So my dad REALLY REALLY wanted to go to Columbus Bar - when he lived there in the late 60s and early 70s, this was the place to go for a pork tenderloin sandwich. So when we got to Columbus, we headed here first. It's basically a dive bar with a little restaurant attached, which is super fun. The server was super friendly and helpful - he got us seated and grabbed drinks immediately. My dad obviously knew what he wanted, but the rest of us needed a moment. Go for the fried pickles! They were so good that we didn't even have a chance to take a pic. The breading was super flavorful and crunchy, and if you're a fan, definitely get them. Half of us got the pork tenderloin sandwich, the others got fish and chips. Everything was really good - I liked them both, and they were both accompanied by great French fries. Enjoyable spot for lunch! read more

Columbus Bar - Pork tenderloin sandwich - American Near Me - Columbus, Indiana

See all

We used to go to Columbus Bar often when we lived in that town many years ago. Going back for a visit, DH wanted to get to Columbus Bar for his much remembered and enjoyed tenderloin sandwich. 5 of us went I for lunch and it pretty much looks the same as it did. We ordered 3 tenderloin sandwiches and two fish and chips lunches. Lunch was underwhelming. The meat on the sandwiches wasn't dry or tough, but, there was no seasoning to speak of and therefore, pretty tasteless. Salt, ketchup, pickles, hot sauce, these were the condiments used by those three diners to give their sandwiches some flavor. Sad. The fish and chips were good. The fish needs salt, which is a whole lot better than being overly salty. And the fries were well salted and very good. The beer selection is good and all the beer drinkers enjoyed their drinks. Service was excellent and we enjoyed meeting our server. Nice young man who was friendly and pleasant. read more

See all

Newer to Columbus, and we were in search for a new watering hole. Over the last 1.5 years I have been here 4 times. Here are my thoughts: I absolutely love the vibe and atmosphere. Super chill divey spot and has some really great prices. They also have a focus on the history of the bar which I love. They have hanging mugs for regulars and clearly have a focus on the community. My only criticism is the service. I am a lover of bars, and have worked in the hospitality Industry my whole career, and what I can say is that this place is not welcoming to newcomers. I get it, I've been a regular before, and have had my own regulars at spots as well. If you want to attract new business, you have to lure them in and make an attempt to be friendly. Regardless of this, the beer is cold, that neon keeps glowing night after night, and I'll keep coming back. read more

We threw our food in the trash. It was burned and the onion rings tasted like fish. I used to love the tenderloin sandwiches, could not wait to come back to Indiana to get one. But these were terrible. Ok I spent 60 dollars for food that we threw away. Yuck and gross. Never again read more

Great service, locals, wide beer selection and tasty burger. It's what I call "real Columbus"

For many years Columbus Bar was THE place to go for the best tenderloin sandwich around. Sadly, the kitchen staff began pouring an enormous amount of cracked black peppercorn into the breading mix and last night's sandwich was hardly edible. I paid extra to upgrade my side to onion rings and got a measly 5 rings, all of which were overcooked. Three of them\ were burned and had been buried under the sandwich where they couldn't be seen when delivered. What a shame. Downtown Columbus now has many new and enticing eateries which is where we'll head from here on in. read more

Great local bar with great food. Popped in for a quick drink and their sauerkraut balls. I was so hungry and couldn't wait for them I forgot to take a photo. Friendly staff and owner. read more

This is the first time we tried this place. We were a big group from work that stopped in this place for dinner. They have great drinks and food options. Customer service was amazing. The two people who were helping us with our orders were just wonderful. I feel sad that we didn't catch their names. The place itself was average loud with good light from outside sunlight. We were there for more than 3 hours and it was fun. They have few vegetarian options too. Their salad and homemade ranch was delicious. They have outdoor seating and a bar available. I am not sure if they do carryout or not. This place is business casual and family friendly. read more

Service was fantastic and the wife and I were thoroughly surprised with how large the pretzel bites were! Oompf, the GIRTH!! read more

Columbus Bar - Pretzel Bites nice-n-girthy - American Near Me - Columbus, Indiana

Columbus bar was a locals joint. Low lighting, pub decor, a little beat up in all the right ways. If you're a single dude or trying to out-hipster your hipster first date you'll appreciate the vibe. The interior is intriguing with high, stamped-metal ceilings, a big bar and giant mirrors. Our food was Very fried and heavy. If you are looking for something greasy to soak up a few brews then this is your spot. I ordered a burger on a pretzel bun (homemade!) and while the pretzel and burger were delicious I wish I had ordered it separately. The burger, heavy pretzel, beer cheese combo was too much. But again, if you're looking for a cheat day meal, look no further! My boyfriend ordered the tenderloin and it was enormous. The bun looked tiny compared to how big the tenderloin was. Again, he said it was a little too fried. Next time I go I'll try the cinnamon pretzels- there's no such thing as too sweet, right? read more

Really sad how gross this place has gotten over the past 5-10 years. CB used to have great food. Everything I have gotten recently was not what it used to be. Saw the cook touching all the finished food with his bare hands too. The bar is old. It's always had that feel and look which used to be okay because it was clean. The smell of stale beer now overcomes you when you walk in. The place is absolutely filthy these days. I'll go in every once in a while for a craft beer, that's the only thing keeping the place alive in my opinion. If you are downtown Columbus, I would for sure look for another place to dine. Signed, A patron who has been coming into the CB for 20+ years read more

Columbus bar is one of the oldest br in the town and it's locals favorite place to hang out. You can have your own mug hanging on the bar but for that you have to be really regular here.. the service is fast food is good and decent beer menu. It's a small bar but worth trying. read more

See all

The more places I dine and drink around the state, the more I run into places that are set up differently than others. Even Yelp has a difficult time deciding if this is a bar (Columbus Bar) or a Brewery (Power House Brewing) and has reviews for both places that overlap and are interchangeable. If you haven't been here, Power House bought the bar and serves their limited line (only 3 options) as well as a large number of "guest" beers. The bar itself is very old and sadly, shows its age...not in the best way. Restrooms are small, ceiling tiles are dingy, and it looks like it is "well worn". Some might find it adds character, but my wife noticed a lot of things which made it hard to ignore in my review. There was only one server working the lunch shift and she was serving both the bar and family dining sides which are separated by a wall, so you couldn't see her when she was on the other side. Not a great situation. I will say that some of the food we ordered was really good! I had the Kraut Balls appetizer which include sausage and cream cheese with the sauerkraut and then rolled in panko before deep frying. The horseradish dip (not too strong) gives the appetizer a really flavorful balance. I also liked my pulled pork sandwich. There were nice strips of roasted pork and the sauce (on the side) had a bit of apple flavor that made the sandwich really good. The portion was smaller than most places I've been...maybe that is intentional since it was lunch time. I got to pick a side and I found the cole slaw rather tasteless...no sweetness, no acidity. My wife got the lunch sized tenderloin which is intentionally smaller than most I've tried, but still a decent amount of meat. She thought it a bit overcooked, but otherwise it was fine. She got the steamed veggies which could have used some seasoning, but otherwise were served fully cook, not al dente (which was fine for her.) I think one of the problems I have with a brewery owned business is that they don't serve flights. Most likely, it is because they don't make enough varieties to fill out a flight. I was able to get two samples of the house beers and settled on the Amber Ale "Jack the Bum" (5.8% 62 IBU) which was far more bitter than most ambers I've had. The price was great ($4.75 for a pint) but the beer was just okay. I also tried the Ceraline (4.9% 22) which is an odd combination of Hoppy Cream Ale. I usually think of cream ales as gateway options into craft beer. The hoppy taste in this one might deter a newbie from trying more. Why not simply make an IPA if you want it hoppy? Or just a cream ale? Or make one of each, have four kinds of beers, and be able to offer a flight? I just don't get it for an established brewery to not be able to offer more. To sum up, the food was pretty good, the beer was okay, and it does help support a local business. But there are a lot of other local restaurants and breweries (and some combos) that I much prefer. Review #2231 read more

See all

Great battered fish whether it's the platter or the sandwich. Two filets are enough for a normal human being. Very solid beer selection. Usually around 20 taps of good craft beer. Domestics available in bottles. read more

I love to visit this historical bar. Food and Service is always great. Owner is the best!

My husband and I had the day off and wanted to go to lunch but didn't want to blow the budget. Columbus Bar was a great choice!!! They have a $7 lunch special with enough options to choose from. He got chicken tenders tossed in buffalo sauce with a side of fries and I got a salad and added grilled chicken. That was around $9. The chicken was real chicken and kind of crispy (which I love). The salad was be enough and very filling. We will definitely be back! read more

Columbus Bar - Lunch Special Chicken Tenders tossed in buffalo sauce Salad with grilled chicken. - American Near Me - Columbus, Indiana

The CB was my favorite place for lunch. Loved the grilled tenderloin with extra pickles.

Great service. Centrally located downtown. Parking was easy and accessible. I loved that they had a bar side and a family side. Usually the noise level is so bad in most bars nowadays, but could talk easily on the family side, and no television to distract us. A large selection of Craft beer available.I loved their fries, they are the BEST I have ever had, believe me I've tried a lot in my time. The avocado chicken was delicious they make their own Chipotle Mayo dressing, which really had a kick. The burgers were really good as was the pork tenderloin. We will be back and are recommending it to all of our friends. It is definitely a day trip city, so many cool buildings and sights to see! Beer list : https://untappd.com/v/powerhouse-brewing-company/4595 read more

Before the recent influx of breweries & tap-houses in Indy there was "The Columbus Bar & Powerhouse Brewing". Several years ago we started road-tripping down to Columbus to this wonderful bar/restaurant in order to enjoy whatever house beer they had on tap along with an outstanding selection of guest taps and some really great food. This place still rocks only now they have 4 of their house beers on tap! Their food is consistently delicious - I really love the Mile High Fish Sandwich, the wings, any sandwich on a homemade pretzel bun and those cheesy sausage/kraut balls! And, what has kept us coming back to Columbus Bar is that all of the servers & bartenders have always been super nice and we love the cool, old time tavern atmosphere in the bar area. They are family friendly but honestly I've never been over to that side. read more

Columbus Bar - Ultimate beef n cheddar. Roast beef, nacho cheese, horseradish sauce, French onions on a homemade pretzel bun! Gaaaaaaah! Yes! - American Near Me - Columbus, Indiana

Are you over these new breweries with their exposed steel beams and overall industrial vibe? Fear not! Columbus Bar, home to PowerHouse Brewing, is a step back in time to a scene that's more likely to remind you of an episode of "Cheers". Not only will you find taps from Powerhouse but also a solid selection of craft guest taps. Our visit didn't include food, but it did include samples of all of the Powerhouse beers. I've had Diesel Oil Stout at Indiana beer festivals, and it's definitely the stand out of their lineup. I'm not going to be in a rush to get back to this bar, but it's nice to know that there's a casual spot to cozy up to craft brews in the heart of Columbus. read more

See all

We went for a few drinks and a quick snack after hitting a few bars beforehand. Our server was great, quick, and very friendly. The only thing I didn't like is that a wing I had already took a bite out of and swallowed, to look down to see that it may have not been fully cooked. read more

Columbus Bar - American Near Me - Columbus, Indiana

The microbrews here are just OK, except for the Diesel Oil Stout which is amazing. The food is also pretty good and I appreciate the sausage in the beer mac 'n cheese. It's a pretty divey bar, which is to be expected considering it's age. read more

I am a beer fan, i like trying all different ones, especially local ones to wherever I am travelling. My motto is: i never met a beer i didn't like, i just like some more than others! :) Columbus bar has the best beer selection in town, conveniently located downtown. The food is great for snacking and they have some good looking things on the menu, but i usually just stick to the nachos. If you're in town and looking to try the biggest variety of beers in one sitting, i recommend checking this place out. read more

Excellent food! I have enjoyed everything I've eaten there so far. The kraut balls and Memphis nachos are out of this world amazing.

Easily my favorite place in Columbus. They brew and serve their own beer, along with serving more craft brews than anywhere else in Columbus. Their food has greatly improved in the past year. Wait staff is friendly, fast, and attentive. The occasionally have live music on the indoor stage. They have a mug club which endows you with a personalized mug, special discounts, and a free friday-after-work snack, annnd typically has a one- year entry line/wait due to popularity. Highly recommended. read more

See all

I had a great time here. Every one seemed to know each other, and they were all very friendly with me... someone they didn't know at all. The atmosphere here was much different than a couple of the other bars I was at while in town. I think this would be the place I would frequent if I happened to live in Columbus, IN. read more

I have eaten at this place several times, and I have never been disappointed. First, I love the antiquated, old bar feeling when I walk in. Nice sized windows (with cool glass transformers decorating the seals) overlooking the busy street too. The food is pretty darn good. The tenderloin will not disappoint, and the fried cheese balls are superb. They have a nice selection of beers to choose from, including their own craft beer selection. The wait staff are pretty attentive and very helpful when trying to choose a beer to try. read more

I thought this place was just ok. It is located in Columbus's 'quaint' downtown. I had decently high expectations based on the reviews and I really wanted to like the place, but it just didn't do it for me. I ordered a sampler of their beer, which included their stout, barely wine and an amber. The stout and barley wine were delicious. I also ordered the kraut balls ( insert joke) and wings. Both were mediocre. The real disappointing thing for me was the bartender. It took him about 20 minutes before he inquired whether or not my food was good and he didn't really seem interested if I liked the beer either. My experience at micro brews in the past has been that the staff are very passionate about their beer. I am not saying that isn't the case here, I just didn't see it. Nothing was bad, just underwhelming. I don't know, maybe my expectations are too high. read more

Columbus Bar - American Near Me - Columbus, Indiana

I love this place... probably my favorite.. It by far as the best nostalgic appeal of any of the local bars. Jon (owner/brewer) is a great guy and loves making and serving his amazing local brews... Diesel Oil Stout is my favorite beer of all time and unique to our diesel loving town. If I could change anything about it, it would be the addition of some newer sound equipment, a few small vizio flat screens on the walls, some work on the tables, chairs and booths and moving the brewing equipment to the 'family side' so that there were two round booths in the front window like the good ol' days. Smoke-Free! read more

Power house beer was ok, but the service lacked a lot. One of my flight choices ended up being not available and a substitute was brought instead. However, it was an IPA, and I strongly dislike IPAs. I asked for the server to replace it with a duplicate of one of my others. My request was granted, but with an unpleasant attitude and a remark about how they needed the ipa glass back bc we had taken all of their glasses (there were 5 of us). The issue would have been avoided if the server would've told us one of the choices was no longer available and would've ASKED us what we wanted to do. Will not return but giving 2 stars bc the Diesel is pretty good! read more

This is a place with a lot of history. Probably the oldest operating bar and grill in Columbus. Historically have been renowned for its Tenderloin but they lost that acclaim years ago. Had lunch there today and ordered mile high fish sandwich mini. Food was 3/5 but service was terrible. Came in at 12:30, front was completely full, couple of guys at the bar, and they had ONE server. She was tending bar, taking food orders over the phone (sometimes) and waiting on 10 or so tables. Not blaming waitress, but management needs to give her some help. Won't be back! read more

Standard local bar! Feels neglected as the oldest bar in town with a great location, but has that classic blue collar MURICAN nostalgia. The food is pretty decent but the service is... complacent. read more

This is a decent little pub with a nice old school flavor. Our waiter was friendly and patient in answering all my questions about the various items on the menu and made excellent suggestions. They have these sauerkraut balls thingamabobs which are fantastic. I was a little miffed about the fried eggplant appetizer we ordered which tasted great but for the price we should have gotten more. I don't know much about beer so can't really say much about their range of selections except that they did have Chimay so I assume it's pretty decent. They do have quite a selection on their food menu of not so typical dishes along with traditional fare which was nice. I highly recommend checking this place out. It's a laid-back little spot for a reasonable price. If I lived in Columbus I'd be a regular. read more

I was in this place once before and it was busy and clean and the food was good and the beer was cold I've visited yesterday afternoon to stop in and watch the Indiana football game which they couldn't get on their TVs none of which had a good signal place was dirty smell like beer ordered chicken wings and they were microwaved To cook and one of the waitstaff have a Denteley have an affair going on kissing in front of everyone and all in all it was an awful experience I'd write it less than one it was the worst $35 I've ever spent maybe not that bad but pretty bad read more

This place was on our list to visit and we finally did. Glad we stopped in. Good selection of craft beers and nice atmosphere. The breaded tenderloin was as predicted....excellent. I had the Reuben and it was good also. Corned beef was very tender. You should try the kraut ball and fried pickles for appetizers. You won't be disappointed. The Bloody Mary was ok. read more

The boss wanted to take us out for "dinner", so he suggested this place. Interesting little hole in the wall. Bartender was very attentive and the food orders were handled very well. Food itself? Hmm....I don't think this place makes it's money on the food. Beer was EXCELLENT. The company was pretty good too, as we had a very productive meeting with the boss paying. Parking is tight in front, but plenty of on street parking as well as parking garage very close by. read more

I was here a two weeks visiting a friend in Columbus and we went out in downtown Columbus. Little did I know that I was going to have such a hoot going out on a Thursday evening! We started at this bar and made some nice pals! We got some whiskey and cokes and some cheese fries to start out our evening. I loved the bartender that night. In fact, I ended up singing karaoke to "Jolene" with her at another bar. The people of Columbus are real friendly people and just a good time to be around. What was real nice about it is that a lot of them were hanging out at this bar that evening. They also have a nice little patio you can drink on, but unfortunately it was raining super hard for the time that we were there. read more

Service here is goodish...Usually they're a little slow on the whole "another round" bit, but aside from that, they try to pay attention in order to be customer-friendly. On the downside, it is virtually impossible to read their 'current drafts' boards from any given location in the dining area and the servers never seem to know what the hell they're serving. That's pretty sad. Recently, I asked for a wheat beer recommendation, based on what they had on draft. The server reacted like I just asked what the blend ratio of grape varieties was for specific wines in a subregion of Catalonia. Was totally flumoxed. Dude looked like I just punched him in the face, insulted his mama, and wizzed in his goldfish bowl. And that's more than pretty sad: servers should certainly know in-house product and should know what order-in products are available to cover gaps in what is available in house. And to not have anything comparable to a wheat beer? Seriously??? That's jacked. Their food...well...I know there are people who love it. Not me. And it's pretty sad, since nothing is better than what one could get from defrosting Sam's products, and quite a few items are far, far worse. And that's from their pretty average menu...the bar is set low and yet the intention never seems to meet up with the reality of what is served. Pretty blah, overall. read more

The columbus bar is the oldest bar around, I have been there about thrice, out o which my ladt experience was not good... the diesel oil stout was gr8 as always but food was not good. The chicken tenders were not fresh, and they along with the onion rings were overfried.. I would prefer the 4th street bar over this place.. read more

Best place in town to grab a burger! Great staff, good prices and great beer! We try to go there at least 2 or 3 times a month! Yummmy food!