Balboa in Columbus

They didnt serve food so we had to order from across the way, but my biggest qualm is the margaritas. The cucumber one is to die for BUT they are weak. The 2 of us had a pitcher and that was huge, but we were sober as a Sunday church service

Stopped in to get tacos for lunch. Ordered drinks, chips and salsa off the scanned drink menu on the bar. Scanned the food menu and it was a Postman link for the Cafe next store. Thats when they told us they were not serving anything but out of the bag chips and salsa.And to add to our frustration you couldnt even order pick up off the link for GVC, app wouldnt allow it.So we bailed and wont waste our time here again.ps. gave two stars instead of one because the raspberry mango mimosa I ordered was good.Update: moved to 3 stars since they addressed the food ordering issue so you can at least get some even if it isnt from their kitchen

Consistently below average. Took us 25 minutes to get a drink. Margaritas are way too sweet and what mexican restaurant has NO one know what a Michelada is?

I went with my wife and was put on the wait list. I asked the host how long the wait would be and he shrugged and told me he wasn’t sure it could be 15 minutes or it could be an hour. So it was a nice night, and I stuck around. I then noticed that they were only serving food from Grandview Cafe next door, but nobody told us.After waiting for 45 minutes we gave up and got a table at Grandview Cafe within minutes and had food/drinks before even getting a text saying our table was ready at Balboa.Maybe they’re better during non-COVID.

Ive had mixed feelings about the food here. I had brunch here for the first time ever and its the first real meal Ive had there since they renovated. I had the breakfast tacos, coffee and a bloody Mary. I also shared a sampler. Sadly, they do not have a bloody Mary bar. But the food was good, but not great. Ive had better queso and guacamole. The servers were really nice! The tacos started off as good, but then became just cheesy flavored as the gently drizzled queso (or chihuahua cheese, something like thatmelted its way into the taco. I stopped being able to taste the other elements and it became sickly. My hands ended up really gross. Other people might really like that though. The coffee was really good. I think if I came here again I would order just the breakfast tacos without cheese and would probably really enjoy it. I certainly wont write off the place completely.

Great margaritas! The food was middle of the road for me. There are better options at the price point but again, middle of the road.This location has an odd seating arrangement primarily due to a group table being right near the entrance. Im sure theres a reason for it.

Amazing food. Almost perfect service, and I enjoyed the atmosphere. I would return.

We arrived just before eleven and they were a little busy, by the time we left Im pretty sure every table was filled. The staff did a great job and everything we ordered was delicious! I want to go back and try other things on their menu. Oh and i like the wide variety of hot sauces they have available and the music they play :)

Two stars only because I love the food. Its amazing. Margaritas are also great and I was excited to see they expanded their selection.Minus three stars because holy cow management and service are TERRIBLE. I have been going to Balboa since the restaurants opening and have consistently experienced sub par service. Last night, however, was the worst: two friends and I waited for 45 minutes before getting to place our order. We were unabashedly ignored by our waiter who had spoken to us but once. He was obviously busy, and its clear the manager had not staffed the place well because even the hostess was serving, clearing, and taking orders. I had to approach her before finally the bartender kindly took our order and brought us our food VERY quickly. He comped our drinks and discounted our meals, but honestly I am so disappointed and as much as I love the street corn and tacos, Im not sure if I will be back.

My social group has the consensus that Balboa has infamously bad service, but good food. Order carryout and its probably a 4 or 5 star rating, but dine-in at your own peril. And dont go during restaurant week... they ran out of their only dessert halfway through the week and scheduled no additional wait staff.

Cant say anyone in our party remembers much from this place. I have a few vague memories of a pitcher of margaritas being ordered and some spicy food that made my boss cry. All in all I would say it was a successful end of night meal. Great atmosphere! Cheers!

Its a little on a pricey side, but its got a good vibe and delicious margaritas. I always throw this out place as an option for happy hour. Bartender have us free dessert while we were on a date night which was awesome. Will definitely be returning.

3 tacos dont seem like much to eat but holy cow will they fill you up. Amazing flavor combinations. Your hands will get messy but its so worth it. And you wont be able to stop eating the chips. GO!!

This was the first time there and it was an outstanding visit. 3 adults with 2 four yr olds and the servers were incredible and food was very good...surprisingly good! I wasnt sure about the place...I figured it was a bar place with some average food with the bar being the focus, but I got a pleasant surprise! And the servers were excellent with the grandkids...they got a great tip too! The adults had a variety of tacos that were all outstanding with very unique flavors/recipes. Plus, out of the ordinary margarita flavors; Blueberry-Basil and another; Roasted Pinapple-Cinnamon Margarita. Both were super! I can see that an evening visit there will be in my future...great patio, lighting & umbrellas makes for a good atmosphere. High recommendations!

We enjoyed the atmosphere of Balboa’s patio! The location is very nice, but parking can be hectic at times. The tacos are great-priced during late night. The margarita flight was alright, but I would not go back just for the margaritas.

Food was fresh, service was curteous. Good recommendations by wait staff. Good food portion sizes, and balance between cost. Chips are fresh and excellent. Had good alcoholic beverage options.

Fish tacos were kinda dry, needed some acidity in the sauce. Good portion tho. Service was good but food and appetizers were served almost at the same time. Dont order the ginger ale.

Stopped at Balboa for lunch. We sat outside, so I cant say much about the interior. The service was great. Our waitress could *not* have been more pleasant - she was so nice. I had the Adobo tacos, which was three tacos with abundant filling, but not much else. Chips and salsa were delicious. Would recommend.

Pretty mediocre - the margarita was not strong. The jalapeño poppers were good but overpriced - the tacos were average.Service was slow and not efficient whatsoever on a fairly non-busy night.Not worth the price - go to local cantina down the street.

This place has awesome margaritas - mango margs being my personal favorite! The guac is one of the best. They have an awesome patio in the front and great customer service! I definitely recommend this place.

Really good tacos, especially the Mahi and Steak. Best part is the patio

I had such a good experience at Balboa. My server was Amanda and she was very attentive, sweet, and had the perfect suggestions. If you want a amazing Mexican cuisine, this is the place to go! Will definitely be coming back to see her.

I enjoyed the tacos and outdoor seating

Came here for brunch ! So good:Lunch/Dinner are also delicious. The steak is the meat to get.

Food is very good. Had the salsa platter which is half off at Happy Hour. While the food is pretty good the prices are very high so make sure youre aware of that! The business seemed relatively under staffed as well, our server did a good job for a lot of tables.

Had great food and a fun and upbeat environment. The waiters are nice. The chips and guac are good, and the tacos!

Great food...Love the salsa, guac, and queso dip sampler, definitely recommend! Didnt go wrong with the pick 3 tacos either. Recommend ordering a side of the Street Corn too. Eat it by itself or spoon it onto whatever else you order (the quesofor example 😉cant want to come back for more!

The large patio is a nice feature (although the chairs arent comfortable), and there is a selection of interesting margarita and cocktail options on offer. Otherwise Balboa serves just-okay Mexican food.

I ordered Roasted Pineapple & Cinnamon Margarita; pineapple & cinnamon infused Don Julio Blacno, lime, agave! One of the best signature margarita Ive had; very unique. Though very pricey for a small glass (no margarita glass), Id consider going back for Margaritas Mondays perhaps. Decided to order the only two entree on the menu, one being the enchilada which were a huge disappointment. Corn tortilla was thick and tasteless. Green chilli sauce was average but not authentic to taste. Also ordered the Huarache, a thick fried tortilla with layered with refried beans, steak, carmelized onions, brussels sprouts and chimichurri! Very delicious but again pricey for the potion. Parking was bad, theres only a few spots next to the restaurant, so finding parking is up to chance.

Balboa Has a great patio but not food. The service was fine however the food was tasteless. I ordered veggie and chicken tacos. The veggie tacos was white rice with a splash of yellow squash. There was nothing special about it, and there was no flavor. The chicken taco was average but not worth it. There are so many other tacos places around, such as Local Cantina, Condados, Nada and sit down restaurants that have Superior food, that is not overpriced. I would highly recommend one of those other restaurants.

Great service, yummy drinks and food. I always get their tacos or a bowl with their margarita. One of the main staff, Ryan always goes above and beyond talking to patrons at the bar as well as ensuring satisfaction in your meal/experience. Take note of Margarita Monday 1/2 off Margaritas and Tequila Thursday...1/2 off shots of 100+ tequilas 😎

We came here for brunch and were disappointed.This place is very simple food but is too pricey! Their portions are not worth the value you pay. I came with a group of friends and none of us had a great experience. Our waitress was busy, the room was semi-crowded, but the food lacked flavor and taste.I dont think we will be back, it wasnt worth what we paid for. I paid $13 for a bowl that was basically just beans, potatoes, and 2 eggs. We all spent around $13-$20, for an entree and a drink.

Food so yummy. Not just your average taco joint. Great options and the drinks, YUMMMMM

Queso and Guac were good. Salsa was just ok. Tacos were alright. Steak Hauchero was decent. Service was most definitely sub par. Ordered two tequila flights, and only got one...only after 30 minutes of waiting... Food was delivered in a reasonable amount of time. Ordered a set of waters before receiving the check...never received any of them, even after prodding to see if the server could grab them. The check was delivered, and it took another 20 minutes to run the check and deliver the cards to the table.Overall, I dont recommend this place. Service is shi**y.

Solid spot for food and drinks, but often the service is a little spotty. Great patio for warm-weather gatherings and some truly delicious margaritas, I highly recommend their spicy version. The food is solid Cali-Mex and their brunch is even a little better than that. Overall, a solid neighborhood spot.

Good but not great. We went during the late spring. The set up is really meant for Ohio summers. Food was mediocre. Tacos arrived after everyone else had been served and were lukewarm at best.

This place has a lot of potential, but it fell way short of the mark today. First, the good:-- Our first round of spicy margaritas were delicious and so was the queso!-- The atmosphere and location are perfect and the patio setup is very nice.-- The manager, Paul, was helpful and trying his best to be everywhere at once, despite how busy the place was. If it wasnt for Paul this review would have been 1, maybe 2 stars.The bad:-- It took 25 minutes to get our second round of drinks - just two margaritas, we had to flag down the manager for them, and when they came they werent spicy at all but tasted like overly-sweet house margs with a couple jalapenos dropped in.-- Once we finally got our server over to take our food orders, we had been there for an hour, and it took another 30 minutes for 6 tacos to arrive.-- The tacos looked great, and the flavors were there, but they were cold, the pork belly was so dry it was inedible, and the mahi was just as dry.-- It took an hour before anyone asked us if we wanted more water, and 15 minutes later we were given a bottle of luke warm water with no ice to fill our glasses with.-- No one ever checked on us to see how the food was.-- I had to stand up to ask the manager for our check.Overall, what this place desperately needs is a logistics overhall. They are very obviously suffering from a lack of proper staffing. I would guess they also need to learn some basic ideas about how to set up a dining floor and kitchen for efficiency. I hope they get these issues sorted out, because theyre squandering some real potential here.

I really enjoyed my meal here and liked the fun feel of the place. I had the Steak Diablo and my wife had a salad, both were excellent. The beer selection is not huge, but is well chosen. We sat at the bar, and the bartender was friendly and accommodating. We will definitely be back.

We went for brunch. The breakfast tacos had both a thick queso and a holindase sauce or thick mayonaise. To be honest it was kind of gross. The chips and dips were good. Maybe other things on the menu are better.

Very large drink and cocktail menu. The infused tequila is a must try if you happen to stop here. Small food selection on the menu but very tasty. Great place for lunch, appetizers or just grab a few drinks in a casual atmosphere.

Awesome service, absolutely delicious food, and they have brunch! My past visit was for a quick drink with friends, they got the quesadillas, and chips n guacamole. The chips are fresh, and crisp, absolutely delicious, and the guac is bomb! The quesadillas looked really good too! I will be going over the weekend to get in on that brunch life! Unlimited mimosas for $15 speaks to my soul.

Went for dinner. Loved the atmosphere. Our server, Sean, was very enthusiastic and fun, and the meals were priced well (~$11 for 3 tacos). Ask for their Hot Sauce cart!!

A comfortable, lively spot in the heart of Grandview to enjoy conversation with friends over drinks & light fare. The staff is friendly, helpful & attentive. Bar staff went out of their way go over the drink menu patiently. The drinks are great and they offer pitchers which is a pretty good deal! The food is on the healthier side & doesnt weigh you down, leaves more room for drinks. :Overall very positive experience even on a Friday night when they were busy. Cant wait to go back and try a few other dishes!

To start, the interior is well decorated and stays true to the SoCal theme of the restaurant. The outside patio is spacious and a perfect place to enjoy the sun, complete with high tops, bench seats and lights strung across the top. The food is step above the rest of the recent Mexican inspired restaurants popping up in Columbus.Where this place really shines is its cocktails. At $8 a piece theyre reasonably priced and are big on flavor. I could sit on their patio and knock back cocktails all summer long.

We went here for a date night and we were not disappointed. The menu is simple but delicious. The drinks are great and service was wonderful. The interior is really interesting - loved the decor. We will come here again.

Great food, but the drinks are the highlight. A seemingly endless list of tequilas, and tasty Southern California beers. Order the spicy margarita... Its life altering. Love the eclectic music.

House margarita was on point...so delicious! We got the chip sampler (I cant choose my favorite, they were all fantastic!and tacos, because well, it was Taco Tuesday, so how could we not?! Loved the atmosphere and our server was very attentive and helpful in his suggestions. I will, for sure, be back to enjoy the patio when it is warmer.

It was a Sunday night and the bar was half full. Took more than fifteen minutes for original greeting and ten to fifteen for the drinks to come out after we order consistently. No attention to our table and we are super high tippers and repeat diners if we get good service. Sucks to suck servers. Food was pretty good though. Nothing at all special to the Columbus restaurant scene though especially since local cantina is right down the street.

Only had drinks and chips with salsa...salsa was good but the margaritas were disappointing...while the menu said it was made with fresh juice it had the same chalky taste you experience with artificial margaritas mix and it was way too sweet. The mule my partner had was better but just average quality.

Nice little venue, great drinks and some tasty tacos. They have a nice big patio out front, a side room for overflow or private events. I had a chance to try all the tacos. The pork belly was my favorite, Im a bacon fanatic, so its inevitable, that was followed by the short ribs, which I also really enjoyed. All the others were really good, but the first two were the best as leftovers the next day also. Very clean and the staff was very friendly.