Clifton Mill

UPDATE: I have recently now been to Clifton Mill three times, two times during the fall season-- and let me just say that the crowds are so much better during the fall than Christmas. Sure, everyone should see their Christmas lights display at least one time in their life (see previous review, the crowds are crazy!)-- but I think my favorite time to come here is during the fall when I'm hiking in the gorge or John Bryan State Park.I still have not sat down and eaten food at the mill (it's on my list!), but I have loved to browse the gift store and walk around the property. The fall colors are spectacular in yellow springs during mid October, and this mill is the perfect backdrop to all things fall in Ohio!

Pros:Located in historic Yellow SpringsRestaurant and gift shopFriendly serviceCons:Food was pricey and only mehMill wasn't working and was unclear if it is ever open for tours Gift shop has pancake mix, but it is super expensive as are all the nick nacksParking is limitedIce cream is grocery store brand; missed opportunity partnering with Young's DairyOut of the way from downtown Yellow SpringsWalking bridge closed for repairsPro tip:Skip a mid-week visit and come when they have their Christmas lights up

How great! So many pictures to share. The food was very good and very reasonably priced. The pancakes were some of the biggest I've ever seen! The service was good and it was timely. The interior is lots of natural wood and is very cozy.

We stopped in for lunch on Memorial weekend Saturday. There was a wait for a table but not too bad. The wait for the food was kind of long so plan on that. We had a table by the water. It was a great view. I had a buttermilk pancake and eggs. My husband had the Reuben. The pancake as everyone says is huge! I ate about a third of it. My husband is a Reuben fanatic and this one passed the test. My only complaint is that the mill museum area as described on the website is not open on Saturday. The young lady said that also something is broke in there. Oh well. Lunch was good and the views awesome.

Christmas lights review: excellent!It was worth the 1 hour drive to see this spectacle! Lights lights lights, plus Santa - real deal guy, waving at us from the rooftop! My husband was ecstatic! -- plus an enormous miniature village with so many fun details, plus a Santa display that defies description. Had a hot cocoa too, with lots of whipped cream. Cute tiny store. And - spoiler alert- there's a musical light display! We were caught off guard on this one and were delightfully surprised and mesmerized.Know before you go: hard to see the parking signage in the deep dark night, but look for the staffers with lighted batons. We went on week night and had manageable crowds and no difficulty parking in the adjacent lot. The web cites food available including sandwiches but we saw only popcorn and pretzels, so eat before you go. Can be pricey so be sure you enjoy every bit of the Christmas marvelousness!

My son goes to a nearby college and many parents had recommended this place. We finally decided to try it while visiting him. We went for lunch on a Sunday. We had about a 40 minute wait. The outside mill area was nice to view during the wait. The server was very kind and friendly. The pancake was huge! The Rueben sandwich and burger were fine.

Was it awesome YESWas it worth the money NO$15 a person? No restaurant no bathroom just Porta pots. The drive there is crazy scary and the gift shop is sad.

Since this is such an aesthetic restaurant in a historical part of town, I want to give it all the benefit of the doubt. They offer a beautiful and clear view of the mill outside of the windows and it has a cozy, rustic log cabin feel inside. I got the mushroom omelet with American cheese. When our waitress handed me my slightly burning hot plate, it was covered in grease and sticky. The mushrooms were very filling and I couldn't finish the whole meal. They do have gluten free sorghum pancakes but you can't substitute them with anything; they have to come plain Our waitress was very to-the-point and very quick taking our orders when i could have used a couple more minutes reading the menu. Multiple times she said no to our questions abruptly with little explanation.I did enjoy the little gift shop and the view. This place could be cleaned up a bit and revised, but otherwise I still will be back to enjoy the historical mill.

Ultimate country breakfast spot. Great service, delicious corned beef hash, coffee is spot on.

As far as Christmas lights go.... Clifton Mills grossly downsized their lights display. Literally a small squared section of lights with only a santa museum, overpriced cafeteria of popcorn and $8.50 cocoa, plus a santa workshop you can only look into windows of. Sure, the light show is great, but considering everything takes only 15 minutes and cost $15 per person! Dont waste your time or money!