Grits, gravies, biscuits, meatloaf - best comfort food served at new Palm Beach County restaurant

Eddie Ritz, Palm Beach Post
·4 min read

The folks behind Lilo's Streetfood & Bar in Lake Worth Beach and BRK Republic in West Palm Beach, have opened a new restaurant in Lantana to serve up fresh takes on old comforts for breakfast, lunch and dinner in an inviting atmosphere.

Lantern Local Tavern, owned and operated by the Lipovich family, sits on Lantana Road, where The Hive and Pearl's once were.

Opened in the closing days of April and designed like a 50s-era diner with an old-school Florida vibe, there are booths in the front area with wallpaper featuring pin-up models with surfboards, alligators and flamingos. For the complete diner experience, there is a "cooked in sight" style kitchen.

Lantern Local Tavern's 'Not Your Mom's Meatloaf' features Chef Adam's secret blend of beef along with his signature sauce. Though they've only been open a few weeks, this dish is incredibly popular and sells out every night.
Lantern Local Tavern's 'Not Your Mom's Meatloaf' features Chef Adam's secret blend of beef along with his signature sauce. Though they've only been open a few weeks, this dish is incredibly popular and sells out every night.

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That area is used for breakfast and lunch.

Dinner is served and the bar is situated further back iin the restaurant in a space that delivers the vibe of an Old New England-style tavern.

Though they stop seating patrons in the front after lunch, the kitchen is still up and running, allowing diners a vew as they pass through on the way to the back.

Owner Lindsay Lipovich said the building was built over five decades ago, has had several additions over the years and that the division from front to back actually feels very natural.

The menu, designed by Executive Chef Adam Toledo, features "elevated tavern food" with a focus on scratch-made items using locally-sourced ingredients.

Local distributors Sunshine Provisions, Collins Fish and Seafood, Old-School Bakery and Erneston Produce are their main suppliers.

For breakfast they have the basics covered with eggs, toast, bacon, grits, oatmeal and pancakes. They also have some outside-the-box options including items such as Cinnamon Toast Crunch-encrusted French Toast or the Heart Attack omelette with ham, bacon, sausage and cheese, topped with sausage gravy.

Ready to indulge? Then dig into Lantern Local Tavern's loaded fries shown here topped with shaved steak, sauteed onions & peppers and beer cheese.
Ready to indulge? Then dig into Lantern Local Tavern's loaded fries shown here topped with shaved steak, sauteed onions & peppers and beer cheese.

The sausage gravy and biscuits and eggs Benedict have swiftly become favorites. What makes them so good? Chef Adam grinds his own sausage, they make their biscuits from scratch and their hollandaise sauce is an old, family recipe that is also made from scratch daily.

Their lunch menu, which is served from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m., has some early standouts as well with patrons raving about the pork chop sandwich and the Philly cheese steak made with shredded hanger steak and sautéed peppers and onions.

For dinner, the range of options is impressive with entrees from grilled salmon and shrimp and grits to bucatini and meatballs.

Shrimp & Grits is one of the many items featured on Lantern Local Tavern's dinner menu.
Shrimp & Grits is one of the many items featured on Lantern Local Tavern's dinner menu.

Another immediate standout has been their Not Your Mom's Meatloaf. Prepared by Chef Adam daily, the meatloaf is made with a precise (and secret) blend of beef and topped with his own special sauce. It is baked and then sliced to order. Those slices get a quick run on the flat top which slightly carmelizes the edges. Served with a side of mashed potatoes and glazed carrots, Lindsay said they have been selling out every night.

Set up like an Old New England tavern, Lantern Local Tavern's back dining and bar area hosts Happy Hour from 3:30 to 7 p.m. daily and serves dinner until midnight.
Set up like an Old New England tavern, Lantern Local Tavern's back dining and bar area hosts Happy Hour from 3:30 to 7 p.m. daily and serves dinner until midnight.

At the bar (it is a tavern), they serve multiple signature cocktails including their Watermelon-Tini which features Skyy Watermelon Vodka and their house-prepared watermelon juice and their Lantern Lemonade made with their fresh-squeezed lemonade and Hansen Myer Lemon Vodka.

They have domestic and import bottles of beer, as well as several on tap. They also feature beers by local brewer Civil Society and always have their flagship beer IPA Fresh on tap.

Happy Hour at Lantern Local Tavern is a little happier than most places. It's actually a happy three and a half hours. Every day from 3:30 to 7 p.m. there are multiple drink and food specials available during that time.

If you've saved room for dessert, the place finishes as strong as it starts with homemade soft serve ice cream and homemade Tropical Carrot Cake.

Though currently dogs are not allowed, they are hoping to eventually build an outdoor pergola where they will serve both two- and four-legged patrons.

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Lantern Local Tavern restaurant

Already a hit, the Watermelon-Tini features Skyy Watermelon Vodka and Lantern Local Tavern's own, house-prepared watermelon juice.
Already a hit, the Watermelon-Tini features Skyy Watermelon Vodka and Lantern Local Tavern's own, house-prepared watermelon juice.

What: Lantern Local Tavern

Where: 618 W. Lantana Road, Lantana

Information: lanternlocaltavern.com; instagram.com/lanternlocaltavern

Eddie Ritz is a journalist at The Palm Beach Post, part of the USA TODAY Florida Network. He has lived in the West Palm Beach area for more than 30 years and, from mild to wild, will cover noteworthy community happenings. You can reach him at eritz@pbpost.com. Help support our journalism. Subscribe today.

This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Post: Lilo's, BRK Republic open Lantern Tavern in Lantana, Palm Beach County