Understory

My husband and I stopped in here for a beer and some dinner and loved everything we tried. We shared the bravas, I had the shagrock grits, and he had the fried chicken bowl. It was a great portion size to be satiated, but not bloated. Everything was seasoned to perfection and was so much more flavorful than we had been expecting! I had ordered a lager and he ordered an IPA, but they accidentally gave us 2 lagers. They were the same price, so we didn't want to make a fuss since we were going someplace next for a cocktail anyway.It was a really quiet spot with tasty food and beers and we played Connect 4 while we were down there. They also have a bar upstairs that has a more upscale vibe with cocktails. We went on Friday evening and they also had a private event upstairs for surgeons, so there are a lot of different areas to go to in this building, which was really cool. If you want a lowkey, brewery vibe for dinner, but with excellent food, then this is the spot for you!

Been wanting to check out Understory since they opened, especially check out their big back patio that opens to the Olentangy river. Anna H. and I met on a Friday afternoon - Memorial Day weekend, in fact - at 3:30, and I was surprised the entire Understory was not busy. Plenty of parking spots (a huge plus if you've gotta drive in). The back patio is fantastic. Plenty of tables of varying shapes and sizes, great for solo/partners or big parties. From the back patio this is how you get to the ground/basement Commons restaurant. This restaurant is open for lunch, brunch & dinner Tuesdays-Sundays. The menu here is definitely skewed toward New American (price point $11-30 category). Heads up, their happy hour only extends to draft beer and wine discounts, no food. Big bummer.We got several of the shareables so we could taste a variety of their offerings: Beat hummus, smoked salmon, goat cheese croquette, and the roasted Brussels sprouts.After letting my thoughts and tastebuds simmer and think for a day, this first experience of Understory is a mixed bag. Love their different spaces, both inside and out. Great attempts at preserving the historical touches of this refurbished open-air tuberculosis hospital; the bar in the second floor Lounge is beautiful. But the food was not doing it for me, especially at the price points. I felt there was a slew of bad choices made in pairing floor profiles together. For instance, the sharp goat cheese was way too big a chunk to serve with the tart curry aioli and not enough of the fig jam to balance the sharp, almost pucker, flavor profiles. Same kind of problem for the sprouts dish: way too much shredded apple and a sweet aioli, it all smothered the savory sprouts. I was also a bit bummed that all of these dishes tasted worse when reheated a day later. Anna got their Hershberger Caprese salad with an extra side of grilled chicken, and THAT was by far the star of the show and is the only thing adding a star back to this review. The burrata, arugula, squash, seeds, that salad was incredible!! Icing on the cake? The grilled chicken is served cut up into very manageable small bite-size chunks. ***Mic drop*** seriously, check out the pictures, because at this point it is the only thing I would spend my $50 gift certificate on at this point in time.

We went to the lounge at Understory on Valentine's Day. The drinks were VERY strong which is sometimes a good thing but they were all very bitter. Overall a nicer atmosphere. They were very busy which is expected on this day, but still got us our drinks in a timely manner. I'd go back to try the food menu!

This is not my first time to Understory... nor will it be my last!....This place is GREAT!Its an off shoot of Wolf's Ridge. Set in a historic former open air school this place is really unique. You enter and walk down the stairs. There in what seems like the old cafeteria they have transformed it into a lovely dining room that has a large terrace over looking a wooded ravine. Its pretty special. Add they serve most of the Wolf's ridge line and have a decent menu. Its really a nice place for lunch or a light dinner. The salads are incredible. My husband had the Wolfs ridge burger and said it was excellent. High praise as he is quite picky about burgers. On the main floor is a cocktail lounge with lots of comfortable seating. The bartender (Cameron) is fun to talk to and makes a great drink. Upstairs is a private room for parties.... Its always been booked when we have been there so if you are having a party you might need to book it a bit in advance. This is a must go to place. Especially on a nice day where you can eat outside. I give it way more than five stars!

Good food, nice bar selections, and several dining areas. There is a bar upstairs, a dining area with counter service downstairs, and a large patio with a view.I was getting bitten by insects while sitting on the patio, but it was nice for awhile. I had the Harvest Panzanella Salad with added grilled chicken. Delicious. I added a freshly baked cookie (I think it was white chocolate blueberry, but it was a while ago). So good. I also had a glass of wine.I would eat here again to try the other menu offerings.

The good:Thoughtful re-purposing of an old school buildingBeautiful patio spaceTasty food with diverse menu optionsCalifornia-style atmosphereThe not-so-good:Limited parking with tight spacesCalifornia-style prices

Hint- it's under- so farthest stairway, down, and to the left. Frozen drinks, beer, and a tasty menu. Great patio. Games to play. Order at window and they bring food to you.

Stopped by for brunch. Good food, a bit overpriced but very unique setting. Fun vibe with multiple different "rooms" to choose from.

This spot was beautiful and delicious! I love how they turned an old school building into a relaxing dining experience. At this restaurant you order at the front and then the food is brought to your table, and everyone was really kind. After eating here, my husband and I walked the trail to the OSU stadium and it was beautiful. It is roughly 1 mile, but definitely worth it. This place would be the perfect spot to get a cocktail before a concert or OSU game!

I visited the Understory on Saturday, 30 December 2023 with two friends. We went straight to the basement where the restaurant "The Commons" is located. We arrived just as they were getting ready to open for brunch at 11am. On the main level is a bar called "The Lounge".When my friend Veronica and I arrived, we sat outside in their patio where each seating area has a fire pit for warmt. It was a sunny day and it wasn't too cold but eventually after my second friend, Anne, arrived, we moved inside since we started to get a little cold. Be careful with the fire pit outside because the flames had sparks that were landing on my friends and I so that is partly the reason why we moved inside to sit. THE COMMONS (Brunch) -- I will need to come back to try their menu offerings from sandwiches to salads. I didn't want to spend much money so my friend Veronica ordered the sharable mini donuts ($8) and I ordered a cup of hot green tea ($5). The donuts were delicious but slightly too sweet for me. There are 4 different donut flavours - salted caramel, apple compote, whipped cream, and cinnamon sugar. I think I had the salted caramel or the cinnamon sugar but I can't remember. Once you get the donuts, you won't be able to tell what the flavours are because they look the same on the outside. The green tea was a typical green tea which was definitely expensive at $5 because I just got a tea cup with a small cup and a very small jug of hot water.After we left, we took a nice 20-30 minute walk along the Olentangy River trail which is located right behind the Understory building. I'd love to visit again to try actual food instead of just donuts and tea plus it's so warm and inviting inside.****GOAL of 150 reviews in 2024- 14/150 total reviews in 2024- 664 total overall Yelp reviews- Reviewed on 16 March 2024