50 Best Bars in Columbus

“Had the best time at the downtown Columbus location last weekend for Valentine’s Day! Highly recommend, Kiiya and Savanna and crew made our night special. 10 out of 10, no notes!“

“Fantastic new spot in Short North. Exceptional staff, great food and great vibes for dancing all night!“

“We are from Kentucky and were in Columbus for a concert. I’ve always wanted to try a place that has been featured on Triple D, and this was the best decision ever! High Bank exceeded all expectations! We left with a full belly and A bottle of whiskey to remember them by. Food was incredible. Service was incredible. From now on, every trip to Columbus will include a stop at High Bank Distillery!“

“Awesome atmosphere! Service at the patio bar was exceptional. comfortable, friendly and just an all around great time.“

“pros and cons. CONS.. If you were to base your visit on first checking out the cleanliness of the bathrooms before you eat, you'd turn around and leave. The men's room in the basement needs so much work and the multiple colonies of gnats was like visiting the basement of college kids from a party and cans and spilled beer have never been cleaned up. Horrible condition. The ladies refused to even look at theirs. Booths are small and tight. Definitely an old building, but it's kind of cool with its history. PROS... Those were some really really good burgers. Wife got the Ali and I got the Old School. Burgers are huge and easily splitable. We tried this after friends suggested the burgers and we were not disappointed. Onion rings were too greasy for us, but the fries and homemade chips were great. Alll and all, it's definitely an option to eat again when in town.“

“Amazing food and desserts!“

“Me and my friends experience was so nice in here! Such friendly vibes and great customer service! The bartender was so nice and explained so much to us and had such a great attitude! Such a vibe! 🫶🏻 The drink was amazing but this place should be called Full Baked because after a drink and a half I was gone. 😜 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️“

“Only been here once. Enjoyed the beer I had.“

“If you like dog parks and tap rooms here's your combination! Also offers spa and grooming services and locally baked dog treats. Afternoons are generally busy so go early or go later if your pup gets overwhelmed by too many playmates.“

“Enjoyed the “Daily Double” - two cheeseburgers and fries. Delish!“

“Went to the Blu Note for the first time for my birthday in August. One of the waitresses was being trained by another waitress so we had two waitresses waiting on us (: and they did a great job!!! The live music was lively and the food was excellent , lamb chops were off the chain and the chicken wings were seasoned just right! They gave me complimentary New York Style Cheese Cake for my birthday as well ! In my Arnold Schwarzenegger impression “I’ll be back”.“

“Lived here 25 years. Started going to see good live bands and bluegrass. Small venue, great sound and great vibe. Room to spread out, do a little dance and immerse oneself into a plethora of local bad ass musicians who love what they do!
Must stop and pop one if you're rolling through town!“

“Wine on High was the perfect spot for our company ladies night. Leading up to the event, Tina made the process seamless & easy. Her communication was great. The evening of our event, Eric took the best care of us. We did a wine tasting before dinner & he was so knowledgeable about the wines he was serving us. Dinner & drinks were loved by all. They even personalized the menus with our company logo which I thought was a sweet touch.“

“I was a tad concerned at first because I've heard of the place but never been there. At the back of the bar their is a separate entrance to the venue. It is about 300 person capacity I call that an intimate show. Will hopefully return in the future Great spot!!!!!!!!“

“The people here are truly the kindest. It’s a quick walk from my place. Their food is good. It’s never too long of a wait to get a beer even when it’s busy. Never seen a person here without a smile on their face. We’re lucky to have it here in Columbus.“

“One of the greatest storytellers in Columbus runs this spot. Frequented by kind people with weird hobbies. Bring a friend or make one.“

“We love this place! But didn't check my order before we left tonight and it was wrong. Bad me. Didn't get the sub I ordered and all was cold. Just check your order before you leave.“

“Fun eats and drinks with board games and music! Geek out and roll a d6!“

“Hosted a Birthday/Retirement Sing Along Karaoke Party for us. Yes it was all of the above, Nebbie and crew made it the most wonderful and memorable night. Everyone had a great time and all I had to do was show up 🥳 Great easy location for people to get to. Food was very good and served quickly, which was great for a large party. 🎉 I highly recommend as a great venue for fun events.“

“very elegant, stunning views, reasonable prices for the luxury you get“

“This establishment is family owned, with live music on the weekend, great happy hour along with very nice service. I have been a customer of the Canabar for a very long time, definitely would recommend meeting your friends there!!!“

“Wonderful experience and great atmosphere“

“Great place for drinks and dogs!“

“This location fits the vibe of the brewery well and I like that it is a standalone little garage of a building. It's bright and casual. A little silly, but not over the time. Garage doors open to a small patio. There are tables and chairs inside as well.

A couple minor annoyances concern the flow of the place. The draft list is on a TV above the bar, but it can't be seen from the side of the bar where you enter. Also, to close your tab you have to get up and go to the tablet mounted on the bar. The issue with both of these things is that people tend to congregate around that area and create a traffic jam. It's a minor gripe, and it's not the business's fault that people can be unaware of being in other's way, but I think these two things could be rectified pretty easily.

Service has always been friendly, attentive and personable. The beer selection is usually diverse, and they offer a cooler full of 4 packs to go as well as merch, if that's your thing.“

“the blonde bartender Kat will nickle and dime you $1.10 for a tomato on a sandwich. She's padding her register with your money while she's sneaking shots. Sad was a great place to go“

“its a smallish dark divine dive bars! just how I like it! bands are right there...BAM! in ur face. awesome back patio with tables and lots of room for a conga line, if you so wish! I ❤️ Rumba🤘🌟🌙 ~Juba Moon“

“Great place to spend time with friends. Friendly staff and creative drinks!“

“The outdoor bier garten also offers a wide variety of live music weekly spring thru fall…“

“Buy a drink and play for free! Great place for Gen X to bring their kids & grandkids“

“Great music and service. Eric poured some great drinks.“

“Bodega is one of those places that knows exactly what it is and leans into it. A low-key, no-frills neighborhood dive with just enough charm to make you want to hang out longer than you planned.

The funnel cake fries are the real surprise hit. Crispy, fluffy, perfectly dusted with sugar and dangerously easy to keep eating. I honestly came in for a drink and left thinking about those fries.

Huge shoutout to Salim behind the bar. Super friendly, attentive, and bringing just the right mix of smooth and playful energy that makes you feel welcome the moment you sit down. He made the whole experience better.

Bodega may not be trying to be fancy, and that’s part of its appeal. It’s a relaxed, easygoing spot with good vibes, great service, and snacks that punch way above their weight.

Would come back, especially for those funnel cake fries and Salim’s hospitality.“

“This is such a hidden gem“

“Bob’s was my Cheers when I lived in Columbus. Super chill, bartenders are all cool af with magnificent vibes. 100% will always stop in when I’m in town.“

“I've been going there for years love this spot, Friendly atmosphere“

“Nicole, Jonah and Matt are my absolute favorites!!! amazing vibes, great service!! the best dive bar in the brewery district 🙌🏽!! Kitchen open till 1am always a plus 🤌🏽 and if you can catch Tommy he's best gem of the whole place ❤️“

“I went here to celebrate my birthday 🎂. I had an amazing time from the entrance being greeted to my seat. The place is upscale, clean, and gorgeous decor. The live music was a vibe and inspired others to sing along. The drinks menu options were very tasty. My waitress was so kind and sweet. I can’t wait to go back for another event!“

“Absolutely love this place. The service is awesome. The owners are some of the nicest people ever. This bar has themed nights like bingo and trivia and karoke. The prized for bingo and trivia are soooooo worth it and amazing. My favorite bartender is Chloe! So ask for her when you visit!!! Go to fives !!!!!!“

“Our bartender Brooke was incredible! She said she doesn’t usually work at this location but she was still very knowledgeable about the deals and gave great recommendations. Food and drinks were amazing all thanks to Brooke! Give her a raise!“

“Nice, friendly place- ideal for a hang out with a group of friends.“

“awesome place. owner friendly and welcoming. he supports veterans!“

“found a rare bottle 👍 ✅ 😁“

“If you want a place where you and your friends can go out, have reasonably priced drinks, be in a lively environment with some characters, and actually hear each other speak without massive TVs plastered on every wall, this is your spot. Some friends and I were in town for a Blue Jackets game a few weeks back, and we found ourselves coming back here each night we were there. Good times.“

“We celebrate a friends birthday here. It was great, good drinks, staff is friendly and fun environment.“

“Walking around the convention center area on a Wednesday 9:30pm (no NHL game night) and, while a couple of places already had chairs piled up on tables, the Char Bar bar area was packed and high energy. I had in mind the place caught up on fire, thus the name, but it actually had a drunk driver just crashing into the bar and damaging everything. Now became a story to tell (nobody hurt) and a picturesque place in town.“

“Great owner great food great place“

“Food is from the pizza place next door and is OK, but subs were tiny and expensive. Go to India Oak for great subs and get double meat, take half home. The Oak has good bands every weekend night. Bands outside at Gabby's and in August, Iron Cross is having a 40th reunion gig on Gabby's patio. THE BROTHERS GRIMM will open and graying Northland High School alums will ROCK! I can't find the date on the Iron Cross website! Stupid hippies. And Gabby's website doesnt list entertainment or dates? Come on people! Get it together!? The characters who are regulars ARE entertaining though! Watch your car and park by the patio entrance...... cars have been stolen in front of Gabby's and the old Northland hood is sketchy!“

“I would like to see the bartenders to be able to control or at least have some type of control over patrons that come in they’re arguing and making threats to the person they’re arguing with. Last night there was two people in there and they were in the middle isles when you come closer to the front door. One of the two people that were arguing was making threats to the other person, saying that he will kill him. He will shoot him. The bartender does nothing at all nothing. The bartender called out the wrong person loudly thought that called the police. Police came in and everybody got quiet. Safety should be number one at all times if somebody’s gonna argue, making threats and threatens to shoot the person that they are arguing with in the bar be put out and or the police called . The bartender has a responsibility to the bar and protect the patrons. This did not happen, there should be some type of protocol in place that all the bartenders need to adhere to when something of this nature happens. There was also two killings last year at two close bars we don’t need to have it at The Rock!!!!“

“Our first time there was great and we will be back! One of our favorites for sure!“

“Love the bloody Mary’s with bacon“