Rye River Social
UPDATE: RYE RIVER HAS CLOSED IT’S DOORS AS OF RIGHT NOW.
Columbus’s Summer Restaurant Week has come to an end, but not before we took the opportunity to discover a new restaurant! This famous event takes place twice a year, offering fixed-price specialty menus at over 150 restaurants in Columbus. Most menus include an appetizer, entree, and dessert, with prices ranging from $30 to $50 per person. It’s a great way to try out pricier eateries at reduced costs and experience the creativity of Columbus’s chefs!
Hannah and her friends always make it a tradition to try a different eatery each restaurant week, and this time I joined in! After considering many options, we decided on River Rye Social off 5th Ave. We found parking in the lot right outside the restaurant, and despite some nearby construction, it didn’t affect our parking or the restaurant.
Upon entering, we found a large, bright room with a central bar and a partly open kitchen along the back. The decor was a cozy combination of a bookshop and minimalism, featuring dining chairs, comfy armchairs, and a loft full of bookcases and seating. However, our experience took a downturn from there.
While we tried to attribute the issues to restaurant week, Hannah, with her restaurant management experience, wasn’t entirely convinced. The service overall was slow, from the greeting to the drinks, food, and check. During restaurant week, it’s normal to allow extra time for the meal as the courses are spaced out. However, we found ourselves waiting excessively long for our next course, which led to us observing the kitchen.
We believe that great food can salvage any dining experience. Despite hoping for a fantastic time overall, exceptional food can make up for any shortcomings. With that in mind, we ordered our courses and sampled our drinks. Hannah thoroughly enjoyed their unique orange wine and wants to return just to have it again. I opted for the “Shark” drink, inspired by shark week, which looked amazing but wasn’t as impressive as Hannah’s wine.
Moving on to the main event, our appetizer was an elevated take on ham, cheese, and bread, featuring pickled watermelon and a smoky flavor. Although we found it “interesting,” we couldn’t stop eating it. The main course was a mixed bag – Hannah was unimpressed with her salmon, but my ribs stole the spotlight with their juicy, melt-in-your-mouth goodness, topped with an unconventional rib sauce. Despite Hannah’s usual aversion to barbecue sauce and ribs, these had her regretting not ordering them. However, our dessert of profiteroles (cream puffs) was a letdown – cold, hard, and lacking in flavor.
Ultimately, our experience at River Rye Social wasn’t our favorite, but we did enjoy trying new menu items during restaurant week. If you plan to visit or have already been, let us know your thoughts! Also, if there’s something on the regular menu that we must try, please do share!
