My Big Fat Greek Meh

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Location: 

George's Beechwold Diner

4408 Indianola Avenue Columbus, Ohio 43214

(614) 447-0944

About a year ago, Poke and I tried to go to the Beechwold Diner on a Sunday in between church services, hoping they wouldn't be very busy and we would miss the rushes. We walked in with our infant son, and stood there for about three minutes just waiting to be greeted. There were plenty of waitresses running around, and the front door can be seen from every single spot in the restaurant. The place was packed, with no available tables, and since we weren't acknowledged at all, we ended up walking out.

Hey lady, where's the eats? A guy can't live on crackers!

A few weeks ago, a friend and I wanted to get together for lunch and try someplace new. I figured I would give the diner another chance, since a few of my friends are constantly raving about it on Facebook. We met around 11am, and it wasn't packed, but there were only two free tables. I had my son with me, so luckily I was able to get a spot where we could put the high chair.

I LOVE FOOD!

I ordered a Reuben, which came with chips. I asked if I could substitute fries for chips, and she said no, I could only order a side of fries and then I wouldn't get my chips. That pissed me off. If I'm paying for chips and fries, I want to get chips and fries. I told her to please give me the chips as well. I didn't get any chips. I got my son an ala carte pancake and one scrambled egg, which he wolfed down before I could even try a bite, so I'm going to assume they were good... but he's a toddler now, so basically all food is good to him. The Reuben was pretty good, lots of meat and sauerkraut and just the right amount of dressing. I prefer my rye bread to be more toasted, but at least it was only raw on the edges. The fries were fine, but there was nothing special about them. Just fries. I like Wendy's or Penn Station's fries better. I really missed the chips.

Reuben

My friend got a grilled ham and cheese with chips and coleslaw. She said the coleslaw was good, crisp and creamy and not too soupy. It looked like Steak'n'Shake's coleslaw to me, which is one of very few coleslaws that I like. She said her ham and cheese was tasty. We decided to get some dessert, and I got the apple pie and she got bread pudding. After she took the first bite, I could tell the bread pudding wasn't good, and she confirmed it. Blech. My pie, however, was delicious - although I highly doubt it was homemade, unless they have a 5-star patisserie in the back.

'Slaw

Grilled ham & cheese and chips

Now let's discuss the drink situation. I ordered a Diet, as always, and a water for the kid. I had to flag her down several times to get a refill, and eventually she just started ignoring me. For the last half of my meal, I ended up drinking my son's water because I couldn't get the waitress to give me any more pop! My friend ordered hot tea, and was charged three times, once for each cup of tea that she had. Seriously? $1.59 for hot water? Wow.

Our tab was pretty steep, considering the lackluster experience. I really don't think a meal at a diner for a kid and two women should cost more than $20, but it does at George's Beechwold Diner. Totally unacceptable.

Yes, that says $33.14!

Overall Scores: (1-5, 1 being lowest, 5 highest)           

Cleanliness: 3 (it's a really old place that is in need of major upgrades)

Value: 1

Accessibility: 1 (only 4 parking spots, easy to miss from the road)

Friendliness: 1

Menu: 3

By the end of our meal, the place had cleared out.

 You can visit their website here.