Alqueria — Restaurant in Columbus

What went wrong! This place used to be excellent. To say that my last visit was a disappointment is an understatement. We were have celebratory dinner. But the food and service especially were so abysmal we will need to have another one Our waitress was an abomination of poor hospitality. We had to ask several time just for a straw for water. She payed no attention to us. She did not know the prices of the specials. We had no silverware or plates when our appetizer arrived. We had to ask another waitress for it. Also when we had to return a meal for being ice cold she purposefully ignored us. Once again had to ask another waitress for help. As for the food. Alqueria used to be great because it felt each dish was made especially. Now to call it mcfancy would be an understatement. The staff and kitchen are clearly coasting. They don’t care because they know they have earned a loyal clientele. But if they don’t get it together they will lose them. Like they lost me.

The meals were very bad. The only good thing was the seared scallops on the fettuccini. But truely there seemed to be no goal or purpose in what they were making. They just threw whatever seasonings and veggies they had into the pasta, not caring how they complimented each other. This was even worst in their special lobster risotto. It was an abhorrent mixture of dozens of different ingredients and none of them worked well of each other. This everything but the kitchen sink Risotto was an insult to food. To say you couldn’t taste the lobster is a huge understatement

The lamb shank came cold. A lamb shank should be served bund your mouth hot. But I would have settler for room temperature. Nope cold. It was the only meal we sent back, since if they asked what was wrong with the other dishes I’m afraid I never would have stopped. The lamb was admittedly cooked well. But when it returned , clearly having been thrown it the oven to heat it up it came dry. Furthermore the distilled balsamic did not compliment the lamb shank at all. A pomegranate molasses would have achieved the effect they were going for better and even been more authentically Greek. One small point, the meal that was sent back was kept on the bill. I don’t care about the money but it’s what any half prestigious restaurants the seem to be failing to emulate do. Just came off as cheap and tacky on their part. This was embarrassing. I even share in some part in the embarrassment. I used to love this place. I recommended it to people. I took clients here. I can only hope I can save my own reputation by getting in touch with my friends and company and tell them to steer clear before they make the mistake I of going here.

Alqueria was a once a neighborhood restaurant that wanted to be more and cooked to a high standard to do so. Now that it’s achieved some reputation it’s content with mediocrity. This was not just a horrible restaurant experience. It was a representation of everything that can go wrong with a good restaurant place. A meal that leaves you with a depressed feeling and a bad taste...

I ate a delicious supper early yesterday evening [11-11-2022] at Alqueria Farmhouse Kitchen at 247 King Ave. in the "Dennison Place" neighborhood of Columbus.

Old-timers like me will remember when King Avenue Coffeehouse had been in that space and when Byzantium [a "bead store" that had been the successor business to the former Trade Winds at 1652 N. High St.] had been next door at 245 King Ave.

I had been planning to attend a 7:30 p.m. concert yesterday evening at King Ave. United Methodist Church [one block to the west] so I had decided to eat supper at Alqueria Farmhouse Kitchen before walking to the concert because that restaurant is so close to that church and because several of the items on the menu had looked so delicious.

When I had arrived at 5:30 p.m., the restaurant had been nearly empty. The greeter at the front door asked me if I had a reservation [that I had not had] and then unsuccessfully asked me to sit at the bar [that I had been unwilling to do].

The greeter then offered me a small two-person table across from the bar that had worked out perfectly. The restaurant had been completely filled with customers when I had left at 6:25 p.m. so I can understand why the greeter had asked me, when I had been arriving, if I had had a reservation.

My food choice for yesterday has been "Buttermilk Fried Chicken" [served with "herb mascarpone potato purée, asparagus, and local honey hot sauce"]. The on-line menu [that I had looked at in preparation for yesterday's visit] had said that that item is served with "crispy Brussels sprouts" but asparagus had been fine.

All three of the items in my meal had been superbly delicious. My only suggestion for improvement is that the fried chicken would have been far easier to pick up and eat had it been served directly on the plate instead of on top of the mashed potatoes.

If you are in the "Dennison Place" neighborhood and are looking for a delicious meal, I strongly recommend Alqueria Farmhouse Kitchen. But I do recommend making a reservation before you arrive if you plan to eat there during a period of time when it...

First note, excellent ambience and buzz, great service, truly! I really wanted to love this place but I felt some deja vu. Columbus is certainly growing and so too it’s food culture, and there is much to be won, but it feels rushed. I’ve encountered so many “almost” restaurants lately… Perhaps it’s redundant of me, but if you’re offering food and the food isn’t spot on, what’s going on? Are you hurrying to be a community talking point, or complacent perhaps. For example, many thoughtful dishes here with good pairings. But I’ve never had a lamb dish I didn’t love, the broccolini was a bit undercooked, the lamb cut was a bit undercooked; the fat hasn’t reached that perfect point between slimy and chewy. Lamb is an art surely and I will say the overtone of an obscure flavor kept coming through and perhaps the tomato jam but when you take flavor risks make sure the preparation is exact otherwise mixing not so cooked lamb with a bright flavor might make the experience worse. The food came very fast on all counts. That’s always a red flag, particularly when it’s a very large serving. The specials were decent, fresh. Some appetizers such as the sweet potatoes were quite simple but mostly well done, to make a simple dish speak is an art. I would say that plenty of potential here, and some good success in plates but something a bit lagging. Sometimes I wonder if I’m too picky, but I think that simple good food is hard to ignore. Just my opinion here, but I have a fair amount of experience and I really hate to be critical of our local gems. Columbus growth is something to be proud of, and I hope we can maintain quality control! I will absolutely give it another try, and you should too. Some days are just not as good as others,...