Yes, I will agree with people that the service is slow. But... I've definitely had worse, and they're usually pretty darn busy. My real issue with this place is that I've gone a couple times now and gotten dirty silverware and glasses (I'm not talking water spots here either). I've ordered a wide variety of food there, and everything has been really good. I highly reccommend their arugala salad and their bruchetta. There pizzas are really good too... although I'd order the Brie/Apple pizza for a group dessert as it's pretty cinnamon sugary. I don't see an issue with their prices especially if you go during happy hour or if you order their special. They always have a great special going on. Last time I went my fiance and I ordered a drink, an appetizer, a huge burger, and all you can eat pasta for $30. Not bad at all if you can ask me. read more

I've always enjoyed going to Union, and have been anxious to return post-Pandemic. Tonight was my third visit recently, and I have to say I've been disappointed each time. Tonight the hostess was rude and condescending (other diners had the same experience with her), and told me it would be too much work for the servers to seat me a few minutes before my reservation time. I just wanted to order a drink and an appetizer while I waited for my friends to arrive, but had to wait off to the side while she took care of (more important?) customers. Our server was also condescending, and most of our food was woefully undercooked, and inedible. As a group, we've been frequent visitors to this establishment since it opened 25 years ago, but I guess we're outside their "demographic" now, and they no longer want our dining dollars. It's too bad, because Union Cafe has always been a staple when we wanted a fun evening out in our neighborhood. I'll miss going there. read more

Went to the Union for the first time and I have to say I enjoyed myself. The atmosphere was relaxing. I went during happy hour which is never a bad time to go. The food was priced well. The staff there was very nice and helpful. My server recommended some very good drinks. I would recommend going there Friday was a good day to go. read more

Phenomenal food, for any time of the day. Great and hilarious staff. And a great place to dance after hours.

Wish I could give zero stars. The staff is very rude. The food is not good. The drinks are made way too strong. The crowd is pretentious.

Unbelievable restaurant. I could write a 5 star review about the service alone, the food was amazing also! We went for brunch on a Sunday (which is well worth the wait- a Bloody Mary bar, waffle bar, omelet bar and full breakfast bar). It was busy but so well organized and all the staff was friendly. Our waiter, Tyler G, was beyond spectacular. He was warm, charming, helpful, polite and compassionate. I had a rough night and he stopped and sincerely listened to us tell him the story. For closing the bar the night before and then working the brunch shift this man is incredible. I will tell everyone about this place! Good vibes from this place! read more

Loved the food! The beet salad and the vegan vegetable soup are the best! Highly recommend this restaurant. Tristan was a great waiter. Love it! read more

Amazing all you can eat brunch buffet - and cheap! Drinks are suuuuuper strong. Don't worry about the price because you'll only need two of them, tops! read more

Put Simply, Union Cafe has great food, great service, and unbelievably strong drinks. I've never seen a business with such a wide breadth of customers but if there were a 'Melting Pot' of the Short North it would be Union. It's amazing that I meet someone new consistently every time I go there. It's a great location for people who are just visiting the city or have newly moved to the area. As someone who used to like to hop around the bar scene, finding a 'home base' in Union was surprising but it has everything I need. The Lemon Caper Chicken entree never gets old. I've talked about it ever since the first time I tried it and even though Union has plumped up their menu with newer items I still keep going back. The servers and bar staff are really great as well. Nowhere else in the Short North have I seen such a collective group of nice, friendly people. They try to get to know you as a person and not just serve you as a customer. A conversation with any one of them immediately brightens up my night. The ending point, obviously, is the drinks. They're strong, yummy, and cheap. The nightly specials are a great deal to attract new guests and keep them coming back. read more

This place ROCKS! Parking other hand not so much! The food is A-500 of yumm!

It's good but it's quite pricey. Really good burgers ($12 burgers, mind you) and good sides. They also have excellent martinis and the service is fine. If it was more reasonably priced, I'd give it five stars. read more

I was here on a Saturday night, so I'm not surprised there were a lot of people, but the degree to which this place was packed was a bit much for me. I tend to like a bit more breathing room. That being said, the food was pretty tasty, and our server was really helpful. read more

If you want to get drunk go here early! Perfect place with amazing patio that will get you buzzed! They even had complimentary brats on OSU game day!!! Such a great idea for Saturday day drinking and football watching especially when it's nice outside! read more

The staff is amazing along with the food. I also recently had the pineapple surprise by Jackie and it was the best drink I've ever had. If you go you need to get one. read more

Most excellent chicken biscuits on the breakfast. Saturday morning-ish is pure pleasure there. Have some breakfast, watch some music videos, and chill out. Sunday brunch buffet is cool, too, but much busier. Love this place. Everyone is nice. read more

I've only been here once. Not super blown away and not sure if I'm dying to go back. At least not for a meal - maybe for drinks? I felt it was way too crowded (we were shoved into a hot corner outside with no umbrella, and so close to neighboring tables we kept bumping into each other), and I thought the lunch was overpriced (maybe because there is no lunch menu). I will say the service was decent. Not when we initially walked up though, the hostesses were not very helpful and borderline ignored us, but our waiter was cool. If I were to go back, I would probably stick to the specials. Or just come for a night out. At least the patio is kind of nice and the ben bowl I did get was actually pretty good, albeit I was surprised at the small portion for $10. read more

Nothing to write home about in terms of the food. The sandwiches were ok... over-dry focaccia was unimpressive... decent meats & vegetables. The fries were talked up, but were over-seasoned and a bit limp for my taste. I was new to Columbus and didn't know this was a gay bar, but the atmosphere was totally overbearing even at lunch and was screaming "THIS IS A GAY BAR!!!!" so I thought it was totally over the top, which is not cool to me in any kind of restaurant. I don't like being screamed at! The decor was trying too hard to be neu-fancy and the thumping club music just made it seem like it was too genuine for genuine. But, what would I know? It wasn't too busy for our late lunch and the service was fine and friendly. read more

We came with a group for dinner a few weeks ago on a saturday. They take reservations! The menu is huge and kind of difficult to read as the text is small and the lights are low, so it helped that the staff was really knowledgeable about their offerings. My burger was tasty and my side of loaded tater tots was HUGE. However if youre sensitive to spicy foods make sure you let your waiter know as a lot of the items here have a kick to them...But that's why I like it! read more

I don't think Union has changed much. It's still incredibly crowded, but I decided to skip all that on my last visit and go for brunch. I've been to several spots for brunch in the past couple of months, and this was my favorite. I'm not saying I think the food is the best, but I love a good buffet. There was a wide variety of options and some interesting takes on some traditional breakfast fare. read more

This place was a awesome concept, one I had never seen before. It was as if a restaurant and a coffee shop had a child. The ambiance was alive and busy and the food smelled amazing. We met some friends here after dinner and the server was funny and witty and it added to the whole experience. We were only there for a little under an hour but it is a place I will be coming back to enjoy some more on my next trip to Columbus. read more

Favorite dancing spot in Columbus, great music, always crowded. Expect to be packed like sardines. :

Great staff and ambiance and strong drinks! Sunday brunch is a must-try - breakfast buffet including $4 Bloody Mary bar and omelette station! I'm in love! read more

I love Union but what I love more is my favorite bartender Chris K. Every time I go in push through the crowd on the patio to the front bar on the left. The bartending spot of lovely Chris K. Chris is always busy but when he sees me he mixes up his own version of a Norma Jean. Ok, maybe having a bartender know your drink and not your name means I go there more than I should, but it makes me feel fancy. How many guys and ladies does this guy see and he remembers me? I remember him with a tip. Norma Jean's aren't his only specialties, Chris also makes a mean Long Island. So mean that my boyfriend is rowdy drunk after just one. And his grape crushes are always noisily slurped down to the last drop by my gayboyfriend. Chris is fast with the drinks and quick with the check when my two boyfriends go overboard. If I go to Union and don't see him inside, I go home. Union is a fun, noisy bar and one of my favorites. Bartender Chris K. will keep me coming back for more and the boyfriends hungover the next day. read more

Between the patio & the strong drinks, I cannot get enough of this place. It's a staple for me for brunch if I'm going down for an event (ComFest, Pride, Doo Dah), and I actually really do enjoy their food. I also love the service I get (with a small side of 'tude), and pick up a banter with staff often. Sure, it's packed quite often, but smile & go with it. It's worth the wait! read more

I have been going to Union Cafe since 2012, but mostly just at night! Their drinks are the best ever, especially their Long Island oh my god... So many good memories drinking those. This past weekend I was finally about to go during the day, sit on the patio, and drink a nice pear cider. It was adorable! I wish I had been hungry to try the food, because I hear it is also delicious. Unfortunately, I had just gone to Tensuke for lunch. So, I WILL BE BACK UNION CAFE! I have a feeling once I get to eat here, I will be giving a five star review. But until then... Keep up the delicious drinks and fun nightlife environment. read more

Food is pretty good but service is OUTSTANDING! Bartender Amy blew us away. I wish our SF counterparts were as accommodating. Oh and the atmosphere and layout is top notch. The lights in the bar are a bit annoying. read more

The chicken strips let me have it. But the wait staff is a lil pretentious. Funny to me because I'm from a much much larger city but I went with it. Drinks are made with lots of mixes. I like fresh drinks.. read more

If you are dining with a picky eater, Union is the place to go because they have SO many menu options! The servers are super friendly and upbeat-- interacting with them just adds to the positive experience. When it's busy the kitchen does tend to slow down significantly as if perhaps they don't have enough staff back there. I've waited over 40 minutes for food before but the servers at least give you a heads-up that there will be a longer wait for food. They have the best buffalo chicken sandwich in Columbus (in my opinion) and the Brussels sprouts are heavenly. read more

For a night out this place is great but wasn't a huge fan for dinner. Our waiter was awesome first off, it's just everything I had was dry. We had the tacos so maybe the other options were better? He drinks were very good though and the Moscow mule comes with a full alcoholic ginger beer as well. read more

Union is cool enough, but having lived in a few big gay cities, it feels a little cramped, a little small time. The drinks are strong, and large (seemingly everything comes in a water glass) and the design works best in the summer, when the bar outside is open, allowing for a little more smoking/breathing room. The food is also pretty good, an eclectic blend of Asian fusion/traditional sandwiches. I would say I enjoy eating at Union more than I enjoy meeting people here, simply because Columbus gays are rather insular (again, this is from an out-of-towner) compared to SF and NY'ers. Regardless, it is the place to be if you're a gay (or friend of the gays) who enjoys going out, and it's location is central to the Short North gay community. Ultimately, I recommend it. read more

Crowded and mediocre-to-poor service. No desire to ever got back when there is a plethora of options in Columbus. A 2-3 minute walk south will yield far better food and more pleasant atmosphere. read more

I'm assuming this would be the Abbey of Columbus. This place was absolutely packed on Pride weekend. I swear I wasn't able to move an inch here. I like it though. read more

Brunch review! Union has a Sunday all-you-can-eat brunch for $10, with mimosas and bloody mary's for $3 each. I invited my college buddy around 11 am and the patio was near empty [business picked up ~11:30], so we had our choice of seating. They have a retractable screen for shade, which they pulled over as noon approached, but it was't too hot in the semi-shade beforehand. The buffet included fruit salade, bacon, sausage, scrambled eggs w/wo cheese, pancakes, french toast, biscuits & gravy, eggs benedict, breakfast potatoes, penne pasta, and made-to-order omelets with a nice selection of mix-ins. The quality of the food wasn't top notch, but I had no serious complaints. The mimosa I ordered was satisfying as well. I will probably be back, as I especially enjoy overeating on Sunday morning, outdoor seating, and people watching. read more

I have been to Columbus twice and I have come here each time for drinks and fun times with friends! The drinks are great, the service is good too. They have always been nice to out of town guest and know how to treat us well. Next time I come back to Columbus I am gonna have to try their food because I have heard good things about it! read more

My friend came out for the first time and dressed up in a dress and everything! He heard great things about this place, so it was our first stop. When we entered, the ambiance was fun and funky with led yellow lit bar tables and interesting wooden fan fixtures on the ceiling. The bar tenders were nice and flirty and there were shirtless men going around offering priced shots. I think we may came at a wrong time and day because it was super crowded at 11ish but it's more of a chill and social bar than a dance club. The drinks were a bit pricey but other than that it was a good experience read more

My partner and I were told the poutine here was the best ever. It was only average. The best ever is in Louisville, KY. The menu has lot of things on it that sound delicious. My partner settled on tacos (you cannot get one hard and one soft, by the way, because they're made to order. You figure that one out because I can't.) The shell was very crunchy. Maybe too crunchy, if that's possible. The worst part, I thought, was the taco meat looked old. Like when you make tacos at home and don't put it away for a couple of hours. It looked dried out and was relatively tasteless. I had a triple grilled cheese, I think is what they call it. Mozzarella, cheddar, goat cheese, bacon. Sounded good to me. What I got was a couple of pieces of toast with some barely melted cheddar and some totally unmelted mozzarella. The goat cheese was spread on there. if I wanted cheese and bacon on toast, I could have done that at home for less than 11 dollars. I picked the bacon off and put it in my salad. (The house salad is really good. That's the best thing I've got for the place). I ate the egg and the cold mozzarella. Tore the sandwich apart to get what was edible out of It and when our server came back to get our plates, she looks at mine and said, "you really destroyed that". I really did destroy it. Took it apart so I could eat something...save yourself a trip. Yes the atmosphere is nice and yes it was nice to be with my partner in a place where nobody cared. But this was one of the worst meals we have ever had. The beers accounted for about $12; the other $38 was a waste. Think twice....if you're fall down drunk, you will eat this without complaint. If not, there has to be better food in Columbus. read more

aww, the "U" this is THE gay hotspot in C-bus. I love it there! It has that LA vibe without the snobby designer-wearing boys. Must go! Drinks are reasonable and good too. read more

Cheap drinks and cool space. Just watch out for crazy drunk straight girls. They are cool until they have become intoxicated. It looks like this is the place to be especially on Thursdays. read more

Union is not only an lgbt friendly place, it's not only a bar that will serve you great drinks, strong, but also a restaurant during the day. The patio is big and in a great location in the short north for people watching. I love going Herr at night for dancing, drinking, drag shows, and socializing. It is also my favorite place for Sunday brunch! The brunch buffet and bloody Mary bar always hit the spot. read more

Great service and staff. BAD food. Mediocre drinks. Wish there was another option - gay bar wise - to the Union heart the convention center. Went on a Sunday night and did appreciate that they had a show tunes night, but it woudl be great it they stepped it up food and drink wise. read more