The Pearl — Restaurant in Columbus

We visited Short north two weeks ago and tried out a couple of nice spots. This came across our radar on Yelp and decided to try it out. Starting with the good; the service was perfect and attentive. Our server helped out plenty and got refills quickly when needed. I always like to recognize an exceptional server. I forgot their name, but definitely is an asset to the team. As for the atmosphere, it’s a very nice interior and I appreciate the attention to detail in the color choices and overall ambiance. Our table was sitting rather close to the table behind us. I felt like I was sitting on the guys lap. It did make for some good conversation eavesdropping LOL. But again it’s very well done inside. We also got a dessert for a birthday that was phenomenal. It was a Mississippi mud pie if I remember correctly. Very rich and decadent. For the neutrals: the bread was okay and the fried pickles were good with their very herbaceous ranch. They fry bread and butter chips and dill spears in their pickle basket which I found interesting. The fish and chips were well seasoned and had a rich tar tar sauce which I personally loved. As for the negatives: I got the scallops after craving them for a couple weeks. I was very excited to see them on the menu. I didn’t read the description good enough; which I take the blame for, but they were terrible. It’s five seared scallops served with unseasoned blanched vegetables that have absolutely no synergy on the plate. Theres random green beans and edamame and a canned looking tomato mush on top of a bed of lemon dressed lettuce. It was such a strange iteration of scallops. Not only was it a confusing plate that lacked congruency, but it also made me sick. The scallops had a slight fishiness to them, which I figured was amplified due to the freezing process that probably took place on the way to the land locked city of Columbus. Turns out they either weren’t finished cooking or had some other bacteria because I spent too much time the next couple days taking g care of myself( I’ll spare those details). All in all, I would give it a try and ask for guidance from the servers for what to order. We probably didn’t pick the best options in the menu, but if they’re that bad they should...

The Pearl short north has been a long running favorite of mine since they opened. The food is always delicious, the service exceptional, and the atmosphere inviting yet sophisticated. However, I have to admit our most recent visit to the pearl to celebrate our wedding anniversary was nothing short of spectacular!! Due to some unforeseen events, we were running about thirty minutes late for our dinner reservation. Reluctantly, I called the Pearl to let them know we would mostly likely be outside of the fifteen-minute grace and I would need to cancel our reservation unless they had any availability. To our disappointment but understanding, the hostess mentioned they were fully booked and couldn't push the reservation any later. As I hang, up the phone and begin frantically searching for another place for us to enjoy our anniversary dinner. I receive a phone call back from the Pearl. It was the manager (Ben I believe the name was) and he mentioned they were able to shift some things around and they would love to have us if we could still make it. Utterly ecstatic my wife and I grab an uber and rush to the Pearl. Upon arrive the manager personally greets us and shows us to our booth where two glasses of champagne are waiting for us. Our waiter was very friendly and knowledgeable. The food was superb as always. Two of our favorite dishes are the hanger steak and braised short ribs. For desert, the waiter mentioned we could have a pie of our choice on the house in celebration. We choose the Oreo cream pie and it was absolutely delicious! All in all my apologies for the lengthy review, but with so many great restaurants in the city it really does come down to the people and experiences that bring people back and this time was definitely one of those experiences that will bring us back many more times. Thank you again to the excellent management and staff at the Pearl for making this a dinner we will never forget!! Keep up the...

Traveling for work and decided to try out the Pearl since it was a short distance from my hotel. Sat at the bar and was promptly greeted by a friendly bartender who recommended some of their bourbon cocktails. The barrel aged Manhattan was very tasty, as was the ‘Bourbon.Bacon.Beautiful’. The bartenders there definitely know their stuff. The atmosphere was fun and eclectic, friendly folks sitting at the bar. For a Tuesday night the restaurant was very busy.

Happy hour was great with drink specials and half price apps, snacks, and sandwiches. I tried the ‘Devils on Horseback’ which are dates stuffed with some kind of cheese and wrapped in bacon, topped with a vinaigrette slaw of some kind. They were out of this world good. Sometimes bacon wrapped dates with cheese can be too rich but they were the perfect little bite (comes with 5) and the acid from the vinaigrette really made the flavors sing. I also tried the beef & Stilton pie, which was a small crispy, flaky crust (think best pot pie crust ever) with shredded beef and Stilton blue cheese. Also very tasty, served with a some lightly dressed arugula and radishes.

For my entree the bartender recommended the Pub burger with the house made tots. The burger had cambozola cheese (which was creamy and slightly funky) and came with a slightly tart and sweet tomato jam that played well with the creamy funk of the cheese. The tots were little cubes of heaven. Literally fried cubes of mashed potatoes, and they weren’t shy with the serving size. I was already pretty full but decided to get the coffee stout they had on tap and a piece of the homemade chocolate cream pie. Needless to say I went back to the hotel very satisfied, but uncomfortably full. Highly recommend checking this place out if you are in town.

Sorry about the picture quality. I dug in before getting good shots, the food looked much more appetizing when...