Stumbled across this place while in Columbus on business...absolutely loved it. The bartender and regular crowd were friendly, welcoming and genuinely good folks. Wish this place was back home in NYC instead of Ohio. Highly recommended! read more

Just because they don't cater towards drunk college kids, and yuppies, nor do they play Lil Wayne at full blast, doesn't mean this a 'dive bar'. It's about the only relaxing bar in the Arena area. Get the Long Island.... you'll only need one. It's good for dates, and small groups (4-8). And the staff just comes off as genuinely cool people. I love the older guy that chills out cleans up here and there. I want to be that guy one day. Coolest bar in the area, hands DOWN. read more

I used to go to this bar; however, I will not return again. I have had two rude encounters with the bartender (Erin) on two separate nights. She is extremely confrontational to customers and lacks patience, both of which are vital in the customer service industry. On July 15, 2017, my friends and I came to Char Bar. One friend ordered a drink from a bartender, and it got a little confusing and we ended up ordering shots from a different bartender (but wanted to pay with the same card). When my friend ask to pay for both drinks, Erin snapped at him and told him something to the extent of "You couldn't have made this more confusing." When he tried to make sure that he did in fact pay for the drinks, she ignored him and another bartender had to check. He could have just not paid for the drinks, but he was trying to do the right thing. All she did was give him an extremely rude attitude and make him feel uncomfortable. I'll admit this situation isn't ideal and could be annoying to a bartender; however, this comes with the territory of a busy bar on a Saturday night. This first encounter I simply chalked it up to a bad night and didn't say anything at all. We did feel uncomfortable, though, and moved to the patio so that we didn't have to be near her. Last night, on August 6, 2017, I experienced another rude encounter with Erin. My friend wanted to buy a drink, but after she ordered them, she realized she didn't have her wallet. We were looking for it for a few minutes, but after no luck finding it, I gave Erin my credit card to pay for my friend's drink. As this was happening, Erin said something to the extent that my friend couldn't afford a drink and gave us an attitude. While she had my card in her hand (so the drink was being paid for), she continued to say rude things to us so I said "this is the second time you've been rude to one of my friends" and asked for my card back. Of course, she continued to engage in this conversation with a customer and then started insulting me. She said that she has never seen me before, so what I'm saying must not be true, etc. This is the worst customer service experience I've had in my life. I'm a calm, understanding person. I've worked in the service industry, and I know that there are unpleasant encounters with rude customers and there are unfortunate situations that make you're day feel extra long; however, these feelings should never be taken out on a customer. I was insulted by this bartender and will not be going back. It seems that this is a trend based on previous reviews, and I sincerely suggest that the owner remove toxic people from what should be a fun environment. read more

i can confirm that the long island iced teas are indeed mean. they come in GYNORMOUS hurricane glasses. i'm not exactly a cheap date and i usually hit my limit after three pint sized long islands... but after just one of these and i had to make my switch to beer. the bar gets crowded really quickly and the bartenders don't keep up. i say "don't" (as opposed to can't) because they didn't have their bar sections down pat and weren't hustling. if i'm thirsty, i want my drink, NOW. read more

The Char Bar is a hidden gem welcoming one to the short north. Its patio is the best place to watch Red White and Boom, and see people stagger to the fancier bars in the area. Bar tender Mike Jenkins was voted the best bar tender in Columbus and he proves it with his mean long island, and witty conversation. The juke box is heavy on Journey and Thirty eight Special but also has classic tunes from Johnny Cash, the Pixies and the Beatles. Play pool, try to throw darts without hitting the other patron's walking through and hang out with everyone from sorority girls to hardcore barflies. The Char Bar bathroom is in the basement and is supposedly haunted. Judge for yourself, but I swear I have heard the piano down there play by itself many a time. The Char Bar also has beer to go, so the party doesn't have to end at last call. The Char Bar is Columbus culture at its finest! read more

It's been a while since I've been here, but it was a favorite of my friends and mine back in those days. If dive bars are your thing, visit Char Bar. It's tiny, but the beer selection was surprisingly good (it's the first place in Columbus I actually found Tsing Tao), and quite well priced. I have many good memories of Char Bar; I suggest going there and making a few of your own! read more

While rapists were pursuing my wife at Park Street Cantina and Novaks, she found solace here. 5 stars for the char bar family !!

Cool dive bar on High Street.... stopped in for a few drinks... Very nice bartender and old school feel. Glad we passed all the new, trendy, upscale bars nearby! read more

Yes the Long Island Iced Tea's are good but I'm not sure a good drink makes up for a rude waitstaff. There are plenty of other options in the city where you can get served a good drink with much friendlier service! Not sure we'll make it back to the Char Bar anytime soon. read more

cozy place to grab a drink and hang out late at night

Awesome bar!! Heavy pours and good prices!! Good bartender!! They only serve drinks but it's a great place to relax!

An OK place if it's slow, but when it gets busy the staff gets rude and obnoxious. Which I can almost understand, given how unbelievably Bro-ish and Dickish the clientle is. read more

First introduction into Columbus, and it was exactly the "inside scoop" that I was looking for. It is an awesome dive bar with ridiculously dangerous and delicious long Island ice teas. read more

Love this bar, watch out for the long island. Less busy than most, its a good closing out the night place. Very friendly staff and resonable prices. Basement is creepy, but has a chalk board in front of the pisser if your a good multi-tasker. read more

Some nights I go to Char Bar just to go here, but sometimes it's a welcome escape from the Park St. bars. On nights that I'm out with my friends and I've had enough of the Brothers and Bar Louie crowd, I sometimes flee here. Char Bar is a great little bar, but it just depends on the night. It's on High St. right before the bridge leading into the Arena District and downtown, and across the street from the Convention Center. It's at the end of the rows of bars and restaurants that also includes Novak's. You can find Char Bar by its little red awning in the front. It's within walking distance from my house so it's great for the summertime, but I hate the parking in the winter. The best places to park are the spaces right on High St. that are metered - if you can find one. They aren't easy to come by. Char Bar has a parking lot in the back. A huge lot, in fact. But I still have no idea what the rules are for that lot. I've never parked there, but I've had friends that park there with no problem and friends who've had their cars towed. I remember coming here in the evening and sitting outside on the back patio on a slow night and one of the bartenders came outside and started talking to us about how he watches the tow trucks take cars away during his smoke breaks. And sure enough, the tow trucks were back there having a free-for-all on the lot. Char Bar is a pretty casual bar, and it's great during the week. They have a pretty good happy hour and I love it when it's not crowded because it's not a very big place. When you walk in the front door you'll see the bar to your right, and straight back is the door to the back patio. If you turn towards the left, you'll find a jukebox, some dart boards, a pool table, and a big sitting area. It's around this corner that you'll find the door to the bathrooms, but I'll talk about those later. The back patio is nice, although a little small. There are some tables and chairs out there and a back staircase so you can leave or enter the bar from the patio. The patio overlooks the parking lot. There is a good amount of seating inside, but on the weekends when so many people are there it gets cramped to the point where you won't find a seat and you're elbowing your way to the bar. And it's not going to be a quick ordeal to order a drink. When they're busy I've had to wait 15-20 minutes to order a drink before. When it's slow it's all around a better experience. You can actually grab a table, the bartenders are a lot more attentive and for the most part consistently nicer when they aren't busy. Except one bartender there - I don't know her name but she has short brown hair - she's never been friendly to me anytime I've been here to me or my friends. The crowd here is usually great on the weeknights: Older, laid back, usually some regulars or a few people here for happy hour after work - it feels like a neighborhood hang out. But the atmosphere all changes on the weekends and then I don't like it so much. Yuppies all over the place. Those "young professionals" you always hear about. And basically they turn into frat boys and drama queens once the alcohol starts flowing. Only this time they have money so they think they're entitled to the best of everything. Even on campus bars I find that guys will let me up to the bar if I need a drink or let me pass if I have to walk by, but not here, not these guys. Everyone is rude. The weekend crowd in here can be tough to stomach, so sometimes it's almost better to stay on Park St. on a Saturday night. My favorite thing about Char Bar is the $8 Long Islands. So worth it, because they are really strong. They are served in a hurricane glass and they are huge. If you order one, make sure to watch them make it - it's amazing. They fill a shot glass with the liquor and just dump it in - be sure to notice how much of the glass is filled with alcohol. They fill the glass with ice so they are really refreshing in the summertime. With the amount of alcohol in them, one is usually enough for most people. I usually drink two, but then I'm feeling pretty happy. But be warned - they sneak up on you and then hit you like a ton of bricks. I made the mistake of having three once and I was blackout drunk. Bad idea. Be prepared for the creepiest bathrooms you've ever seen. When you find the door to the bathrooms, you'll find a staircase to the basement. The stairs are old and sag in places. Once you get downstairs you'll find an unfinished basement that looks straight out of a horror movie. In the corner you'll see an old piano on which you can see the inner strings. I always like to play the strings like a harp - the music you'll hear is beyond creepy and tends to freak out the people in the bathroom. The bathrooms are gross. The women's has two stalls, both of which are pretty run-down, but I've always had toilet paper. There are usually several rolls of toilet paper and bars of soap by the sinks. Decent but kinda fun if you play with the piano. read more

The staff here is absolutely phenomenal. They treat everyone with respect and kindness. Also they have a great selection of beer on tap.

This place is an a-okay dive bar in that weird area between downtown and the Short North, across from the convention center. I ended up there twice this weekend due to a wedding I was attending. The staff are really friendly and the drinks are reasonably priced. I was surprised to see it get packed around 10:30 pm on Saturday night. I'm glad to see it's getting business despite the kind of odd location. read more

For Novelty and Long Islands... It is difficult for me to explain the 100 or so visits I've made to this establishment. They normally occur near the end of a bar hopping evening when my pals exclaim something like, "We need a Long Island!" This, however, is rarely the case as we are already inebriated, near the end of our bar budget and the Long Islands are 8 bucks and will put you on your ass. But, if you live on the South end of town it is a completely acceptable end to any respectable pub crawl. The service is generally terrible, but if you can get them to pour you at least one Long Island you probably won't need another drink. They do have a decent beer cooler, a pool table and free darts. The free darts would normally draw me in, but why is it all of the bars with free darts have no room for a game of cricket if they have more than 10 patrons? I guess because no one would pay for a serious round in such an environment. A trip to the restroom is worth at least one visit to this long standing Columbus tavern. After stumbling down the creaky, narrow stairwell, you are confronted with a dusty old piano that often will strike a note or two on its own. Most will tell you the basement is haunted. I think I agree with most. The patio is small and again, involves a dangerous set of stairs. This set leads to the only parking in sight from which you will most likely be towed. Overall, if it weren't for the rude staff, crowded billiards and death inducing stairs I would frequent this place weekly. As it stands it's about a once per month adventure. As always, my opinions are to be taken with a grain of salt and a shot of whiskey. Cheers, Steve read more

It's a great dive bar situated right next to the Hilton Columbus (OH) Downtown. You should expect a bar that's that close to a swanky hotel to be totally haute taute, but Char Bar isn't, and I can appreciate that. Although, all you have to do is walk an extra 20 or so steps, then you'll be at the bars that are, in my opinion, a lot more stuffy. Char Bar has the old style feel, there's nothing pretentious about it. The bartender was very pleasant to us. A bunch of my coworkers and I stopped over there around 10:15pm and it was more or less dead and we were able to carry on conversations just sitting at the bar. Then, out of nowhere, midnight strikes, and crowds of people came in, mostly to the other half of the bar to shoot pool and play darts, and we all stayed until after 2am. The beautiful thing is that it's truly within crawling distance from the Hilton (although I didn't have to), that I would find myself choosing Char Bar over all the others right down the street. read more

Terrible bartender service. Rude and wont be back. Erin is inconsiderate - lacks customer service and shouldnt be in the business of serving people. read more

Great place to start off the evening... patio, new juke box w/ good music choices, friendly bartenders and a chill place. Can get crowded n the later evenings. The guy bartender makes the best long island iced teas. Honestly, does anyone go there for anything else?!?! read more

My second favorite Columbus bar. It's a total dive, but a lot of what every bar should aspire to be. Nothing fancy here. Good bartenders, strong drinks (long islands popular, but a little too novelty for myself) , darts, etc... Can seem a little dirty, but I prefer to tell myself it's just character. Good mix of people and everyone is typically friendly. Pretty narrow by front door so when crowded can mess up people flow a bit. Much better when you can spill into back room, or even back deck. Finding bathroom always an adventure (basement). read more

Don't drink in the expensive hotel bars, walk down the block and go to char bar. You won't be disappointed

A nice local bar to stop in and catch the game and have a beer. Mostly a college bar its also a nice divey bar as well tucked in downtown. The beer is fairly priced. Not much selection on craft beers however. This place can get very crowded so be sure to come in and grab a seat. Service was friendly and kept up pretty well with the huge crowd of college folks. Stop in and check it out. read more

I don't know why, but I've ONLY been here twice. That just does not sound right. Come here for GIGANTOR long island iced teas. I know we all told ourselves after college we'd NEVER drink another long island, but man, ya just got to when you're here. And it's pretty much the only reason for visiting this establishment, unless there's something secretive I don't know about. FYI: going down to the bathroom alone during a non-busy hour is pretty effing scary. Just warning you. read more

I went here a couple of years ago while I was in town for the TX-OSU game. From what I remember, the patrons were obnoxiously rude to their ATX visitors, and it makes it rather difficult to write an objective review on the place. Having said that, although it took FOREVER to get our drinks here, they were pretty damn good. I ended up ordering two rounds at a time to make sure my group didn't run out of alcohol. This is a good bar for people who like the blackout drinking experience (which isn't necessarily a bad thing). If that is not your idea of a good night, there are other more inspiring places to spend an evening in Columbus. read more

Best long islands around. Good space. Darts. Pool. All fun. Better than most bars around.

I love this place! It's definitely a dive bar, but that's generally what I'm looking for. The music is usually great, and it's not too hard to find a table. I was here the other night waiting for friends and got there really early. The bartender was super nice, and even offered up a free shot. I started coming here for the epic long islands, but they have a decent beer selection as well. The basement is creepy, which I think gives the place character, but the bathrooms could definitely use an upgrade. Overall, if you're looking for a laid-back place to have a few drinks, this is a great place for it. read more

I came to Columbus to visit a cousin so he brought me to this place after hyping up the Long Islands. He also said I'd probably pass out if I drank more than one so I drank three and was able to stay up till the night ended. I think I deserve some kind of trophy. read more

Very casual and friendly staff. Not too loud. Good prices.

For a downtown dive bar, this place is great! Must have a long island ice tea if you visit the Char Bar!

I'm biased because I enjoy dive bars. Char Bar is a Columbus staple and is the place we sometimes begin, but ALWAYS end the night whether it's Tuesday or Saturday. Great drinks, cool atmosphere & crowd, and the creepy basement? Yes, it's creepy. But then again, I enjoy creepy too. read more

I haven't been here for years but this was one of my favorites when I lived in Columbus in the 90's. It hasn't changed a bit judging from the pictures. I was so happy to see it was still there as I had heard it was torn down. read more

My kind of place. Open area. Bartenders are great. Only complaint is the dart boards are terrible. Besides that, get yourself an LIT and enjoy! Great place to pre game before the blue jackets. read more

Who doesn't like a good dive bar? Well, this is not one of them. This place hits you in the face with a foul smell of probably black mold, asbestos, and a dirty foot. Despite the unwelcoming aroma, we proceeded to the bar to order our drinks. Alongside the bar were 3 patrons, 2 gentlemen drinking at the end of the bar constantly making confused glares at us, (whom I later assumed owned the bar) and a very joyless bartender manning the drinks. After taking our drink order, this award winning bartender kind of tosses our change at us on the counter. I then ask if we can snag a set of darts to play a round. He says sure, but does something at the cash register which is fine, but then heads to his phone and dicks around on his phone for a bit. I wait and continue talking to the people I'm with. The clown finally finishes and just walks right by us. So I remind him "yo, how about those darts" "oh yeah". No apology, no smile cracked like "hey, im a loser who forgot" just sets the darts on the table and walks away. Whatever. We go ahead and start playing darts in the dingy, dark & musty room, finish my beer and YAY! One of the other guys is behind the bar. Hopefully he will be more of a joy. He actually smiled so thats much better. But once again, after taking my order he does something else, once again fine, but then starts talking to a completely other guy about some atm machine. I dont know what the hell these fools are doing over here. This is clearly the type of place that doesn't care about you, if you are not a regular. Well, you can't get anymore regulars if you don't treat newcomers with respect. But these people might be brain dead from the toxic smell that they are sitting in for many hours of the day. There are plenty of bars around the area, save yourself the trouble and find another place. read more

Was excited to come here following a Clippers game with 3 friends for our first time. Not a friendly bartender, didn't fulfill the order properly, couldn't accept a $100 and wasn't pleasant about it. Wouldn't make this your first stop with many options in the area. read more

Fun! Place is super laid back, friendly staff and clientele. No one is there to impress anyone so you can just kick back and have a good time. read more

Great local dive. Excellent prices. Get the party started with their Long Island iced tea. The place is a dump but that's the charm.

The reviews say it's cheap, but for a glass of wine and a Mich Ultra was $10.50. Smells dirty and the bartender is drinking. Won't come back. read more

This place is great. You'll feel like you walked into a hometown bar. The drinks are cheap and the staff is friendly.