I'll be taking my daughter to visit Ohio State U later this month and need some advice on where to get the best beer/food (brewpubs, beer bars, restaurants) near campus. Thanks!
Bob's Bar on High street north of campus --- High and Morse rd. intersect. They don't have food but their beer selection is great...it's sort of a hole in the wall type place. Bodega is in the Short North and has an awesome beer selection as well and good food (lots of places down there...Betty Food & Spirits), Elevator, Barley's Smokehouse and Brewpub, Schmitt's Sausage Haus (this doesn't have super good beer but it's awesome and one of my favorite places after going to OSU). LOL...wish I would have been more into 'craft' beer instead of 'free' beer while in college, but....hind sight is 20/20 right? Have fun at the visit.
Why would you ever want to go there???? Sorry I cant offer any assistance.....Now if you were going to Ann Arbor I could help more lol sorry had too, its getting too close to football season. I've never been there, my GF says shes going to take me sometime, ill have to wash after I leave, she has family there and apparently that COSI museum is awesome. Rated one of the best science museums in the country I believe if your into that kind of stuff or have the time to check it out. We will get down there at some point. It being a college town, especially such a big one, Id have to assume there's some great bars there though.
Barley's Smokehouse or Brewhouse (both are great and have different offerings of beer) and the Smokehouse has damn fine food, Elevator is good, Columbus Brewing is Great. Also if you are into Mead check out Brothers Drake Meadery, you will not be disappointed! Schmitt's does have great food but the beer is less than average.
I 2nd Bodega. A nice beer selection of bottles and especially tap handles. I've had great service, and the food is decent as well.
Nice. =D I worked at COSI while in school, and can confirm that's it's awesome and definitely worth a visit.
Mad Mex is located in South Campus and has a good draft selection. http://www.madmex.com/regions/columbus/menus/drafts/
Bodaga's is awesome - but go early because it gets crowded and parking bad. Bob's is called "The cultural Hub of the Mid-west" and is a must, great local bar in Clintonville - but has no food. Best happy hour in city is Woodlands Pub $2 drafts all crafts, nice patio, pizza only. There is a good new local brewer, Zauber Brewing zbeers.com - only growler sales and food trucks. Spagio's on Grandview Ave has good food, huge bottled beer selection and great wine selection - something for everyone.
Bodega has a happy hour of half price drafts apparently, if you can get there early enough to grab a table that sounds like a pretty good value. I thought Bob's was great. My kind of vibe, wasn't crowded at all, and plenty of good taps, lots of Ohio stuff when I was in there, and as someone who likes to drink local when I'm traveling if possible that was nice.
