Columbia Restaurant Sand Key — Restaurant in Clearwater

Columbia Restaurant - Clearwater, Florida

My family and I eagerly anticipated our dining experience at the Columbia Restaurant in Clearwater, Florida, having heard numerous glowing reviews. However, our experience fell short of our expectations, leading to a mixed bag of emotions about our visit.

Upon arrival, despite making reservations well in advance, we were surprised to find ourselves seated in the bar area. This would not usually be a concern, but the area was bustling to the point of discomfort. The proximity of our table to the walkway meant constant disturbances from patrons navigating the space, diminishing the enjoyment of our meal.

Regarding the cuisine, we are open to paying a premium for quality dishes, yet what we encountered was underwhelming. My husband's $40 grilled grouper was notably bland, accompanied by yellow rice, green peas, and unrecognizably blackened carrots - a peculiar presentation without any prior explanation. Similarly, my pompano dish, though stuffed with a tasty mix of crab meat, artichokes, and shrimp, was marred by the unexpected inclusion of dairy, which led to discomfort later on. Additionally, the fish itself lacked flavor, failing to live up to our expectations for the price point.

Service was another area that left room for improvement. Our server, though undoubtedly hardworking and friendly, informed us of his exhaustion early into our dining experience, which might have contributed to the lack of upselling or detailed descriptions of the dishes we ordered. Nevertheless, recognizing his effort, we adhered to our customary 20% tip.

A particular disappointment was the sangria, marketed as a signature offering of this Spanish establishment. Opting for the Blanco variety, I found it to be overly reminiscent of plain white wine, lacking the rich fruit infusion that characterizes a superior sangria.

The ambiance also contradicted the "dressy casual" expectation set by online descriptions. The casual attire of the patrons suggested a more relaxed dress code than anticipated.

In retrospect, our experience felt akin to falling into a tourist trap, where the reality does not match the hype. While the Columbia Restaurant boasts an inviting reputation, our encounter was marred by seating arrangements, underwhelming culinary offerings, and service shortfalls. It was disheartening, especially given our advance reservation, to be seated in a less desirable area of the restaurant. This experience has led us to reconsider future visits, underscoring the importance of consistency in both service and culinary excellence in maintaining the esteemed reputation of a dining establishment.

I would like to add we had one drink each no appetizers no dessert or two dinners and our total bill was $103 like I said earlier I don’t mind spending the money as long as the...

I didn't have the time initially to write a proper review but I wanted to make sure I came back and did this restaurant its service.

Not that my singular review matters much given the thousands of reviews from other patrons before me. Most of us seem to echo the same statements that I'm about to share.

While I was visiting Clearwater Beach for an event, I took an Uber across town and the driver was asking me about my stay and then provided some suggestions for things to do. Columbia was at the top of that list. He excitedly told me about it and insisted I go. So naturally, as soon as my husband arrived to town, we made plans to go, got gussied up (I swear I'm not that old but the word seems fitting here) and took an Uber to the spot.

Despite it being prime dinner hour on a Sunday, and there being a wait, the hostess managed to get us quickly and at a waterside table outdoors no less. Immediately upon sitting we took in the absolutely beautiful evening view from our table and that set the mood for the rest of the experience.

Our server, whose name I'm remiss to say I cannot remember, immediately acknowledged us, but let us know he was wrapping up with another table and would be right back. That is something employees just don't seem to do anymore and that was so greatly appreciated! Once he did arrive at our table, he was in such a great mood. He was chatty, asked us about our visit, told us about himself a bit and of course discussed the menu. He made a real effort to connect with us even for that, short time we'd be there.

You absolutely HAVE to get their signature salad. My husband is not a big fan of salads in general but he took one bite and immediately went back in for more. I don't think he talked much until it was finished and he explained that there was something in the salad that he'd never had before (maybe it's a touch of coc*in.... I'm kidding of course, but it was that good)

Their bar menu is exquisite as well! The old fashioned was definitely one of the better ones we've ever had. The bartender deserves kudos for being on point!

If we ever make it back to Clearwater Beach, this is a place we'd return! And I'll make sure to tell everyone we know visiting that they need to stop in.

Without giving too much of our server's personal info away, he told us he came from Mexico MANY years prior and was also training to be a runner in the Olympics until he got injured. I hope that the person reading this knows which employee that was and tell him thank you for making our night just...

Our group of 6 (3 couples) were excited to try out Columbia for a beachfront dinner for the first time however we left very disappointed with our experience.

We had a reservation and requested an outdoor table, upon arrival the hostesses weren’t accommodating and it took nearly 20minutes to get our table changed from inside to outside and they informed us we couldn’t sit closest to the railing as those tables were for parties of 2 or smaller. This information isn’t accurate as there were several larger tables closest to the railing that were unoccupied and remained that way throughout our meal.

After being seated outside it took nearly another 20 minutes for our server to greet us, at this point it had been nearly 40 minutes since we were first sat at the incorrect table inside and still had no drinks. Our server was friendly and conversational in the beginning but it went downhill from there as she wasn’t very attentive. Despite reminding her numerous times she kept forgetting several drinks and did take one off the bill but it took away from the overall experience.

Entrees were delicious, flavorful and came out quickly! We were impressed at the portions and freshness of the dishes. However, once we got our entrees our server was nowhere to be seen for the next 40 minutes or so. We weren’t checked on whatsoever and drinks were empty for a long while. Eventually we were able to spot her attending to another table and flagged her down for the check. It was frustrating as this took another 10 minutes to receive the check and it was not split accordingly. Immediately upon greeting us we informed her that we were 3 couples and the check needed to be split as such. Getting the check corrected and processed took another long while.

The parking lot is something I feel is important to include as it was an absolute chaotic mess. Valet service is offered for $6 which I didn’t mind paying but I witnessed complete incompetence and negligence amongst the valet staff - I’ll leave it at that but it was horrific. I wouldn’t use them or trust them with my vehicle under any circumstances.

Overall, the food was delicious and the view was worth the higher price point however, due to the service we received and other recent reviews reflecting similar thoughts I don’t think we...