What a gem! Quaint quiet atmosphere coupled with delicious food. I had the scallops cooked to perfection and my friend had the prime rib. Well priced and adequate potions. Definitely will keep it on the rotation of places to dine. read more

This place has great seafood and prime rib. The staff is attentive, especially the bartender; she was great. The place is cozy, a nice place to take a date. The beer draft beer menu has just one "beer-like offering", a rice-made beer from Budwiser. (Can you tell that budwiser isn't a real bier to me) The bar seats only about a dozen folks; there are many regulars at the bar. I order seafood every visit. read more

Windward Passage Restaurant - Dining room ... late in the evening - Seafood Near Me - Columbus, Ohio

Visited this hidden gem upon recommendation from friends and wasn't disappointed one bit! We were greeted by the kindest folks: Emma, Liz, and BJ. It was a busy weekend night and there was a little wait but it went fast. We had a cocktail at the bar courtesy of the bartender Sean. He had a great sense of humor and people around the bar seemed to be regulars that knew him. Our server, Lorie, was fabulous! She has worked their 20 years and knows the menu inside and out. She was very friendly, courteous, and professional. She was quick too - very efficient. She made some great recommendations and we took her up on it. For dinner, we enjoyed some oysters on the half shell, Surf & Turf (prime rib & king crab legs), and halibut special. It was all scrumptious!! Needless to say, we will be back! The whole evening and experience was wonderful! read more

I can't believe I've never been to dinner here because it has been such a staple for years. I went for the prime rib, which was good. Service was great atmosphere is unique. read more

Hands down, Windward is my favorite dining experience in Columbus. They don't give a rat's a** about this review, either, which just makes me love it even more. Order a Woodford on the rocks (a giant 4oz pour), the 10 buck shrimp cocktail, devils on horseback, and a steak. The sear on the steak is the best I've ever had. A giant baked potato with sour cream accompanies it, along with broccoli to make it healthy. Service is friendly and direct, and I always leave happy. So happy this restaurant exists. read more

My husband wanted some delicious seafood and we had the kids with us, so we decided to take a risk and try Windward with them. They loved the experience and my 3 year old kept asking when the ship was going to start sailing. The cinnamon rolls. My boys thought this was the best thing ever. I ordered the Filet. It was tender but a little over cooked and lacked seasoning but with some added salt and pepper it was still tasty. My husband ordered the Alaska King Crab and loved ever bite. He also ordered a perch sandwich to take togo and also said it was delicious. Overall, we had great service and will return. read more

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Windward Passage had been on my list of places to check out for a while, but the warnings of long waits had always prevented us from going. One Friday evening at around 5:30, we decided to brave the crowds and just go for it. When we arrived, we were greeted by a rather salty receptionist who belted out people's names and took phone orders. We were glared at by an older woman who had apparently been waiting for a table two minutes longer than promised. And we noticed that we were probably the only people under 55 in the place. But we put our name on the list and stood by to wait. Business was booming, and those already seated seemed in no hurry to get on with life. In just under an hour we were shown to our table. A couple of parties had given up on the wait, allowing us to move up the list a little more quickly. As the salty receptionist stated under her breath in a voice intentionally audible, "The weak never last." We snickered. We liked her. Isabel quickly came over to greet us and to take a drink order. I had my usual Hendricks martini, and my wife had a glass of Sauvignon blanc. Seeing the size of the entrees, we didn't order appetizers. However, we did receive a couple of bland dinner rolls and a totally unexpected beautiful cinnamon roll. We pushed that aside for later. I ordered a cup of clam chowder, fried walleye, a baked potato, and green beans. My wife had broiled halibut, green beans, and red potatoes. The food was absolutely delicious. And filling. I could barely stand after eating, and we had to bring the cinnamon roll home for dessert later. The ambience seems to mirror what one would see on the Love Boat or a seaside retirement resort. It is kitschy and fun, and the people who work there were great. And since the food was plentiful and delicious, I can say nothing negative in general at all about the experience. The long wait will prevent me from being a regular, but I will definitely be back. If their steaks are as good as the seafood, the place will be a total winner in my mind. Words of wisdom: --Arrive an hour before you think you'll be hungry since you'll have to wait for a table. --If you want a free cinnamon roll, go on Friday or Saturday: --Enter and exit the plaza where the restaurant is located from the Reed Road entrances if you're coming from the East. If not, you might find yourself smashed by oncoming vehicles on Henderson. read more

Windward Passage Restaurant - Cinnamon roll - Seafood Near Me - Columbus, Ohio

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Staff is efficient and food is wonderful. Cod is bland, but they have high quality food. I love to splurge on crab legs here. The fried zucchini sticks are the best you'll ever have. Hostess is stuffy, but that's just her personality. Don't take it personally. She's been there for YEARS. Get there EARLY! read more

Was here for dinner with friends . Haven't been here for a long time. They don't take reservations so it's a good idea to get there early. I had the prime rib which was good . They also have seafood such as oysters and frog legs and fish read more

My girlfriend kept telling me how much she loved this place, well, EVERYONE I talked to said they love it. I honestly had never heard of it, but it is a true GEM if you are looking for excellent seafood. They are located in a strip mall on the corner of Reed and Henderson. I'm told they've had the same decor since the 80's, and we were the youngest people there, but hey--it's all in character! This place is the bomb! We decided to beat the crowd and meet for dinner at 430p, and I'm so glad we did because it gets CROWDED! Our waitress was excellent and very attentive. I started with the "Devil on Horseback" appetizer which are spicy, bacon wrapped fried oysters, with a side of ranch. You can also order the "Angel", or mild version, but I went for spicy. Very good! I followed it up with a pound of Alaskan King Crab legs, which comes with two sides. I chose a baked potato and broccoli. You guys, I've never seen crab legs so big!!! They are served with butter warmers for dipping, and all the tools needed to dig in. The best surprise, was that on weekends, they serve you with homemade cinnamon rolls in addition to bread and butter. What a treat!! I washed it all down with a Long Island Iced Tea, and I can't tell you how happy my belly was. I am warning you, if you're eating crab legs, you will get messy! That's ok, though because they bring you a hot wash cloth to clean yourself up. That felt so good! I would love to give 5 stars for service and food quality, but have to dock a star for COVID safety. While dining, everything was fine. The staff is masked and they take precautions. However, when leaving, there was a line starting from the dining room all the way out the door, and no one was socially distant. That was very concerning to me. This place doesn't take reservations, but I feel like they should during their peak times for safety reasons. Anyway, my advice is, go early! Enjoy! read more

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Omg I just love this place! Thought this restaurant was a Chinese retail store where you find Chinese throwing stars and swords This place hasn't changed probably since it opened!! It has the best prime rib and seafood!!! Who knew! Sitting at the bar is always entertaining. If you love oysters they have them and they are usually Blue Points which are AMAZING! The ambiance reminds me of restaurants I used to go to with my grandparents. I will warn you that it is dark inside. No windows but I feel like I'm on a ship! It's really great! I highly recommend this restaurant. They do not take reservations just walk ins. read more

Food was amazing and definitely worth the wait to get a table. I had the filet and my wife had fish. Both we excellent and cook perfectly. We will definitely be back. read more

I asked what was on the kids menu and got a choice of chicken fingers or grilled cheese. I ordered grilled cheese and got chicken fingers. No big deal until I received my check and was charged $14 for chicken finger and $3.50 for a milk. $17.50 for a one year olds meal?!? I asked the server and she said "we don't have kids meals." Wait didn't you give me a choice between two kids meals? If I would have known the price I would have shared a meal! A little transparency would have been nice. The hostess could use a communication class or maybe just to smile once or twice. I used to love this place but it is not what it used to be! read more

We came in on a Saturday night, busy night but were seated right away. The waitress I am sure had been there a long time. Alot of regulars I think were in there and a lot of older people. Smelled of seafood so I knew we were good, and it is recommended for the prime rib here. So, we started with 6 oysters that were fabulous. We had to ask for bread, no biggie but we had no idea it came with the meal. She was super sweet and was working her tail off really hard. Had a couple cocktails and shared the Prime Rib. The salad was fabulous, the Potato and Prime rib were to die for. I will be back... Loved it. Even though the waitress was very busy, she may have been the only one there. She was sweet, knew everything on the menu but did not tell us the nightly specials. We tipped her well knowing we would be back and that she did a great job. Hope to see her again. read more

Anniversary dinner here was A-Ok! Quite a wait as they do not take reservations...but scored a seat in the bar area and had a cocktail (yes, they do pour them strong here!). After being seated we were a bit disappointed as our booth had a literal spotlight shining brightly down on us. The lighting in our booth was awful. We were sad because it looked like most of the other seating was dimly lit or at least less than at our booth up front by the window. On to the food...it was good! I had the blackened catfish and my man had the perch I do believe. Both were very yummy dishes. Oh, we started with the clam chowder and could definatly done without. It was just meh. We also had the Oysters Rockefeller and Oysters Remick and they were delish! Overall, it was pretty good and we'll probably go back and check it out again sometime! It seems to have quite the cult following! Ha! read more

Windward Passage Restaurant - Seafood Near Me - Columbus, Ohio

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This is an old school restaurant and I highly recommend to go there. The price is reasonable and the food is awesome. I ordered Oyster and clams for the starters and a 8oz prime rib and 8oz Alaskan crab legs as my main. It comes with a salad. read more

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I have lived within a bicycle ride of WP for about 5 years, and i've driven past so many times vowing to check it out. I can now check it off my bucket list. The place is every bit throwback as you would expect when you see the exterior. Inside, it is just as dim as you would expect, but it has some decorations that give it the feel like you are in a boat or on a fishing dock, or just inside something that was way cool in1978. It seemed to be filled with regulars as most seemed to know one another. The food was pretty good. My platter of fried stuff was great. The scallops were especially good, and were perfectly cooked. I like this place and will probably be back. read more

This place does not look like much from the outside but my husband and I had heard good things so we gave it a try. The decor is fun (if a little tacky) but the service was great. We were greeted and seated right away and our waitress was very friendly and helpful in suggesting what to order. The bread was light and fluffy and meals are also served with a cinnamon bun which was also delicious. My scallops were amazing - even my husband who usually hates them was impressed when he tried a bite. He ordered the prime rib which was not the best we have had but was good for a seafood place. Prices were pretty reasonable for the quality. read more

Windward Passage Restaurant - Blackened Scallops - Seafood Near Me - Columbus, Ohio

Believe it or not, this place serves the best liver and onion meal for a seafood restaurant. They even asked how I would like it cooked. It is several thin slices of liver in place of a thick tough piece. I am so happy. read more

So l had some reserved feelings after reading a few reviews but l still wanted to try this place. I worked in this area for over 12 years and never entered but l was looking for a place that offered good seafood and didn't break the bank Windward hit the spot, 5 stars just for the service, food arrived in time and unlike some places. I did not have to ask for bread, serving utensils, condiments etc. was all in the bag. My food well l wanted a salad trying to eat more veggies a extra veggie serving of broccoli was also included, my potato and shrimp serving was exactly what l needed. I would say the crowd was more 40 and up but the food was very good, not too salty. I will return to try other dishes. I got my Shrimp dinner as a carry out and it was ready at the time quoted to me. Almost forgot the soup was really good. read more

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We started our meal with a dozen oysters. Before shucking the oysters, they did not clean the shells. All the shells were dirty, and some had a thick coat of mud on them. Because they weren't properly cleaned, they were gritty. For our meals, the scallops were sautéed with a light coating of breading that prevented them from getting that nice sear that you look for on a scallop. The crab cakes were more bread than crab and mushy in side. The lobster tail was dry and overcooked with a weird bitter taste. The steak was the only thing cooked correctly at medium rare! Go figure that a seafood restaurant can only cook steaks correctly. Won't be back. read more

Service is great. Real old school supper club feel. Great fresh seafood. Especially like the oysters. Have not had a bad meal here. No reservations but that's kinda cool. Weeds out all but serious diners. Lake perch is fabulous when they have it. read more

Great seafood without the pretentiousness found at "higher end" places across Columbus. You're sure to miss the Windward if your not looking for it in the maze of Strip Centers that is Northwest Columbus, but once you open the doors you step back in time to the 70's and you feel like you're in a sea shack somewhere on the New England coast. The decor has been the same forever and that's a plus! The seafood is fresh, the martinis are cold and the prices are a throwback as well. This is one of the few places where I trust oysters on the half shell in Central Ohio, they are fresh and briny. Just about everything is good, you won't be disappointed, just be prepared to wait for a table. read more

As soon as I walked in I had high expectations about our experience since this place was packed. This is a cool "secret gem" in Columbus. The restaurant has been around since 1971 and it doesn't lack character, ambiance or charm. Our server Jody was friendly and explained the history of the place and gave us some recommendations for dinner. We started with the Coquille St. Jacques which were 4 fresh scallops topped with white sauce and cheese and baked in some mashed potatoes. Wow!!! I've never had such a dish and it was fabulous. I got the French Dip Sandwich with a loaded baked potato. There were thick cuts of prime rib and the loaded potato had cheese, bacon and broccoli!! We got cinnamon rolls for being first timers. We also had a bottle of wine to share. The prices are super reasonable and the food is out of this world. I can't wait to recommend this place to others and I can't wait to come back soon! read more

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Always solid food, but I hadn't been there for a year and they installed the absolute WORST lighting in the dining room. Bright white, awful office-style lights directly above each table. Completely killed the ambiance. For a place that looks like they haven't updated anything in 40 years (which is a good thing) I'm surprised that THIS was the thing they changed. What were they thinking?? Change the bulbs to soft white or yellow or something. I want to visit your restaurant but not if I feel like I'm sitting in my cubicle at work. read more

I went there for the first time this evening. It was very crowded, but was able to get a seat at the bar. I really liked it. The service and the food was excellent. I particularly liked its neighborhood, rather than corporate vibe. Many of the people at the bar were clearly regulars, which told me that the food was likely good. The bartender was really busy because it was very busy and they seemed short staffed. Still, she was attentive and professional. I would definitely choose it over the more publicized Columbus 'brands.' read more

Wow! No recommendation. No homework. Don't take reservations. Moved here from Chillicothe to be near Grandkids. Exploring the neighborhood for eateries and decided to try Windward. What a spectacular surprise! Reluctant to post cause it will make my next wait (said 30 min. Actually 10) longer. From the get go we were made to feel welcome! Shawn the bartender for 23 years made us rookies feel at home. Andria our waitress was sweet, attentive, efficient, and helpful. Ambiance is subtle but appropriate. Appetizer shrimp cocktail was cold and crisp. Cinnamon roll that can with entree was yummy. My medium rare filet was perfect. Bread was warm. Butter was soft. Lake Erie Walleye and sauce was very tasty. We have found our Cheers! Please don't come here! read more

This fifty plus year old neighborhood strip mall spot, which we have patronized since it opened, still delivers delicious seafood, properly prepared in the way you like it. We enjoyed excellent fried perch, a great lake's favorite, with nice sides and draft beers to drink. Servers are attentive, and some seem like originals from 1972. To say the least, they know the menu. Definitely we will keep coming, as long as they keep doing it the way they have been for a lifetime. read more

First time here! Apparently the restaurant has been there since 1971. Excellent service and delicious food! I ordered the walleye fried with homemade potato chips and it came with broccoli as well. Instead of a salad, I had clam chowder which was tasty! Walleye was tasty and lightly coated and fried! So delicious and not a fishy taste. Because it was Saturday, they served homemade cinnamon rolls plus the bread rolls. Delicious!! Hubby had prime rib and it was very tender and delicious! Huge baked potato and he also had the clam chowder. Daughter had the French Dip sandwich which she throughly thought it was delicious! She had a salad which was served cold and very tasty. Looking forward to going back!! read more

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Place is super old, haven't updated any of the decor and just smells like that "old person" smell. Food is average at best. Lobster tail was rubbery, way over cooked. I wouldn't recommend this place. read more

Loved their prime rib, which came with rolls, salad, potato and veg for $35 for the larger portion. My husband got a rack of ribs and said they were great. We will go there again. read more

First time here and I'm loving Windwards. I think this is a very low key spot right here ;-) I had the Devils Horses which are Oysters in hot sauce and wrapped in bacon and the Angel Horses have no hot sauce. The Rockefeller Oysters were the better of the two appetizers. Clam Chowder, Perch, Oysters were all very good. I think the prices are great too! read more

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GREAT SEAFOOD at reasonable price! Lake Perch is my favorite. Salads and twice baked potato.

Absolutely delicious prime rib! Great service and great food! Go there for oysters too! read more

Windward Passage Restaurant - Prime Rib 8 oz - Seafood Near Me - Columbus, Ohio

With all of the restaurants available in Columbus, I've found my search for a delicious seafood restaurant rather difficult. The spectrum of seafood restaurants seems to fall either on either super expensive chains, or low quality microwaved frozen fish. When I discovered Windward Passage several years ago, I realized this was a true hidden gem. This has become my go-to spot for seafood. Their oysters are delicious and the price is half what other spots are offering. Their seafood never tastes like it was heated up, and tastes fresh. I highly recommend! read more

Windward Passage Restaurant - Always gotta have their Oysters! Only 2$ each, best price in the city compared to 4$ a piece! - Seafood Near Me - Columbus, Ohio

I would give a 5 stars, however the operating hours are very difficult since this is a small place and I will not be fighting for the tables. Food is fantastic, always went there for oysters and steak, when was open for lunch. Now, it's hard to do that with the new schedules, overall it's a great place! read more

Great food. More of an elderly consumer population. Hidden gem for fresh seafood. Their cinnamon bread is delicious

Great food, great service, great environment! Enjoyed the oysters, crab legs and New York strip steak. read more

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What a great spot for fresh seafood! When I first walked in I got the total old school vibe- which was very comfortable and relaxing. No need to get dressed up or try to impress anyone here. As other reviewers had mentioned- there will be a wait after 5:00 on Friday. On this visit it was restaurant week, and they weren't participating so I believe we got a bit lucky. They quoted us 20 mins and we only waited 10 mins : ) Keep in mind- they don't accept reservations, but I will say the food is totally worth the risk of waiting. I'm sorry, you guys, I was trying to play it cool on my date so I didn't take any pics. I got the fried oysters w/house salad ( their ranch is bomb! ) and redskin potatoes. Veg of day was green beans. Oysters served w/ cocktail sauce which was also amaze! Date guy ordered the crab cake entree. OMG it was gooood! He and I split our entrees and as much as I loved my oysters I have to tell you those crab cakes with the remoulade made my night. Killer!!! Our server was super cute and not too intrusive, but she always came around when we needed her : ) Can't wait to go back! read more

Old school seafood, along with updated dishes (not fried) so there is generally something for everyone. It's a favorite for family gatherings. I recommend getting there early as it fills in quickly and has a long wait list later in the evening. Small parties can eat in the lounge in a cozy setting with others. read more