Homefare

This is some of the best food in C-​bus. Delicious. Additionally, Matt the check is super nice, as is Tricia the hostess. We live in the neighborhood, and this is our new go-​to.

Total let down. My wife and I were looking forward to a great meal based on the reviews we have seen. Unfortunately it was a very disappointing experience.
The low point was my wife finding a piece of plastic in her chicken linguine dish. She was not impressed with the flavor of the dish up to this point and was totally turned off when the plastic was discovered. We alerted the waiter, he grabbed the piece of plastic and said someone would be out to talk to us. The plate was left on the table. After 5 minutes, a gentleman came out from the kitchen (not introducing himself) and said in a chuckling manner, «so I hear you had a little extra with your meal». It may have been a nervous laughter but still inappropriate. He did apologize, but it didn’t seem like he was too concerned. He offered to make something else but we did not want anything from the kitchen at this point. He comped the chicken linguine dish and that was all. No explanation on how it happened or why there would be a piece of plastic bag in the meal. Are these pre-​made/​packaged dishes?
I ordered the steak frites. The temp ordered was medium. What I received was medium rare towards rare. The flavor was okay but not worth $ 27 and I was still hungry.
When ordering, my wife was asking the waiter about his opinion between two dishes. The risotto and chicken/​linguine. He informed her they were out of risotto. This should have been brought up at the time we were handed the menus, not at the time we order.
We left Homefare disappointed and hungry since my wife only made it through a quarter of her dish before hitting the plastic. We wound up going to another restaurant for a fabulous meal for both of us and it was even cheaper than my steak dish alone at Homefare. We will not return.

I went to Homefare for dinner on Sunday evening with a group of 5. The décor was very clean, modern and inviting, and they were playing some really tasteful jazz at about the right volume.
I appreciate the approach at Homefare which seemed to me to emphasize really high-​quality ingredients and simplicity. If you serve really great food, like Homefare does, there is no need to have an overstuffed menu. The menu has about 5 of everything — 5 appetizers, 5 entrees, 5 salads, 5 cocktails, 5 red and 5 white wines and 5 craft beers bottles. I’m not sure if they are planning on expanding the menu at some point, but I really don’t think they need to.
I was very fortunate to speak with a friend of mine who had been to Homefare a few weeks ago because they tipped me off about the Ohio grass-​fed burger. And let me tell you, the burger was phenomenal. Definitely one of the best burgers I’ve had in Columbus. In fact, it probably is my favorite. The fries they served with the burger were also really tasty. Other people in my group got the fried chicken and the atlantic salmon and both dishes were raved about. Also, we all got cocktails and they were spot on.
Overall, I had a great experience at Homefare and am really happy about its addition to the Short North. I plan on going back again very soon.

Fantastic meal, great drinks, and a wonderful atmosphere.

Cozy spot tucked in a half block off high street. Intimate dining room with excellent service. All of the dishes are made to order from scratch and very tasty. We had the Italian pasta special, mushroom soup and a burger. It’s clear they focus on good, fresh ingredients. I believe they are continuing to tweak and improve the menu, so I’m excited to come back in a few months.

Loved our experience! Service was excellent, the cocktails were creative and delicious, and the food was outstanding. The mushroom soup was the best ever! I ordered the pork chop dinner. It’s difficult to get juicy flavorful pork chops like I make at home. These were perfect! My new favorite restaurant!

We checked this place out on a Sunday night right around 6:30 pm and were able to get seats no problem. It was actually pretty dead for the most part with no one at the bar and only a couple other groups sharing the space with us. That’s probably a good thing, because it’s super tiny, and I’m guessing there’s ten tables at most. I can’t comment much on the service, since apparently I wound up missing all the awkwardness that went on with Bryant before I got there.
As far as the food goes, they have a super small menu, which is fine, because everything we had was delicious! My girlfriend and I split the fried chicken and the burger, and we loved both of them. The chicken was extra juicy, and the skin had great flavor with a good crunch. The mashed potatoes and green beans were pretty standard, but you can’t really go too wrong with those sides. The burger stole the show for me, especially after adding bacon. It was one of the better burgers I’ve had in a long time, and I highly recommend it! The meat was great on its own, and that’s always the most important part for me. That, and the nice bun that it came on.
We ended up skipping dessert, but they don’t have many options. I think they had apple pie and a crème brûlée, which they were out of. The meal was actually less than I thought it’d be, even reasonable for what we got. I’d totally be back here again, mainly just for the bigger. Will it be a go to? Probably not, but it’s close to my place, and if I can get in without having to wait, then I’m definitely down. With the menu being small, I hope they change it up through the seasons and keep it interesting!

TL;DR: Spectacular food. Really awkward service. Gives no f*cks about food allergies/​restrictions/​preferences.
Homefare is brand new, so I genuinely hope I can give some helpful feedback to them…
I’m one of those people who loves to do my homework before checking out a place. I wanna see the pictures, check out the menu, see about reservations, and just get an overall vibe of a place. That’s practically impossible with Homefare. I think if you can help set better expectations for your customers — then why not do it? Other than a little bit on Facebook, this place is hard to stalk.
I decided to make a reservation because some of the Unilocal reviews mentioned how busy they had been lately. When I showed up, the guy at the bar said, «Can I help you?» I know this is nitpicky, but I just walked into a restaurant — you should have a pretty good idea of what I want. Maybe ask how you can help me instead? It’s little, but it definitely added to the overall awkward service.
From there, the service just got weirder. The restaurant was mostly empty, but I did not feel welcome at all. When the first guy stopped by to get my drink order, I asked about some of the cocktails — since the ingredients and the liquors aren’t listed on the menu. He said he liked the blueberry cocktail, but when I found out it was made with bourbon (can’t drink it), I asked if he had another favorite. He was so disengaged from me and started talking about a ciroc cocktail that he didn’t even like. I opted for a bottle of sparkling wine for the table instead.
When it came to ordering our food, I asked our server to help me navigate toward something wheat/​gluten-​free. Listen, I know how annoying food issues are for a restaurant, and I really try to make mine as easy on them as possible. I also try not to be a horribly annoying person about it… but this guy gave ZERO F*CKS about me. He literally had no idea what to say. I finally asked if the steak was safe, and he said that it was but that I couldn’t eat the fries. Instead of offering another suggestion, I had to ask if I could get a different side that I could actually eat.
So I know it sounds like I hated Homefare; I swear I didn’t. Because when our food came out, it was OUTSTANDING. My steak was perfectly cooked, and every bite was delicious. My side of brown butter brussels sprouts was fantastic — the sprouts cut into smaller chunks and browned and crispy. This was honestly one of the best meals I’ve had in Columbus. My friends got the Sunday fried chicken and the burger, and they raved over them both.
The interior at Homefare is really lovely too. It’s tiny, but they did a great job of maximizing the space. Lots of white walls and wood, with some cool accents here and there. Nothing frous-​frous — simple, dark, romantic. Right up my alley. I thought the price was on par for the high quality food.
I really liked Homefare, and I’m totally rooting for them. They’ve just gotta figure out the awkward and cold service. In the genre of farm-​to-​table, there are so many players doing similar things with equally-​delicious food but also with amazing and caring service. I could literally go to The Whitney House and get the same meal but be treated like I’m family… you know — the family that you like.

Went during restaurant week and very intrigued by the imaginative menu. However, was disappointed with the lackluster food. Oddly, 2 in my party ordered the same dish, but they looked like different entrees when they arrived?! Our waiter, Zac was good, but that was the highlight of an otherwise forgettable dining experience.

Tried this place for restaurant week, but probably won’t be back. The atmosphere is very cozy, but overall the food and service left something to be desired. The cauliflower fritters were actually amazing, though– they were tangy with crispy breading on the outside and melt-​in-​your-​mouth cauliflower on the inside. The butternut squash soup was well-​flavored, but served lukewarm. The mushroom risotto was rather bland– a little spice would have paired well with the creaminess of the dish. In addition, we had to ask our server for things multiple times and the courses were spaced out way too far– we were there for 3 hours and the place was half empty! The restaurant is very new, though, so hopefully things improve with time.

I went here with a few friends for restaurant week. The space is very clean but cozy. We also happened to be there during happy hour, which is a great deal if you’re in a group. We ended up splitting a bottle of wine.
I ordered the meatloaf, which I believe is on their regular menu as well. It was rich, flavorful, and incredibly good. My friends also enjoyed their food.
A little off the beaten path, but definitely worth it!

Homefare is a great little addition to the Short North!
I went Sunday for brunch with my mom — I had the frittata and she had the French toast casserole. I enjoyed mine, but my mom’s was the winner. It was HUGE, cinnamon-​y, and topped with syrup, fresh berries, and whipped cream.
The food took longer than expected to come out given that there were only 2 other tables besides us, but hopefully that will improve with time.
The interior décor was simple and comfortable but very well done.
I look forward to trying again for dinner!

This was a disappointing experience all the way around. Sad, because this place is incredibly nearby, and one that we’d hope would be a regular place for us. Three of us were there. Ordered butternut squash soup, and were served mushroom. Ordered a burger w bacon and no cheese or butter for a person with a severe dairy allergy and were brought a burger on a butter bun, dripping with mayo and cheese. Sent both back. The soup came back correctly, the burger appeared to have had the cheese scraped off. The indicator was that the well-​done burger came back in about two minutes and still had remnants of cheese on it. The bun was buttered. We gave up. The beet salad was exceptionally garlicky in a bad way, and the beets somehow managed to be flavorless. There was only one server and a bartender managing the restaurant, so service was slow and careless. I hate saying bad things about a new restaurant, but this was egregious. Just doesn’t seem like anyone cares at this place.

Modern American, field-​to-​table food.
This is Chef Matthew Litzinger’s replacement for L’Antibes, which he closed in June to reopen as HomeFare.
A more simple, low-​key, local neighborhood, but still fine-​dining restaurant. Carry-​out friendly, great ambiance, excellent food at reasonable prices.
We went to L’Antibes only occasionally. We’ll go to HomeFare frequently.
Well done, Chef…