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With an incomparable vantage of the Mississippi River the LiteHouse uses a consistent menu to its definite advantage
By Joleen Jansen
The Clayton Litehouse is a well known icon among our area’s dining choices.
Owned by Leann Eischeid and managed Tyler Brandel, the LiteHouse seems to run on auto pilot.
Leann and her late husband Mike Eischeid, a CPA at the time, bought the restaurant in January of 1980. When these east central Iowa natives bought this Mississippi River front restaurant, Tyler Brandel was already working at the LiteHouse. He was a dock boy helping boaters with their boating needs.
Since then unbelievably, in the past 26 years, little has changed at this Clayton County, core restaurant. Even Tyler, who was then a teenager, and is now 41, remarkably never stopped working at the LiteHouse, except for taking the time to attend UNI in the mid 80’s. Throughout the past 26 years, Eisceid explains Tyler has evolved as the “face of the LiteHouse. Everybody knows Tyler,” says Leann. He is always present at this restaurant for sun up to sun down you can count on him to greet the guests, answer the phone, take an order, make a drink, cook an order and order the inventory he truly does it all. While Leann has lived above this restaurant since she moved to Clayton in 1980, she chooses to quietly remain more behind the scenes in her restaurant and leaves much of the management duties to her right-hand man Tyler Brandel.
Tyler simply explains one reason behind his loyal commitment to the Eischeids. A self-proclaimed river rat he is closely connected to the mighty river plus most of his joy comes from using the river for recreation. “Where else can I make a living and when things are not busy run down and fish,” explains Brandel.
Brandel was about to graduate from U.N.I. and begin a career as a naturalist when Mike Eischeid offered him a deal he could not refuse. Tyler knew he would never be able to live, work and fish on the river quite like the way he could by managing the LiteHouse.
So, here he works day in and day out keeping track of inventory and managing most aspects of the operation. He loves visiting with customers and over the years has developed true friendships with his regular customers that is, habitual customers, who are actually transients. “Yeah, after Labor Day this place is a ghost town,” Brandel says alluding to the fact that most of Clayton’s summer residents leave as the summer weather begins to fade into fall. But spring after spring, he looks forward to his friends, from all over the area, returning to Clayton for another summer on the river.
Overall, The LiteHouse could describe their customer base as a 50/50 split with half being tourists and the other, vicinity regulars. Many customers are boaters who arrive at the LiteHouse docks for a meal they know they can count on.
Fishing and collecting fishing memorabilia are Brandel’s hobbies. He loves to catch and release fish. He doesn’t care too much about exactly what kind of fish he catches however he knows whatever it is, its’ probably going right back into the river. “Why would I keep what I catch when I can eat fish from the restaurant and not clean it,” he says. Leann agrees and says, “It’s a good thing he releases his fish because if he didn’t, I would probably have to clean them.”
So are and of the fish served at the LiteHouse from the Mississippi? Actually obviously the Alaskan Walleye are not but the catfish are caught by Lansing fisherman, Bobby Hagensack which are weekly delivered to the LiteHouse.
Fishing is so much a part of the LiteHouse tradition that Tyler lures a ton of his customers into a monthly Big Fish Contest. “Each month I pick out two fish species, like bluegill and walleye. We give a dinner away to whoever brings in the largest fish of the designated type during the particular month. We weigh their entries right here in our kitchen,” explains Tyler.
Now, moving on to the delicious fare which qualified this destination to be featured on the “From Here to There Great Food is Everywhere,” page. For those who like to be able to count on things the LiteHouse is you’re answer. The menu also has seen few changes since the Eischeids bought the restaurant 26 years ago. Consistency has been their simple answer to success. The LiteHouse menu is solid as a rock. Known for their mastery of their nightly specials, customers arrive from up and down the river between Memorial Day and Labor Day for the featured nightly special which rarelychange: Monday-Cooks Choice, Tuesday-Ham Steak, Wednesday-Fiddler Catfish, Thursday-BBQ Pork Loin, Friday-Alaskan Walleye, Saturday-Prime Rib and Sunday-Chicken Dinner.
Faithful customers easily can recite their favorite night’s special and often bring slugs of people along with them to attest to their belief that whatever the special is for that night it is the best you can find for quite a distance.
In addition to consistency on the menu the LiteHouse has enjoyed a steady and dependable work force. “We have had very little turnover among our help here. Those who have served at the LiteHouse and moved on have moved on to very successful careers,” explains Leann. Both Leann and Tyler beam when thinking about some of the young college kids that have worked here. “We’ve had everything but clergymen emerge from here,” says Tyler.
Last but for sure not least, customers are showing up for both the excellent menu attractions and the astonishing vantage they have of the river. Very few other establishments on the Mississippi offers as reasonable priced consistently delicious food with such a view to admire. “I want people to have a good meal and pleasant time overlooking the Mississippi, “comments Eischeid.
The Menu is comprised of six sections: A very nice steak segment, Fish and Seafood listings, the “Evening Favorites,” including most of the nightly special, The Light Diner section which includes several items like Poormans Lobster (which I really enjoyed served with rice pilaf) a 13 choice sandwich menu and an appetizer menu which does include one new item, Breaded Dill Pickles.
Also the home of the Cajun Mary, (a delicious, take it from me, Bloody Mary recipe concocted by none other than Tyler), the LiteHouse is also a popular watering hole for a varied crowd of locals, Clayton County residents and lots of boaters.
Finally, The Clayton LiteHouse is a terrific place to visit when looking for a quiet elegant meal overlooking the grand ole Mississippi.
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