Beach House

Service was good ceased salad was dry and shrimp pasta was in need of more sauce but outside area is nice overall for the price it should been much better

We went to the Beach House for dinner and to celebrate our anniversary. The service at the table was good, the waitress was friendly. Unfortunately, our overall impression of the place was not good — we’ll stick with having sandwiches at lunch, to enjoy the view of the lake, in the future. The Good: to start, I had the chopped salad with candied pecans, bacon, and jalepeno ranch dressing — quite tasty! I also enjoyed a gin and tonic and hubby enjoyed his Meiomi red wine. The Not So Good: Also to start we had the calimari — but the breading didn’t adhere at all, and the large pieces were quite chewy. (The dipping sauce was wonderful.) We’d wanted to order the crab cakes and jumbo, but they were out! Bummer. Later, they also ran out of Meiomi wine, so we couldn’t have a 2^nd glass of this with our meal. After waiting over an hour, our entrees finally arrived. Husband was very disappointed in his entrée, the Shrimp «Risotto,» because it was really not risotto at all — they used regular rice, not carnoli, so the dish was not creamy at all; they should rename it shrimp and two rices — the red and green sauces on the rice were tasty but the dish just wasn’t risotto! I ordered the grouper with garlic smashed potatoes and daily vegetables; this was quite disappointing, too — for $ 21 you get less than 4 ounces of fish, some aggressively garlicky potatoes (garlic should be roasted, not raw), and, on the day we went, an odd mixture of corn and snap peas. It looked like something one would order at a diner! Most of the pan-​fried fish was tasty, but about a fourth of it was quite «fishy» tasting. I also would like to comment about our «welcome». When we entered the restaurant a waitress was busy doing something at the computer at the check-​in desk. We later found out it wasn’t her job to check us in, or to seat us. But we thought she could have at least acknowledged we were standing there, and told us someone else would come soon to help us. Instead, we just stood there for several minutes until the check-​in hostess arrived. She was very pleasant and guided us to the bar where we got a drink, and then later agreed we would wait out on the deck. We drove over from Champaign to have a nice dinner out, with a view of the lake. While the view of the lake was very nice, we won’t be recommending this place to our friends! And we won’t be returning on a weekend, when both the cooking and serving staff seemed overwhelmed.

We have eaten here several times, but I had never completed a review. We decided to eat here, since we both love the place and our daughter had followed us up there to meet up with friends to have her dinner for prom there. Since we did not have reservations, we had to sit at a small table at the bar area, but that was perfectly okay. Even though there was a wedding reception going on in a larger part of the building and several groups of teenagers for various proms, it was not loud in there like you would’ve thought. We decided to order the crab cakes as an appetizer for both of us, and I ordered a half a dozen oyster Rockefeller to try. The crab cakes seemed to be slightly under done and not very warm. They were not as good as ones we’ve had there before. The oyster Rockefeller was delicious, but it was not very warm either and came out after the crabcakes had been finished. I realize that they were extremely busy that evening, but every time we’ve been in there, they have been extremely busy. We pretty much let it slide because we did not want to take up too much of our time because we were not sure if we would be taking more photos or not of our daughter and her group. Our entrées arrived pretty much on top of my oysters arriving. I ordered the Chilean Seabass, garlic potato mashed, and French green beans. We both ordered the garlic mashed potatoes with our meals and agreed that neither one of us could taste any garlic. The Chilean Seabass was delicious, but for something that was supposedly pan seared, that did not appear to be the case. It looked more like it’d just been baked in the oven with not a sear in sight. The sauce that the fish came on it was OK, but that’s pretty much my only opinion on it. There was not much flavor to it. The French green beans were good. Once again, my food was barely warm. If it had been any other night and not my daughter’s prom night, we would’ve sent all of it back that was not warm or barely warm. In the past, this restaurant has served very delicious food served at the appropriate temperature when we have gone there. I guess everyone has an off night, but it was extremely disappointing.

My high hopes for the Beach House based on other reviewers were dashed on the shores of Lake Decatur. First the good– and there was a lot of good! Location overlooking the lake is great! Server was great! Décor was good. Two appetizers were excellent-​Spinach Artichoke dip and also the Mussels. We all had desserts and they were great! The main course is where we had our trouble. In hindsight, I should have mentioned it to the waiter. Will give you another try sometime – maybe we were there on an off night.

My family travels and eats out a great deal on weekends, so when we are home in Decatur, IL, we don’t dine out often. Last night, my wife and I decided to have dinner out and chose the Beach House. It was the perfect choice!
The crab cakes were an exceptional starter, the house wines palatable, and our meal was truly perfect. Delicious hot rolls, crispy fresh green beans, perfectly garlic-​seasoned smashed potatoes, and an ample amount, no less. Seldom can I get a filet mignon of better quality and cooked to perfection anywhere but my own grill at home, yet our steaks were exceptional and worth leaving home for, to say the least. Finally, the dessert selection made it difficult to choose, and we were already getting quite full, so we split a carrot cake made even more remarkable by a bold cup of coffee.
On top of a memorable meal, our service was excellent, and we enjoyed the banter with our waitress as we kept an NCAA basketball game silently streaming on my phone at our table.
Thank you, Beach House. We’d travel far to enjoy such a meal. I’m glad we don’t have to!

I’ve been to Beach House several times but went recently for a work luncheon.
The outside area of the Beach House has been completely revamped. It features a large deck, bar area, and lake views. Unfortunately, the renovations haven’t quite made their way inside though there are new flat screen televisions and some modern lighting!
We started off with the appetizer of the day. It was a spicy queso dip with homemade tortilla chips — delicious!
I ordered the pretzel chicken sandwich with river chips. I was very pleased — the chips were seasoned well and the breading on the chicken was amazing. It was a HUGE portion. I ended up eating the sandwich without the bun. The chicken was smothered with cheese and onions.
The top-​notch service really made our experience. DeeDee (sp.) was our waitress and she was very attentive and helpful.
Also, check out the mac and cheese if you are here and aren’t counting calories — it’s to die for.

Good food, quaint atmosphere and great service! The reason I didn’t give five stars, is due to a bit heavier seasoning throughout menu than I would prefer. Minor detail, the Lava cake desert didn’t have any lava :(. Our go-​to place when we are in town! The new additions are beautiful!

Love this place amazing service… Great food couldntbask for more I truly was very happy from the time I walked in to the end of my dinner

Celebrated my grandson birthday. Food and service was GREAT.

Outstanding food and service. Very clean. Best burger j have had in my life. A little pricy but good value for the money. Quite classy.

The Jambalaya Pasta was deeeeelicious and the service was extremely awesome… the server went above and beyond decorating our table to give us a romantic dinner sitting us center view of the lake and even prepared a flower arrangement which she allowed my wife to keep so the over all dining experience was definitely top notch.

Went without reservations, and we’re immediately seated. The service was excellent. The food, even better. My husband and I split a salad and it was still huge for both of us. We had seafood cocktail. The shrimp were very good size and the cocktail sauce had a nice kick to it. I ordered steak with two different types of sauces. They were melt in your mouth. We will definitely be back!

While I like the atmosphere, and the food is fine — it’s just not my favorite restaurant to go to in the area. I’ve had seafood, pasta, and catered meals, all were good. And if you are looking for a private room — they have a great space.

Best seafood in Decatur. I’ve been here countless times and time and time again I would always give this place the 5 stars it deserves. The food was great, and the service was great.

Over 45 of us celebrated mother’s 90^th birthday at the Beach House last weekend and it couldn’t have been better. Hats off to the helpful and efficient staff who went beyond the call to make this memorable event perfect. All enjoyed BH’s special pretzel coated chicken and Mac n’Cheese among other buffet entrees, side dishes and appetizers which were topped off by a delicious birthday cake.
Did I mention the staff was friendly? Well they are and it made all the difference to us «out of town-​ers» planning this event!
Thank you all at the Beach House… well done!

Service is always great, food is always good. If you know me, I’m a mac & cheese connoisseur, and this is up there in the top of the mac & cheeses for me. SO GOOD! I do recommend getting the half portion unless you’re starving. The scallops are very good. I’ve also have the Florida Grouper sandwich — delicious. Spinach and Artichoke dip is a must. Crab Cakes — a little on the spicy side for me. Definitely a nice date spot, as there are views of the lake from most seats in the restaurant. There is a small bar with TVs also. I’ve been there several times in the last 2 months. One of my Decatur faves.

four stars means «yay! I’m a fan… well thats yet to be determined. two times we have tried to eat here and two times they were not open, yet website and Unilocal says they are… not cool. I am driving very very far… I should call, I know I know.

The Beach Melt w/​Mac & Cheese
The Beach Melt — ½ pound of Aged Angus, Caramelized Onions, Apple
Smoked Bacon, and Chef’s Cheese Sauce on Toasted
Ciabatta. $ 8.50
Mac n’ Cheese — Cavatappi Pasta tossed in a Smoked White Cheddar Sauce from a Four Cheese Blend. Topped with Mozzarella
then finished in the broiler. Full order $ 13.00, Half size $ 8.00. Add grilled Chicken $ 5.00, Sautéed Shrimp $ 6.00
As I was in town on business, I asked where the «one» place was that required a visit. Well to my surprise, this joint on the lake «The Beach House», had received my full attention. While the atmosphere is a bit dated, and the help could be a bit more attentive, the food (at least what I had ordered) was outstanding! Still to this day, I crave that burger and their delectable, melt-​in-​your-​mouth Mac & Cheese (4 Cheese, ARE YOU KIDDING ME?!)
If you’re ever cruising through Decatur, or even looking for a different place to try out, hit The Beach House. Belly up and and order the Beach Grill. You shall NOT be disappointed!

Great place for lunch! Reasonable prices & good food with friendly staff always equals a good combo. Try the Pita Mediterranean.

Top notch view of the lake from the deck and good dinner options! Make reservations online or call ahead