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    Ringside Cafe

    4.3 (208 reviews)
    ModerateBars, Burgers, American
    Open 12:00 pm - 10:00 PM

    Order Ringside Cafe Takeout or Delivery

    Ringside Cafe Photos

    Business Info

    RINGSIDE CAFE ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Divey
    Casual
    Moderate noise
    Outdoor seating

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    Recommended Reviews - Ringside Cafe

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    Sabrina S.

    A hidden gem in the alleys of Downtown Columbus, a must visit spot. It a corner spot not far from the main street. I walked from my regular workday parking spot which was a little bit of a walk, and happened during a very cold day. The temperature inside the restaurant was a bit cold, but did not effect the rating as the food was very good. Food; ordered the Haymaker Burger with onion rings, and have to say one of the bests hamburgers I have had. The Haymaker has the perfect spice, and cooked to perfect. Delicious. Adult Beverage, the cocktail was perfect and well poured. Service; was helpful and very friendly.

    Front door
    Michael P.

    There is nothing better than when you combine great food, great people and experience and RingSide Cafe fires on all cylinders here. I had the Ali Burger, amazing! Family owned and operated. So much history in that building (oldest building in Columbus). Must check this place out! Thank you!

    Cheeseburger!
    Heithem E.

    Cool old spot with a lot of history! Known for their burgers ... I had a standard burger but there are a lot of options. My burger was cooked to order and delicious! Service was great - family run, family owned. I had the homemade chips and they were a treat! Next time I'll try a different burger and the hand cut fries'

    Emily C.

    Amazing services and my burger was amazing! Wait staff was so friendly, welcoming, and engaging. Glad I went "off the better path". If I had more time here I'd definitely be back. Very fair prices for the quality of the burger

    Aubrie H.

    If youre looking for a good burger, then you should definitely visit. It was cooked perfectly and had wonderful flavor. I love all the old wood in the restaurant and the vibe is nice and relaxed. Drinks and food are all reasonably priced and the service is always great.

    View outside Ringside
    Lara K.

    I went to Ringside as part of a Columbus Ghost Tours walking tour. Yes, this little hidden gem is haunted! It's also cool as hell and the OLDEST bar in Columbus. About half a dozen people told me to get their burger, calling it the best in the city, but I only got a drink. I will definitely go back for the burger! There are so many cool, quaint historic details like the 1897 stained glass windows, cool wood carvings and custom unique tiles in the floor - including a mermaid. I love finding places like this and hearing about its history - like the secret tunnel to/from the statehouse so early lawmakers didn't get seen going for a drink!

    Smokin' Joe BBQ Burger and hazy IPA.
    Bryan P.

    I'm probably going to say this wrong, but this place is the longest operating restaurant in Columbus, established in 1897! I was frantically looking for a place to eat yesterday evening, not realizing most places close around 7pm. I wandered into Ringside around 7:45pm and they close at 8. The waitress and cook were both great, I ordered, ate, talked with both of them, and left. I ordered the Smokin' Joe BBQ Burger with house-made chips. Both were delicious and the burger came with a generous amount of lettuce and tomato. There is also a nice selection of beers available. The ambiance was what you may expect from a joint having opened in 1897. Beautiful wooden booths and tables, stained glass windows, brass highlights, I could imagine myself taking part in history!

    Old School Burger
    Talor B.

    This place has been on our list for awhile since my bf is a big burger guy. We stumbled in around 4pm on a Saturday. We were lucky to get a table immediately. The place is pretty small & a lot of people started to show up after we were seated. Service was great, everyone who worked there was friendly. Our food took a little time to come out but it was hot when it did. I got the old school burger which was pretty tasty! I believe the fries were an extra cost as well so keep that in mind. Overall I'd recommend trying this place if you haven't yet!

    Kristen B.

    Came last year to have dinner before starting our Columbus Ghost tour of Boos & Booze! Great burgers and a nice dive bar with a haunted vibe in the basement. Apparently there's a tunnel that connects to the statehouse from prohibition days! Love its location in the alley. We are due for a revisit soon! And if you are doing Boos & Booze definitely get dinner there before! Quick fast service too!

    Smoking Joe BBQ Burger no bacon
    Yolanda G.

    Stopped in for bite after an all day meeting. The smoking Joe bbq burger was tasty and juicy. Our server was attentive and fast. Inside it has a good amount of booths and tables for the size that it is. The outdoor patio has cool mural outside and a few tables. Great burgers and a great place for a small happy hour group.

    Kamron A.

    This is the ultimate hole in the wall bar, restaurants that you must get to! Based in an alleyway and boxer themed! The burgers are delicious and the drinks are strong! Price is very reasonable and service is great! Adrain the owner makes you feel like family! Will definitely be back!

    Smoking Joe BBQ burger
    Tom P.

    Finally made it into the oldest bar in Columbus Ringside. I have heard many thing over the years about this place and was excited to try it out. It was a quick in and out day as my afternoon was full. Started off with the Smokin Joe BBQ burger this was really good and was seasoned and cooked just as I requested. It was a half pound patty with applewood smoked bacon and cheddar cheese, and their house made BBQ sauce. This was served with House made potato chips, ok let stop here these stole the show. These chips are fried perfectly and salted I could eat them all day. Also wanted to try the onion rings that so many had went on about. Again tasty light batter just wish there were more ordered a large just not that many. The kitchen is just to the right of the bar, so small but food was good. Definitely stop back when I have more time.

    On the corner of Gay St. and Pearl Alley
    Gwen W.

    The oldest continuing restaurant in Columbus, I'm glad I finally made it over to Ringside to check it out. The space inside is very very small, so if you're wanting to bring a group here, be aware; I'm not sure if they take reservations, so plan accordingly. Inside there's a few side booths and maybe 4-5 tables, and bar seating; obviously there's patio seating, weather permitting. I met a friend for lunch on a Tuesday, we were able to get one of their small two-person booths with no wait. One guy running front of house, he made his table rounds efficiently. Their menu isn't huge, but a decent selection; vegetarians may find the options lacking. I've always heard about Ringside's burgers, seems to be the star of this establishment. I got the Brown Bomber Portobello burger ($14) which comes with kettle chips and a pickle spear. The beef patty was tasty, nicely seasoned; however, my Swiss cheese was cool (not melted at all) and the sauteed shrooms were also cold (literally) - this made the fungus flavor less obvious being cold. The house made kettle chips were decent, a bit too brown for my liking (Sat in the frying oil a tad too long), but I did like the thinness of them. All in all, I was happy with the service and my burger. RSC is open for lunch, closes at 2, then open from 4-8 for the dinner crowd. A solid burger-bar stop if you're downtown and in the mood.

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    1 year ago

    Best burger in Columbus without a doubt. Add in the hand cut fries and this place is hard to beat. I'd give it 10 stars if I could.

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    Page 2 of 6

    Ask the Community - Ringside Cafe

    Is it haunted?

    Yes!

    Is it kid friendly?

    I would say yes, early in the night. The later you go the more you will run into the adult crowd! Kids will love the fries for sure!!

    Does this place still have a happy hour?

    They do not have happy hour, but their beers are all reasonably priced. Hope that helps. And have an awesome day!

    Don’t See Your Question? Ask Away!

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    Cobra - Dan Dan noodles (@joeynht)

    Cobra

    4.3(151 reviews)
    1.0 miBrewery District
    $$

    We were looking for a reasonably priced place for dinner in between COSI and our hotel. We stopped…read morehere and it was phenomenal! I was a bit worried as it looks more like a night club from the outside, but the food was fantastic! We ordered the popcorn chicken, the Shanghai noon burger, mama Chien's dumplings, drunken noodles, a cobra old fashion and a local beer (paper cloud?). The chicken had some unique seasoning and the drunken noodles were phenomenal; the noodles were giant and cooked perfectly and the dish has some unique touches like pea pods that you don't usually find. You order at the bar, but even with that the service was great! A server brought out an herb for us to try that is in many of their dishes. They checked in on us several times and even refilled water, which you get yourself at the back. The customer base was very diverse. I'm guessing the place may turn more club-like later at night, but for dinner it's a perfect family restaurant.

    Tried this gem for the first time a few weeks ago. I loved the atmosphere and dive-y feel of the…read morebar. It has a great outdoor patio. All the employees were very kind. I loved watching the bartenders make the drinks. It's mesmerizing. We tried the Koji Popcorn Chicken, Ezzo Pizza Dumplings, Seasoned Fries, Mama Chien's Dumplings (pork & sweet potato filled). All the food was amazing. I ordered a Kopiko Espresso Martini that I will go back 10x over to have again and again. I would say the only thing I'm not a huge fan of is going up to the bar to order every time you need something. I think they could really thrive using a QR system and/or digital tabs to make that process simpler. Also so you don't have to keep leaving the table. Either way, definitely worth it to check out!

    Photos
    Cobra - Dining area

    Dining area

    Cobra - Dan Dan noodles (@joeynht)

    Dan Dan noodles (@joeynht)

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    Antiques On High - Inside

    Antiques On High

    4.4(138 reviews)
    1.1 miBrewery District
    $$

    Antiques on High was one of our favorite brewery stops during this trip…read more When I first suggested stopping at Antiques on High, my significant other kept saying he didn't want to go antique shopping. Once he realized it was actually a brewery, he was all in! The brewery has a great atmosphere, and the bartender was extremely knowledgeable and helpful. Since we've been visiting several breweries during our getaway, they even gave us a Seventh Son passport, which was a nice surprise and a fun way to continue exploring the local brewery scene. I ordered the Wild & Sour flight and really enjoyed it. It was a great way to sample a variety of unique flavors, and each pour showcased the creativity and quality that Antiques on High is known for. Between the excellent beer selection, friendly service, and welcoming atmosphere, this is definitely a brewery I'd recommend to anyone visiting the area. Looking forward to stopping back again!

    I've been a couple more times and now I have to agree with Mark D. (I'm not their typical…read moredemographic). I went again for a Book Bar event held upstairs and the bartender was not nice to me. I used my one drink ticket and chose not to see her again. I stopped in recently because I had time to kill in the area. I sat at the bar and another female bartender took my order. We had to duck down to talk under the taps. Since it wasn't a weeknight happy hour, I paid $12 for a glass of a wine. I was going to tip her but she walked away and I didn't see her again before I left. I did see grumpy bartender, but I didn't order again.

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    Antiques On High - Cocktails

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    Bar

    The Alibi Bourbon and Cocktail Lounge - Wright bros

    The Alibi Bourbon and Cocktail Lounge

    4.5(104 reviews)
    1.2 miShort North
    $$

    The cocktails here are outstanding. Very creative and often changing. Would highly recommend this…read moreplace. The only change I can imagine would be to make the space larger.

    I really, really, really love the drink menu of the Alibi. Like, a lot. Their visual chart is a…read moregodsend for cocktail explorers, and all of the drinks came out delicious and exactly as described. It's so creative, and the drinks are really the stellar stand out here. However, the atmosphere of those drinks is what gives me pause when thinking about coming back. The limited table situation, tiny cramped space, and loud music means that it doesn't feel particularly relaxing. People are constantly brushing up against you (even at 5PM), and holding a conversation at a normal distance is nearly impossible. NOTE: This place is covered in dust. No shade to the ownership as it doesn't appear to be anywhere near food prep areas (it's on the decor, on/around shelving, all over the faux plants, etc.), but if you're someone who's sensitive to dust, this is probably not a good fit. PROS: -I loooooooove how they've done their drink menu. As someone who is still exploring the potential of cocktails, their nerdy "chart" that places all of their drinks on a sweet/bitter and alcohol-forward/approachable visual chart is SUCH a help. As such, everything I ordered was absolutely amazing for me. I knew exactly what to expect from a drink because of its position on the chart, and it delivered. -Their drinks are really unique. Aqua faba? Fat washed alcohols? Lollipops or toasted marshmallows as garnishes? Super cool. Don't let some of the weirder descriptions creep you out of trying them. -All of their drinks were delicious. Everything I ordered was exactly as described. I often go places where the taste is barely related to its namesake, but they were entirely on-point here. CONS: -I'm not sure if someone called off that night as other reviewers are in love with the service, but our service was really really slow. No real rapport with the staff; just stating the name of a drink as they rushed past and then they were off to try to clean a table or take someone else's order. The drinks they made were great, but this isn't somewhere we'd go if we were in a hurry. -The pictures do not accurately convey how small this place is. Like, it's small. I'd guess less than 1000 square feet. My apartment is bigger by a lot. This isn't necessarily an issue, but it means people pile up quickly as they wait for seating (there's like 4/5 tables and then bar seating). The human walkways are small enough that the bartenders and other guests will brush against you a lot - even while seated. -I get the vibe they were going for here, but with the smaller space, I think a lot of the potential decor options had to "go" in order to fit more humans. It's giving me hardcore The Hearth Room (in Cincinnati) vibes, and I think it could honestly pull it off if it simply had more space. The "relaxed, sophisticated bourbon bar" doesn't quite come through as well when things are so focused on simply fitting in more bodies. -It's loud AF. Like, really, really loud. Between all the people and the blasting pop music, it required leaning into someone's ear in order to speak at normal volumes. We'd regularly have to pause the conversation if something in the music was building to a drop. This is not a place I'd take someone I wasn't very very comfortable with because it really requires being in someone's space to talk. -There's a single all-gender toilet here for everyone in the establishment. It's basically a revolving door of people in and out of it. The door auto-closes, however, so it's really difficult to figure out if it's open or not. There was usually a queue of people waiting in front of the door.

    Photos
    The Alibi Bourbon and Cocktail Lounge - Fresh, handmade seasonal cocktails

    Fresh, handmade seasonal cocktails

    The Alibi Bourbon and Cocktail Lounge - Smoked old fashioned (Buffalo Trace)

    Smoked old fashioned (Buffalo Trace)

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    Ringside Cafe - bars - Updated August 2026

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