Came here for a work dinner. Great place for a big group and for beer lovers. Enjoyed the small plates more than the entrees due to the selection to choose from. Recommendations French Onion Potato Chips, Brussel Sprouts, and Cheese and Crackers. I personally ordered the FR Smash Burger. I'm not a fan of mayo but this one was okay for me due to having a nice little spice to it. Buckeye ice cream for dessert was yummy! Service was great and very accommodating. read more

Forbidden Root - FR Smash Burger - Brewpubs Near Me - Columbus, Ohio

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Forbbiden Root is serving up some amazing options for American style and Asian fusion cuisine. They offer a ton of options for draft beers and cocktails, along with a great Happy Hour special that gets you half off bar snacks and small plates. I also like how you can get a smaller glass of beer for a cheaper price, if you're like me and have trouble finishing a whole drink! I like how they specify on the menu if dishes can be made vegetarian, vegan, or gluten free, and even if they use shared fryers. The crispy fried eggplant was super flavorful and had a crunchy layer of rice to accompany it. It had a slight Szechuan spicy and sweet sauce. I liked how the lasagna was served with wonton chips, which made it less heavy and yet had such a nice crunch. The smoked ribeye was impressive with slow cooked beef and lots of onions. It came with Cajun fries and the fries were good! If you're into sandwiches, the Nashville hot and cod sandwiches were also solid. Service was quick and efficient. My friend ordered the small beer and there was some confusion with the waiter billing it as a tall glass, but we managed to figure it out in the end. Just remember that they do add a service charge if you don't use debit or cash! read more

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Like they say all good things must come to a end, well I waited until 2 consecutive disappointments to write this review. Tonight was it for me, I'll make myself forbidden to return. I was served a chicken sandwich that looked like they beat it with a meat hammer last night when it was cooked and microwaved it for me tonight, I felt like it was in a competition with White Castles for size. Come on.... It's chicken, not a filet. Why would you think anyone should be served a piece this thin for $17? This kind of disrespect for your customers really pisses me off because prices are already inflated no matter what you're eating and you're socially expected to tip 20%, so in the end you feel ripped off and honestly still hungry. read more

Forbidden Root - The WORST $17 chicken sandwich in Ohio - Brewpubs Near Me - Columbus, Ohio

Pros: Good location at Easton One server managed our large group pretty well Large space and bar Cons: Crispy cod sandwich was disgusting - fish wasn't fresh, breading oily and bun not fresh; overall disappointing Appetizers were flavorless Pro tip: Maybe stick to the drinks read more

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Love stopping in and trying the beers on tap. There is always something new and a lot of times its really unique. On this visit we also tried the bread and the Hummingbird cake. Both arrived really quickly and were rasty. We always sit at the bar here as its really open and the service is fantastic. read more

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Our server was working his first ever shift, and he did an excellent job! He was attentive and friendly! The menu was somewhat limited, but the beer and cocktail menu was vast and the drinks were great! I recommend this place for a casual get together with friends! read more

The dine in experience at FR is worth it. It's a visually pleasing aesthetic both inside and out as it borders the lively shared patio with other Easton staples. Also, there are deals at practically every moment the place is open. Daily specials, happy hour specials, lunch specials galore! On the lunch menu is a smaller flight (3 tastings) and several appealing food options. I went with the bologna sandwich and it was a handful! I only finished half of it, and it had nothing to do with the mouthwatering taste. I spent so much stomach capacity inhaling the low-key outstanding fries! In the vein of McDonald's, the size, texture and taste were a surprising hit. And of course, I enjoyed my lunch flight. Cheers! read more

Forbidden Root - Fried Bologna Sandwich - Brewpubs Near Me - Columbus, Ohio

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The appetizers were amazing! We got the Brussels sprouts, avocado/pineapple salsa, and pork/sauerkraut balls. The pork and sauerkraut balls were my favorite (which is why they were gone before I got a picture). The staff was accommodating and friendly, letting us sit and drink before our whole party arrived. The beers weren't bad, but most of the flavors tasted extremely artificial. The Scoopy Doo was really good though. read more

Forbidden Root - Pineapple and avocado salsa - Brewpubs Near Me - Columbus, Ohio

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Food was delicious and came out super quick! Our waitress was amazing and took great care of us. The selection of beers wasn't the best and we tried several different ones on tap but unfortunately only liked 1 flavor. This could be just our group's preference too. Cool place to meet up with friends and there are other breweries and outside activities right out the back doors. read more

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Just ok. Beers were average - nothing special. Took me 4 tastes to find one that I liked. Service could be better. Food was average. Ambience was good. Probably wont go back anytime soon. read more

Second time here, happy hour! Great deals, 1/2 off apps and beer specials. The lasagna dip was on the table as well as the Brussels sprouts and hot honey chicken bites. The dip was standard, marinara sauce with ricotta cheese on top. Brussels were standard, could have used more sauce. The hot honey chicken bites stole the show! Crisp chicken in a delightful tangy sweet sauce! Wasn't overly crowded, but started to fill up. No concerns over searing as I believe there is a second level. Our server was doing double duty as bartender, she did her best. read more

Forbidden Root - Burger special - Brewpubs Near Me - Columbus, Ohio

My wife and I took mom out and about and decided to stop in for lunch. We sat in the lounge and the bartender was our server. I must say he made a terrific Manhattan was very knowledgeable of their beers as well as the menu. We opened with their house, popcorn, fried chicken! As well as there made chips. After perusing the menu we decided on salads! I went for the Thai noodle salad, my wife, their Caesar, mom there, baby spinach. Our meals were terrific! We even fit in some great ice cream before we called it a day. Forbidden route is a super spot well worth your time. Give them a try! read more

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Dined here for a coworkers surprise 30th work anniversary, we were seated in the private dining area. The dining area is very spacious and seats up to 20 people, I believe. We ordered drinks - I asked if they could make a mule, server said yes Wish they had the copper cups for mules. ordered a variety of apps before the dinner, wish I would have taken pics of them, but hunger we ordered Crab Queso Dip, Cheese & Crackers, Avocado Pineapple Salsa and Warm Barrata. EYE assumed the warm barrata would come out warm, hence the name- nope! it was COLD! My main entree was the Herb Garlic Salmon sandwich with fries and slaw on the side. it was okay, I was expecting a lot more from the fries and slaw, but it served its purpose. I did not get the name of her server, however she was excellent! She kept the drinks flowing all by her lonesome and had help with the food, kudos to her! read more

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They have a burger, beer, and a shot of bourbon for $20 on Monday nights, hard to beat! Their double smashed burger is delicious on top of a great deal! read more

Forbidden Root - Brewpubs Near Me - Columbus, Ohio

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Our first time. An amazing ambience, high ceilings and an upstairs. Bar was nice but understaffed. Brussel sprouts were very savory and yummy. Veggie burger got a thumbs up for an expert. Smoked ribeye focaccia sandwich was a great idea, but could be improved. Mostly the focaccia. We'll be back. read more

This place has an Amazing Menu, with high-end food and is hidden inside of a Brewery! I mean, Duck Confit & Dumplings (Gnocchi), Short Ribs and Pierogis. I mean, come on!! I started with the Pork & Sauerkraut Balls with a glass of wine-I'm not a Beer girl. Then moved on to the Duck & Dumplings and it was So Great! High end dish for $24. There were people here but it did it feel crowded. Of course, it was a Tuesday night and I sat at the bar. But, I would recommend this place to anyone. read more

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We had lunch there for the first time and it was delicious. The fish sandwich was delicious and enough for two! My husband had the Nashville Chicken and said it was better than the one he had in Nashville!! read more

My husband and I visited Forbidden Root during our first ever time in Columbus. We were looking for something that wasn't far off the highway since we were just driving through on our way to Cleveland. I would definitely recommend this place if you're looking for a good quality meal that isn't too far out of the way or if you're in the area for shopping. We shared the brussel sprouts, the cod burger, and mac and cheese. The burger and mac and cheese were both excellent, we really enjoyed them both! The brussel sprouts were only ok, they were great quality and tasty but just not done to my personal preference so I personally wouldn't order them again but I'm sure other people would enjoy them. The sever was pretty quiet and basically left us alone during our visit which my husband and I really enjoyed but this may not be appreciated by everyone. The ambiance was a typical brew pub vibe. Nothing really original but still looked very nice. Overall, great experience and we would visit again if we were ever in Columbus again. read more

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My husband and I usually stop here for a drink if we are having dinner at Easton. Decent beers and a pretty good old fashion. Servers are very friendly. Last time we were there was due to very bad service at another restaurant nearby. Never got our food, so we stopped here. Ordered burgers and fries and had them in front of us in five minutes. Wow! Great service. read more

Came across this gem with a beautiful patio, so we had our dinner and drinks outside since the weather was amazing. An interesting menu item.... the ramen mac n cheese was more of a bow tie pasta dish but tasted like - you guessed it - ramen mac n cheese. My server also suggested a really great red wine to pair with dinner! read more

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Very cool environment, I'm not a big IPA type of person but these are different. Very delicious flight, would recommend you try. Very interesting spin on American/ bar food. We got the crab queso, I got a Reuben sandwich and the Ramen Mac and cheese (add Nashville hot chicken) waiting staff was very friendly. Would definitely recommend you try. read more

We relocated by to Ohio and have been enjoying the restaurants in the area. Forbidden Root caught our attention because the menu offers options for us non-meat eaters. We arrived at lunch time on a Saturday and found parking along a side street near the restaurant. We were seated immediately upon arriving and our waiter was great. Very informative and polite. During the meal the waiter gave us ample time to chose, sit, munch the app, and eat the main course. He did a great job. The restaurant is very well organized inside and has a casual vibe. There is plenty of seating to chose from. We were seated by a window in a booth. We had water (but fully intend to return for one of the beers!) to drink and started with the Szechuan fried eggplant. I highly recommend it. it was so good that we took multiple pictures and plan to try to duplicate it at home. Very, very good. For our main course I had the fried mushroom sandwich with french fries and my husband had the smash burger with french fries. Seems like a lot of "fried" in our meals but it just happened that way. We love to compare and contrast fries and the FR fries were awesome. The right amount of crunch and no need for additional seasoning. My sandwich was quite unique. I loved it. My husband remarked that his smash burger was very good and that he would order it again. We are looking forward to going again! read more

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We went here for Restaurant Week. Such a mistake. Worst ribeye sandwich ever. Unseasoned steak, no flavor queso on bread that looked like a sponge. Made a huge mistake ordering that. The only good thing was the cajun fries and the wings were ok. My firl hated everything too, except the caeser salad but thats not hard. Woest date night we've been on. Cool place and not a horrible waiter but the food "left a bad taste in my mouth" as they say. read more

-pretentious and not with it. - food and drinks are flavorful but the portions are small; not as described on the menue - service was terrible, slow and rude read more

This old guy is still being indoctrinated as to good brewpubs from bad. For $13, beer drinkers can start with the FR flight. Sample five popular brews and choose the winner. Customize your five beers, only $2 more. Next, you can order an appetizer for the table, small plate, main course or just stick with bar snacks. I am a big fan of the food here, the other couple we were with, are not. I'm normally not a ricotta guy, but their Duck and Dumplings dish (ricotta gnocchi) is fantastic. I also loved their Ribeye Sandwich. They boast a very creative decor and it was very clean. Easy to find and parking was a snap. The service here was very fast and efficient. All went swimmingly! 08/24 read more

Had a meeting and had to alter plans at the last second and they got us in. Wry friendly and kind. The appetizer with the guacamole and long pieces of bread. This was amazing. Incredible The Nashville hot chicken was spot on and the Brussel sprouts as a side was a huge portion. read more

Forbidden Root - Nashville Chicken Sandwich - Brewpubs Near Me - Columbus, Ohio

In the area for a band competition and we stopped at Easton on way home for a late lunch. The inside of the place is pretty cool, good vibes. Our server was good too, quick and attentive. The popcorn with pizza seasoning was good to munch on while I watched the end of the Ohio State game. Our sandwiches were top notch. My wife had the salmon sammich and I had the prime rib sammich. Definitely would eat here again. This is more of a 4.5 not really a 4 star, but I do not have that option. Check it out if you're ever here. read more

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Pretty decent place!! Pictured are the pulled pork fries appetizer which was AMAZING. The garlic cheese sauce was so good and not too overwhelming. We all got the Nashville hot chicken sandwich (I got it without the hot sauce) with fries and it was pretty good! Only bummer is they have no gluten free bread / buns but they do have some other gluten free options. GF cider was good too. The ambiance was really nice! I loved the color scheme and inside vibe. The cushion benches / booths did hurt my back after a while as they weren't super padded. Service was good, but just took forever. Also, they fill up tiny water glasses half way with water using a water vase (most likely in an attempt to get you to buy and drink more alcohol not water) but don't leave the water vase at the table! I wish they would have, every time our waitress came we were asking her to fill up our water. read more

Forbidden Root - Slow Smoked Sweet BBQ Pulled Pork Fries - Brewpubs Near Me - Columbus, Ohio

The beer was delicious but none of my food was right. Not sure how someone confuses "Smoked Salmon Salad" for "Thai Curry Salad" but the Thai Curry Salad was delicious. Wait staff should probably write orders down. read more

Came for happy hour on a Thursday and they only had one bartender on staff, so it got a little backed up and we waited a while to get served. The bacon app was delicious. read more

Its a big open space, lit warmly with a lot of wood. Has inside and outside dining. The hostess that greeted us was quite friendly. We chose to sit at the bar. The bartender,Nathan was great. Great service and excellent food/drinks We ordered sauerkraut balls and mushroom tacos with assorted beers. The taco was enough to be an entree and was probably one of my most favorite items Ive had in 30 days. You can ask for samples of their house beers. We chose "full retail" and a cherry lime lager... both excellent. We like both enough to buy full sized pours. Yum! For all that we spent about 30 bucks, including tip which I feel was a good value. Will return. read more

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FR Burger* Single Smash Patty, Giardiniera mayo, Aged Cheddar Cheese, Onions, B & B Pickles on Buttery Bun Giardiniera Mayo Raspberry Ginger Mocktail Happy Hour 3pm-6pm 1/2 off all bar snacks 1/2 off selected small plates read more

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BIG DISAPPOINTMENT - mostly "NOT GOOD". Dinner for 6 on a Friday night. Place was nicely busy, but not too busy. Plenty of staff. First, "the Good": * The restaurant is architecturally stunning. Absolutely gorgeous. Someone spent a fortune on this place, which is too bad - if they don't fix the very weak operating issues, that someone is going to LOSE a fortune... * A few food items were tasty - sauerkraut balls, duck confit + gnocchi, burger, Poke appetizer. That's it for "the Good". Now, for "the Really Disappointing": * Ramen Mac + Cheese flavor was just plain weird. Unpleasant. Not good. 5 of us tasted it, and no one would eat it. The extra-cost Chicken protein was so overcooked and rubbery no one would eat it either... Our 14 year old daughter ordered the Ramen Mac + Cheese. She makes a lot of really tasty Ramen herself - with gochujang, egg, diced scallion, pork - the whole deal, and it's very good. This wasn't too sophisticated for her pallet - the flavor wasn't good. She's skinny and I'm fluffy, so I pretended to love her mac + cheese and begged her to trade for my poke appetizer, which was solid, so she'd eat something. While she ate my poke I ate 2 sauerkraut balls, then made a big bowl of cereal at home. * Jalapeno + Cheese Bread was just plain weird. Several of us thought it had an odd peanut butter flavor. Not good. We all tried it, and most put it down and didn't finish it. * PB&J wings were - you guessed it - just weird. We could taste the peanut flavor, and the sweet grape jelly flavor, but the combination wasn't good. We ordered a plate of 12 wings - 4 of us tasted them, and no one ate them. I can't say what about the flavor was disconcerting, but the wings themselves were perfectly fried, and we all love wings, and these didn't get eaten. * the candied bacon tasted like cheap, thin-sliced bargain Wal Mart bacon. I love candied bacon as an appetizer, but candied bacon should be thick, flavorful and decadent. This was thin and tasted like the cheapest bacon possible to hit a low price point on the menu. Yet another dish that didn't get finished. * the Sidecar cocktail was only ok - not great. Something was off. It didn't get finished. Summary on the food + drinks - $230 bucks of "meh", and "that was disappointing", and "I'll never come here again". Now - for the Service... * our server was friendly. I arrived a few minutes before my family (they were shopping nearby), and she came and took my drink order. Then she disappeared for 15-20 minutes. The rest of my family arrived a few minutes after I did, so we sat for 15 minutes before she reappeared. My drink didn't arrive until after she took their drink order, and the bar was not busy. She just wasn't around. She was doing "fly-bys", but not really engaging with us, so my wife had to ask her to take our food order. We appreciated the waters, but promptly taking our drink order, delivering our drinks, taking our food order - that's why we're there. After the food arrived, she stopped by a few times, but also disappeared again for extended periods of time. She wasn't on the restaurant floor (we were seated 6' from the bar). She asked if I wanted a second drink AS SHE WAS CLEARING THE PLATES (plates of things eaten and lots not eaten). I literally wondered if they had her in the back helping cook or prep, because throughout the meal she mostly wasn't around. * I watched a bar-back almost knock over a customer in his haste going from the kitchen to the bar. Literally forced the paying customer to step out of his way so the restaurant employee could pass first. That's not how well-trained staff treats customers... That customer was my 32 year old daughter, and it was her birthday we were celebrating at Forbidden Root, and I almost got up and went after him... * No manager ever said hello or asked about our meal. Nothing. * The woman at the front desk didn't bother to say "good-bye", or "thank you" when we left. She was too busy playing on her phone - on a busy Friday night - to acknowledge us leaving. Summary on the Service - disappointing and very underwhelming. If Robert Finkel still owns this place, and if this is still his passion project, then he needs to fire the GM, fire the Trainer, and fire the Chef. If Forbidden Root doesn't fix these operating issues, they're going to lose a lot of money, close, and then someone else will be touring this gorgeous space, thinking about opening their restaurant. Easton is a VERY competitive dining scene. I know this isn't fine dining, but it isn't Rally's either. I've seen better managed campus bars, who treat customers like they're valued. Not here. Food and service were severely lacking. They need a GM who cares. And chef that combines flavors into tasty food. And a Trainer that holds the entire staff accountable for a good customer experience. $230 bucks of "meh" and "that was disappointing" and "I'll never come here again"... read more

I've lived in Columbus for almost 5 years, and can probably count the number of restaurants that I've tried on one hand where food seems mostly made from scratch. Forbidden Root can be added to this small list, as (minus frozen French fries) the food has a great depth of flavor and you can tell is made in-house. Service was decent and the ambiance was nice with an attractive bar area, ample size patio adjacent to Beeline Bar, and nice industrial decor. I first tried the Yuzu Margarita, which was small but strong and did its job. Then moved on to the lasagna dip, crispy mushroom sandwich, and a shrimp and coconut crab rice salad, all of which we thoroughly enjoyed. A tad pricey, but will definitely be back! read more

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The service was excellent and the burger was even better. Call the Crab Dip the "Crab Rangoon Dip"! You know what you're doing! read more

Forbidden Root - Crab dip and a gin cocktail - Brewpubs Near Me - Columbus, Ohio

Really nice experience here. Stopped in for for a beer, very casual entertainment. Bartender was very friendly. Really cool decor inside. I had the Ohio hazy, which if you like hazy ipa's this was one of my all time favorites. read more

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Went last night (a Thursday) for drinks and an app. It was pretty busy from about 6:30 on where the bar area was full for a fun vibe but our service was still great! Attentive but didn't constantly bug you and respected the need for a little time to make decisions (without forgetting us). I got their cold brew martini and I could not recommend more! I love a good espresso martini and this was a great twist on that - creamy and cool, a good coffee flavor but not too strong and not too sweet. We also split the buratta which was delicious! Creamy with a great tomato spread and delicious bread. While I didn't personally order a beer I do appreciate their 5oz option to kind of create your own flight and try several of their specialty options! Overall would definitely recommend! read more

Forbidden Root - On Thursdays they offer a special cocktail menu at a discounted price. This was from March 2023. - Brewpubs Near Me - Columbus, Ohio

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Great place to hang out and relax. The food is good and I like the craft beers. The service is always top notch.

Went for lunch on a Saturday and it was fairly quiet; plenty of places to sit. Our server was great, just attentive enough and gave great suggestions. Food was pretty good. The burrata was some of the best we've had, very fresh tasting and a good portion. The Lasagna Dip was just okay; a fun concept with the chips but the sauce was just average. Burger and Ribeye sandwich were both delicious and the fries are perfect. Star of the show was definitely with Ramen Mac and Cheese. Our server suggested adding chicken and the chicken alone was delicious, but the pasta was so flavorful and cooked perfectly. read more

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We were in the Easton area and looking for a late lunch. The crispy eggplant small plate caught our eye after we had recent had the best eggplant of our lives at Cobra. We were sat quickly, the place has a cool vibe but man it was cold inside, especially when we were sat next to the garage doors on a very cold day. We ordered the eggplant, the Brussels, mushroom soup and ramen mac. The food was mid, maybe about a 6/10. The soup was hearty but bland. The eggplant was not crispy, the flavor was okay though. The Mac was solid, although some sriracha mayo and some furikake would make it way better. Lastly the Brussels; highlight of the meal, cooked to perfection but lacking in the sauce dept. Service was good, the server was friendly and attentive. Decent place, decent meal, decent beer. 3.5/5 read more

Forbidden Root - Ramen Spiced Mac and Cheese Crispy Brussels Sprouts crispy eggplant - Brewpubs Near Me - Columbus, Ohio