Great Bar with Live Music Great Staff too Cold Beer and old school vibes Love coming here to see live music Easy to get to from the freeway too read more

An absolute gem. Friendly staff, great prices, and fantastic "dive bar" vibes. The music is world class. I came for the music and stayed for the fabulous vibe. read more

Dolphin Lounge - Dive Bars Near Me - Gahanna, Ohio

Bullet points... Absolutely a no frills dive bar. Parking lot is very small. Bottles and cans, but no draft. Live music regularly. Anybody that ever played some instrument in front of a crowd probably played here at least once. Lots of promotion nights for open mic nights or DJ. You do have to be booked in for a time slot, and are encouraged to invite a crowd. That gets you a second invite. I saw one tv over the bar, so don't stop in to catch a sports crowd. Not a beer tap in sight. Not a craft beer place. The Christmas card size laminated menu of beer choices was primarily domestic cans and bottles. The best deal is the mix n match bucket of beer. Single side straight bar sits on the opposite side of a lower elevation room with the stage and tables. Liquor is only what you're going to see sipped or shot. No blenders or foo foo mixers. Very much a beer n shot, toe tappin' joint. read more

Zero stars if I could. Condescending attitude from staff and kicked out my disabled individual and co worker on one of his trips out. He loves live music but because of "all stars" he was denied service and opportunity to experience live music. Then when they were struggling to leave the attention and attitude that was brought to us thanks to the staff was to little to late and not helpful. Don't recommend if you are Disabled in anyway you might also be kicked out. Will not be returning. read more

Dolphin Lounge is another dive bar. It's located on Agler Road. This isn't as bad as it sounds. It's actually kind of funny. The character of the bar and patrons is one of a kind. It may not be clean but it's not filthy. It seems to have underwent a few improvements. Most of these seem to be with the bathrooms. Amazingly it doesn't smell like piss. The towels are actually stocked. Bands are featured most weekends so there's probably a cover. This is good for happy hour during the week. It's not pretty but Dolphin Lounge is good for cocktails and live music. It's better than many other scary bars around. They also have lots of promotions. read more

Dolphin Lounge - Inside - Dive Bars Near Me - Gahanna, Ohio

Dolphin Lounge has live music every day of the week starting with Monday Night BLUES at 7pm!!!! The best blues players in town show up every Monday and put on a show that rock you to the blues bone. Clean and comfortable with great seating so you can enjoy the show from anywhere in the bar. Check it out!!! read more

Blast from the past. The owner has made several improvements, Bose speakers, several flat screens, dart board, jukebox from this century, neon bars signs, etc. The bathroonms have also been improved, new paint job. Still old school with the wall of mirrors, reminds me if my grandma's house. Yes, the beer is a little pricey, but you don't have to pay a cover so it ojay. The best deal is the bucket 5 for $15, mix-n-match. The bands are good, they have different stuff every night. Open mike, live bands on the weekends. Tgey also have special events, bar crawl, benefits, sponsored by moonshine or new bud products, complete with the "girls dressed in skimpy outfits". read more

Dolphin Lounge - Live bands - Dive Bars Near Me - Gahanna, Ohio

Love the live music. Staff was very friendly. Looking forward to warmer weather & being able to sit on the patio

My friend's band plays here a lot. It's a no frills bar that is more geared to music. No beers on tap and smallish TV's. It is a little divey but the service is always good here. Parking is also very limited so you may need to park across the street if there is a musical act. read more

First and foremost this is a dive bar .. it's not the short north .. not grandview .. it's an old dive bar .. the bartenders every time I've been have been nice and attentive .. tables are clean as are the bathrooms .. is it old .. yep .. lava lights and all .. it's a fun place to hang out and if you want to have a birthday party the owner lets you bring your own food .. get over it princesses .. it's a dive bar .. nothing more .. nothing less read more

Dolphin Lounge - Paint night - Dive Bars Near Me - Gahanna, Ohio

Fine place for a drink but pathetic for live music. Good bands but lame support that has no knowledge of how to run professional audio. Get your act together if you want to be considered a music venue. 1 star. read more

This is the most disgusting establishment I have ever been to in my entire life. I would have to say there is absolutely no redeeming qualities about this place whatsoever. Upon walking into the extremely dated Dolphin Lounge, the odor of vomit, urine, and cigarette smoke hits you like a trifecta wall of what hell must smell like. I can only assume this is from the disgusting indoor/outdoor carpet and nasty spray painted black ceiling tiles which has soaked up all those dive-bar odors over the decades of binge drinking, vomiting, and smoking which took place in this establishment. The drinks are incredibly overpriced, and are very watered down. The bottled beer is overpriced and old! It was skunked. They ran out of Jagermeister at 11:00, and no one bothered to get any more. The staff was so rude, giving the impression they really didn't give a crap. They only seemed to attend to the "regulars" or people they were at least very familiar with, who sat at the bar. We went to see a live band play there. I have seen this live band at other establishments and the sound of the band was high quality, and done very well. I was VERY disappointed that was not the case at the Dolphin. I have to say the so-called sound person running the sound for the band (which I found out later is employed by the Dolphin Lounge) was terrible!!! The music was incredibly distorted and unbalanced. The guy was at the bar, drinking, and was away from the board every time the band members would look for him to fix the sound issues. Didn't seem as if he knew enough about that sound board to correct the issues. The women's restroom is tiny, filthy, and the stalls have SALOON doors which do not lock, are maybe 3ft tall at best. When we were there, only ONE of the TWO toilets were working. There was no soap, and no paper towels. We notified the barkeep, and we were greeted with rudeness an nothing was done about it. The parking lot is so tiny, that if you arrive later, you have to park across the street. If after this review and all the other negatives on here you still intend to visit this establishment, may I suggest a tetanus shot before you go. read more

Psssh. This place isn't so bad. It's a pretty standard dive bar. It didn't smell like anything when I was there last night (to address Josh's review), and I didn't find it too outdated - it's just ridiculous in that way that dives are supposed to be. Take for instance the lava lamp, or the aquatic theme - why? I don't know. It doesn't really matter - I'm very sure this isn't the reason people come here. The boy played here, and he usually plays at bars in Columbus like Skully's and Circus and Ravari - so when he warned me about Dolphin Lounge, I expected something like the Billiard Club, which got a similar "you really don't have to show up if you don't want to" warning. I liked Dolphin Lounge better than the Billiard Club, however, because it has a townie bar feel, and I think that's cool. I really did expect more of a "dolphin" vibe, but aside from some florescent lights shaped like dolphins at the bar and a surf board in the area where bands play... well, I was let down. I also expected floor lighting and fish tanks, but people say I have an over-active imagination. ;) The servers were extremely friendly - I loved the bartender who was taking care of people in the live music section - she was friendly, fun, danced, smiled, etc. Honestly, for a local dive, that's sort of rare, so kudos to her - she was great! My main complaint is that in no way shape or form do I ever want to pay $3.25 for a bottle of Miller Lite - but I did anyway (times five) because I was there and what else was I gonna do? Boo hiss fail. There was also no drink special for the band, which doesn't really encourage bands to play out here, esp. in a place as remote as Dolphin Lounge. I was honestly surprised there weren't more people there - it was a really good show on both bands' parts (advertising fail?). But I can say that if I lived around there, I would figure out the cheapest beer deals and be all over this place. I'm not sure what the other reviewers were expecting from this dive, but it's pretty a-ok to me. read more

Dolphin Lounge - Dive Bars Near Me - Gahanna, Ohio

One of the worst experiences we have had in ages and I love "dive" bars. Yes there is duct tape on the booths/chairs. The bar is a sunken bar with limited liquor. Minimal sound walls for the bands and the bar area or pool table area were our only reprieve. The drinks were way overpriced, and they charged for more drinks than we had. When we asked them about it, it took over 30 minutes to correct it all. The washrooms felt like an old time saloon -- doors and all. Not a place we will ever return to -- even if it's a band we really like. read more

Great live music!!!!!!! The sound is awesome. Nothing else. $5.50 for well $6.00 for shelf $2.00 for coffee. $2.00 for WATER. Really? Ceiling is low, the place smells, the patio is pathetic, and everything is dirty. You can't call it a dive bar and charge so much. Even have to pay for water! And you have to buy a drink, or they'll ask you to leave! Not friendly service. read more

Alright so I'm shameless and about to plug a friend...3rd Thursday of the month Amy will be playing and she is a must see. Now about the lounge...H#LL YEA! Sorry but why wouldn't you go? The juke box kicks the staff or like friends you had in H.S. but cooler cause they pour you drinks. I also like that they will call you a cab...no DUI's here people! read more

I agree with Melanie on the priceing....3.25 a bottle of beer and 5 bucks for a single shot of well liquor. The bartender explianed the prices like this "You pay more for your alcohol because you get live entertainment every night with no cover charge." Well I don't feel that the entertainment is that great and they offered no food. I went next door to The Mug which charges 3.00 for a bud ice which dolphin lounge doesn't even carry. Now when it is open jam night, which it was last night, honestly it says sign up time is 9pm and that is not neccasary you won't see much really start to happen till after 10pm. Very talented bunch of guys though for sure. read more

It's your parents' basement in 1974, made into a bar. Great drinks, not bad bands, fairly good prices. Beer and blues is a pretty good combination, so I'm not surprised that the bar doesn't seem to have changed in decades. I was also in the group for whom the bar stayed open (for multiple hours, even) on a Sunday night. It was really a good time, and the Dolphin Lounge did a fantastic job of facilitating that good time. The only thing I haven't been a big a fan of on return trips: some bartenders give pretty measly shots, while others are very large and quite tasty. (I prefer the large and tasty versions.) Beer is consistently cold and inexpensive, however. read more

Checked this place out on a whim, I've been back every time I'm in Columbus. Welcomed back every time by Lori and her staff! The staff and patrons are friendly and the music is always entertaining! It's truly a top 100 bar in the country and #1 in Ohio. This is a fantastic spot! read more

Walked in at 9:00 and we were charged a $5 cover for a band that didn't take the stage until 9:45. We were the only patrons there on a Saturday night! The drinks were small and way overpriced at $6.50 a piece. And someone please call John Taffer, this place needs a major makeover! read more

Great bar! If you're looking for a friendly hometown bar, this is it. Even if you're an outsider they won't make you feel like it. I speak from experience, coming to this bar as an outsider. read more

Some of the rudest people I've ever met. Also, don't have a special that says all day every day then tell people you don't. They also charge $2 for water and have no draft beer. The bathroom was pretty disgusting compared most other hole in the wall bars I've been to. read more

Great bar. Cool ambiance. Great staff. There is a lamp with a dolphin on it. That's why it's called Dolphins

I walked in and was shocked when I saw how small this bar was. The 70's panelling, the seats were duck taped so bad that tape was lifting and stuck to our clothing, there wasn't air conditioning, and horrible service. They attempted to use small household fans and opened doors to cool the place. We had to chug our beers to drink them before they got hot. I will not ever go back. read more

Love this dive bar! It's like stepping back into your Aunt & Uncle's basement when you were a kid! Excellent live music venue, fun atmosphere, fun karaoke nights, great staff and specials everyday. There is a great article on the front door about the longest running blues jam... worth the read. All in all, it's a true dive bar but refreshing to be there instead of a glitzy, over-priced, meat market club. Just real people, real fun. read more

Went here to see a local band play. They were screwed out of half the money they were due because people watching went to the bar next door. That was not their fault in my opinion. The drinks were wayyyyy too expensive for how outdated this place is. I honestly think they are hurting for money. Staff and owner were also very rude! read more

I really want to like this place... Too expensive for the dive bar open mic atmosphere. if it was cheap pbr and well whiskey I would be all about it. However spending 6 plus a drink for that atmosphere is ridiculous... read more

Haha this place is a joke... I came here back in May of 09' on a pub crawl through Gahanna and luckily I was not completely out of it yet so I was able to relish such an unbelievable establishment. First of all the place stinks like they use the air freshener "stale cigarette smoke" and it is completely outdated.... I imagine this bar is for regulars who give outsiders the stank eye when they walk in. But there is always the eloquent patio outback where you can watch fast food feeners get their fix at the McDonald's drive through window! Lets give the place some credit though, they decided to keep the astro turf floor covering on the patio. This seemed to attract a large amount of nats the day I was there which made the patio experience extra pleasant! read more

This place is dark and dirty. The music is too loud and it's almost always empty. This is probably the best bar ever.

I love coming to this bar. It is the definition of dive bars. I don't think anything has changed in there since it opened aesthetically! The bartenders are attentive and fun. The live music is always on point. Karaoke nights are a lot of fun. I love going there whether with work friends after work for happy hour which by the way has great prices or with a group of friends to listen to the music. read more

I came here for a special event and probably will never be back. It is a nice enough neighborhood bar with I'm sure a nice following of regulars, but it is not for me. They had live music of a man and woman singing and playing guitar, it was just OK, lots of country music which I am not familiar with. Wait staff was attentive and took care of us. read more

What great live music! Randomly wandered in here on a recent trip to Gahanna. The interior is a blast from the past: dark, pleasantly musty, and lots of lava lamps. Apparently they have live bands all the time. Drinks (liquor) was slightly pricey but makes up for the fact that there was no cover at the door. read more

If you want an upscale martini bar bursting with about 301 people with a light show beyond anything you've seen then this is not the bar to go to. If you want a trendy nightclub with the hottest bands in Central Ohio this is not the bar to go to. But if you want a local dive bar that has lots of live music, open stage once a week for upcoming musicians this would be the place. You can't have a draft beer but there's lots of great surprises in that beer cooler they have at the Dolphin Lounge! Who needs draft beer anyhow? Everyone only drinks it because it's cheap anyhow. It's better to pay a little more for a bottle. It's been several months since I've been there since I don't live in the area any longer, but I clearly remember the first time coming in and feeling like a giant as my head can almost touch the ceiling tiles by the bar! Bands are always something to remember on the weekend. There's always a strong mixture of types of bands depending on when you go. And for you wannabe singers..... Lots of karaoke! Not always good singers, but they always have a fun time wailing out their favorite tunes. Sometimes 3.... Not 1.... But 3 times a week! Where else can you get that at? I can't comment on the bartenders since they've got new ones since I last was there, but there's always the owner who is around. She's quick to refill your beer and also tell you a great story or something that will have you laughing! Crowd is always a assortment of people who could be reality show regulars. All in all I would tell you to absolutely try it at least once. Just bring lots of money so you can stay awhile! read more

I love this dive bar. The lava lamps. Velvet Elvis. The bar stools are old but comfy. Sometimes the live music is great, sometimes not. But they can't all be winners. Astro turf on the patio. I've always had excellent service. I don't pay much attention to the prices. I'm an adult with a job I either have money to go out and drink or not. I've never been a regular here but I do end up here a couple of times a year. I always have a good time. The only thing I would change is the slight smell of basement that has been there forever. read more

An outstanding place to grab a drink. Friendly neighborhood bar with great service.

A double wide trailer with years of additions. Leaking, moldly ceiling tiles. Duct taped furniture. Staff was drunker than the customers and very rude. Live music is a plus, but money spends anywhere, and this place is simply trouble waiting to happen. read more

I love coming to the dolphin lounge!! Great spot to bring my friends and enjoy some drinks and listen to live music. They even bring in bands from outside the state. The karaoke is a blast after having some ice cold bottles!! The owner is always so friendly and introduces everybody to each other. I recommend stoping by for some drinks. read more

My 1st time at the Dolphin Lounge. My brother is the bass player in the band Rocken Blues Band. When I 1st walk in I didn't know what to expect. My brother asks me to film his band. When I told them who I was and why I was there they where really nice to me. And they did everything possible to my job easy. Ass they night went on as the more people showed up and yet it was crowed but the customers where very polite. As I said the staff was very professional and Julie when she took my order she was very polite so if you're looking for a place to hang out with great music and a place to chill you have to. Try the Dolphin Lounge. read more

i would love to go at the karaoke night on the weekend and eat healthy foods and live on stage to singing and dance and stay in couple more hours and have fun by Nicole Marie Raimo read more

Amazing place with the nicest people. There is karaoke every week and live music several times a week. The establishment is very nice and well taken care of. read more