35 restaurants in Columbus make AAA Diamond list of top places to eat in U.S.
Nearly three dozen Columbus restaurants have landed on the AAA Diamond list of top restaurants in the United States, with the upscale Epic Restaurant garnering the city’s only four-star diamond rating once again.
“Start off with a roasted beet salad, pan-seared Maryland blue crab cakes or mushroom ravioli,” a AAA inspector commented on Epic, which has held four diamonds since 2015 and is located in the former Phenix & Eagle textile mill. “The main courses are diverse and include items such as butter-poached lobster, cedar plank salmon, bison rib-eye or espresso-rubbed venison loin.”
The ratings, which use undercover inspectors, grant diamonds from one through five, with the latter the most elite recognition that a restaurant can hope to have. There was only one five-diamond eatery in Georgia among the 69 nationwide and that was The Georgian Room in Sea Island.
There are 665 restaurants in the U.S. on the four-diamond list for 2018. Epic in Columbus and the Grand Dining Room in Jekyll Island are the only Georgia four-diamond restaurants outside of Atlanta. Those eateries doing business in the state capital with four diamonds are AG, Aria, Atlas, Bacchanalia, Bar Margot, BLT Steak, Canoe, La Grotta Ristorante Italiano, Nan Thai Fine Dining, Nikolai’s Roof and Restaurant Eugene.
“Our professionally trained inspectors conduct unannounced, on-site evaluations every year,” Vicky Evans, assistant vice president of Travel Sales Development with AAA (The Auto Club Group), said in a release. “Properties are rated from one to five diamonds based on the dining experience, which can range from a simple sandwich shop to a swanky seven-course meal. However, if quality or cleanliness is in question, the restaurant will not make the list at all.”
Qualifications for making any of the AAA Diamond lists include basic standards for cleanliness, management and appearance, AAA said. That is followed by a surprise inspection and subsequent rating from one to five, with each diamond level representative of what a diner should expect. Five diamonds is “leading edge,” four is “distinctive,” three is “trendy,” two is “casual” and one is “quick serve.” About 31,000 eateries are inspected each year.
Here are the remaining Columbus restaurants and their diamond ratings:
Three diamonds
▪ 11th and Bay Southern Table, 1050 Bay Ave.
▪ Buckhead Steak and Wine, 5010 Armour Road
▪ Mabella’s Italian Steakhouse, 14 West 11th St.
▪ Meritage Restaurant & Wine Bar, 1039 1st Ave.
▪ Wicked Hen Restaurant, 1350 13th St.
Two diamonds
▪ Ben’s ChopHouse Steak & Seafood, 6780 Veterans Parkway
▪ The Black Cow, 115 12th St.
▪ B. Merrell’s, 7600 Veterans Parkway
▪ Cafe Amici, 2301 Airport Thruway
▪ Cafe Le Rue, 2523 Airport Thruway
▪ Cannon Brewpub, 1041 Broadway
▪ Chef Lee’s Peking Restaurant, 6100 Bradley Park Drive
▪ Country’s on Broad, 1329 Broadway
▪ Ezell’s Catfish Cabin, 4001 Warm Springs Road
▪ Flip Side Burgers & Tacos, 1115 Broadway
▪ Lemongrass Thai & Sushi, 2435 Wynnton Road
▪ The Loft, 1032 Broadway
▪ Mark’s City Grill, 7160 Moon Road
▪ The Office Sports Bar & Grill, 2979 Northlake Parkway
▪ Ruth Ann’s Restaurant, 941 Veterans Parkway
▪ Speakeasy, 3123 Mercury Drive
▪ Thai House, 5592 Whitesville Road
▪ Trevioli Artisan Pasta Company, 3151 Tower Road (relocated to 7466 Blackmon Road as Trevioli Italian Kitchen)
▪ Uptown Vietnam Cuisine, 1250 Broadway
▪ Wood Stone Restaurant, 5739 Whitesville Road
▪ Steamy’s, 1204 1st Ave. (closed)
One diamond
▪ Country’s Barbecue, 3137 Mercury Drive
▪ Minnie’s Uptown Restaurant, 104 8th St.
▪ 12th Street Deli & Catering Co., 117 12th St.
▪ Iron Bank Coffee Co., 6 11th St.
▪ Johnny’s New York Style Pizza, 6770 Veterans Parkway
▪ Your Pie, 5592 Whitesville Road
▪ Country Road Buffet, 2509 Airport Thruway
▪ Deorio’s Pizza Inn, 3201 Macon Road (closed)
This story was originally published February 21, 2018 at 4:00 PM with the headline "35 restaurants in Columbus make AAA Diamond list of top places to eat in U.S.."