going there because food just sucks but was willing to try again…my bad…never again. Incompetence runs high there.

Cindio56 O

Friend was eating in restaurant, said he would like a cheeseburger to go and to make WHEN HE WAS DONE EATING. He also made it clear that it needed to be cooked well done, no pink raw meat. Well, the burger was brought to him in a to-go bag AT THE SAME TIME his food was given to him. So I end up with a cold burger. Worse yet, it was ONLY COOKED on the outside, inside was completely raw. So gross. I called to let them know and was offered a refund. Well, friend is gone cause he dropped it off to me on his way home so can’t go back and that is so not the point or issue. Following directions has been a major issue since these new owners took it over. I stopped going there because food just sucks but was willing to try again…my bad…never again. Incompetence runs high there.

Danny Berber

I went on July 23, 2025 about 4:15 PM. I sat there. I asked the lady if they’re open and they sell food. She said yes you can say wherever you want. I waited there for about 15 minutes and the people that work there seeing me that I just got there sitting down waiting for me to get some food and nobody would come to help me or take my order I think they don’t want to stay because of my brown color. I think and they looked racist to me

Llynnette Love

We had high hopes that the new Highlands Restaurant would be better than the previous Howard’s Grotto. However, we arrived and it was not clear where the front desk was. We had to get our own menus because the hostess was busy dealing with paperwork of some kind, instead of seating the customers. After finally getting our order in we had to wait a full 50 minutes to recive our food, which is way too long to wait for a simple meal. The food is mediocre at best. Not much flavor and not at all what I call fine dining. Howard’s grotto was better than it is now and it was nothing to cheer about. Once again, disappointed by the food and service in Lake County. Should have stayed home and cooked myself. Would have been cheaper and better quality! Not returning.

Heather Bertolucci

I love Howard’s grilled shrimp scampi! Can not be duplicated! This is my all time favorite steak and seafood restaurant! I have been dining here for over 30 years and definitely recommend it! Great food great service. Salad bar and full bar accents your Heavenly meal! Plus they have really affordable burgers on the menu for the kids. It’s a win all the way around. Cant wait to dine there again hopefully soon! :) 6/28/25 revise my review.. this is now highland bar and grill and it’s absolutely terrible. Terrible service. The waitress took 2 party’s orders that arrived after us before ours. They no longer include soup and salad with dinners unless it’s steak or lobster and the clam chowder was terrible nothing like the way it was when it was the grotto. The portions were terrible my son got maybe 10 fries with his fish. They give u 3 small pieces of bread. It was all around terrible experience and way over priced it cost $98 for dinner for 2 and I’ll definitely never go back! Do not recommend since the new owners took over!! Thumbs down and it’s a shame I loved there grilled shrimp scampi when it was Howards now it’s not the same either!! Terrible prices!terrible food!! and terrible service!!