SoCal Kitchen + Bar — Restaurant in Columbus

We tried Del Mar for the first time during Restaurant Week. We love Cameron Mitchell restaurants!

We ordered off the RW menu plus a full-size appetizer off their regular menu. I ordered the center cut filet which was cooked well and nicely seasoned. However, the other stuff on the plate was quite curious to me. There was a pale smear on the plate that was tepid, completely bland and room temperature. What was it? Potato? Cauliflower? Not sure. Why was it there? Added nothing to the dish. On that smear were, what I THINK, was a mix of petite multicolored cherry tomatoes and potatoes...? It was hard to tell. (It was very dim and I did not bring my reading glasses) Every time I thought I would be biting into creamy savory potato it turned out to be something squishy and acidic. Tomat? Tomatillo? Just something to fill.out plate. My taste buds could never get settled. Not sure what the chef had in mind, but it was not well-suited to the beef.

The guacamole was good, the salad was great, and I would definitely recommend the olive oil cake.

Now the service... We have never been so rushed by such a pushy wait staff. I was still sitting by myself waiting for my date to return from parking, when I was asked I for my cocktail order first time. I wanted to wait for my date. The second time, date had just arrived and not even sat down yet. The third time we were settling in and looking over the menu having a little chit chat about what looked good. He was not going to stop until we ordered drinks. Finally, we just put all conversation and relaxation aside and order our darn drinks. Whew...

Then waiter shows up 30 seconds later asking for our food orders before he even brings our drinks. REALLY?

It felt like we were cattle. Move 'em out! Make room for the next guests. When I'm at a Cameron Mitchell restaurant, I expect the the full CM experience, food and service.

Not sure I will give them...

We made reservations at Del Mar for our 25th Anniversary and they did not disappoint. We got there just shy of of our reservation but the place was packed. The hostess apologized and asked if we could wait at the bar. The bar was full so we waited by the raw bar instead. First impression, the space is beautifully designed. Much attention was paid to every little detail. Loved the way it looked and certainly made us forget that we were in the midwest (having grown up in nyc). The staff were very friendly and while waiting I struck up a quick conversation with one of the sous chefs and he let me sample the nori chips that they make. It was delicious! What a clever way to prepare nori. Then I got to sample their mixed green salad and I have to tell you it was one of the best mixed green salads I've had in awhile. The executive chef, Sonny came by and as he was inspecting the tuna poke bowl order I asked him about it and he graciously explained what went into preparing this seemingly simple dish...I was quite impressed. He kindly offered me to try it, which I quickly said yes to....it was heavenly. The tuna and pineapple with avocado and a bit of seaweed...so buttery. I was deliriously happy! When we were seated we ordered the ribeye steak and swordfish. The ribeye was so flavorful that was a punch to your tastebuds. Wonderful! The swordfish was a bit more delicate but just as delicious. For dessert I had their chocolate offering, chocolate cake so rich and deep with a scoop of ice cream with caramel and nut chunks...I was about to enter food coma heaven. My wife had the coconut sorbet served in half a coconut shell...delicate flavors of real coconut...unreal. yum! We will be back to taste the rest of the menu soon. Special thanks to the hostesses, Pastel, our server, the sous chef, and Sonny, exec chef. You guys are awesome. Thank you for helping us make our 25th...

This 2 star review is based on the most recent visit (plus one star for staff friendliness).

Food: Hawaiian sushi roll (0/5) Dynamite sushi roll (2/5) Fish to rice ratio was atrocious. But what's worse was how caked and packed the rice was. It was difficult to chew and swallow.. the mouth feel made it impossible to detect any flavor besides the underseasoned rice (if seasoned at all). The dynamite roll had fried rock shrimp topping--the only redeemable factor.

Yes, this isn't a sushi restaurant. But I can't imagine why a cameron mitchell caliber restaurant would allow ANY food of this quality to be served. Side note, the menu shows Hamachi (yellow tail) as the ingredient for "Spicy Tuna Roll". Makes no sense.

Burger (3/5) Overcooked, under seasoned. Asked for medium, came to us almost well done. Fries came wilted despite being thick cut--they weren't crispy or hot. Grilled onion toppings had a char but were cold.

Chicken Sandwich w yam wedges (3/5) Dry, soggy. This was definitely not the same chicken sandwich I fondly remember from the first time I ate at SoCal. The chicken breading was not crispy, and meat was not tender. Didnt really taste the hot honey drizzle. Yam wedges seem oven roasted but tasted like they were dipped in soap.

Experience: There were only four tables besides us, but the food took so long and came out cool. The wait staff were nice, but cups and plates had sticky residue. And the cloth napkin smelled stale like a warehouse.

Overall: For a $65 bill pre-tip.. we were disappointed in the underwhelming meal, which took a long time to be served. The only thing we ate that we actually liked was the tiny rock shrimp topping. Im genuinely sad to say the food quality of this establishment has gone down...