I had pork chops lolly pops - it looked and tasted like barf!!! They have a nerve to charge you $24.00 for 2 tiny pieces of pork (completely unseasoned) with cinnamon sticks, laying in a puddle of peach slices mixed with meager portion of grits - probably 2-3 tea spoons in size. I had it as a take out, I wish I was dining in, I would give a piece of my mind to the chef. They are ripping people off, for the quality and the amount of food they serve. Save your money, find better place that deserves your hard earned $$$. Lana
(1)
Nicole Q.
This place is cozy and comfortable. Food is consistently good. I love the cheese plate and the mushroom flatbread pizza is amazing.
(4)
Pat W.
Great restaurant, one of the best in Wilmington. The food is incredible, the dining rooms are gorgeous, the only reason I didn't give 5 stars is because it's a little pricey for the amount of food. But don't let that away you from giving it a try.
(4)
Matthew F.
1. Atmosphere was nice. 2. Ordered house baked pretzel bites, scallops and pistachio crusted halibut. The two entrees were a little pricey for the amount of food in the plate. 3. Entrees took a while to come out. The halibut was borderline cold compared to the scallops. It was as if it had been sitting out while the other dish was being finished. 4. Waiter was very slow. A lot of time passed before he would check back. 5. Waiter kept including himself in every question. Example: What are WE ordering? Are WE finished yet? There were many other examples.
(3)
Joanne E.
My DH and I visit here 3 - 4 times a month. Earlier YELP reviews mentioned inconsistent food. That may have been true in the past, but we have had consistently great food and great service, whether at dinner or Sunday brunch. This is one place we will continue to visit. I hesitate to point out any particular dish, but a personal fave of mine is the Chicken Bolognese. And I love the Shrimp Cocktail. My DH loves the Crab Cocktail - swears it's the best he's ever had. And the scallops are always top notch. If you have not visited Columbus Inn before, or not in a long time, it is definitely worth checking out.
(5)
Suzie M.
We come here often for happy hour specials, oysters, pizza, edamame. But really the draw is the atmosphere. I love the leather booths, ceilings, and overall ambiance. It can be crowded but great value and location.
(4)
Joel H.
It didn't blow me away, for the price. The food was good, but, why put a portion on an oversized plate, where it then looks like you're being overcharged for small portions? The vegetables that came with the food is another area where it felt like you were being kind of ripped off. Three small pieces of broccoli? Really? I get that when I order Chinese food. And where on earth did you find a potato that small to bake? Not impressed.
(2)
Michael K.
I had lunch with a party of 7. Food was great, service was way too slow. It's not good having to wait 15 minutes for a drink to get refilled. Maybe it was just an off day. The Buffalo Cauliflower was awesome.
(3)
Sarah C.
Since Columbus Inn reopened they seem like they've been trying to find their niche and I think they've finally figured it out. They kept the amazing cocktails (I don't know of too many other places in Wilmington with perfectly-mixed drinks in prohibition-era coupes and ingredients like allspice dram or absinthe... and they make their own ginger syrup I think) and they kept the great bar food like the beer battered olives and popcorn shrimp, but they re-did the menu so now you can just show up for dinner because you want some tasty food, not because it's your college graduation or your 25th aniversery. The tuna burger is one of my favorites. They still have more... I don't know, elegant? entrees, but the menu is a lot more approachable and actually pretty reasonable. And they got rid of that stupid valet crap, thank god. I can't beleive all the negative reviews!
(5)
Alexa R.
You did it, Columbus Inn. You really did it. You revised your menu and it is noticably better quality, more fun and cheaper. My husband, sister, brother in law and me met my cousin and her husband here for dinner last night. We ate in the bar area, which was PACKED! They are definitely gearing the menu toward a younger crowd, featured 4-5 dollar bar snacks like beer battered olives (I tried them, they were not for me), crab fritters (loved!), deviled eggs (really good!) and popcorn shrimp. I had a soup and octopus salad, which was great. They also now feature crowd pleasers like filet, french dips, fish and chips and standard burgers. Everyone was very happy with their meal and my husband could not believe how cheap it was compared to Philly. My cousin remarked, "This food is so good, I would come back for dinner tomorrow night!" I am really happy the Columbus Inn has adjusted itself to a new crowd with new wallets.
(4)
paulo s.
My partner and I just returned from brunch at the Columbus Inn. Having had a lovely dinner there a few days ago, our expectations were optimistic. Our optimistic expectations were soon undermined. Our reserved table was not ready when we arrived. Hungry, we sat in the bar. When we wandered over to the buffet area, we found that the food was limited and what there was tasted dried out and stale. Add that to $3.00 coffees, $6.00 mimosas and $7.00 Bloody Mary's, which are usually included in brunch offerings, the $20.00 price tag for food seems hardly worth it. It is hardly worthwhile to spend precious leisure hours there for Sunday Brunch. Go elsewhere. We will not be be back for brunch, but plan to return for another dinner. Our waiter Brian was pleasant.
(1)
Joel S.
I have not be have been to the CI in years and we decided to have brunch. The food was mediocre at best and they could not keep anything filled. The restaurant was maybe half full but they ran out of almost everything. At one point they had no eggs, no meats and no cocktail sauce for the shrimp. The pastries were so dried out they crumbled. I will not return.
(1)
Vincent J.
The food was good and so was the service. Just moved here from Center City Philadelphia and in need of a place like this close to my house. Nice bar, great wine selection. I had the duck which was cooked perfectly and tasted fantastic. Ill be back for sure.
(4)
Dan A.
Skip it. Ordered a medium burger and my friend a chopped salad. Burger came out well and the salad was a sad looking tossed antipasto-ish thing in a bowl. Our waitress returned before we even took a bite and presumptively asked 'Is everything delicious?' We both agreed it appeared this place just doesn't care. Screwed up a burger and a salad. I will not recommend or return.
(1)
Gwynedd D.
Two meals (both group dinners) at this restaurant. The first was not great--I hated the mushroom soup, which is very thick and dark, but I am sure someone would like it. It was too gravy-like for me.) The beef filets were well cooked, but sauced in some dark, thick, miserable glaze that detracted. Still, not bad. Salads are lovely--a cut above the usual bagged greens like dried autumn leaves. Desserts are obviously brought in and just standard bakery pastries. The second meal was amazing. A lot of us chose the "Faroe Islands Salmon" (I presume this means Atlantic wild caught salmon.) It was served with brussels sprouts, diced butternut squash and "bacon" which was really pork belly in a balsamic glaze that was so good, the veggies threatened to outshine the salmon. The salmon was perfectly cooked even though we had a monster group of people. There was a schmear of some kind of sauce on the plate that was in the new style of plating but it was tasteless (they said something about brown butter vinaigrette but it was like paste.) Still, we raved over the salmon and there was actually too much of it--an 8 oz generous filet. Big thumbs up. I tried the Caesar instead of the mixed greens and it was good but the croutons were the silly prepackaged-looking kind; why do this when you've put delicious real Italian bread on the table and you could have diced up stale loaves to make your own? The desserts were again pre-made pastries, not bad but not worth wasting calories over. Service was excellent. Only they don't serve coffee to the group and I've seen this multiple times, now, multiple places, so I assume it's something new in banquet management--you don't want people to linger over coffee, so you don't serve it and they leave! Yay for you. I miss coffee after dessert--it's traditional, it's nice before you get on the road, and it's another sign of the times where efficiency of running a restaurant is paramount and the guest experience must suffer. The parking lot fills up early--a problem if you can't walk on icy sidewalks. There is a popular bar and our group had no parking available even though we arrived well in advance of our event. Normally the lot would be about right for the restaurant, but when the bar is hopping, it is way too small, A problem in WINTER if you don't want to risk icy streets in the dark. Or if you are dressed to the nines in high heels and it's very rainy out. A SIMPLE SOLUTION would be for the restaurant to contract with some of the other businesses down the street (there is a car dealership, for example) and offer valet parking, knowing that the lot is very small, and knowing they've made reservations for far too many people for the lot when you consider the bar traffic on an average night. They have a marquee out front, so a valet service is certainly possible.
(4)
Louis S.
I found the restaurant to be excellent I had a three course meal for restaurant week and every course was spectacular highly recommend make sure to get a bottle of the Alexander Valley Vineyards Cabernet Franc it was an excellent wine and paired well with both beef and chicken. Service was excellent a water glasses were always full dirty dishes didn't sit for more than a minute and a waiter was very nice.
(4)
A K.
Dining room has a nice atmosphere and decor, food was good/ok, service needs work. Brought us the wrong dessert twice, staff seemed overwhelmed, even though it didn't seem too busy.
(3)
Julie M.
So I hadn't been back since my last review but I had heard that the service was improving. I went here a couple weeks ago and much to my surprise, things had turned around some. The food is always very good. I particularly enjoy the Filet Mignon Cheesesteak. The fries that accompany it are always fried to perfection and taste amazing. One new addition to the menu that I really liked was the nachos. They were cooked well and had a good amount of spice. While there were a few mistakes, our server, Carrie was quick to ameliorate anything that went awry. I will definitely be back.
(4)
Jamie N.
We decided to check this place out during the Delaware Dines Out promotion. The menu looked delicious and the price was reasonable. When we received our food we immediately felt like we were ripped off. We felt it was more of a sampling than a 3 course meal as advertised. The first course was an appetizer of mushroom toast. A quarter piece of toast was brought out with some mushrooms and melted cheese. The second course was the entree which included a 6oz filet, mashed potatoes, and asparagus. It was more like a 3oz filet. We order 6oz filets monthly from Omaha Steaks and are very familiar with the proportion. What we got was a complete disappointment. And, they cut up the steak too. I was expecting to cut into my own steak, not have tiny pieces of filet. The final course was a dessert trio. They were the circumference of a half dollar. Complete disappointment! Never returning!
(1)
Alicia M.
I was here for a rehearsal dinner and it was a fantastic meal with great service. We were served family style. The potatoes and juicy Salmon were big standouts. My favorite bite had to be the pumpkin cheesecake balls. Unbelievable lot delicious! The inn is under construction but the room we were in was beautiful. A bit of a rustic Italian feel. I would definitely of back here and recommend it to friends. Food- 4/5 Ambiance/service -5/5
(5)
Aaliyah P.
Im always a fan of HH and its specials of the bevy variety . This place gets super crowded so the earlier you can arrive the better off you will be. I grabbed up two seats at the bar to wait for the rest of my posse and was greeted buy a super friendly bartender and he explained the specials $5.00 martini menu, food menu and half priced glasses of wine. I did an order of the salt and pepper edmame they were yummy. I also tried the pineapple martini in addition to a glass of wine and prosecco. Once my peeps arrived we ordered some food pizzas are decent and they offer quite a few options that sounded great. Id def come back maybe to try dinner sometime.
(4)
keith h.
We sat down in the bar area at a 2 top table for drinks and some appetizers on a Saturday evening about 7 pm. They supplied us with a nice carafe of water. The bar area has a nice clubby feeling although is quite noisy. It took a long time for the server to come to us, then it took a long time for our drinks to arrive. The one thing they were good at was keeping us in water which was good because the turn around on everything else was very slow. Twice we had to flag a server. We had a Kennett mushroom pizza was ok but did not compare to say, Iron Hill or Taverna. The edamame was good - but that is pretty simple. Considering the cost of the evening, and the very slow service, I will not return.
Terrible service Terrible Sunday Brunch, waitress wasn't friendly or attentive ...no love in their food, mass cooking and it felt as if I were eating at a hotel buffet. Nasty and total waste of $...
(1)
Cris A.
I'm not quite sure WHY on earth this restaurant only has a few stars... Perhaps it's because whoever reviewed the Columbus Inn doesn't have taste, hasn't been here in a while, or maybe they just want to make sure they ALWAYS get a table when the come here. Over the last few months I've been here every day of the week and it's always packed. The food, drinks, and ambience are terrific! I'm SO happy that I don't have to drive up to Philly to get a decent meal. The Columbus Inn is one of the (very) few restaurants that I can always count on in Dull-a-where...just sayin'.
(5)
Jennifer J.
We came here for a date night and enjoyed excellent food, drinks, and service. We had a reservation and were immediately seated in the dining area, which is elegant and formal-looking. There's a loud, front bar area, which we didn't enter, but the noise would occasionally carry over into the quiet dining room. Our server was personable and attentive; she's a long term employee who mentioned the recent renovations and changes to the restaurant. I ordered the gnocchi and a mixed drink called the Strawberry Blonde. My husband had a salted beet salad and then the salmon as his entree. Everything was delicious - even the bread on our table. This restaurant is romantic and a nice choice for a special occasion.
(4)
Laurie M.
Loved this restaurant. The menu has a nice mix of full entrees as well as tavern food. We had the scallops with lobster risotto, the crab fries, a filet mignon burger and took home a pineapple upside down cake. Food was great, service was fine. Next time i want to bring a few friends and watch a football game in a cute little room next to the bar with sofas and big fluffy pillows. I found this restaurant through opentable.com .
(4)
Eugene K.
I'm torn. The place itself was somewhat impressive, an old school looking inn from the outside (we actually thought it was going to be "old people food"). Fortunately, it wasn't. Inside they have like 6 different dining areas, all of which look nothing alike. The bar area is posh. The dining room(s) are classic. The back room lounge is old people (fitting). The outside area is spacious and great when weather appropriate (it gets very loud though from the traffic on the street). They also have upstairs dining which I believe were for private parties. Where's the beef? Ok, so we go in and are told that only the bar menu is available. We also ask if they serve pizza based on the hostess' suggestion. "No, she's new and doesn't know what she's talking about." verbatim. Ok, menu looks great. The bar menu (9 items), excuse me. Several diverse selections varying from Asian, spanish and new American. The BBQ chicken sandwich with collard greens and cheddar sounded better than advertised. Here's the beef: midway through our meal, the waitress brings out a pizza for an older couple. Old people couple. Another table gets a two sided menu, obviously not the bar menu. Dinner? Lunch? What are we missing? Our theory was that we just missed lunch and the pizza couple had put the order in beforehand. And the other couple didn't order food, they just wanted a looksie. I'm a pessimist. Plus, we should've asked what the fuck was up but my friends didn't want to bother since we were already done with the food. Morale of the story: don't listen to the staff and go with your gut.
(3)
Craig D.
(3.5) ~ Overall Food & Service ~ (Sunday Brunch Buffet) OUR MENU: * Prime Rib = (4) very good & tender * Bacon = (3.5) good * Eggs Benedict = (3.5) good * Omelet = (3.5) good * French Toast = (3.5) good * Orange Juice = (3.5) good * Water (still) = (3.5) good * Coffee = (3.5) good * Sausage = (3) ok * Shrimp Cocktail = (3) ok * Breakfast Potatoes = (3) ok NOTES: Nice Scenery;-)
(3)
John S.
Over priced and the food is marginal.
(2)
Mike M.
First thing's first: I'd never bought into the whole Columbus Inn allure. It had been such a mainstay in all sorts of cultural circles in Wilmington that I kinda-sorta took its presence for granted; it's been here so long, where could it possibly go? So, when I heard it was closing several years back to make way for a controversial high-rise, I regretted not having ever checked it out. Fast-forward several years. Political and real-estate controversies aside, and the Columbus Inn is ready to re-open. New owners. New management. New menu. Now I have nothing to compare the NEW Columbus Inn to the OLD Columbus Inn, but if their brunch menu is any indication, I'll need to make a trip in for dinner in a quick second. My friend and I made a 12:30 reservation. It was starting to warm up on this beautiful Independence Day, but we were sure we wanted a seat on the gorgeous patio overlooking Pennsylvania Avenue. And so that's what we got. Sadly, it didn't seem many Wilmingtonians were partaking in Columbus Inn's brunch today. A few tables were occupied inside; we were the only ones (at the time) seated on the patio. We were greeted by a kind young waitress who brought us a drink menu. My friend ordered the 212, a tequila-grapefruit thingy which she enjoyed. I stuck with iced tea and water. Iced tea was good. Nice and light, as it should be. We each ordered an appetizer and a main. I started with the grilled asparagus with sunny-side-up egg, hollandaise, and crisp pancetta. Those who know my culinary proclivities know grilled/roasted asparagus is one of my favorite veggies. This asparagus was perfectly tender on the inside and crispily charred outside. When paired with the salty pancetta, creamy hollandaise, and the sexy, drippy egg yolk, this appetizer made for a perfectly savory dish. It's not an extremely complicated dish, but it is an easy-to-foul-up dish. Columbus Inn rocked this out! My friend ordered the pea and ricotta agnolotti. What's agnolotti, you ask? A really pretentious way of saying "ravioli." Paired with some meaty and aromatic morel mushrooms and swimming in an herbaceous cream sauce, the dish hit all the right flavor notes, especially considering it was topped with a generous amount of Parmagiano-Reggiano. The mains were good, but a bit of a step down from the apps. I ordered the halibut with lemon risotto and herbs. The fish was slightly overcooked, as if it hung out in the oven for 2-3 minutes too long. It was flaky -- as good halibut should be -- but there was a bit of a chew to it. The risotto seemed to suffer the same fate. Good risotto is a science. Cook it no more than 18-20 minutes! This risotto was slightly over cooked and the rice had lost some of it al-dente chewiness that I like. The flavor, though, was spectacular. A healthy bit of lemon juice and herbs woke up the flavor of what could have easily been a bland risotto. My friend went more with the "breakfast" part of brunch. She ordered the Anglaise-soaked brioche French toast. The French toast was served nicely crisped, although I felt it may have been dipped too long in the custard, as it fell apart a bit too easily. The rhubarb butter atop the toast made for an excellent, tangy foil to the sweet maple syrup. My friend was too full for dessert. I'd left a few bites of my fish and risotto, so I felt that entitled me to try the goat's milk panna cotta. The only disappointing thing about this $8 dessert was the size; I wanted MORE! It was about a 1x3 piece of panna cotta with a smidgen of delicious strawberry jam and a tiny coin of a shortbread cookie topped with a strawberry. The panna cotta was perfect. Creamy and light as it should be. The sweetness of the strawberry jam played very nicely with the tartness of the goat's milk panna cotta. All in all, a very good meal. I regret not having something to compare the new Columbus Inn to, but that's OK. If this Wilmington mainstay continues to put out food as tasty as what we tried at today's brunch, then we'll surely be back to try out the full lunch, dinner, and tavern menus!
(4)
Brad W.
I have been going here for years, both old & new owners. Overall, I like the place. The bar is tons of fun, and the food is good. My most recent trip was for brunch. Although the food was good, and the drinks tasty I was upset at the offering. If you post brunch hours of 10-2pm you have better have your full offering out until 2pm. There was nothing left. Plates full of crumbs, three pieces of bacon floating in grease, and the salad guy was cleaning up at 1:45pm. Some may say I am being petty since it was the end of a shift, and the kitchen needs to change over, but my tenure in the restaurant business has taught me many things. The most important is giving every customer the same experience regardless of what time it is.
(3)
Howard S.
Good food, really bad service. This restaurant was crowded on a Friday evening and in our room was a table for 16, celebrating a high school graduation. As a party of two, we were shoe-horned into a table along the wall, with chairs so tight that I had to parachute into my chair. Our waiter seemed quite amused with the commotion. Unfortunately, there was not much enjoyment taking 2 hours plus for a dinner that should have required one. Waiting between courses is just a poorly run operation. The food was ok. We enjoyed the calamari app. The Korean carpaccio had no distinct taste. My veal gnocchi were tender and fluffy, but the plate had three fork sized pieces of veal and an abundance of mushrooms. I suppose that in the Delaware Valley at this time of year, mushrooms are pretty cheap. My wife's lamb ragout was quite rich and the claim of kitchen made pasta was doubtful. Had dessert but that was not memorable.
(2)
Dan C.
Lots of bad reviews here. I recently went for dinner and I'll admit I had a great meal. Good portions, not ridiculously large, but the way they are supposed to be. The food was presented pretty nicely. The meal was seasoned well and service was prompt. I was travelling through town so I'll probably never go back, but if I were in the area and were looking for a place to eat I would return.
(4)
Frank D.
We went with a group of 20 in an upstairs room (no charge for the room). We had appetizers, the food was served family style (two entrees which they tailor to your needs), vegetables and we had desert. They also were able to break the bill down by couples. I don't know how the waitress kept it straight with all we ordered, but she did. The food was good and we had some to take home.
(5)
P. L.
I liked this place but it wasn't consistent and needs some tweaking. If they get it together I think this place has potential for 4 or 5 star. We were told that the menu was new and they wanted opinions for the chef. I'm not sure if this means the wine and drinks menu was also new. Plain and simple, at fine dinning I expect it to reflect it across the board in excellence. I'm not sure if they've gone through different chefs or different management but I feel like something is up to have some of it excellent and some of it totally missing the mark. And I really think your experience can be different depending on what drinks and food you order. First, the wine list either gives you the option of a single glass from every varietal they offer or a bottle. I've never actually seen it done this way, especially at fine dining. Typically you have a selection of different price ranges to choose from each varietal. I selected the pinot noir and I'm not sure if the wine had expired or if it was just that bad a bottle of wine. It was like bitter vinegar. Sent it back and got a red zin. This tasted better than the pinot but that isn't saying much. The next one I ordered the cabernet. Also not particularly good. This is the kind of wine I would expect at one of those hole in the wall old school Italian places for $6. Considering one of their walls is full of wine I expected a better selection than what tasted like a $5 Trader Joe's bottle. We figured out why the wine price was only $9 or $10 for fine dining where you expect to pay anywhere from $12 to $14. If I'm going to drop that kind of money at a fine dining, at least give me the option to order a $12, $14, or even $18 glass of wine. Who wants mediocre or bad wine with steak? We ordered the cheese and meat plate as an app. I think their menu needs to be retooled because we almost missed this as an option. It's tucked below the raw bar menu (There was no raw bar to my knowledge just seafood apps. Did not specify and should be more clear). Most places, particularly fine dining call this a cheese board and charcuterie. This makes me think whoever is running the place or in charge of writing out the menu doesn't have much fine dining experience. If it would have been listed properly I probably would have more easily picked it out even though it was oddly placed in the middle of the menu. The salami we ordered was good and so was the goat. Again there was a problem. I said I wanted the camembert the waitress mentioned (none is listed on the menu), she responded, "The goat?" Camembert is a softer version of brie made from cow's milk. I just said yes, because sometimes there are hybrid blends. Whatever, it was still good. We also ordered the sheep/cow cheese which was gamey. Typically I like sheep cheese but did not like this one. My date ordered the filet mignon and crab which was really good. The crab on top was excellent and fresh. The waitress said that dish had been on their menu for ages and so I imagine that's why it's been perfected. I ordered one of their new dishes, the trout, and was pretty disappointed. This dish needs serious work. The trout and cauliflower tasted like they were grilled in butter and olive oil, then thrown on top of a mish mosh of yellow raisins, nuts, and capers. It would have been nice if the food was actually cooked with these components so it got the flavor. I didn't even know any of that was in the dish because the 3 slices of fish were skin side up, covering the cauliflower and other items which were more like an underbelly garnish. This dish could have used a sauce and better seasoning of the fish and vegetable since there was none. I felt like I was camping rather than at a fine dining restaurant. For dessert we ordered flourless chocolate cake. They made it similar to lava cake and was pretty good. Most flourless cake is too rich but they make this just right. Honestly, their other dessert choices were so boring we went with this. Butterscotch pudding? I know butterscotch is the new, hot foodie item but you gotta make it at least sound more appetizing or place it with something else. Pretty much apple pie and ice cream were the only other menu items. Snore. Also, change the name of "seafood pot pie." The table next to me ordered it and it looked way more delicious than it sounded on the menu and had cute lobster shapes made out of croissant on top. If they get their food and drinks on point I think they could pull in a younger crowd in the dining area rather than just at the bar. Frankly, I don't care who I dine with as long as it's delicious. They would benefit from advice from a marketing, and food consultant. My date seriously almost got up out of her chair to show them how to cook the fish.
Soooo...we went to check out their brunch a few weekends ago. $20 buffet seemed like a good idea at the time and I was so excited to finally check them out after the re-opening. When we got there, the hostess asked if we had reservations. For brunch? Ok, sorry, thats kinda snooty. You are NOT the hotel duPont. So they sat us in the bar area, which was pretty empty, as was the rest of the place. Our waitress came right over and took our drink orders. We both went with the make-your-own bloody mary bar, but were shocked at the $7 price tag (especially since there are several other places in the nieghborhood who offer the same deal, for $3)!! The buffet had a decent selection- all the typical brunch-buffet stuff. No carving station, but there were made-to-order eggs benedict, omlettes and pancake/waffle stations. I tried the eggs benedict and was not impressed. The muffin was stale and the egg wasn't runny in the least. Meh. They DID have a raw bar so I ate a ton of shrimp, which was good. And I will say their bacon was nice and crispy, which most of the time @ buffets, its all fatty and slimy. Total pet peeve. The salad & pastry station left much to be desired and the fruit salad was WEAK. Sorry guys, I take my brunch SERIOUS and you need to step it up. I only gave you the 2nd star because I really dug the decor in the tavern.
(2)
susan M.
Husband and I called for a reservation and was told 7:45 would be perfect. When we arrived, we had our choice of seating. Meaning, it was not crowded. We chose to sit on the patio. We waited 10 minutes for a server to even acknowledge us. We ordered our drinks and water. No water...and after asking 3 more times, the server brought 1 glass to the table. We had already orderered a salad as an appetizer, and 2 entrees. We waited 45 minutes, for a salad that didn't need to be cooked, and it wasnt even the salad we ordered. We waited another 15 minutes because the server said our correct salad would be right out. We eventually left. Never got any of the food we ordered. The restaurant was not busy....the server was never around, ad the manager never even came out to speak with us. For an upscale place like this, that is just not acceptable.
(1)
Zac F.
Everything is good but the Ribs are great. Happy hour is fantastic as well
(4)
Jay B.
Let me just start by saying the bar area has a really great look and atmosphere that reminds you of an old pub, and a good selection of wines,beers, and spirits, Now, as for the food. I don't know who put this menu together,but beer battered olives,deviled eggs,roasted soy beans are some of the selections for "snacks". This just seems confused and out of place. My brother and I ordered/split the spicy pepper gourmet pizza, I've had gourmet pizza at places like Pizza by Elizabeth's, but at least there they put a fair amount of toppings on for the price. The Columbus Inn pizza had a few small pieces of chorizo and four dime -sized pieces of mozzarella on it; I'm sorry, for 14 dollars, that's not cutting it. The popcorn shrimp was just nearly burnt when we finally got the order because it was taken to the wrong table. The waitstaff, which includes the cook,was slow, which I could deal with if there were a big crowd there, however, there weren't more than 20 people at the time. We had to ask for orders 2-3 times. The only reason I would go back would be to have a glass of one of their wide selections of whiskey or wine and the atmosphere.
(2)
Kristian G.
This review is for the bar area which is like stepping onto the set of Mad Men. You could picture Don & Roger having their 3 martini lunch, although the smoking is gone. More casual today but the crowd is definitely over 50, just came from the Parents Without Partners meeting and popped a Prozac on the way! I felt like a child. Well stocked bar, even fresh mint. It's a shame they don't know how to use it. My Manhattan was a bit bland & amateurish. Although they do have the cherries soaked in brandy as a garnish. I had these Reuben rolls as a little appetizer which was tasty & different. The staff is young eye candy types always checking their text messages. The one alpha bartender (big baritone voice) was always talking about how much tail he was trying to get. My experience, people talking about money & sex are getting very little of either.
(2)
Rachel G.
I have been to the Columbus Inn three previous times and have been pleased with the quality of food and service. However, I am writing to express my disappointment with the lack of common courtesy I recently experienced there. My mother was visiting from out of town, a two and a half hour drive, for Sunday brunch. I have heard rave reviews of the brunch at the Columbus Inn. I called on Saturday, May 26, for a brunch reservation at 11:00 am on the following day, Sunday, May 27. The staff that took my phone call took my contact information. I was shocked when I arrived for brunch at my reservation time to find the doors locked and the restaurant closed. Although it was Memorial Day weekend, there was not even a note on the front door regarding the fact the restaurant was closed. My mother and I were greatly looking forward to brunch at the Columbus Inn and extremely frustrated when we arrived. I have since sent two emails to the e-mail address listed on the Columbus Inn website, however a month later I still have not received a response back. The Columbus Inn typically provides an above average level of customer service. However, in this instance I am confused by the fact that the staff took my reservation and failed to inform me that they would be closed on that day.
(1)
Mike P.
Is it me? Why do mostly empty restaurants often offer the worst service? Lunchtime at the Columbus Inn this week, looking for a nice meal, served quickly - this is lunchtime after all. Walked in, not may guests at all, patio table. Waited. Waited. Drinks. Waited. Ordered food (nice menu). Waited. Asked. Waited. Eat. Waited. Went and found the wait-staff (appropriately named in this instance). Paid. Left, never to return....for lunch at least, we have have a really nice dinner here some months back. Reopened? Needs to be reengineered in my view, for lunch at least.
(2)
GoBlue G.
All I can say is i wanted to bury my brunch in a cooler,,,,,,never again,,,,or dine and dash.
(1)
Jeff S.
My fiancee and I visited Columbus Inn for our Valentine's Day dinner. We had a 7PM reservation and were seated immediately. Since I had made our reservation a month before, I was pretty stunned to learn that the tasting menu (which was a bit pricey) was the only option for the evening. Their wine, beer and cocktail menu is quite nice. Lots of options for everyone. Now the food. I started with the lobster beet salad, which was nice, but not overly friendly to my taste buds. I thought the lobster was a bit uneventful and bland. The beet and salad mixed well though and provided the most flavor for the dish. I moved on to the Crab Cake, which had a nice flavor, but there was too much filler and the crab wasnt very fresh tasting. The next dish was the Striped Bass. It was nicely cooked and seemed fresh. The dessert was a hot mess. It was some frozen candy and badly baked red velvet cake (which I still dont think was actually red velvet- it tasted like a box cake they staffed out). They included some chocolate fondue, but for the life of us, we couldn't figure out what we were supposed to dip in it. Overall, I think it's a nice place, but didn't care for the tasting menu option and the food was average at best. On a side note, I have read reviews about the service, but I have no complaints, I thought they did a great job for a packed house on Valentine's Day.
(3)
Dan W.
Mediocre at best. Went for brunch with mom and gf. Salad bar was not sanitary, they tried to use the same bowl to mix all of the salads. Scrambled eggs were liquid and not delicious. Salmon was dry. Made me wonder if the rest of the food was prepared correctly.. my guess is not. Staff was disorganized. Would never go back. Not worth $20.or $15. or $10... maybe $5.
(2)
Greg H.
Sunday brunch 6/3/2012. Overall, food just OK. Very slow to refill the buffet line. Folks waiting for basic eggs/french toast/bacon. Decent carving station. Belgian waffles on menu, but they claimed their waffle maker broke ! (go out and buy a new one pronto !) Overheard another patron with 90+ year old parent who went there for the waffles. Not goo@usa.dud . Also, pticher of Mimosa $30. Total rip off. On top of that, mandatory gratuity automatically added on table of 6 or more of 20 % ! At a buffet ! 20% maybe for great service regular dining, but for clearing plates ? Tip also added $6 to already overpriced Mimosa pitcher. Ridiculous. Will never go back. Avoid this place.
(1)
Lauren W.
Well, I had mixed feelings about it. Went there with no reservations for mother's day; just me mom and dad. We were seated right away and that was nice. Ou waiter was a little od. I can't describe it...he was friendly, but I think he may have been drunk. Anyway, mom and I scored on the $10 sangria pitcher special. It was yummy and a great deal. We got the tuna nachos as an appetizer and they were delish! An Asian spin on nachos-who'd have thought it would be so genius?! Wish the dish was bigger though; it went fast. I got the Salmon. Fish was great, but everything that came with it was not. My mom got the Lobster Risotto-perfection! It was creamy, the lobster was cooked well and very succulent, and it was just bomb. My dad got the Filet Mingon with mashed potatoes, crabmeat and asparagus. He did all but lick his plate clean (I don't eat cows, but I tried the crabmeat and mashed potatoes and was in heaven.) Our food took long to come out, but when it did it was yummy. Also, we ordered a side of asparagus that never came, but our drunk waiter took it off our bill. Would go back for lunch probably. Maybe dinner,but dinner is espensive there.
(3)
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Address :2216 Pennsylvania Ave
Wilmington, DE, 19806
Takes Reservations : Yes Delivery : No Take-out : Yes Accepts Credit Cards : Yes Good For : Brunch, Dinner Parking : Street, Private Lot Bike Parking : Yes Wheelchair Accessible : Yes Good for Kids : No Good for Groups : Yes Attire : Casual Ambience : Intimate Noise Level : Average Alcohol : Full Bar Outdoor Seating : Yes Wi-Fi : Free Has TV : Yes Waiter Service : Yes Caters : Yes
Lana M.
I had pork chops lolly pops - it looked and tasted like barf!!! They have a nerve to charge you $24.00 for 2 tiny pieces of pork (completely unseasoned) with cinnamon sticks, laying in a puddle of peach slices mixed with meager portion of grits - probably 2-3 tea spoons in size. I had it as a take out, I wish I was dining in, I would give a piece of my mind to the chef. They are ripping people off, for the quality and the amount of food they serve. Save your money, find better place that deserves your hard earned $$$. Lana
(1)Nicole Q.
This place is cozy and comfortable. Food is consistently good. I love the cheese plate and the mushroom flatbread pizza is amazing.
(4)Pat W.
Great restaurant, one of the best in Wilmington. The food is incredible, the dining rooms are gorgeous, the only reason I didn't give 5 stars is because it's a little pricey for the amount of food. But don't let that away you from giving it a try.
(4)Matthew F.
1. Atmosphere was nice. 2. Ordered house baked pretzel bites, scallops and pistachio crusted halibut. The two entrees were a little pricey for the amount of food in the plate. 3. Entrees took a while to come out. The halibut was borderline cold compared to the scallops. It was as if it had been sitting out while the other dish was being finished. 4. Waiter was very slow. A lot of time passed before he would check back. 5. Waiter kept including himself in every question. Example: What are WE ordering? Are WE finished yet? There were many other examples.
(3)Joanne E.
My DH and I visit here 3 - 4 times a month. Earlier YELP reviews mentioned inconsistent food. That may have been true in the past, but we have had consistently great food and great service, whether at dinner or Sunday brunch. This is one place we will continue to visit. I hesitate to point out any particular dish, but a personal fave of mine is the Chicken Bolognese. And I love the Shrimp Cocktail. My DH loves the Crab Cocktail - swears it's the best he's ever had. And the scallops are always top notch. If you have not visited Columbus Inn before, or not in a long time, it is definitely worth checking out.
(5)Suzie M.
We come here often for happy hour specials, oysters, pizza, edamame. But really the draw is the atmosphere. I love the leather booths, ceilings, and overall ambiance. It can be crowded but great value and location.
(4)Joel H.
It didn't blow me away, for the price. The food was good, but, why put a portion on an oversized plate, where it then looks like you're being overcharged for small portions? The vegetables that came with the food is another area where it felt like you were being kind of ripped off. Three small pieces of broccoli? Really? I get that when I order Chinese food. And where on earth did you find a potato that small to bake? Not impressed.
(2)Michael K.
I had lunch with a party of 7. Food was great, service was way too slow. It's not good having to wait 15 minutes for a drink to get refilled. Maybe it was just an off day. The Buffalo Cauliflower was awesome.
(3)Sarah C.
Since Columbus Inn reopened they seem like they've been trying to find their niche and I think they've finally figured it out. They kept the amazing cocktails (I don't know of too many other places in Wilmington with perfectly-mixed drinks in prohibition-era coupes and ingredients like allspice dram or absinthe... and they make their own ginger syrup I think) and they kept the great bar food like the beer battered olives and popcorn shrimp, but they re-did the menu so now you can just show up for dinner because you want some tasty food, not because it's your college graduation or your 25th aniversery. The tuna burger is one of my favorites. They still have more... I don't know, elegant? entrees, but the menu is a lot more approachable and actually pretty reasonable. And they got rid of that stupid valet crap, thank god. I can't beleive all the negative reviews!
(5)Alexa R.
You did it, Columbus Inn. You really did it. You revised your menu and it is noticably better quality, more fun and cheaper. My husband, sister, brother in law and me met my cousin and her husband here for dinner last night. We ate in the bar area, which was PACKED! They are definitely gearing the menu toward a younger crowd, featured 4-5 dollar bar snacks like beer battered olives (I tried them, they were not for me), crab fritters (loved!), deviled eggs (really good!) and popcorn shrimp. I had a soup and octopus salad, which was great. They also now feature crowd pleasers like filet, french dips, fish and chips and standard burgers. Everyone was very happy with their meal and my husband could not believe how cheap it was compared to Philly. My cousin remarked, "This food is so good, I would come back for dinner tomorrow night!" I am really happy the Columbus Inn has adjusted itself to a new crowd with new wallets.
(4)paulo s.
My partner and I just returned from brunch at the Columbus Inn. Having had a lovely dinner there a few days ago, our expectations were optimistic. Our optimistic expectations were soon undermined. Our reserved table was not ready when we arrived. Hungry, we sat in the bar. When we wandered over to the buffet area, we found that the food was limited and what there was tasted dried out and stale. Add that to $3.00 coffees, $6.00 mimosas and $7.00 Bloody Mary's, which are usually included in brunch offerings, the $20.00 price tag for food seems hardly worth it. It is hardly worthwhile to spend precious leisure hours there for Sunday Brunch. Go elsewhere. We will not be be back for brunch, but plan to return for another dinner. Our waiter Brian was pleasant.
(1)Joel S.
I have not be have been to the CI in years and we decided to have brunch. The food was mediocre at best and they could not keep anything filled. The restaurant was maybe half full but they ran out of almost everything. At one point they had no eggs, no meats and no cocktail sauce for the shrimp. The pastries were so dried out they crumbled. I will not return.
(1)Vincent J.
The food was good and so was the service. Just moved here from Center City Philadelphia and in need of a place like this close to my house. Nice bar, great wine selection. I had the duck which was cooked perfectly and tasted fantastic. Ill be back for sure.
(4)Dan A.
Skip it. Ordered a medium burger and my friend a chopped salad. Burger came out well and the salad was a sad looking tossed antipasto-ish thing in a bowl. Our waitress returned before we even took a bite and presumptively asked 'Is everything delicious?' We both agreed it appeared this place just doesn't care. Screwed up a burger and a salad. I will not recommend or return.
(1)Gwynedd D.
Two meals (both group dinners) at this restaurant. The first was not great--I hated the mushroom soup, which is very thick and dark, but I am sure someone would like it. It was too gravy-like for me.) The beef filets were well cooked, but sauced in some dark, thick, miserable glaze that detracted. Still, not bad. Salads are lovely--a cut above the usual bagged greens like dried autumn leaves. Desserts are obviously brought in and just standard bakery pastries. The second meal was amazing. A lot of us chose the "Faroe Islands Salmon" (I presume this means Atlantic wild caught salmon.) It was served with brussels sprouts, diced butternut squash and "bacon" which was really pork belly in a balsamic glaze that was so good, the veggies threatened to outshine the salmon. The salmon was perfectly cooked even though we had a monster group of people. There was a schmear of some kind of sauce on the plate that was in the new style of plating but it was tasteless (they said something about brown butter vinaigrette but it was like paste.) Still, we raved over the salmon and there was actually too much of it--an 8 oz generous filet. Big thumbs up. I tried the Caesar instead of the mixed greens and it was good but the croutons were the silly prepackaged-looking kind; why do this when you've put delicious real Italian bread on the table and you could have diced up stale loaves to make your own? The desserts were again pre-made pastries, not bad but not worth wasting calories over. Service was excellent. Only they don't serve coffee to the group and I've seen this multiple times, now, multiple places, so I assume it's something new in banquet management--you don't want people to linger over coffee, so you don't serve it and they leave! Yay for you. I miss coffee after dessert--it's traditional, it's nice before you get on the road, and it's another sign of the times where efficiency of running a restaurant is paramount and the guest experience must suffer. The parking lot fills up early--a problem if you can't walk on icy sidewalks. There is a popular bar and our group had no parking available even though we arrived well in advance of our event. Normally the lot would be about right for the restaurant, but when the bar is hopping, it is way too small, A problem in WINTER if you don't want to risk icy streets in the dark. Or if you are dressed to the nines in high heels and it's very rainy out. A SIMPLE SOLUTION would be for the restaurant to contract with some of the other businesses down the street (there is a car dealership, for example) and offer valet parking, knowing that the lot is very small, and knowing they've made reservations for far too many people for the lot when you consider the bar traffic on an average night. They have a marquee out front, so a valet service is certainly possible.
(4)Louis S.
I found the restaurant to be excellent I had a three course meal for restaurant week and every course was spectacular highly recommend make sure to get a bottle of the Alexander Valley Vineyards Cabernet Franc it was an excellent wine and paired well with both beef and chicken. Service was excellent a water glasses were always full dirty dishes didn't sit for more than a minute and a waiter was very nice.
(4)A K.
Dining room has a nice atmosphere and decor, food was good/ok, service needs work. Brought us the wrong dessert twice, staff seemed overwhelmed, even though it didn't seem too busy.
(3)Julie M.
So I hadn't been back since my last review but I had heard that the service was improving. I went here a couple weeks ago and much to my surprise, things had turned around some. The food is always very good. I particularly enjoy the Filet Mignon Cheesesteak. The fries that accompany it are always fried to perfection and taste amazing. One new addition to the menu that I really liked was the nachos. They were cooked well and had a good amount of spice. While there were a few mistakes, our server, Carrie was quick to ameliorate anything that went awry. I will definitely be back.
(4)Jamie N.
We decided to check this place out during the Delaware Dines Out promotion. The menu looked delicious and the price was reasonable. When we received our food we immediately felt like we were ripped off. We felt it was more of a sampling than a 3 course meal as advertised. The first course was an appetizer of mushroom toast. A quarter piece of toast was brought out with some mushrooms and melted cheese. The second course was the entree which included a 6oz filet, mashed potatoes, and asparagus. It was more like a 3oz filet. We order 6oz filets monthly from Omaha Steaks and are very familiar with the proportion. What we got was a complete disappointment. And, they cut up the steak too. I was expecting to cut into my own steak, not have tiny pieces of filet. The final course was a dessert trio. They were the circumference of a half dollar. Complete disappointment! Never returning!
(1)Alicia M.
I was here for a rehearsal dinner and it was a fantastic meal with great service. We were served family style. The potatoes and juicy Salmon were big standouts. My favorite bite had to be the pumpkin cheesecake balls. Unbelievable lot delicious! The inn is under construction but the room we were in was beautiful. A bit of a rustic Italian feel. I would definitely of back here and recommend it to friends. Food- 4/5 Ambiance/service -5/5
(5)Aaliyah P.
Im always a fan of HH and its specials of the bevy variety . This place gets super crowded so the earlier you can arrive the better off you will be. I grabbed up two seats at the bar to wait for the rest of my posse and was greeted buy a super friendly bartender and he explained the specials $5.00 martini menu, food menu and half priced glasses of wine. I did an order of the salt and pepper edmame they were yummy. I also tried the pineapple martini in addition to a glass of wine and prosecco. Once my peeps arrived we ordered some food pizzas are decent and they offer quite a few options that sounded great. Id def come back maybe to try dinner sometime.
(4)keith h.
We sat down in the bar area at a 2 top table for drinks and some appetizers on a Saturday evening about 7 pm. They supplied us with a nice carafe of water. The bar area has a nice clubby feeling although is quite noisy. It took a long time for the server to come to us, then it took a long time for our drinks to arrive. The one thing they were good at was keeping us in water which was good because the turn around on everything else was very slow. Twice we had to flag a server. We had a Kennett mushroom pizza was ok but did not compare to say, Iron Hill or Taverna. The edamame was good - but that is pretty simple. Considering the cost of the evening, and the very slow service, I will not return.
(2)Edward L.
My fiancée and I were there last night and had an enjoyable time. The food and service were great, however the dress code has disappeared. Patrons used to dress for dinner now it's jeans and t-shirts. I hope they think about restoring a minimum dress code after they complete the remodeling of the dining room.
(3)D F.
Terrible service Terrible Sunday Brunch, waitress wasn't friendly or attentive ...no love in their food, mass cooking and it felt as if I were eating at a hotel buffet. Nasty and total waste of $...
(1)Cris A.
I'm not quite sure WHY on earth this restaurant only has a few stars... Perhaps it's because whoever reviewed the Columbus Inn doesn't have taste, hasn't been here in a while, or maybe they just want to make sure they ALWAYS get a table when the come here. Over the last few months I've been here every day of the week and it's always packed. The food, drinks, and ambience are terrific! I'm SO happy that I don't have to drive up to Philly to get a decent meal. The Columbus Inn is one of the (very) few restaurants that I can always count on in Dull-a-where...just sayin'.
(5)Jennifer J.
We came here for a date night and enjoyed excellent food, drinks, and service. We had a reservation and were immediately seated in the dining area, which is elegant and formal-looking. There's a loud, front bar area, which we didn't enter, but the noise would occasionally carry over into the quiet dining room. Our server was personable and attentive; she's a long term employee who mentioned the recent renovations and changes to the restaurant. I ordered the gnocchi and a mixed drink called the Strawberry Blonde. My husband had a salted beet salad and then the salmon as his entree. Everything was delicious - even the bread on our table. This restaurant is romantic and a nice choice for a special occasion.
(4)Laurie M.
Loved this restaurant. The menu has a nice mix of full entrees as well as tavern food. We had the scallops with lobster risotto, the crab fries, a filet mignon burger and took home a pineapple upside down cake. Food was great, service was fine. Next time i want to bring a few friends and watch a football game in a cute little room next to the bar with sofas and big fluffy pillows. I found this restaurant through opentable.com .
(4)Eugene K.
I'm torn. The place itself was somewhat impressive, an old school looking inn from the outside (we actually thought it was going to be "old people food"). Fortunately, it wasn't. Inside they have like 6 different dining areas, all of which look nothing alike. The bar area is posh. The dining room(s) are classic. The back room lounge is old people (fitting). The outside area is spacious and great when weather appropriate (it gets very loud though from the traffic on the street). They also have upstairs dining which I believe were for private parties. Where's the beef? Ok, so we go in and are told that only the bar menu is available. We also ask if they serve pizza based on the hostess' suggestion. "No, she's new and doesn't know what she's talking about." verbatim. Ok, menu looks great. The bar menu (9 items), excuse me. Several diverse selections varying from Asian, spanish and new American. The BBQ chicken sandwich with collard greens and cheddar sounded better than advertised. Here's the beef: midway through our meal, the waitress brings out a pizza for an older couple. Old people couple. Another table gets a two sided menu, obviously not the bar menu. Dinner? Lunch? What are we missing? Our theory was that we just missed lunch and the pizza couple had put the order in beforehand. And the other couple didn't order food, they just wanted a looksie. I'm a pessimist. Plus, we should've asked what the fuck was up but my friends didn't want to bother since we were already done with the food. Morale of the story: don't listen to the staff and go with your gut.
(3)Craig D.
(3.5) ~ Overall Food & Service ~ (Sunday Brunch Buffet) OUR MENU: * Prime Rib = (4) very good & tender * Bacon = (3.5) good * Eggs Benedict = (3.5) good * Omelet = (3.5) good * French Toast = (3.5) good * Orange Juice = (3.5) good * Water (still) = (3.5) good * Coffee = (3.5) good * Sausage = (3) ok * Shrimp Cocktail = (3) ok * Breakfast Potatoes = (3) ok NOTES: Nice Scenery;-)
(3)John S.
Over priced and the food is marginal.
(2)Mike M.
First thing's first: I'd never bought into the whole Columbus Inn allure. It had been such a mainstay in all sorts of cultural circles in Wilmington that I kinda-sorta took its presence for granted; it's been here so long, where could it possibly go? So, when I heard it was closing several years back to make way for a controversial high-rise, I regretted not having ever checked it out. Fast-forward several years. Political and real-estate controversies aside, and the Columbus Inn is ready to re-open. New owners. New management. New menu. Now I have nothing to compare the NEW Columbus Inn to the OLD Columbus Inn, but if their brunch menu is any indication, I'll need to make a trip in for dinner in a quick second. My friend and I made a 12:30 reservation. It was starting to warm up on this beautiful Independence Day, but we were sure we wanted a seat on the gorgeous patio overlooking Pennsylvania Avenue. And so that's what we got. Sadly, it didn't seem many Wilmingtonians were partaking in Columbus Inn's brunch today. A few tables were occupied inside; we were the only ones (at the time) seated on the patio. We were greeted by a kind young waitress who brought us a drink menu. My friend ordered the 212, a tequila-grapefruit thingy which she enjoyed. I stuck with iced tea and water. Iced tea was good. Nice and light, as it should be. We each ordered an appetizer and a main. I started with the grilled asparagus with sunny-side-up egg, hollandaise, and crisp pancetta. Those who know my culinary proclivities know grilled/roasted asparagus is one of my favorite veggies. This asparagus was perfectly tender on the inside and crispily charred outside. When paired with the salty pancetta, creamy hollandaise, and the sexy, drippy egg yolk, this appetizer made for a perfectly savory dish. It's not an extremely complicated dish, but it is an easy-to-foul-up dish. Columbus Inn rocked this out! My friend ordered the pea and ricotta agnolotti. What's agnolotti, you ask? A really pretentious way of saying "ravioli." Paired with some meaty and aromatic morel mushrooms and swimming in an herbaceous cream sauce, the dish hit all the right flavor notes, especially considering it was topped with a generous amount of Parmagiano-Reggiano. The mains were good, but a bit of a step down from the apps. I ordered the halibut with lemon risotto and herbs. The fish was slightly overcooked, as if it hung out in the oven for 2-3 minutes too long. It was flaky -- as good halibut should be -- but there was a bit of a chew to it. The risotto seemed to suffer the same fate. Good risotto is a science. Cook it no more than 18-20 minutes! This risotto was slightly over cooked and the rice had lost some of it al-dente chewiness that I like. The flavor, though, was spectacular. A healthy bit of lemon juice and herbs woke up the flavor of what could have easily been a bland risotto. My friend went more with the "breakfast" part of brunch. She ordered the Anglaise-soaked brioche French toast. The French toast was served nicely crisped, although I felt it may have been dipped too long in the custard, as it fell apart a bit too easily. The rhubarb butter atop the toast made for an excellent, tangy foil to the sweet maple syrup. My friend was too full for dessert. I'd left a few bites of my fish and risotto, so I felt that entitled me to try the goat's milk panna cotta. The only disappointing thing about this $8 dessert was the size; I wanted MORE! It was about a 1x3 piece of panna cotta with a smidgen of delicious strawberry jam and a tiny coin of a shortbread cookie topped with a strawberry. The panna cotta was perfect. Creamy and light as it should be. The sweetness of the strawberry jam played very nicely with the tartness of the goat's milk panna cotta. All in all, a very good meal. I regret not having something to compare the new Columbus Inn to, but that's OK. If this Wilmington mainstay continues to put out food as tasty as what we tried at today's brunch, then we'll surely be back to try out the full lunch, dinner, and tavern menus!
(4)Brad W.
I have been going here for years, both old & new owners. Overall, I like the place. The bar is tons of fun, and the food is good. My most recent trip was for brunch. Although the food was good, and the drinks tasty I was upset at the offering. If you post brunch hours of 10-2pm you have better have your full offering out until 2pm. There was nothing left. Plates full of crumbs, three pieces of bacon floating in grease, and the salad guy was cleaning up at 1:45pm. Some may say I am being petty since it was the end of a shift, and the kitchen needs to change over, but my tenure in the restaurant business has taught me many things. The most important is giving every customer the same experience regardless of what time it is.
(3)Howard S.
Good food, really bad service. This restaurant was crowded on a Friday evening and in our room was a table for 16, celebrating a high school graduation. As a party of two, we were shoe-horned into a table along the wall, with chairs so tight that I had to parachute into my chair. Our waiter seemed quite amused with the commotion. Unfortunately, there was not much enjoyment taking 2 hours plus for a dinner that should have required one. Waiting between courses is just a poorly run operation. The food was ok. We enjoyed the calamari app. The Korean carpaccio had no distinct taste. My veal gnocchi were tender and fluffy, but the plate had three fork sized pieces of veal and an abundance of mushrooms. I suppose that in the Delaware Valley at this time of year, mushrooms are pretty cheap. My wife's lamb ragout was quite rich and the claim of kitchen made pasta was doubtful. Had dessert but that was not memorable.
(2)Dan C.
Lots of bad reviews here. I recently went for dinner and I'll admit I had a great meal. Good portions, not ridiculously large, but the way they are supposed to be. The food was presented pretty nicely. The meal was seasoned well and service was prompt. I was travelling through town so I'll probably never go back, but if I were in the area and were looking for a place to eat I would return.
(4)Frank D.
We went with a group of 20 in an upstairs room (no charge for the room). We had appetizers, the food was served family style (two entrees which they tailor to your needs), vegetables and we had desert. They also were able to break the bill down by couples. I don't know how the waitress kept it straight with all we ordered, but she did. The food was good and we had some to take home.
(5)P. L.
I liked this place but it wasn't consistent and needs some tweaking. If they get it together I think this place has potential for 4 or 5 star. We were told that the menu was new and they wanted opinions for the chef. I'm not sure if this means the wine and drinks menu was also new. Plain and simple, at fine dinning I expect it to reflect it across the board in excellence. I'm not sure if they've gone through different chefs or different management but I feel like something is up to have some of it excellent and some of it totally missing the mark. And I really think your experience can be different depending on what drinks and food you order. First, the wine list either gives you the option of a single glass from every varietal they offer or a bottle. I've never actually seen it done this way, especially at fine dining. Typically you have a selection of different price ranges to choose from each varietal. I selected the pinot noir and I'm not sure if the wine had expired or if it was just that bad a bottle of wine. It was like bitter vinegar. Sent it back and got a red zin. This tasted better than the pinot but that isn't saying much. The next one I ordered the cabernet. Also not particularly good. This is the kind of wine I would expect at one of those hole in the wall old school Italian places for $6. Considering one of their walls is full of wine I expected a better selection than what tasted like a $5 Trader Joe's bottle. We figured out why the wine price was only $9 or $10 for fine dining where you expect to pay anywhere from $12 to $14. If I'm going to drop that kind of money at a fine dining, at least give me the option to order a $12, $14, or even $18 glass of wine. Who wants mediocre or bad wine with steak? We ordered the cheese and meat plate as an app. I think their menu needs to be retooled because we almost missed this as an option. It's tucked below the raw bar menu (There was no raw bar to my knowledge just seafood apps. Did not specify and should be more clear). Most places, particularly fine dining call this a cheese board and charcuterie. This makes me think whoever is running the place or in charge of writing out the menu doesn't have much fine dining experience. If it would have been listed properly I probably would have more easily picked it out even though it was oddly placed in the middle of the menu. The salami we ordered was good and so was the goat. Again there was a problem. I said I wanted the camembert the waitress mentioned (none is listed on the menu), she responded, "The goat?" Camembert is a softer version of brie made from cow's milk. I just said yes, because sometimes there are hybrid blends. Whatever, it was still good. We also ordered the sheep/cow cheese which was gamey. Typically I like sheep cheese but did not like this one. My date ordered the filet mignon and crab which was really good. The crab on top was excellent and fresh. The waitress said that dish had been on their menu for ages and so I imagine that's why it's been perfected. I ordered one of their new dishes, the trout, and was pretty disappointed. This dish needs serious work. The trout and cauliflower tasted like they were grilled in butter and olive oil, then thrown on top of a mish mosh of yellow raisins, nuts, and capers. It would have been nice if the food was actually cooked with these components so it got the flavor. I didn't even know any of that was in the dish because the 3 slices of fish were skin side up, covering the cauliflower and other items which were more like an underbelly garnish. This dish could have used a sauce and better seasoning of the fish and vegetable since there was none. I felt like I was camping rather than at a fine dining restaurant. For dessert we ordered flourless chocolate cake. They made it similar to lava cake and was pretty good. Most flourless cake is too rich but they make this just right. Honestly, their other dessert choices were so boring we went with this. Butterscotch pudding? I know butterscotch is the new, hot foodie item but you gotta make it at least sound more appetizing or place it with something else. Pretty much apple pie and ice cream were the only other menu items. Snore. Also, change the name of "seafood pot pie." The table next to me ordered it and it looked way more delicious than it sounded on the menu and had cute lobster shapes made out of croissant on top. If they get their food and drinks on point I think they could pull in a younger crowd in the dining area rather than just at the bar. Frankly, I don't care who I dine with as long as it's delicious. They would benefit from advice from a marketing, and food consultant. My date seriously almost got up out of her chair to show them how to cook the fish.
(3)Sandra E.
I had high hopes for the reNEWed Columbus Inn. One "ok" lunch on the patio lead me to believe there might be hope. Because I know new ventures take time to develop, I went back. Again and again it is so incredibly slow, bland, disorganized and just plain annoying that I MUST now say Stay Away! The brunch is the latest fiasco. Because they serve until 2 pm, we believed that a 1 pm reservation would be more than enough time. Wrong! No plates, no bacon, no sausage, no way to get Eggs Benedict or an omelet. They ran out of eggs, béarnaise sauce and everything else needed. The only thing that didn't run out, were people in line waiting and then giving up and walking away. I never saw a waffle (I did see whipped cream). I saw the French toast (dried up and cold) with no syrup. Just the burnt remains in the bottom of a container still lit with fire. Now you would think that all of the above might happen over the course of a brunch. However, all of this happened within 20 minutes. By 1:20 pm there was literally nothing to eat. I had to ask twice for plates. I was not alone in asking them to refill the serving containers. I was simply told "we've sold out". Really, they actually said WE'VE SOLD OUT. Sold out of food yet still charged us for the entire brunch. I ate three shrimp and two oysters and they charged me and everyone in my party for full price of brunch. I think I should have told them that my wallet was empty.... Just like their brunch. The staff is far too impressed with themselves and not at all interested in taking care of the patrons that will ultimately pay their salaries. The previous reviewer that likened it to a bad wedding reception was right. Stay away and save your money. Spend it where someone cares about the quality of your meal and your dining experience. One last note of interest - As we were leaving we saw the staff eating everything they had just told us was "sold out".
(1)Lexi B.
Soooo...we went to check out their brunch a few weekends ago. $20 buffet seemed like a good idea at the time and I was so excited to finally check them out after the re-opening. When we got there, the hostess asked if we had reservations. For brunch? Ok, sorry, thats kinda snooty. You are NOT the hotel duPont. So they sat us in the bar area, which was pretty empty, as was the rest of the place. Our waitress came right over and took our drink orders. We both went with the make-your-own bloody mary bar, but were shocked at the $7 price tag (especially since there are several other places in the nieghborhood who offer the same deal, for $3)!! The buffet had a decent selection- all the typical brunch-buffet stuff. No carving station, but there were made-to-order eggs benedict, omlettes and pancake/waffle stations. I tried the eggs benedict and was not impressed. The muffin was stale and the egg wasn't runny in the least. Meh. They DID have a raw bar so I ate a ton of shrimp, which was good. And I will say their bacon was nice and crispy, which most of the time @ buffets, its all fatty and slimy. Total pet peeve. The salad & pastry station left much to be desired and the fruit salad was WEAK. Sorry guys, I take my brunch SERIOUS and you need to step it up. I only gave you the 2nd star because I really dug the decor in the tavern.
(2)susan M.
Husband and I called for a reservation and was told 7:45 would be perfect. When we arrived, we had our choice of seating. Meaning, it was not crowded. We chose to sit on the patio. We waited 10 minutes for a server to even acknowledge us. We ordered our drinks and water. No water...and after asking 3 more times, the server brought 1 glass to the table. We had already orderered a salad as an appetizer, and 2 entrees. We waited 45 minutes, for a salad that didn't need to be cooked, and it wasnt even the salad we ordered. We waited another 15 minutes because the server said our correct salad would be right out. We eventually left. Never got any of the food we ordered. The restaurant was not busy....the server was never around, ad the manager never even came out to speak with us. For an upscale place like this, that is just not acceptable.
(1)Zac F.
Everything is good but the Ribs are great. Happy hour is fantastic as well
(4)Jay B.
Let me just start by saying the bar area has a really great look and atmosphere that reminds you of an old pub, and a good selection of wines,beers, and spirits, Now, as for the food. I don't know who put this menu together,but beer battered olives,deviled eggs,roasted soy beans are some of the selections for "snacks". This just seems confused and out of place. My brother and I ordered/split the spicy pepper gourmet pizza, I've had gourmet pizza at places like Pizza by Elizabeth's, but at least there they put a fair amount of toppings on for the price. The Columbus Inn pizza had a few small pieces of chorizo and four dime -sized pieces of mozzarella on it; I'm sorry, for 14 dollars, that's not cutting it. The popcorn shrimp was just nearly burnt when we finally got the order because it was taken to the wrong table. The waitstaff, which includes the cook,was slow, which I could deal with if there were a big crowd there, however, there weren't more than 20 people at the time. We had to ask for orders 2-3 times. The only reason I would go back would be to have a glass of one of their wide selections of whiskey or wine and the atmosphere.
(2)Kristian G.
This review is for the bar area which is like stepping onto the set of Mad Men. You could picture Don & Roger having their 3 martini lunch, although the smoking is gone. More casual today but the crowd is definitely over 50, just came from the Parents Without Partners meeting and popped a Prozac on the way! I felt like a child. Well stocked bar, even fresh mint. It's a shame they don't know how to use it. My Manhattan was a bit bland & amateurish. Although they do have the cherries soaked in brandy as a garnish. I had these Reuben rolls as a little appetizer which was tasty & different. The staff is young eye candy types always checking their text messages. The one alpha bartender (big baritone voice) was always talking about how much tail he was trying to get. My experience, people talking about money & sex are getting very little of either.
(2)Rachel G.
I have been to the Columbus Inn three previous times and have been pleased with the quality of food and service. However, I am writing to express my disappointment with the lack of common courtesy I recently experienced there. My mother was visiting from out of town, a two and a half hour drive, for Sunday brunch. I have heard rave reviews of the brunch at the Columbus Inn. I called on Saturday, May 26, for a brunch reservation at 11:00 am on the following day, Sunday, May 27. The staff that took my phone call took my contact information. I was shocked when I arrived for brunch at my reservation time to find the doors locked and the restaurant closed. Although it was Memorial Day weekend, there was not even a note on the front door regarding the fact the restaurant was closed. My mother and I were greatly looking forward to brunch at the Columbus Inn and extremely frustrated when we arrived. I have since sent two emails to the e-mail address listed on the Columbus Inn website, however a month later I still have not received a response back. The Columbus Inn typically provides an above average level of customer service. However, in this instance I am confused by the fact that the staff took my reservation and failed to inform me that they would be closed on that day.
(1)Mike P.
Is it me? Why do mostly empty restaurants often offer the worst service? Lunchtime at the Columbus Inn this week, looking for a nice meal, served quickly - this is lunchtime after all. Walked in, not may guests at all, patio table. Waited. Waited. Drinks. Waited. Ordered food (nice menu). Waited. Asked. Waited. Eat. Waited. Went and found the wait-staff (appropriately named in this instance). Paid. Left, never to return....for lunch at least, we have have a really nice dinner here some months back. Reopened? Needs to be reengineered in my view, for lunch at least.
(2)GoBlue G.
All I can say is i wanted to bury my brunch in a cooler,,,,,,never again,,,,or dine and dash.
(1)Jeff S.
My fiancee and I visited Columbus Inn for our Valentine's Day dinner. We had a 7PM reservation and were seated immediately. Since I had made our reservation a month before, I was pretty stunned to learn that the tasting menu (which was a bit pricey) was the only option for the evening. Their wine, beer and cocktail menu is quite nice. Lots of options for everyone. Now the food. I started with the lobster beet salad, which was nice, but not overly friendly to my taste buds. I thought the lobster was a bit uneventful and bland. The beet and salad mixed well though and provided the most flavor for the dish. I moved on to the Crab Cake, which had a nice flavor, but there was too much filler and the crab wasnt very fresh tasting. The next dish was the Striped Bass. It was nicely cooked and seemed fresh. The dessert was a hot mess. It was some frozen candy and badly baked red velvet cake (which I still dont think was actually red velvet- it tasted like a box cake they staffed out). They included some chocolate fondue, but for the life of us, we couldn't figure out what we were supposed to dip in it. Overall, I think it's a nice place, but didn't care for the tasting menu option and the food was average at best. On a side note, I have read reviews about the service, but I have no complaints, I thought they did a great job for a packed house on Valentine's Day.
(3)Dan W.
Mediocre at best. Went for brunch with mom and gf. Salad bar was not sanitary, they tried to use the same bowl to mix all of the salads. Scrambled eggs were liquid and not delicious. Salmon was dry. Made me wonder if the rest of the food was prepared correctly.. my guess is not. Staff was disorganized. Would never go back. Not worth $20.or $15. or $10... maybe $5.
(2)Greg H.
Sunday brunch 6/3/2012. Overall, food just OK. Very slow to refill the buffet line. Folks waiting for basic eggs/french toast/bacon. Decent carving station. Belgian waffles on menu, but they claimed their waffle maker broke ! (go out and buy a new one pronto !) Overheard another patron with 90+ year old parent who went there for the waffles. Not goo@usa.dud . Also, pticher of Mimosa $30. Total rip off. On top of that, mandatory gratuity automatically added on table of 6 or more of 20 % ! At a buffet ! 20% maybe for great service regular dining, but for clearing plates ? Tip also added $6 to already overpriced Mimosa pitcher. Ridiculous. Will never go back. Avoid this place.
(1)Lauren W.
Well, I had mixed feelings about it. Went there with no reservations for mother's day; just me mom and dad. We were seated right away and that was nice. Ou waiter was a little od. I can't describe it...he was friendly, but I think he may have been drunk. Anyway, mom and I scored on the $10 sangria pitcher special. It was yummy and a great deal. We got the tuna nachos as an appetizer and they were delish! An Asian spin on nachos-who'd have thought it would be so genius?! Wish the dish was bigger though; it went fast. I got the Salmon. Fish was great, but everything that came with it was not. My mom got the Lobster Risotto-perfection! It was creamy, the lobster was cooked well and very succulent, and it was just bomb. My dad got the Filet Mingon with mashed potatoes, crabmeat and asparagus. He did all but lick his plate clean (I don't eat cows, but I tried the crabmeat and mashed potatoes and was in heaven.) Our food took long to come out, but when it did it was yummy. Also, we ordered a side of asparagus that never came, but our drunk waiter took it off our bill. Would go back for lunch probably. Maybe dinner,but dinner is espensive there.
(3)