679 W Spring St.
Columbus, OH 43215
614.469.0000
website
Located right at the meeting point of the Olentangy and Scioto rivers, The Boat House at Confluence Park has a unique and wonderful view into downtown Columbus. Sure enough, the spot is popular with both large-scale corporate events, holiday parties, fun gatherings and other big things that attract groups of people. So, you’ll get a chance to try a wide variety of foods when you’re here, both on the regular menu and on the catering and event options. The food is all right, but the best part of this place is definitely the view.
There’s quite a variety of food to be had here. Among the things I tried:
- Sirloin: A softer cut of meat and topped with a thick sauce and some crunchy onions for the good measure. This is my favorite of the things I tried here, because it’s definitely offset nicely with broccoli and rice. The meat speaks for itself. Juicy, pleasant.
- Flank steak: This steak is by default cooked well done, which is unfortunate because that dries it out a bit. There’s some au jus, but maybe it’s better to go with a different option if you like rare meat.
- Seared Lake Erie Walleye: Served on a bed of rice pilaf and topped with steamed vegetables and a tomato jam. So the sauce is rich but overwhelms the fish a little bit, I recommend going light on this one.
- Herb chicken: A grilled chicken option with a lot of pepper and a medley of Italian spices to give it a little extra. Served with chopped asparagus and potatoes.
- Lasagna: Heavy pasta is a strong flavor in this dish, but the cheeses and spices on the top are pretty notable.
- Farfalle: The classic bowtie pasta, this time cooked with a tomato paste and some sausage cooked in. Not a ton of flavor though, I don’t prefer it.
- Meatloaf: Soft and fall-apart and served with a tall order of wild rice and broccolini. Heavy! But the glaze makes a difference for sure.
- Barbecue brisket: Soft, chewy and fatty, this delightful meat is lightly smokey almost with the texture of prime rib.
- Chicken Parmesan: Atop a bed of penne, a slightly crispy chicken filet with plenty of salty cheese on top.
- Salmon: The cream-based sauce does all the talking, but it’s great to mop up with the green beans and scalloped potatoes.
- Salad: Pretty basic as far as these go.
Service isn’t too bad – if you’re visiting the bar on evenings and not here for an event it can be a little more slow and relaxing of a place. If you happen to be here for an event of course it’s hard to measure because the place is busy with a much greater mix of people and it’s not the same.
The food can be hit-and-miss but the restaurant overall has the benefit of location and great views to make it a worthwhile experience. The bar is nice and it might be a good place for cocktails.
Recommendations
- Important: There have been some bad break-ins in the cars out front. The restaurant doesn’t have any recourse – its office faces the parking lot, but “not responsible for break ins,” of course.
- The bar is a slower and more personal experience on the weekends.
- Great for nice weather days because the patio has great views of the city.
Another Food Critic 