The Light Well

BLUF: A great locally sourced small restaurant in old town. If you're traveling through the area I recommend stopping and trying it out. Wait for a table... it's worth it. It's pricey because of ingredient quality...., but still worth it. This has become an annual tradition for us. We stop here for lunch on our way to a Christmas Tree Farm. They never disappoint. Pictured here is a perfectly cooked black and blue burger with their bacon blue fries. Breaking it down. I started with their butternut squash soup. They were making a new batch because it's a popular soup. Of course getting a soup as soon as it had finished means it doesn't have time to cure, but they overcame that well. I added a touch of table salt to help the flavors pronounce themselves more. I think I would like a bit more stock in the base. Still was very good and smooth. I haven't had a burger there yet that was a disappointment. Local fresh grass fed beef ground ensures a solid delicious taste and texture when ordered medium. The challah bun compliments the sandwich and I'm one of the few folks I know that gets excited for arugula on a sandwich. The handcut carefully seasoned fries don't need any help, but I do enjoy toppings on my fries. They covered this with bacon, blue cheese dressing, caramelized onions and more arugula. They may have gone a touch over board with the arugula, but they'll get no real complaint from me. For desert, we shared a bacon brownie. These are not a particular favorite of mine since the crisp bacon consistency can conflict with the smooth brownie. However, they adjust well for this by roughly mincing the bacon. Two of our kids thought it was amazing and made sure the plate was clean. I think my only real critique would have to be the Guinness. I would have prefered a local brew, but all they had was IPAs. Guinness is best at room temp vice chilled. Regardless I had two. My bride, who has developed a gluten sensitivity, got really clever with her meal. She loves all things bread so not being able to enjoy their delicious challah bun was heart breaking. However, they have some of the best sautéed spinach you'll fire. She ordered a mushroom Swiss burger (I had it last year and it is excellent). In place of Swiss she had gouda; genius decisions. Instead of a bun she had it on a bed of their sautéed spinach. My bride was kind enough to let me try a bite and I can confidently say I may be ordering it this way in the future... challah bun on the side because I still want that bread The menu is pricey, but that's the price you pay based on the ingredient quality decisions they make. We'll be back next year.

Love this place! Hadn't been there in years, so my fiance and I decided we'd go support Orange's restaurant week since The Light Well is donating proceeds to a local person in need. Just as I remembered, the food was great, and the atmosphere is reminiscent of an earlier time, showcasing the feature that created the name. They have fantastic locally roasted coffee. If you're a craft beer fan, this is definitely a great place for it, they have plenty on tap, as well as their own Willow Spring Brewery selections. My favorite part was dessert; the creme brulee was perfect, and the bacon brownie was incredibly chocolate!

Owners we behind the bar and greeting guest. Food was outstanding, the menu was prepared by a top notch chef, used to work at whole foods. The food was locally sourced, and had a great selection, not your city bar food. Must try the local beers, all different and all very good... Ask about the history or try using the untapped ap

TLW Club is amazing! We had a side of fruit and a couple lattes. Mountain Mint and No Name. Bitterness to the coffee, could be a bit more smooth. A must if you're coming for the food!! Friendly staff, not long wait times for your meal, you aren't waiting for a prolonged amount of time before someone comes to check in on you. Well lit.