After nearly two years in Columbus, I feel like I'm still trying to figure out how to best describe this bar. Regardless of category, it's a winner for me. Bernard's is a great sports bar with numerous tvs and plenty of table/bar space for seating. More often that not you can find a table or booth to watch your favorite team. Bernard's is my go to spot on Tuesday nights, when they host Excesss (no typo) Trivia. Sure many bars have trivia, but this is "jeopardy-style" so you actually have to beat other teams by buzzing in. What I can never figure out is when it is the 'go-to' spot of a weekend. I have gone in on some Friday nights and the place feels as empty as a Monday afternoon. I have also visited on some Staturdays where you can barely walk from one end of the bar to the other because of the hundreds of people inside. The only knock on Bernard's is the food, but hey it's a bar, so you can't expect too much. read more

An all around great time. Friendly, attentive staff, good music, great burgers. If you're in the Short North, Bernards Tavern is definitely worth checking out. read more

Bernards Tavern - New American Near Me - Columbus, Ohio

See all

not only was the lemon great the service was amazing!!! kylie thank you!! Fast service and amazing recommendations

A 2 star is being generous because it's a bar and we weren't going there for the best food we've ever had. But, I will say, there are bars out there that serve decent food. This place is not one of them. I ordered a Caesar salad and they brought me a Caesar wrap (it was a busy day and I'm pretty lenient - so whatever, I didn't send it back). The homemade Caesar was horrible. They must have put so many anchovies in it, because the whole table could smell how fishy it was. It also had no flavor. The chicken inside was extremely dry and funky. Someone at the table ordered the chicken tenders, and I would even go as far to say I prefer Tyson at home instead. Would I go back? Yes because beer is good. Like I said, the place is not somewhere you go seeking the highest food quality to begin with. It's more of a social bar. But my advice is - stick to beer. Or order food, you do you, but just be prepared that you will be paying $10-18 for a pretty mediocre meal and decide if that's worth it for the moment. read more

Sportsbar. Beer and sports. Met family here for a round before dinner. Drinks were fine, service was fine. The space was, exactly what I would have expected out of a sportsbar. 2 stars isn't complaining, it's just... I had a very standard experience here. read more

The little place is a hidden treasure!!! The food was absolutely delicious. This was my first time in Columbus and I was peeping in and out of places trying to get a feel for the ambiance and of course to satisfy my taste buds. I walked in and was warmly greet by Mel (Melissa) with a bright smile and welcoming demeanor. She was very knowledgable about the menu and I took her suggestions and boy was I glad!!! I had the fried cheese curds with marinara sauce and Reuben egg rolls with dressing! OMG...mouth watering and tasty! Mel came over to check on me several times. It was a great experience and my stomach...totally satisfied! To top it off t the USA women's bball team was playing ... Need I say more? read more

Bernards Tavern - New American Near Me - Columbus, Ohio

We are regulars at Bernard's and have been for about 6 years for Tuesday night trivia. It used to be PERFECT, the good was actually really, really good and they would even have decent drink specials during trivia. We still come regularly because we love the Tuesday night trivia but the quality of food had plummeted so terribly we usually only eat if we are starving. And it's terribly over priced for the quality. The service is has gone down hill a bit too. We never get utensils, and it takes a great deal of effort to flag anyone down for refills or to order food, or... To ask for utensils to eat the food... Every couple months I give it another chance and order something and I'm always disappointed. We keep scouting around for new spots for trivia with better food and service but for now we are stuck here because we like the Excess Trivia so much, if it wasn't for that, I wouldn't go to this establishment. read more

Ordered no drink only fries. Multiple tables that arrived and ordered later were served first. Waited 30+minutes for some mid food and multiple orders for the table were wrong. Waitress was nice though, so at least they have that. One star for the waitress and one more for the food I guess read more

This place is well lit and spacious! Great bar atmosphere fully stock bar with a wide variety. Monday is all day happy hour with 1/2 off appetizers and drinks specials on wine, well liquor and beer. The bartender Mandy was awesome please check her out on Mandy Monday's. Unfortunately they don't have a website but the place is worth a visit or a great place for after work meet ups, kick backs or to watch the game. read more

See all

Do not go here! I was there at 2pm on a Saturday. Food is good. Staff is good. Drinks are good. The speakers are turned so loud you will get a headache! I've have sit in front of the speaker at Rock concerts and absolutely loved it, this is not like that, this is louder and it is so loud through bad speakers that it is just bad noise. The waitresses can't hear you. People sitting next to you can't hear you. At 3:30 the Buckeyes came on and you couldn't hear anything the announcers said because the speakers are bad and turned all the way up. It will ruin your day! read more

Visiting Bernard's the first time for me was like meeting an old friend who'd had a sex change. You know them for what they were but try only to see the transformation of what they'd like to be. Ya see, I was a regular at the good ole gay bar that used to be housed in this location, and it was a bit of a time warp for me to see that the TVs were all playing sports instead of Cher, the bathroom patrons were clearly divided between who qualified for the triangle skirt door or not, and as far as I could tell there wasn't a single drink on the menu with hidden innuendos. The pool table is still in the back, the layout is still identical with a full wall of booths and high tops, there's still a stage where drag queens used to flaunt their stuff. But ok, a sports bar it is! Once I was able to stop looking at Bernard's as something else, I sat back and began to appreciate the random artwork on the wall and the simple but delicious-sounding menu. They have five kinds of fries (regular, house seasoned, ranch, cajun, & sweet potato), of which the latter are the best I've tried. The menu is mostly sandwiches, burgers, and wraps in crazy-awesome combinations. Goat cheese, red peppers, and caramelized onions with skirt steak? Oh yeah, I'm liking this new look! While I still wish this place came with more feather boas, they do have Magners on tap and the jukebox kept playing Soundgarden and other manly man hits so I really can't complain. Bernard's, you're alright by me. read more

I often feel conflicted about the bar scene in Columbus. On one hand, there is the Arena district. Everyone who knows me, knows that I LOATHE the Arena district. I go anyway because friends drag me there. But it is probably the douchey-est place on earth. Bars in Short North and Grandview are fun and the crowd is a little older (read: not college students) but they can lack the energy and excitement of Arena district bars. Bernards has the energy of the Arena district but still falls into the 'older than college students' age group. The beer list is truly impressive and the food is pretty delicious. They even sell Luna burgers topped with goat cheese (yummmmmm). It's also in an opportune location because it's right at the edge of short north - so patrons can bar hop to either the short north or arena district with ease. Finally, they have a skee ball table. Is there anything else to say? :) read more

I hate writing bad reviews, and I really hate giving any place in the Short North a bad review. But this place is not great. If you're going to survive in the Short North, you have to be great. Everything about Bernard's is mediocre at best. Let's first talk about the atmosphere. Or the lack of. When we walked in, we could not get a sense of who they were. The tavern was sparsely furnished with some bare tables and benches. The music was so loud that you couldn't hold a conversation. Places with music this loud typically encourage dancing, but there's no place for dancing at Bernard's. So, what do you do at Bernard's? What's their objective for customers? We couldn't figure it out. Next, the drinks. The drink selection for non-beer lovers was pretty lame. Where was the framboise? Where were the cocktails? And the wines they had available were quite awful. I understand that gays and girls are not the target market for Bernard's, and that's fine! But any bar in the Short North at least needs to be accessible to everyone. The night we visited, my party included straights, girls, and gays, and none of us had a good time. I know what Bernard's is trying to be, and places like Press Grill and Short North Tavern do it better. I want Bernard's Tavern to succeed - it's in the neighborhood I love! I want them to get it together and be a great addition to the place I call home. read more

I have to evaluate this as if it is 2 different things: 1 being a normal bar I stop at after work for Happy Hour. For this it gets 5 stars from me. I didn't even know Bernard's served food until yesterday. I'm now disappointed I hadn't come here sooner. I was able to get some pretty good wings, fries and 2 beers for $12. In this area, it may be the best happy hour deal going. I'd give it 5 stars for the experience I had yesterday. Now to look at it as a bar I go to late on the weekends. Here it falls a little short. It's insanely narrow and damn near impossible to walk through--and even more difficult to get a beer. It's really loud--but that's to be expected, so I wouldn't take points off for that. It's typically crowded, which in most cases is indicative of a fun bar. Here, that just means you're going to be pretty annoyed pretty quickly. Something needs to be changed here logistically. I don't know if that means moving tables around (or eliminating some altogether). Even the busiest, loudest bars are supposed to be a place you can relax and unwind. Here, it's like being stuck in a traffic jam. I'd give it 2 stars here. I rounded up to 4 stars overall, because I've had some times at Bernard's that weren't awful--unfortunately they are outnumbered by the bad. read more

The food wasn't bad but everything else was. It took 20 minutes to get a drink, took forever to get our food, they gave us 1 set of silverware for 4 people, didn't give us separate checks after we clearly asked for them, didn't come collect our checks for about half an hour. I won't be going back. read more

I'm a twenty-something who still likes to party but when I walked in here I felt like I was too old. At Bernard's it seems you can expect to be surrounded by newly graduated college kids trying to act a little older than they are. The decor is pretty relaxed, but the way the tables are set up make it an awkward area. The long benches and tables all seemed to be pushed together, with two people sitting at a 6 top. This leaves no room for others unless you want to ask if you can share the table. There are several small tables scattered in the middle - but they are in the way for everyone else. Nice beer selection - but not worth the crowd/set up. 2 60 Minute IPAs for 12 dollars? A little steep when there are plenty of other local great brew spots for much less. However, the bartender was pretty awesome - gave us samples, good recommendations, and a half glass of beer free because the keg ran out. I would give him 5 stars if I could! I still didn't play the ski-ball machine because it is too crowded, and that - alone - makes this place worth going back to. read more

So here's the deal about this place: it's really just okay. There's nothing special about it, which is why I have it a 2 stars. If you're going to be in the Short North, I think your place should have something interesting and different to offer your customers. Maybe I have too high of expectations for Columbus food and bar scene. Or maybe Bernard's just needs to step up their game. To echo what all the other reviewers have said, there's nothing special going on here. I came in with a group of coworkers for happy hour because the deals are pretty great. I was able to have two beers, two well drinks, an order or wings and sweet potato fries for $17, not including my tip. The wings were dry, definitely not enough sauce. And the fries were fine, just whatever. There was literally nothing that made me go "wow". Everything was little just kinda whatever. The server would disappear for long stretches of time. We'd ask for extra stuff (more ranch, napkins, whatever) and she would forget to bring it and we'd ask again. I don't ever want to disparage waitstaff too much because I know their jobs are hard, but she was definitely having an off night. The one big upside to this place is that the drinks are poured STRONG. It's definitely a good deal during happy hour with $2 wells. There's also a lot of seating, unlike other bars in the Short North. read more

Maybe its just me but I have tried this place twice and both times it was lackluster. The service was bad, food even more so....vety loud inside and our server was more concerned with texting than actually working. The Short North has far better options just down the street either way. Save your time and money. read more

Awesome staff! Cool place to chill and catch a great vibe! I love this place it's right in the heart of the short north. Game days are a great time. The food always hits the spot. read more

When Bernards first opened I loved it. It was a great new spot in the Short North. Recently, each time I've gone I've felt like I walked into an Arena bar and not the humble SN bar I knew, and loved. I prefer Bernards at non-peak hours, before the Frat parties arrive. They have a pretty good beer selection and ample seating. But, I don't prefer the cold-to-the-point-of-rude attitude of a member of their wait staff. I'm not sure what this guys deal is but would love if he chucked the attitude. Oh and, on Sunday afternoons- it would be great if he didn't take the metered spot right out front. I'm sure the owner/his boss would prefer he leave that for paying customers. read more

Used to have one of the best happy hours in the short north, with half off all beer and apps until 8. They recently changed it so it's only half off some beer, and it only goes until 7. Still good, but no longer great. read more

After reading so many negative/so-so reviews of Bernard's, I was feeling a little iffy about having dinner here the other night but honestly, it wasn't bad. It was 5:30 on a Wednesday, which it means it was happy hour! My most favorite of all hours. And if I read the sign correctly, it lasts from 4-8. Not bad. Happy hour here means $2 wells and half price apps. Also not bad. Thanks to these deals I got a rum and coke, chicken tender appetizer, and a huge side of fries for $8. Score for the broke college student! My only main complaint is that as time went on and the after-work crowd started filtering in it became increasingly difficult to get the attention of our waitress, which was frustrating because we were on a bit of a time crunch and needed to pay and get out. This is definitely a place I can see myself coming back to for more happy hour shenanigans though! read more

Legit I'm here for the OSU v ichigan game and there has been such exceptional service! There's so many people in here and they have gotten our drink orders out so fast!!! read more

I want to like Bernard's, really I do, but the fact of the matter is that the place is so packed in the evening that you can barely move. It's almost as if this place needs two separate types of reviews; one for the daytime and another for the evening/bar scene. I've only been here one time during the day for dinner, and that was a few years ago. The food was decent, if unremarkable. At this point I couldn't tell you what anyone in our group had, but I wasn't left with any lasting negative impressions. The late night bar scene is always hopping. In fact it's often so packed that you can't get in. The person checking IDs at the door will often have you wait until a certain number of people have left, so there'll be room for folks in there. Obviously they're doing something right, it just isn't my scene at this point. I visibly cringe when my friends suggest going to Bernard's at this point. If you don't mind shouting just to be heard, and shoving your way through crowds of overly-intoxicated college kids who have been shoehorned into a space whose layout obviously wasn't intended to be a full scale bar, Bernard's may be the bar for you. read more

"Eh." This is the only word that comes to mind when I think about Bernard's. I've only been here twice, but both times I've felt pretty lackluster about the experience. While the draft list is decent--a good mix of standards and craft beers--I think that the price is steep for what you get. The ambience is standard for taverns and bars, but nothing standout. The service is what really gets to me. While the bartenders are good at attending to you, especially on a very quiet weekday evening, they always look annoyed to be working or as though they're very put out at the thought of doing anything. I don't really care to go to bars where the staff looks like they suck lemons all day. The food is alright, but I've certainly had better. The fries are dry and a bit tasteless, and the pretzels leave me wishing for the rich butteriness of other Short North eateries' pretzel appetizers. The one great thing going for Bernard's is that it has achieved the perfect distance from bar seat to high def TV to watch sports. read more

I'll probably revisit this review... I trust that Bernard's a better bar to attend when Ohio State is not playing in March Madness. My friends love Bernards! But I waited forever for drinks, like almost 15 minutes for two PBRs... come with cash in hand. Alas! Bernard's has a happy hour that is begging to be exploited. From 4-8:00 pm, $2 wells, half off all [good, craft] beers ($1.50-$3.00), and $1 off wine. Come thirsty :) read more

I come here on Thursday nights for live band karaoke (hands down one of the coolest things to do in Columbus), and it's always a good time. That said, this review is supposed to be about the place rather than the event - though it's hard for me to separate the two... I suppose the place itself is somewhat meh. It does the trick, but the long-and-narrow shape of it makes it a little hard to move around in when it gets busy (which it invariably does), and the drinks are priced a little on the high side for Cbus. I've never eaten here (and doubt I would, since I'm never here at a meal time), but the food looks average at best. Still, 4* for the events they hold here (in addition to the karaoke, there's a good trivia night on Tuesday). read more

One thing I have not been able to find since moving to Columbus has been a decent tasting taco. I have had a few from places considering themselves "authentic mexican", a few from the taco trucks, and a few from Taco Bell. All have been disappointing, until I found the ones that Bernards offers....flour tortillas, seasoned meat, shredded cheese, fresh chopped lettuce and cilantro. As with most places in the Short North, I have wandered past Bernards, but never stopped to patronized the place. I am sad to say this, but mainly because it appeared to be more of a fine dining type of place rather then a bar from the exterior. The happy hour sign advertising $1 tacos and 1/2 off well drinks is what caught my eye this time around. Upon entering, I was impressed. A sports bar, with a few tables, great selection of beer, and friendly staff. This is exactly like my sports bar back home. No wonder I felt a sense of love with this place. One of the problems I have found with Short North places, is none of them have ever seemed to have a vibe that fits me The bartender came over and took my order, chit chatted a little bit about me moving from the Chicago area, what I was meeting my friend for, etc. The typical bar talk banter. I really am looking to making this a more regular hangout when in the Short North area. read more

Went here for lunch today and had a deeply mediocre experience. The server was nice, but mind-blowingly slow and inefficient. It wasn't slammed and there did appear to be three employees working, yet it took 20 minutes to even be able to order. the food was reasonable in being delivered, but I wasn't given a napkin or any utensils and she forgot my beer for about 15-20 minutes. 40 minutes after arriving, I tasted my food - the friend green tomato sandwich and their house fries. The sandwich had a good flavor, but the bread was soggy by the time it got to me - they either need to balance out their wetness ratios, get thicker bread, or toast it more. The fries were incredibly salty (and I like salt), but nice and crispy. All in all, it was fine but I definitely won't be returning to pay $6.50 for a lunchtime beer and $8 for a soggy sandwich with slow service. read more

I went in earlier today and had a nice lunch! Their chicken tortilla soup is very good! For you "thick" soup lovers, you will love it! I also had their taquitos! Very yummy with sour cream and salsa! YUMMM!! Very friendly server too! Loved the atmosphere there! read more

After having drinks on a few occasions, I finally had lunch at Bernard's. It was a Saturday afternoon, and the place was lively, but I wouldn't say busy as far as Short-North standards are concerned. We sat down and had our drink orders taken pretty quickly. When our drinks came back, our server informed us that the bartender was backed up and she was as well. It was kind of an odd comment, since our service, so far, had not been too slow. I guess that's where the waiting began though, because we waited, and waited, and waited, and waited for everything we asked for. It's a shame too , because the food was really damn good. At least she didn't lie, but daaaaamn this service was just too slow for us to take anyone back to. read more

Saturday night gets pretty crazy by 8PM. it's actually quite funny because we started noticing lots of people in denim outfits and before we knew it, the bar area was completely packed with denim clothed folks. I guess it was denim night for the young professionals. Regarding the food, I had the turkey and stuffing, which was WAY too salty and made me feel like I was licking a salt cube. I also tried my husband's burger and sweet potato fries, which were really good except the meat patty was too small for the bun (yes, I'm very particular about my ratios when it comes to food) so you could have a bite of burger with just the bun. The highlight of the meal was definitely the homemade balsamic salad dressing. I'm not sure what it says when the salad dressing is the best part of the meal. Service is friendly and fast though - that is another highlight! read more

First time here and we were surprised it was so dead for happy hour seeing as how everywhere else around was pretty busy (it was a Monday). However, service was good and the menu looked great. We had already eaten dinner but decided to try the loaded chips. They were delicious. There were other things on the menu I'd love to try. Seems like a great place to watch sports. read more

I agree with other reviewers. This is such a great spot during the week, or on Sunday. Absolutely do not come here on a Friday or Saturday night. It's just a nightmare. Takes forever to get a drink, and I've actually been vomited on while walking through the incredible mass of people that forces itself into this place. They must be violating the fire code on the weekend. On an ordinary night, it's great. Good selection of beers, good service, decent food, enough TVs. It's hard to believe that being popular ruins this place on the weekend, but it does. read more

Good place to grab a beer, meal and game. The food is your usual bar fare, nothing really standout, but good enough to have again. Good selection of drafts for the beer lover in your group. Service has been good every time I've been here, never too long of a wait at either the bar or a table. read more

I quite like Bernard's Tavern. Although not much has changed decor-wise inside since it was East Village previously, it's now got flatscreen TVs and is more of a sports bar. The Happy Hour is hands down one of the best in the Short North. From 4 to 8 pm well drinks are $2 and most beers are $2, along with discounted appetizer specials. I've been here a few times now and have received excellent waiter service, some really satisfying food and a nice laidback vibe. Check this place out! read more

For bar food, it's mostly what you'd expect. You're not going expecting or wanting anything out of the ordinary. From my most recent experience though there is clear room for improvement. First, the place was pretty quiet when we went in the afternoon, and adequately staffed, so I don't see how my "no onion" request went awry. As someone who absolutely hates onions (seriously, I think they are vile), it is my single biggest pet peeve when this simplest of requests is screwed up. The check very clearly stated "no onions," yet the kitchen missed it, and I think the server would've noticed the heaping pile of onions on the open face burger when she picked up the order. Second, I will never understand servers not writing down orders, especially when they have to return to the table TWICE to clarify points. I know some owners and managers in the industry hate their staff writing down orders (a friend of mine says it's "tacky") but it really does help minimize mistakes. I don't know if this was the server's style or the management's direction. Non-service related, I do not comprehend how the chicken tenders are priced at $9. They were four very skinny/thin strips that literally looked like long fingers. Overall this was not worth the $40 we spent on lunch for two. read more

I was at this bar tonight. The problem started when a song I played was repeated. It was blamed on me and I was told not to play it in an aggressive manner. At the end of the night when I was about to leave the male bouncer (much larger than me) aggressively grabbed me by the arm and drug me out for my "attitude" when I was talking to my table about what happened. When we got outside of the bar (after being dragged) he slightly shoved me and I walked away. So overall, I used to love this bar until I was treated this way. As a woman I am 5'8 and a man who is 6'4 aggressively pushes me out of a bar for no legit reason but an "attitude" I am very displeased. if I could give the bouncers (not the bar itself) a negative start, I would. It was very aggressive and disrespectful. read more

The food was good, however, the service was not. It took forever to get our food and when we finally did get it, it wasn't even our whole party's. It took an additional 25 minutes to get that. If you have additional plans after eating here like we did I would not recommend here or you'll be late. read more

We waited for 15 min for service and never got the waiter cleared the table next to us but never looked at us or came over Highly disappointed I recommend you avoid this place read more