Smashing Grapes Columbia — Restaurant in Columbia

We dined here last night for the first time, and had a hard time finding this place by foot as there is no blatant or noticeable signage that says "Smashing Grapes".

The Atmosphere:

Once inside I thought the interior was posh and swank. I was thrown off however, by the guest attire ranging from sneakers, shorts, sweatpants, jeans, etc. Their brand is conflicting. Is this a fine-dining establishment or a casual cafe?

The noise level was loud. I had to ask the waitress to repeat what she was saying multiple times because of how loud it was. The table of women beside us did not help either as they were talking and laughing LOUDLY the ENTIRE time.

Service:

All the booths were filled when we arrived so we were given a table that was left dirty that the hostess had to clean before we could be seated.

Our waitress was sweet. She helped me decide what to get from the menu, and that in itself requires the patience of Job! However, she was missing for periods of time. We had to ask another waiter to give us a steak knife for the filet mignon. Then we had to grab another waitress to get a cocktail straw.

I was not feeling how the food was being transported from the kitchen either. Note: Some people like to pick up chips, cookies, food, etc. with their bare hands at social gatherings. I'm not one of those people. Those who know understand what I'm saying.

This one young lady was carrying the plates from the kitchen by hand and then at one point set some plates down on a table (a tray stand would have helped), started rubbing her eyes profusely with the dishes inches beneath. She proceeded to pick up the same plates with the hands she just rubbed her eyes with.

She was one of the people I asked for a cocktail straw from earlier. She returned to me handing me a cocktail straw with her hands all over it. Thankfully, my waitress appeared from her vacation in the tropics and took care of it "with a napkin".

Smashing Grapes: Your servers should be bringing the food to the tables on serving trays. I am not 100% confident that the lady who was delivering our food has a habit of keeping her hands separate from the food she's bringing from the kitchen and avoiding contamination.

There was a plethora of wait staff, and they were all very nice and helpful. There were at least 3 floor managers who came to our table to check on us. My cocktail drink was weak, so one of the managers had someone make mine stronger. Their wine selection is expansive. However, they don't have any sweet wines, which I prefer. Our waitress said their manager does not like sweet wines which is whey they have none. ???

When my face frowned up over my drink, the manager said "What's wrong?" and immediately went into action. Overall, I will give them major kudos for actively ensuring that we were taken care of during our visit.

Food:

This is not a place you come to be full. Their portions are very small. The $52+ we paid for the filet mignon was not worth the price considering how small it was. We wanted chocolate cake to go because we saw these big slices of cake being delivered to birthday guests. The sliver of cake slice we received to go was an insult.

I asked for a few late night snacks on the menu and was told that was only for bar guests. I think they need to make a note of that...

Update:

Smashing Grapes update: 4/5/25 I posted a review of Smashing Grapes in Columbia a couple of weeks ago and I wanted to give an update. After posting my experience, management reached out to me and invited me to come back. I at first wasn’t sure I would get to go but we ended up finding unexpected childcare one night and my husband and I took the manager up on the offer. I can say my second experience here was very different than my first. I’ll share some of the positives…

Service was great. Our server, Serena (I hope I’m remembering correctly), was knowledgeable, attentive, and friendly. I ordered a cocktail, the Persuader, and it lacked flavor but my husband got the spicy margarita and it was good. All the food we ordered came out as expected and was really good. My husband ordered the ribeye and said it was a serious contender for the best steak in the area. I tried the short ribs and was pleased. We ended up going for dessert and were very happy with those also. I’m curious to try their pizza cause we saw one that a nearby table ordered and it looked really tasty. Overall, we had a nice evening and the service was great.

I know that this being a new restaurant in this area and at a higher price point, the quality really needs to be good and consistent. I know that sometimes a place can have one off bad nights and I’m hoping that this location can improve in consistency in the quality and experience because they do offer a lot of good food options and the ambiance is lovely. I think the management does care about making sure they are providing a quality service and product and seem willing to go out of their way to hear feedback and make changes.

Overall, my impression is improved from my first experience and I appreciate the staff’s desire to ensure we had a good experience.

Came here for a girl’s night and was just not impressed. I tried ordering a cocktail. I had to chase the server down to order it. They didn’t have it. I ordered a beer instead. Waited 15-20 minutes and it never came. Neither did the server. Food arrived. I ordered the Steak frites medium rare. Fries were cold. Steak was overcooked to a medium-medium well. I asked the server for fresh fries. They brought them and I let them know about the steak. I didn’t really want to wait for a new one so I just told them I would keep the one I got. I asked about my beer. Manager offered to comp it. They were also out of that drink. I was out of water pretty much the whole dinner. Server was nowhere to be found. They ended up giving me a free glass of wine, which was appreciated, but needless to say I was just not impressed and would not return or recommend it. For the price they charge, the service and food should be much better than it is. Decor was nice in...

Restaurant Review: Smashing Grapes, Columbia, MD – A Pricey Disappointment

Columbia, Maryland has long been a place where good enough is considered great, and many thought the Merriweather District would finally elevate the local dining scene. Unfortunately, if Smashing Grapes is any indication, that hope was misplaced.

From the moment you sit down, the restaurant gives off an air of refinement—warm lighting, stylish decor, a menu with ambitious price points. But if there’s one thing I’ve learned from dining in places like this, it’s that a high tab doesn’t always equal high-quality food or service. Smashing Grapes falls right into that trap.

The Food: Flavorless and Forgettable

At these prices, one should expect well-executed, well-seasoned dishes that justify the cost. Instead, we got bland shrimp scampi and a child-sized portion of sea bass that left us wondering if we’d mistakenly ordered from a kids’ menu. The shrimp scampi had absolutely no flavor—none. Not a hint of garlic, lemon, or anything remotely resembling a well-balanced sauce. The sea bass? A decent enough piece of fish, but laughably small for what they’re charging. At nearly $40 for the entrée, I expected something that wasn’t three bites away from disappearing.

The Service: Pleasant but Lacking

Now, let me be clear—our server was pleasant, but there’s a lot more to good service than being friendly. True hospitality means anticipating the needs of the table, and that just didn’t happen. Dishes piled up, fresh silverware wasn’t provided after appetizers, and there was no real effort to ensure everyone at the table was satisfied with their meal. It’s the kind of service you expect at a mid-tier chain restaurant, not a place that charges premium prices.

Final Thoughts: Not Worth the Price

There’s nothing wrong with charging high prices—if the food and service justify it. But at Smashing Grapes, you’re paying for an illusion of upscale dining without any of the substance. This isn’t to say that the meal was terrible, just that it was mediocre, and for the money, mediocrity isn’t acceptable.

Columbia deserves better, and the Merriweather District was supposed to deliver that. Instead, we get places like this—restaurants that look the part, but fail where it actually matters. If you’re looking for an overpriced, underwhelming dining experience, Smashing Grapes is happy to take your money.

Rating: 2.5/5 – Not a total disaster, but definitely not worth what...