MODA Restaurant and Bar - Columbus

Hit the spot!!!

During my stay last year at the Residence Inn, I was on my way to the parking lot to get something from my car and discovered Moda. Its located right in the main area of the hotel so you can't miss it. I was planning on going out that night but as the night went on it started to rain then pour!! My original plan was to go downtown or hit some of the bars in the area, but I decided on plan B due to rain. Plan B was to work out, catch up on work, watch a movie and get a good nights sleep for a change, but a person has to eat...right?

I headed downstairs from my suite and went to MODA. There were people scattered about the restaurant area, some eating and some drinking some doing both. I saw some of the food that the other guests were eating and their plates were devoid of food (good sign). I sat at the bar with a few other travellers and met some really cool people.

The bartender was a really cool gal, whose name eludes me but she was very friendly and knowledgeable about the menu and the local craft beers that MODA served. When it came time to order I took my bartenders advise and ordered the soup of the day, a beef stew which looked like chili. For the main course this evening I tried the braised beef tacos AKA BARBACOA TACOS. Much to my delight the stew was on point and matched my beer perfectly. I switched beer for the second course, the tacos which were messy, like a taco should be, but the braised beef was insanely good, juicy and tender. The street corn side was a really refreshing and interesting side. Hey!! I only tried two things but both were prepared right, and both were a good take on classic foods. I would eat there again!!!

Food very good, relaxed atmosphere. Perfect for a casual bite.. Service was just a bit slow on some things like water refills, but great otherwise.

One thing to note: it is inside the hotel lobby of the Marriott, there isn't an external sign.

REVISION: Gave breakfast a try again and the service was much better.

Original: The food and service was phenomenal for dinner. We sat at the bar for three nights during our stay and thoroughly enjoyed ourselves. However the service during breakfast hours was quite the opposite. The only thing keeping it from giving stars.

Would recommend for dinner for sure.

I visited during Restaurant Week. I found the menu for that event to be pleasantly surprising. I ordered the salmon, and it was cooked exactly how I ordered it, and was seasoned and plated well. The salads and desserts were well-portioned and tasted great. Although I did not eat from their normal menu, I would recommend giving MODA a try.