The Most Flavorful Cocktail Bars in Columbus

Bodega

★★★★☆ 3.8 (227) • $$

"Updating to include my review of the tacos I had there recently! Loved the $3 taco Tuesday special. I got 2 tacos and chips and guac for $10.The jackfruit was pretty good but wasn't my favorite flavor profile. Loved the Carnitas though! I think next time I will skip the chips and guac because the guac was a little plain. Still a pretty legit meal for only $10."

Viva La Fiesta

★★★★★ 4.6 (18) • $$

"Fantastic unique Mexican food that's unbelievably cheap! A fantastic sports bar. They even have a giant mural of Joe Burrow! Off the TV is including 120 inch 4 up screen."

House Taco

★★★★☆ 4.3 (39)

"The owner is one of the nicest people you could meet, he has a wonderfully attentive staff, prices are affordable, the ambiance is great, but the food omg! We only had the special for the day which was an incredible soup. Can't wait to go back to try other things in the menu!"

Harvest - Brewery

★★★★★ 4.5 (59) • $$

"Visited Columbus for a wedding this past weekend and found Harvest because it was close to our hotel. Their high rating is deserved. The restaurant was cute and had a good playlist going while we were there. We got the cheese curds which were so yummy! I got the house chop salad, which was only the half and was so much food, and loved it! My fiancé got the Italian sub which was also so good. It was a little messy but so worth it. Beer options were fabulous as well! The bartender at the time was super nice and not pushy/neglecting with ordering. Definitely would have gone back if we had more time there!"

Peru Taco Bar

★★★★★ 4.6 (67) • $$

"OVERALL 5 STAR RATING, with 22 of 25 being 5*s - what else do I need to say...?!?We dined here again. Same experience - awesome drinks and food, friendly service, good prices, completely 100% satisfied.OMG, you will increase the happiness in your life if you order a whole grilled chicken, fried rice (trust me), bacon beans, and the light green sauce (I think it's creamed jalapenos).I love their Jalapeno Margarita - not too spicy, just right, super flavorful. She likes the Perfect Margarita.Folks, this is a gem. Small, family-owned, and the clearly care.Go, just go... you'll thank me. And you'll probably see us there."

Ralph's American Grill

★★★★☆ 3.6 (57) • $$

"Dined here again this past weekend with a party of 9 (location wasn't our decision). Have to say the service was much better. Water glass was kept full and appetizers were brought out quickly with individual plates. Ordered the turkey reuben. Flavor was okay. I liked the marbled rye but husband prefers dark rye or pumpernickel. Fries were as good as the previous visit, appreciate the consistency."

The Avenue Steak Tavern

★★★★☆ 4 (315) • $$$

"My wife & I love trying new (to us) places & this one did not disappoint.Grandview area of Columbus is rapidly becoming a favorite destination.The restaurant is charming & was cozy for our valentines dinner. Usef was our waiter & was absolutely one of the best we've ever had. His knowledge of the menu & confidence in answering all of our questions was rare to see in today's work ethic. He definitely cares about his restaurant.The spacing between check-ins for drinks/apps/entrees was perfect & a welcome change from the rush, rush, rush to turn tables that has become the norm.Everything was wonderful & surpassed our expectations. Drinks - Expresso Martini & a classic "Old Fashioned" - 10/10Apps - Crab Cakes - best we've had outside of New England Shore states - Steak Tartare - 11/10Entrees - Filet & Scallops w/creamed asparagus - Filet done Pittsburg style 10/10 - Lamb Chops med-rare w/ House Corn - The mint sauce made this a 10/10.We will definitely be back."

Columbus Brewing Company Beer Hall

★★★★☆ 3.7 (74) • $$

"great beer - awesome foodif the prices were slightly lower this place would get 5 stars.the character of the space (old trolley garage) really makes the experience"

High Bank Distillery

★★★★☆ 4.3 (811) • $$

"This is a HAPPY HOUR STAPLE! My friends and I love coming here and getting some delicious drinks and tasty treats! The bartenders are so sweet and they love experimenting with new flavors with the cocktails. Get to know your bartenders they are some of the coolest people you will ever meet.We got a Smoked Old Fashion, End of Anxiety and 2 bartender specials. All were unique in their own way. Warning: the Smoked Old Fashion is BOOZEY. Definitely designate a driver for that one. We paired that with the Bravas potatoes for good measure."

Habaneros Tacos Tequila Mezcal

★★★★☆ 3.8 (96) • $$

"Great food. Ordered carry out at the bar. Spread of street tacos; steak (the best) chicken (very good) fish (quality fish meat). Queso and chips were good. The tortillas were fresh and delicious. Kids got the mozzarella sticks, loved them. I'm allergic to dairy and I was able to have the steak & chicken tacos. Also had the chips, all with no issue."

Rosebud's

★★★★★ 4.6 (8)

"We went for dinner Saturday night. The place was packed, but we were seated fairly quickly. The service was friendly and fast. And the food is amazing! I had the wedge salad & mushroom rice soup. Fantastic. Hubs had the roasted cabbage Caesar and soup. SNL had sausage ragu, loved it. Definitely will be back. Sadly forgot to take pics."

Khaab Indian Kitchen & Bar

★★★★☆ 4.3 (68) • $$

"Indian food is a favorite of mine and I love trying out new Indian restaurants when I travel and when I'm craving a nice cozy meal at home. Locally I'm a big fan of Aab and Haveli Bistro and from what I hear, this actually used to be an Aab but they changed ownership recently. I was up to giving them a try and lucky for me (and you) they offer delivery directly from their Yelp page, easy peasy.My food arrived piping hot which tells me that they took the time to really wrap it all up nicely. I ordered the garlic naan and navratan korma and both were incredible. The naan was soft and pillowy but at the same time sturdy enough to handle the weight of the veggies in my korma dish. For those that don't know, navratan korma is a mixture of vegetables tossed in a creamy sauce with raisins and cashews. It's my all time favorite Indian dish and goodness did they do it right! I was really caught off guard by how tasty it was. I'll definitely add Khaab to my small list of go-to Indian restaurants around the 614. Give it a try!"

Chuy’s Tacos and Margaritas

★★★★★ 4.9 (15)

"Not Your Average TacoI don't know about you, but I hate boring, repetitive things. Getting out of bed. Every single day. Fixing your hair. Every single day. Doing laundry. Every single day. Paying bills. Every single day. Mexican Food. (Okay, a lot, but not every single day.)How did Mexican Food make the list? Because it is usually boring and repetitive (like folding laundry). Every plate looks the same. It's all covered in the same sauces with a side plate of rice/beans/lettuce. Nothing stands out. Nothing slaps you in the face. Nothing says carpe diem!! So, when we made a stop at Chuys Tacos I was prepared for what was to come. Yawn. Margarita, chips and salsa and a good but mundane dish. Nope. Chuys slapped me in the face, hard. Like a slow-mo open handed, wake your a$$ up, scorned woman slap. And I loved it. Their street tacos are AMAZING. In Portland OR there is an authentic Mexican food truck I visited and Chuys could give them a run for their money. My fav? The shrimp street taco. Lightly seared shrimp, cabbage, mango salsa, and a gentle sauce. A little side of pickled carrot, fresh radish and cucumber seems like a small thing, but it isn't. So good. My husband got the nachos grande and said they were the best he's had. The word fresh kept coming up. We had cocktails, local bar level...but good! Here's the bow on the package, they have tons (15?) margarita flavors. Ginger, blackberry, prickly pear, mango....Can't make up your mind? Get a flight of margaritas. Yes. A flight. It made me want to travel, see the world, let the laundry lay in the washer, let my hair whip in the wind. Best part, it's all served with a smile and nothing makes food taste better than that. This tiny little spec of a town holds quite the gem. Stop at Chuys. Tell them Kim sent you. It will mean nothing to them, but it'll make me feel cool. If you go at during the right time of the year, you can finish your meal and walk across the street to the Creamery and get some really good ice cream. Now go make your bed and do the laundry."

El Asadero Bar and Mexican Grill

★★★☆☆ 3.4 (87)

"This is one of me and my husband's favorite date night spots. Its very lively at night! Lot's of music playing and a dancing robot and other entertainment. It is very loud at night just a head's up! It did take us by surprise our first visit. The service depend's on the time of day. If you go during the day your server will just do that serve you your food. They don't chat you up. But you are there for the food so that's ok! During the late evening and night time the server's are more hype asking you what you would like drink to night and recommending drink's and wanting you to have a good time.The food is alway's good. They do have a fine print on the menu that "if you do not like your meal or you pick the wrong meal they will not take it back or refund you" i ordered the birria quesadillas which was amazing so i didn't have a issue with needed something else. I did feel there wasn't enough rice but the quesadilla's are so filling that i can never finish the whole meal anyway's. The salsa here is my favorite salsa a perfect balance of heat and sweet."

Terra Mezcal Mexican Grill

★★★★☆ 4.4 (65) • $$

"For my first stop in at Casa mezcal, I found myself looking over the menu and finding several ceviches in the appetizer section. Well, I'm always up for a challenge so I ordered the tostada de ceviche with Pulpo and three tacos, since it was Taco tuesday.I was pleasantly surprised by both. I had neglected to mention mild on the ceviche but it didn't matter, as the ceviche was not that spicy to begin with. It was excellent. I haven't seen radishes on top of three chairs since I left New York City or Baltimore. And the tacos were traditional Mexican Street tacos, not American fair. They were all excellent, and I even brought one of them home that I couldn't finish it all.This will not be my last trip. In addition I looked up and found a bottle of Remy Martin staring me in the face. Nothing much, just my favorite drink. And since their Tacos on Taco Tuesday or $2 a piece, I'll be returning either tonight or next week for dinner; with four. $2 a taco is a steal!!"

Durbar Cuisine

★★★★☆ 4.4 (48)

"I'd heard that the Indian and Nepali food on this side of town is exceptional, and Durbar was my first stop on exploring that! My husband and I got paneer tikka masala and lamb saag, and they both had a ton of flavor, and were enough to have leftovers the next day. We got mild and medium spice, and I will say the medium only had the barest hint of heat, so in the future I will know to order spicy! I'm looking forward to trying their momos, as well as other menu items, on our next visit."

Yellow Springs Brewery Taproom & Kitchen

★★★★☆ 3.6 (27)

"First time here. It is self seating, self ordering from your table, and self pay. They have staff to run your drinks and food to your table. Food was fine, the cheese curd coating/fry was not to my liking to me it was like they were fried in old oil. The burger and sandwich were great. Fries were nothing special. Things were a little over priced to me but my dunkel beer was great. I'm not rushing back but would go back."

Service Bar

★★★★☆ 4.3 (141) • $$$

"We celebrated my wife's birthday with the family here. Cocktails were very good and the food. We had the vegan special and it was amazing (watermelon on top of avocado smashed, with lime and almonds) the flatbread was good too. With our group I think we tried everything in the menu. Great ambiance."

Miner 49er

★★★★☆ 4.2 (48) • $$

"Bang for your buck: 10/10Quality: 9/10Service: 10/10Ambiance/Location: 10/10Overall: 10/10Perfect fun for a winter day when being outside isn't possible. We had a great day date here. Great staff, well-kept facility, and the pricing was spot on. There's a bar with beer and wine. They have food, and while we didn't eat here on our last visit, it looked and smelled great, so we look forward to eating there next time. Look forward to going again!"

The Eagle Short North

★★★★☆ 4.3 (798) • $$

"So first time dining here, heard their fried chicken was spot on. Overall I definitely loved their chicken, crisp and crunchy, basic seasoning but delish. I had the Mac&Cheese as my side and definitely was the best Mac&Cheese I have had dining out. Cavatappi pasta in a cheesy bechamel sauce with toasted crumbles, very good. Assortment of local brews on tap, service was spot on. If you're ever craving fried chicken, give this place a shot!"

Rox Gastropub

★★★★★ 4.6 (52) • $$

"Wonderful little spot, we had dinner here while visiting Wooster OH. One of the best wood fired pizzas I've ever had! The homemade crust is outa this world!Special thank you to our waitress Colleen for make our experience wonderful and welcoming of service dogs"

Black Brick

★★★★☆ 3.5 (16) • $$

"Great small bar with a large selection of craft beers and cocktails. Connected to Donatos so you get great pizza and drinks. Parking lot in back."

Horvath's Harbor

★★★★☆ 3.5 (54)

"We love Horvath's Harbor. The food is delicious, the servers are very friendly, they have a long list of really good and creative drinks, and the interior is really pretty and very relaxing. We've enjoyed the place every time we've been, and go pretty often.Get the Mahi Wrap - it's delicious...!"

Cento

★★★★★ 4.5 (121)

"Lovely Valentine's Day late night meal with my husband. Strolled The Book Loft before. I grew up in German Village and think this restaurant is an awesome addition to 3rd St for a very special occasion. Server was kind and the special desert, lasagna, and calamari was delicious. The garlic bread and takeaway desert box were nice touches!"

Florentine Restaurant

★★★★☆ 3.7 (78) • $$

"Overall, the experience was great! The food was delicious and the service was fast and friendly! The building is from the 1800's and they still have it set up to kind of feel that way which I appreciate! They are currently fixing up the 3rd floor to open up rooms again as it was a hotel at some point. We had the ribeye, mac and cheese, green beans, wings, lava cake, salmon, and a couple sandwiches and everyone said their food was really good! We'll definitely be back."

The Renaissance of Tiffin

★★★★★ 4.8 (6)

"Wow! A great place for craft cocktails in Tiffin. They have a great selection of whiskey and other spirits with good bartending skills. Prices are excellent, atmosphere is quiet and the staff is friendly. Realistically, the cocktail program could be better - but this is Tiffin and they are working hard to up their game and we are grateful to have it here."

London 101

★★★★★ 5 (2)

"Great addition to London! We love London 101! Huge selection of bourbon, wine, and amazing cocktails. Their small plates and charcuterie boards are fantastic. The owner is very friendly, knowledgeable, and prides herself on using only the highest quality ingredients. Games are free such as pool, darts, and jenga! They often have special events such as wine and chocolate or bourbon and bacon pairings. They also offer private event space!"

Chili's

★★★☆☆ 2.8 (62) • $$

"The biggest blessing for me is knowing that they now exist on my side of town vs the Sawmill Road location (which is a great place to visit). Well, not exactly my side of town, but at least it's the east side. It was an even greater treat to discover that one of the managers came over from that location. And he instantly recognized us from a surprise party that he helped me coordinate 5 years ago!Chili's has been one of my favorite restaurants since I first moved here back in 2000. They have a better assortment of great tasting food (in my opinion), which is great if you like to try something new during each visit.And that Lava Cake -- dude. God knows I shouldn't be eating that after a full meal, but I'd be depriving myself of true happiness if I didn't get it.I also need to give "plus" points for an awesome staff who, despite the pandemic and a shortage of servers, frequented our table to ensure that our dining experience was a pleasant one each of our 4 visits!"

The Crescent Lounge

★★★★☆ 4.3 (20)

"I've frequented this area for many years and have seen this establishment change hands a few times. I was excited to see a refresh of the property, formerly Demarcos, and the business is under new management.It's wasn't very crowded when I stopped in, so time will tell if this is the new favorite among locals. Already made plans to meet some friends here next week and will update my review with additional drink/food details."

Don Tequila

★★★★☆ 3.9 (64)

"Our first time here and I doubt we return. Access was a slight problem as I an in a wheelchair and there was no lowered curb for access. The restaurant itself was quite pleasant and seating was great. Chips came right away as did our drink order. The chips were cold and hard with a strange aftertaste...day or two old maybe. Then my chile Rellenos appeared. They looked like no rellenos I had ever seen before. Large black/burnt green pepper sized things filled with about a cup of stringy, gloppy cheese and tiny bit/sliver of chicken. First bite was horrible and tasted like no rellenos I had ever eaten before... bitter and hideously fiery and unpleasant. I've had many rellenos before but none this inedible.the rice was cold as were the very watery beans. An unfortunate experience."

SC Bar & Kitchen

★★★☆☆ 3.2 (90) • $

"Food was hot and fresh. They didn't have the Korean chicken wings or egg rolls. It is a bar."

Nostalgia Brewing

★★★★☆ 3.5 (51) • $

"Nice, informal place. Lots of beer. Not much wine, which I drink. Baked chicken wings. DELICIOUS!!"

Marisqueria Cinco De Mayo

★★★★☆ 4.1 (18)

"Wow. I actually made them this Yelp page so I could leave a review, that's how excited I was to come. They've only been open a week, so they get a pass. I got all their fb pics and added my own so you all can go in prepared. Because you want to be ready. Now, Springfield already is graced by a larger than average supply of stellar authentic Mexican restaurants (Guerra's KrazyTaco, Senor Pequin, Tacquiera la Reina, La Condessa, Mariana's Tacos Y Paletas) but this... It's a whole new level. The menu is large, so take your time. They are very nice and welcome all questions. They know this is new. The front half is your general lineup of Mexican favorites. The middle is decidedly more real Mexican with authentic tortas, menudo, and real "street" (and the crunchy American style) tacos in a wide variety of traditional favorites like cabeza, lingua, tripa as well as al pastor, chicken, beef and pork. The second half of the menu though... Adventuring foodies rejoice, you've arrived in seafood nirvana. I'm not going to lie to you can say the seafood offerings are cheap. This is the Midwest, seafood isn't cheap. But you get a whole lot of bang for those bucks. Probs are HUGE!Until now most of this I've only seen on globehopping YouTube videos jealously. Hollowed out pineapples heaped with seafood drowning in creamy savory sauces, covered in chili. Overflowing bowls of seafood, Micheladas, whole grilled fish, crabs, octopus, oh my! I went big and got that pineapple one... pina loca de mariscos. And it was amazing. It arrived on a boogie board sized platter. I'm not kidding, it was at least 24 inches long. The pineapple chunks were piping hot and sweet, the seafood was perfectly done. It was too much to eat. I'm laying in bed typing this because I'm so full. And happy. Very very happy. We have a new place.We will go back often I think, maybe not for the seafood everytime, but first time we had to. Just had to. There's about ten things I'm dying to try next. I'll update this as I go!"

J Liu Restaurant & Bar

★★★★☆ 3.6 (216) • $$

"We love this place. We ordered the spring rolls to start. Then the Mongolian Beef and sesame chicken. Max's service was great. We have been coming her for almost 16 years now. It looks great."

The Merchant House

★★★★☆ 4.2 (100) • $$

"We have dined at Merchant House many times since they opened, and have never had a poor meal or service...until tonight. To be fair, they were obviously understaffed and busy, so I can give the service a little break. But the food was not up to the usual standard at all on this visit. Our food took almost 45 minutes to arrive.Since our last visit, they have changed the chicken & waffles, and the change is not good. Instead of a nice piece of chicken breast, it is now two small strips with noticeably smaller waffles and a lot less Mac & cheese. Not to mention my waffles were burned almost black on the edges and one piece of the chicken was also burned. The Philly dip was also somewhat burned, and the bun very hard. Also had to ask the server for the Au Jus (it came out of the kitchen without it) and it took her over 5 minutes to bring it out.MH is usually very good, but this visit really bothers me because our meals were not only poor, but the portions so small. With 2 drinks the dinners the bill was over $60 (with small tip). Not worth it at all. MH needs to do better!"