Ringside Cafe

I've been there a few times, service is very personable, and the BBQ burger is my favorite.

The oldest continuing restaurant in Columbus, I'm glad I finally made it over to Ringside to check it out. The space inside is very very small, so if you're wanting to bring a group here, be aware; I'm not sure if they take reservations, so plan accordingly. Inside there's a few side booths and maybe 4-5 tables, and bar seating; obviously there's patio seating, weather permitting.I met a friend for lunch on a Tuesday, we were able to get one of their small two-person booths with no wait. One guy running front of house, he made his table rounds efficiently. Their menu isn't huge, but a decent selection; vegetarians may find the options lacking. I've always heard about Ringside's burgers, seems to be the star of this establishment. I got the Brown Bomber Portobello burger ($14) which comes with kettle chips and a pickle spear. The beef patty was tasty, nicely seasoned; however, my Swiss cheese was cool (not melted at all) and the sauteed shrooms were also cold (literally) - this made the fungus flavor less obvious being cold. The house made kettle chips were decent, a bit too brown for my liking (Sat in the frying oil a tad too long), but I did like the thinness of them. All in all, I was happy with the service and my burger. RSC is open for lunch, closes at 2, then open from 4-8 for the dinner crowd. A solid burger-bar stop if you're downtown and in the mood.

I just don't get it Mediocre food and drinksServed by one poor chick**literally one girl running the whole place, and her foot was in a boot. The chicken sandwiches were bland and the mixed drinks came in different sized glasses. Skip it unless desperate

It was nothing special it was just like a pub..................... The ambiance of the place was a pub. It's also very small inside. Nothing really special

Ring side definitely a hidden gem in the city. I was able to stop in with a colleague and grab some lunch. He highly recommended this place. The service was fast and easy. The burger that I got was the Duran Cajun Bleu Burger1/2 lb patty with bleu cheese crumbles, grilled red onions & smoked bacon with a side of fries. I must say that the burger was very flavorful and very tasty! If you are ever in the area I highly recommend you stopping in and checking this place out. The place is a little tight so get there early to grab a table. The lunch vibe was cool, we ate , talked and got out! So again I recommend this place overall experience was definitely a 9/10. Looking forward to coming back and trying more menu options!I love good hamburgers !!

I have lived in Columbus since 1991, and I just finally walked into Columbus' oldest bar! Let me tell you, it is exactly what a bar should be. Dim lights, classic rock music (Tom Petty,Aerosmith,Elton John) playing..., true built- in tiny booths, wood paneling. Great guy working the entire floor, keeping everyone's food and beers comin'. You can see the cook in her small kitchen in the corner working hard. Every seat but a tiny two topped booth was full by the time we got our food. We ordered two Haymaker burgers... huge. Cooked over an open flame. The jalapeños had a nice aftertaste. Being a person that eats 80% vegetarian...I ordered the portobello sandwich, fully realizing this IS a burger place. The bun was so fresh. The mozzarella was amazing and the grilled red pepper was great. The portobello was seasoned great however...I am so picky about them...i felt it was a bit either too roasted or old. I opted to pull it off the sandwich.

Everything was great. The burgers, the onion rings were awesome too. Bbq bacon yes please

I've lived in Columbus for 35 years but just never made it down here. Not on my way anywhere, and downtown, which I avoided anyway, plus parking is nuts. But I have some free time now, and am downtown often, and I keep hearing how good it is. And I like a good burger, so I came down here on a weekday afternoon. They close at 2 PM at least a few days a week, so get there early enough to eat before then. It is down an alley, in an old old building that used to be the rathskeller. There is outdoor seating for nice days. Darn small inside. It is dark and woody and cozy. I'm sure when it's busy it gets loud and hectic. But when I went, there were only one or two other customers. Service was excellent. The menu is interesting. Mostly sandwiches, a lot of burgers. I got the de la Hoya, since I liked what it had on it, and I didn't want to go too big or over the top. It was still big, a half pound burger, and not over the top but almost too big to pick up and a little messy, so come prepared. The bun was fluffy and perfectly baked. The burger was perfectly cooked. Also has provolone, aioli, and roasted peppers. A nice flavor combination. Is it the best burger in town? No. It's good. It's up there in the top 5 or 10 let's say. But we have some other pretty darn good burgers too. Still, they have a variety of choices of toppings and sizes of burgers. Plus a few other sandwiches. It's tasty, and very filling. I also got onion rings, and they were very good. Women's restroom is a small door right off the dining room. The men's restroom is down a pretty steep flight of stairs for an old guy, and is very basic. There's also another overflow/party/storage room down there. That would almost double the capacity at busy times.I would gladly come back. Plus, the overall experience was excellent. The building is cool inside and out. Service, choices, pricing, just the ambience and experience were great. I parked in the state house lot, really just a few steps away across the street. There's otherwise very very limited parking in the area. If you are down here for something else, definitely stop by. Is it worth a special trip? Well, maybe from the burbs. Certainly not from out of town. But a very good burger in a cool setting. I should not have waited this long to try it.

Have worked downtown for decades and finally stopped in for a great burger. One of the better burgers in Columbus in the oldest Barr in Columbus. Great lunch service. The building shows in age but makes up for it with its charm, character, service and food quality. A must stop for a burger and beer downtown.

I wanted to like this place SO bad. One star for the really cool vibe and location--small, intimate, great theme and atmosphere. One star for our server who was amazing and working really hard all alone on Thursday night.Ordered two mid rare burgers and they came out basically well done. Why even ask what temp we want? They were nothing special either--kinda bland and tasted like average home cooking. Up charged for the fries and they were pretty cold and soft. No crunch. No salt. I wonder if the oil is too cold? Caesar salad was mediocre and overpriced.Maybe it's better at lunchtime? Maybe it wasn't the cook's best night? This place is so cool but has incredibly overrated food. I can't understand why it's rated so highly. Don't really need to go back here. Still had fun and it was a good experience. I just can't spend my dollar on this product again.