Polaris Grill

Excellent service. Great atmosphere. Top notch food. The medallions are fantastic. The prime rib is very good and the house salad is one of my favorite salads ever.

Great Sunday brunch. Fresh, light, flavorful. Check out the Pane de Grill appetizer!

Polaris Grill earns its’ four star review. Came in here for an early dinner on a Friday night with my parents. We chose to sit at a booth in the bar area as we were having a more casual dinner. We ordered a round of drinks; including their house Pinot Noir and a Manhattan with Makers. All of the drinks were good and had us having a second round. As an appetizer we ordered the spinach and artichoke dip. My parents really enjoyed the dip. It came with some bread and also with some very fresh chips. I wasn’t a huge fan of the dip as it was a little too thick for my liking but that is just preference. For dinner I ordered the appetizer crab cakes and the shrimp cocktail. Both were wonderful! The shrimp cocktail comes with about 8 fairly large shrimp and the crab cake comes with two cakes on top of a wonderful sauce. My parents ordered the 55 salad, the chicken chili, and a fish entrée. Both of them were pleased with their meal as well. The service wasn’t bad nor was it outstanding. She came around enough to keep us from noticing bad service but did not go out of her way either. I assume this was because we were in the bar and service is not why you sit at a bar. All in all it was a very good experience with great food. Would highly recommend and hope to be back when next in town.

One and Done. The food was OK and the décor was boring like a cookie cutter house in the suburbs. My company paid for the tab so that was that. We got a few apps and main dishes I remember not being anything special but then again I live downtown where for the same price the value is completely different.

Oh, goodness. Josh and I went there yesterday (11.01.15) for our 17^th anniversary. It was pretty early in the afternoon, and there weren’t many people there. We felt special going somewhere with actual fabric napkins, haha. It was very cozy, and the ambiance was really lovely. I got the Parmesan Chicken, with a side salad, and he got the Butternut Squash Soup to start and the Tomatoes and Basil chicken entrée. We didn’t get any alcoholic drinks, though we both really, *really* wanted to. The starters came quickly, and they were beyond excellent. Our waitress (I am so sorry I’m terrible with names) listened to my questions, and had a knowledgeable familiarity with the recipes. The herbed bread and basil butter were delicious — I could’ve eaten more, and probably should have asked, haha. The entrees themselves were really, really tasty. I wasn’t thrilled with the vegetables, but that’s my fault for not asking for a substitution. The zucchini risotto is the best I’ve ever eaten. We shared a piece of pumpkin bread pudding for dessert. We both took about half of our dinner home with us — the portions are pretty large, and not at all what I expected at ‘a fancy restaurant’. I believe it was worth every penny.
As an aside, Josh mentioned that we were there for our anniversary to the hostess, and before we left we received a bottle of the 55 salad dressing as a gift. It was totally unexpected and brought tears to my eyes. Thanks, guys.

Just tried brunch here today for the first time. I am giving two stars because I just did not enjoy my experience here and this is why:
First of all they were very accommodating with our reservations that kept changing. I appreciated that because other places may not have been.
The service though? Not so great. I realize we were a larger party (12) but we still do deserve good service. It took a great deal of time for everything to get served from drinks to food. Also the server just wasn’t super nice.
Side note — they knew we were here for our brunch after our wedding yesterday. That should maybe get you a little better, but oh well.
The food was just ok. It was honestly rather overpriced for what it was. My food tasted good, the server mixed up my side also, but it certainly didn’t taste as much as it cost.
Other people in the party liked their food a little better so I’m going to say maybe I got the wrong thing, but still overpriced.
Will I come back here? No probably not. There was nothing here that made me want to go again.

Was in the area for a conference and the concierge suggested the Polaris Grill as a dining option. This place of dining was fancier than what we were seeking, but glad that we chose to dine here. The server was very polite and patient with us as we took some time to order. We had the spinach artichoke dip and it was very good. The speed of service was exceptional and our food was wonderful. I would highly recommend the lamb chops! They were incredible. Would be a great date night choice !

Apparently the other whining, complaining reviews are almost exclusively about brunch. I’ll never understand people who expect perfection from All You Can Eat…
We had dinner, and as such had a very fine meal, excellent service, delicious food and well made drinks.
If you’re a Columbusite «of a certain age», then Polaris Grill is a walk down memory lane — reminiscent of Fifty Five Restaurant Group.
We had excellent margaritas, some delicious bread, Aztec Chowder, a Fifty Five salad and Cajun Chicken Penne with Tasso Ham.
Simply outstanding.
Loved the restaurant. Will be heading back soon…

I ate here yesterday evening as a part of a large group. We had made reservations and they had everything ready when we arrived. Staff was extremely friendly and service was very good. We ordered a variety of appetizers and they were all excellent. The 55 salad was also very good. I liked the menu selections and chose the halibut. Outside halibut I have eaten in Alaska this was the best I’ve had. Sides were also very good. I got to see several of the entrees ordered by others in our party and everything looked excellent and all I heard were very good comments about the food. Only downside I see is the location within all of the traffic of Polaris. Amongst a lot of establishments that tend to look very much the same this one stood out to me as a notch above the rest.

Last night’s dinner was the Tournedo (that’s not a typo) Polaris with the 55 House Salad and a few drinks. The 55 House Salad dressing is as good as people say. Hard to identify, it’s like a ranch/​italian. The bread service while not a make or break thing when dinning out was poor. I prefer warm fresh baked bread, this was not that and the garlic butter was also lacking. The main course was average, nothing special. An average experience hence the average score.

Fantastic restaurant! Great service. Try the Louisiana chicken and shrimp for entrée lunch or dinner.

Went here with a large group for brunch. Server had a great personality. Ordered an omelet which was ok… not fantastic. Asked for several hollandise sauces on the side. It was good but not enough of it. Could of used more. Really pricy for 2 people. Even tho I know one of the owners, I cannot afford to eat here often. May be back someday for lunch or dinner for special occasion.

To be fair, I was there during restaurant week. I enjoyed the price fix menu, 55 house salad, prime rib with baked potato and veggies, and key lime pie for dessert. Food was good, but our waiter thought he was a comic waiter. It all fell flat. If we would have been paying full price, I would rate this place 2 stars based wholly on service. The service culture appeared to be more like a sassy Applebees — not the expectation at those prices and for the atmosphere they appear trying to acheive.

Father’s brunch buffet was Ok. It wasn’t to die for and not disappointing, so somewhere in between. The restaurant inside is classy. Lined tables with white linens and well dressed severs. This was my first experience here. We came with my sister and her family that have dined here before. They had a good experience and wanted to give this a shot for brunch.
The food selection was limited and the price was high. Drinks were separate. Brunch was omelets, waffles, eggs Benedict with bacon and sausage. Lunch included prime rib, fried and baked chicken, smoked WHOLE salmon (head and all on display!) And some sides to compliment. The dessert station was the size of a long card table with a chocolate fountain. A few pies and cakes to choose from. To note, the server staff was great.
Overall I was not impressed but left satisfied. I will give them a try for dinner but not to another brunch buffet.

Walked in after traveling all day and thought I might be under dressed… not a bad thing but we were welcomed like family. We were seated close to the bar so the bar tender served us. It wasn’t busy but she seemed to have forgotten about us a couple of times BUT since my meal was so DELICIOUS I don’t even care! The problem is that I don’t live in Columbus and now I can only dream about my crab cakes, potatoes and veggies until I can visit again. Until then… I miss you!

In all honesty, I was underwhelmed with both the food and the service. To start with, our waitress greeted us before we even had time to sit and asked us if we were ready to order less than 2 minutes after that. The 55 salad is quite good and the habanero pork chops were okay — though not at all spicy as one might logically expect given its name. The grouper sliders were not enjoyable at all. They somehow managed to make a typically delicious fish completely unpalatable. The service was spotty, our waitress had a table of family or friends nearby that was clearly her priority and it was a bit uncomfortable watching her socialize as our dining needs were unmet. Finally, we asked someone at the hostess stand if she could take our picture and she declined as she proceeded to take a call and leave us waiting for someone to be kind enough to take a photo. I wouldn’t come back.

First time to this establishment as I’ve been wanting to try this for years. My hubby and I decided to give it the good old college try. First up we get bread with an herbed butter. It’s pretty unremarkable except for a few bites of herb here and there. We ordered drinks I opted for an iced tea and my other half got a glass of Los Clop Pinot noir. I then ordered the shrimp cocktail as an appetizer since I love to try new places calamari or shrimp cocktails my faves. The cocktail sauce could use some more horseradish in my humble opinion. We then discover they have a special three for $ 28 with a starter entrée and dessert. My hubby ordered the chicken crawfish gumbo to start the blackened chicken cheddar cheese grit cake and fresh veggies and for dessert the pineapple upside down cake. I ordered the 55 salad filet mignon with baked potato and fresh veggies and cheesecake for dessert. Word from the other half is the gumbo was well seasoned and had nice chunks of chicken and crawfish. My 55 salad was pretty tasty as I enjoyed the dressing immensely that also had baby lettuces tomato red onion bacon bits and blue cheese crumbles. My filet was cooked perfectly and was very good with the sauce that was on it, however my veggies were bland and contained broccoli carrots cauliflower and zucchini. My baked potato was perfectly baked also. My partner said his dish wasn’t blackened just seasoned but he enjoyed it along with his cheddar grit cake but he had the same boring veggies that I had. For dessert the pineapple upside down cake with vanilla ice cream was very good and the cheesecake was just well kinda ordinary. All in all we’d go back especially because they have a great deal for restaurant week next week.

The Polaris Grill has been a Columbus area restaurant for many years. It has always been a special treat to visit. As a long standing business in the Columbus area, it becomes a place where you develop fond memories with all the special occasions.
I recently took a friend out to celebrate a birthday. The Polaris Grill provided the same great atmosphere, service and food that I have come to expect. The restaurant is very easy to see as you are headed north bound on I-​71 and taking the Polaris exit. Maneuvering to access the restaurant is not as obvious, if you are not familiar with its location. Signs are not as prevalent and its standalone building is tucked behind a hotel.
I too love their 55 Salad. This is the same salad from the ol’ 55 restaurant days. I have been a fan of it for years … baby lettuce topped with real bacon, blue cheese, tomato and onion … what really makes the salad is their dressing. Others love their Aztec Chowder, but it is a bit spicy for my taste.
The service was spot-​on. From the front reception to our server and all the other staff, the team was attentive, upbeat and professional. Our waitress was quite engaging and ensured everything was going well without being overly obtrusive. The dining room’s ambience is contemporary. Lighting was lowered but not so much that you could not read the menu’s. There were two specials for the evening … a pecan encrusted sea bass and a 14 oz prime rib. We jumped at the options for the specials as they sounded so tempting. I’m glad we did. Both dishes were prepared well, tasty and very satisfying meals! I know I will be back again.

The Polaris Grill is the bees knees.
It is close to home. Locally owned and operated and delicious. Every time I visit I wonder why I don’t go more often.
What I love:
The Gumbo
The 55 salad with amazing house dressing
Awesome Bloody Mary’s
Brunch
Chicken and Tasso penne
What I like:
The service is consistently good but I’ve had a few below average experiences.
The patio is fun but a little too close the the freeway.

This is a great restaurant when you’re looking for a nice, quiet place to eat. I’ve been here for both lunch and dinner and have always enjoyed my meals. My most recent visit was on a Friday night. We had reservations but probably didn’t need them although the restaurant was starting to get a little crowded by the time we left. The service was excellent — our waitress was attentive without being too intrusive. My wife and her mother had the 55 Salad (one of their special dishes and a throw back to the old 55 Restaurant chain) and the Maryland crab cakes. I had the Aztec Chowder with the Walleye Amandine — everything was excellent. The crab cakes had lots of crab and little filler, the 55 Salad is still great. My walleye was cooked perfectly and the Aztec Chowder has always been one of my favorites.
Polaris Grill is priced above your run-​of-​the-​mill casual restaurant (like many of the choices on Polaris Parkway) but it’s less expensive than some of the high end steak houses also found on Polaris. It’s a little more of a «finer dining» place than many of the chains along Polaris Parkway.
Good choice if you’re looking for a nice, quiet place and a good meal.