This is not exactly the kind of exterior that screams, "Restaurant" when you're driving past. It actually looks more like the bank buildings of its neighbors. Food is decent. Beer options were pretty good. Pricing... eh... a little high for the quality. The dining area was very cold and several in our party were cold to the point of being uncomfortable. Granted, it was very cold outside but they may want to consider doing something to make the indoor environment more comfortable for their guests. Nothing major that was bad here. Nothing major that was special to entice me to come back, either.
(3)
Clay J.
Great Sunday brunch with eggs Benedict, prime rib, fresh salads and more. $19.95 which does include beverage. No military discount but my server was kind enough to provide complimentary coffee in lieu of discount. I would come back. Also had quiet love jazz so atmosphere is perfect.
(3)
Food L.
We had the lettuce wraps to start. The portion was huge, they definitely don't skimp on the amount they give you for that starter. I had the mussels and Fries app as a meal and my husband had the chop house burger. The mussels were prepared very well. The lemon sauce was so delicious. The burger was also unbelievably good. The flavor was spot on and the pretzel bun , beef brisket, were served perfect we would go back just for that!
(3)
Karen W.
Came here last weekend for a cousin's wedding reception here. We didnt have any problems finding a parking spot close to the restaurant. We were greeted by the hostess when we walked in the door. We had hors d'oerves and drinks while we waited for the bridal party to show up. Very good!! We had the option of a plate with chicken or salmon. I chose the chicken plate for dinner that night. Given that the reception was in the ballroom upstairs, there was plenty of room for at least 200 guests to talk, drink and socialize with one another. The staff was very friendly and helpful. We will definitely go back again!!
(4)
Mark T.
Is this a joke? The food quality is that of maybe a TGI Fri, but with cost of a high end Chicago eatery (I am in from Chicago for week). Really, really hard to believe this is considered a high end restaurant.
(2)
J H.
Business dinner on a weekday night at 8 PM. We were the only table in the place. Service as you might expect was prompt and attentive. The kitchen however failed them. Lettuce wraps with almost no flavor and spring rolls that tasted like something from the freezer aisle at Kroger. Main course of Phad Thai, disappointing. Bland, not spicy, with overlooked rubbery noodles. At least now I know a good alternative restaurant to Bob Evans if my Grandmother is in town and needs bland boring food. This place is all promise and no delivery.
(2)
Andrea W.
Reserved a table for brunch to celebrate a birthday. The food was delicious and the service was impeccable! The only disappointment was two members in our party had onions in their omelet -- they didn't request onions. Other than that, we had a good dining experience.
(5)
Heather N.
This is a review of weekend brunch. I will start by say service was great. We arrived right at opening and was seated immediately. We were promptly greeted by the server who explained the brunch options and took our drink order. I will say my water glass was never empty. Finished plates were also cleared promptly. Where this place lost stars was the sub par food. Many of the items you could tell were pre-made and frozen, including I think the whole dessert section. Carved meat station was nice, but doesn't justify the 20 dollar price tag. They do have made to order omlets that I am sure would have been more fresh.
(2)
David Z.
Excellent service and a very nice interior cannot make up for really sub par food. I had a crispy chicken salad that was nicely dressed with a bland house made ranch. The chicken seemed to have been a fried chicken breast that may have recently been frozen. A bit dry, but tasted ok. The real problem was the salad itself. Overwhelmingly composed of ice berg lettuce, I was happy to see a bunch of tomato! Too bad the tomato was completely flavorless. You can't sell a $15 salad with bad produce. My wife had the minced chicken lettuce wrap, which came with bamboo shoots and crispy rice noodles. It would have been good had it not been for the overly sweet sauce and dry chicken. The kids menu was a complete after thought. Kraft Mac n cheese with apple sauce from a can. Warmed up frozen mini corn dogs. No sauce, cheese or consideration. One bright spot was that the fruit cup seemed to be made of freshly cut fruit. It almost made up for the sour milk they brought my daughter. It sounds like I am making things up, right? The thing that saved the evening from being a complete disaster was the service. Really attentive waitress and the gentlemen who brought our food was very friendly too. I can't remember if either one asked how the food was. I'm not the kind of person to try to have them fix my poor experience. You get one chance to do it right.
(2)
Senie S.
I recently went here for Saturday night dinner with my family after my sister's graduation. I have heard of this place many times and my family has gone a few times as well. There are 2 locations in Columbus and this one is more secluded and easier to get to since it is not always busy in this area. They take reservations and also are great at making sure to get you at a table even if you are too early/ late. This would be a great place to have a dinner with a group as well and they have an area you can do that without bothering everyone else. Great date night place and the food is delicious! A littl pricey but nothing too bad and the quality is worth the price. The waitress we had was younger, in college or high school, so the service could have overall been a lot better for where we were. They appetizers are great for sharing and the portions are great as well. You will not leave hungry and you will be able to get something that will satisfy any cravings you have. The food here is weird and I am not sure what they categorize it at, but I have been to retaurants similar to this one before. They serve both italian and asian dishes. So whether youre in the mood for pizza, pasta, chinese food, or an asian cuisine that is tredning these days you will find it weird. As weird as this concept is I guess it works for the people who do not all want the same thiing at dinner. Would love to go back here again and sit on the patio that is on the second floor!
(4)
Tom H.
A terrific dish I would recommend to everyone. Medium rare tuna simply grilled with the avocado mash and the forbidden rice. Thanks to Jordan and the fact that they were out of the rice normally used, this combination came my way and was an absolute treat Highly recommend not only this restaurant, but also Jordan. He is knowledgeable and attentive, but not "over the top," providing the right amount of quality service with a great personality
(4)
Candace M.
On my own, I probably wouldn't have given J. Liu's a chance. For the price, I'd expect the restaurant to have more than 3 stars. Maybe that's my own bias, but it's true. Columbus has so many great restaurants, and I likely wouldn't have given this one the opportunity to disappoint me. Unfortunately, we came here for a work lunch one day. First, there were absolutely no parking spots available. We ended up parking pretty far away, because there weren't any J. Liu spots, nor were there any J. Liu overflow spots. We had a reservation for 12:30. Our waitress came and started getting us our drinks as we trickled in. Sadly, that was about as attentive as she was the whole meal. I ended up deciding on the chicken fried rice. I figured it was a good choice, simple, satisfying, hard to mess up. And it was ONLY $11 (geez) compared to something like gnocchi which was $15. It was about 1:10 by the time we got our food. And when we did, one of my co-workers' orders was wrong. She had ordered the roasted turkey sandwich, but they were apparently out, so she got the chicken sandwich. She was instead served a crab cakes sandwich. Everyone else's meal was correct. Even the meals that were correct, though, were on the whole pretty disappointing. My fried rice was bland. The chicken tasted of nothing. The rice was okay, but not flavorful at all. There was a weird smell/taste on the rice at the bottom of my dish, maybe it was burned? I would have much rather had Chinese takeout/delivery fried rice. And delivery fried rice would have saved me about $10 (with tip). There was a lot leftover because the portion was admittedly big, but I can't imagine myself revisiting it. A co-worker got the pad thai and it was nearly too hot to eat. Another had to add tons of soy sauce to her stir-fry to make it palatable. Another kept asking for splenda, while another had to keep trying to get a waitress' attention to get an extra plate. Sadly, I think I was right on the mark with my opinion of J. Liu's. The space is pretty and some of the things on the menu looked really good, but with the prices and the service, it's not worth another visit.
(2)
Edy D.
I've come for dinner here but rarely lunch. My work group went for lunch the other day and we were impressed right off the bat. We were greeted in the parking lot by the manager valeting our car for free. Our table was all ready in the packed place. The waitress was prompt and attentive. I was most impressed with the managers assisting with serving and the owner refilling water. The food was really fresh and tasty!
(5)
Edward E.
I am surprised by the negative reviews as my wife and I have been to J. Liu twice and enjoyed both the food and service. Last night I had the short ribs special- the meat was super tender and flavorful along with delicious mashed potatoes and green beans. Our server was terrific- very friendly and attentive- he clearly understands how to make his customers feel right at home. I very much like the diversity of options and find their prices very reasonable for the quality and portions.
(4)
Michelle H.
Mothers day brunch, I cant begin to describe our disappointment!! We had a party of 20 mostly adults some children and infants. We had a 2:30 reservation and were seated shortly after. We were seated upstairs which felt like it was 90 ++++ degrees up there. Someone brought us waters, shortly after we sat one glass spilled on our table (our fault)we had used several of our napkins to try and soak up the water as one of the waiters walked by i said we had a spill they said that's the best way to take care of it...never removed the soaking wet towels from our table or ever brought us dry napkins. The food.. when my mother-in law called to make reservations she asked if they were doing breakfast all day she was told yes...Not True! We apparently got there as they were attempting a switch over from breakfast foods to dinner foods which apparently takes some time as i think we were all done with our meals or lack there of before the chafing dishes were even all full if they ever were. They had filled one chafing dish with mala string beans i put some on my plate and as i was telling my mother in law to get some i hear them say this is the last tray take them out so we can take down stairs as there are more people down there... Really does it not matter for the diners upstairs? Several items that were listed on your website for the mothers day brunch were not even on your buffet or maybe they didnt make it out before we left at 4:30 .. such as green bean almondine and chicken bruchetta. Mashed potatoes were cold and underseasoned, shrimp and grits wasnt filled until we were done eating,smoked salmon and bagels nope, soggy crab ragoon, fried rice dont think that was ever filled while we were there. I took a few bites of the spicy chicken and the spice was so concentrated in one bite it was burning the back of my throat and i love hot spicy food but that was just horrible thank goodness the kids barely ate so luckly none of them got any of that! We spent over $500 for barely edible food and lousy service. We have all been frequent guest at J.Liu way back to the day it was jasons. Me doing brunch and many special occasions there with friends and family, my mother in law and her friends meet there once a month i could go on.. We have always highly recommended J.liu and after today that will be highly unlikely! Not to mention half the time people went to get food there were no plates and if their was they were dirty... i emailed the restaurant the same evening we were there and never received a response not even an email.
(1)
L P.
Just had the BEST seared tuna EVER! Spicy seared tuna over coconut rice with a crab & avocado ceviche and miso drizzle. It was perfection. Great service. Lovely outdoor dining patio. I try pricier restaurants like Alana's (worse service EVER), but go back to J Liu for the best food in town with wonderful service. If you like seared tuna, J Liu is the place for you.
(5)
Chris S.
My wife, daughter, and I went for dinner and had a good experience. Our server was very attentive overall fantastic. The food was very good. The manager came by multiple times and was very attentive to guests.
(5)
Zeeshan S.
I wanted to give them 3 stars, I really did. But when your waiter charges the wrong card to the wrong check, didn't check on your table from when the entree arrived to when he asked if we wanted boxes, and messes up your order, you get bumped down a star. The decor was nice, swanky fusion themed place. Pleasant lighting, cool seating, neat artwork. The food options were strange. It wasn't fusion in the sense of an Asian twist on American cuisine, it was simply some Asian dishes and some American dishes. Nothing special or extraordinary on the menu. We tried the crab cakes, just about as good as any standard crab cakes you've had before. Also tried the sesame chicken-not too bad for sesame chicken. Had the Mongolian beef, which was tasty. They skimped on the beef and went heavy on the onions, but this was a smaller complaint of the night. Overall the food was meh not bad, but it's probably not a restaurant I'll be seeking out to eat at again. I would go there again but it's not my first choice for "Asian" food.
(2)
Teri D.
Need to add more cheese to the blue cheese chips but happy hour martinis are $5. Went here for a big party and I think they were overwhelmed by our numbers. The food was just ok and some people really liked their food while others felt theirs was overcooked. The dining area is all dark wood and elegant as was the bar. Their menu was a bit eclectic to me as they had a bit of everything on the menu from meat and fish to Chinese. I'm not sure I'd go back for the dining room but wouldn't mind going back to the bar area for happy hour. Wouldn't get the blue cheese chips again but the little crab cakes and flatbread pizza were very good - and at happy hour pricing.
(3)
Christie M.
We went to eat here for the first time on Saturday around 11:45 AM. We were promptly seated in the bar area. Our server was the bartender and he was very slow in getting to us. There was only one other table in the bar area. Took him about 15 minutes to get our waters, then about another 15 minutes til he came back to take our order. We ordered the soft pretzel sticks as an appetizer and I ordered the Veggie Burger and my husband had Jason's Spicy Chicken. After about 25 minutes, the pretzels came out and they were so hard we could barely chew them. The server brought us out another order several minutes later and they were very good. My husband enjoyed his dinner (the sauce was delicious). My Veggie Burger had absolutely no taste and the bun was burnt. The burger was so thin, it just fell apart. We then had to wait what felt like forever to get our check. When we left there were only two other tables in the bar area. No excuse for the poor service since it was not busy. We were excited to try this place, but unfortunately, were very disappointed.
(1)
Shauna S.
Just went here for restaurant week and had a fabulous experience. I was mainly intrigued by the main entree of pan seared salmon with black forbidden rice with sauteed leeks and spinach and a pear ginger sauce, but the whole meal (including salad) was amazing. The atmosphere was relaxing and peaceful and the staff was very attentive and professional. I had an amazing time and would love to go back again!
(5)
George W.
J. Liu round 2: Ok, so a year had passed and decided to give J. Liu in Worthington another shot. I figured, what are the chances that I will have a similar experience? Well... I was mistaken. Let's first focus on the positives: We arrived there earlier in the evening and had found that parking wasn't an issue. In fact, I had ample space to move my large F250 through the parking lot and managed a nice parking spot. However; if it were a busy night, I can foresee myself parking in the grass or something because the parking lot design is still poor. We were immediately seated despite being a little early. Our table was clean and ready for us to begin our dining experience. Here is where the chapters turn. We happen to get the same exact waitress as last time! Still, I thought... what are the chances? She started by taking our drinks, I ordered the Spicy Apple Cider cocktail (very good by the way) and my date ordered a Sprite. During the process of ordering, the waitress interrupted to talk about how much water people were drinking today and began talking negatively about other patrons (about how much water they were drinking). She then left to go grab our drinks. As we waited, we looked around and noticed everyone around us had some delicious looking bread. We both were very hungry, so everything looked appetizing in our eyes. Knowing we were going to order an appetizer, we patiently waited for our waitress. As she returned, she sat our drinks down and began walking away without an acknowledgment. So we caught her before going too far and asked to order the calamari appetizer. About 10 minutes later,she comes back and takes our order. We started to order our food and she quickly stopped us to inform us that they were not offering a "couples dinner" due to the preparation involved. This was odd as we weren't interested in that, nor did we inquire. I ordered the Risotto and my date ordered the Tilapia with a side of beef tips. As she began to place her order, the waitress abruptly interrupted and told her to wait as she wrote it down. I found this very off putting because it wasn't that we just started ordering, the waitress had her pen and paper in hand. Shortly after our order was placed, the appetizer came out. The calamari had a delicious tempura batter served with a sweet jalapeno sauce. It had an excellent flavor and was an appropriate serving size. After we finished, we looked around the room again at the delicious bread that others had. still hungry, it looked better and better with each passing moment. During a span of 20-25 minutes, we interacted with our waitress one time. Finally, about 10 minutes before our food came out, she asked us if we would like any bread while we wait. For me, I think this was implied and didn't know why she would ask. It was indeed as delicious as it looked we went through it too fast (as there were only 4 portions). Our food did arrive fairly timely and it was pretty good. My Risotto was nicely prepared and the scallops were beautifully seared. I wasn't a fan of the raw tomatoes, but each their own. My date enjoyed her Tilapia. It was nicely breaded served with mashed red potatoes and broccoli. She did say that the beef tips were a tad on the bland side, but prepared nicely. Overall, my original review still stands pretty true. Now I will say, if we had different wait staff, our experience could have been better. In fact if I decide to go back and I do get the same waitress, I will ask to be seated in a different area. The food is pretty good, the ambience was nice but the service kills this location every time.
(2)
Christina C.
From an event standpint, J Liu's does it right. I attended a friend's baby shower here and was really impressed with the execution and attention we were provided with. The back room can be set up how you like, and although it isn't completely closed in, it still feel very private. They do minimal decorations, have a big screen TV, and can suggest a customizable menu just for your party. From what I understand all of this is included in a more than reasonable price. Our lunch choices included salmon salad, sweet/sour chicken (yep, J Liu's is an Asian fusion joint), and a BLT & avocado sandwich. But they saved the best for last. Dessert! The options were a decadent cheesecake or a rich, dark chocolate mousse. That mousse was intense, but in the most amazing, too-much-to-handle best possible way. And the presentation in a mini martini glass was just perfect! Our service was incredibly attentive yet not obtrusive. I don't think I ever had an empty glass. I was really impressed by how chic and contemporary the interior was, too. From the outside one might think the inside is a colonial theme or something, but once inside, whoa! It's really beautiful. The best part though was our server offered us a bottle of champagne to use as a prize for our baby shower games!
(4)
Anna N.
Delicious Pad Thai when adding shrimp, large portion but so good you just keep eating. The prices are reasonable. The service was ok, our waiter complained about being under staffed which was the cause of that. Overall nice experience and would go back!
(4)
Missi T.
Had a good experience here. Service was friendly and fast. I had the medallions which were very delicious. The potato cakes were very delicious and probably the best part. Also had apple crisp dessert. Would give 5 stars but my Dark & Stormy was not that great. Would go again!
(4)
David D.
I've been here several times for dinner and once for lunch. The atmosphere is great and the staff is always friendly. I've had several different dishes and most have been great. This time I tried the burger on a pretzel bun. The burger was so soggy I couldn't eat the bottom bun drenched in grease. Definitely go when drinks are on happy hour.
(4)
Samantha A.
We like J.Liu for lunch when we're not in a hurry, or happy hour for martinis and appetizers. That being said, the menu is a bit hit or miss, but the daily risotto is usually amazing. So is the calamari and the salmon salad. Try the wedding cake martini!
(4)
Joann M.
We have had our holiday party at J.liu 3 of the last 4 years. Everything was fine in the past, but after this year, we won't be back. Their former Banquet Manager, Todd, always took great care of us with lots of ideas. This year he told us the owner wanted to start covering the overhead of valets so we were charged a room fee. I was a little put off by this, but let it go. Why should we fund your lack of enough parking spaces, especially since the valets that we would be paying for could also be used by restaurant patrons? So we got turned over to a girl named Alexis. I also turned over the details to another committee member. Big mistake on my part had I known what was to come. Alexis was hard to reach, more of an order taker, no ideas or details. And get this no valet on the day of our event. This is where the disaster began. We have many older employees and some had to walk and fend for themselves from blocks away. We had a buffet. The food was dry and over cooked. The side orders were wrong, the type of salad was wrong. Todd always had our salad served individually by stressing this was a classy touch for a nice holiday party. This year not only was the salad wrong but we had to get it at the buffet. I also found the venue to be getting old and worn out looking - dirty elevator, wrinkled linens with spots on them, stained carpeting. The service staff were the only positive experience though they were clearly understaffed for us. We all look forward to a nice treat over the holidays. We'll be looking elsewhere next year.
(1)
Maria S.
My mom had been hyping this place to me for ages, and finally we had a family dinner here. The restaurant is massive, but there weren't a lot of people there when we arrived. It is a cool atmosphere, kind of dark, modern decor. When I asked the gaggle of hostesses where my family might be sitting, I got dead stares from all three, but I spotted my dad's bald head across the room and joined them. My sister had brought her 18-month-old son, which always makes for an "interesting" dining experience. I feel bad for the waitstaff when there is a young child involved because they make messes, whine, cry, etc. My nephew wasn't being really terrible or anything, but I always try to be exceptionally friendly to compensate. In return, our waitress seemed extremely hostile. I thought maybe I was imagining it, so I didn't say anything. A few minutes later, my husband whispered to me, "Why does the waitress keep glaring at us?" So that's a no to the service. I was at least expecting the food to be good, but that was also subpar. I didn't complain while in the restaurant because I didn't want to make waves during our family dinner (and my parents were paying). But blech. I ordered the risotto with scallops. The risotto was undercooked to the point of having a crunch to it (i.e. beyond "al dente"). And the scallops were rubbery. Honestly, I'm not usually one to complain about food, and I thought, again, the fault must be with me. So I got a second opinion from my husband and sister, who both agreed with me. So I'm pretty disappointed. I usually like to give places a second chance if I don't like the food, but I don't know if I would even bother with this place again. For a $20 meal, I was expecting a lot better.
(2)
Brittany G.
The ambiance is nice, our server was attentive, but the food was terrible. I had the pork tacos and the only flavor I could detect was cilantro and flour tortilla. I got onion rings as a side and they tasted like fried flour. My husband got the Jason's Spicy Chicken with brown rice. The brown rice came out hard like it had been sitting in a warmer for a whole day. The chicken had little flavor and definitely wasn't spicy. I'm not sure why they are always busy. We will not be returning.
(2)
Tonycia M.
I stopped in last Wednesday and was surprised that not only do they offer extended happy hour until 9 p.m. but Wednesdays are also retail wine night! After ordering a glass of my favorite Pinot Noir (meiomi) I decided to order the filet medallions. I was not disappointed, the meat was tender and the red wine demi glaze was just perfection. I would highly recommend stopping in especially on a Wednesday.
(4)
Michael T.
Had Sunday brunch today. Wait staff was good. Atmosphere is nice. Food is average at best. The brunch buffet for 2 adults and 2 children was $105 + tip. I expect much better food at this price. They had a mixture of traditional American style breakfast food and Americanized Chinese food. The breakfast food was about on par with any breakfast buffet. The Chinese food was below what I would expect from a local Chinese take out. I will not be back.
(2)
Robert H.
Back for another good lunch at J Liu. This time they had a Hawaiian coconut catfish salad. I have had several salads here, and they are always great. This one came with two big filets that were heavily breaded with coconut and baked. If there were such a thing as "fish candy" this would be it - very rich and sweet. The salad included avocado and pineapple, to add to the novelty. The pineapple was perfectly ripe, soft, and sweet. What a great salad. They have recently added a line of teas from Dublin's Tehku Tea Co. There were a half dozen loose leaf teas to choose from, and I tried one called "my apple pie", which had apples, cinnamon, and camomile. I needed some soothing that day. It had a nice appley taste at first, which turned into a play-doughey taste. I got a second opinion on it, and she confirmed play-dough. Very strange. Not bad, oddly enough, but definitely strange. The waiter was friendly and generally attentive. They were fairly busy that day, and he was a little scattered, but nothing major was missed. A nice lunch, overall.
(4)
Sean V.
Sat on the patio at a table for literally 20 minutes tonight without anyone saying a word to me. Even the table next to me couldn't believe it. So, after 20 minutes of being ignored, I walk over to the server, who was chatting with the OWNER of the restaurant at a nearby table. I explain the situation to her, how long I've been waiting without even a simple greet. She was very nice and apologetic, but the amazing part is the OWNER heard everything and didn't even come over to say a word. NOTHING. The food was very average. The portions seem smaller than they used to be. I used to live here and this restaurant used to be much better. It's overpriced for the quality of what you get. The owner obviously isn't interested in guest experience. Really poor experience tonight, although once the server had our attention she was very nice.
(1)
Andrew S.
I wanted to take my wife out for her birthday, and she had been saying for a long time that she wanted to try J Liu. We drive by all the time as we live in the area, and always thought the building looked beautiful. Well my friends, this is indeed the case your lovely short and plumb 1st grade teacher always tells you about, "Don't judge a book by it's cover." I was under the delusion that this place was in some way affiliated with J Gilbert's, which is right down the road. J Gilbert's is a phenomenal high-class experience, which is what I thought we were going to find in Liu's...Not so much. Under the guise of thinking I was going to a top of the line place, I called a week ahead to reserve a table. The second we walked through the door I realized that was a waste of my time and completely unnecessary. About 75% of the tables were empty at 6PM on a Friday. Even though all the nice tables near the walls were open, our reservation landed us smack dab in the middle table with four pull out chairs right next to two families with kids. Nothing against children, but I don't want my night out to be right next to four friggin kids. So we looked at each other and immediately asked to be moved to a booth away from the crowd. Once we were moved we got a chance to look at our coffee/pop/water stained paper menus. Then finally the delightful charm of a burned-out 50 year old angry woman waitress shows up. She would walk by every minute or two while we read our vintage menus to ask "You know what you want yet?" I explained we were in no hurry and wanted to order some appetizers first. We ordered some calamari and pot stickers to start. The calamari only spent about a month in the freezer before being thawed out to a rubbery shoelace texture. There were no tentacle pieces just the gold ol' fashioned rubber pellets. The pot-stickers actually may have just been purchased from TGI Friday's in Polaris. Nothing special, over cooked, bland sauce, just over-all meh pot-stickers. A couple minutes after these superb dishes arrived the "You know what you want"s started up again. My wife had been saying for the past few minutes that nothing on the menu looked appealing. I finally got her to order the "Chicken Milanese" and she added a crab cake side. I ordered the scallops. 10 minutes after our apps came the main dishes were rung-in, cooked, and at our table. Score! There's nothing I love more than not even being half way through my appetizer and having my main entree shoved onto the table. Literally, she moved the appetizer plates over with our entree plates. The chicken dish was essentially Chicken Parm and the crab cake was about 99 percent bread crumb. My scallops were under-cooked and runny. I choked down one of them while questioning if I should be eating a runny scallop. The comic relief was when the manager walked by and asked "How was everything", my wife paused for a few seconds and says "good". The manager goes "Ummmm I sensed some hesitation there, you sure?" We don't complain so of course she said yes, and he just walked right away without trying to see why we didn't seem to be enjoying our food (or time there at all). We got our bill for our nice big night out around 45 minutes after we arrived, I just love a nice leisurely meal. For 3 drinks, 2 apps, and 2 entrees at this over-priced Applebee's we spent about 120 bucks. To think of all the amazing places we could have gone to for that price brings a tear to my eye. We won't be going back there, ever. Fin.
(1)
Dan M.
Average food to below average taste. The restaurant needs some updating. Entrance carpeting is awful! Our bar maid was friendly. Nothing memorable. Would not recommend this restaurant.
(1)
Renee S.
(this review is from my friend) I have never been so upset about going to a restaurant in my life. My two friends and I went to brunch at the Worthington location. We had the rudest waitress who demanded our drink order before I even took off my jacket. She never offered to refill my glass, but kept interrupting our lunch wanting to know if we were finished yet. She took away my silverware before offering dessert. A busboy was sent to our table by the manager to see when we were going to be leaving. The restaurant had many empty tables and there was no reason for the rudeness of being asked to leave. When my friend mentioned to the host that we were upset, he dismissed our concerns and just said "thank you." I will never be returning nor will my friends, family, or any of the people who read my review on yelp.com or facebook.
(1)
Nijole T.
Ok ok, I didn't actually eat here, but I wanted to and wound up walking out (though I do see myself giving them another chance) I've looked at their menu online and noticed the prices are better at lunch for the same choices so we made it out here last weekend. I was disspointed to see they only have brunch and no waiters or chefs in the kitchen on the weekends until dinner (yuck, so the food is prepaired before they open at 11 and just left out till lunch is over) I am not a fan of buffet but we asked to look and at $20 per persn I was shocked! It looked disgusting, I mean like golden corral or ponderosa nasty, just with a way smaller selection! We got there shortly before 1pm and nost of the bowls were empty, smeared tableclothes undearneath, dirty serving spoons and what they offered also a crappy selection of what looked and smelled like hospital food. The only thing I could have seen myself eating was the dessert bar, but not for $20. I can only hope their regular food is better since the place is nice looking and has a promising menu.
(2)
Kate Q.
I just left this place without eating the Mother's Day brunch for which my husband made reservations. After waiting 25 minutes for our table, there was no high chair for my toddler (even though we requested one when the reservation was made). The hostess told me I just needed to wait longer. After 35 minutes, we left without eating. One of the valets asked us how out meal was and when we told them we didn't eat, they profusely apologized and told us that they had over 1600 people booked for Mother's Day. Clearly this place can't handle a big day. I find this restaurant disorganized and the majority of the staff to be rude. I used to be a regular customer, but I will NEVER come here again.
(1)
Leah M.
Great business lunch spot. Good food, excellent service while giving us privacy.
(4)
Anne A.
Great dirty martini. So-so food. The quality does not justify the price. I won't go back.
(2)
Kristen T.
Had planned in coming here for a very long time with my sister and could not have been more disappointed. I was very excited to see a french martini in the menu, usually one of my favorite drinks, but it wasn't fantastic. Our server offered to add more champagne, but that still didn't fix it and I sent it back (something I never ever do). My sister's diet pepsi was flat and the lime in it seemed rotten. Our appetizer of steamed mussels seemed to have grit in them and my sister noted the faint taste of ammonia. Not a place I will visit again!
(1)
J M.
Food was good, but service was unfriendly, unsmiling and nonexistent.
(3)
Stephanie D.
Went for a buisness lunch today. We were seated quickly and the staff was pleasant. The decor was fine...not sure what the others were complaining about. It was a bit odd tho a nice "fancy" place and they had the paper over the tables. Kinda made you feel like there should be a pail of peanuts to throw on the floor. I got to say tho we wrote all over that paper during our meeting. The food was great! Kinda nice to have an american restaurant where you can get great chinese food!!
(4)
Pat G.
Prententious is what comes to mind the minute I walked through the door. It's pricey for what you get. Lot's of standard fare. Bob Evans for the up and comers. Lot's of kids and families. Must be the chicken fingers. Not a place I plan to go back to.
(2)
Rob M.
Food was just OK (food was nothing special). would not bother to go back, to many other, and better, places to go in Columbus. Service was very good.
(2)
Grant P.
In and out for a quick lunch. They were prompt and genuinely attentive. The pumpkin soup was delicious and the salmon salad was really well done. The salmon was cooked a perfect medium-rare and tender.
(4)
Mark K.
Was not bad but not great either. I'm always concerned by restaurants who's menus range from meatloaf to pad thai to spaghetti. Just something a bit like multiple personalities. Maybe it's just my own touch of schizophrenia....who said that?! I was with a large group of 12, we had a reservation, service was great, food was good, overall we had a good time. Recommend if your party doesn't like surprises or like the usual fare. Which is not necessarily a bad thing!
(3)
S E.
J. Liu tries to appeal to a variety of tastes but our group found the Chinese food sub-par, the Italian food unimaginative, and the American cuisine only average. I was suspicious of the prior reviews concerning the service but unfortunately they were right - the service was bad. Whatever happened to good service when you go out to dinner?!? Seems like they didn't even care that we enjoyed ourselves at their restaurant. We may give J. Liu another try but probably not in the near future.
(1)
Anna F.
I've been here several times and the food always seemed just kind of okay, nothing special. The first time I went I got fish tacos. The fish was under seasoned and the sauce on the taco was runny and pouring onto the plate. The last time I went I got grilled cheese and fries for my son. It was good but the fries were frozen. Not fresh cut. That made me sad. The service was excellent though, very friendly. Things that could improve IMO would be less variety/ more specialty on the menu. I'd rather see fewer items, prepared perfectly. I don't think of any specific kind of food when I think of J. Liu. Items prepared fresh instead of frozen. Slightly more attention to quality of each dish. J Liu has a very nice atmosphere and the restaurant was quiet when I went. The seating seemed to be arranged in a manner that was conducive with quiet conversation and noise absorption. No intrusive music. Staff was well dressed and clean. The restaurant was also clean. I was happy with this aspect of the establishment. I may improve my rating after another visit. *edit* I visited for brunch and the waiter was friendly and attentive. The food was quite good and fresh. I don't think I'd recommend ordering off the menu but the brunch selection is worth a visit. As a result, I've decided to up my rating to 4 stars.
(4)
Tim T.
My wife and I went here for our 1 year wedding anniversary on 10-22-12 on the recommendation of a friend of mine. When we arrived, there was plenty of parking. When we walked in, we were greeted by a hostess. We told them it was our 1 year wedding anniversary. She seated us in a nice curved seating area, which was really nice! Our server, Rachel, was prompt and very attentive to us. My wife ordered the Apple Soy Flat Iron and a glass of wine. I ordered the Chicken Fried Rice and also a glass of wine. We each sampled each others meal and it was delicious!! As a bonus, the management gave us our dessert, apple crisp, for free since it was a special occasion. We had a wonderful time and great food here! We have since gone to the Dublin location, but found that one to be too small with not enough parking. We will be frequenting the Worthington location more!
(5)
KP K.
Great restaurant. Nice atmosphere. Friendly staff. The menu has a wide variety and is great quality for the price.
(4)
Kevin H.
For a place that has such a great atmosphere....The Dark trendy bar area , Modern decor and great location .... the food was just mediocre. This place is on the appetizers only list that I'm in the process of developing. The Calamari in Sweet Thai Chili sauce were great as were the Mussels in the wine sauce. I was feeling pretty good at this point. Taking in the scenery. Pleasant wait staff. Old Worthington Charm. All this was cut short by the Szechuwan Beef that was amatuer at best. For them to have a limited Asian selection at a place like this, you would have thought they'd be all home runs. This place served a foul tip at best. Im defintely going back, because the bar area has a feel like the old cooker on 161 / frantz road over in Dublin. One of those places where ...If you didnt know about it you never would. Just appetizers only
(2)
Mike C.
I ate here for New Years Eve dinner. It was a limited menu probably because of the special night however the food was absolutely disgusting. Before we get to the food let me talk about their Water. The water is very dirty and is in my oppinion undrinkable. The waiter went on to tell is about how it is Worthington water and that's just the way it is. I would definitely recommend the restaurant invest in a water purification system . It tasted like aquarium water . now om to dinner. I had the mongolian beef it was just plain gross. I paid $18 for a bunch of soggy onions and very little beef. The other people in my party were also very disappointed in the menu. You get sub par Chinese food at highend prices. Do yourself a favor and skip this restaurant and go to the Panda inn. Or head over to PF Chang because that is what I expect when I go to eat fancy Chinese.
(1)
Rob H.
My lovely wife and I went yesterday evening for our anniversary dinner. Unfortunately, as our meals were delivered, the food delivery guy upended a full glass of red wine all over me. Oops! Well, my attitude is that accidents happen to the best of us - what's important is how the establishment responds to them. The J. Lui's staff handled the situation well, falling all over themselves to apologize - from our server to the hostess to the manager. Dinner was comp'ed, as was my cleaning bill, and a gift card was thrown in for good measure. Thrills and spills aside, the food was excellent. We had a spring roll appetizer, Szechuan combo, scallops, chocolate creme dessert, and of course two glasses of red wine. The atmosphere was pleasant and the prices reasonable for what we ordered.
(4)
Rebecca J.
This was by far the worst dining experience I've had in Columbus, and that includes chain restaurants. My boyfriend, who is a chef at a prominent restaurant in Columbus, and I went to J. Liu for lunch today. The restaurant smelled like goat cheese, and the atmosphere was awkward. Before we ordered, we were tempted to leave. We should have listened to our gut. We started the meal off with the lettuce wraps. We were brought a half head of lettuce with brown spots throughout and a gashed spot that looked like the lettuce had been dropped. The server never checked on us and we sat there waiting for someone to attend to us. The manager walked by, and without saying anything, went to the kitchen, got us a new head of lettuce, and said, "This doesn't look right," without apologizing. That being said, the lettuce wraps were fine, on par with P.F. Chang's. For the main course, I ordered the pad thai aka plain tasting noodles. My boyfriend ordered the crab cake sandwich. He could not eat his sandwich, stating that the crab cake tasted like it was cooked on a dirty grill. He picked at his fries. Not once did anyone come to our table to check on us. We sat there for 15 min for our check, and when the waitress finally arrived, she asked my boyfriend if he wanted something else, 45 min after we got the food. Needless to say the crab cake sandwich was comped, and I was pissed off by the whole experience. The manager didn't even come over to talk to us after that. We will never go back here again. I advise saving your $15-$20 per entree on sub par Chinese/Italian food and going to Olive Garden and hitting the drive through of Panda Express for a better quality experience.
(1)
Mike D.
I returned a couple of weeks ago to confirm this was a good choice. Consider it confirmed. Continuing to my tour of Columbus spinach and artichoke dips, I tried theirs. It was very thick and creamy -- and very very spinachy. That can be good or bad depending on your taste. I had a lovely pasta dish that was delicious. Their bread and flavored oil is delicious. The ambiance was good. I'll be frequenting J. Liu again in the future.
(4)
Ann S.
2.5. We went for lunch and it was us and 2 other tables. The hostess and waitress were indifferent...she wouldn't even look us in the eye when we ordered. Okay. I have to laugh at people who call this place trendy. It looks like it's straight out of the late 80's/early 90's decor wise and I don't even think it's been around that long so not sure why they went with the dated decor. Oh and it smelled like your great grandma's house in there. We couldn't tell if it was the heavy drapes or in the wood or something but there was this smell that you only get in certain antique stores and it's not the good kind of old smell. I ordered the bistro steak and he got the crab cake sandwich with onion strings. The steak was WAY overcooked for medium well; it was burnt. Thankfully some good ol' A1 came to my rescue there. The asiago potato cakes and asparagus were some of the best things I've tasted in town in a while so somehow it slightly made up for the steak being so bad. (Emphasis on slightly) He wasn't impressed with his crab cake and neither was I. The onion rings (strings) were really good though. For now, this place's strengths are its sides. We wouldn't write them off completely but we're in no hurry to go back especially if they don't really care if we're there in the first place. I did hear the pther server being much nicer on the other side of the room and wished we could've moved.
(3)
Mrs. D.
We had a family dinner here recently. It was OK. Our server was having some issues. We might have been her first table...EVER. She was so nervous, I felt badly for her. She did make mistakes throughout the evening, but nothing terrible. I hoping she'll get the hang of it, because she seemed very sweet. The food was pretty good. My toddler son, who's a bit picky, ate bites of all of our food! The chicken breast and the risotto were his faves and we enjoyed them as well! Also, the complimentary valet parking is very helpful!
(3)
Tom S.
This was a disappointment. The menu looked promising, but performance was lacking. Food is either too rich or over seasoned. The calamari were chewy and swimming in a sauce that was disgustingly sweet. Lobster bisque was salty and fishy - should be neither. Pad Thai seemed to have the same over-sweetened sauce as the calamari. Service was marginal. Poorly trained and scarce. Owner and manager each stopped by table twice apparently for their benefit, not mine. The staff acted like they were swamped, when the place was only 2/3 full. I would not go back when there are so many other good choices in the area.
(2)
Walt S.
This review is a bit like skipping a stone. You know there's more beneath the surface but for the time being, take pleasure in what you see. J. Liu R&B in Worthington was nice. Don't let the exterior of brick & white columns throw you off. Inside the decor was, for me, an eclectic mix of Asia-meets-USA. Don't ask..... But its service and food that counts. The hostesses were cordial and eager to seat me and 5 others. Several options to choose from including a bar area, patio and dining room. After being seated the wait staff was prompt in taking/delivery pre-meal beverages. Soon after that orders got taking promptly. An appetizer was served that combined grilled scallops, portabella mushrooms on a bed of sauteed spinach and a dreamy drizzle. Very good! The menu was diverse with Asian, American and Italian. I enjoyed a crab cake salad (whole crab cake over a bed of mixed greens, strawberries, walnuts and fruity salad dressing). Again, my meal was delicious. My friend had the fried rice dinner and he enjoyed it. So while I'm giving J. Liu a 3-STAR rating... it's based on only one trip. One or two more and, hopefully, I'll be adding 1 or 2 more stars.
(3)
Mike M.
I gotta say, I really like this place. The menu is diverse, there are a lot of delicious healthy entree choices (no, that is not a dichotomy), and all of the food is consistently good. The staff are always friendly and the food gets there FAST. With reasonable prices, a patio in summer, risotto to die for, and great service, what's not to like? Really solid choice.
(5)
Lindsay B.
I love J. Liu in Dublin and have been wanting to try the one in Worthington for some time. I finally got my chance when we had our office Christmas party here this year. There were 13 of us and we had reservations in the bar area. I was concerned that we wouldn't have enough room but this place is huge! I really like the atmosphere too. I had the Pasta Diavolo and a diry martini. Both were very good. It seemed like everyone in our party enjoyed thier meals as well. We all had a good time. I hope to go back soon!
(5)
EJ B.
Quality everything. Decent happy hour and great waitstaff.
(5)
Jay R.
Delicious food. Overpriced.
(3)
Steve S.
The good: 1. The food - Jason's asian is excellent and has been in every restaurant he's owned and been chef. 2. Service - always attentive 3. Atmosphere - did a great job with decorating both bar and restaurant are stylish and comfortable. 4. Menu - Undoubtedly one of the greatest range of selections in town. 5. The drinks - good selection of drafts and wines both at reasonable prices. 6. Reservations - I won't wait. Having reliable seating is a major plus. For improvement: 1. The bread - the rolls are wonder bread. Send somebody to the north market or down the street to Chattelaine to get something respectable. 2. The side dishes - too much mashed potatos and unimaginative vegetables. This is not a school cafeteria. Put an asian twist on some of the sides. 3. Seating - Some of the tables and booths are stuck in a corner, behind a wall. Having the group area causes some individual tables to be bad locations.
(4)
Mona V.
Girl's Night Out at J. Liu! We had our most recent book club at J. Liu Restaurant in Worthington. It is located in what looks like an old bank building. Once you go inside, it sure doesn't look like a bank building! It is sleek and modern and the place was packed! Three moms hit the bar area in advance of dinner because they were taking advantage of their girls night out! When we saw the menu, it was eclectic with American, Asian, and Italian fare. I ordered Jason's spicy chicken (which wasn't that spicy) which was breaded chicken in a spicy sauce. I thought that it was okay. Valerie ordered the Mala Green Beans from the Asian menu and she thought it was spicy and delish! Amber and Bobbie Jo ordered the Risotto with vegetables and both of them thought it was good-Amber's only complaint was she though the risotto should "spread" on the plate and not stand up like mashed potatoes! Supriya ate the cioppino and enjoyed it with the spicy sauce! For dessert, I ordered the chocolate molten cake and others ordered the cheesecake. Everyone liked the desserts as well! The service from the staff was excellent and all of our food came out in a timely manner! This is a elegant place to celebrate a special occasion or an anniversary! SMAC Approved! Follow us on facebook and read other reviews at our website: smacolumbus.weebly.com
(3)
Kelly Y.
I came to J. Liu for my husband's birthday. There were 8 of us and I made a reservation to be able to have a table. They were very busy on a Friday night and our server had a little trouble keeping up. Had a really difficult time just getting a glass of wine. Once we ordered, everything was good. I had the Diver Sea Scallops, which tasted wonderful, and the flourless chocolate cake, again fabulous. By the end of our long dinner, however, my stomach had started to turn. By the time I got home, I was terribly ill for the rest of the night and into the morning. I called in the morning to let the restaurant know that the scallops were bad and the manager didn't really seem interested. He said "ok, thanks. I'll talk to the chef" and that was it. No real apology, no "is there anything I can do", nothing. I am so sad to lose this restaurant as a favorite place in Columbus, and am even more depressed that I may not be able to eat scallops ever again. Good luck if you're headed this way. I've loved it before, but you may be taking a chance.
(1)
Richard Y.
Family and I went here for Sunday brunch. Initially, we thought it was a fine dinning establishment because of the exterior decor and the owner is a personal family friend who has an equally fine dining experience as we do. However, we were in dismal because the quality of the buffet was not up to our par and the owner's. The omelettle was over cooked; scrambled eggs were mushy; and crab rangoon over dried. I do know that they have excellent food if you were to order them for lunch or dinner. J. Liu has the best. I was just unfortunate to try his brunch as my first experience. I don't mind eating at this restaurant again as long I'm ordering from a dinner menu.
(2)
Jennifer T.
My Husband and I really enjoy J. Liu and go there often. I agree that the kitchen is sometimes inconsistent. Usually my steak is cooked wonderfully and melts in my mouth, one one occasion I have had to send it back for being undercooked. The Lobster Bisque is really good (when done correctly). I have had great luck with the strawberry salad. The bread and dipping oil are also very good here.
(4)
Chris C.
Offers Gluten Free Menu... Overall good food! Nice new building as well!
(4)
R M.
the best calamari i've ever had in town, it's even better than barcelona! the only problems is the lunch special, braised short ribs in bbq, it was dry tasting and too much tendon for my liking. the service was slow during lunch and the decor is really nice.
(3)
Joann M.
We have had our holiday party at J.liu 3 of the last 4 years. Everything was fine in the past, but after this year, we won't be back. Their former Banquet Manager, Todd, always took great care of us with lots of ideas. This year he told us the owner wanted to start covering the overhead of valets so we were charged a room fee. I was a little put off by this, but let it go. Why should we fund your lack of enough parking spaces, especially since the valets that we would be paying for could also be used by restaurant patrons? So we got turned over to a girl named Alexis. I also turned over the details to another committee member. Big mistake on my part had I known what was to come. Alexis was hard to reach, more of an order taker, no ideas or details. And get this no valet on the day of our event. This is where the disaster began. We have many older employees and some had to walk and fend for themselves from blocks away. We had a buffet. The food was dry and over cooked. The side orders were wrong, the type of salad was wrong. Todd always had our salad served individually by stressing this was a classy touch for a nice holiday party. This year not only was the salad wrong but we had to get it at the buffet. I also found the venue to be getting old and worn out looking - dirty elevator, wrinkled linens with spots on them, stained carpeting. The service staff were the only positive experience though they were clearly understaffed for us. We all look forward to a nice treat over the holidays. We'll be looking elsewhere next year.
(1)
Dan M.
Average food to below average taste. The restaurant needs some updating. Entrance carpeting is awful! Our bar maid was friendly. Nothing memorable. Would not recommend this restaurant.
(1)
Renee S.
(this review is from my friend) I have never been so upset about going to a restaurant in my life. My two friends and I went to brunch at the Worthington location. We had the rudest waitress who demanded our drink order before I even took off my jacket. She never offered to refill my glass, but kept interrupting our lunch wanting to know if we were finished yet. She took away my silverware before offering dessert. A busboy was sent to our table by the manager to see when we were going to be leaving. The restaurant had many empty tables and there was no reason for the rudeness of being asked to leave. When my friend mentioned to the host that we were upset, he dismissed our concerns and just said "thank you." I will never be returning nor will my friends, family, or any of the people who read my review on yelp.com or facebook.
(1)
Tom H.
A terrific dish I would recommend to everyone. Medium rare tuna simply grilled with the avocado mash and the forbidden rice. Thanks to Jordan and the fact that they were out of the rice normally used, this combination came my way and was an absolute treat Highly recommend not only this restaurant, but also Jordan. He is knowledgeable and attentive, but not "over the top," providing the right amount of quality service with a great personality
(4)
J H.
Business dinner on a weekday night at 8 PM. We were the only table in the place. Service as you might expect was prompt and attentive. The kitchen however failed them. Lettuce wraps with almost no flavor and spring rolls that tasted like something from the freezer aisle at Kroger. Main course of Phad Thai, disappointing. Bland, not spicy, with overlooked rubbery noodles. At least now I know a good alternative restaurant to Bob Evans if my Grandmother is in town and needs bland boring food. This place is all promise and no delivery.
(2)
Karen W.
Came here last weekend for a cousin's wedding reception here. We didnt have any problems finding a parking spot close to the restaurant. We were greeted by the hostess when we walked in the door. We had hors d'oerves and drinks while we waited for the bridal party to show up. Very good!! We had the option of a plate with chicken or salmon. I chose the chicken plate for dinner that night. Given that the reception was in the ballroom upstairs, there was plenty of room for at least 200 guests to talk, drink and socialize with one another. The staff was very friendly and helpful. We will definitely go back again!!
(4)
Chris S.
My wife, daughter, and I went for dinner and had a good experience. Our server was very attentive overall fantastic. The food was very good. The manager came by multiple times and was very attentive to guests.
(5)
Food L.
We had the lettuce wraps to start. The portion was huge, they definitely don't skimp on the amount they give you for that starter. I had the mussels and Fries app as a meal and my husband had the chop house burger. The mussels were prepared very well. The lemon sauce was so delicious. The burger was also unbelievably good. The flavor was spot on and the pretzel bun , beef brisket, were served perfect we would go back just for that!
(3)
Mark T.
Is this a joke? The food quality is that of maybe a TGI Fri, but with cost of a high end Chicago eatery (I am in from Chicago for week). Really, really hard to believe this is considered a high end restaurant.
(2)
Senie S.
I recently went here for Saturday night dinner with my family after my sister's graduation. I have heard of this place many times and my family has gone a few times as well. There are 2 locations in Columbus and this one is more secluded and easier to get to since it is not always busy in this area. They take reservations and also are great at making sure to get you at a table even if you are too early/ late. This would be a great place to have a dinner with a group as well and they have an area you can do that without bothering everyone else. Great date night place and the food is delicious! A littl pricey but nothing too bad and the quality is worth the price. The waitress we had was younger, in college or high school, so the service could have overall been a lot better for where we were. They appetizers are great for sharing and the portions are great as well. You will not leave hungry and you will be able to get something that will satisfy any cravings you have. The food here is weird and I am not sure what they categorize it at, but I have been to retaurants similar to this one before. They serve both italian and asian dishes. So whether youre in the mood for pizza, pasta, chinese food, or an asian cuisine that is tredning these days you will find it weird. As weird as this concept is I guess it works for the people who do not all want the same thiing at dinner. Would love to go back here again and sit on the patio that is on the second floor!
(4)
David C.
This is not exactly the kind of exterior that screams, "Restaurant" when you're driving past. It actually looks more like the bank buildings of its neighbors. Food is decent. Beer options were pretty good. Pricing... eh... a little high for the quality. The dining area was very cold and several in our party were cold to the point of being uncomfortable. Granted, it was very cold outside but they may want to consider doing something to make the indoor environment more comfortable for their guests. Nothing major that was bad here. Nothing major that was special to entice me to come back, either.
(3)
George W.
J. Liu round 2: Ok, so a year had passed and decided to give J. Liu in Worthington another shot. I figured, what are the chances that I will have a similar experience? Well... I was mistaken. Let's first focus on the positives: We arrived there earlier in the evening and had found that parking wasn't an issue. In fact, I had ample space to move my large F250 through the parking lot and managed a nice parking spot. However; if it were a busy night, I can foresee myself parking in the grass or something because the parking lot design is still poor. We were immediately seated despite being a little early. Our table was clean and ready for us to begin our dining experience. Here is where the chapters turn. We happen to get the same exact waitress as last time! Still, I thought... what are the chances? She started by taking our drinks, I ordered the Spicy Apple Cider cocktail (very good by the way) and my date ordered a Sprite. During the process of ordering, the waitress interrupted to talk about how much water people were drinking today and began talking negatively about other patrons (about how much water they were drinking). She then left to go grab our drinks. As we waited, we looked around and noticed everyone around us had some delicious looking bread. We both were very hungry, so everything looked appetizing in our eyes. Knowing we were going to order an appetizer, we patiently waited for our waitress. As she returned, she sat our drinks down and began walking away without an acknowledgment. So we caught her before going too far and asked to order the calamari appetizer. About 10 minutes later,she comes back and takes our order. We started to order our food and she quickly stopped us to inform us that they were not offering a "couples dinner" due to the preparation involved. This was odd as we weren't interested in that, nor did we inquire. I ordered the Risotto and my date ordered the Tilapia with a side of beef tips. As she began to place her order, the waitress abruptly interrupted and told her to wait as she wrote it down. I found this very off putting because it wasn't that we just started ordering, the waitress had her pen and paper in hand. Shortly after our order was placed, the appetizer came out. The calamari had a delicious tempura batter served with a sweet jalapeno sauce. It had an excellent flavor and was an appropriate serving size. After we finished, we looked around the room again at the delicious bread that others had. still hungry, it looked better and better with each passing moment. During a span of 20-25 minutes, we interacted with our waitress one time. Finally, about 10 minutes before our food came out, she asked us if we would like any bread while we wait. For me, I think this was implied and didn't know why she would ask. It was indeed as delicious as it looked we went through it too fast (as there were only 4 portions). Our food did arrive fairly timely and it was pretty good. My Risotto was nicely prepared and the scallops were beautifully seared. I wasn't a fan of the raw tomatoes, but each their own. My date enjoyed her Tilapia. It was nicely breaded served with mashed red potatoes and broccoli. She did say that the beef tips were a tad on the bland side, but prepared nicely. Overall, my original review still stands pretty true. Now I will say, if we had different wait staff, our experience could have been better. In fact if I decide to go back and I do get the same waitress, I will ask to be seated in a different area. The food is pretty good, the ambience was nice but the service kills this location every time.
(2)
L P.
Just had the BEST seared tuna EVER! Spicy seared tuna over coconut rice with a crab & avocado ceviche and miso drizzle. It was perfection. Great service. Lovely outdoor dining patio. I try pricier restaurants like Alana's (worse service EVER), but go back to J Liu for the best food in town with wonderful service. If you like seared tuna, J Liu is the place for you.
(5)
Clay J.
Great Sunday brunch with eggs Benedict, prime rib, fresh salads and more. $19.95 which does include beverage. No military discount but my server was kind enough to provide complimentary coffee in lieu of discount. I would come back. Also had quiet love jazz so atmosphere is perfect.
(3)
Heather N.
This is a review of weekend brunch. I will start by say service was great. We arrived right at opening and was seated immediately. We were promptly greeted by the server who explained the brunch options and took our drink order. I will say my water glass was never empty. Finished plates were also cleared promptly. Where this place lost stars was the sub par food. Many of the items you could tell were pre-made and frozen, including I think the whole dessert section. Carved meat station was nice, but doesn't justify the 20 dollar price tag. They do have made to order omlets that I am sure would have been more fresh.
(2)
David Z.
Excellent service and a very nice interior cannot make up for really sub par food. I had a crispy chicken salad that was nicely dressed with a bland house made ranch. The chicken seemed to have been a fried chicken breast that may have recently been frozen. A bit dry, but tasted ok. The real problem was the salad itself. Overwhelmingly composed of ice berg lettuce, I was happy to see a bunch of tomato! Too bad the tomato was completely flavorless. You can't sell a $15 salad with bad produce. My wife had the minced chicken lettuce wrap, which came with bamboo shoots and crispy rice noodles. It would have been good had it not been for the overly sweet sauce and dry chicken. The kids menu was a complete after thought. Kraft Mac n cheese with apple sauce from a can. Warmed up frozen mini corn dogs. No sauce, cheese or consideration. One bright spot was that the fruit cup seemed to be made of freshly cut fruit. It almost made up for the sour milk they brought my daughter. It sounds like I am making things up, right? The thing that saved the evening from being a complete disaster was the service. Really attentive waitress and the gentlemen who brought our food was very friendly too. I can't remember if either one asked how the food was. I'm not the kind of person to try to have them fix my poor experience. You get one chance to do it right.
(2)
Candace M.
On my own, I probably wouldn't have given J. Liu's a chance. For the price, I'd expect the restaurant to have more than 3 stars. Maybe that's my own bias, but it's true. Columbus has so many great restaurants, and I likely wouldn't have given this one the opportunity to disappoint me. Unfortunately, we came here for a work lunch one day. First, there were absolutely no parking spots available. We ended up parking pretty far away, because there weren't any J. Liu spots, nor were there any J. Liu overflow spots. We had a reservation for 12:30. Our waitress came and started getting us our drinks as we trickled in. Sadly, that was about as attentive as she was the whole meal. I ended up deciding on the chicken fried rice. I figured it was a good choice, simple, satisfying, hard to mess up. And it was ONLY $11 (geez) compared to something like gnocchi which was $15. It was about 1:10 by the time we got our food. And when we did, one of my co-workers' orders was wrong. She had ordered the roasted turkey sandwich, but they were apparently out, so she got the chicken sandwich. She was instead served a crab cakes sandwich. Everyone else's meal was correct. Even the meals that were correct, though, were on the whole pretty disappointing. My fried rice was bland. The chicken tasted of nothing. The rice was okay, but not flavorful at all. There was a weird smell/taste on the rice at the bottom of my dish, maybe it was burned? I would have much rather had Chinese takeout/delivery fried rice. And delivery fried rice would have saved me about $10 (with tip). There was a lot leftover because the portion was admittedly big, but I can't imagine myself revisiting it. A co-worker got the pad thai and it was nearly too hot to eat. Another had to add tons of soy sauce to her stir-fry to make it palatable. Another kept asking for splenda, while another had to keep trying to get a waitress' attention to get an extra plate. Sadly, I think I was right on the mark with my opinion of J. Liu's. The space is pretty and some of the things on the menu looked really good, but with the prices and the service, it's not worth another visit.
(2)
Edy D.
I've come for dinner here but rarely lunch. My work group went for lunch the other day and we were impressed right off the bat. We were greeted in the parking lot by the manager valeting our car for free. Our table was all ready in the packed place. The waitress was prompt and attentive. I was most impressed with the managers assisting with serving and the owner refilling water. The food was really fresh and tasty!
(5)
Edward E.
I am surprised by the negative reviews as my wife and I have been to J. Liu twice and enjoyed both the food and service. Last night I had the short ribs special- the meat was super tender and flavorful along with delicious mashed potatoes and green beans. Our server was terrific- very friendly and attentive- he clearly understands how to make his customers feel right at home. I very much like the diversity of options and find their prices very reasonable for the quality and portions.
(4)
Andrea W.
Reserved a table for brunch to celebrate a birthday. The food was delicious and the service was impeccable! The only disappointment was two members in our party had onions in their omelet -- they didn't request onions. Other than that, we had a good dining experience.
(5)
Andrew S.
I wanted to take my wife out for her birthday, and she had been saying for a long time that she wanted to try J Liu. We drive by all the time as we live in the area, and always thought the building looked beautiful. Well my friends, this is indeed the case your lovely short and plumb 1st grade teacher always tells you about, "Don't judge a book by it's cover." I was under the delusion that this place was in some way affiliated with J Gilbert's, which is right down the road. J Gilbert's is a phenomenal high-class experience, which is what I thought we were going to find in Liu's...Not so much. Under the guise of thinking I was going to a top of the line place, I called a week ahead to reserve a table. The second we walked through the door I realized that was a waste of my time and completely unnecessary. About 75% of the tables were empty at 6PM on a Friday. Even though all the nice tables near the walls were open, our reservation landed us smack dab in the middle table with four pull out chairs right next to two families with kids. Nothing against children, but I don't want my night out to be right next to four friggin kids. So we looked at each other and immediately asked to be moved to a booth away from the crowd. Once we were moved we got a chance to look at our coffee/pop/water stained paper menus. Then finally the delightful charm of a burned-out 50 year old angry woman waitress shows up. She would walk by every minute or two while we read our vintage menus to ask "You know what you want yet?" I explained we were in no hurry and wanted to order some appetizers first. We ordered some calamari and pot stickers to start. The calamari only spent about a month in the freezer before being thawed out to a rubbery shoelace texture. There were no tentacle pieces just the gold ol' fashioned rubber pellets. The pot-stickers actually may have just been purchased from TGI Friday's in Polaris. Nothing special, over cooked, bland sauce, just over-all meh pot-stickers. A couple minutes after these superb dishes arrived the "You know what you want"s started up again. My wife had been saying for the past few minutes that nothing on the menu looked appealing. I finally got her to order the "Chicken Milanese" and she added a crab cake side. I ordered the scallops. 10 minutes after our apps came the main dishes were rung-in, cooked, and at our table. Score! There's nothing I love more than not even being half way through my appetizer and having my main entree shoved onto the table. Literally, she moved the appetizer plates over with our entree plates. The chicken dish was essentially Chicken Parm and the crab cake was about 99 percent bread crumb. My scallops were under-cooked and runny. I choked down one of them while questioning if I should be eating a runny scallop. The comic relief was when the manager walked by and asked "How was everything", my wife paused for a few seconds and says "good". The manager goes "Ummmm I sensed some hesitation there, you sure?" We don't complain so of course she said yes, and he just walked right away without trying to see why we didn't seem to be enjoying our food (or time there at all). We got our bill for our nice big night out around 45 minutes after we arrived, I just love a nice leisurely meal. For 3 drinks, 2 apps, and 2 entrees at this over-priced Applebee's we spent about 120 bucks. To think of all the amazing places we could have gone to for that price brings a tear to my eye. We won't be going back there, ever. Fin.
(1)
Brittany G.
The ambiance is nice, our server was attentive, but the food was terrible. I had the pork tacos and the only flavor I could detect was cilantro and flour tortilla. I got onion rings as a side and they tasted like fried flour. My husband got the Jason's Spicy Chicken with brown rice. The brown rice came out hard like it had been sitting in a warmer for a whole day. The chicken had little flavor and definitely wasn't spicy. I'm not sure why they are always busy. We will not be returning.
(2)
Tonycia M.
I stopped in last Wednesday and was surprised that not only do they offer extended happy hour until 9 p.m. but Wednesdays are also retail wine night! After ordering a glass of my favorite Pinot Noir (meiomi) I decided to order the filet medallions. I was not disappointed, the meat was tender and the red wine demi glaze was just perfection. I would highly recommend stopping in especially on a Wednesday.
(4)
Maria S.
My mom had been hyping this place to me for ages, and finally we had a family dinner here. The restaurant is massive, but there weren't a lot of people there when we arrived. It is a cool atmosphere, kind of dark, modern decor. When I asked the gaggle of hostesses where my family might be sitting, I got dead stares from all three, but I spotted my dad's bald head across the room and joined them. My sister had brought her 18-month-old son, which always makes for an "interesting" dining experience. I feel bad for the waitstaff when there is a young child involved because they make messes, whine, cry, etc. My nephew wasn't being really terrible or anything, but I always try to be exceptionally friendly to compensate. In return, our waitress seemed extremely hostile. I thought maybe I was imagining it, so I didn't say anything. A few minutes later, my husband whispered to me, "Why does the waitress keep glaring at us?" So that's a no to the service. I was at least expecting the food to be good, but that was also subpar. I didn't complain while in the restaurant because I didn't want to make waves during our family dinner (and my parents were paying). But blech. I ordered the risotto with scallops. The risotto was undercooked to the point of having a crunch to it (i.e. beyond "al dente"). And the scallops were rubbery. Honestly, I'm not usually one to complain about food, and I thought, again, the fault must be with me. So I got a second opinion from my husband and sister, who both agreed with me. So I'm pretty disappointed. I usually like to give places a second chance if I don't like the food, but I don't know if I would even bother with this place again. For a $20 meal, I was expecting a lot better.
(2)
Michael T.
Had Sunday brunch today. Wait staff was good. Atmosphere is nice. Food is average at best. The brunch buffet for 2 adults and 2 children was $105 + tip. I expect much better food at this price. They had a mixture of traditional American style breakfast food and Americanized Chinese food. The breakfast food was about on par with any breakfast buffet. The Chinese food was below what I would expect from a local Chinese take out. I will not be back.
(2)
Robert H.
Back for another good lunch at J Liu. This time they had a Hawaiian coconut catfish salad. I have had several salads here, and they are always great. This one came with two big filets that were heavily breaded with coconut and baked. If there were such a thing as "fish candy" this would be it - very rich and sweet. The salad included avocado and pineapple, to add to the novelty. The pineapple was perfectly ripe, soft, and sweet. What a great salad. They have recently added a line of teas from Dublin's Tehku Tea Co. There were a half dozen loose leaf teas to choose from, and I tried one called "my apple pie", which had apples, cinnamon, and camomile. I needed some soothing that day. It had a nice appley taste at first, which turned into a play-doughey taste. I got a second opinion on it, and she confirmed play-dough. Very strange. Not bad, oddly enough, but definitely strange. The waiter was friendly and generally attentive. They were fairly busy that day, and he was a little scattered, but nothing major was missed. A nice lunch, overall.
(4)
Sean V.
Sat on the patio at a table for literally 20 minutes tonight without anyone saying a word to me. Even the table next to me couldn't believe it. So, after 20 minutes of being ignored, I walk over to the server, who was chatting with the OWNER of the restaurant at a nearby table. I explain the situation to her, how long I've been waiting without even a simple greet. She was very nice and apologetic, but the amazing part is the OWNER heard everything and didn't even come over to say a word. NOTHING. The food was very average. The portions seem smaller than they used to be. I used to live here and this restaurant used to be much better. It's overpriced for the quality of what you get. The owner obviously isn't interested in guest experience. Really poor experience tonight, although once the server had our attention she was very nice.
(1)
Michelle H.
Mothers day brunch, I cant begin to describe our disappointment!! We had a party of 20 mostly adults some children and infants. We had a 2:30 reservation and were seated shortly after. We were seated upstairs which felt like it was 90 ++++ degrees up there. Someone brought us waters, shortly after we sat one glass spilled on our table (our fault)we had used several of our napkins to try and soak up the water as one of the waiters walked by i said we had a spill they said that's the best way to take care of it...never removed the soaking wet towels from our table or ever brought us dry napkins. The food.. when my mother-in law called to make reservations she asked if they were doing breakfast all day she was told yes...Not True! We apparently got there as they were attempting a switch over from breakfast foods to dinner foods which apparently takes some time as i think we were all done with our meals or lack there of before the chafing dishes were even all full if they ever were. They had filled one chafing dish with mala string beans i put some on my plate and as i was telling my mother in law to get some i hear them say this is the last tray take them out so we can take down stairs as there are more people down there... Really does it not matter for the diners upstairs? Several items that were listed on your website for the mothers day brunch were not even on your buffet or maybe they didnt make it out before we left at 4:30 .. such as green bean almondine and chicken bruchetta. Mashed potatoes were cold and underseasoned, shrimp and grits wasnt filled until we were done eating,smoked salmon and bagels nope, soggy crab ragoon, fried rice dont think that was ever filled while we were there. I took a few bites of the spicy chicken and the spice was so concentrated in one bite it was burning the back of my throat and i love hot spicy food but that was just horrible thank goodness the kids barely ate so luckly none of them got any of that! We spent over $500 for barely edible food and lousy service. We have all been frequent guest at J.Liu way back to the day it was jasons. Me doing brunch and many special occasions there with friends and family, my mother in law and her friends meet there once a month i could go on.. We have always highly recommended J.liu and after today that will be highly unlikely! Not to mention half the time people went to get food there were no plates and if their was they were dirty... i emailed the restaurant the same evening we were there and never received a response not even an email.
(1)
Zeeshan S.
I wanted to give them 3 stars, I really did. But when your waiter charges the wrong card to the wrong check, didn't check on your table from when the entree arrived to when he asked if we wanted boxes, and messes up your order, you get bumped down a star. The decor was nice, swanky fusion themed place. Pleasant lighting, cool seating, neat artwork. The food options were strange. It wasn't fusion in the sense of an Asian twist on American cuisine, it was simply some Asian dishes and some American dishes. Nothing special or extraordinary on the menu. We tried the crab cakes, just about as good as any standard crab cakes you've had before. Also tried the sesame chicken-not too bad for sesame chicken. Had the Mongolian beef, which was tasty. They skimped on the beef and went heavy on the onions, but this was a smaller complaint of the night. Overall the food was meh not bad, but it's probably not a restaurant I'll be seeking out to eat at again. I would go there again but it's not my first choice for "Asian" food.
(2)
Kate Q.
I just left this place without eating the Mother's Day brunch for which my husband made reservations. After waiting 25 minutes for our table, there was no high chair for my toddler (even though we requested one when the reservation was made). The hostess told me I just needed to wait longer. After 35 minutes, we left without eating. One of the valets asked us how out meal was and when we told them we didn't eat, they profusely apologized and told us that they had over 1600 people booked for Mother's Day. Clearly this place can't handle a big day. I find this restaurant disorganized and the majority of the staff to be rude. I used to be a regular customer, but I will NEVER come here again.
(1)
Leah M.
Great business lunch spot. Good food, excellent service while giving us privacy.
(4)
Teri D.
Need to add more cheese to the blue cheese chips but happy hour martinis are $5. Went here for a big party and I think they were overwhelmed by our numbers. The food was just ok and some people really liked their food while others felt theirs was overcooked. The dining area is all dark wood and elegant as was the bar. Their menu was a bit eclectic to me as they had a bit of everything on the menu from meat and fish to Chinese. I'm not sure I'd go back for the dining room but wouldn't mind going back to the bar area for happy hour. Wouldn't get the blue cheese chips again but the little crab cakes and flatbread pizza were very good - and at happy hour pricing.
(3)
Christie M.
We went to eat here for the first time on Saturday around 11:45 AM. We were promptly seated in the bar area. Our server was the bartender and he was very slow in getting to us. There was only one other table in the bar area. Took him about 15 minutes to get our waters, then about another 15 minutes til he came back to take our order. We ordered the soft pretzel sticks as an appetizer and I ordered the Veggie Burger and my husband had Jason's Spicy Chicken. After about 25 minutes, the pretzels came out and they were so hard we could barely chew them. The server brought us out another order several minutes later and they were very good. My husband enjoyed his dinner (the sauce was delicious). My Veggie Burger had absolutely no taste and the bun was burnt. The burger was so thin, it just fell apart. We then had to wait what felt like forever to get our check. When we left there were only two other tables in the bar area. No excuse for the poor service since it was not busy. We were excited to try this place, but unfortunately, were very disappointed.
(1)
Nijole T.
Ok ok, I didn't actually eat here, but I wanted to and wound up walking out (though I do see myself giving them another chance) I've looked at their menu online and noticed the prices are better at lunch for the same choices so we made it out here last weekend. I was disspointed to see they only have brunch and no waiters or chefs in the kitchen on the weekends until dinner (yuck, so the food is prepaired before they open at 11 and just left out till lunch is over) I am not a fan of buffet but we asked to look and at $20 per persn I was shocked! It looked disgusting, I mean like golden corral or ponderosa nasty, just with a way smaller selection! We got there shortly before 1pm and nost of the bowls were empty, smeared tableclothes undearneath, dirty serving spoons and what they offered also a crappy selection of what looked and smelled like hospital food. The only thing I could have seen myself eating was the dessert bar, but not for $20. I can only hope their regular food is better since the place is nice looking and has a promising menu.
(2)
Shauna S.
Just went here for restaurant week and had a fabulous experience. I was mainly intrigued by the main entree of pan seared salmon with black forbidden rice with sauteed leeks and spinach and a pear ginger sauce, but the whole meal (including salad) was amazing. The atmosphere was relaxing and peaceful and the staff was very attentive and professional. I had an amazing time and would love to go back again!
(5)
Christina C.
From an event standpint, J Liu's does it right. I attended a friend's baby shower here and was really impressed with the execution and attention we were provided with. The back room can be set up how you like, and although it isn't completely closed in, it still feel very private. They do minimal decorations, have a big screen TV, and can suggest a customizable menu just for your party. From what I understand all of this is included in a more than reasonable price. Our lunch choices included salmon salad, sweet/sour chicken (yep, J Liu's is an Asian fusion joint), and a BLT & avocado sandwich. But they saved the best for last. Dessert! The options were a decadent cheesecake or a rich, dark chocolate mousse. That mousse was intense, but in the most amazing, too-much-to-handle best possible way. And the presentation in a mini martini glass was just perfect! Our service was incredibly attentive yet not obtrusive. I don't think I ever had an empty glass. I was really impressed by how chic and contemporary the interior was, too. From the outside one might think the inside is a colonial theme or something, but once inside, whoa! It's really beautiful. The best part though was our server offered us a bottle of champagne to use as a prize for our baby shower games!
(4)
Anna N.
Delicious Pad Thai when adding shrimp, large portion but so good you just keep eating. The prices are reasonable. The service was ok, our waiter complained about being under staffed which was the cause of that. Overall nice experience and would go back!
(4)
Missi T.
Had a good experience here. Service was friendly and fast. I had the medallions which were very delicious. The potato cakes were very delicious and probably the best part. Also had apple crisp dessert. Would give 5 stars but my Dark & Stormy was not that great. Would go again!
(4)
David D.
I've been here several times for dinner and once for lunch. The atmosphere is great and the staff is always friendly. I've had several different dishes and most have been great. This time I tried the burger on a pretzel bun. The burger was so soggy I couldn't eat the bottom bun drenched in grease. Definitely go when drinks are on happy hour.
(4)
Samantha A.
We like J.Liu for lunch when we're not in a hurry, or happy hour for martinis and appetizers. That being said, the menu is a bit hit or miss, but the daily risotto is usually amazing. So is the calamari and the salmon salad. Try the wedding cake martini!
(4)
Anna F.
I've been here several times and the food always seemed just kind of okay, nothing special. The first time I went I got fish tacos. The fish was under seasoned and the sauce on the taco was runny and pouring onto the plate. The last time I went I got grilled cheese and fries for my son. It was good but the fries were frozen. Not fresh cut. That made me sad. The service was excellent though, very friendly. Things that could improve IMO would be less variety/ more specialty on the menu. I'd rather see fewer items, prepared perfectly. I don't think of any specific kind of food when I think of J. Liu. Items prepared fresh instead of frozen. Slightly more attention to quality of each dish. J Liu has a very nice atmosphere and the restaurant was quiet when I went. The seating seemed to be arranged in a manner that was conducive with quiet conversation and noise absorption. No intrusive music. Staff was well dressed and clean. The restaurant was also clean. I was happy with this aspect of the establishment. I may improve my rating after another visit. *edit* I visited for brunch and the waiter was friendly and attentive. The food was quite good and fresh. I don't think I'd recommend ordering off the menu but the brunch selection is worth a visit. As a result, I've decided to up my rating to 4 stars.
(4)
Tim T.
My wife and I went here for our 1 year wedding anniversary on 10-22-12 on the recommendation of a friend of mine. When we arrived, there was plenty of parking. When we walked in, we were greeted by a hostess. We told them it was our 1 year wedding anniversary. She seated us in a nice curved seating area, which was really nice! Our server, Rachel, was prompt and very attentive to us. My wife ordered the Apple Soy Flat Iron and a glass of wine. I ordered the Chicken Fried Rice and also a glass of wine. We each sampled each others meal and it was delicious!! As a bonus, the management gave us our dessert, apple crisp, for free since it was a special occasion. We had a wonderful time and great food here! We have since gone to the Dublin location, but found that one to be too small with not enough parking. We will be frequenting the Worthington location more!
(5)
KP K.
Great restaurant. Nice atmosphere. Friendly staff. The menu has a wide variety and is great quality for the price.
(4)
Kevin H.
For a place that has such a great atmosphere....The Dark trendy bar area , Modern decor and great location .... the food was just mediocre. This place is on the appetizers only list that I'm in the process of developing. The Calamari in Sweet Thai Chili sauce were great as were the Mussels in the wine sauce. I was feeling pretty good at this point. Taking in the scenery. Pleasant wait staff. Old Worthington Charm. All this was cut short by the Szechuwan Beef that was amatuer at best. For them to have a limited Asian selection at a place like this, you would have thought they'd be all home runs. This place served a foul tip at best. Im defintely going back, because the bar area has a feel like the old cooker on 161 / frantz road over in Dublin. One of those places where ...If you didnt know about it you never would. Just appetizers only
(2)
S E.
J. Liu tries to appeal to a variety of tastes but our group found the Chinese food sub-par, the Italian food unimaginative, and the American cuisine only average. I was suspicious of the prior reviews concerning the service but unfortunately they were right - the service was bad. Whatever happened to good service when you go out to dinner?!? Seems like they didn't even care that we enjoyed ourselves at their restaurant. We may give J. Liu another try but probably not in the near future.
(1)
Mike C.
I ate here for New Years Eve dinner. It was a limited menu probably because of the special night however the food was absolutely disgusting. Before we get to the food let me talk about their Water. The water is very dirty and is in my oppinion undrinkable. The waiter went on to tell is about how it is Worthington water and that's just the way it is. I would definitely recommend the restaurant invest in a water purification system . It tasted like aquarium water . now om to dinner. I had the mongolian beef it was just plain gross. I paid $18 for a bunch of soggy onions and very little beef. The other people in my party were also very disappointed in the menu. You get sub par Chinese food at highend prices. Do yourself a favor and skip this restaurant and go to the Panda inn. Or head over to PF Chang because that is what I expect when I go to eat fancy Chinese.
(1)
Rob H.
My lovely wife and I went yesterday evening for our anniversary dinner. Unfortunately, as our meals were delivered, the food delivery guy upended a full glass of red wine all over me. Oops! Well, my attitude is that accidents happen to the best of us - what's important is how the establishment responds to them. The J. Lui's staff handled the situation well, falling all over themselves to apologize - from our server to the hostess to the manager. Dinner was comp'ed, as was my cleaning bill, and a gift card was thrown in for good measure. Thrills and spills aside, the food was excellent. We had a spring roll appetizer, Szechuan combo, scallops, chocolate creme dessert, and of course two glasses of red wine. The atmosphere was pleasant and the prices reasonable for what we ordered.
(4)
Rebecca J.
This was by far the worst dining experience I've had in Columbus, and that includes chain restaurants. My boyfriend, who is a chef at a prominent restaurant in Columbus, and I went to J. Liu for lunch today. The restaurant smelled like goat cheese, and the atmosphere was awkward. Before we ordered, we were tempted to leave. We should have listened to our gut. We started the meal off with the lettuce wraps. We were brought a half head of lettuce with brown spots throughout and a gashed spot that looked like the lettuce had been dropped. The server never checked on us and we sat there waiting for someone to attend to us. The manager walked by, and without saying anything, went to the kitchen, got us a new head of lettuce, and said, "This doesn't look right," without apologizing. That being said, the lettuce wraps were fine, on par with P.F. Chang's. For the main course, I ordered the pad thai aka plain tasting noodles. My boyfriend ordered the crab cake sandwich. He could not eat his sandwich, stating that the crab cake tasted like it was cooked on a dirty grill. He picked at his fries. Not once did anyone come to our table to check on us. We sat there for 15 min for our check, and when the waitress finally arrived, she asked my boyfriend if he wanted something else, 45 min after we got the food. Needless to say the crab cake sandwich was comped, and I was pissed off by the whole experience. The manager didn't even come over to talk to us after that. We will never go back here again. I advise saving your $15-$20 per entree on sub par Chinese/Italian food and going to Olive Garden and hitting the drive through of Panda Express for a better quality experience.
(1)
Mike D.
I returned a couple of weeks ago to confirm this was a good choice. Consider it confirmed. Continuing to my tour of Columbus spinach and artichoke dips, I tried theirs. It was very thick and creamy -- and very very spinachy. That can be good or bad depending on your taste. I had a lovely pasta dish that was delicious. Their bread and flavored oil is delicious. The ambiance was good. I'll be frequenting J. Liu again in the future.
(4)
Anne A.
Great dirty martini. So-so food. The quality does not justify the price. I won't go back.
(2)
Ann S.
2.5. We went for lunch and it was us and 2 other tables. The hostess and waitress were indifferent...she wouldn't even look us in the eye when we ordered. Okay. I have to laugh at people who call this place trendy. It looks like it's straight out of the late 80's/early 90's decor wise and I don't even think it's been around that long so not sure why they went with the dated decor. Oh and it smelled like your great grandma's house in there. We couldn't tell if it was the heavy drapes or in the wood or something but there was this smell that you only get in certain antique stores and it's not the good kind of old smell. I ordered the bistro steak and he got the crab cake sandwich with onion strings. The steak was WAY overcooked for medium well; it was burnt. Thankfully some good ol' A1 came to my rescue there. The asiago potato cakes and asparagus were some of the best things I've tasted in town in a while so somehow it slightly made up for the steak being so bad. (Emphasis on slightly) He wasn't impressed with his crab cake and neither was I. The onion rings (strings) were really good though. For now, this place's strengths are its sides. We wouldn't write them off completely but we're in no hurry to go back especially if they don't really care if we're there in the first place. I did hear the pther server being much nicer on the other side of the room and wished we could've moved.
(3)
Mrs. D.
We had a family dinner here recently. It was OK. Our server was having some issues. We might have been her first table...EVER. She was so nervous, I felt badly for her. She did make mistakes throughout the evening, but nothing terrible. I hoping she'll get the hang of it, because she seemed very sweet. The food was pretty good. My toddler son, who's a bit picky, ate bites of all of our food! The chicken breast and the risotto were his faves and we enjoyed them as well! Also, the complimentary valet parking is very helpful!
(3)
Tom S.
This was a disappointment. The menu looked promising, but performance was lacking. Food is either too rich or over seasoned. The calamari were chewy and swimming in a sauce that was disgustingly sweet. Lobster bisque was salty and fishy - should be neither. Pad Thai seemed to have the same over-sweetened sauce as the calamari. Service was marginal. Poorly trained and scarce. Owner and manager each stopped by table twice apparently for their benefit, not mine. The staff acted like they were swamped, when the place was only 2/3 full. I would not go back when there are so many other good choices in the area.
(2)
Walt S.
This review is a bit like skipping a stone. You know there's more beneath the surface but for the time being, take pleasure in what you see. J. Liu R&B in Worthington was nice. Don't let the exterior of brick & white columns throw you off. Inside the decor was, for me, an eclectic mix of Asia-meets-USA. Don't ask..... But its service and food that counts. The hostesses were cordial and eager to seat me and 5 others. Several options to choose from including a bar area, patio and dining room. After being seated the wait staff was prompt in taking/delivery pre-meal beverages. Soon after that orders got taking promptly. An appetizer was served that combined grilled scallops, portabella mushrooms on a bed of sauteed spinach and a dreamy drizzle. Very good! The menu was diverse with Asian, American and Italian. I enjoyed a crab cake salad (whole crab cake over a bed of mixed greens, strawberries, walnuts and fruity salad dressing). Again, my meal was delicious. My friend had the fried rice dinner and he enjoyed it. So while I'm giving J. Liu a 3-STAR rating... it's based on only one trip. One or two more and, hopefully, I'll be adding 1 or 2 more stars.
(3)
Mike M.
I gotta say, I really like this place. The menu is diverse, there are a lot of delicious healthy entree choices (no, that is not a dichotomy), and all of the food is consistently good. The staff are always friendly and the food gets there FAST. With reasonable prices, a patio in summer, risotto to die for, and great service, what's not to like? Really solid choice.
(5)
Lindsay B.
I love J. Liu in Dublin and have been wanting to try the one in Worthington for some time. I finally got my chance when we had our office Christmas party here this year. There were 13 of us and we had reservations in the bar area. I was concerned that we wouldn't have enough room but this place is huge! I really like the atmosphere too. I had the Pasta Diavolo and a diry martini. Both were very good. It seemed like everyone in our party enjoyed thier meals as well. We all had a good time. I hope to go back soon!
(5)
EJ B.
Quality everything. Decent happy hour and great waitstaff.
(5)
Jay R.
Delicious food. Overpriced.
(3)
Steve S.
The good: 1. The food - Jason's asian is excellent and has been in every restaurant he's owned and been chef. 2. Service - always attentive 3. Atmosphere - did a great job with decorating both bar and restaurant are stylish and comfortable. 4. Menu - Undoubtedly one of the greatest range of selections in town. 5. The drinks - good selection of drafts and wines both at reasonable prices. 6. Reservations - I won't wait. Having reliable seating is a major plus. For improvement: 1. The bread - the rolls are wonder bread. Send somebody to the north market or down the street to Chattelaine to get something respectable. 2. The side dishes - too much mashed potatos and unimaginative vegetables. This is not a school cafeteria. Put an asian twist on some of the sides. 3. Seating - Some of the tables and booths are stuck in a corner, behind a wall. Having the group area causes some individual tables to be bad locations.
(4)
Kristen T.
Had planned in coming here for a very long time with my sister and could not have been more disappointed. I was very excited to see a french martini in the menu, usually one of my favorite drinks, but it wasn't fantastic. Our server offered to add more champagne, but that still didn't fix it and I sent it back (something I never ever do). My sister's diet pepsi was flat and the lime in it seemed rotten. Our appetizer of steamed mussels seemed to have grit in them and my sister noted the faint taste of ammonia. Not a place I will visit again!
(1)
J M.
Food was good, but service was unfriendly, unsmiling and nonexistent.
(3)
Stephanie D.
Went for a buisness lunch today. We were seated quickly and the staff was pleasant. The decor was fine...not sure what the others were complaining about. It was a bit odd tho a nice "fancy" place and they had the paper over the tables. Kinda made you feel like there should be a pail of peanuts to throw on the floor. I got to say tho we wrote all over that paper during our meeting. The food was great! Kinda nice to have an american restaurant where you can get great chinese food!!
(4)
Pat G.
Prententious is what comes to mind the minute I walked through the door. It's pricey for what you get. Lot's of standard fare. Bob Evans for the up and comers. Lot's of kids and families. Must be the chicken fingers. Not a place I plan to go back to.
(2)
Rob M.
Food was just OK (food was nothing special). would not bother to go back, to many other, and better, places to go in Columbus. Service was very good.
(2)
Grant P.
In and out for a quick lunch. They were prompt and genuinely attentive. The pumpkin soup was delicious and the salmon salad was really well done. The salmon was cooked a perfect medium-rare and tender.
(4)
Mark K.
Was not bad but not great either. I'm always concerned by restaurants who's menus range from meatloaf to pad thai to spaghetti. Just something a bit like multiple personalities. Maybe it's just my own touch of schizophrenia....who said that?! I was with a large group of 12, we had a reservation, service was great, food was good, overall we had a good time. Recommend if your party doesn't like surprises or like the usual fare. Which is not necessarily a bad thing!
(3)
Mona V.
Girl's Night Out at J. Liu! We had our most recent book club at J. Liu Restaurant in Worthington. It is located in what looks like an old bank building. Once you go inside, it sure doesn't look like a bank building! It is sleek and modern and the place was packed! Three moms hit the bar area in advance of dinner because they were taking advantage of their girls night out! When we saw the menu, it was eclectic with American, Asian, and Italian fare. I ordered Jason's spicy chicken (which wasn't that spicy) which was breaded chicken in a spicy sauce. I thought that it was okay. Valerie ordered the Mala Green Beans from the Asian menu and she thought it was spicy and delish! Amber and Bobbie Jo ordered the Risotto with vegetables and both of them thought it was good-Amber's only complaint was she though the risotto should "spread" on the plate and not stand up like mashed potatoes! Supriya ate the cioppino and enjoyed it with the spicy sauce! For dessert, I ordered the chocolate molten cake and others ordered the cheesecake. Everyone liked the desserts as well! The service from the staff was excellent and all of our food came out in a timely manner! This is a elegant place to celebrate a special occasion or an anniversary! SMAC Approved! Follow us on facebook and read other reviews at our website: smacolumbus.weebly.com
(3)
Kelly Y.
I came to J. Liu for my husband's birthday. There were 8 of us and I made a reservation to be able to have a table. They were very busy on a Friday night and our server had a little trouble keeping up. Had a really difficult time just getting a glass of wine. Once we ordered, everything was good. I had the Diver Sea Scallops, which tasted wonderful, and the flourless chocolate cake, again fabulous. By the end of our long dinner, however, my stomach had started to turn. By the time I got home, I was terribly ill for the rest of the night and into the morning. I called in the morning to let the restaurant know that the scallops were bad and the manager didn't really seem interested. He said "ok, thanks. I'll talk to the chef" and that was it. No real apology, no "is there anything I can do", nothing. I am so sad to lose this restaurant as a favorite place in Columbus, and am even more depressed that I may not be able to eat scallops ever again. Good luck if you're headed this way. I've loved it before, but you may be taking a chance.
(1)
Richard Y.
Family and I went here for Sunday brunch. Initially, we thought it was a fine dinning establishment because of the exterior decor and the owner is a personal family friend who has an equally fine dining experience as we do. However, we were in dismal because the quality of the buffet was not up to our par and the owner's. The omelettle was over cooked; scrambled eggs were mushy; and crab rangoon over dried. I do know that they have excellent food if you were to order them for lunch or dinner. J. Liu has the best. I was just unfortunate to try his brunch as my first experience. I don't mind eating at this restaurant again as long I'm ordering from a dinner menu.
(2)
Jennifer T.
My Husband and I really enjoy J. Liu and go there often. I agree that the kitchen is sometimes inconsistent. Usually my steak is cooked wonderfully and melts in my mouth, one one occasion I have had to send it back for being undercooked. The Lobster Bisque is really good (when done correctly). I have had great luck with the strawberry salad. The bread and dipping oil are also very good here.
(4)
Chris C.
Offers Gluten Free Menu... Overall good food! Nice new building as well!
(4)
R M.
the best calamari i've ever had in town, it's even better than barcelona! the only problems is the lunch special, braised short ribs in bbq, it was dry tasting and too much tendon for my liking. the service was slow during lunch and the decor is really nice.
Takes Reservations : Yes Delivery : No Take-out : Yes Accepts Credit Cards : Yes Good For : Lunch, Dinner Parking : Private Lot Bike Parking : No Wheelchair Accessible : Yes Good for Kids : Yes Good for Groups : Yes Attire : Casual Ambience : Trendy Noise Level : Average Good For Dancing : No Alcohol : Full Bar Happy Hour : Yes Coat Check : No Smoking : Outdoor Area/ Patio Only Outdoor Seating : Yes Wi-Fi : No Has TV : No Waiter Service : Yes Caters : Yes
David C.
This is not exactly the kind of exterior that screams, "Restaurant" when you're driving past. It actually looks more like the bank buildings of its neighbors. Food is decent. Beer options were pretty good. Pricing... eh... a little high for the quality. The dining area was very cold and several in our party were cold to the point of being uncomfortable. Granted, it was very cold outside but they may want to consider doing something to make the indoor environment more comfortable for their guests. Nothing major that was bad here. Nothing major that was special to entice me to come back, either.
(3)Clay J.
Great Sunday brunch with eggs Benedict, prime rib, fresh salads and more. $19.95 which does include beverage. No military discount but my server was kind enough to provide complimentary coffee in lieu of discount. I would come back. Also had quiet love jazz so atmosphere is perfect.
(3)Food L.
We had the lettuce wraps to start. The portion was huge, they definitely don't skimp on the amount they give you for that starter. I had the mussels and Fries app as a meal and my husband had the chop house burger. The mussels were prepared very well. The lemon sauce was so delicious. The burger was also unbelievably good. The flavor was spot on and the pretzel bun , beef brisket, were served perfect we would go back just for that!
(3)Karen W.
Came here last weekend for a cousin's wedding reception here. We didnt have any problems finding a parking spot close to the restaurant. We were greeted by the hostess when we walked in the door. We had hors d'oerves and drinks while we waited for the bridal party to show up. Very good!! We had the option of a plate with chicken or salmon. I chose the chicken plate for dinner that night. Given that the reception was in the ballroom upstairs, there was plenty of room for at least 200 guests to talk, drink and socialize with one another. The staff was very friendly and helpful. We will definitely go back again!!
(4)Mark T.
Is this a joke? The food quality is that of maybe a TGI Fri, but with cost of a high end Chicago eatery (I am in from Chicago for week). Really, really hard to believe this is considered a high end restaurant.
(2)J H.
Business dinner on a weekday night at 8 PM. We were the only table in the place. Service as you might expect was prompt and attentive. The kitchen however failed them. Lettuce wraps with almost no flavor and spring rolls that tasted like something from the freezer aisle at Kroger. Main course of Phad Thai, disappointing. Bland, not spicy, with overlooked rubbery noodles. At least now I know a good alternative restaurant to Bob Evans if my Grandmother is in town and needs bland boring food. This place is all promise and no delivery.
(2)Andrea W.
Reserved a table for brunch to celebrate a birthday. The food was delicious and the service was impeccable! The only disappointment was two members in our party had onions in their omelet -- they didn't request onions. Other than that, we had a good dining experience.
(5)Heather N.
This is a review of weekend brunch. I will start by say service was great. We arrived right at opening and was seated immediately. We were promptly greeted by the server who explained the brunch options and took our drink order. I will say my water glass was never empty. Finished plates were also cleared promptly. Where this place lost stars was the sub par food. Many of the items you could tell were pre-made and frozen, including I think the whole dessert section. Carved meat station was nice, but doesn't justify the 20 dollar price tag. They do have made to order omlets that I am sure would have been more fresh.
(2)David Z.
Excellent service and a very nice interior cannot make up for really sub par food. I had a crispy chicken salad that was nicely dressed with a bland house made ranch. The chicken seemed to have been a fried chicken breast that may have recently been frozen. A bit dry, but tasted ok. The real problem was the salad itself. Overwhelmingly composed of ice berg lettuce, I was happy to see a bunch of tomato! Too bad the tomato was completely flavorless. You can't sell a $15 salad with bad produce. My wife had the minced chicken lettuce wrap, which came with bamboo shoots and crispy rice noodles. It would have been good had it not been for the overly sweet sauce and dry chicken. The kids menu was a complete after thought. Kraft Mac n cheese with apple sauce from a can. Warmed up frozen mini corn dogs. No sauce, cheese or consideration. One bright spot was that the fruit cup seemed to be made of freshly cut fruit. It almost made up for the sour milk they brought my daughter. It sounds like I am making things up, right? The thing that saved the evening from being a complete disaster was the service. Really attentive waitress and the gentlemen who brought our food was very friendly too. I can't remember if either one asked how the food was. I'm not the kind of person to try to have them fix my poor experience. You get one chance to do it right.
(2)Senie S.
I recently went here for Saturday night dinner with my family after my sister's graduation. I have heard of this place many times and my family has gone a few times as well. There are 2 locations in Columbus and this one is more secluded and easier to get to since it is not always busy in this area. They take reservations and also are great at making sure to get you at a table even if you are too early/ late. This would be a great place to have a dinner with a group as well and they have an area you can do that without bothering everyone else. Great date night place and the food is delicious! A littl pricey but nothing too bad and the quality is worth the price. The waitress we had was younger, in college or high school, so the service could have overall been a lot better for where we were. They appetizers are great for sharing and the portions are great as well. You will not leave hungry and you will be able to get something that will satisfy any cravings you have. The food here is weird and I am not sure what they categorize it at, but I have been to retaurants similar to this one before. They serve both italian and asian dishes. So whether youre in the mood for pizza, pasta, chinese food, or an asian cuisine that is tredning these days you will find it weird. As weird as this concept is I guess it works for the people who do not all want the same thiing at dinner. Would love to go back here again and sit on the patio that is on the second floor!
(4)Tom H.
A terrific dish I would recommend to everyone. Medium rare tuna simply grilled with the avocado mash and the forbidden rice. Thanks to Jordan and the fact that they were out of the rice normally used, this combination came my way and was an absolute treat Highly recommend not only this restaurant, but also Jordan. He is knowledgeable and attentive, but not "over the top," providing the right amount of quality service with a great personality
(4)Candace M.
On my own, I probably wouldn't have given J. Liu's a chance. For the price, I'd expect the restaurant to have more than 3 stars. Maybe that's my own bias, but it's true. Columbus has so many great restaurants, and I likely wouldn't have given this one the opportunity to disappoint me. Unfortunately, we came here for a work lunch one day. First, there were absolutely no parking spots available. We ended up parking pretty far away, because there weren't any J. Liu spots, nor were there any J. Liu overflow spots. We had a reservation for 12:30. Our waitress came and started getting us our drinks as we trickled in. Sadly, that was about as attentive as she was the whole meal. I ended up deciding on the chicken fried rice. I figured it was a good choice, simple, satisfying, hard to mess up. And it was ONLY $11 (geez) compared to something like gnocchi which was $15. It was about 1:10 by the time we got our food. And when we did, one of my co-workers' orders was wrong. She had ordered the roasted turkey sandwich, but they were apparently out, so she got the chicken sandwich. She was instead served a crab cakes sandwich. Everyone else's meal was correct. Even the meals that were correct, though, were on the whole pretty disappointing. My fried rice was bland. The chicken tasted of nothing. The rice was okay, but not flavorful at all. There was a weird smell/taste on the rice at the bottom of my dish, maybe it was burned? I would have much rather had Chinese takeout/delivery fried rice. And delivery fried rice would have saved me about $10 (with tip). There was a lot leftover because the portion was admittedly big, but I can't imagine myself revisiting it. A co-worker got the pad thai and it was nearly too hot to eat. Another had to add tons of soy sauce to her stir-fry to make it palatable. Another kept asking for splenda, while another had to keep trying to get a waitress' attention to get an extra plate. Sadly, I think I was right on the mark with my opinion of J. Liu's. The space is pretty and some of the things on the menu looked really good, but with the prices and the service, it's not worth another visit.
(2)Edy D.
I've come for dinner here but rarely lunch. My work group went for lunch the other day and we were impressed right off the bat. We were greeted in the parking lot by the manager valeting our car for free. Our table was all ready in the packed place. The waitress was prompt and attentive. I was most impressed with the managers assisting with serving and the owner refilling water. The food was really fresh and tasty!
(5)Edward E.
I am surprised by the negative reviews as my wife and I have been to J. Liu twice and enjoyed both the food and service. Last night I had the short ribs special- the meat was super tender and flavorful along with delicious mashed potatoes and green beans. Our server was terrific- very friendly and attentive- he clearly understands how to make his customers feel right at home. I very much like the diversity of options and find their prices very reasonable for the quality and portions.
(4)Michelle H.
Mothers day brunch, I cant begin to describe our disappointment!! We had a party of 20 mostly adults some children and infants. We had a 2:30 reservation and were seated shortly after. We were seated upstairs which felt like it was 90 ++++ degrees up there. Someone brought us waters, shortly after we sat one glass spilled on our table (our fault)we had used several of our napkins to try and soak up the water as one of the waiters walked by i said we had a spill they said that's the best way to take care of it...never removed the soaking wet towels from our table or ever brought us dry napkins. The food.. when my mother-in law called to make reservations she asked if they were doing breakfast all day she was told yes...Not True! We apparently got there as they were attempting a switch over from breakfast foods to dinner foods which apparently takes some time as i think we were all done with our meals or lack there of before the chafing dishes were even all full if they ever were. They had filled one chafing dish with mala string beans i put some on my plate and as i was telling my mother in law to get some i hear them say this is the last tray take them out so we can take down stairs as there are more people down there... Really does it not matter for the diners upstairs? Several items that were listed on your website for the mothers day brunch were not even on your buffet or maybe they didnt make it out before we left at 4:30 .. such as green bean almondine and chicken bruchetta. Mashed potatoes were cold and underseasoned, shrimp and grits wasnt filled until we were done eating,smoked salmon and bagels nope, soggy crab ragoon, fried rice dont think that was ever filled while we were there. I took a few bites of the spicy chicken and the spice was so concentrated in one bite it was burning the back of my throat and i love hot spicy food but that was just horrible thank goodness the kids barely ate so luckly none of them got any of that! We spent over $500 for barely edible food and lousy service. We have all been frequent guest at J.Liu way back to the day it was jasons. Me doing brunch and many special occasions there with friends and family, my mother in law and her friends meet there once a month i could go on.. We have always highly recommended J.liu and after today that will be highly unlikely! Not to mention half the time people went to get food there were no plates and if their was they were dirty... i emailed the restaurant the same evening we were there and never received a response not even an email.
(1)L P.
Just had the BEST seared tuna EVER! Spicy seared tuna over coconut rice with a crab & avocado ceviche and miso drizzle. It was perfection. Great service. Lovely outdoor dining patio. I try pricier restaurants like Alana's (worse service EVER), but go back to J Liu for the best food in town with wonderful service. If you like seared tuna, J Liu is the place for you.
(5)Chris S.
My wife, daughter, and I went for dinner and had a good experience. Our server was very attentive overall fantastic. The food was very good. The manager came by multiple times and was very attentive to guests.
(5)Zeeshan S.
I wanted to give them 3 stars, I really did. But when your waiter charges the wrong card to the wrong check, didn't check on your table from when the entree arrived to when he asked if we wanted boxes, and messes up your order, you get bumped down a star. The decor was nice, swanky fusion themed place. Pleasant lighting, cool seating, neat artwork. The food options were strange. It wasn't fusion in the sense of an Asian twist on American cuisine, it was simply some Asian dishes and some American dishes. Nothing special or extraordinary on the menu. We tried the crab cakes, just about as good as any standard crab cakes you've had before. Also tried the sesame chicken-not too bad for sesame chicken. Had the Mongolian beef, which was tasty. They skimped on the beef and went heavy on the onions, but this was a smaller complaint of the night. Overall the food was meh not bad, but it's probably not a restaurant I'll be seeking out to eat at again. I would go there again but it's not my first choice for "Asian" food.
(2)Teri D.
Need to add more cheese to the blue cheese chips but happy hour martinis are $5. Went here for a big party and I think they were overwhelmed by our numbers. The food was just ok and some people really liked their food while others felt theirs was overcooked. The dining area is all dark wood and elegant as was the bar. Their menu was a bit eclectic to me as they had a bit of everything on the menu from meat and fish to Chinese. I'm not sure I'd go back for the dining room but wouldn't mind going back to the bar area for happy hour. Wouldn't get the blue cheese chips again but the little crab cakes and flatbread pizza were very good - and at happy hour pricing.
(3)Christie M.
We went to eat here for the first time on Saturday around 11:45 AM. We were promptly seated in the bar area. Our server was the bartender and he was very slow in getting to us. There was only one other table in the bar area. Took him about 15 minutes to get our waters, then about another 15 minutes til he came back to take our order. We ordered the soft pretzel sticks as an appetizer and I ordered the Veggie Burger and my husband had Jason's Spicy Chicken. After about 25 minutes, the pretzels came out and they were so hard we could barely chew them. The server brought us out another order several minutes later and they were very good. My husband enjoyed his dinner (the sauce was delicious). My Veggie Burger had absolutely no taste and the bun was burnt. The burger was so thin, it just fell apart. We then had to wait what felt like forever to get our check. When we left there were only two other tables in the bar area. No excuse for the poor service since it was not busy. We were excited to try this place, but unfortunately, were very disappointed.
(1)Shauna S.
Just went here for restaurant week and had a fabulous experience. I was mainly intrigued by the main entree of pan seared salmon with black forbidden rice with sauteed leeks and spinach and a pear ginger sauce, but the whole meal (including salad) was amazing. The atmosphere was relaxing and peaceful and the staff was very attentive and professional. I had an amazing time and would love to go back again!
(5)George W.
J. Liu round 2: Ok, so a year had passed and decided to give J. Liu in Worthington another shot. I figured, what are the chances that I will have a similar experience? Well... I was mistaken. Let's first focus on the positives: We arrived there earlier in the evening and had found that parking wasn't an issue. In fact, I had ample space to move my large F250 through the parking lot and managed a nice parking spot. However; if it were a busy night, I can foresee myself parking in the grass or something because the parking lot design is still poor. We were immediately seated despite being a little early. Our table was clean and ready for us to begin our dining experience. Here is where the chapters turn. We happen to get the same exact waitress as last time! Still, I thought... what are the chances? She started by taking our drinks, I ordered the Spicy Apple Cider cocktail (very good by the way) and my date ordered a Sprite. During the process of ordering, the waitress interrupted to talk about how much water people were drinking today and began talking negatively about other patrons (about how much water they were drinking). She then left to go grab our drinks. As we waited, we looked around and noticed everyone around us had some delicious looking bread. We both were very hungry, so everything looked appetizing in our eyes. Knowing we were going to order an appetizer, we patiently waited for our waitress. As she returned, she sat our drinks down and began walking away without an acknowledgment. So we caught her before going too far and asked to order the calamari appetizer. About 10 minutes later,she comes back and takes our order. We started to order our food and she quickly stopped us to inform us that they were not offering a "couples dinner" due to the preparation involved. This was odd as we weren't interested in that, nor did we inquire. I ordered the Risotto and my date ordered the Tilapia with a side of beef tips. As she began to place her order, the waitress abruptly interrupted and told her to wait as she wrote it down. I found this very off putting because it wasn't that we just started ordering, the waitress had her pen and paper in hand. Shortly after our order was placed, the appetizer came out. The calamari had a delicious tempura batter served with a sweet jalapeno sauce. It had an excellent flavor and was an appropriate serving size. After we finished, we looked around the room again at the delicious bread that others had. still hungry, it looked better and better with each passing moment. During a span of 20-25 minutes, we interacted with our waitress one time. Finally, about 10 minutes before our food came out, she asked us if we would like any bread while we wait. For me, I think this was implied and didn't know why she would ask. It was indeed as delicious as it looked we went through it too fast (as there were only 4 portions). Our food did arrive fairly timely and it was pretty good. My Risotto was nicely prepared and the scallops were beautifully seared. I wasn't a fan of the raw tomatoes, but each their own. My date enjoyed her Tilapia. It was nicely breaded served with mashed red potatoes and broccoli. She did say that the beef tips were a tad on the bland side, but prepared nicely. Overall, my original review still stands pretty true. Now I will say, if we had different wait staff, our experience could have been better. In fact if I decide to go back and I do get the same waitress, I will ask to be seated in a different area. The food is pretty good, the ambience was nice but the service kills this location every time.
(2)Christina C.
From an event standpint, J Liu's does it right. I attended a friend's baby shower here and was really impressed with the execution and attention we were provided with. The back room can be set up how you like, and although it isn't completely closed in, it still feel very private. They do minimal decorations, have a big screen TV, and can suggest a customizable menu just for your party. From what I understand all of this is included in a more than reasonable price. Our lunch choices included salmon salad, sweet/sour chicken (yep, J Liu's is an Asian fusion joint), and a BLT & avocado sandwich. But they saved the best for last. Dessert! The options were a decadent cheesecake or a rich, dark chocolate mousse. That mousse was intense, but in the most amazing, too-much-to-handle best possible way. And the presentation in a mini martini glass was just perfect! Our service was incredibly attentive yet not obtrusive. I don't think I ever had an empty glass. I was really impressed by how chic and contemporary the interior was, too. From the outside one might think the inside is a colonial theme or something, but once inside, whoa! It's really beautiful. The best part though was our server offered us a bottle of champagne to use as a prize for our baby shower games!
(4)Anna N.
Delicious Pad Thai when adding shrimp, large portion but so good you just keep eating. The prices are reasonable. The service was ok, our waiter complained about being under staffed which was the cause of that. Overall nice experience and would go back!
(4)Missi T.
Had a good experience here. Service was friendly and fast. I had the medallions which were very delicious. The potato cakes were very delicious and probably the best part. Also had apple crisp dessert. Would give 5 stars but my Dark & Stormy was not that great. Would go again!
(4)David D.
I've been here several times for dinner and once for lunch. The atmosphere is great and the staff is always friendly. I've had several different dishes and most have been great. This time I tried the burger on a pretzel bun. The burger was so soggy I couldn't eat the bottom bun drenched in grease. Definitely go when drinks are on happy hour.
(4)Samantha A.
We like J.Liu for lunch when we're not in a hurry, or happy hour for martinis and appetizers. That being said, the menu is a bit hit or miss, but the daily risotto is usually amazing. So is the calamari and the salmon salad. Try the wedding cake martini!
(4)Joann M.
We have had our holiday party at J.liu 3 of the last 4 years. Everything was fine in the past, but after this year, we won't be back. Their former Banquet Manager, Todd, always took great care of us with lots of ideas. This year he told us the owner wanted to start covering the overhead of valets so we were charged a room fee. I was a little put off by this, but let it go. Why should we fund your lack of enough parking spaces, especially since the valets that we would be paying for could also be used by restaurant patrons? So we got turned over to a girl named Alexis. I also turned over the details to another committee member. Big mistake on my part had I known what was to come. Alexis was hard to reach, more of an order taker, no ideas or details. And get this no valet on the day of our event. This is where the disaster began. We have many older employees and some had to walk and fend for themselves from blocks away. We had a buffet. The food was dry and over cooked. The side orders were wrong, the type of salad was wrong. Todd always had our salad served individually by stressing this was a classy touch for a nice holiday party. This year not only was the salad wrong but we had to get it at the buffet. I also found the venue to be getting old and worn out looking - dirty elevator, wrinkled linens with spots on them, stained carpeting. The service staff were the only positive experience though they were clearly understaffed for us. We all look forward to a nice treat over the holidays. We'll be looking elsewhere next year.
(1)Maria S.
My mom had been hyping this place to me for ages, and finally we had a family dinner here. The restaurant is massive, but there weren't a lot of people there when we arrived. It is a cool atmosphere, kind of dark, modern decor. When I asked the gaggle of hostesses where my family might be sitting, I got dead stares from all three, but I spotted my dad's bald head across the room and joined them. My sister had brought her 18-month-old son, which always makes for an "interesting" dining experience. I feel bad for the waitstaff when there is a young child involved because they make messes, whine, cry, etc. My nephew wasn't being really terrible or anything, but I always try to be exceptionally friendly to compensate. In return, our waitress seemed extremely hostile. I thought maybe I was imagining it, so I didn't say anything. A few minutes later, my husband whispered to me, "Why does the waitress keep glaring at us?" So that's a no to the service. I was at least expecting the food to be good, but that was also subpar. I didn't complain while in the restaurant because I didn't want to make waves during our family dinner (and my parents were paying). But blech. I ordered the risotto with scallops. The risotto was undercooked to the point of having a crunch to it (i.e. beyond "al dente"). And the scallops were rubbery. Honestly, I'm not usually one to complain about food, and I thought, again, the fault must be with me. So I got a second opinion from my husband and sister, who both agreed with me. So I'm pretty disappointed. I usually like to give places a second chance if I don't like the food, but I don't know if I would even bother with this place again. For a $20 meal, I was expecting a lot better.
(2)Brittany G.
The ambiance is nice, our server was attentive, but the food was terrible. I had the pork tacos and the only flavor I could detect was cilantro and flour tortilla. I got onion rings as a side and they tasted like fried flour. My husband got the Jason's Spicy Chicken with brown rice. The brown rice came out hard like it had been sitting in a warmer for a whole day. The chicken had little flavor and definitely wasn't spicy. I'm not sure why they are always busy. We will not be returning.
(2)Tonycia M.
I stopped in last Wednesday and was surprised that not only do they offer extended happy hour until 9 p.m. but Wednesdays are also retail wine night! After ordering a glass of my favorite Pinot Noir (meiomi) I decided to order the filet medallions. I was not disappointed, the meat was tender and the red wine demi glaze was just perfection. I would highly recommend stopping in especially on a Wednesday.
(4)Michael T.
Had Sunday brunch today. Wait staff was good. Atmosphere is nice. Food is average at best. The brunch buffet for 2 adults and 2 children was $105 + tip. I expect much better food at this price. They had a mixture of traditional American style breakfast food and Americanized Chinese food. The breakfast food was about on par with any breakfast buffet. The Chinese food was below what I would expect from a local Chinese take out. I will not be back.
(2)Robert H.
Back for another good lunch at J Liu. This time they had a Hawaiian coconut catfish salad. I have had several salads here, and they are always great. This one came with two big filets that were heavily breaded with coconut and baked. If there were such a thing as "fish candy" this would be it - very rich and sweet. The salad included avocado and pineapple, to add to the novelty. The pineapple was perfectly ripe, soft, and sweet. What a great salad. They have recently added a line of teas from Dublin's Tehku Tea Co. There were a half dozen loose leaf teas to choose from, and I tried one called "my apple pie", which had apples, cinnamon, and camomile. I needed some soothing that day. It had a nice appley taste at first, which turned into a play-doughey taste. I got a second opinion on it, and she confirmed play-dough. Very strange. Not bad, oddly enough, but definitely strange. The waiter was friendly and generally attentive. They were fairly busy that day, and he was a little scattered, but nothing major was missed. A nice lunch, overall.
(4)Sean V.
Sat on the patio at a table for literally 20 minutes tonight without anyone saying a word to me. Even the table next to me couldn't believe it. So, after 20 minutes of being ignored, I walk over to the server, who was chatting with the OWNER of the restaurant at a nearby table. I explain the situation to her, how long I've been waiting without even a simple greet. She was very nice and apologetic, but the amazing part is the OWNER heard everything and didn't even come over to say a word. NOTHING. The food was very average. The portions seem smaller than they used to be. I used to live here and this restaurant used to be much better. It's overpriced for the quality of what you get. The owner obviously isn't interested in guest experience. Really poor experience tonight, although once the server had our attention she was very nice.
(1)Andrew S.
I wanted to take my wife out for her birthday, and she had been saying for a long time that she wanted to try J Liu. We drive by all the time as we live in the area, and always thought the building looked beautiful. Well my friends, this is indeed the case your lovely short and plumb 1st grade teacher always tells you about, "Don't judge a book by it's cover." I was under the delusion that this place was in some way affiliated with J Gilbert's, which is right down the road. J Gilbert's is a phenomenal high-class experience, which is what I thought we were going to find in Liu's...Not so much. Under the guise of thinking I was going to a top of the line place, I called a week ahead to reserve a table. The second we walked through the door I realized that was a waste of my time and completely unnecessary. About 75% of the tables were empty at 6PM on a Friday. Even though all the nice tables near the walls were open, our reservation landed us smack dab in the middle table with four pull out chairs right next to two families with kids. Nothing against children, but I don't want my night out to be right next to four friggin kids. So we looked at each other and immediately asked to be moved to a booth away from the crowd. Once we were moved we got a chance to look at our coffee/pop/water stained paper menus. Then finally the delightful charm of a burned-out 50 year old angry woman waitress shows up. She would walk by every minute or two while we read our vintage menus to ask "You know what you want yet?" I explained we were in no hurry and wanted to order some appetizers first. We ordered some calamari and pot stickers to start. The calamari only spent about a month in the freezer before being thawed out to a rubbery shoelace texture. There were no tentacle pieces just the gold ol' fashioned rubber pellets. The pot-stickers actually may have just been purchased from TGI Friday's in Polaris. Nothing special, over cooked, bland sauce, just over-all meh pot-stickers. A couple minutes after these superb dishes arrived the "You know what you want"s started up again. My wife had been saying for the past few minutes that nothing on the menu looked appealing. I finally got her to order the "Chicken Milanese" and she added a crab cake side. I ordered the scallops. 10 minutes after our apps came the main dishes were rung-in, cooked, and at our table. Score! There's nothing I love more than not even being half way through my appetizer and having my main entree shoved onto the table. Literally, she moved the appetizer plates over with our entree plates. The chicken dish was essentially Chicken Parm and the crab cake was about 99 percent bread crumb. My scallops were under-cooked and runny. I choked down one of them while questioning if I should be eating a runny scallop. The comic relief was when the manager walked by and asked "How was everything", my wife paused for a few seconds and says "good". The manager goes "Ummmm I sensed some hesitation there, you sure?" We don't complain so of course she said yes, and he just walked right away without trying to see why we didn't seem to be enjoying our food (or time there at all). We got our bill for our nice big night out around 45 minutes after we arrived, I just love a nice leisurely meal. For 3 drinks, 2 apps, and 2 entrees at this over-priced Applebee's we spent about 120 bucks. To think of all the amazing places we could have gone to for that price brings a tear to my eye. We won't be going back there, ever. Fin.
(1)Dan M.
Average food to below average taste. The restaurant needs some updating. Entrance carpeting is awful! Our bar maid was friendly. Nothing memorable. Would not recommend this restaurant.
(1)Renee S.
(this review is from my friend) I have never been so upset about going to a restaurant in my life. My two friends and I went to brunch at the Worthington location. We had the rudest waitress who demanded our drink order before I even took off my jacket. She never offered to refill my glass, but kept interrupting our lunch wanting to know if we were finished yet. She took away my silverware before offering dessert. A busboy was sent to our table by the manager to see when we were going to be leaving. The restaurant had many empty tables and there was no reason for the rudeness of being asked to leave. When my friend mentioned to the host that we were upset, he dismissed our concerns and just said "thank you." I will never be returning nor will my friends, family, or any of the people who read my review on yelp.com or facebook.
(1)Nijole T.
Ok ok, I didn't actually eat here, but I wanted to and wound up walking out (though I do see myself giving them another chance) I've looked at their menu online and noticed the prices are better at lunch for the same choices so we made it out here last weekend. I was disspointed to see they only have brunch and no waiters or chefs in the kitchen on the weekends until dinner (yuck, so the food is prepaired before they open at 11 and just left out till lunch is over) I am not a fan of buffet but we asked to look and at $20 per persn I was shocked! It looked disgusting, I mean like golden corral or ponderosa nasty, just with a way smaller selection! We got there shortly before 1pm and nost of the bowls were empty, smeared tableclothes undearneath, dirty serving spoons and what they offered also a crappy selection of what looked and smelled like hospital food. The only thing I could have seen myself eating was the dessert bar, but not for $20. I can only hope their regular food is better since the place is nice looking and has a promising menu.
(2)Kate Q.
I just left this place without eating the Mother's Day brunch for which my husband made reservations. After waiting 25 minutes for our table, there was no high chair for my toddler (even though we requested one when the reservation was made). The hostess told me I just needed to wait longer. After 35 minutes, we left without eating. One of the valets asked us how out meal was and when we told them we didn't eat, they profusely apologized and told us that they had over 1600 people booked for Mother's Day. Clearly this place can't handle a big day. I find this restaurant disorganized and the majority of the staff to be rude. I used to be a regular customer, but I will NEVER come here again.
(1)Leah M.
Great business lunch spot. Good food, excellent service while giving us privacy.
(4)Anne A.
Great dirty martini. So-so food. The quality does not justify the price. I won't go back.
(2)Kristen T.
Had planned in coming here for a very long time with my sister and could not have been more disappointed. I was very excited to see a french martini in the menu, usually one of my favorite drinks, but it wasn't fantastic. Our server offered to add more champagne, but that still didn't fix it and I sent it back (something I never ever do). My sister's diet pepsi was flat and the lime in it seemed rotten. Our appetizer of steamed mussels seemed to have grit in them and my sister noted the faint taste of ammonia. Not a place I will visit again!
(1)J M.
Food was good, but service was unfriendly, unsmiling and nonexistent.
(3)Stephanie D.
Went for a buisness lunch today. We were seated quickly and the staff was pleasant. The decor was fine...not sure what the others were complaining about. It was a bit odd tho a nice "fancy" place and they had the paper over the tables. Kinda made you feel like there should be a pail of peanuts to throw on the floor. I got to say tho we wrote all over that paper during our meeting. The food was great! Kinda nice to have an american restaurant where you can get great chinese food!!
(4)Pat G.
Prententious is what comes to mind the minute I walked through the door. It's pricey for what you get. Lot's of standard fare. Bob Evans for the up and comers. Lot's of kids and families. Must be the chicken fingers. Not a place I plan to go back to.
(2)Rob M.
Food was just OK (food was nothing special). would not bother to go back, to many other, and better, places to go in Columbus. Service was very good.
(2)Grant P.
In and out for a quick lunch. They were prompt and genuinely attentive. The pumpkin soup was delicious and the salmon salad was really well done. The salmon was cooked a perfect medium-rare and tender.
(4)Mark K.
Was not bad but not great either. I'm always concerned by restaurants who's menus range from meatloaf to pad thai to spaghetti. Just something a bit like multiple personalities. Maybe it's just my own touch of schizophrenia....who said that?! I was with a large group of 12, we had a reservation, service was great, food was good, overall we had a good time. Recommend if your party doesn't like surprises or like the usual fare. Which is not necessarily a bad thing!
(3)S E.
J. Liu tries to appeal to a variety of tastes but our group found the Chinese food sub-par, the Italian food unimaginative, and the American cuisine only average. I was suspicious of the prior reviews concerning the service but unfortunately they were right - the service was bad. Whatever happened to good service when you go out to dinner?!? Seems like they didn't even care that we enjoyed ourselves at their restaurant. We may give J. Liu another try but probably not in the near future.
(1)Anna F.
I've been here several times and the food always seemed just kind of okay, nothing special. The first time I went I got fish tacos. The fish was under seasoned and the sauce on the taco was runny and pouring onto the plate. The last time I went I got grilled cheese and fries for my son. It was good but the fries were frozen. Not fresh cut. That made me sad. The service was excellent though, very friendly. Things that could improve IMO would be less variety/ more specialty on the menu. I'd rather see fewer items, prepared perfectly. I don't think of any specific kind of food when I think of J. Liu. Items prepared fresh instead of frozen. Slightly more attention to quality of each dish. J Liu has a very nice atmosphere and the restaurant was quiet when I went. The seating seemed to be arranged in a manner that was conducive with quiet conversation and noise absorption. No intrusive music. Staff was well dressed and clean. The restaurant was also clean. I was happy with this aspect of the establishment. I may improve my rating after another visit. *edit* I visited for brunch and the waiter was friendly and attentive. The food was quite good and fresh. I don't think I'd recommend ordering off the menu but the brunch selection is worth a visit. As a result, I've decided to up my rating to 4 stars.
(4)Tim T.
My wife and I went here for our 1 year wedding anniversary on 10-22-12 on the recommendation of a friend of mine. When we arrived, there was plenty of parking. When we walked in, we were greeted by a hostess. We told them it was our 1 year wedding anniversary. She seated us in a nice curved seating area, which was really nice! Our server, Rachel, was prompt and very attentive to us. My wife ordered the Apple Soy Flat Iron and a glass of wine. I ordered the Chicken Fried Rice and also a glass of wine. We each sampled each others meal and it was delicious!! As a bonus, the management gave us our dessert, apple crisp, for free since it was a special occasion. We had a wonderful time and great food here! We have since gone to the Dublin location, but found that one to be too small with not enough parking. We will be frequenting the Worthington location more!
(5)KP K.
Great restaurant. Nice atmosphere. Friendly staff. The menu has a wide variety and is great quality for the price.
(4)Kevin H.
For a place that has such a great atmosphere....The Dark trendy bar area , Modern decor and great location .... the food was just mediocre. This place is on the appetizers only list that I'm in the process of developing. The Calamari in Sweet Thai Chili sauce were great as were the Mussels in the wine sauce. I was feeling pretty good at this point. Taking in the scenery. Pleasant wait staff. Old Worthington Charm. All this was cut short by the Szechuwan Beef that was amatuer at best. For them to have a limited Asian selection at a place like this, you would have thought they'd be all home runs. This place served a foul tip at best. Im defintely going back, because the bar area has a feel like the old cooker on 161 / frantz road over in Dublin. One of those places where ...If you didnt know about it you never would. Just appetizers only
(2)Mike C.
I ate here for New Years Eve dinner. It was a limited menu probably because of the special night however the food was absolutely disgusting. Before we get to the food let me talk about their Water. The water is very dirty and is in my oppinion undrinkable. The waiter went on to tell is about how it is Worthington water and that's just the way it is. I would definitely recommend the restaurant invest in a water purification system . It tasted like aquarium water . now om to dinner. I had the mongolian beef it was just plain gross. I paid $18 for a bunch of soggy onions and very little beef. The other people in my party were also very disappointed in the menu. You get sub par Chinese food at highend prices. Do yourself a favor and skip this restaurant and go to the Panda inn. Or head over to PF Chang because that is what I expect when I go to eat fancy Chinese.
(1)Rob H.
My lovely wife and I went yesterday evening for our anniversary dinner. Unfortunately, as our meals were delivered, the food delivery guy upended a full glass of red wine all over me. Oops! Well, my attitude is that accidents happen to the best of us - what's important is how the establishment responds to them. The J. Lui's staff handled the situation well, falling all over themselves to apologize - from our server to the hostess to the manager. Dinner was comp'ed, as was my cleaning bill, and a gift card was thrown in for good measure. Thrills and spills aside, the food was excellent. We had a spring roll appetizer, Szechuan combo, scallops, chocolate creme dessert, and of course two glasses of red wine. The atmosphere was pleasant and the prices reasonable for what we ordered.
(4)Rebecca J.
This was by far the worst dining experience I've had in Columbus, and that includes chain restaurants. My boyfriend, who is a chef at a prominent restaurant in Columbus, and I went to J. Liu for lunch today. The restaurant smelled like goat cheese, and the atmosphere was awkward. Before we ordered, we were tempted to leave. We should have listened to our gut. We started the meal off with the lettuce wraps. We were brought a half head of lettuce with brown spots throughout and a gashed spot that looked like the lettuce had been dropped. The server never checked on us and we sat there waiting for someone to attend to us. The manager walked by, and without saying anything, went to the kitchen, got us a new head of lettuce, and said, "This doesn't look right," without apologizing. That being said, the lettuce wraps were fine, on par with P.F. Chang's. For the main course, I ordered the pad thai aka plain tasting noodles. My boyfriend ordered the crab cake sandwich. He could not eat his sandwich, stating that the crab cake tasted like it was cooked on a dirty grill. He picked at his fries. Not once did anyone come to our table to check on us. We sat there for 15 min for our check, and when the waitress finally arrived, she asked my boyfriend if he wanted something else, 45 min after we got the food. Needless to say the crab cake sandwich was comped, and I was pissed off by the whole experience. The manager didn't even come over to talk to us after that. We will never go back here again. I advise saving your $15-$20 per entree on sub par Chinese/Italian food and going to Olive Garden and hitting the drive through of Panda Express for a better quality experience.
(1)Mike D.
I returned a couple of weeks ago to confirm this was a good choice. Consider it confirmed. Continuing to my tour of Columbus spinach and artichoke dips, I tried theirs. It was very thick and creamy -- and very very spinachy. That can be good or bad depending on your taste. I had a lovely pasta dish that was delicious. Their bread and flavored oil is delicious. The ambiance was good. I'll be frequenting J. Liu again in the future.
(4)Ann S.
2.5. We went for lunch and it was us and 2 other tables. The hostess and waitress were indifferent...she wouldn't even look us in the eye when we ordered. Okay. I have to laugh at people who call this place trendy. It looks like it's straight out of the late 80's/early 90's decor wise and I don't even think it's been around that long so not sure why they went with the dated decor. Oh and it smelled like your great grandma's house in there. We couldn't tell if it was the heavy drapes or in the wood or something but there was this smell that you only get in certain antique stores and it's not the good kind of old smell. I ordered the bistro steak and he got the crab cake sandwich with onion strings. The steak was WAY overcooked for medium well; it was burnt. Thankfully some good ol' A1 came to my rescue there. The asiago potato cakes and asparagus were some of the best things I've tasted in town in a while so somehow it slightly made up for the steak being so bad. (Emphasis on slightly) He wasn't impressed with his crab cake and neither was I. The onion rings (strings) were really good though. For now, this place's strengths are its sides. We wouldn't write them off completely but we're in no hurry to go back especially if they don't really care if we're there in the first place. I did hear the pther server being much nicer on the other side of the room and wished we could've moved.
(3)Mrs. D.
We had a family dinner here recently. It was OK. Our server was having some issues. We might have been her first table...EVER. She was so nervous, I felt badly for her. She did make mistakes throughout the evening, but nothing terrible. I hoping she'll get the hang of it, because she seemed very sweet. The food was pretty good. My toddler son, who's a bit picky, ate bites of all of our food! The chicken breast and the risotto were his faves and we enjoyed them as well! Also, the complimentary valet parking is very helpful!
(3)Tom S.
This was a disappointment. The menu looked promising, but performance was lacking. Food is either too rich or over seasoned. The calamari were chewy and swimming in a sauce that was disgustingly sweet. Lobster bisque was salty and fishy - should be neither. Pad Thai seemed to have the same over-sweetened sauce as the calamari. Service was marginal. Poorly trained and scarce. Owner and manager each stopped by table twice apparently for their benefit, not mine. The staff acted like they were swamped, when the place was only 2/3 full. I would not go back when there are so many other good choices in the area.
(2)Walt S.
This review is a bit like skipping a stone. You know there's more beneath the surface but for the time being, take pleasure in what you see. J. Liu R&B in Worthington was nice. Don't let the exterior of brick & white columns throw you off. Inside the decor was, for me, an eclectic mix of Asia-meets-USA. Don't ask..... But its service and food that counts. The hostesses were cordial and eager to seat me and 5 others. Several options to choose from including a bar area, patio and dining room. After being seated the wait staff was prompt in taking/delivery pre-meal beverages. Soon after that orders got taking promptly. An appetizer was served that combined grilled scallops, portabella mushrooms on a bed of sauteed spinach and a dreamy drizzle. Very good! The menu was diverse with Asian, American and Italian. I enjoyed a crab cake salad (whole crab cake over a bed of mixed greens, strawberries, walnuts and fruity salad dressing). Again, my meal was delicious. My friend had the fried rice dinner and he enjoyed it. So while I'm giving J. Liu a 3-STAR rating... it's based on only one trip. One or two more and, hopefully, I'll be adding 1 or 2 more stars.
(3)Mike M.
I gotta say, I really like this place. The menu is diverse, there are a lot of delicious healthy entree choices (no, that is not a dichotomy), and all of the food is consistently good. The staff are always friendly and the food gets there FAST. With reasonable prices, a patio in summer, risotto to die for, and great service, what's not to like? Really solid choice.
(5)Lindsay B.
I love J. Liu in Dublin and have been wanting to try the one in Worthington for some time. I finally got my chance when we had our office Christmas party here this year. There were 13 of us and we had reservations in the bar area. I was concerned that we wouldn't have enough room but this place is huge! I really like the atmosphere too. I had the Pasta Diavolo and a diry martini. Both were very good. It seemed like everyone in our party enjoyed thier meals as well. We all had a good time. I hope to go back soon!
(5)EJ B.
Quality everything. Decent happy hour and great waitstaff.
(5)Jay R.
Delicious food. Overpriced.
(3)Steve S.
The good: 1. The food - Jason's asian is excellent and has been in every restaurant he's owned and been chef. 2. Service - always attentive 3. Atmosphere - did a great job with decorating both bar and restaurant are stylish and comfortable. 4. Menu - Undoubtedly one of the greatest range of selections in town. 5. The drinks - good selection of drafts and wines both at reasonable prices. 6. Reservations - I won't wait. Having reliable seating is a major plus. For improvement: 1. The bread - the rolls are wonder bread. Send somebody to the north market or down the street to Chattelaine to get something respectable. 2. The side dishes - too much mashed potatos and unimaginative vegetables. This is not a school cafeteria. Put an asian twist on some of the sides. 3. Seating - Some of the tables and booths are stuck in a corner, behind a wall. Having the group area causes some individual tables to be bad locations.
(4)Mona V.
Girl's Night Out at J. Liu! We had our most recent book club at J. Liu Restaurant in Worthington. It is located in what looks like an old bank building. Once you go inside, it sure doesn't look like a bank building! It is sleek and modern and the place was packed! Three moms hit the bar area in advance of dinner because they were taking advantage of their girls night out! When we saw the menu, it was eclectic with American, Asian, and Italian fare. I ordered Jason's spicy chicken (which wasn't that spicy) which was breaded chicken in a spicy sauce. I thought that it was okay. Valerie ordered the Mala Green Beans from the Asian menu and she thought it was spicy and delish! Amber and Bobbie Jo ordered the Risotto with vegetables and both of them thought it was good-Amber's only complaint was she though the risotto should "spread" on the plate and not stand up like mashed potatoes! Supriya ate the cioppino and enjoyed it with the spicy sauce! For dessert, I ordered the chocolate molten cake and others ordered the cheesecake. Everyone liked the desserts as well! The service from the staff was excellent and all of our food came out in a timely manner! This is a elegant place to celebrate a special occasion or an anniversary! SMAC Approved! Follow us on facebook and read other reviews at our website: smacolumbus.weebly.com
(3)Kelly Y.
I came to J. Liu for my husband's birthday. There were 8 of us and I made a reservation to be able to have a table. They were very busy on a Friday night and our server had a little trouble keeping up. Had a really difficult time just getting a glass of wine. Once we ordered, everything was good. I had the Diver Sea Scallops, which tasted wonderful, and the flourless chocolate cake, again fabulous. By the end of our long dinner, however, my stomach had started to turn. By the time I got home, I was terribly ill for the rest of the night and into the morning. I called in the morning to let the restaurant know that the scallops were bad and the manager didn't really seem interested. He said "ok, thanks. I'll talk to the chef" and that was it. No real apology, no "is there anything I can do", nothing. I am so sad to lose this restaurant as a favorite place in Columbus, and am even more depressed that I may not be able to eat scallops ever again. Good luck if you're headed this way. I've loved it before, but you may be taking a chance.
(1)Richard Y.
Family and I went here for Sunday brunch. Initially, we thought it was a fine dinning establishment because of the exterior decor and the owner is a personal family friend who has an equally fine dining experience as we do. However, we were in dismal because the quality of the buffet was not up to our par and the owner's. The omelettle was over cooked; scrambled eggs were mushy; and crab rangoon over dried. I do know that they have excellent food if you were to order them for lunch or dinner. J. Liu has the best. I was just unfortunate to try his brunch as my first experience. I don't mind eating at this restaurant again as long I'm ordering from a dinner menu.
(2)Jennifer T.
My Husband and I really enjoy J. Liu and go there often. I agree that the kitchen is sometimes inconsistent. Usually my steak is cooked wonderfully and melts in my mouth, one one occasion I have had to send it back for being undercooked. The Lobster Bisque is really good (when done correctly). I have had great luck with the strawberry salad. The bread and dipping oil are also very good here.
(4)Chris C.
Offers Gluten Free Menu... Overall good food! Nice new building as well!
(4)R M.
the best calamari i've ever had in town, it's even better than barcelona! the only problems is the lunch special, braised short ribs in bbq, it was dry tasting and too much tendon for my liking. the service was slow during lunch and the decor is really nice.
(3)Joann M.
We have had our holiday party at J.liu 3 of the last 4 years. Everything was fine in the past, but after this year, we won't be back. Their former Banquet Manager, Todd, always took great care of us with lots of ideas. This year he told us the owner wanted to start covering the overhead of valets so we were charged a room fee. I was a little put off by this, but let it go. Why should we fund your lack of enough parking spaces, especially since the valets that we would be paying for could also be used by restaurant patrons? So we got turned over to a girl named Alexis. I also turned over the details to another committee member. Big mistake on my part had I known what was to come. Alexis was hard to reach, more of an order taker, no ideas or details. And get this no valet on the day of our event. This is where the disaster began. We have many older employees and some had to walk and fend for themselves from blocks away. We had a buffet. The food was dry and over cooked. The side orders were wrong, the type of salad was wrong. Todd always had our salad served individually by stressing this was a classy touch for a nice holiday party. This year not only was the salad wrong but we had to get it at the buffet. I also found the venue to be getting old and worn out looking - dirty elevator, wrinkled linens with spots on them, stained carpeting. The service staff were the only positive experience though they were clearly understaffed for us. We all look forward to a nice treat over the holidays. We'll be looking elsewhere next year.
(1)Dan M.
Average food to below average taste. The restaurant needs some updating. Entrance carpeting is awful! Our bar maid was friendly. Nothing memorable. Would not recommend this restaurant.
(1)Renee S.
(this review is from my friend) I have never been so upset about going to a restaurant in my life. My two friends and I went to brunch at the Worthington location. We had the rudest waitress who demanded our drink order before I even took off my jacket. She never offered to refill my glass, but kept interrupting our lunch wanting to know if we were finished yet. She took away my silverware before offering dessert. A busboy was sent to our table by the manager to see when we were going to be leaving. The restaurant had many empty tables and there was no reason for the rudeness of being asked to leave. When my friend mentioned to the host that we were upset, he dismissed our concerns and just said "thank you." I will never be returning nor will my friends, family, or any of the people who read my review on yelp.com or facebook.
(1)Tom H.
A terrific dish I would recommend to everyone. Medium rare tuna simply grilled with the avocado mash and the forbidden rice. Thanks to Jordan and the fact that they were out of the rice normally used, this combination came my way and was an absolute treat Highly recommend not only this restaurant, but also Jordan. He is knowledgeable and attentive, but not "over the top," providing the right amount of quality service with a great personality
(4)J H.
Business dinner on a weekday night at 8 PM. We were the only table in the place. Service as you might expect was prompt and attentive. The kitchen however failed them. Lettuce wraps with almost no flavor and spring rolls that tasted like something from the freezer aisle at Kroger. Main course of Phad Thai, disappointing. Bland, not spicy, with overlooked rubbery noodles. At least now I know a good alternative restaurant to Bob Evans if my Grandmother is in town and needs bland boring food. This place is all promise and no delivery.
(2)Karen W.
Came here last weekend for a cousin's wedding reception here. We didnt have any problems finding a parking spot close to the restaurant. We were greeted by the hostess when we walked in the door. We had hors d'oerves and drinks while we waited for the bridal party to show up. Very good!! We had the option of a plate with chicken or salmon. I chose the chicken plate for dinner that night. Given that the reception was in the ballroom upstairs, there was plenty of room for at least 200 guests to talk, drink and socialize with one another. The staff was very friendly and helpful. We will definitely go back again!!
(4)Chris S.
My wife, daughter, and I went for dinner and had a good experience. Our server was very attentive overall fantastic. The food was very good. The manager came by multiple times and was very attentive to guests.
(5)Food L.
We had the lettuce wraps to start. The portion was huge, they definitely don't skimp on the amount they give you for that starter. I had the mussels and Fries app as a meal and my husband had the chop house burger. The mussels were prepared very well. The lemon sauce was so delicious. The burger was also unbelievably good. The flavor was spot on and the pretzel bun , beef brisket, were served perfect we would go back just for that!
(3)Mark T.
Is this a joke? The food quality is that of maybe a TGI Fri, but with cost of a high end Chicago eatery (I am in from Chicago for week). Really, really hard to believe this is considered a high end restaurant.
(2)Senie S.
I recently went here for Saturday night dinner with my family after my sister's graduation. I have heard of this place many times and my family has gone a few times as well. There are 2 locations in Columbus and this one is more secluded and easier to get to since it is not always busy in this area. They take reservations and also are great at making sure to get you at a table even if you are too early/ late. This would be a great place to have a dinner with a group as well and they have an area you can do that without bothering everyone else. Great date night place and the food is delicious! A littl pricey but nothing too bad and the quality is worth the price. The waitress we had was younger, in college or high school, so the service could have overall been a lot better for where we were. They appetizers are great for sharing and the portions are great as well. You will not leave hungry and you will be able to get something that will satisfy any cravings you have. The food here is weird and I am not sure what they categorize it at, but I have been to retaurants similar to this one before. They serve both italian and asian dishes. So whether youre in the mood for pizza, pasta, chinese food, or an asian cuisine that is tredning these days you will find it weird. As weird as this concept is I guess it works for the people who do not all want the same thiing at dinner. Would love to go back here again and sit on the patio that is on the second floor!
(4)David C.
This is not exactly the kind of exterior that screams, "Restaurant" when you're driving past. It actually looks more like the bank buildings of its neighbors. Food is decent. Beer options were pretty good. Pricing... eh... a little high for the quality. The dining area was very cold and several in our party were cold to the point of being uncomfortable. Granted, it was very cold outside but they may want to consider doing something to make the indoor environment more comfortable for their guests. Nothing major that was bad here. Nothing major that was special to entice me to come back, either.
(3)George W.
J. Liu round 2: Ok, so a year had passed and decided to give J. Liu in Worthington another shot. I figured, what are the chances that I will have a similar experience? Well... I was mistaken. Let's first focus on the positives: We arrived there earlier in the evening and had found that parking wasn't an issue. In fact, I had ample space to move my large F250 through the parking lot and managed a nice parking spot. However; if it were a busy night, I can foresee myself parking in the grass or something because the parking lot design is still poor. We were immediately seated despite being a little early. Our table was clean and ready for us to begin our dining experience. Here is where the chapters turn. We happen to get the same exact waitress as last time! Still, I thought... what are the chances? She started by taking our drinks, I ordered the Spicy Apple Cider cocktail (very good by the way) and my date ordered a Sprite. During the process of ordering, the waitress interrupted to talk about how much water people were drinking today and began talking negatively about other patrons (about how much water they were drinking). She then left to go grab our drinks. As we waited, we looked around and noticed everyone around us had some delicious looking bread. We both were very hungry, so everything looked appetizing in our eyes. Knowing we were going to order an appetizer, we patiently waited for our waitress. As she returned, she sat our drinks down and began walking away without an acknowledgment. So we caught her before going too far and asked to order the calamari appetizer. About 10 minutes later,she comes back and takes our order. We started to order our food and she quickly stopped us to inform us that they were not offering a "couples dinner" due to the preparation involved. This was odd as we weren't interested in that, nor did we inquire. I ordered the Risotto and my date ordered the Tilapia with a side of beef tips. As she began to place her order, the waitress abruptly interrupted and told her to wait as she wrote it down. I found this very off putting because it wasn't that we just started ordering, the waitress had her pen and paper in hand. Shortly after our order was placed, the appetizer came out. The calamari had a delicious tempura batter served with a sweet jalapeno sauce. It had an excellent flavor and was an appropriate serving size. After we finished, we looked around the room again at the delicious bread that others had. still hungry, it looked better and better with each passing moment. During a span of 20-25 minutes, we interacted with our waitress one time. Finally, about 10 minutes before our food came out, she asked us if we would like any bread while we wait. For me, I think this was implied and didn't know why she would ask. It was indeed as delicious as it looked we went through it too fast (as there were only 4 portions). Our food did arrive fairly timely and it was pretty good. My Risotto was nicely prepared and the scallops were beautifully seared. I wasn't a fan of the raw tomatoes, but each their own. My date enjoyed her Tilapia. It was nicely breaded served with mashed red potatoes and broccoli. She did say that the beef tips were a tad on the bland side, but prepared nicely. Overall, my original review still stands pretty true. Now I will say, if we had different wait staff, our experience could have been better. In fact if I decide to go back and I do get the same waitress, I will ask to be seated in a different area. The food is pretty good, the ambience was nice but the service kills this location every time.
(2)L P.
Just had the BEST seared tuna EVER! Spicy seared tuna over coconut rice with a crab & avocado ceviche and miso drizzle. It was perfection. Great service. Lovely outdoor dining patio. I try pricier restaurants like Alana's (worse service EVER), but go back to J Liu for the best food in town with wonderful service. If you like seared tuna, J Liu is the place for you.
(5)Clay J.
Great Sunday brunch with eggs Benedict, prime rib, fresh salads and more. $19.95 which does include beverage. No military discount but my server was kind enough to provide complimentary coffee in lieu of discount. I would come back. Also had quiet love jazz so atmosphere is perfect.
(3)Heather N.
This is a review of weekend brunch. I will start by say service was great. We arrived right at opening and was seated immediately. We were promptly greeted by the server who explained the brunch options and took our drink order. I will say my water glass was never empty. Finished plates were also cleared promptly. Where this place lost stars was the sub par food. Many of the items you could tell were pre-made and frozen, including I think the whole dessert section. Carved meat station was nice, but doesn't justify the 20 dollar price tag. They do have made to order omlets that I am sure would have been more fresh.
(2)David Z.
Excellent service and a very nice interior cannot make up for really sub par food. I had a crispy chicken salad that was nicely dressed with a bland house made ranch. The chicken seemed to have been a fried chicken breast that may have recently been frozen. A bit dry, but tasted ok. The real problem was the salad itself. Overwhelmingly composed of ice berg lettuce, I was happy to see a bunch of tomato! Too bad the tomato was completely flavorless. You can't sell a $15 salad with bad produce. My wife had the minced chicken lettuce wrap, which came with bamboo shoots and crispy rice noodles. It would have been good had it not been for the overly sweet sauce and dry chicken. The kids menu was a complete after thought. Kraft Mac n cheese with apple sauce from a can. Warmed up frozen mini corn dogs. No sauce, cheese or consideration. One bright spot was that the fruit cup seemed to be made of freshly cut fruit. It almost made up for the sour milk they brought my daughter. It sounds like I am making things up, right? The thing that saved the evening from being a complete disaster was the service. Really attentive waitress and the gentlemen who brought our food was very friendly too. I can't remember if either one asked how the food was. I'm not the kind of person to try to have them fix my poor experience. You get one chance to do it right.
(2)Candace M.
On my own, I probably wouldn't have given J. Liu's a chance. For the price, I'd expect the restaurant to have more than 3 stars. Maybe that's my own bias, but it's true. Columbus has so many great restaurants, and I likely wouldn't have given this one the opportunity to disappoint me. Unfortunately, we came here for a work lunch one day. First, there were absolutely no parking spots available. We ended up parking pretty far away, because there weren't any J. Liu spots, nor were there any J. Liu overflow spots. We had a reservation for 12:30. Our waitress came and started getting us our drinks as we trickled in. Sadly, that was about as attentive as she was the whole meal. I ended up deciding on the chicken fried rice. I figured it was a good choice, simple, satisfying, hard to mess up. And it was ONLY $11 (geez) compared to something like gnocchi which was $15. It was about 1:10 by the time we got our food. And when we did, one of my co-workers' orders was wrong. She had ordered the roasted turkey sandwich, but they were apparently out, so she got the chicken sandwich. She was instead served a crab cakes sandwich. Everyone else's meal was correct. Even the meals that were correct, though, were on the whole pretty disappointing. My fried rice was bland. The chicken tasted of nothing. The rice was okay, but not flavorful at all. There was a weird smell/taste on the rice at the bottom of my dish, maybe it was burned? I would have much rather had Chinese takeout/delivery fried rice. And delivery fried rice would have saved me about $10 (with tip). There was a lot leftover because the portion was admittedly big, but I can't imagine myself revisiting it. A co-worker got the pad thai and it was nearly too hot to eat. Another had to add tons of soy sauce to her stir-fry to make it palatable. Another kept asking for splenda, while another had to keep trying to get a waitress' attention to get an extra plate. Sadly, I think I was right on the mark with my opinion of J. Liu's. The space is pretty and some of the things on the menu looked really good, but with the prices and the service, it's not worth another visit.
(2)Edy D.
I've come for dinner here but rarely lunch. My work group went for lunch the other day and we were impressed right off the bat. We were greeted in the parking lot by the manager valeting our car for free. Our table was all ready in the packed place. The waitress was prompt and attentive. I was most impressed with the managers assisting with serving and the owner refilling water. The food was really fresh and tasty!
(5)Edward E.
I am surprised by the negative reviews as my wife and I have been to J. Liu twice and enjoyed both the food and service. Last night I had the short ribs special- the meat was super tender and flavorful along with delicious mashed potatoes and green beans. Our server was terrific- very friendly and attentive- he clearly understands how to make his customers feel right at home. I very much like the diversity of options and find their prices very reasonable for the quality and portions.
(4)Andrea W.
Reserved a table for brunch to celebrate a birthday. The food was delicious and the service was impeccable! The only disappointment was two members in our party had onions in their omelet -- they didn't request onions. Other than that, we had a good dining experience.
(5)Andrew S.
I wanted to take my wife out for her birthday, and she had been saying for a long time that she wanted to try J Liu. We drive by all the time as we live in the area, and always thought the building looked beautiful. Well my friends, this is indeed the case your lovely short and plumb 1st grade teacher always tells you about, "Don't judge a book by it's cover." I was under the delusion that this place was in some way affiliated with J Gilbert's, which is right down the road. J Gilbert's is a phenomenal high-class experience, which is what I thought we were going to find in Liu's...Not so much. Under the guise of thinking I was going to a top of the line place, I called a week ahead to reserve a table. The second we walked through the door I realized that was a waste of my time and completely unnecessary. About 75% of the tables were empty at 6PM on a Friday. Even though all the nice tables near the walls were open, our reservation landed us smack dab in the middle table with four pull out chairs right next to two families with kids. Nothing against children, but I don't want my night out to be right next to four friggin kids. So we looked at each other and immediately asked to be moved to a booth away from the crowd. Once we were moved we got a chance to look at our coffee/pop/water stained paper menus. Then finally the delightful charm of a burned-out 50 year old angry woman waitress shows up. She would walk by every minute or two while we read our vintage menus to ask "You know what you want yet?" I explained we were in no hurry and wanted to order some appetizers first. We ordered some calamari and pot stickers to start. The calamari only spent about a month in the freezer before being thawed out to a rubbery shoelace texture. There were no tentacle pieces just the gold ol' fashioned rubber pellets. The pot-stickers actually may have just been purchased from TGI Friday's in Polaris. Nothing special, over cooked, bland sauce, just over-all meh pot-stickers. A couple minutes after these superb dishes arrived the "You know what you want"s started up again. My wife had been saying for the past few minutes that nothing on the menu looked appealing. I finally got her to order the "Chicken Milanese" and she added a crab cake side. I ordered the scallops. 10 minutes after our apps came the main dishes were rung-in, cooked, and at our table. Score! There's nothing I love more than not even being half way through my appetizer and having my main entree shoved onto the table. Literally, she moved the appetizer plates over with our entree plates. The chicken dish was essentially Chicken Parm and the crab cake was about 99 percent bread crumb. My scallops were under-cooked and runny. I choked down one of them while questioning if I should be eating a runny scallop. The comic relief was when the manager walked by and asked "How was everything", my wife paused for a few seconds and says "good". The manager goes "Ummmm I sensed some hesitation there, you sure?" We don't complain so of course she said yes, and he just walked right away without trying to see why we didn't seem to be enjoying our food (or time there at all). We got our bill for our nice big night out around 45 minutes after we arrived, I just love a nice leisurely meal. For 3 drinks, 2 apps, and 2 entrees at this over-priced Applebee's we spent about 120 bucks. To think of all the amazing places we could have gone to for that price brings a tear to my eye. We won't be going back there, ever. Fin.
(1)Brittany G.
The ambiance is nice, our server was attentive, but the food was terrible. I had the pork tacos and the only flavor I could detect was cilantro and flour tortilla. I got onion rings as a side and they tasted like fried flour. My husband got the Jason's Spicy Chicken with brown rice. The brown rice came out hard like it had been sitting in a warmer for a whole day. The chicken had little flavor and definitely wasn't spicy. I'm not sure why they are always busy. We will not be returning.
(2)Tonycia M.
I stopped in last Wednesday and was surprised that not only do they offer extended happy hour until 9 p.m. but Wednesdays are also retail wine night! After ordering a glass of my favorite Pinot Noir (meiomi) I decided to order the filet medallions. I was not disappointed, the meat was tender and the red wine demi glaze was just perfection. I would highly recommend stopping in especially on a Wednesday.
(4)Maria S.
My mom had been hyping this place to me for ages, and finally we had a family dinner here. The restaurant is massive, but there weren't a lot of people there when we arrived. It is a cool atmosphere, kind of dark, modern decor. When I asked the gaggle of hostesses where my family might be sitting, I got dead stares from all three, but I spotted my dad's bald head across the room and joined them. My sister had brought her 18-month-old son, which always makes for an "interesting" dining experience. I feel bad for the waitstaff when there is a young child involved because they make messes, whine, cry, etc. My nephew wasn't being really terrible or anything, but I always try to be exceptionally friendly to compensate. In return, our waitress seemed extremely hostile. I thought maybe I was imagining it, so I didn't say anything. A few minutes later, my husband whispered to me, "Why does the waitress keep glaring at us?" So that's a no to the service. I was at least expecting the food to be good, but that was also subpar. I didn't complain while in the restaurant because I didn't want to make waves during our family dinner (and my parents were paying). But blech. I ordered the risotto with scallops. The risotto was undercooked to the point of having a crunch to it (i.e. beyond "al dente"). And the scallops were rubbery. Honestly, I'm not usually one to complain about food, and I thought, again, the fault must be with me. So I got a second opinion from my husband and sister, who both agreed with me. So I'm pretty disappointed. I usually like to give places a second chance if I don't like the food, but I don't know if I would even bother with this place again. For a $20 meal, I was expecting a lot better.
(2)Michael T.
Had Sunday brunch today. Wait staff was good. Atmosphere is nice. Food is average at best. The brunch buffet for 2 adults and 2 children was $105 + tip. I expect much better food at this price. They had a mixture of traditional American style breakfast food and Americanized Chinese food. The breakfast food was about on par with any breakfast buffet. The Chinese food was below what I would expect from a local Chinese take out. I will not be back.
(2)Robert H.
Back for another good lunch at J Liu. This time they had a Hawaiian coconut catfish salad. I have had several salads here, and they are always great. This one came with two big filets that were heavily breaded with coconut and baked. If there were such a thing as "fish candy" this would be it - very rich and sweet. The salad included avocado and pineapple, to add to the novelty. The pineapple was perfectly ripe, soft, and sweet. What a great salad. They have recently added a line of teas from Dublin's Tehku Tea Co. There were a half dozen loose leaf teas to choose from, and I tried one called "my apple pie", which had apples, cinnamon, and camomile. I needed some soothing that day. It had a nice appley taste at first, which turned into a play-doughey taste. I got a second opinion on it, and she confirmed play-dough. Very strange. Not bad, oddly enough, but definitely strange. The waiter was friendly and generally attentive. They were fairly busy that day, and he was a little scattered, but nothing major was missed. A nice lunch, overall.
(4)Sean V.
Sat on the patio at a table for literally 20 minutes tonight without anyone saying a word to me. Even the table next to me couldn't believe it. So, after 20 minutes of being ignored, I walk over to the server, who was chatting with the OWNER of the restaurant at a nearby table. I explain the situation to her, how long I've been waiting without even a simple greet. She was very nice and apologetic, but the amazing part is the OWNER heard everything and didn't even come over to say a word. NOTHING. The food was very average. The portions seem smaller than they used to be. I used to live here and this restaurant used to be much better. It's overpriced for the quality of what you get. The owner obviously isn't interested in guest experience. Really poor experience tonight, although once the server had our attention she was very nice.
(1)Michelle H.
Mothers day brunch, I cant begin to describe our disappointment!! We had a party of 20 mostly adults some children and infants. We had a 2:30 reservation and were seated shortly after. We were seated upstairs which felt like it was 90 ++++ degrees up there. Someone brought us waters, shortly after we sat one glass spilled on our table (our fault)we had used several of our napkins to try and soak up the water as one of the waiters walked by i said we had a spill they said that's the best way to take care of it...never removed the soaking wet towels from our table or ever brought us dry napkins. The food.. when my mother-in law called to make reservations she asked if they were doing breakfast all day she was told yes...Not True! We apparently got there as they were attempting a switch over from breakfast foods to dinner foods which apparently takes some time as i think we were all done with our meals or lack there of before the chafing dishes were even all full if they ever were. They had filled one chafing dish with mala string beans i put some on my plate and as i was telling my mother in law to get some i hear them say this is the last tray take them out so we can take down stairs as there are more people down there... Really does it not matter for the diners upstairs? Several items that were listed on your website for the mothers day brunch were not even on your buffet or maybe they didnt make it out before we left at 4:30 .. such as green bean almondine and chicken bruchetta. Mashed potatoes were cold and underseasoned, shrimp and grits wasnt filled until we were done eating,smoked salmon and bagels nope, soggy crab ragoon, fried rice dont think that was ever filled while we were there. I took a few bites of the spicy chicken and the spice was so concentrated in one bite it was burning the back of my throat and i love hot spicy food but that was just horrible thank goodness the kids barely ate so luckly none of them got any of that! We spent over $500 for barely edible food and lousy service. We have all been frequent guest at J.Liu way back to the day it was jasons. Me doing brunch and many special occasions there with friends and family, my mother in law and her friends meet there once a month i could go on.. We have always highly recommended J.liu and after today that will be highly unlikely! Not to mention half the time people went to get food there were no plates and if their was they were dirty... i emailed the restaurant the same evening we were there and never received a response not even an email.
(1)Zeeshan S.
I wanted to give them 3 stars, I really did. But when your waiter charges the wrong card to the wrong check, didn't check on your table from when the entree arrived to when he asked if we wanted boxes, and messes up your order, you get bumped down a star. The decor was nice, swanky fusion themed place. Pleasant lighting, cool seating, neat artwork. The food options were strange. It wasn't fusion in the sense of an Asian twist on American cuisine, it was simply some Asian dishes and some American dishes. Nothing special or extraordinary on the menu. We tried the crab cakes, just about as good as any standard crab cakes you've had before. Also tried the sesame chicken-not too bad for sesame chicken. Had the Mongolian beef, which was tasty. They skimped on the beef and went heavy on the onions, but this was a smaller complaint of the night. Overall the food was meh not bad, but it's probably not a restaurant I'll be seeking out to eat at again. I would go there again but it's not my first choice for "Asian" food.
(2)Kate Q.
I just left this place without eating the Mother's Day brunch for which my husband made reservations. After waiting 25 minutes for our table, there was no high chair for my toddler (even though we requested one when the reservation was made). The hostess told me I just needed to wait longer. After 35 minutes, we left without eating. One of the valets asked us how out meal was and when we told them we didn't eat, they profusely apologized and told us that they had over 1600 people booked for Mother's Day. Clearly this place can't handle a big day. I find this restaurant disorganized and the majority of the staff to be rude. I used to be a regular customer, but I will NEVER come here again.
(1)Leah M.
Great business lunch spot. Good food, excellent service while giving us privacy.
(4)Teri D.
Need to add more cheese to the blue cheese chips but happy hour martinis are $5. Went here for a big party and I think they were overwhelmed by our numbers. The food was just ok and some people really liked their food while others felt theirs was overcooked. The dining area is all dark wood and elegant as was the bar. Their menu was a bit eclectic to me as they had a bit of everything on the menu from meat and fish to Chinese. I'm not sure I'd go back for the dining room but wouldn't mind going back to the bar area for happy hour. Wouldn't get the blue cheese chips again but the little crab cakes and flatbread pizza were very good - and at happy hour pricing.
(3)Christie M.
We went to eat here for the first time on Saturday around 11:45 AM. We were promptly seated in the bar area. Our server was the bartender and he was very slow in getting to us. There was only one other table in the bar area. Took him about 15 minutes to get our waters, then about another 15 minutes til he came back to take our order. We ordered the soft pretzel sticks as an appetizer and I ordered the Veggie Burger and my husband had Jason's Spicy Chicken. After about 25 minutes, the pretzels came out and they were so hard we could barely chew them. The server brought us out another order several minutes later and they were very good. My husband enjoyed his dinner (the sauce was delicious). My Veggie Burger had absolutely no taste and the bun was burnt. The burger was so thin, it just fell apart. We then had to wait what felt like forever to get our check. When we left there were only two other tables in the bar area. No excuse for the poor service since it was not busy. We were excited to try this place, but unfortunately, were very disappointed.
(1)Nijole T.
Ok ok, I didn't actually eat here, but I wanted to and wound up walking out (though I do see myself giving them another chance) I've looked at their menu online and noticed the prices are better at lunch for the same choices so we made it out here last weekend. I was disspointed to see they only have brunch and no waiters or chefs in the kitchen on the weekends until dinner (yuck, so the food is prepaired before they open at 11 and just left out till lunch is over) I am not a fan of buffet but we asked to look and at $20 per persn I was shocked! It looked disgusting, I mean like golden corral or ponderosa nasty, just with a way smaller selection! We got there shortly before 1pm and nost of the bowls were empty, smeared tableclothes undearneath, dirty serving spoons and what they offered also a crappy selection of what looked and smelled like hospital food. The only thing I could have seen myself eating was the dessert bar, but not for $20. I can only hope their regular food is better since the place is nice looking and has a promising menu.
(2)Shauna S.
Just went here for restaurant week and had a fabulous experience. I was mainly intrigued by the main entree of pan seared salmon with black forbidden rice with sauteed leeks and spinach and a pear ginger sauce, but the whole meal (including salad) was amazing. The atmosphere was relaxing and peaceful and the staff was very attentive and professional. I had an amazing time and would love to go back again!
(5)Christina C.
From an event standpint, J Liu's does it right. I attended a friend's baby shower here and was really impressed with the execution and attention we were provided with. The back room can be set up how you like, and although it isn't completely closed in, it still feel very private. They do minimal decorations, have a big screen TV, and can suggest a customizable menu just for your party. From what I understand all of this is included in a more than reasonable price. Our lunch choices included salmon salad, sweet/sour chicken (yep, J Liu's is an Asian fusion joint), and a BLT & avocado sandwich. But they saved the best for last. Dessert! The options were a decadent cheesecake or a rich, dark chocolate mousse. That mousse was intense, but in the most amazing, too-much-to-handle best possible way. And the presentation in a mini martini glass was just perfect! Our service was incredibly attentive yet not obtrusive. I don't think I ever had an empty glass. I was really impressed by how chic and contemporary the interior was, too. From the outside one might think the inside is a colonial theme or something, but once inside, whoa! It's really beautiful. The best part though was our server offered us a bottle of champagne to use as a prize for our baby shower games!
(4)Anna N.
Delicious Pad Thai when adding shrimp, large portion but so good you just keep eating. The prices are reasonable. The service was ok, our waiter complained about being under staffed which was the cause of that. Overall nice experience and would go back!
(4)Missi T.
Had a good experience here. Service was friendly and fast. I had the medallions which were very delicious. The potato cakes were very delicious and probably the best part. Also had apple crisp dessert. Would give 5 stars but my Dark & Stormy was not that great. Would go again!
(4)David D.
I've been here several times for dinner and once for lunch. The atmosphere is great and the staff is always friendly. I've had several different dishes and most have been great. This time I tried the burger on a pretzel bun. The burger was so soggy I couldn't eat the bottom bun drenched in grease. Definitely go when drinks are on happy hour.
(4)Samantha A.
We like J.Liu for lunch when we're not in a hurry, or happy hour for martinis and appetizers. That being said, the menu is a bit hit or miss, but the daily risotto is usually amazing. So is the calamari and the salmon salad. Try the wedding cake martini!
(4)Anna F.
I've been here several times and the food always seemed just kind of okay, nothing special. The first time I went I got fish tacos. The fish was under seasoned and the sauce on the taco was runny and pouring onto the plate. The last time I went I got grilled cheese and fries for my son. It was good but the fries were frozen. Not fresh cut. That made me sad. The service was excellent though, very friendly. Things that could improve IMO would be less variety/ more specialty on the menu. I'd rather see fewer items, prepared perfectly. I don't think of any specific kind of food when I think of J. Liu. Items prepared fresh instead of frozen. Slightly more attention to quality of each dish. J Liu has a very nice atmosphere and the restaurant was quiet when I went. The seating seemed to be arranged in a manner that was conducive with quiet conversation and noise absorption. No intrusive music. Staff was well dressed and clean. The restaurant was also clean. I was happy with this aspect of the establishment. I may improve my rating after another visit. *edit* I visited for brunch and the waiter was friendly and attentive. The food was quite good and fresh. I don't think I'd recommend ordering off the menu but the brunch selection is worth a visit. As a result, I've decided to up my rating to 4 stars.
(4)Tim T.
My wife and I went here for our 1 year wedding anniversary on 10-22-12 on the recommendation of a friend of mine. When we arrived, there was plenty of parking. When we walked in, we were greeted by a hostess. We told them it was our 1 year wedding anniversary. She seated us in a nice curved seating area, which was really nice! Our server, Rachel, was prompt and very attentive to us. My wife ordered the Apple Soy Flat Iron and a glass of wine. I ordered the Chicken Fried Rice and also a glass of wine. We each sampled each others meal and it was delicious!! As a bonus, the management gave us our dessert, apple crisp, for free since it was a special occasion. We had a wonderful time and great food here! We have since gone to the Dublin location, but found that one to be too small with not enough parking. We will be frequenting the Worthington location more!
(5)KP K.
Great restaurant. Nice atmosphere. Friendly staff. The menu has a wide variety and is great quality for the price.
(4)Kevin H.
For a place that has such a great atmosphere....The Dark trendy bar area , Modern decor and great location .... the food was just mediocre. This place is on the appetizers only list that I'm in the process of developing. The Calamari in Sweet Thai Chili sauce were great as were the Mussels in the wine sauce. I was feeling pretty good at this point. Taking in the scenery. Pleasant wait staff. Old Worthington Charm. All this was cut short by the Szechuwan Beef that was amatuer at best. For them to have a limited Asian selection at a place like this, you would have thought they'd be all home runs. This place served a foul tip at best. Im defintely going back, because the bar area has a feel like the old cooker on 161 / frantz road over in Dublin. One of those places where ...If you didnt know about it you never would. Just appetizers only
(2)S E.
J. Liu tries to appeal to a variety of tastes but our group found the Chinese food sub-par, the Italian food unimaginative, and the American cuisine only average. I was suspicious of the prior reviews concerning the service but unfortunately they were right - the service was bad. Whatever happened to good service when you go out to dinner?!? Seems like they didn't even care that we enjoyed ourselves at their restaurant. We may give J. Liu another try but probably not in the near future.
(1)Mike C.
I ate here for New Years Eve dinner. It was a limited menu probably because of the special night however the food was absolutely disgusting. Before we get to the food let me talk about their Water. The water is very dirty and is in my oppinion undrinkable. The waiter went on to tell is about how it is Worthington water and that's just the way it is. I would definitely recommend the restaurant invest in a water purification system . It tasted like aquarium water . now om to dinner. I had the mongolian beef it was just plain gross. I paid $18 for a bunch of soggy onions and very little beef. The other people in my party were also very disappointed in the menu. You get sub par Chinese food at highend prices. Do yourself a favor and skip this restaurant and go to the Panda inn. Or head over to PF Chang because that is what I expect when I go to eat fancy Chinese.
(1)Rob H.
My lovely wife and I went yesterday evening for our anniversary dinner. Unfortunately, as our meals were delivered, the food delivery guy upended a full glass of red wine all over me. Oops! Well, my attitude is that accidents happen to the best of us - what's important is how the establishment responds to them. The J. Lui's staff handled the situation well, falling all over themselves to apologize - from our server to the hostess to the manager. Dinner was comp'ed, as was my cleaning bill, and a gift card was thrown in for good measure. Thrills and spills aside, the food was excellent. We had a spring roll appetizer, Szechuan combo, scallops, chocolate creme dessert, and of course two glasses of red wine. The atmosphere was pleasant and the prices reasonable for what we ordered.
(4)Rebecca J.
This was by far the worst dining experience I've had in Columbus, and that includes chain restaurants. My boyfriend, who is a chef at a prominent restaurant in Columbus, and I went to J. Liu for lunch today. The restaurant smelled like goat cheese, and the atmosphere was awkward. Before we ordered, we were tempted to leave. We should have listened to our gut. We started the meal off with the lettuce wraps. We were brought a half head of lettuce with brown spots throughout and a gashed spot that looked like the lettuce had been dropped. The server never checked on us and we sat there waiting for someone to attend to us. The manager walked by, and without saying anything, went to the kitchen, got us a new head of lettuce, and said, "This doesn't look right," without apologizing. That being said, the lettuce wraps were fine, on par with P.F. Chang's. For the main course, I ordered the pad thai aka plain tasting noodles. My boyfriend ordered the crab cake sandwich. He could not eat his sandwich, stating that the crab cake tasted like it was cooked on a dirty grill. He picked at his fries. Not once did anyone come to our table to check on us. We sat there for 15 min for our check, and when the waitress finally arrived, she asked my boyfriend if he wanted something else, 45 min after we got the food. Needless to say the crab cake sandwich was comped, and I was pissed off by the whole experience. The manager didn't even come over to talk to us after that. We will never go back here again. I advise saving your $15-$20 per entree on sub par Chinese/Italian food and going to Olive Garden and hitting the drive through of Panda Express for a better quality experience.
(1)Mike D.
I returned a couple of weeks ago to confirm this was a good choice. Consider it confirmed. Continuing to my tour of Columbus spinach and artichoke dips, I tried theirs. It was very thick and creamy -- and very very spinachy. That can be good or bad depending on your taste. I had a lovely pasta dish that was delicious. Their bread and flavored oil is delicious. The ambiance was good. I'll be frequenting J. Liu again in the future.
(4)Anne A.
Great dirty martini. So-so food. The quality does not justify the price. I won't go back.
(2)Ann S.
2.5. We went for lunch and it was us and 2 other tables. The hostess and waitress were indifferent...she wouldn't even look us in the eye when we ordered. Okay. I have to laugh at people who call this place trendy. It looks like it's straight out of the late 80's/early 90's decor wise and I don't even think it's been around that long so not sure why they went with the dated decor. Oh and it smelled like your great grandma's house in there. We couldn't tell if it was the heavy drapes or in the wood or something but there was this smell that you only get in certain antique stores and it's not the good kind of old smell. I ordered the bistro steak and he got the crab cake sandwich with onion strings. The steak was WAY overcooked for medium well; it was burnt. Thankfully some good ol' A1 came to my rescue there. The asiago potato cakes and asparagus were some of the best things I've tasted in town in a while so somehow it slightly made up for the steak being so bad. (Emphasis on slightly) He wasn't impressed with his crab cake and neither was I. The onion rings (strings) were really good though. For now, this place's strengths are its sides. We wouldn't write them off completely but we're in no hurry to go back especially if they don't really care if we're there in the first place. I did hear the pther server being much nicer on the other side of the room and wished we could've moved.
(3)Mrs. D.
We had a family dinner here recently. It was OK. Our server was having some issues. We might have been her first table...EVER. She was so nervous, I felt badly for her. She did make mistakes throughout the evening, but nothing terrible. I hoping she'll get the hang of it, because she seemed very sweet. The food was pretty good. My toddler son, who's a bit picky, ate bites of all of our food! The chicken breast and the risotto were his faves and we enjoyed them as well! Also, the complimentary valet parking is very helpful!
(3)Tom S.
This was a disappointment. The menu looked promising, but performance was lacking. Food is either too rich or over seasoned. The calamari were chewy and swimming in a sauce that was disgustingly sweet. Lobster bisque was salty and fishy - should be neither. Pad Thai seemed to have the same over-sweetened sauce as the calamari. Service was marginal. Poorly trained and scarce. Owner and manager each stopped by table twice apparently for their benefit, not mine. The staff acted like they were swamped, when the place was only 2/3 full. I would not go back when there are so many other good choices in the area.
(2)Walt S.
This review is a bit like skipping a stone. You know there's more beneath the surface but for the time being, take pleasure in what you see. J. Liu R&B in Worthington was nice. Don't let the exterior of brick & white columns throw you off. Inside the decor was, for me, an eclectic mix of Asia-meets-USA. Don't ask..... But its service and food that counts. The hostesses were cordial and eager to seat me and 5 others. Several options to choose from including a bar area, patio and dining room. After being seated the wait staff was prompt in taking/delivery pre-meal beverages. Soon after that orders got taking promptly. An appetizer was served that combined grilled scallops, portabella mushrooms on a bed of sauteed spinach and a dreamy drizzle. Very good! The menu was diverse with Asian, American and Italian. I enjoyed a crab cake salad (whole crab cake over a bed of mixed greens, strawberries, walnuts and fruity salad dressing). Again, my meal was delicious. My friend had the fried rice dinner and he enjoyed it. So while I'm giving J. Liu a 3-STAR rating... it's based on only one trip. One or two more and, hopefully, I'll be adding 1 or 2 more stars.
(3)Mike M.
I gotta say, I really like this place. The menu is diverse, there are a lot of delicious healthy entree choices (no, that is not a dichotomy), and all of the food is consistently good. The staff are always friendly and the food gets there FAST. With reasonable prices, a patio in summer, risotto to die for, and great service, what's not to like? Really solid choice.
(5)Lindsay B.
I love J. Liu in Dublin and have been wanting to try the one in Worthington for some time. I finally got my chance when we had our office Christmas party here this year. There were 13 of us and we had reservations in the bar area. I was concerned that we wouldn't have enough room but this place is huge! I really like the atmosphere too. I had the Pasta Diavolo and a diry martini. Both were very good. It seemed like everyone in our party enjoyed thier meals as well. We all had a good time. I hope to go back soon!
(5)EJ B.
Quality everything. Decent happy hour and great waitstaff.
(5)Jay R.
Delicious food. Overpriced.
(3)Steve S.
The good: 1. The food - Jason's asian is excellent and has been in every restaurant he's owned and been chef. 2. Service - always attentive 3. Atmosphere - did a great job with decorating both bar and restaurant are stylish and comfortable. 4. Menu - Undoubtedly one of the greatest range of selections in town. 5. The drinks - good selection of drafts and wines both at reasonable prices. 6. Reservations - I won't wait. Having reliable seating is a major plus. For improvement: 1. The bread - the rolls are wonder bread. Send somebody to the north market or down the street to Chattelaine to get something respectable. 2. The side dishes - too much mashed potatos and unimaginative vegetables. This is not a school cafeteria. Put an asian twist on some of the sides. 3. Seating - Some of the tables and booths are stuck in a corner, behind a wall. Having the group area causes some individual tables to be bad locations.
(4)Kristen T.
Had planned in coming here for a very long time with my sister and could not have been more disappointed. I was very excited to see a french martini in the menu, usually one of my favorite drinks, but it wasn't fantastic. Our server offered to add more champagne, but that still didn't fix it and I sent it back (something I never ever do). My sister's diet pepsi was flat and the lime in it seemed rotten. Our appetizer of steamed mussels seemed to have grit in them and my sister noted the faint taste of ammonia. Not a place I will visit again!
(1)J M.
Food was good, but service was unfriendly, unsmiling and nonexistent.
(3)Stephanie D.
Went for a buisness lunch today. We were seated quickly and the staff was pleasant. The decor was fine...not sure what the others were complaining about. It was a bit odd tho a nice "fancy" place and they had the paper over the tables. Kinda made you feel like there should be a pail of peanuts to throw on the floor. I got to say tho we wrote all over that paper during our meeting. The food was great! Kinda nice to have an american restaurant where you can get great chinese food!!
(4)Pat G.
Prententious is what comes to mind the minute I walked through the door. It's pricey for what you get. Lot's of standard fare. Bob Evans for the up and comers. Lot's of kids and families. Must be the chicken fingers. Not a place I plan to go back to.
(2)Rob M.
Food was just OK (food was nothing special). would not bother to go back, to many other, and better, places to go in Columbus. Service was very good.
(2)Grant P.
In and out for a quick lunch. They were prompt and genuinely attentive. The pumpkin soup was delicious and the salmon salad was really well done. The salmon was cooked a perfect medium-rare and tender.
(4)Mark K.
Was not bad but not great either. I'm always concerned by restaurants who's menus range from meatloaf to pad thai to spaghetti. Just something a bit like multiple personalities. Maybe it's just my own touch of schizophrenia....who said that?! I was with a large group of 12, we had a reservation, service was great, food was good, overall we had a good time. Recommend if your party doesn't like surprises or like the usual fare. Which is not necessarily a bad thing!
(3)Mona V.
Girl's Night Out at J. Liu! We had our most recent book club at J. Liu Restaurant in Worthington. It is located in what looks like an old bank building. Once you go inside, it sure doesn't look like a bank building! It is sleek and modern and the place was packed! Three moms hit the bar area in advance of dinner because they were taking advantage of their girls night out! When we saw the menu, it was eclectic with American, Asian, and Italian fare. I ordered Jason's spicy chicken (which wasn't that spicy) which was breaded chicken in a spicy sauce. I thought that it was okay. Valerie ordered the Mala Green Beans from the Asian menu and she thought it was spicy and delish! Amber and Bobbie Jo ordered the Risotto with vegetables and both of them thought it was good-Amber's only complaint was she though the risotto should "spread" on the plate and not stand up like mashed potatoes! Supriya ate the cioppino and enjoyed it with the spicy sauce! For dessert, I ordered the chocolate molten cake and others ordered the cheesecake. Everyone liked the desserts as well! The service from the staff was excellent and all of our food came out in a timely manner! This is a elegant place to celebrate a special occasion or an anniversary! SMAC Approved! Follow us on facebook and read other reviews at our website: smacolumbus.weebly.com
(3)Kelly Y.
I came to J. Liu for my husband's birthday. There were 8 of us and I made a reservation to be able to have a table. They were very busy on a Friday night and our server had a little trouble keeping up. Had a really difficult time just getting a glass of wine. Once we ordered, everything was good. I had the Diver Sea Scallops, which tasted wonderful, and the flourless chocolate cake, again fabulous. By the end of our long dinner, however, my stomach had started to turn. By the time I got home, I was terribly ill for the rest of the night and into the morning. I called in the morning to let the restaurant know that the scallops were bad and the manager didn't really seem interested. He said "ok, thanks. I'll talk to the chef" and that was it. No real apology, no "is there anything I can do", nothing. I am so sad to lose this restaurant as a favorite place in Columbus, and am even more depressed that I may not be able to eat scallops ever again. Good luck if you're headed this way. I've loved it before, but you may be taking a chance.
(1)Richard Y.
Family and I went here for Sunday brunch. Initially, we thought it was a fine dinning establishment because of the exterior decor and the owner is a personal family friend who has an equally fine dining experience as we do. However, we were in dismal because the quality of the buffet was not up to our par and the owner's. The omelettle was over cooked; scrambled eggs were mushy; and crab rangoon over dried. I do know that they have excellent food if you were to order them for lunch or dinner. J. Liu has the best. I was just unfortunate to try his brunch as my first experience. I don't mind eating at this restaurant again as long I'm ordering from a dinner menu.
(2)Jennifer T.
My Husband and I really enjoy J. Liu and go there often. I agree that the kitchen is sometimes inconsistent. Usually my steak is cooked wonderfully and melts in my mouth, one one occasion I have had to send it back for being undercooked. The Lobster Bisque is really good (when done correctly). I have had great luck with the strawberry salad. The bread and dipping oil are also very good here.
(4)Chris C.
Offers Gluten Free Menu... Overall good food! Nice new building as well!
(4)R M.
the best calamari i've ever had in town, it's even better than barcelona! the only problems is the lunch special, braised short ribs in bbq, it was dry tasting and too much tendon for my liking. the service was slow during lunch and the decor is really nice.
(3)