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    Cafe Illyria

    4.4 (93 reviews)
    Closed 7:30 am - 2:30 pm

    Cafe Illyria Photos

    Business Info

    CAFE ILLYRIA ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Casual
    Moderate noise
    Outdoor seating
    Good for kids

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    Recommended Reviews - Cafe Illyria

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    Finally checking out this place for lunch
    George B.

    I have always heard about this local gem, and finally had sometime to check it out. I got the spicy chicken panini with a side of French fries. The chicken panini was very flavorful and tasty. The sandwich was the perfect size for lunch. The French fries on the side were awesome definitely had a crispy crunch to them. Overall the sandwich and fries combo was tasty. I was really impressed. The only thing that I would have changed about the sandwich is the cheese. But the service was fast and the folks were pretty nice. The restaurant outside was pretty clean and the inside was clean as well. I definitely would love to come back and try the breakfast menu!

    Chicken gyro
    Katie O.

    Came here for a quick lunch. Staff was friendly and helpful. I got chicken gyro and added feta and banana peppers, with fries. It was very good, only criticism is the chicken was a little dry. Would return

    Menu
    Adam G.

    Nice little joint to get a quick bite to eat for breakfast or lunch. Note the current hours are Mon-Fri from 7:30am-2:30pm. We went for lunch. They have a decent selection of sandwiches and salads with a heavy focus on gyros. I got a chicken gyro with fries. The food came out quickly and the sandwich was warm. It was pretty good, but the chicken was a tad bit overcooked. I enjoyed the flavor of the tzatziki sauce. The inside has 8 tables ranging from 2 tops to 6 tops. They have a small patio area right outside, and more tables on the sidewalk area. Overall, definitely a hidden gem to grab a quick bite to eat for breakfast or lunch during the week.

    Chicken Panini, Albanian Panini
    Jessica E.

    DELICIOUS! This place is so up my alley- amazing food, great prices, cozy atmosphere, locally owned. We got the Albanian panini and the Chicken panini. Both were absolutely amazing. I plan to come back for the chicken panini many times (it has peppers and this super good house made sauce) The Baklava was good but I'd skip it next time.

    Ham Omelet with toast and hash-browns
    Terrence M.

    Well hellooo there!! Order: Ham Omelet with toast and hashbrowns. Pros: great mom and pop location!!!! The food was amazing!!! I also love that they dont over season their food with salt, which allows the individual to do it on their own. Though low in salt it was very very flavorful. Two people brought out the food, greeted, and asked if we needed anything else. They also picked up the plates after we left. The omelet was thin and not the folded type. So easy to eat. Cons: non

    Albanian Panini
    Gregory F.

    Went here on a whim after seeing a post about it on the Downtown Columbus instagram - it was definitely worth the trip! Endless options - my meal was the Albanian Panini, so think a gyro turned sandwich. It was good - gyro meat topped with some veggies and a sauce of some sort! A bit thin for my liking but still tasty. Fries that came with were like those crinkle cut ones you get at a carnival - dipped them in boatloads of ranch. Honestly really filling - but a tad expensive IMO, spent $14+ on the sandwich alone. My friend got a drink too - lots of creative coffee options which is nice! When we walked in, we were the only ones there but in a matter of minutes the whole place was full for lunch rush. Not enough seating to accommodate the crowd, so we ate quickly to let people take our table since they were basically watching us wrap up. Had to basically leave the restaurant since there wasn't really anywhere to loiter. Service was quick - maybe 10 minutes from order to eating? Parking was a tad difficult - street options only. Anyways - an overall pleasant experience! Definitely a hidden gem.

    Veggie omlette
    Tim L.

    Good little breakfast lunch restuarant slightly underground, cash is the most common currency in this place how ever i do believe they may take credit cards, regardless i had a simple egg n cheese omlette and it was delicious, the coffee was not good, but i still drank it, everything is still served covid safe, plastic utensils wrapped plastic from china, styrofoam cups...a clean but dirty kind of place, absolutely loved it...cheap, simple and satisfying!!!

    updated menu 6/13/2024

    I've been coming here for some months now but today's the first day i've gotten to try their breakfast. i usually get the cajun chicken gyro add banana peppers or the chicken ranch wrap. Those two lunch options never leave me unsatisfied. All the ingredients taste fresh and i love the small business vibe of this place. Today i tried the bacon omelette with a side of home fries and let me tell you. i'm going to be waking up earlier from now on. The service is always quick and friendly.

    Do you see any Gyro meet? Me neither! Salad is loaded with Feta....meat is extinct!!! This for $8.95

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    11 years ago

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    11 years ago

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    11 years ago

    Great little place and beautiful hardworking personnel. My favorite lunch spot in the downtown.

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    11 years ago

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    8 years ago

    Great spot for breakfast and a quick lunch bite. Great Mediterranean sandwiches and salads also ideal meeting place for lunch.

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    8 years ago

    Delicious Albanian breakfast! Reasonably priced. Great for lunch too! The turkey Rueben was wonderful!

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    12 years ago

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    9 years ago

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    12 years ago

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    11 years ago

    Best damn breakfast ever. You must try the breakfast wrap. Soooooooooooooo good. For lunch please try the gyro.

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    10 years ago

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    12 years ago

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    Page 3 of 3

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    Frenchi’s Deli

    Frenchi’s Deli

    4.7(60 reviews)
    3.8 miUniversity District

    French-owned. Family hospitality. Next-level sandwiches…read more This small deli is the definition of heart + flavor -- you can feel the love in every bite and every hello. You have to come try one of these sandwiches for yourself!

    We walked to the brand-new Short North location first, but it was inexplicably closed despite…read moreposted hours. That was frustrating. We really wanted Frenchi's, so we drove up to this OG location. No line which is great! A nice woman was working the counter. We got our sammies and brought them home. They were as solid as always, but there's some things I have to note: Frenchi himself always made our sandwiches to perfection. Toasted, hot, perfectly made. The two times we had another employee make them, they are just different. Same ingredients, but different ratios maybe? Today my husbands Eiffel came super toasty and meats/cheese heated up in a microwave (or toaster oven maybe?) My Buckeye always used to come warm, but only if Frenchi made it. Twice now, I got barely toasted and my meat wasn't warmed at all. Also, man I loveeee the house made chipotle mayo but today was just way too much sauce. Yes, I should have spoken up about what I specifically wanted, but part of my reviews need to include things like consistency. Today was fine, but not the 5 star I've come to expect. One star off for the other location being closed and not posted anywhere. One star off for inconsistent sandwiches.

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    Frenchi’s Deli - #5 Le Buckeye Combination

    #5 Le Buckeye Combination

    Frenchi’s Deli
    Frenchi’s Deli - Menu  @ColumbusFoodDude

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    Menu @ColumbusFoodDude

    Dave's Cosmic Subs - #1 Original

    Dave's Cosmic Subs

    4.2(82 reviews)
    2.7 miUniversity District

    Good sammy's , cool seating, pretty cosmic , lady was friendly. service was good. food was good…read more good place. definitely felt cosmic

    Dave's Cosmic %hit Subs... Where do you want me to start?…read more We're in town for the CBUS Blue Jackets and Door Dashed this bull %hit to our ABnB. To start, we ordered at 6:27, our Door Dasher picked up the food at 6:36, but it wasn't delivered until 8:57... Completely unacceptable. Granted the extremely late delivery wasn't the restaurant's fault (necessarily)... However, because they use Door Dash for delivery, they're ultimately responsible by proxy. Add in that the delivery driver spoke no English, tried to kick our English Staffy who ran out whilst smiling to say "hi" (if you know anything about Staffy's, you know they love people and don't have a mean bone in their body), our food was cold because it was delivered 1.5 hours late, and I was about to lose my flipping mind. Now onto the food... These were quite honestly some of the worst subs we've ever had. Subway is miles ahead of this hot garbage, and it's not remotely close. The food was $50 for two puny half filled subs, inedible coleslaw (absolutely disgusting), a pickle, and a GF cookie (that was not delivered). Now onto the really bad part... Within 30 minutes of eating this trash, both my wife and I had to run for the toilet (I'll leave it at that). Bottom line... Screw this place. PS - If I ever run into Cosmic Dave, he's going to get a piece of my mind for charging people $ for this crap.

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    Dave's Cosmic Subs
    Dave's Cosmic Subs - Dave's Peace Steak Sub

    Dave's Peace Steak Sub

    Dave's Cosmic Subs

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    Si Señor Peruvian Sandwiches and More - 2. Chipotle Chicken (@joeynht)

    Si Señor Peruvian Sandwiches and More

    4.6(339 reviews)
    3.3 mi
    $

    Love a place that knows what they're good at. A few items you do well and no fluff with all the…read moreoptions and toppings and yaddah for unnecessarily custom sandwiches. It's a sandwich for god's sake. I ordered the chicharron sandwich which was delightful. Crispy edges on the bread, the juice from the pork and the pickled onion was a perfect marriage. The chunkiness of the pork was a bit dry and I desperately wanted more onions but it was all so good. The hot sauce was mild and added an elevated layer of heat but again, still very mild hot sauce. Lines felt long when you walked in while lunch is bustling but they are quick and efficient. I may have waited 4-5min and had my sandwich ready to go.

    My husband's aunt told us about this hidden gem and she did not do us dirty! We actually went to…read morethe location nearish Easton - but it's not listed in yelp. We did verify it's the same place. Also, when you get here, it will look and feel that we whites have led you astray, but fear not! You are in the correct spot. (Next to a waxing place and in an upscale feeling outdoor shopping plaza - Easton 2.0?) They don't offer much more than sandwiches (despite the name) and sadly no homemade chips or plantains at this location- BUT - the sandwiches alone are WORTH IT. I'm 42 and have had the same list of top five sandwiches for the past twenty years until today. The chicharrón sandwich was *empingao* and is now solidly in my top five!!!!

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    Si Señor Peruvian Sandwiches and More
    Si Señor Peruvian Sandwiches and More - 8. Jumping Beef (@joeynht)

    8. Jumping Beef (@joeynht)

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    Catering By Scott - The Schmoozer

    Catering By Scott

    4.9(738 reviews)
    3.9 miEastmoor
    $$

    Scotty's Cafe came recommended by my wife's OSU colleague Isaac and it did not disappoint on two…read morefamily visits. First time my wife and daughter stopped before our daughter headed overseas for two years in the Peace Corps. Scotty''s is super close and convenient to the airport. Scotty learned of the imminent departure and came with cookies and treats for the long flight! And now this morning it was another airport drop off. It was my turn, dining alone but nothing about a table for one at Scotty's is lonely. The staff are immediately welcoming and every customer is every employee's charge. Four different people helped me or just checked in. The Gina breakfast combos have lots to offer for breakfast. But I was thrilled this 9:30 am to be assured the whole menu was available. I was looking for something less common and was excited to see potato latkes with sour cream and apple sauce as an option. That would have been great but then the waitress (Salome maybe) said, "Do you like corned beef?" The Schmoozer is 3 enormous latkes with thinly shaved and lightly grilled corn beef on top with an over easy egg atop that. Seriously, I can declare victory for finding something I'd never had before. Never would have found it without the nudge. Had to cut myself off with all the coffee offers. Just a great vibe. You rarely see a 4.9 rating and even more rarely that high based on so many reviews. But I understand why - like in so many things in life, it is about the people. And the joy they bring to every conversation. And I will just add, in this age when some would divide us, this dining room is filled with all manner of folks, reveling together over food in fellowship.

    As someone who considers herself a pancake connoisseur, theirs were genuinely the best ones I've…read moreever had. They have such a wonderful vanilla flavor, I could eat them plain. Their baked goods are also a must-get, especially the lemon cookies and oatmeal raisin cookies! The workers were so kind and attentive and made our first experience there absolutely amazing.

    Photos
    Catering By Scott - COVID 19  dining room

    COVID 19 dining room

    Catering By Scott - Cake of the week!! I mean no better combination than Chocolate and Peanut Butter! So here is the Buckeye cake!

    Cake of the week!! I mean no better combination than Chocolate and Peanut Butter! So here is the Buckeye cake!

    Catering By Scott - The Schmoozer, Pancakes, and the Big Breakfast.

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    The Schmoozer, Pancakes, and the Big Breakfast.

    Katzinger's Delicatessen - Amazing deli options... $18 for a sandwich is not precisely a bargain but I hope flavor makes it worth ...

    Katzinger's Delicatessen

    3.8(687 reviews)
    0.6 miGerman Village
    $$

    The best sandwiches in Columbus! We come to Katzinger's at least once a month, and it never…read moredisappoints. We have a few go to's (#41 and #16), but we like to try a new one each time we go. Every single one has been great! Tonight we got #57 Franklin's Kibbetz, which has homemade mozzarella and pesto and added turkey (bottom right). We also got #5 Mimi's Melody, which has their homemade tuna salad on grilled rye (bottom left). Next we got our favorite, #41 Phil Katzinger's Club, which has their homemade chicken salad, bacon, and Honeycup mustard (top left). Finally we got #3 Ari's Open Door, which had pastrami, salami, and cream cheese (top right). The service is also amazing - the workers are kind and even gave us free bagels tonight as they were closing! Must try.

    It is St Patrick's Day so I looked for a deli with corned beef sandwiches nearby and found Katz's…read more Having lived in NYC I had high expectations for a deli with Katz in the name. Additionally, having had a Goodman's Deli mile high corned beef sandwich when I lived in Cleveland, I had even higher expectations. Their most popular sandwich is the Reuben so I went with that. Katzingers did not meet them. When I arrived to pick up my sandwich I was shocked the line wasn't out the door to place orders before they closed and the dining room had maybe 6 people in it. There were about 6 to go bags on the shelf along with mine. When I mentioned to the cashier that I was surprised it wasn't busier, she said it'll be busier tomorrow. I said the day after St Pat's? No answer. Another not good sign in my mind. When I got home, the wrapped sandwich was bigger than my hand but not very tall. The paper had areas of grease which is a good sign for this sandwich. The corned beef itself was tender but there wasn't as much of it, maybe an inch high and 1/3 of the bread had no corned beef. I also could not taste the thousand island dressing. The rye bread was toasted but pretty soggy. The crust was mostly crunchy. The bread slices were paired upside down putting a narrower side a larger side against each other. There is not enough sauerkraut and it is not very sour. I was given the choice of a dill or garlic pickle but I cannot tell you how it was because they didn't put it in the bag. I expected this sandwich to have so much meat in it, I could eat for multiple days for $18. Again, disappointed. Maybe I should've gotten the deli sized version but paying that much for a sandwich... The inside of the deli is fun and it's obvious it's been around a long time and has been well loved. I wanted to like Katzinger's but since the price and the quality don't match, I cannot.

    Photos
    Katzinger's Delicatessen - To the back dining room.?

    To the back dining room.?

    Katzinger's Delicatessen - 76. Mike and Rich Follow the Bubble Sandwich

    76. Mike and Rich Follow the Bubble Sandwich

    Katzinger's Delicatessen - 3rd Street Entry

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    3rd Street Entry

    Fat Arnie's Sandwich Shop - Pork Belly Chicharron  @ColumbusFoodDude

    Fat Arnie's Sandwich Shop

    4.8(17 reviews)
    6.5 miClintonville

    Fat Arnie's is the place to be on Saturdays! The fried pork belly chicharrones are dangerously good…read morecrispy, rich, and packed with flavor. I swear I went into a full food daze while inhaling every single bite. But don't wait... these sell out fast and once they're gone, they're gone. Tucked in the back of Rafters Beer Pub is a hidden gem of a kitchen just waiting for your order. Trust me, this is one you don't want to miss.

    Mr found out about this spot earlier this week, so we made time on a Sunday afternoon to pick up…read moresome sammies to go! Couple things worth noting: it's tucked inside a neighborhood bar on Indianola. Parking can be tricky but there's more around back and just down a bit closer to Savor. Inside the bar, just head to the back inside window to order. They have a menu with some notes and updates, also. Seems chicken sandwiches will be back soon which might be the thing I try next. Also, on Saturdays, you can order a pound of chicharron for $20. A bit about costs: I think it's a bit expensive. A single empanada is $5. There are price breaks for larger quantities ordered. Italian sub and double patty burgers are each $13. The Appolonia Italian is a decent size, but the buger, even with double patty, felt small. The service is super friendly! The quality of their offerings is much higher than average. Everything tasted really good, no notes. The spicy Italian is a bit spicier than I prefer with their version of a giardiniera on it, but Mr loved it. All in all, a generous 4. I'd get it again and recommend it with my notes so you know what to expect. (Sorry I forgot a pic of the burger)

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    Fat Arnie's Sandwich Shop
    Fat Arnie's Sandwich Shop - Arnie Burger

    Arnie Burger

    Fat Arnie's Sandwich Shop - Order counter

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    Order counter

    Cafe Illyria - sandwiches - Updated June 2026

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