Windward Passage - Columbus

Wow! Talk about transporting back in time. Windward passage is the perfect combo of great tasting food, decent portions, decent prices and ambiance. The seafood is excellent but surprisingly so are the steaks! I love the liver and onions!! There is typically a wait if you get here in the early dining hours (5 7pm). So either get here early or come a little later! They do not take reservations.

It was an interesting visit. The restaurant is located at the end of a strip mall. I already knew in advance they didn't take reservations so we arrived and put our name in, they don't have beepers or call or text you, they just yell your name out and I was told it would be 45-1 hour. So we went walking around and came back 45 minutes later, apparently they grossly overestimated the time and we had been called long before that. The woman working the host stand seemed frazzled and not particularly friendly. We finally were able to get sat and the decor inside is very reminiscent of the Krusty Krab from SpongeBob. It was a Saturday but most of the other crowd was quite older. A weird vibe. The server was very nice and apparently on the weekend they randomly give you cinnamon rolls with your meal while supplies last. They also give you bread, but they are room temperature and definitely tasted store bought. Everyone else ordered fish or scallops, I ordered a steak and it was overcooked and bland, so definitely stick with their seafood if you can.

Pros: Easy parking Local hangout Full bar and several drink options Cons: Oysters were plump but flavorless Shrimp cocktail was $13 for 5 tiny shrimp Wings were small and flavorless Salad was boring and average Decor could use an upgrade wood paneling is very dark Server had some difficulty, but she was new Pro tip: May be a fun place for regulars, but the food is nothing special. There are many other better options in the surrounding area.

What a hidden gem! But maybe not hidden, as this has been on my to-do list for awhile, and I always hear rave reviews about it, which I've also been sharing since I dined there this week. Probably have driven by this place a million times, it's in a strip mall off Henderson. Came on a Thursday evening at 8 so didn't have the long wait others have mentioned. Ambiance was amazing- felt like so many restaurants I visited with family when I was younger. My exact statement to my bf- my parents would love it it here. Drink prices are very reasonable, I had a glass of wine and my bf a beer. Service was matter-of-fact and great. Good suggestions, letting me know the scallops looked great that day- and they were, some of the best I've had in awhile. Presentation isn't fancy, but the flavor was great. I commented on my asparagus looking sad, but then realized they were cooked perfect, and flavored nicely. My bfs fish sandwich looked funny, and he said it was incredible. My meal came with salad, a potato and veggie, and rolls which I can't wait because of a gluten intolerance, which the server helped me out with for the rest of the meal. We got the snickers pie for dessert, and it was our least favorite part of the meal- not bad, just very sugary and everything else was better. We definitely will be back.

I have wanted to try this local place for some time. So that you know up front you can't make reservations or call ahead seating. So the bar area open at 4pm, and dining area at 4:30. Then the lines start to from, upon arriving was told it would be 45 minutes. However it was more like 20 and we were seated. Started with Angels on horseback which is oyster wrapped in bacon and fired. Ahh yes please, I went with the mild so that's why Angel on horseback. Hot are called Devil on horseback. Also had 6 raw oysters which were so good. For dinner I went with smaller portion of Prime rib which came with choice of rice, baked potato, or fires and vegetable of the day. We also had the special of the day which was Halibut. This was cooked perfectly and just flacked apart. I didn't save room for dessert, but they had several great choices, maybe next time.