FOODIE ALERT! If you guys loveee food as much as I do than this post is will be a special treat for your palette. One of the many things I’m learning to love about Columbus is the endless amount of REALLY good restaurants. On my quest to conquer Columbus, I knew a good portion of my time here will be spent eating (let’s face it, food makes everything better). Now I’m not saying that I eat out all the time…the Igbo woman in me hates spending money and enjoys a homemade pot of Ogbono and Eba every now and again LOL but occasionally, I do appreciate the stress-free nature of restaurants especially when paired with good service and bomb ass entrees! This past weekend, I headed out to J. Alexander to see what the hype was about.
Alexander’s is a modern American restaurant, known for its wood-fired cuisine. It is a stylish number, with beige geometrically tiled floors, providing a contrast to the restaurant’s dimly lit and modern interior. J. Alexander’s exudes comfortable and contemporary casualness, and has a menu filled with American classics. Located in the heart of Easton Mall, it is neighbors with BJ’s restaurant, which I also (review coming soon).
The weather was absolutely perfect so we sat on the patio. Plenty of space and large round tables made enjoying the 3-course meal that would soon come more enjoyable. We started out with a round of drinks, nothing better than an iced cold Mojito and Heineken (for le boo) to start the meal off right. We ordered the Steak Rolls ($10.00) as a starter and O..M..G! Honey chile, these starters were to die for! It comes with 6 rolls, each packed with fatty meat and juicy flavors. The Chimichurri sauce and spicy Ranch dressing paired nicely with it.
Instead of spending a ton of money on another round of cocktails, we thought it would be best spent on a bottle of wine (more BANG for ya buck). J. Alexander’s has a pretty decent 20 for $20.00 wine list. We ended up with the Château Ste. Michelle Riesling. As a wine enthusiast, I can’t pin anything spectacular or noteworthy about this wine. If you want something basic and pairs well with pasta, fish, or anything not too heavy, this isn’t a bad option.
Our entrées were equally as good as the appetizer. I had the Rattlesnake Pasta ($15.00)…no no no, there was no rattlesnake in the dish (I’m not that adventurous). Imagine Chicken Alfredo made by Beyoncés chef; exactly! It was bougiefied and delicious! Loaded with southwestern spices, rainbow peppers, and chicken, it was damn good! Mr. Man had the Cajun Trout ($16.00). It came paired with Brown Rice and Southern Cole Slaw. You know I had to have a bite and again, more dying and more deliciousness. The large sized trout was perfectly charred and grilled on their wood-fired grill and seasoned to perfection with Cajun spices. The Cole Slaw was a great balance to offset the heat of the trout (literal heat, the trout wasn’t spicy at all…well by my standards it wasn’t hehe).
By this point, there wasn’t much space left for desert but hey GO BIG OR GO HOME. We ordered the Crème Brûlée, honestly the highlight of the entire meal. Guaranteed to have a food orgasm after just one bite. I would go back solely for this desert. Topped with mascarpone and fresh fruit, seriously a review won’t do it justice you have to experience it first-hand.
The service was incredible. Do you know how hard it is to find good service and good food these days? I wish I could remember the waitress name but whoever you are, girl keep doing whatchu do! She wasn’t over the top, over bearing, or overly pushy. She gave us just the right amount of attention throughout the entire meal. Pretty impressive if you ask me being as though we were seated outside away from majority of the mid-afternoon, post-church going traffic.
We were BEYOND satisfied with the quantity and quality of food that we ordered. Everything was really delicious and far exceeded my expectations of this restaurant. J. Alexanders is a sleek, well-tuned affair with excellent food and service.
SUMMARY INFORMATION:
Likes:
- All of the food was delicious, particularly the Steak Rolls (FULL of flavor)
- I adored the Crème Brûlée – it had a beautiful texture and flavor.
Dislikes:
- 20 for $20 wine selection could be better, but I’ll survive.
Food rating: 4/5
Service rating: 4.5/5
Prices: About $35 to $45 a head (price based entrée and either drinks (2) or appetizer)
Website: http://www.jalexandersholdings.com/
I recommend giving this restaurant a try if there’s one near you. Drop a comment below and let me know your experience!
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