Old Line Kitchen & Wine Bar — Restaurant in Columbia

my mom wanted to go out for a drink & this place came up. we had never been before, so we decided to give it a try. she looked at the menu beforehand & decided she was going to get the velvet fizz. none of the drinks looked particularly good to me, but i did see they had a cuban & decided i would get that for my meal & maybe the crab dip as an appetizer.

we get there & it’s very cramped. the tables were very close together & it was kind of awkward. i brought my 5 year old & realized very quickly it wasn’t very family friendly which i don’t expect of every restaurant, but you can be “upscale” & still family friendly (like glenwood’s) it was also happy hour according to the website, but we were never notified from either the waiter or the menu… there also was no cuban or crab dip on the menu.. so we order drinks (velvet fizz & a mojito) & the fried cauliflower.

the drinks were horrible. it tasted like they made it with gin, not rum. it wasn’t sweet at all. it was literally the worst mojito i have ever had and i order them frequently. i even asked for a side of simple syrup to see if that would help. it did not. the velvet fizz was also bad. it also had no sweetness at all despite being made with simple syrup. we sent the drinks back. my mom ordered a gin fizz and i decided to try something on the menu thinking maybe that would be easier for the bartender. i ordered blood orange refresher, which was a mocktail i believe, and i asked them to add rum. we get the drinks, same problems. i sent my drink back. my mom kept hers because she didn’t want to be a bother, but didn’t drink it.

the friend cauliflower was just okay. it was very limp. i think it needed to be fried longer, but the flavor was fine. we also got the calamari (my son’s meal), which was also just okay. it was very tender, but bland. our entrees were also just okay. she got burrata i believe. i got the old line burger. we also got a side of mac and cheese which was not good at all. it was bland and bitter. all in all just disappointing.

at the end of the meal the manager came over & asked how everything was. we told them that the service was great, but that the food was just okay & that the drinks were horrible. all we got was an apathetic “sorry”. he didn’t offer to take the untouched drink off the bill. his response was honestly kind of shocking. i had already decided i wouldn’t be returning, but that really cemented it.

tldr; mediocre food, horrible drinks, & managers that don’t care about...

Four of us dined at the Old Line Kitchen and Wine Bar on a Saturday evening in November 2024. The first thing we noticed was the change in décor (the space was the previous home to Aida Bistro). While the basic layout remains the same, Old Line has traded the light, contemporary color scheme employed by Aida for dark greens and even darker wood panels in the main dining room. The walls were totally bare and the overhead lighting harsh (I felt like I was being interrogated during our meal). This made for a rather austere dining ambiance. Second, our server oddly apologized in advance for the possibility that we would not have new silverware between courses due to some internal issue (new silverware did actually materialize, but it was wrapped in a second linen napkin, which was just…odd). Overall, the service was good. The food was a bit uneven. Since this was our first visit to this new eatery, our party elected to order and subsequently share a wide variety of appetizers and entrees so that we could get a feel for the kitchen’s culinary expertise. The fried Brussels sprouts were prepared well, but in need of the acid that was promised by the balsamic in the menu description. The cream of crab soup was good, as was the calamari. Our salad courses included burrata panzanella (a small portion of burrata, wilted arugula), kale and Brussels sprouts (good save for the dressing, which, despite the description tasted more of bottled French rather than a pomegranate vinaigrette), and a Caesar (some of the romaine was brown and had seen better days). Our entrees included the duck confit (very well done and the best of what we sampled), rockfish (cooked perfectly but bland compared to the accompanying pumpkin puree and cranberry coulis), and braised short rib (excellent except for the dill crème fraiche, which really confused my palate). Everything was plated attractively and both the wines and cocktails that we tried were very good. Overall, a so-so experience, but all agreed that we would give it another go in a few months, especially if the menu expands (not enough seafood options and too many “fried”...

After reading the stellar reviews of this new restaurant, I was excited to give it a try for my birthday dinner. Unfortunately, I did not have the same level as experience as everyone else.

Positives: The charcuterie board was lovely and the brussel sprout appetizer flavorful. Those were the best things I ate. My dad RAVED about the short ribs. You can tell the staff was trying their best. They were super friendly (if not maybe a little over the top at times… you don’t need to compliment my 70 year old father on his sweater and call him “brother.” That was just awkward).

Negatives: My fish came out raw. I’m pretty understanding as I’ve worked in many restaurants and realize they are still figuring things out. What I didn’t appreciate was being told that the fish I was served was a “safe temperature to eat.” Sure… it won’t kill me, but that doesn’t mean it’s properly cooked. A white fish (Mahi Mahi) should be opaque in the center so that it flakes. You shouldn’t even need a knife. Mine was translucent in the center, stringy and tendinous. After being sent back, it took forever to receive a new plate of food. My guests had all finished by the time I was able to eat. Unfortunately, the end result was still disappointing. Bland and under seasoned.

The meal could have honestly been saved by the dessert. I am a pastry chef. It’s my favorite course! We got the “key lime” cheesecake and the Breton. There was no lime taste to the cheesecake. Had I closed by eyes and eaten it, I would have thought it was a vanilla bean. The breton was such a strange texture. Very gelatinous and again, zero flavor. Definitely tasted like they were not made in house (although the server said they were).

The staff was very apologetic and did everything they could to turn the meal around but you can’t really make up for not great food. I expect more at that price point. Maybe they just have some kinks to work out in the kitchen. But I’m not going to be back any time soon.

Also, the space really needs more decor on the walls. Felt unfinished. Like my...