Grass Skirt Tiki Room

Unfortunately our experience was not a good one. Columbus has such great restaurants. It is very unusual to have to write a bad review. The food was OK, and was about what we expected. The service was very sub par. Appetizer took over a half hour and came with the meal. Our water was not filled once during the meal, it wasn’t until we had finished before she offered a refill. After ordering desert. We waited for 15 minutes and she told us they were out of our choice. I would like to add that the waitress seemed very nice. I would pass up this place and try one of the many other restaurants in Columbus

A very unique kind of restaurant/​bar. Many tropical style drinks and good appetizers. We had the coconut shrimp and it was fantastic.

Stopped in for Mother’s Day Brunch and ha d a good meal and nice drinks in a fun atmosphere. Will definitely come back to try the regular menu!

Stopped in here for a drink during our last visit to Columbus.
We love Tip Top, and tiki bars, so we figured this would be a winner.
Bartender was pleasant and drinks looked amazing, but unfortunately, none of them were good.

My cousins and I went in on a Friday and it was about two prior to the restaurant closing. It took the waiter almost 15 minutes to see what we wanted to drink. I ordered the chips and crab dip which never came. I’m not sure what happen but I clearly remember pointing to that particular item on the menu to the waiter however it never came out. We had ordered two drinks and that came out 15 minutes after we had ordered it. We when placed our food order we had placed another order for an Hawaiian blue drink. We watched the waiter clean the entire bar down, serve drinks to other customers before the drink was delivered which took another 20 minutes. Please keep in mind this place was not crowded at all. I ordered the Thai me up Thai my down salad with grilled shrimp however my shrimp was not grilled it looked boiled or some type of shrimp cocktail. My cousin ordered fish and chips which came out cold. My other cousin ordered the jerk chicken entrée which they had to substitute with pulled jerk chicken. That did taste pretty good. Overall the atmosphere was nice however service was horrible and the food was old and cold. We observed the waiter being very attentive to other customers whom he must have known because their drinks were made fairly quick. My suggestion is if you don’t know anyone working there be prepared to wait and be served cold food.

I love this place. It’s campy and fun. Drinks are good and the food isn’t bad either. Haven’t been disappointed whenever I’ve been there. They’ve recently done some remodeling, but the space is still very small. They have a nice patio space as well. It’s just fun. Reminiscent of the Kahiki.

Literally everything is perfect always. No kidding. Great service, great food, tiki drinks

Great atmosphere and wonderful service. We went in for brunch and had mimosas and great food. It was such a fun place and very relaxed. The music was fun and we even got our own leis to wear while eating. Really fun place!

Not a huge fan. The atmosphere was wonderful, however, it took 15 minutes for a server to come by. I order a drink and full salad for dinner, but when the meal came, the size was so small. It was not until the check came that I realized I had been given a side salad… drink tasted like rubbing alcohol.
My husband ordered their fish and chips and the portions were also ridiculous. 3 small pieces of cold fish.
I may give it a try again because the sauces and sweet potatoes were so good! Don’t come too hungry, you’ll leave unsatisfied.

Same décor and mood. Menu has changed up, though. All the Hawaiian fabric prints. Lots of paraphernalia of the Pacific carvings sort. I am glad to see the long winding bar has stayed put.
Was this always a Lesner restaurant? Because, when I first came here, the menu was much more simple; small items. Now, the menu hosts soups, salads and sandwiches/​tacos. My previous (and only other) swing by GS, I ordered the Hawaiian Burgers (sliders). Nothing of the sort on this second visit. T was an internal struggle of sorts, and I ended up going with the High Sea Grilled Cheese. I added grilled chicken for the protein.
So did I like the melted cheese sandwich and red pepper soup combo. It was ok. I could definitely taste the coconut in the soup. More of a tomato taste to me, couldn’t pick out the pepper. But, it could have just been my tastebuds not working to the optimal level. The sandwich was soft, not greasy. Avocado slices were distinct. Good cheddar cheese. The umph wasn’t there…
Solid dinner, substance wise. Enough shabow-​ableness to carve a spot in my local rotations? Not necessarily. But it’s a fun casual atmosphere. I’d entertain the thought, if friends decided to meet here again.

Columbus definitive tiki bar– the drinks are fantastic, powerful, tasty and potentially mind warping. Food is meh– crab Rangoon is tasty, soups too but wonton chips are so so but really it’s all about the cocktails here people. I really wish the old menu was back for food. The wonton chips etc are just blah. Man this place has perfect tiki cocktails every time but the food is meh.

Went to Grass Skirt again for the first time in a few years. I had tried it a few times before and thought it was time to give it a go again since they posted a new menu and was able to get there for happy hour drink prices.
Things at the Grass Skirt are about the same as before; good but not amazing. I do like it there. The best part is the drinks. They are nice and fruity just how you want a luau drink to be.
The food is hit and miss. I will say that the best food is and always has been the apps. Skip the main dishes and sandwiches. The crab rangoons here are really tasty and clearly handmade which is nice. On this newest trip we tried the Hawaiian burger and pork tacos. The burger was ok but honestly dry and lacked a lot of flavor. The tacos were pretty good but small.
Go here for drinks and some snacks, you’ll enjoy yourself and be decently buzzed if you get the right drinks.

Great drinks, good selection of local beers and craft beers. Tiny little place that you could drive right by, but DON’T! The Asian salad is perfect, the pork tacos were three for 8.00 and yummy. The Coconut Shrimp is almost as good as Tommy Bahamas. We sat on the patio, friendly and good service.

It’s been several years since my last visit to Grass Skirt. My date and I were looking for a «different» sit down place to eat. We weren’t interested in the usual, so I suggested The Grass Skirt. The menu had changed a little since my first visit. We decided to order a couple of small plates and share: pork wonton cups, crab rangoon, fried rice and veggie spring rolls. We went on a Tuesday, so there were A LOT of more expensive drinks on special. Every drink I had was $ 5 or less. As I mentioned in my previous review, these are complicated/​expensive drinks with lots of liquor, juice and fruit. We got pretty tipsy on just a few drinks… so we ordered another round of crab rangoon! It’s a lot better than your average take out place’s version. This was fresh, creamy and crabby.
The vibe is still chill, tiki and fun. This is a great place to have a happy hour, especially on Tuesday when many more expensive drinks are discounted.

Nice find just off the beaten path in Columbus. Sat outside, the crab rangoon is phenomenal as are the noodles … and fried pinapple if you’ve never had it get it. Drinks are obviously good, mai thai was delicious.

Been a few times. Underwhelmed each time.
The ambiance is its most notable feature, and it’s fine. Dark, but fine. Probably the best part of the deal. The food, on the other hand is VERY hit and miss — mostly miss — and pretty expensive considering how good it isn’t. It is perpetually understaffed, so what should be a quick lunch run can make you late for what seems like no good reason. If you’re used to spending $ 20 for lunch (meal and a drink), you’ll be in good company. Personally, I’d spend half that on a better lunch twice somewhere else.

A tiki bar in Columbus? Who would have thought? I’m a sucker for fruity rum drinks with umbrellas in them, so that’s a given. However, Grass Skirt’s is a tiki bar done properly.
The ambiance is spot-​on. Once walking in, you are immediately transported to your tropical happy place. The lighting is very dim and it takes your eyes a few minutes to adjust, so try not to walk into anything.
There is a self-​serve stand with leis, so you can «get leid.» Cheesy but appropriate. The tribal masks, bamboo lanterns and pufferfish lights all add to the tropical atmosphere. The drinks themselves are served in mask and coconut-​shaped glasses. Even the waters are garnished with pineapple leaves.
I ordered the Grass Skirt Zombie for $ 12. Described as «[Skull symbols] So potent it’s one per customer. [Skull symbols]», I was sold. It was strong as advertised, but deliciously so with the 151 rum.
The only food item I sampled were the coconut shrimp. 5 generous pieces for $ 8.50. They were perfectly fried and only slightly oily. The sweet coconut taste really stood out and I would definitely order these again.
Overall, I really love the atmosphere of Grass Skirt Tiki Room. It’s kitschy but very fun. I am even thinking about taking my mom here! Check this place out, it’s a gem!

Very unique décor, fun setting. Very simple yet fun. Comfort food and a place to just relax and enjoy life. The cocktail menu is extensive, but wine is limited. The service was spot on. Great place to meet after work with friends. Everyone should try it at least once.
Only gets 4 stars… because it just didn’t feel like it was as clean as it could/​should be.

Everyone’s already covered most of the bases on previous reviews. To summarize my experience: good food and drinks, but terribly understaffed and sometimes pricey.
To elaborate, we were there on a Thursday evening and it seemed that there was only one server for the entire dining room. It was about ten minutes after we sat down before we got our drink order taken, another five to get said drinks (from the bartender?), then another ten before getting a food order. The server was friendly, just hard to find.
As for the pricey part, we paid the $ 25 for one of those bowls of drinks to share, and it was maybe three short drinks at best loaded in a bowl of ice. Best stick with the happy hour or cocktail menu, which was pretty good.
Hopefully with the changes to the lessner list of restaurants in 2015, Liz will focus on getting the staffing levels up to par.

Had a business lunch here today and was truly impressed with the place. I didn’t expect a lot, honestly I don’t know what I expected, but wow… good wow. Walking into the place, it was super dark inside, and incredibly inviting. The décor is spot-​on for a kitschy 50 – 60’s tiki bar. I would expect to find something like this on a beach somewhere in a resort area, not in downtown Columbus. Brilliant idea, I absolutely loved it.
Lunch was incredible as well, lots of love in the food here. I had the special today, which was a smoked pulled-​pork with grilled pineapple on a soft hoagie style roll. For the side I chose a steamed broccoli with a Thai sauce which I loved. Packed with flavor, and something different for everyone to try.
Bottom line, great atmosphere, service, and tasty eats… Adding this to my list of regular lunch spots, I’ll be back soon!