THE LODGE STEAKHOUSE

Last spring, we held giveaway contests to support our food and beverage partners and we asked you to vote on which location you wanted to support during this very difficult season of navigating operation during a pandemic. One of the establishments you picked was The Lodge Steakhouse, located above the George Preston Recreation Centre, which is home to the Langley Rivermen and the Langley Curling Centre. Here’s some of what we already knew about this amazing restaurant; it has all the signature elements of a classic steakhouse with fantastic ambience while serving a quality steak dinner, and of course providing exceptional service. Their prize included a marketing package which allows us to highlight and share the rest of their story! We hope you enjoy!

Tourism Langley: Can you tell us a bit about how The Lodge Steakhouse started, and when it opened?
The Lodge Steakhouse: Our owners, John and Karen Tomlinson, grew up in Brookswood, the same neighborhood that The Lodge Steakhouse is located in.  John was born and raised at a farm in South Langley and the entire family has roots and passion in Brookswood and have spent a lot of time at the George Preston Recreation Centre through their lives. Growing up in Brookswood, John and Karen always felt that the community needed a great upscale restaurant that they could walk to or hop in the car for a quick drive. Although they had already become owners of the Fort Pub & Grill and the Rail and River in Fort Langley years before, once John retired from the Life Insurance and Financial Planning world, he wanted to make his idea of a steakhouse in Brookswood come to life.

Originally the Lodge was scheduled to open sometime between Fall 2019 and Spring 2020, obviously the pandemic affected those plans, and we were not able to open as scheduled. We caught a window in-time when Covid-19 had low infection numbers and were able to open October 2020. We were able to have a couple of big opening night events prior to health order revisions. We were also able to hire our wonderful Executive Chef in perfect timing for the new opening date. Jeremy Schorb took John’s ideas and came up with an amazing menu. Jeremy has all sorts of experience, and we feel very lucky to have brought him on board.

TL:  What kind of dining experience do you offer?
TLS: From the moment you step into the Lodge, you’ll find the defining elements of a classic steakhouse! Warm, inviting décor, a thoughtfully curated wine list and, of course, a perfectly aged steak. With exceptional hospitality and our hallmark tableside service. The Lodge harkens back to a time when the dining experience was an art form. We offer steak dinners with the options of sides or subs to ensure you get exactly what you want out of your steak dinner. We also offer seafood and vegetarian options. We have a fabulous deck out front with heaters and fire tables. We are working on making this outdoor space available for all seasons.

TL: What is your greatest success as a restaurant?
TLS: Our amazing team that is already skilled and proved to be extremely resilient as we pivot through the pandemic and all the health regulations. Our guests have been loving our tableside service. You can order our signature dessert that comes prepared right in front of you. You can also add lobster flambee to your dinner that is prepped and fired at your table or order Caesar Salad for the table done from scratch and prepared at your table. We have also just started doing Crepe Suzette table-side.

TL: Can you tell us about what is most important to your company?
TLS: Our team and our guest experience.

TL: Is there another restaurant in the Township of Langley that inspires you?
TLS: Originally John wanted a twist on the Keg Steakhouse. It has always been a staple restaurant for John and family, and they always have great food and service. It is somewhere you can go and feel a little fancy but somewhere you can also bring the family.

TL: What is your favourite thing about owning a restaurant in the Township of Langley?
TLS: The Brookswood community. Seeing familiar faces walk in and support the businesses. Seeing the community come together to order take out when our business was suffering through the pandemic was humbling and special. We love our community!

TL: Are there any “must try” items on the menu?
TLS:  The Tomahawk Steak Dinner. Come hungry 😉 Also, the Rose Cosmo with the Smoke Bubble.

TL: Do you source any local ingredients? If so, where are they from?
TLS:  Yes, we do source local. Our suppliers have been a bit stretched due to Covid so it has been more of a challenge, but we have managed to stick to 1Fish2Fish, Bonetti Meats, produce from Ralph’s Farm Market, and Multi Pack Foods. Our chicken is from Rossdown Farms, they are an organic chicken farm in Abbotsford.

TL: What would you recommend to a diner if they were looking for sources of entertainment in the Township?
TLS:  Of course, we would say Rivermen and Trappers Games at the George Preston Arena. We would also say plan an event in the ABC Rooms at the George Preston and we would be happy to cater. We also have live music on weekends at the Horse and Ryder Pub located next door and Dueling Pianos in Fort Langley on Tuesdays at the Rail and River. We also have a BMX track next door that looks like a lot of fun. There is so much to do in our community.

Thanks again to all those who participated in our giveaway contests and for continuing to show our local food & beverage establishments lots of love! Stay tuned for our next giveaway highlight coming soon. If you are looking for inspiration on where to find your next dining experience, please visit us at Tourism Langley.