Alex’s Bistro on Reed

Sad to see this place close always had good food and loved the duck. Shame also still had Groupon cash

Okay, heard about this place from people around town and finally came on a fluke. Not what I imagined when I walked in but ended up eating outside. Got escargot, good and good prices, can used a pinch of salt on top, I dank the butter sauce, of course! Spinach salad was simple but my kids fought over the simple tasty dressing on the spinach, goat cheese toast with drizzled balsamic was a thumbs up too. Tomato soup was good, nothing extraordinary like I anticipated. French onion soup was great, hearty and perfect crisp cheese on top. Mussels were great! It tasted so fresh my husband who usually loves mussels couldn’t handle it! What? Chicken Marsala, great! I thought the two breasts were going to be dry but nope and the sauce, potatoes and veggies on the plate were ALL delicious! Now I’m saving to mention the beef for last because they were pretty much a thumbs down for us. Got the NY strip cuz cutie pie French server recommended it. Anything he said (with a slight French accent), I said YES to! Anyway, it was grocery grade and overcooked but we ate it anyway. Then the beef stew was the same, the beef chunks were dry but veggies and sauce in it was great!!! Wanted to get dessert but too full! Would have gotten the banana foster! Next time!!!

This gem of a restaurant has been in the Arlington area for many many years and despite the array of new restaurants popping up everywhere, it still holds its own with amazing, creative and innovative food.
Don’t believe me … Try it out!
The décor inside will take you away to some other time or era. Great start for a quite and enjoyable dinner. The bar area, although small, it’s perfect for a drink and good conversation.
The staff is friendly and attentive. They all know their food and drinks as well and their recommendations are spot on!
The food (reason we are here) always excellent and delicious. Wine is a must with any meal here. Chef Daniel certainly knows his stuff as you can see his technique applied on each dish. Go on restaurant week and he will surprise you even further by creating or adding new dishes.
Overall a great experience time and time again. Hope this place sticks around the area for years to come

absolutely horrible. I understand New Year’s Eve is crazy busy. The host said running behind. no problem we sat at the bar for 30min with maybe 15 other people who had already been served and never got acknowledged… nor a drink. Very sad you have 1 80 year old bartender who didn’t pay any attention to us. Will never go back, never got a drink, but the people next to us were refilled with no problem.

Hands down one of my top 5 favorite restaurants in Columbus. I can’t sing enough praises about this restaurant. The food is spectacular, the ambiance is quaint and endearing, the staff is friendly and hospitable… the list goes on.
I haven’t had a dish that wasn’t thrilled with, so I try to change it up every time. The seafood crepes are wonderful and the escargot is a must-​try. And… the crème brûlée… to. die. for. Crème brûlée is my favorite dessert. I wouldn’t call myself an aficionado, but I’ve had my fair share and Alex’s is by far my favorite.
I would agree with some of the other reviewers that the wait can be quite long, but it’s worth the wait. It’s certainly not a restaurant to go to if you’re short on time and patience, but rather one if you have an evening to enjoy your meal. It’s classically French dining… have a glass of wine or two, eat slowly, and enjoy your meal. If you want to fit in a meal then jet off to a movie, this isn’t your place.
A piece of advice — be sure to call ahead of time for a reservation. The interior is quite small and it fills up quickly. Without the reservation the wait can be VERY long and even with a reservation, the wait could be about 15 minutes. I’m glad to wait for an incredible meal as long as you know what to expect ahead of time. Also, it’s a little pricey. Just know what to expect and you won’t be let down.

I came over tonight with a Groupon. It’s always hard to turn one of those down when they’re worth 50% off. So the first thing, i got introduced to their new new owner and chef. He seems like a really nice guy. The sad part is that he brought some of the old staff with him.
So tonight I started off with a bowl of onion soup (soupe a la oignon). It had plenty of onions in it and was served with two rolls that you could tell were homemade.
My next course was a mix of meats and cheeses (charcuterie plat). There were at least a half dozen varieties of cold cuts, mostly sausages, sliced very thin. Very good!
And finally, my main course was boeuf bourguignon (beef stew, in other words. You could tell that this had cooked for hours. It had peas, carrots, onions, and of course beef. And it was too delicious for words!
So the food is great. Lets hope he gets rid of some of the hangers-​on real soon!

First time I ever wrote review but this cried out for it. Service was slow and uninterested. My dates dinner didn’t live up to menu. I had lobster risotto. Ate about ¼ at best. Nearly in edible. Waiter still billed me for total meal and never heard a word from mgt. we eat out often but never again at Alex’s Bistro.

The service wasn’t very good; I got the distinct feeling that they were understaffed and not all in sync. My date and I stood in the doorway for several minutes while staff walked past us, not even acknowledging us or saying things like «be right with you.» For a place that styles itself as a classy joint, this seems particularly offensive. (Oh, and we had reservations.)
The kitchen was backed up; our food took over half an hour to arrive. I mistakenly ordered a dish for my entrée that was actually an appetizer; when I asked the server how long it might take to get another entrée to our table, he said 30 — 45 minutes. The restaurant was maybe half full.
The wine was meh at best; my Sauvignon Blanc and his Pinot Noir both tasted like the sort of wine you’d expect at a large convention – forgettable at best.
The soup special was *delicious*: caramelized onion and roasted garlic, or something like that. The appetizer I ordered thinking it was an entrée was halibut cheeks: $ 26. I mean, come on, it’s priced like an entrée and the words «appetizer» and «entrée» weren’t actually listed on the Specials menu. It *was* delicious, though.
My date ordered the ribeye; the char was a bit high (too much of the burnt carbon-​y taste) but the inside was cooked properly (he’d asked for medium rare; it came out on the rare side of that, but that’s better than the opposite). The sweet potato fries were greasy and soggy; the salt and parsley that they were tossed with went nicely together, though.
To fill out my meal, I ordered the mussels appetizer; the broth was too salty to consume. I abandoned the dish.
We moved on to dessert. We ordered the flourless chocolate cake and the crème brûlée. The chocolate cake was, frankly, an insult; the dish was smeared with vividly red sauce and what looked like honey, and the cake itself was like candy: overly, cloyingly sweet. The texture was too dense. What a disappointment.
However, the crème brûlée was lovely. It performed admirably in the «Spoon Test» (you tap the sugar shell firmly with the back of the spoon; it should crack rather than bend or yield softly). The custard was quite nice also. I don’t know why the kitchen felt the need to adorn the dessert with whipped cream and a sprig of mint; why would you pair whipped cream with a custard dish? And why the mint, when the dish itself has nothing to do with mint?
I expect an upscale French restaurant to know how to garnish dishes, and to know that a garnish must inform and be informed by the actual dish, and if that makes me a snob, okay. Sticking whipped cream and a sprig of mint on something as a sort of default garnish– please don’t.
Our bill was $ 110 (before tip). Was that exorbitant? No, given that we’d ordered: 2 glasses of wine, 3 appetizers (including one priced like an entrée), 1 entrée (steak), and two desserts.
But was it worth it? No.
I had hoped that Alex’s would be the kind of food that would make me, for a moment, not miss being home in San Francisco, but that was not the case, alas.
But, to recap the *good* stuff:
* delicious soup du jour
* the crazy-​expensive appetizer was also delicious
* the steak was not over-​cooked
* and I’ll add that the music was pleasantly inoffensive and in the background; it was very nice not to have to shout to be heard.
We will not be returning.

Revisited Alex’s just the other day and was greatly disappointed by what I encountered. Although chef/​owner Daniel displays skill and a great understanding of flavors and presentation, the quality of ingredients used are very poor. For example, the New York strip is CAFO choice grade grain fed and the shrimp is farm raised. A restaurant such as Alex’s that presents an image of fine dining should be using only organic and natural ingredients. $ 29 for beef that you can by at Giant Eagle is shameful. The desserts are Cysco crap. I really hoped to support this place, but until things change, I’m going to spend my money elsewhere.

I have dined at Alelx’s many times, both lunch and dinner, and have had an excellent meal each time. Alex himself is usually cooking, and he frequently comes out to see how you like the food. My favorites include lamb shanks, various fish preparations, Caesar salad, filet mignon, French onion soup, and all the desserts are delicious. Alex’s Bistro has my kind of ambiance. You can actually have a conversation in here! I have hosted a couple of showers here because I love the food, and the ambiance is perfect. Needless to say, I highly recommend Alex’s Bistro!

I love Alex’s Bistro. A gem hidden in UA under the guise of an old strip mall.
You wouldn’t know it from the outside, but the inside ambiance is quaint and intimate.
The food is flawless typically. A lot of effort, heart and soul seems to go into preparing every meticulous dish that comes out of la cuisine.
The service is sometimes slow if they are busy. That’s OK though for this environment, you are supposed to sit back, relax and enjoy yourself. But a couple of times it has been painfully slow. The quality of the food quickly makes up for that.
Bön appétit!

Alex’s is a hidden gem, a French-​Italian fusion restaurant. Small inside but a decent sidewalk side patio in warmer weather. Good for a date when you just want something quietly excellent. I had the stuffed chicken… Italian classic but the French twist was the Brie cheese inside. Complimentary rolls were fresh from scratch and my hubby raved about them. Wasn’t super thrilled with by the wine options… Price skewed high. Lowest end by the glass was about $ 8.

Somehow, my husband and I seem to find the best places to eat when we’re not looking for it.
We went out on a «date night» and had planned to go to a Caribbean restaurant. Well, we got there, and it was gone. So we happened into Alex’s at about 9 PM. We got seated immediately, and that’s when my love affair with Chef Daniel began. :)
We are now «regulars» there — at least once a week. I can comfortably say that I’ve tried just about everything on the menu, and it’s all been amazing. Never once have I gotten something that just made me go «eh, that’s not his best work». The food has always been expertly prepared, beautifully presented, and amazingly delicious. There are specials every night, and unlike other restaurants that have a «special» to clear out unwanted food … the special here at Alex’s is whatever looks best to the Chef that day. Try the Lamb Chops — they’re fabulous.
One of the best hidden gems here — the soup. It’s the running joke with our usual servers (I just love Tommy and Dawn) that I’m the soup junkie. Chef always makes the best soup — flavorful, smooth, and fresh. I usually get a bowl as an appetizer, and then have them pack up a bowl for me to carry out for my lunch the next day.
I’ve noticed that they’re much more crowded lately, which is good. I hope that a new generation of folks discovers this place, because it’s quite delicious. Make reservations on weekend nights, but you should be OK as a walk-​in during the week. And look for my husband and I — we’re usually in the booth in the corner.

Alex’s Bistro is excellent. It’s too bad it’s nestled in a strip mall and that somehow it seems like no one has heard of it. It’s fantastic.
The atmosphere is delightful, and, according to people much more acquainted with France than I am, feels straight out of Paris. It is small and for that reason never feels crowded or too loud. The service is always good.
I’ve been to Alex’s for dinner once and lunch several times. The Chicken Marsala is excellent, the first time I came, my uncle got a dish called Chicken Emince. It was incredible. I haven’t seen it there since, but I hope one day I do!
I also got the Seafood crêpe once. I don’t think I’d get it again, mostly because I think I’ve slowly come to realize I don’t really like seafood. I remember being confused at why I didn’t want to eat my leftovers, because it is a very well done dish. Excellent.
I came for dinner a few weeks ago. A friend and I essentially shared two appetizers and entrees. We got the escargot and mussel appetizers. The escargot were on mushroom caps instead of in shells. They were alright. At least we didn’t have to deal with getting them out of the shells! But the mushroom caps didn’t add much.
The mussels were incredible. They were in a white wine butter sauce that also had a little bit of jalepeno, which added a little bit of a kick — really excellent.
I got an evening special — Chilean Sea Bass over sauteed zucchini and tomato risotto, my friend got a lobster risotto. We both tried each others entrees, and we each preferred our own, so we just ate our own instead of sharing. The lobster risotto had a hint of soy sauce that I very much appreciated. The sea bass was good, I loved the zucchini, and the risotto had a hint of wine which really helped tie all the flavors together. I was very pleased with my entrée.
I highly recommend Alex’s. The food is excellent, the atmosphere is nice, and it’s a local restaurant. Bön appetit!

Went on July 9^th with my friend David R. We were given a Living Social/​Goupon by a friend. I am not working right now, and David has early retirement, and is underemployed. We took advantage of the $ 40 certificate.
We started with the Mushroom Brochette, it was so good and their rolls w/​butter. We practically fought over the last bite.
I had the Crab cakes, which came with rice pilaf, and broccoli rabb w/​cherry tomato. David had the stuff roasted chicken breast over pasta. We had to constantly taste each others food it was so good.
They were out of the choices of desserts we wanted so we had a cup of good strong coffee with cream since the night was young and we were on our way to another event.
Our wait person was kind, attentive and generous. She kept us topped off with water and coffee, and attended to our every want… we did tip her well.
Our check came to a little over $ 50, but praise God for the $ 40 certificate which left us to pay only about $ 10 plus the tip. Life is good when one can eat rich on very little money.

This isn’t a well written review. I apologize for that up front. It is, however, a very positive review. I came here for dinner the other night and it was fantastic. A little understaffed, but the food was great. Old French style cuisine in a comfortable, if not extravagant, atmosphere.
I tried Escargot for the first time here, prepared very well and with plenty of butter. It was surprisingly tender. My Lobster Ravioli was perfect! Just the right amount of cheese and butter, not drowning in it like normal. My Flan was wonderful as well and a good price ($ 4). The drinks were excellent and prepared by someone who wasn’t 80+ like some other reviewers suggested. (Though as I understand it, Ben only bartends Wednesday nights. Go see him, he was great! Absolutely the PERFECT Manhattan!)
All in all, this was an excellent meal and one that fits the criteria of a splurge night!

There are certain times where you can look back and pick out the distinct places and times where you expanded your culinary horizons. Alex’s Bistro has a special place in my heart for that. When I was a young, impressionable 17 year old, I was strongly encouraged by Alex to try sweetbreads here at the Bistro. The name sounded alright to me, but I made the mistake of asking what it was. Glands, really? You could imagine my reluctance. But Alex and two regulars assured me that I would really like it, so I tried them. How surprising! It wasn’t at all ‘icky’ or ‘strange’ but had such a new taste and texture (OK yes, like a really delicious chicken nugget). Here began my obsession with French cuisine.
So on a recent evening when I was in the area, I thought I would check in to visit one of my old culinary stomping grounds.
Alex’s is practically a regulars-​only type of joint. If you walk in and you’re not a regular, it’s going to be immediately obvious. Fortunately, they are quite welcoming of these outsiders.
Alex’s Bistro is really French. Super French. It would be completely cliché if it weren’t just like a bazillion places in France. Alex himself is originally from the South of France and he is quite the business owner, constantly making the rounds (he’s no longer in the kitchen unless they’re between chefs) and chatting with the regulars.
The bartender is originally from DaVinci’s which was across the street at one point. She brought even more regulars over with her when it closed. And, gosh, how do I say this tactfully? Well, the good thing is that she mixes strong drinks and gives generous pours of wine. It’s just that you might not get the right drink the first time around. You might get a half full glass of someone else’s soda water. You’ve been warned.
I whole-​heartedly recommend Alex’s for a positively French meal or drink at the bar. You will be in store for a meal replete with butter, garlic, herbs and all kinds of comforting French touches.

The food here is nice. It won’t knock your socks off with its creativity, but it is fresh, bistro-​style, properly if not masterly prepared French style cuisine.
I’ve had especially delicious lamb, served with heavenly fried mashed potato balls. They were so light it felt like they would deflate with the approach of my fork– but still full of rich buttery flavor.
I’ve also had pasta with sun-​dried tomatoes and seasonal mushrooms that was just the right balance of creamy and bright, and a lightly fried fish with a lemon caper sauce that I would definitely order again.
The seafood crêpe is a decadent option if you are feeling like warming up your belly! (I would need Tabasco, but am ashamed to ask so don’t order it).
I have to admit though– the main reason I like this place and my rating is the slightly outdated French Bistro ambience that plays to all of the old French movies I watched in my pretentious College days. I’m always expecting a man in a grey trench and fedora to slide in next to one of the restaurants other patrons, have a ‘conversation’, and then slide out while extinguishing his cigarette out in the guys wine glass. (As an example of pretentious movie reference– see Le Samourai)
Some of the wait staff are heavily accented, pencil mustached, middle aged French guys, and some are local high school girls named Brandy. All are perfectly suitable, if some better fitting to the story you’re painting inside your head than others.
Recommended on rainy evenings.
In all seriousness– this is also a great place to take someone out to a nice dinner (grandparents?) who isn’t particularly adventurous– but you want to avoid chains or are tired of italian.

«Yay! I’m a fan» … but you may not find the qualities of this place so endearing.
First of all, French– yes! But in that old kind of way. By «old» I mean the clientele and staff age demographic is pretty much 80+. And by French I mean soaked in butter.
Alex’s Bistro is getting such a high rating from me because the joint is steeped in nostalgia for me. It’s very close to my parents’ house, and I used to feel important ordering in French back when I was 12.
Props for being located in a strip mall, but forgetting all about that fact once you’re inside. It really *does* remind me of an authentic, suburban, neighborhood french café. C’est vrai!
PROS: I’ve seen Jim Tressel eating there twice. He lives nearby.
CONS: Keep an eye on the geriatric bartender, she might switch your water with the soda she’s been nursing all night.

Got sick about 1.5 hrs after eating the seafood crepes.