We gave this restaurant two tries because i wanted to like it. They are a white linen "cafe" and advertise themselves as hometown fine dining. The atmosphere is a little dated but Its somewhat comfortable compared to seasons bistro down the road. But on to the reasons i cant give them any more stars and that is the food. The first time we went my wife got a filet which is $28 with no sides. After a side dish and side salad you're in the high $30's. It was rubbish, flavorless and actually a little tough. She was hesitant to cone with me for the second time. This time she ordered a bowl of crab, shrimp and asparagus risotto ($12). Im not joking when i say it came with about a half ounce of crab and shrimp combined. All one could taste in the dish was asparagus. I ordered just a prime rib $26 for the small one with no sides. It was chewy and grey and bland. My wife ordered a riesling with her risotto and it was sweeter than most moscatos. Our server replied that this was simply how this winery's wines are. The restaurant carried no other riesling. So our bill with 2 drinks, a prime rib with no side, a side salad and a side of risotto was $64. Your prices are a statement to your customers, at $26 a la carte for a small prime rib, you are matching columbus' best restaurants prices. You are saying " our food is premium." Im sorry, but what your food told me was "i dont care anymore." I advise the owners to go to Hudson 29 in columbus, eat their prime rib and ask yourself for $31 (this includes an awesome side) "am i even coming close to their quality??" read more

Cecil and Lime - The prime rib was a little grey, but thats fine. The chewiness and blandness was the killer - New American Near Me - Springfield, Ohio

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This place hit the spot. I was passing through on business and was so pleased to find a locally owned joint for a steak and martini...both were perfect! And they were priced right. Had a NY strip with roasted potatoes, zucchini and squash...all tasty. Server and bartender were super nice. I highly recommend for anyone looking for a relaxing atmosphere to unwind and have a great meal. read more

Cecil and Lime - New American Near Me - Springfield, Ohio

A "don't judge a book by its cover" restaurant, definitely great food and even better service. An odd place for a white linen restaurant (in a neighborhood setting) but we will be back! A highlight for Springfield for certain! read more

Food was prepared as well as a Michelin Starred restaurant in a major city and knowledgeable and considerate staff made the night a treat for our party. Unique finds that not only taste exceptional (candied jalapeños) but show originality and flair not generally found in local restaurants. Live piano music was a plus and the ample wine selection paired well with the delicious food. We were informed that the Chef made all the salad dressings from scratch and it was apparent upon receiving out food that he has not lost his passion for cooking. My only regret was that I couldn't order more than one entree so that I could try out more than one dish. Our order consisted of the rack of lamb, lobster/shrimp risotto, baked salmon, green beans, tuna Poke, and candied jalapeños. With a bottle of wine it was just at $100 and worth every penny. Highly recommended. read more

Passionate chef who is the owner's cousin but he knows what he is doing and is a foodie. They have a nice, small wine selection and some decent beers. The food was excellent, the service was intrusive. The interior needs some warmth, character and personality. If it is warm outside, eat on the deck which is covered. I've talked to a few people around who've eaten here and the consensus is you really love it or they are just kind of missing the mark. Spend a little cash on the interior and manage the staff to understand outstanding service standards. read more

Cecil and Lime - New American Near Me - Springfield, Ohio

I'm absolutely in love with this restaurant!!! We went there again tonight for our 10th anniversary. The food was absolutely amazing!!! My husband got the New York Strip Steak and he said it was so amazing he didn't need any steak sauce. Which is a first. I ordered a steak burger with blue cheese. It's by far the best burger I've ever had. They also cater very well to gluten free diets. Almost all the sides are gluten free & the even have a gluten free dessert. The most amazing part is both times we've gone there was fabulous live music. If you live in Springfield, oh you know how rare an atmosphere like this is. If you get the chance you must go & enjoy! read more

Overpriced steak, poor cooked steak( over cooked), and lack luster service. Will not be back....

First time here! The staff was very professional, our waitress was so nice! The wine, the food omg! The filet was cooked perfectly, the lobster risotto was amazing! Definitely will be coming back! read more

1st, the service is awesome! Bartender has a great personality also. Had the lasagna, different w/ the pepperoni in it but the sauce is sweet and very good. Side salad was standard but the House Italian was very tasty. Will be back for sure read more

We LOVE Cecil and Lime ! We live in Columbus and my brother and his family live in Dayton. It's the PERFECT meeting spot for an excellent dinner in a cozy and comfortable environment. Love the food, service and atmosphere! read more

Cecil and Lime - New American Near Me - Springfield, Ohio

The food is very good and fresh. Service is excellent. The ambience is very upscale and quiet. The desserts are phenominal. Very romantic.

Exceptional food and atmosphere. We were visiting from out of town and all of us were so happy about finding this place. Hospitality, atmosphere and food - all solid 5 stars! read more

We were driving from Dayton to Columbus and decided to scout for a decent restaurant at the midpoint Glad we did. When we pulled nearby restaurants up , the name Cecil and Lime was intriguing so we stopped there. The food was excellent and the service was too. We felt very welcome even though we were walk ins. I'd give it 10 stars if I could. read more

On the corner of Cecil and Limestone streets, Cecil & Lime's used to be the only other good restaurant Springfield has had in the 10 years I've lived here. This place has great steaks and seafood, garlic mashed potatoes to die for, and a whole assortment of home made salad dressings. What is more, the prices are user friendly. The very short wine list is unusually well chosen and amazingly reasonable. It's an owner run restaurant ... he cooks and in the late evening is known to play the baby grand beautifully. My friends and I drive from Yellow Springs just to come to this place, passing up the assortment of restaurants there. It suits our tastes and our pockets. read more

Springfield, Ohio is a somewhat depressing little town. There are good people there, and there is still some relatively beautiful and safe areas, but unfortunately, the economy has hit this town pretty hard. I was told that statically, this little town at one time had more people on welfare than most towns their size in the state of Ohio. There are many beautiful homes that once graced this little town, many are now in great disrepair or are in the process of being torn down for what the city calls "Renewal"....the nice way of saying, "I need your land to widen the streets." Tucked away in a residential area is Springfield's hidden gem, Cecil & Lime Cafe. They are located on the corners of Cecil and Limestone. There is no street sign advertising the restaurant. If you did not know it was there, you'd miss it, as the only sign is painted on their window facing Lime Street. My in-laws love this restaurant. They had their wedding party there almost 2 years ago when they got married. We had heard great things about it. We were also told that they served the best ribs in Springfield. My husband is the hugest rib snob. We both rolled our eyes when we heard this, being the best in Springfield didn't carry a lot of weight to either of us. Even stranger to us was the fact that the ribs had to be ordered days in advance...and when they were ordered, they only had 2 slabs available. The restaurant itself is very dated. Bright red walls, white table cloths, black napkins, black metal chairs and gray industrial carpet. Lighting was tea light candles placed strategically in the center of each table, rope light around the walls, and of course a few globe lights above the bar. Very 80's, the only thing missing was a print of a wine glass, a piano and someone with red fingernails. Their menu is very simple, 3 varieties of appetizers, 3-4 salads, burgers chicken, and chops. They had 4-5 specials, but we were told that they had limited stock. We had 530pm reservations. We were the only ones in the restaurant. We ordered the ribs. beef wellington, a filet mignon, a ribeye, and a grilled cheese for the little one. Entrees came with the choice of soup or salad, red potatoes, garlic smashed potatoes, vegetable of the day or fries. I chose the soup which was chicken tortilla. The favor was good, but the soup was thin, and the chicken was obviously canned. Their dinner rolls I suspect were heat and serve, but they were brushed with a sweet butter dill sauce that made them decent. Onto the entrees...I had my ribeye cooked medium rare with red potatoes. It was more medium and had a bit of gristle and silver veins. The potatoes were delicious. The beef wellington was pretty good, but the bordelaise sauce was thin and the mushrooms chewy. The ribs were different. It was unlike any ribs that we had ever tasted. They slow cook the ribs in a steam bath with their special dry rub. There isn't a dipping sauce for the ribs. The flavor is unlike anything that you would envision ribs or even a dry rub to taste like. It was heavy on Chili powder, garlic, and pepper. It was good, and it was very unique but not what we anticipated. The staff is friendly, the cook himself is an incredible guy. One of the nicest genuine people that I have ever had the pleasure to meet. It's a bit on the pricey side and pales in comparison to the food that we have been accustomed to living in Chicago, but in terms of food and service that we have received in the small town areas of Ohio, it's worth the 4 stars....for Springfield it would probably be safe to say it's worth 5 stars. I'd definitely recommend Cecil & Lime to anyone who finds themselves in the Springfield area. read more

Very unexpected for a really nice meal in a small down as I drove from Columbus to Dayton for work. A little pricier than I would have guessed based on the building and location, but I'm not complaining based on the food. The wine list could definitely use some help, but the food was well seasoned, cooked, and presented. The service was fair. My only concern would be a lack of patrons, but as I stopped on a random Tuesday it's possible that they're much busier on a Friday or Saturday. read more

Really nice place. Food is all first class. Small place and dimly lit. Great service. A few complaints; since it is so small, when they have live music it is WAY too loud. 2nd, the menu is on the small side. Pricing is a little high also but the quality of food makes it a good value. read more

Ate at Cecil & Lime for the first time tonight. Atmosphere was extremely nice and relaxing. Food was phenomenal! I had the NY Strip, best steak I have had in a long time; my son in law fell in love with their lasagna and my daughter raved at how good the tilapia was. Everything was flavorful and cooked to perfection. Will definitely be back! Dee Caudill read more

I really love this place. The service is fantastic, the food is great - if a bit pricey. I'd say it's worth a visit if you're looking for a "treat" or a place to take visiting family. read more

The tilapia and crab meat was very good. The wedge salad was excellent and enough to share. Bimbimbap was tasty but expect some spice. The trifle for dessert was excellent. Servers were knowledgeable snd friendly. Highly recommend read more

Wonderful restaurant for food and entertainment. The staff treats you like family, food is great, drinks flow freely (not for free) and if you like music, Micah Berner, the owner is a fine pianist and singer. He can churn out just about anything you want to hear on his white Grand Piano...and sometimes other musicians come in to jam with him. Lotta fun! read more

First time there tonight traveling through Ohio. Great find with awesome servors and awesome food.

I can't believe that I had never been there before until last night. The food was so, so good. The service was good as well. I had the seared scallops over a creamy lobster risotto. It was to die for! The salad prior to the meal was tasty as well. My other half had a giant steak burger which smashed potatoes, that he really enjoyed. I feel like this restaurant may be easy to miss if you are not from the area. I love that this is a nicer upscale restaurant with great quality food. It is perfect for date nights! This restaurant is something that Springfield has needed for a long time. It is so much better than other places in Springfield. I was very impressed and will most definitely be a returning customer! read more

Went to dinner tonight based on a friends suggestion that we try something different in Springfield. Thank goodness for GPS, might not have found it otherwise as we are not from Springfield. The staff was very friendly and welcomed us... Like others have mentioned it seems like it's trying to be upscale. We received rolls that seemed packaged and not even warm, but had been drizzled with maybe melted butter.. Had a side salad that was ok, nothing at all special. Then my entrée came out, salmon and mashed potatoes.. For $24 I expected more, and I have to admit, I feel I fix a better salmon myself at home. My friends got the lasagna and really enjoyed it and another friend had the risotto, with asparagus.. We had a hard time finding any asparagus and she felt the flavor was just ok. We all agreed that we were glad we tried the restaurant, but can't imagine going back. read more

The food quality was excellent. The menu is varied, and though small, I thought it was varied enough selection. The live music was probably a little loud due to the acoustics, but other than that, it is definitely worth a visit. read more

First timer and can't wait to go back. The atmosphere was dated but still comfortable. Excellent, friendly wait staff. I had the chicken with olive tampenade over risotto. The risotto was perfectly cooked and seasoned. The tampenade was a little briny but still was good. Beautiful presentation. Friend had the steak au poivre which was very, very good. The steak was huge and the bourbon glaze was amazing. Looking forward to trying some of the other menu items. read more

What a wonderful meal! The service was spectacular. The atmosphere was perfect for a special occasion or just a night out. Our steak practically melted in our mouth and the side dished were to die for. I would go back and just order the risotto! It is the best I have ever had. We will go back! read more

Thoroughly enjoyable from Start to Finish! Salads with olives & cheese, Pork tostadas & Lobster Crab Cakes! Steak perfection! And desserts too good to pass up! Especially the Raspberry tort! read more

Great server! Despite being in later pregnancy, our server was fantastic. Food was good. Enjoyed the seafood risotto much better than my steak. Had the jalapeno cream cheese toast. Pretty spicy despite the candied jalapeno. Great option for the area and we were happy we went. Stick with wine, they need some updates for making even classic cocktails. Good prices read more

Outstanding food and service. This will be our must go to restaurant when we are in that part of the country. Triply outstanding

I did not know what to expect and I was very pleasantly surprised! I was with a group of 7 total so we sampled a wide variety of entrees from Filet Mignon, to Ribeye Steak, to the Bay of Fundy Salmon. Servings were generous, wait staff very attentive and helpful. Save room for dessert! read more

Angie at the bar makes a great drink. Live music and great food. I've heard they will be doing a remodel, should be interesting to see what they do with the place read more

Great environment for a less casual/formal dinner date or meeting. Loved the candied jalapeno appetizer and lasagna!

I have been to this establishment three times. The first time was amazing. 5 stars This was approximately a year ago. The next time it was really good but it was not amazing no problem probably 3 to 4 stars. We went there Friday and this was their first night open after apparently a month long hiatus due to remodeling. I was told the owner was cooking. I ordered the ribeye all three times. Nice big cut cooked to perfection the first time, probably the best steak I've ever had in my life. The second time it was just OK, average. This last time it looked like they had reduced the serving size and cut it it thinner. I received this thin steak, a small pile of potatoes and a salad for $36. I also ordered coffee and cheesecake. The cheesecake was not good. Like my salad, my steak and potatoes arrived at the table stone cold and was cooked rare, and even probably extra rare when I ordered medium rare. They were busy and we had already waited a long time so I did not ask them to take it back to the kitchen and I ate my food. I also ordered chicken piccata for my wife to go. This is a pasta dish, there was no pasta and the portion size of the chicken was extremely small and extremely overcooked to the point of being the consistency of jerky. It also came with a side so I selected potatoes and green beans. Not sure why I needed that because of the pasta but whatever. Again the potato serving was very small, and they did not include the green beans but I went to the bar and asked for that no problem. I understand that the regular chef wasn't there but I have heard from others that the portion size thing is a reality and that means to me they're struggling. If the owner reads this, cutting down portion sizes is probably not the way to go because nobody is going to pay premium prices for small portions. Good luck! Springfield needs restaurants like this but not if they serve food in this manner. read more

My son is a Senior at Wittenberg and we just found this place. Wish we had come here sooner. The atmosphere is lovely- we sat on the air-conditioned porch-area. (Had it been a little less humid, the outdoor seating looked pleasant as well). The food was top notch- the right amount for a fair price. I had seared scallops nicely served over a bed of creamy lobster and shrimp risotto. Other family members had salmon and the pork tenderloin. All were happy with our choices. The service was outstanding- there when we needed but not interupting the flow of our conversations. Excellent meal. I give it 5 stars and would certainly go back. Compliments to the chef and staff! read more

Much Better than I was expecting. Probably the best restaurant in Springfield for fine dining. The jazz music is always on and the lighting is better than most places allowing you to sit closely but enjoy your company. Best of all, the staff is very professional. read more

I was visiting my mother in Springfield and decided I wanted a glass of wine. I only knew of one place in town that had a wine selection, so I went to Cecil and Lime. I went alone and sat at the bar. I ordered a glass of wine and an appetizer. I spent the majority of my time texting my friends back home, but chatted with a server and the owner, who was behind the bar. He ended up over serving me to the point I thought it was ridiculous. I even sent my friend this video because there was six glasses sitting in front of me: http://gfycat.com/UnequaledSelfishAdamsstaghornedbeetle Once the restaurant closed (at 9pm), I kept asking to pay and was actively ignored. One of the servers even joked that I was "being held hostage". At this point I had been over served and they convinced me to drive my mom's car home for me. I remember walking to the parking lot and being so drunk that I even fell in the lot. I was visibly extremely drunk. This is when things start to get fuzzy. I don't have any idea why the server drove my mom's car home with out me in it or why I was in the owner's car. When I woke up in the car it was past 2 am and the restaurant closed at 9 PM. I kept asking where my mom's car was. The owner kept acting like he was calling someone to try to find out. The whole time the owner of the car had his phone with him. I have no idea what happened during those hours, they are completely lost on me. I just know I was taken advantage of and completely regret ever going to this restaurant. Here's a photo of the number of times my mother tried to contact me at 1:15am (when I was completely blacked out). http://i.imgur.com/hI5wHHD.jpg Whatever happened, I was too drunk to consent to anything and my falling in the parking lot was clear indication of that. Why was I with this person for more than four hours and why can't I remember any of it? WOMEN BE WARE OF EATING AT THIS LOCATION ALONE. THE OWNER IS A PREDATOR. read more

Probabally one of the best resturants in Springfield, so compaired to Perkins or the Big Boy, Cecil and Lime is a good enough place for a steak. The wife and I went to Cecil and Lime on a saturday night and left the kids at grandma's and were reminded of why we left such a classless town. The ambiance was strange, dark decor with a loud tape playing Sinatra on a loop. We began with cocktails- Makers Mark Manhattans that arrived layered. Layered with the bourbon on the bottom and vermouth on top. Not mixed, but layered like a tequila sunrise. The bruschetta was the highlight of the meal. It was unique, with a savory flavor that was unlike any other bruschetta we have ever had. Very good. The house salads were sub par, the lettuce was wilted and browning like it came out of an old bag. The ranch dressing was like it came straight out of the Hidden Vally bottle and the cucumber vinaigrette was not a vinaigrette but creamy like it should have been on a gyro. We ordered a ribeye, medium rare and a new york strip medium. The ribeye was cooked properly but too salty, the strip was cooked properly and tasted good. The garlic mashed potatos had an okay taste but were strangely runny. We did not stay for desert. This resturant seemed like it wanted desperately to be a fine bistro steakhouse but just didn't know how. Things like the salad dressings and butters being served in little plastic cups on the side of the plate are not part of a fine eatery. And there was two boxes of matches in the mens room, on a table with a bowl of a few dozen spent matches in it. Who the hell is blowing it up so bad that this need be there? Get a Glade Plug-In or hire Cintas to put in one of those sprays on a timer. We're from the east coast, this place wouldn't make it here. read more

This was my first, and probably my last, visit to this place. We had 8 people (with reservations) and arrived right when the place opened. It took 45 minutes to get our drinks to us. We didn't even get to order drinks until 21 minutes after we sat down. Our group had an event to attend and need to be there by 7:00pm. We ended up having to ask the hostess if we could order dinner (we ordered FINALLY around 5:55pm). My husband and I ordered the fried banana peppers appetizer. It was marginal. I had a chicken Caesar salad and my husband had the spinach and berry salad with scallops. My salad was marginal. Applebee's quality if you will. It was LOADED with dressing. Excessive amounts. My husband's salad was delicious. The scallops were cooked well and the salad was fresh. For the prices this place charges they sure did disappoint service wise. I do not recommend this place to anyone. read more

I suspect some the complaints here are simply not valid. We have eaten here twice - the food was superb and the service was excellent.