Hank's Low Country Seafood & Raw Bar

My friends and I visited for Restaurant Week July 25. There were eight in our party and our reservation was for 6 pm. I arrived about 5:45 pm and was seated immediately with one other person in my party. Since we arrived before happy was over, we were able to order bites and drinks from the happy hour menu, which was a pleasant surprise. Surprise because a lot of restaurants that have happy hour will only allow you to order from the bar. The rest of the evening went smoothly. Food and drinks were great. Kyle was our server and he took very good care of us. Will return just for happy hour, because I could eat a meal from the happy hour menu.

$23.00 for an Old Fashion, give me a break. It's wasn't served in a gold goblet, didn't have a sea food appetizer attached, it was a drink in a glass. The same drink you can get at another BAR in central Ohio for $10-12. OUR bill also upwards of $200.00 and was close to average at best!
YOU'LL NEVER SEE MY CREDIT CARD AGAIN.

Bottom line up front: Excellent food, delicious drinks, below average service from host and server, slightly deceptive fees. I was leaning towards three stars because of the service, but the food and drinks were good enough for four stars.

Greeting: I went to Hanks for the first time on Saturday, July 19. We arrived 10 minutes early for our reservation and had to wait 15 minutes past our reservation time like they weren’t expecting us and weren’t prepared. The host put it on us to follow up with her instead of taking the initiative to follow up with us at the bar area which wasn’t that big.

Beverages: We ordered the Low Country Julep, Sunset Ridge, and Three Eight Charlie. Three Eight Charlie was our favorite because the strength of the bourbon was perfectly balanced with the sweetness of the rhubarb. The drinks were delicious and you could actually taste the alcohol so I was very happy with what we received.

Food: For dinner we started with the She Crab Soup which had an excellent, rich flavor. The sherry really added something to it. For entrées, we got the Seafood A La Wando and the Rare Seared Blackened Tuna. The menu description said the SALW came with sauce, but this was more of a stew. It was delicious, but I would not recommend getting both the She Crab Soup and the SALW as the base was very similar, if not exactly the same. I really wish the server would have said something so we could adjust our order. That’s an overwhelming amount of cream base for one meal. The Tuna was perfectly prepared, came with regular grits and chow chow. For dessert, we took home key lime pie which was the perfect texture.

Service: The service was not what I expected for what I assumed was fine-dining. Our server was rough around the edges. The soup was served in a chipped bowl. I had to ask the server to clear old dishes off of the table when it was very obvious we were done using them. He forgot that I wanted dessert and went straight to the bill. I didn’t want to take any longer so I didn’t bother to try the carrot cake I decided to order. It sounded good, but maybe next time. The manager never visited our table, we were back in a small room and I’m not sure if we were really on anyone’s radar.

Bill transaction: I am sure opinions differ on this, but I consider it a little rude when I pay in cash and I am asked if I want my change. A better approach, in my opinion, is to say something like “I’ll be right back with your change.” If I don’t need change, I’ll tell you.

Credit Card fee: Hank’s disclosed the 1.8% credit card fee in a very small, difficult-to-read font on the menu, but it’s technically there. I found it inappropriate that the bill only had one total including the credit card fee; there should have been a cash/debit card total and a credit card total. Our transaction took an excessive amount of time because they had to remove the fee, which I’m not sure if they would have done if I didn’t point it out.

I would absolutely return to Hank’s for the food and drinks. I would not return to Hank’s for a special occasion as this was, based on the service we received. This place seems a little more casual about service is more suited for a casual dinner.

Excellent happy hour. The ceviche is delicious.

Not so quick catch. The quick catch should not be advertised as 45 minutes. She crab soup, star of the meal, arrived promptly. The main course was very delayed and the key lime pie, which had to be boxed, was also significantly delayed. Key lime pie, when I ate it at the office, was a major let down. Meringue was delicious, but the crust had a flavor as if seafood somehow made it into the mix.

Very classy establishment and fantastic food and staff

We stopped in night last Wednesday. Night from out of town for a concert, the service was amazing. The food was great and our server. The guy in the white coat was awesome. Thank you for a wonderful experience. We will be back in October.

I would give Hanks 100 stars if that were possible. After 25 years of coming to Columbus for a summer convention, this is now my absolute favorite restaurant. The Calamari was like butter melting in your mouth. The scallops was top notch. The seafood Wando was lick the bowl worthy. But nothing compared to the chocolate peanut butter pie, a delicate fluffy peanut butter cloud. Can't wait to come back!!

Quality atmosphere , great service and a classy Oyster Bar and restaurant. Great happy hour, wine selection needs some attention, but what we had was great! This upscal piece of Charleston is a welcomed addition to the Columbus restaurant scene

Food was good. Not good enough to make an effort to come back. The waitstaff lacked any personality at all, not just our server, but all of the servers in the restaurant. The only smile we saw was from the hostess on the way in and out.

Excellent service! The waiter (Russell) was extremely helpful and attentive. We had happy hour specials. The crab cake was delicious!!! We also had the ceviche and it was great. Excellent wine and awesome happy hour menu.

Great food and service!!

Very disappointed. We came here specifically for a nice evening because they have a dedicated gluten free menu online and I have celiac disease. Upon arrival, the waiters were less than concerned and let us know they did not have a printed gluten free menu. I did not enjoy having to read the gluten free menu off of my phone at a higher end restaurant. After speaking with the servers about the gluten free options we were genuinely concerned I was going to get sick from the food and had to reiterate that it was serious, which we did not appreciate.
We also made reservations in advance during happy hour but were seated at a table that was not included in happy hour. The restaurant was mostly empty at this point and we were very confused. We were seated at a very small table in a high traffic area, which was disappointing from the cushioned chairs you see from the window. The servers acted like it was a huge deal to give us happy hour pricing on a drink in our area, but didn't extend it to appetizers. The host should make it clear to unfortunately seated guests they do not have access to the happy hour menu during happy hour, which is an unusual concept in general.
The food was good but overall pricey with disappointing service as we live within walking distance and will not be back. I highly recommend The Avenue for those looking for a positive higher end dining experience with celiac disease.

This is a high-end restaurant, with a majority sea food menu and excellent service. This is a great spot for special occasions. The food was excellent and the servers were very knowledgeable about the seafood on the menu.

White coat experience