By Paul Levikow
May 1, 2026 (Santee) – A new restaurant is scheduled to open in June at the Lantern Crest senior living community in Santee, bringing to East County the area’s first self-described five-star steakhouse.
The Heritage Steakhouse will be located on the sixth floor of the Legacy Building at Lantern Crest located on Lantern Crest Way near the state Route 67 connection to state Route 52. It is hoping to become a regional dining destination.
“The Heritage Steakhouse was created to bring a level of excellence to East County that rivals the finest steakhouses in the country,” Michael Grant, founder of The Heritage Steakhouse said in a news release. “We’re honoring the traditions that made the great American steakhouses iconic, while elevating every detail from the quality of our beef and the depth of our wine program to the warmth and precision of our service.”
Grant described the new restaurant as an American steakhouse, bringing an elevated New York-style dining experience to East County unlike anything the area has seen in decades. The aim is to make it the area’s premier destination for refined dining, special occasions, and corporate entertaining.
“This is about creating a destination people are proud to bring their guests to,” Grant said. “With a design inspired by the timeless elegance of America’s great mid-20th-century steakhouses, The Heritage Steakhouse blends old-world sophistication with modern craftsmanship, high-end cuisine, and anticipatory service.”
The Heritage Steakhouse is promising a culinary program centered around hand-cut, selectively sourced USDA Prime, Certified Angus, and Wagyu steaks. Every cut will be aged a minimum of 28 days, allowing time to mature its flavor, enhance its marbling, and achieve “extraordinary” tenderness. Steaks will be prepared in a high-temperature broiler in an effort to achieve precise cooking and consistent quality to sear in flavor.
Grant described the restaurant as a speakeasy-style dining room featuring art deco style paintings, brass lighting fixtures, mahogany paneling, leather seating, and tables with white-linen table cloths. A rectangular bar with an extensive wine list anchors the space with sweeping views of nearby planes landing at Gillespie Field.