Columbian Country Club
Columbian Country Club has been generating real buzz around Dallas. We went in for happy hour with genuine expectations. We left early.
The space leans dark and moody — low lighting, intimate atmosphere, the kind of room that photographs well. A three-piece band was playing during our visit, and that was legitimately the highlight of the evening. Hold onto that detail.
The seating design is baffling. Much of the interior is furnished with tiny ottomans that become uncomfortable fast. If you go, sit at the bar — it’s where the actual seats are, and where you land will define your experience here more than anything else.
Drinks are the strongest offering. The happy hour menu is limited, but the Serpiente — tequila, soda, pineapple — is straightforward and does the job. Don’t expect much range beyond that.
Food is where it falls apart. Nearly every sushi roll contains imitation crab — spelled “krab” on the menu, which tells you everything. At $25+ per roll (half off for happy hour, at least), that’s a hard sell. The menu is also misleading: items like the Nashville sando and crab dip have been removed from the kitchen but still appear on paper. We ended up with the spicy tuna roll and the cheese-bao-ger. The spicy tuna was indistinguishable from grocery store sushi — at these prices, that’s inexcusable. The bao bun on the burger was gummy and off-putting, though the fillings inside weren’t bad.
Service was poor despite us being one of the only tables in the room. Flagging someone down required actual effort. The valet outside was fine, for what it’s worth, though paying to park somewhere you can’t wait to leave adds insult to injury.
Columbian Country Club works as a one-drink stop before you go somewhere you actually want to eat. The uncomfortable seating, mediocre food, price point, and inattentive service don’t hold up to the reputation it’s built. Dallas has too many good options to spend a full evening here. We won’t be back.
