Candlelight Restaurant & Lounge
Venue offers many options, Karaoke, live jam & more
For excellent Chinese and American food, a popular Karaoke show and a Sunday night jam and open-mike night, the Candlelight Restaurant & Lounge is a fine place to spend an evening.
Located at the corner of N.E. 73rd and Glisan, there's plenty to do with a complete mix of electronic games, pool tables, sports events and good service. The Candlelight provides outstanding Chinese food, along with a newly-expanded American food menu.
On this visit, this writer tried a big hot bowl of hot and spicy soup and egg rolls. The soup was tangy and delicious and perfectly hit the spot for an early evening. The egg rolls were tasty as you might expect. The wait service was prompt and efficient with drink refills delivered as needed with a friendly personality. The bartender was courteous and obviously well-liked by her patrons. The bar offers a full selection of liquors and tap beer.
The building is divided into three distinct sections. Out front, facing Glisan Street, is the coffee shop and family dining area. They offer breakfast, lunch and dinner service, along with late-night bar food selections. The restaurant is open for breakfast and lunch, 7a.m.-2 p.m. and for dinner, 4:30-9pm. The lounge is open from 4 p.m.-2 a.m. Breakfast and lunch specials are available for $4.25 and a Chinese food appetizer for $2.50, along with a $6 dinner special.
In the lounge area is the bar set off to the side from the pool and stage areas. There is a small elevated stage area for open-mike and Karaoke and pool tables to the rear. In the middle are tables and booths for comfortably watching the show. There was a steady number of people on the video poker machines and pool table play was constant. An assortment of amusements keeps a person busy, including Keno, video poker, Oregon Lottery and continuous sports programming on multiple hi-def monitors.
On Thursday, Friday and Saturday nights is Karaoke with DJ Gemini. Gemini has worked at the Candlelight for a couple of years now and has developed a regular following as a result. Besides a solid host, she is also an excellent singer who can hold a crowd with her own singing. On Thursday nights, she hosts "Kamikaze Karaoke," where singers are encouraged to try a new song they've never sung before, making it a much more adventuresome experience.
On Sunday nights is a live music, open mike/jam session from 6-10 p.m. Participants of all skill levels and talents are encouraged to get up on stage and perform their music, stand-up comedy, or other talent routines. On this visit, the session was primarily a 40+ crowd performing classic rock songs either acoustically or electronically. Most of the people seemed to be regulars and all knew each others’ names, indicating a steady, regular crowd of musicians.
Performers included an electric fiddle player, a female folk singer duet and a group singing Neil Young songs such as Rockin' in the Free World. Each group/act was allotted three songs, then the line-up changed. Each of the performers were competent, experienced musicians. It’s an excellent way to play a few songs and keep up-to-date with a different group of players.
The Candlelight has a long-established loyal clientele from the neighborhood that comes for the food, bar, Karaoke, sports and the Sunday night open-mike. It is a solid mix that has something for most people's taste.