I only get inside I-270 loop about 2 times a year, these days. I am trying to decide where to take my family to eat when we go watch the OHSAA Wrestling Tournament. The wife and I have 2 kids under 8 years old, and after watching an episode of Man vs Food on the travel channel, it seems like The Thurman Cafe or the Ohio Deli would be interesting places to check out.
Any thoughts?
Can't go wrong at Thurman's.
Thurman's!
Agree...Thurman's, but depending on when you go...be ready to wait...
Schmidt's Sausage Haus (german village)
Two kids under 8? I would defenitly go to Raising Cane's. They have a location on High St. and one across the river on Ackerman. Great food the whole family will enjoy.
i love jack and benny's...but thats breakfast, so....Thurman's = delicious
Adriatico's, The Elevator, Northstar Cafe, Ted's Montana Grill, Hang Over Easy, Japanenese Steakhouse (on High), North Market, Happy Greek
Thurman's is always busy... Easy Street right next to it is delicious too.
Oh... And stay away from Blue Nile. Yuck.
canes is good - could try el vaquero
I don't think Happy Greek is there anymore, J.MO. For once or twice a year, you can do a lot better than Hang Over Easy (awful name, by the way. Nick's Diner was classic) and Northstar.
If you're by campus and have youngsters but want good food, I'd definitely recommend Cap City. Amazing pork chops.
As far as the places on MvF, Schmidts is incredible. If you're in German Village, another great place is Katzingers Deli. Bill Clinton has his own sandwich there because he insists on going there any time he's in Columbus.
Dirty Franks Hot Dog Palace. To be honest, I haven't been yet, but heard good things.
Dirty Franks is amazing!
Northstar is my favorite place in Columbus to eat.
Schmidts is alright, a good experience every now and then but definitely overrated.
Happy Greek (haven't been there in over 6 months) closed a while in the Gateway (Gooezy took over that spot and is good food) but the one in the Short North is still open as far as I know.
Katzingers is too expensive for what they serve.
Another good one around campus (and now around Columbus) is Piada.
By the way, why isn't reply an option using Safari/iPad?
Tip Top
I was in Columbus this past weekend and went to Piata for the first time, and I was pretty disappointed. I'd go to Schmidts anytime over Piata.
@ J.MO reply isn't an option at all on this thread for whatever reason. Schmidts was great though ;) those damn cream puffs kick serious ass.
I HIGHLY recommend Hounddog's. Get the Bacon Cheeseburger Pizza on Smokin Joe's Crust with Spicy Sauce. It is what dreams are made of.
Dirty Franks is good food, if you don't mind that they have had numerous violations for roaches and cleanliness issues. If you are thinking Thurman's or the Ohio Deli, why not go to both. Ohio Deli also has probably the best Reuben in the City. Schmidts is amazing too. If you are staying in the campus area, just go to Canes, chicken fingers done right, and make sure you get extra sauce.
-The Aristocrats!
Considering that Hounddogs came HIGHLY recommended at 3:15 am, I'm not sure my family of 4 will be enjoying the same conditions that make that pizza JOINT so BONGbastic.
Thurmans by a landslide! might have to wait a little while but welllll worth it!
I know there's a game saturday, and my ass will be there.
Do takeout from Thurmans. Call ahead by an hour, and it'll be ready.
JohnBlairGoBucks, I am actually currently in the process of earning my JD/MBA and was up late reading for Federal Individual Income Tax, but thanks. I wish I had the time to be a stoner.
ha! Well Smith- I HIGHLY mistook what you were saying. Good luck on your studies.
Thought I'd unearth this thread for a sec and give some input:
Thurman's is great food in a very fun, relatively family friendly atmosphere, best burgers in the city--hands down. The real knock here (as mentioned before) is that you're going to wait a long time. If you can score a table in under an hour, I'll shake your hand.
Cap City Diner is a bit on the expensive side, but for the price you do get a very generous portion. Cheffy touches are abound on home-cooked favourites, but nothing too intense or arcane to scare away an eight year old.
Haven't been to the Ohio Deli, but from what I've heard (regular Yelp and Urbanspoon lurker) the quality of their meats isn't really up to snuff. Like SOX33, I'm a huge fan of Katzinger's. Half-pound sandwiches chock full of the best cheese, meat, and condiments that money can buy. Add in the little gourmet store they have, and you've found Columbus foodie nirvana.
Pizza here is pretty solid, Adriatico's is the typical "campus pizza joint," though I've never really been a fan (though I'm part of a tiny minority). Like Slice of New York on High, they offer NY-Style pies with very limited seating, not really my choice for a family dinner. Hounddogs is my personal favourite on campus, but it is an absolute dive and connected to a neighboring dive bar. During the dinner hour, it's relatively calm, and the bar next door is empty. That said it's still a dive, but the pizza's greasy, delicious, and affordable. For the record, I do see families in there around the dinner hour.
If you dig a more "gourmet" pie, I suggest Dewey's Pizza in Grandview. Smaller interior, but absolutely beautiful inside. Pies are hand-tossed, available in a host of combinations, and you have the ability to split your pizza with half red sauce, half white sauce. Very family friendly atmosphere, and a solid draft and wine lineup (albeit small) for the parents.
I do like Dirty Franks a lot, but the interior is small--and make no mistake, it is a bar. They cater to a hipster crowd of 20-somethings, so take that for what it's worth. Full disclosure: I've only been there at night, my parents did go for lunch one day and weren't scared off.
For a more gastropub experience, I really like Matt the Miller's tavern. They have locations in either Grandview or Dublin, a huge menu and an upscale feel. Not a bad family enviornment, they can be quite noisy though.
Los Guachos started off as a food truck on the West side, but they've now opened a brick-and-Mortar location near Worthington. Their speciality is Tacos al Pastor, a seasoned pork shank cut from a spit. Absolutely delicious, cheap, and nice inside, I see tons of families over there, though it is small.
City Barbeque is also all over the city, they're starting to extend outside the capital city, as well. Good, cheap barbeque, easy-to-reach locations, and ample seating make for a winner. The best smoked meat in the city, though, is at Clintonville food truck RayRay's Hog Pit. Only open on weekends, they have a small menu and are open as long as they have food. Not much room to sit, but a wonderful take out meal, for sure.
Finally, there's the Short North. Though I do like Northstar, the one place that's been on my list for a while is Knead. Right across from the convention center, they use only local ingredients and make a fun, Mexican/Italian/Diner food experience. I hear it's pretty friendly in there, though I do hear there menu has a few semi-adult jokes (sandwich called the Motherclucker etc.). Speaking of which, though I absolutely ADORE Hang Over Easy and their amazing breakfasts (Biscuits and Gravy and Corned Beef Hash arestupendous), their menu is rife with adult humour (menu items called Dirty Sanchez, Cleveland Steamer, etc.), and I rarely see children in there. They cater to the campus crowd almost exclusively.
Hope that helps a little bit!
Great post, Hodge.
John, if you plan on hitting Thurman's, you can make it work by eating dinner a little earlier. If you can get there between 4:00 and 4:30 you probably won't have trouble getting a table (plus I guarantee you'll leftovers to snack on later in the evening). This place is incredible but be warned, it is a hole in the wall and I don't believe they have a kids menu.
City Barbeque and Hoggy's are good selections if your family likes barbeque. Personally I think Hoggy's is a little more suited for young ones with more kids options and some slider platters that will let them try a variety of small BBQ sandwiches.
Eddie George's Grille 27 and the Buckeye Hall of Fame Grill are great if there is a sporting event on television. Buckeye Hall of Fame Grille has enough memorobilia to be a museum. Both have kids options.
Schmidt's is a great experience and it will take you into the heart of German Village, one of the greatest restored historic neighborhoods in the country.
If you want to get away from the burgers and heavy stuff, Marcella's is a great modern Italian restaurant with kids options as well.
I'd also recommend making it to Jeni's Ice Cream for dessert while you're in town. Pricier than others, but they have some really incredible flavors that you won't find anywhere else.
If you're looking for breakfast, Jack & Benny's is a great campus spot (again, hole in the wall) and Matt the Miller's has one of the best brunches in town.
Class of 2008
Yeah, make sure you hit Jeni's...that's about as good as ice cream gets. Arguably one of the city's best culinary institutions.
Thurman's is the way to go haha but don't sleep on the Eddie George Grill as the food is excellent. BOTH are great choices, ya can't go wrong!
Shendig
I can second Knead.... Good food. I've only been there twice. Great chili.
Another good one I just discovered is The Elevator. Downtown right by Nationwide HQ but not open on Sunday. Nice unique place to eat.
I can also second City Barbeque but don't think that's uniquely Columbus since there is one in my hometown of Toledo since before I moved down to the 614. OldBag of Nails and Rusty Bucket is uniquely Central Ohio (I believe) and its good food.
If you've got some time, you can't go wrong with Thurman Cafe, but if you're in a pinch, I'd absolutely go to Piada on Lane. It's kinda like an Italian Chipotle, and everytime I've gone there, it's been amazing.
Rubinos in bexley for pizza
B U R R I T O B A G O !