The Walrus

Fantastic food, very vegetarian friendly. I got the sweet potato tacos, they were delicious. The happy hour is half off all draft beers… Amazing! Would recommend and will be back.

We had been looking forward to trying The Walrus. The menu sounded great. The vibe of the place is good. The beer selection is good… BUT…
I’ve been twice now, but only actually got a table once. The first time we went was a weeknight, there was no one waiting, so we put our names in. We were told something like 20 – 30 minutes. That time came and went, and about 45 minutes later, and still no space in the main dining area, they offered us at a table back by the bar directly in front of the speakers of the band that was playing. We were more than irritated, so we just left.
The second time was this past weekend. We drove by, no one waiting, and plenty of open tables. We were really excited to finally try it! We went in and they told us it would be about 45 minutes. Again. The hostess advised us that they take reservations, and that’s why there were all the open tables. That’s fine, I can live with that. After about 40 minutes, there were still open tables. We had a party of 7, so we tried to be patient. The tables that were occupied were mainly just people loitering. Leftovers boxed up, not ordering drinks, just being inconsiderate of anyone else that may want to get a seat. SERIOUSLY PEOPLE, STOP DOING THIS! If you’re going to sit around and take up space, at least order some beers/​drinks. This is no fault of the restaurant.
After about 75 minutes, we were finally able to get a seat. As mentioned previously, they’ve got a great beer selection and decent drink menu. The food menu sounded amazing. We were all anxious to finally get some food! We ordered the deep fried deviled eggs, and they were pretty tasty. However, at $ 8, getting 3 was pretty disappointing. Not to mention awkward AF when sharing. I had the lobster mac & cheese, my wife had the lobster rolls, friends had the sweet potato tacos & the short ribs. The lobster mac was a huge disappointment. It was very bland, the lobster was overcooked and pretty fishy tasting. The lobster rolls were just OK, at best. My friends with the sweet potato tacos said they were bland as well. The short ribs were the only thing that got a good review from our group.
All in all, I don’t know that I need to come back. I know that if I do, I’ll DEFINITELY be making a reservation.

This is a place that I’ve been excited to try since they opened. I check out reviews and menus before trying a place and their menu looks amazing.
The first attempt was a random Thursday night around 8:30 or so. It was super crowded and they had a band with really bad acoustics. They would not quote us a time on how long it would be so we left.
The second trip there was this past weekend with 6 others. It was a Saturday night and looked promising as there were several open tables. Not so fast… They take reservations so they were holding all of them. We were told it would be 35 – 45 minutes. We decided to wait. Over an hour later, we were seated. We were all pretty mad at ourselves for not going somewhere else so no one was really feeling the place by the time we sat down.
Dinner was ordered. The deviled eggs for the appetizer were very good! All enjoyed them. But when meals came out, only 2 of the 7 of us thought there food was delish. No one thought it was bad, but we all had the same complaint– it’s bland! Every person had a different entrée but same issue. Not much flavor. I had the lobster roll and was not impressed. I tried the lobster Mac as well and it was meh. Same for the grilled cheese with bacon and sweet potato tacos.
Overall the place is cool, pain in the butt to get into, meh food, meh service, and a decent drink list. Probably have no need to return.

Another brunch date courtesy of Grandma and Grandpa’s babysitting services. My husband really enjoyed the atmosphere here — I suspect he would be back a lot more if he didn’t have a two year old and one on the way. Lots of good beers to choose from, lots of TVs to watch (although there was no soccer) and some interesting food to eat! We got the deep fried deviled eggs, the «El Morsa» and the candied bacon melt. All were good, although we have to agree with some of the reviews — the deviled eggs are a little expensive for what they are.

I cannot say enough good things about our experience at The Walrus tonight. My Grandmother had been wanting to try the lobster roll after hearing it was on the menu and a friend and I decided to bring her in tonight to celebrate her 89^th birthday. We walked in an were greeted by a crowded host stand and were told there was around a 30 minute wait, but maybe longer if we needed a low table for my grandma. We were happy to wait, as we realized it was a busy Friday night, and still happy hour, and went to sit down on some stools at the front of the restaurant. Seeing that my grandmother was only 5 feet tall and may have trouble getting up on a stool, a nice staff member went to get her a lower chair to wait in. Already we were impressed with the service. After waiting about 20 minutes for a table, all of the sudden, a server appeared with a lower table and chairs for us and set up a whole new table, special for my grandma. We were floored. We could not believe how out of the way our server, Jenna, went to take care of us and accommodate my grandmother.
As soon as we sat down we had waters and menus and a very attentive server. We ordered wings, half Dr. Pepper and half Tangy BBQ and both were delicious. My grandma had the lobster roll and it was the first time I have seen her clean her plate in a long time. She LOVED them. I had the candied bacon grilled cheese, and my friend had the breaded chicken sandwich and both were amazing.
Thank you again to the wonderful staff at The Walrus for accommodating my grandmother and making her feel like a celebrity on her birthday. Jenna really went out of her way for us, and it made for a very special night.

I’ve been seeing people post on social media about this newer place so I had to come in and give it a try. Went on a Saturday night and the host said it would be about a 20−30min wait. not an issue, somehow managed to find a couple seats at the bar to grab a drink and wait. fast forward 55 mins the host finally comes around to find us and tell us our (shared) table was ready. Now, I do not mind waiting for a table, it’s a busy Saturday night it’s going to happen. HOWEVER, hosts should know to always over estimate wait times.
The service was probably the worst part, we interacted with our server a total of 3 – 4 times. she took our order, checked in on us after we received our food from a runner and then once again to pay… which we thought wouldn’t have happen because we had to flag and wave down our server which we failed at and I ultimately had to shuffle through people to find her and ask for our checks –_​–
If it were not for the delicious food I would probably never come back to this place. I got the breaded chicken sandwich with fries and both were well above my expectations.
The area is in an up and coming part of downtown so there really isn’t too much else around, but the atmosphere inside is very chic with a well mixed crowd.

I am so sad that I no longer live near the Walrus. We are such a fan of this place. I read that this place was opening and when it finally did, we immediately made a point to stop in. They are owners of the Olde Town Tavern and we really enjoy that place as well, so we knew it would be a hit for us.
The atmosphere is relaxed and up to date. They have the open air concept with a garage door that they open on nice days at the front of the building. When you walk in, it looks like the building goes back for days! There are beautiful brick walls and they have a neat area/​stage for live performances, which is never a bad thing to have at a bar.
The first time we were here, we had a server that I believe was knew to the serving world. He was very hesitant and slow on answers, but everything else was great, so, no harm no foul for us.
We have tried very many items, as we know they take pride in their food! It’s not your crummy bar food, it’s way above par. We have had their nachos, wings, maple burger, breaded chicken sandwich and have enjoyed it all.
I will make a point to return, we love what they bring to the Columbus area!

I got an ROTD on my initial review of the Walrus so this is a bit, well, unpleasant. Like bumping into that girl you never called back. But, man, I tell ya… I came back to try the deep fried deviled eggs based on other reviews. $ 7 for 2.5 deviled eggs, are you kidding me? GTFOuttaaaa heeeeere.
The dish looks so pathetic when it comes out. You know how you should serve items on a dish so they kinda fill the plate? Well, if they did that for these eggs, they’d come out in a ramekin.
To put this in a bit more perspective: that’s $ 2.80 PER EGG. BEFORE tip. With tip, these 2.5 eggs are a $ 9 order. That’s $ 3.60 each. And seriously, what chef in their goddamned mind would send out .5 of anything? The bacon was also totally unidentifiable, to the point I question whether there was any. It’s like, insultingly ridiculous. I seriously think the intent of this dish might be to mock customers. (Sarcastic French accented chef voice) «Ahh haw haw. Look at zeese imbecile patrons, slurping up zreee dollar deviled eggs. Haw Haw!» But hey, I guess you gotta put your kids through college somehow.

Cute place! Love the décor as well. Came here for brunch on a Sunday morning. Brunch menu pretty limited but you can also order from the everyday menu. I decided to try the fried french toast and was impressed. The hostess was very nice and shared with us first-​timers the specials they offer throughout the week. Even have a trivia night with prizes. I noticed a pool table and a stage (guess they have live music from time-​to-​time) when going to the restroom.
My only suggestion (coming from someone who lives in one of the drunkest cities in the US DC) bottomless mimosas. One mimosa is $ 6, I’m used to paying about $ 10 for all you can drink.

A friend recommended The Walrus to me so we gave it a shot for a low key date night. We ordered a couple of apps and a salad as our dinner. Our Chopped Salad arrived first, thoughtfully split on two plates for us by the kitchen. The salad was excellent – as almost anything will be when there’s a generous amount of crumbled bacon on it.
The short rib sliders were also tasty, but special mention goes to the deep fried deviled eggs. I never would have thought you could improve on the tasty calorie and fat bomb that is a Deviled Egg, but deep frying it puts it over the top. A special pat on the back to both The Walrus and America for continuing to innovate in the deep frying arena. Maybe other countries are better at stuff like race relations, clean energy and universal health care; but we’ll deep fry stuff and eat it!
As I’m now in my 40’s and have to live long enough to pay off our mortgage and make sure my kids have a decent college fund, I probably won’t be indulging in the deep fried deviled eggs too often (especially in front of my wife) but I do recommend you try them next time you’re at The Walrus.

Stopped in with a large group for brunch and had a very nice time. Service was attentive and casual. Coffee refills came often.
I had the deep fried french toast, which was quite good. It’s like those french toast sticks you ate as a kid, except fresher and better. Amazingly it was not soggy at all, a testament to good technique. Everyone else’s meals were similarly good.
The atmosphere was great for Sunday morning — subdued, chill, comfortable.

Live music, great beer options, good service and good food! Get the lobster roll. I’m a huge lobster roll fan. My mom & dad ordered the sliders and they were also fantastic. After dinner I had a «not your fathers root beer» root beer float! Went back a second time and tried the deep fried deviled eggs– not a huge fan. Also their appetizer sizes are a little weak for the price. We only got 3 eggs and then when we had the lobster pirogies it only came with 3 as well. But got the lobster roll for the second time and it was just as good as the first. My boyfriend tried the waffle brunch sandwich and loved it.

You know, sometimes you go to a restaurant and eat a dish and just know that you’re going to end up craving it at odd times, sending you rushing to that restaurant at a moment’s notice? That’s how I felt tonight at the much-​discussed Walrus, on my first visit, when I ate a dish of their cauliflower mash. I had ordered it as a substitute for fries with my chicken salad, but I ended up just wanting a big bowl of it. Not that the chicken salad wasn’t delicious, because it was. But yummmm, cauliflower.
The restaurant, located at a prime spot on Main Street, is pleasantly minimalist on the inside. I found it unusually spacious. Most restaurants are packed with many tables as possible, but The Walrus incorporates large swathes of empty floorspace, with a front dining room and a bar in the back with a live music space (and a pool table!) where tonight there was a lovely jazz quartet playing. There were a lot of comfortable, secluded seating areas.
The menu had a lot of interesting items. My dinner companion had the deep-​fried deviled eggs (I knooooow) and I tried half of one. It was super delicious but I’m pretty glad that I only ate half. Good drink selection and cocktails. I will look forward to going back.

Great drink selection, delicious food, lovely ambiance, prompt service. I came to watch the Ohio State, Penn State game with some friends who’ve been here before and recommended it. We came for dinner and stayed for the game. There were plenty if TVs so even though it’s not a sports bar per say, there are TVs on every wall so would come again to watch a game.
It wasn’t crowded so we weren’t elbow to ass hole trying to go to the bathroom. The crowd is fun but not raucous. I love the exposed brick wall, Edison bulbs, and chandeliers.
I had the lobster Mac, my husband had the cauliflower steak with wasabi home fries. We shared the lobster perogies and bourbon wings at the table. There was nothing I didn’t like. It was a lobster rich meal and who could complain about that? I would recommend the lobster mac the most. It was rich and creamy, flavorful and decadent.
I was drinking martinis but I thought the beer selection looked extensive. I will come back again. I enjoyed it very much.

I’ve been here a few times now.
When they first opened, the service was iffy, the food was okay. Overall, I was unimpressed.
It’s near my friend’s place, so he always made a point to pop in, and always tried to get us to come back, but nothing about the place made sense — it didn’t wow me, the food wasn’t remarkable, and the service wasn’t to die for.
So, after Baconfest, we decide «our friend hasn’t been there, let’s hit them up, they’ve got a good beer selection.»
We walked by sidebar (sidecar?) and thought about going there. We should have.
The Walrus was full, but not crowded — they had a band playing, but they had a couple empty tables, and one spot at the bar (and three or four seats that had the «drink with a coaster on top» — despite no one being out front, and in the… what, 10 – 15 minutes of waiting, no one ever came back…
…we waited. And waited. And waited. Ry says Shaun/​Shawn, I thought it was Don (it was loud) assured that someone would help us. We waited. And waited some more.
We said fuck it and left — and he came out to us and told us «first round is on me, come back in.» So we went in — and I ordered, my friend ordered, and the bartender ignored our third friend (who originally liked coming in here).
So yeah — it was nice for the free drink, but the bartender acted like we were doing a disservice for daring to need to be served. I left a tip after I got served — but after the shitty attitude of the bartender, and stiffing our friend, I wish I hadn’t.
Thanks to Shawn/​Shaun/​Don (manager? bar manager? regular?) for trying to make it better, but even with your effort, this place fell on its face.

Nice place to come and watch sports. I enjoyed the vibe there very much. One of the managers was our server, and he was very helpful with our selections!
We started off strong with some awesome appetizers, however we were disappointed by the entrees.
Deviled eggs — awesome dipping sauce, nice twist that its deep fried with bacon!
Lobster pierogies — not my favorite, but my friend loved it! Also, awesome sauce.
Goat cheese Marinara balls — basically mozzarella sticks but goat cheese in a ball shape. GOOD!
Lobster roll — not so much a fan but a decent amount of meat for price.
Candied Grilled cheese — not too bad, not terrific either. nothing stood out, though the candied bacon was a nice touch
Buffalo wings — nothing to write home about.
Short Rib Sliders — these were my favorite of the entrée items we chose — full of taste.

I have yet to try the food here yet, but I’ve been several times for drinks, and they have a great draft list. They also have a nice, open patio that overlooks Main St. The location is a by itself at the moment on the South side of Main, but it’s only a block away from the Columbus Commons and right around the corner from all of the 4^th St. bars (16 Bit, Dirty Frank’s, Little Palace). If you’re doing some bar hopping in the area, it shouldn’t be overlooked.
The inside is nice and clean at the moment, since it’s only been open for a few months, and it’s a surprisingly big space. In fact, the area inside might be underutlized a bit with the central pathway leading back to the bar being very wide with no tables in between the booths. It’s great for moving around, but if the place is busy, then it makes getting a table slim pickings.
Since I’ve been here, I’ve seen one act which was pretty good. The space in front of the stage isn’t very big, so if they get a popular act in here, I imagine it will be pretty crowded.
I definitely want to come back to try the food, since I’ve heard mixed reviews. The bartenders I’ve talked to have all been very nice and generous in letting us try different drafts before ordering, so I’ll definitely be back for drinks. The downtown area is really blossoming again, and if you’re looking for a great selection of draft beers around the 4^th and Main St. corridor, then you should give The Walrus a shot.

Pricey for bar food but good (over $ ⁶⁵⁄₂ including 2 drinks, 1 app, 2 entrees + tip). That’s basically a good summation of my review. However, here are some tasting notes of the food I ate to help you sort through the menu:
Battered deviled eggs: Reviews are kind of all over the place regarding this item, but I say get them. There’s only three little eggs for $ 7 (and I mean teeny), but they are so worth it. Delicious, savory, fatty, yumminess.
Short rib plate: I’m not sure why my fiancé decided to indulge in this moreish fall dish on a super hot summer day, but I’m sure glad he did (and that he shared with me). It is so GOOD! And this is from someone who abhors red meat on most days. The short rib could be a little tender, but for the price and portion, I’m not complaining (I’m also no Tom Colicchio on Top Chef). The parsnips and potatoes that accompany the dish are also perfect (if, again, a little more appropriate for fall).
Lobster rolls: Just get ‘em. You’re not going to find better ones here unless you go to New England. And again for the price, totes worth it. I also found the lobster to be a touch overcooked, but not so chewy that I wouldn’t absolutely order it again.
Grapefruit shandy: I’m a pretty novice shandy drinker, but yum! I can’t recall the name, but they seem to have this on top for the summer, so definitely try this refreshing drink while you can.

*Downgrade from 5* to 3*
I think I got way to excited when this place originally opened. A lot of the info on my previous review still holds strong. The food though keeps disappointing me and this place is pricier than I initially noticed.
I’ve heard the Sliders and a couple other dishes are amazing, but the food I’ve had prior to the Deep-​Fried Deviled Eggs has saddened me.
The Dr. Pepper Wings are… well exactly what they say. The wings aren’t anything special though and the sauce doesn’t seem to stick well to the wings. That’s just being picky.
My biggest disappointment recently was at brunch. I understand it’s only been two weeks since it’s started (hence why 3* and not 2*), but some things are common sense people.
I ordered the Bacon Melt (Waffle sandwich with Cheddar, Bacon and eggs). Firstly, there were NO EGGS ON THE SANDWICH. How can you forget the eggs?! Not to mention when I showed the server/​bartender, he agreed and opened the sandwich for the cooks to see. Now here’s what gets me… I’m pretty cool with a lot of things, but when a dude touches my sandwich and then they just put the eggs on the old sandwich after he’s barehanded touched it, no thanks. They did replace the hashbrowns though… with under-​cooked ones.
I just don’t know. With the high prices and the constant food disappointments, I see might rating continually taking a dive. I think I’ll been spending more of my time back at Little Palace.

Somehow I stumbled into The Walrus on their opening day, but the experience was so great, I would have never guessed they were newbies…
…that’s because they’re not new to the restaurant and bar scene. These are the same folks who own The Tavern in Olde Towne East! In fact, the entire staff is chock full of restaurant vets, and their professionalism shows. I had the pleasure of meeting the manager, John, and he was delightful. It’s clear how much he loves his job, and he has loads of passion for The Walrus.
It’s nestled in the heart of downtown on E Main Street, and there’s lots of meter parking nearby. And FYI: did you know Main Street used to be named Friend Street? The Walrus created a wallpaper from a vintage map, and you can see the former name. (Can we have a throwback and use the old name?)
The interior is gorgeous. I love how they’ve created very different, very thoughtful spaces. There’s a huge garage door that opens up a patio. Then inside, there’s a space with booths and tables where the acoustics are purposefully muted so you can have better conversations with your friends. And in the back, it’s a bit louder and more of a bar feeling. In a nutshell, there’s something for everyone.
The Walrus has a huge drink menu, filled with delicious choices for beer, wine, and cocktails. And the food menu looks fantastic! There are definitely some bar favorites, but they’re done in interesting and creative ways. They also serve more upscale (but still casual) dishes that’ll please omnivores, vegetarians, and GFers alike. A friend and I split the sweet potato tacos, which were super creative and tasty. Picture it: corn tortillas, filled with lime sweet potatoes, black beans, avocado, cheese, and other tasty noms. We scarfed down every bite. I can’t wait to go try out more of the menu!
If you decide to try to out The Walrus while it’s still new (and you totally should), remember that it just opened and all the kinks might not be worked out just yet. I know it’s a bit deceiving because they’re so professional – you might think they’ve been open for a while.