Vonn Jazz Lounge

I’ll start with the reason I will go back to Vonn. The atmosphere is vampy and fun, and the music was wonderful. For those reasons I will return… but only to sit at the bar and have a few drinks.
It was my anniversary and we decided to go some place new for dinner, that was our first mistake. We started with the calimari, it was overly battered and clearly old and frozen. It resembled deep fried rubberbands more than squid. I had the 8oz filet with mushroom risotto and haricots vert (sounds delicious, right?). The filet was undercooked (a forgivable oversight) and not seasoned at all. Also, it tasted a little too beefy, like it had been out all day before it got cooked. The haricots vert (or green beans as we call them here in Ohio) were obviously from a frozen bag and they tasted of freezer burn. The worst was the risotto. Over cooked to the point of having the cosistancy of paste in my mouth, also without any seasoning. Yuck. All these pleasures of the senses for the very reasonable price of $ 30 (entrée only). Can you sense my sarcasm?
Onto service, an area I feel like I am an expert, considering I have been in the service industry for 16 years. All I can say is… bleh. Our server was unenthusiastic about being at work to say the least. Meanwhile, the servers all wear black in the dining room and out servers giant stark white bra was hanging out of her clothes and it’s all that I could look at when she came around. Not a professional appearance, and at the prices they are charging, it should be.
Next time we’ll go to Mitchells and eat then go there for after dinner drinks and entertainment, it’ll probably be less expensive.

Always very nice music and classy crowd.
Food is hit and miss, however last time food seemed a lot better than before.
One thing though, watch their waters trying to get double tip. Vonn puts 20% gratuity on their bill automatically, however last couple of times waiter tried to get another tip on top of that 20%. He even «conveniently» kept actual breakdown to himself and only supplied us with credit card slip, which had another «tip» section on it…
These little things spoil, otherwise very pleasant experience.

Me, my wife and a friend went for dinner on a week night.
The salad was small. The chicken caprese was fatty. The service was rather slow.
And to top it all off, our bill included a GRATUITY of 20%.
Are you kidding me? The only thing I could possibly think of that would warrant an automatic gratuity would be the fact that there was a band.
Sad thing is, we routinely tip at least 20%, sometimes 40% if they are exceptional. But tonight, all they got was their 20%.
I would not recommend, obviously.

The ambiance gets an A+. However, it seems that the owner may have went over budget on the décor and is now trying to make up for it with overpriced food and drinks. I went on a Tues night and there were maybe 2 other tables and 2 servers. Our server was polite but extremely slow. The menu is way overpriced. If I spend over $ 50 on 4 beers and 2 appetizers, I expect the food to be EXCELLENT. The quality of the food does not match the pricetag. The thing that really bothered me the most was this. I had a «Groupon», so they automatically added a 20% tip to my bill!!! As if to imply that if you come in with a coupon, you are a cheapskate and not leave a good tip. Had I been given the choice, the server would not have received $ 10 based on the slow service and empty water glasses. It almost seemed that since he knew we had a coupon, he could give us bad service because he was getting a guaranteed tip no matter what. (we gave the coupon to him in the beginning.) This seems smug and rude to me to add gratuity simply because you are using a coupon-​that you, as the owner put up for sale on a website. My party had 2 people in it-​not 6. Based on this experience, I will not be returning to Vonn Jazz. Maybe if you are a huge jazz fan, you don’t mind overpriced menus and bad service.

Love the service, the desserts, and most of all the entertainment. It is a little pricey but an awesome place to go on a special night or just to chill at the bar. I like weekdays because you don’t have to strain your ears over the chatter to listen to the music. My only concern is waiting to be sat sometimes but it’s not too big a deal. The waiters are great. Food could be better, my steak was really bland and dry once.

Before I say anything negative, let me first say that I was there last night and the music was absolutely amazing. The quality of the music made the entire evening. I appreciate the romance that it brought to a night that I got to celebrate with my fiancé.
But on to the issues… I’m not a complainer but if I’m still thinking about it today, it’s time to say something.
1. It was our first time. We made a reservation but no one ever told us we had to pay 6 dollars a person just to sit down. I was literally scrounging in the bottom of my purse. I felt like an idiot.
2. Our waitress was nice and pleasant. Nothing more, nothing less.
3. Then come the drinks. I expect a martini to be pricey. I’ve been to Vegas and had martinis. and then I paid 12 dollars at Vonn Jazz for a martini. Was it ok? yes. Was it 12 dollars of wasted money? Absolutely. That was ridiculous. I think my fiancé’s eyes about fell out of his head. They aren’t even that expensive at Cameron Mitchell restaurants.
4. Then the food… well… I was a little disappointed. To start off, my green beans tasted freezer burnt. My mashed potatoes were cold– completely cold like they just came out of a warmer. I didn’t want to complain because who knows when I would see my food again. The steak was ok and cooked perfect. The cheese on top took away from it.
I don’t know if I could ever go back. I spent 85 dollars on something that today, my stomach still does not feel good. I just wish it would have been better, and warmer.

The food was good, and the music was fun. My only complaint was that the speakers were way too loud so that it was impossible to talk to anyone at our table when we were situated right near the stage.
Check out
for a discount coupon.

If you’re a smooth jazz fan, you HAVE to come check this place out. Wed nights are «Jazz Lab» nights, when anyone who wants to sing, bring an instrument, etc. can get up on stage and show their stuff.
The ambiance is awesome — MUCH better than you’d expect from the outside. It’s a little loud, so ask for a back table if you want to talk to whoever you go with, otherwise, when the band and/​or singers are performing, you’ll have a hard time communicating.
The food is impressive and better than you’d think for a jazz bar. I wish they had a bigger port/​dessert wine selection and we’ve had the same server every time we’ve been there and he’s come across a little on the arrogant side… but we’ve really enjoyed ourselves.
Considering Col’s doesn’t really have much to offer (vs. a Chicago, for instance) in the Jazz scene, this is a must-​visit.

You will love this place if you…
…like kitsch
…don’t like talking to your companions
…like cloyingly sweet drinks, which except for the alcohol and sugar have none of the other ingredients listed in their description
…like it when your waitress spills half of your food on the floor, says «Oops,» places the other half on the table and walks away
…would like to try the fattiest swordfish ever (I have no idea where they even managed to find it)
…like braised beef that is equal amounts beef and oil
…would like to find out how one could turn molten chocolate cake into a boring dish
…miss high school cafeteria food and would like to pay $ 25 – 30 per plate to go back
…like paying automatic 20% gratuity so that your waitress can talk to her friends at other tables
…like it when management’s response to your complains about service is «The waiting staff has to be paid.»
You probably will not like this place if you actually enjoy
…jazz
…food
…drinks
…talking to your friends

This year, I got a great Christmas present from my 21 year old son, Adam: He took me to Vonn’s for dinner.
What great fun! First of all, it was just the two of us.
We started with drinks. He had a beer and I had some kind of sweet martini… it was called a Lynchberg martini, or something like that. Anyway, it won’t become my «usual» drink… that would be an extra-​dry Beefeater martini, up, with an extra olive… but it was good. This drink had a very tart flavor, which was what I was in the mood for. I stayed with just one drink. I mean, I was with my son… have to set a good example.
For dinner, we both had chicken and waffles. This is one of their less expensive menu items, which is one of the reasons I chose it. (I wasn’t sure if my son had a realistic idea of what dinner would cost, so I wanted to be financially cautious for his sake.) Anyway, it was delicious. What’s not to like? The chicken was crispy and tasty, the waffles tender and sweet. There were berries sprinkled over the waffles and maple syrup was served on the side. The quantity was a little too much for me, but Adam managed to finish off a quarter of my waffle and one or two pieces of my chicken, so we were both quite satisfied. Even though one of the reasons I ordered it was to save my son some $$$, I would order it again because I liked it.
Vonn has some great musicians playing at her establishment. Giant portraits of many of them line the walls. I keep up with her on facebook and am impressed with some of the talent she books.
The night Adam and I went (the only night open on both of our schedules while he was home) the house band was playing. That would be AC Collins on sax and Hawk on keyboards. They were terrific. They had some great guests and I wish I could remember what their names are, but I am really terrible at that. (Next time, I’ll write them down.) But for now, let’s just say that the night was really fun and we had great music to listen to.
One of the coolest things about jazz is that it is a generation bridge. Vonn’s is a place where my younger son (David, age 18), older son (Adam, age 21) husband (Martin, age…) and me (never you mind my age… none of your business) can all enjoy the music together. Even though David and Martin didn’t get to come this time, they enjoyed the last visit, and I know they’ll enjoy the next.
BTW…choose your seats carefully so you don’t have to crane your neck to see the stage. I was seated in a great place, but it was a little harder for Adam because he was not facing the stage as much. Oh well, he’s younger. His back can handle it.

I was visiting family in Columbus and was invited out to this place so my experience was really bad if I decided to do a review and I don’t even live there.
I didn’t mind the cover so much but it was so loud in the place I couldn’t hear the rude server half heartedly advising me on drink specials. He asked if we were having dinner to which we said no but stated we wanted appetizers and placed an order. He walked off and came back about 15 minutes later, without our drinks or the appetizer, and told us to move because the seats were for people who would be having dinner. He pointed us to a different section and walked off. We still didn’t have our drinks or our appetizers.
A new server showed up he not only didn’t have our drinks but asked if he could take our order. The new server at least tried to be pleasant but they sat us in an area away from the party we came to meet and the space didn’t even accommodate us! We did finally get our drinks which were over-​priced and not worth it. I would comment on our appetizer but it never came.
I wasted and hour and $ 6 that I can never get back.
I visit Columbus often and I always go out with my family while I am there but this is on a very short list of places to never return to while I’m there.
FYI the bad was good but nothing about it said jazz!

Holy fancy, Batman. I’m intregued, Vonn Jazz, I admit, with your air of subtle sexiness… but something about this place is just on the verge of sultry — but it doesn’t quite work it — and for the pricey-​ness of this venue… well… I dunno.
First of all, f you’re a True Blood fan (nerd moment!) you know what I mean (or hey, if you read William Faulkner or Flannery O’Connor even) — there is something sexxxxxy about the rich colors and indulgent vampishness of Southern Gothic. I feel like, being a jazz place, that Vonn J. tries for this affect, and somewhat succeeds but only kinda not really but almost hmmm.
I went to Von Jazz last night for one of my professors’ CD release parties (the very smart and very talented Dr. Elaine Richardson, whose stage persona is «Dr. E» — she kicked massive amounts of ass, LOVE her!), and I have to say, I didn’t quite know what to do with myself. Von Jazz certainly goes for the upscale, lavish Southern Gothic version of jazz club (versus the Harlem model), but as I didn’t find it entirely convincing, I ended up feeling a lot more comfortable than I thought I would (haha, does that make sense? I’m a proletariat girl always, so since I felt like something was off, I wasn’t overwhelemed by the experience of almost-​fanciness but really more like suburban middle class-​ness). Dr. E. was incredible — check out her new CD, Elevated, which is really upbeat soul — but waiting through the opening jazz act, even though I used to play jazz trombone m’self, was a little tedious considering the friendly, sweet but very slow service and the fact that I was quite out of my element.
Tickets to this event between 10 – 30 dollars, which as a local live music superfan, I find utterly ridiculous, no matter how amazing the performer (thank you to my department for comping them!). Anyway, I saw some of my professors, who had reserved a table together for a dinner I had been invited to but deemed unnecessarily expensive for the occasion — and promptly situated myself at the bar (duh). Since I felt the need to put on an air of semi-​classiness (aka this was not an occasion for Miller Lights and shots of well whiskey), I ordered an Old Fashioned (straight up whiskey suddenly becomes more classy when you add sugar, vermouth, and muddled fruit — huh). Anyway, it was almost as good as the Old Fashioned at Mouton, so that was impressive. The bartender was just lovely, everything about her, but she clearly needed a barback or another bartender, because all the seats at the bar were filled, and she was also doing orders for people at tables… and clearly no one is superhuman. She forgot my second drink for at least fifteen minutes, and this clearly wasn’t her fault… she was incredibly sweet and apologetic, but get her some back up, VJ! Sheesh.
I was really glad I didn’t buy food here — I was watching the waiters serve food, and it definitely didn’t look worth the $$$ prices… but this place is obviously about the music, and has a great sound system and stage, so that part was spot on. I just think that what Vonn Jazz is missing is an air of authenticity, at least in my experience of having been in similar clubs in New York and New Orleans. For a Jazz club, it seemed a bit too neat and tidy, a bit too expensive for what it offers, a bit too… I dunno, new? It’s going for the melty, dreamy Southern Gothic or maybe even the sexiness of a Harlem supper club… and it nearly gets there. But not quite. It’s almost like a muddle of both that really is neither. And located in the epitome of suburban Columbus (even moving the club downtown might help this issue).
I still say check it out. It’s a great music venue, but just be aware that it caters to a fairly specific demographic of people.

This place is pretty nice, the interior seems very upscale. I only had drinks but will be back for the food.
The Jazz was great!

Thoroughly enjoyed our evening! The service was great, the food was well done and the music was entertaining.
I had the salmon with sweet corn risotto. The salmon was cooked perfectly as was the risotto. My husband had the Jumbalaya and thought the seafood was cooked perfectly. Dessert was also amazing.
We sat on their beautiful patio and enjoyed the sounds of The Silky Ray quartet. Great atmosphere. I highly recommend spending an evening here!

Our first time here on a Saturday night. They serve food till 1am. live music which is great. Inside is really cool. 5 $ cover charge which i think is a bit much if you’re eating dinner…
Seated, took forever to get the waitress/​waiters attention. took forever to get a menu, water, etc… the little white girl waitress, maybe think she’s too hot to handle and the white guy w/​retro hair. Dinks. between the 2 I ended up getting my water at the bar before they could even bring anything. Then the girl brings 2 bottles of Voss! !! Im not a snob. I can drink regular water! she didn’t mention anything… I asked if thy charged for the water. $ 3.50/per. She brought 2. I didn’t like that.
food was great. over priced, Yes.
salad we ordered was drenched in a delicious dressing, but Way too much. defeats the purpose of eating a salad when it’s soaked in sauce.
I asked for more spinach, just plain to add to the salad… our fault maybe for not asking for the dressing on the side, but watever.
The bill comes and they charged us for a side of salad $ 4. I asked the waiter to take it off… Due to the unsatisfactory of the salad dressing.
the Owner said couldn’t do it. Very poor management/​service. As a new business they should want to ensure customer satisfaction. Over a $ 100 tab, and they wouldn’t discount the $ 4. Shows poor class/​lack of business experience. it’s not about the money but the principal. Probably will not visit again.
Overall the staff sucked. Music was excellent entertainment.

I recently came here to support a band with which I am acquainted who was opening for a national headliner. We had bought tickets and reserved tables in advance so we arrived a bit later as we had gone out to eat someplace else (the menu there just didn’t appeal to us). When we arrived, we were informed that it was standing room only, but we knew that we had friends saving our tables for us.
We were up near the stage, which is a great place to see the show, but not the greatest if you want to have a conversation as it gets a bit loud. Apparently, they weren’t too happy with people at the tables not eating so even after ordering several drinks, the waiters kept asking us what we wanted to eat. We finally ordered Crème Brulee and Key Lime Pie. My key lime pie was OK but needed more lime and was a bit too soggy but the whipped cream on top was very good as it wasn’t overly sweet and just complimented the pie. I was disappointed that they proudly offered Stella Artois on draught, but didn’t serve it in the traditional Stella glasses!
The ladies bathroom was small and one of the toilets was out of order which meant a long line out the door and a long wait if you didn’t want to miss the performers.
The décor seemed to be trying a bit too hard. It was washed in red and had chandeliers hanging that were also painted red. After a while it began to have a ‘gates of Hell’ aura! There was some more modern décor with some of the lamps and a bar off to the side which was much more within my tastes and seems more befitting of a jazz club.
There wasn’t much of a dance floor as most of the main floor was covered in tables for dining. People were trying to dance in any spot available, but it would have been nice to have a designated dance floor.
There was an eclectic crowd there so I would say that if you like jazz, you ought to at least try out this place.
**CLARIFICATION TO YAVONNE**
Even though 2 of us ate someplace else, we did get dessert there and we spent over $ 100 in drinks for ourselves and the band. We weren’t told ahead of time that the tables were only for those eating, and seeing as we had to wait until the end to help the band tear down, we thought it would be nice to have someplace to sit and enjoy a few drinks. We were also waiting for our family members in the band to be done playing so that they could have a place to sit and eat as well. As it was, there was no place for them to sit after their set because the waiters kept taking the the chairs that we were saving for them and so we were sitting on people’s laps so that they could have a seat. The band appreciated the opportunity to play, but wondered why there wasn’t someplace set aside for them to sit and get a drink or something to eat after their set.
I guess what you’re saying it that its better to come here not affiliated with the band! Shame.