Bonifacio — Restaurant in Columbus

Honest review (big on taste than visuals) **loud music (disliked), small parking lot, recommend making a reservation if you would like a table due to not many tables esp on weekends (bar seating available for walk-ins), servers are not that attentive overall despite the modern feel

Modern interior design, 4 tv screens with four different things playing (too much for my personal opinion - with the music/screens seems like a sports bar)

Let’s get into the brunch/lunch food. I will state starting off that this is not an authentic, but more modern style of Filipino food. Coming from LA and Chicago, I knew I had to keep my expectations low. We got the Lechon Kawali Ulam (garlic rice and side salad) and The Bonifacio (longanisa, tocino, and bistek). I honestly was so excited to try this place to be disappointed on classic dishes. Presentation was there, but the Filipino taste which I cared more for was not there.

Lechon Kawali: 7/10 Crispy pork: 8/10 crispy, but over fried since some of the meaty part were dry, due to inconsistent cuts of meat Not bad, just thick pork belly cuts that are fried Garlic rice: 6/10 sprinkled with garlic? Could only taste the garlic like 20% of the time Salad: 6/10 vinegary- lemony balsamic It was okay

The Bonifacio: 3/10 (usually my go to dish when I go to Filipino restaurants :(( ) Garlic rice: 5/10 dry with subtle garlic taste Egg: sunny side up :) Longanisa: 7/10 not the authentic version, but a twist (tasted like a maple sausage but Filipino version), not bad A bit overly sweet (infused sweetness?) Tocino: 4/10 Dry brittle, a flavorless marinated grilled pork (jerky) Disliked the texture Bistek: 2/10 Very, very dry, not so sweet bulgogi (not much flavor) Tasted like they kept it on the grill for hours I gave it so many attempts, but not for me

They have a large Filipino inspired drink menu (I don’t drink alcohol so didn’t get anything, but maybe they are known for more of their drink options?) I might give it another try for the sisig option, but never the...

Ok so this place was fantastic but had a few logistical issues imo. So let's get into the fantastic. The service is great. The wait staff are calm, friendly and attentive without giving you the feeling that they are harried. This makes me think the owners treat them well. I ate the Biska (beef and onions).... It came out steaming and it was delicious. Flavor is just shy of rich so it's subtle and robust but not too much. I chose to pair it with the garlic rice and that was great. Just your basic white rice with some garlic flakes folded in. I also had the pork belly .... Y'all it is seasoned to perfection! And the little sauce next to it? A perfect pair. As someone that does not drink alcohol, I chose to get something from the bar because I love Lychee. However the cocktail I had my eye on had 3 different alcohols lol.... Including lychee and vodka and elderberry liqueur .... So the bar tender came out and offered to make me a drink with the lychee liquor and the syrup and lemon juice and I think she said hibiscus flower? IDK but it was the best drink I've ever had. I'm an extreme light weight and it gave me a little buzz lol but it was pleasant. The flavor though was beautiful. It gave me a little pucker but that pucker had a lychee taste and then the flower comes in and kisses you to follower the pucker. I told her she gotta name that drink and start making it. That's HER DRINK.

Anyhoo lol logistically the space feels a little cramped. The parking lot does too :⁠-⁠\ I understand they probably can't do much about that because the building itself is not that large. Luckily the indoor space is cozy and the staff are so nice that the initial discomfort dissolves. Second logistical thing is the menu itself. It's a little confusing and it does not match their online menu. So what you plan to get based off what you see online.. Reads different on the paper menu. It took me longer 20 minutes to match up what id planned to get with what was in front of me.

I will definitely go again. I feel like this is a...

My first and last time ever going to this place. My wife had called and made reservation as we were meeting a friend of her's there. Sadly picking Bonifacio was a sad mistake to OUR Saturday. We were seated and a lady took our order and let me note that we arrived at 4:30PM, Saturday 12/3/2016. I had said I wanted the chicken adobo and she told me that they were out of that and I couldn't order that. So I picked something else. 20 minutes later she came back and asked us if we were going to be ordering any entrees and my wife and her friend told her what else they were going to order. Even 20 minutes, even our appetizers were not even brought out. So we had hoped that since my wife and her friend ordered entrees, they might actually try to get some type of food out to us. My wife and her friend were too busy talking as it was the very 1st time they had ever gotten a chance to meet in person. Now it was 5:30PM and still nothing.... I told my wife and her friend, that's it, we ARE LEAVING! I got up and the bartender came out and I told them we had been waiting for an hour after giving the lady our order and STILL didn't get any of our food and I just wanted to pay for my Sprite and we are going elsewhere. He did say the Sprite was on them for the inconvenience, but they wasted an hour of our TIME! not something that can be replaced with a mere cost of a Sprite. Luckily we were surprised on the speedy service and great big portions at Olive Garden off Renner Road in Hilliard. They had definitely made up for Bonifacio lack of knowing how to run a DECENT restaurant and even gave us a complimentary appetizer for the trouble we had already experienced... Even though it was not Olive Garden's mistake. If Bonifacio continues this type of service, I give it only a matter of time before the building is up for lease... sad to say, cause Columbus needs a good filipino restaurant....but unfortunately Bonifacio is NOT...