Rusty Bucket Restaurant and Tavern — Restaurant in Bexley

I gotta tell you it is overwhelming the number of disappointing places there are in Columbus and the people here just think it's wonderful. Supposedly this is a Cameron Mitchell restaurant the rusty bucket yet another corporate chain of half assed half-hearted food and atmosphere. The people in Bexley and surrounding areas don't have a lot of options when it comes to restaurants and this one unbelievably is packed whenever I happened by. Like most places it's populated by 20 something kids waiting tables and working in the restaurant usually alongside Mexicans who do most of the cooking in restaurants across the country. I didn't look in the kitchen but I can guarantee you I know exactly what was going on. I ordered their meatloaf which was supposedly like a signature dish. It took a while for the order to show up my friend ordered salmon and there was a lump of what was supposed to be rice next to a piece of salmon half the size it should have been. My meatloaf was sitting on a pile of mashed potatoes that were probably from a mix next to some carrots and green beans and that proved to be almost cold. I cut into the meat loaf and thought meatloaf doesn't have bones does it? One side of the meatloaf was so badly freezer burned and overcooked I couldn't even get a knife through it. Unbelievable. I've never seen meatloaf that was in that kind of condition. When I showed it to the server who looked at it and commented it's a little over cooked on one side. I said no no and promptly send it back thinking well somebody is going to spit in the next meal that I order. She asked me if I wanted more meatloaf I said God no and opted for the fish and chips thinking you can't screw that up too badly can you? By this time my friend had finished his salmon and was actually still hungry so we SAT there for another good half hour and my fish finally showed up when I almost got up and left. Needless to say the fish cod although they were rather large pieces but so oily it was obvious the cook was a little pissed off and he had pulled it out of the oil and threw it right into the basket on top of the fries without draining it at all. The wax paper lining the basket became translucent I could have used it as a window. In the meantime my friend had ordered a club sandwich because the size and portion of the salmon dinner was unbelievably small. I was half done with my fish when my friend finally asked where his sandwich was and suggested we cancel the order and leave. The waitress went back into the kitchen and obviously had turned in the order separately so the cook probably didn't even know they were supposed to be together. When the sandwich came out it was also quite obvious it had been thrown together probably by someone pissed off in the kitchen. Pretty sad plate of affairs by my estimation. All I could do was look around at all these Midwesterners that wouldn't know decent food if you threw it at them. Surrounded by flat screen TVs blaring dire warnings about Isis another concoction by the government to keep people living in fear and stupidity I sat there in wonder and amazement at the ignorance of this nation. I'm beginning to think Columbus like most places just thrives on mediocrity. The restaurants are a prime example. I recommend this place and others to all the corn fed...

I ate a delicious supper on 6-13-2023 at Rusty Bucket Restaurant and Tavern at 2158 E. Main St. in Bexley.

I had been in Bexley that evening so that I would be able to attend a "farewell reception" at Trinity Lutheran Seminary [across the street from Rusty Bucket Restaurant and Tavern] for a Professor of Church Music who has now retired after 39 years of service.

After I had attended the "farewell reception," I walked across the street to order my supper at Rusty Bucket Restaurant and Tavern; after I had eaten my supper and had paid for my meal, I walked back across the street to Trinity Lutheran Seminary so that I would be able to attend a concert in the Gloria Dei Worship Center.

I am glad that that Trinity Lutheran Seminary and Rusty Bucket Restaurant and Tavern are across the street from each other. I am certain that Trinity Lutheran Seminary had been there first.

My food choice at Rusty Bucket Restaurant and Tavern had been one of the several "Artisan Pizzas" that appear on their menu: "Wild Mushroom" ["roasted garlic, shiitake, portabella, caramelized onion, spinach, and truffle oil"].

One of the things that I always enjoy at each location of Rusty Bucket Restaurant and Tavern is their varied and often-interesting wall decorations. There is a "Bexley High School" jacket on the wall of their Bexley location.

As I have come to expect [because I have eaten in the past at two other locations of Rusty Bucket Restaurant and Tavern], the food at their Bexley location had been delicious; the staff had been friendly and efficient.

I had been able to finish and pay for my meal and then return to Trinity Lutheran Seminary well before their concert had been scheduled to begin.

If you are in Bexley and are looking for some delicious food, I strongly recommend Rusty Bucket...

Terrible Customer Service Experience at E. Main Rusty Bucket

I had a deeply disappointing experience at the E. Main Rusty Bucket location, and I feel compelled to share it. Upon entering, I was greeted with animosity from the staff, specifically a worker named Devin, who was behind the bar. I was engaged in a conversation with a family member who was off the clock when Devin decided to interrupt and insert herself into our discussion. I politely asked Devin to stop speaking to me, as she was not part of the conversation, and there was no reason for her to interject.

Instead of respecting my request, Devin became confrontational, causing a scene and even going so far as to threaten me by saying, “I won’t serve you at my bar.” At that point, I opted to report the situation to Danielle, the supervisor on duty, explaining that I was a paying customer and did not appreciate how I was being treated by Devin. Unfortunately, the situation was handled poorly, and no real resolution or apology was offered. It seemed as though the management and staff didn't care about the issue, leaving me to feel like this kind of treatment is acceptable at Rusty Bucket.

As if that wasn’t bad enough, Devin had another male employee stand next to me while I reported the incident to Danielle, which felt very uncomfortable and unprofessional. Because of this, I will never spend my money at Rusty Bucket again. I’m incredibly disappointed with the way both the staff and management handled this, and I cannot recommend this location to anyone.

If you value good customer service, I suggest you take your...