Review update alert! I've been here a couple times over the years but it had been ages until this week. I tend to go to their other location for shows. This visit was post-COVID restrictions and I was happy to give them another visit. This Woodlands has a different vibe, but it's fun. They have a long bar, community seating and high tops as well as a lounge-like area. They also have a really big patio with a couple volleyball courts. They have two pool tables, duckpin bowling, shuffleboard, and a handful of other games inside. The jukebox had music flowing all night and the staff was friendly. Oh, and there's also a Late Night Slice kitchen attached to the bar. If you're in the mood for pizza, they have you covered. Overall, I'm happy to update this review with another star. read more

See all

This was a cool experience. Drinks and pizza what more can you ask for. It was not a lot of people here and it made the experience even better. I will definitely be back again! read more

Woodland's Backyard - Drink! - Sports Bars Near Me - Columbus, Ohio

Best spot for volleyball. Great people and fun recreational competition. I don't do much with the inside bar, that's really a crap shoot. read more

Love this place for volleyball and happy hour. I've been playing sand volleyball at woodlands for 2 years now and I love it. The leagues are affordable and the happy hour is always great. They have a burger place inside with a limited menu butt super delicious food. They've also amped up their craft beer game which is amazing! $3 beers on happy hour for ANY beer=win! They also added the outside sand volleyball dome this winter and I just got to try it out. It's pretty cool, but has some downfalls. Your ears pop pretty uncomfortably when you enter and the whole place is sand for volleyball and I know it's winter outside but the sand is a super super cold. It was hard to play because I couldn't feel my feet after 5 min. Overall cool idea and I love this place. Glad they tried the dome, but I'll wait for summer and sun for my beach volleyball. read more

Woodland's Backyard - Inside the volleyball dome winter 2020 - Sports Bars Near Me - Columbus, Ohio

See all

I was excited to check this place out. My friend made reservations for the mini bowling. Which was fun and cool to have the TV'S right there to watch the game and play bowling. BUT not happy with the service at all. I could not get help at the bar, I waited for 10 minutes and no help, felt like I was invisible to the ladies working the bar. My husband came up and got served right away, so thought okay maybe they just didnt see me, right? NOPE, the second time I went up for drinks. No help. But, they had no problem helping the men at the bar. Very disappointed. read more

See all

Went for the first time tonight. Pretty standard place for a local neighborhood pub, with the exception that they had duck pin bowling!! We sat at a table and kept going to the bar to get drinks. About 30min later a server came over.. A friend of mine and I got Jameson and Ginger. Ordered from the bar and they came in small plastic cups. Ordered the same drink from our server and she doubled the cup size for the same price!! LOL soooo needless to say we made sure we kept ordering from her. While playing duck pin, we ordered some fries... it took 30minutes for our first server/bartender to tell us that they ran out of the sauce and offered to refund our money or give us something else off the menu. We asked for the fries plain with ketchup. Not a problem.. they came another 30min later. She took them off the bill for us. Thank you!!!!! Not sure if this is normal, but beware. It wasn't too busy in there either. We liked this place better than PINS Mechanical because we were able to play duck pin bowling and hang out without others being lined up. Going to PINS you almost never get to play duckpin. So if you want to play, come to this place. ..we'll be back for sure read more

First time and I have no complaints. I did not order food while there, just had a "fruity" cut well drink. Service was fast for a bar on a Saturday night, but then again the place wasn't packed. The bowling was fun, it was free so again no complaints. The game did stop half way through and we had to wait for the bar tender to finish up a group of ugly Christmas bar crawlers ( which was about 5/10 mins) again, can't complain because the service was fast and did I mention that the bowling was FREE! I would definitely return. read more

I started playing volleyball at Woodlands about 3 years ago. When I first started playing here, it was just your standard volleyball bar. Okay food, okay drinks and fun spot to play ball. Since then, the owner, Ed, and his team have committed to making this place a premier spot in Grandview. When I worked near Grandview, I would constantly drag my coworkers here for their fantastic happy hour. They have a pretty good draft beer list and they are all half price during happy hour. Match that with $3.50 well drinks and $4.25 doubles, you can have a great time AND a small tab. On top of the great drink specials, Prestons took over the kitchen a few years ago, and they make some pretty amazing burgers. If you're with a group that's not too picky, grab the burger box which includes 10 burgers and fries for $50. For the icing on the cake, they have renovated the entire interior of the bar (the bathrooms could still use some work), added a removable dome over the volleyball courts for sand volleyball all year round, and have been hosting weekly drop in tournaments for a few months now. One of the big reasons that I prefer playing at Woodlands is that your league plays at the same time every week. No 6pm one week then 11pm the next. Oh and their league prices are super competitive. This is the first year they've had the dome, so we can't be too critical, but it would be great to not have to walk all the way inside the bar to use the restroom! I'm sure they'll get that straightened out in years to come! read more

We watched the OSU football game at this bar and it was perfect! There is not a bad seat in the place because of the numerous televisions though out the spacious bar! I loved the lighting and also the different types of seating which included couches. There was a large crowd in the establishment but I didn't feel it was cramped! Check it out! read more

First time playing here in a volleyball league. Sign ups go quick so make sure you sign up right when the session opens. People in previous leagues get time in advance to sign up, so your time slot that you want might already be full. All in all we got the 9:15 time slot which wasn't that bad at all. I like how it's the same time every week unlike other leagues. The sand is super niceee too!! Not too expensive either. Awesome job and super fun to play with friends! read more

I appreciate Woodlands for the volleyball and I haven't spent much time here for anything other than that. Their volleyball leagues are fun. Pretty well organized and mostly respectful people play (in our 5:15 league). They can be a little lax with the rules/integrity of the game, but it is a rec league. Fellas - quit lifting the ball, you aren't good... you're cheating. Average sports bar inside with some decent food and tiny bowling. Pool tables and some games for added entertainment. But again, I am just here for the vball! read more

Woodland's Backyard - Sports Bars Near Me - Columbus, Ohio

See all

Based just on the outside...awesome. Plenty of seating at picnic tables with and without umbrellas. They also have volleyball courts with real sand. There is an ATM, several TVs (about 15), pool tables, air hockey, basketball hoop, 4 mini ball bowling lanes, huge stage, they even have skeeball. Not to mention the big ass Captain Morgan. Very conveniently located right off the highway. Great local craft draft beer selection. I have driven past for years and finally stopped in. read more

The last time I was here, it was still a Loose Goose, and they were slingin' Romeo's food out of the kitchen in hopes of staying afloat. Well, that didn't last long, and here we have Woodland's Backyard. They really changed the look of the place by moving the bar to a completely different wall and putting in 10 pin bowling as well as some arcade games and pop a shot. It's still appears to be a great place to join an outdoor volleyball league in the Summer, and I'd guess the majority of the people there when I went were there for that. It's not exactly a convenient location for anyone that doesn't live at Arbors of Watermark, and it's in the weirdest location behind a gas station right off the 670 West exit to Grandview. The bartenders were all pretty nice, and they have a decent selection of beer on tap but don't expect the same as the craft selection you might find in the Short North. That's not what this place is about. It's definitely oriented toward those looking for lighter offerings in the midst of the Summer, and I think that's great. I personally had a great time bowling and drinking. I tried out the wings and fried pickles, and they were actually pretty good. Neither was the best I'd ever had, but they were decent for bar food, and I'd for sure order again if I was stopping in. This is actually a great place for people trying to have fun at an outdoorsy bar, since really the only other large place like this is Flanagan's way out in Dublin. They don't have the pool option, but I can't imagine most of the people in the area are looking for that, since they have their own at the surrounding apartment complexes. Overall, you probably won't find me here in the later months, but it's a great place to chill and hang out with friends during the Summer. read more

Woodland's Backyard - Sports Bars Near Me - Columbus, Ohio

See all

Checked this out for the first time for their weekly euchre league. I think it is pretty cool that this place has so many activities such as euchre, volleyball, bowling, and trivia. They do a lot to keep their guests entertained. If only they had better food... So the building is huge and there's plenty of parking which is nice. They have all kinds of cool things going on all of the time and they have excellent staff. Everyone was super friendly and attentive to the needs of patrons. But...that's where it stopped for me. They only have barefoot wines and as a wine person, I was gravely disappointed. Barefoot is disgusting. I tried a glass only to be reminded that I truly can't stand it. They have a decent beer selection for those who like beer but their mixed drinks are mostly ice. The food menu is what one might expect at a dive bar but the food isn't that great. I ordered the pretzel bites and they were just really rough. I am spoiled because of the ones at Brick but these were just not worth the money at all. My guy ate a pizza and it was fine but nothing spectacular. All in all this is a three-star experience. Come not expecting much from the food and drinks and you will likely have a great time! read more

Located in a "blink and you miss the turn" area off Grandview Ave, this place is quite a gem. We made it in time for happy hour drinks. My friends recommended the burgers and we were not disappointed. The patty is thin, not too greasy, and cooked perfectly. Nothing really jumps out but all the individual components are done well and together make for a well-balanced, delicious burger. There are pool tables and bowling which we would likely consider if we were here next time. We will definitely be back for the burgers! read more

Woodland's Backyard - Burgers and cheese curds - Sports Bars Near Me - Columbus, Ohio

See all

So glad we stumbled into this gem! Mikey's Late Night is their food now. Good beer. Duck pin bowling, pool, shuffleboard, volleyball... so much to keep you entertained and totally unique! read more

Came for an event, and my friend summed it up best - "it is like Flanagans without the STDs!" Huge outdoor area, but since it isn't really neat anything, there isn't much of a "view." The place was crazy busy, and staffed well, as I never waited to order a drink, and I was asked repeatedly if I had been helped. Close to the highway, but aside there isn't really anything about the place that makes me want to come down. It's a sports bar version of woodland tavern. Haven't tried the food, but if any of my friends decide to check it out, I will be back. read more

We are regulars at Woodland's for Preston's burgers. It is convenient that Preston's has a pop-up kitchen to avoid chasing the food truck and I am not a big fan of the atmosphere at Woodland's Tavern. Backyard has a big parking lot except for volleyball nights. The bar is busy and louder with volleyball but I will admit I often go to grab a drink, a burger, and watch my friends play. It is a family friendly environment earlier in the day and on Sundays however. There are pool tables and duckpin bowling but the duckpin seems to be broken often. Bowling is free on Sundays. Service is pretty prompt but we have had issues with incorrect food orders and bills. They have a decent craft beer selection and happy hour, be sure to check out any specials that are taped to the back of the computers for the best deals. I will admit I only visit Woodland's for Preston's so as long as they reign the kitchen, I will return. read more

The only good thing about this place are the bartenders and bar staff. Other than that the only thing the owners care about is money. Registration for the volleyball leagues is a joke! Go somewhere else and play. You'll have better options and probably more fun. Played the same time slot for two years straight but because of an error with THEIR registration system our team gets kicked out. While others are guaranteed spots because of certain privileges. Save your money! read more

Horrible!! I ordered several items and was not happy at all. The pizza fries were the worst - DONT EVER order them. The pepperoni pizza was ok. The nachos were not good. The pork sliders and cheeseburger sliders were cold. I only took a bite out of the cheeseburger slider - it tasted bad on top of being cold. The pork slider was okay - ate half of one slider. The buffalo wings were just fried chicken with hot sauce on the side. Honestly the best thing was the pickle. Yes I ordered lots because I wanted to try everything to see what was good - conclusion... Nothing was good!! Don't eat here!! Also the waitress came to the table 4 times and 4 times someone ordered a beer - 30 minutes later finally got beer read more

Woodland's Backyard - Sports Bars Near Me - Columbus, Ohio

This review is based solely on Woodland's as a live music venue. The concert area is a long room that runs the length of one side of the building. It's a narrow room, with pleasant ambient lights, assorted seating including armchairs, benches and tables, and a raised seating area in one corner. The length and narrowness of the room makes it a bit unwieldy for viewing from the back of the room. The dimensions also are awkward for standing crowds, since there isn't a lot of wall space, and a few people who were seated around the edges complained about the folks who were standing in whatever open space they could find. Additionally, the musical act was an acoustic singer/songwriter, and there was a lot of bleedover from the sports bar area, since there is no physical barrier between the two -- so many of the songs were punctuated with roars from the other side of the building. Obviously, there will be bleedover from most venues with a bar, but the sports aspect really detracted from this particular show. I'm sure it wouldn't be a problem for a livelier band, but it just wasn't a great fit for this performance. read more

I came with a small group for Wednesday night trivia and we all had a blast! The food was pretty typical bar food - not great but not bad either. My friends got wings, which are the Wednesday night special, but as a vegan, I had fewer options and was stuck with just fries. But the beers were a great price during happy hour when we were there, and our server was knowledgeable and attentive. There is also some version of bowling on one side of the bar. We didn't try it out this visit, but it looked fun! I highly recommend going for trivia night. The winning team got a Woodlands gift card for $55 (not us unfortunately). The guy who does trivia is one of the best in town. He was funny and entertaining - I hope he's there every week! The bar is pretty hidden from the road. You'll have to turn in when you see the Sunoco/fitness place. And the bar is behind those buildings. read more

Woodland's Backyard (formally known as Loose Goose) is great. I hosted an event there a few months ago and they have the largest amount of outdoor seating I've ever seen. The inside is huge too so you really will probably always find a seat. Pros: - Lots of seating - Huge patio - Volleyball tournaments - Right off 670/Grandview - Great bar food - Beer - Fun trivia! Cons: - Kind of hard to hear if trivia is going on - Hard to find if you've never been before Great place to hang out with a large group! read more

I can't really give this place a fair review because I'm not in my twenties and I despise Bud Light, which seems to be the demographic they tailor to. It looks and feels like it belongs either in the arena district or on the northwest side. The bar food is bar food. Outdoor sand volleyball courts are always hopping. Not sure what else to say about this place other than it's behind a Sunoco and next to a highway exit, which is somehow an appropriate setting. read more

If you have low service expectations, all will be well. The food is delicious: fried cheese curds, funions, too. My burger was great- big, flavorful, and messy. It's loud. I recommend it. read more

2 buck happy hour on ALL drafts till 8 ?? You kidding!?!?!? No, No they are not! I don't think you can find a better happy hour. This year Woodlands took over this space and have done a wonderful job! Better food, better specials and sunk a ton of money into the vball courts! They aren't perfect but they are getting there! read more

This place is OK. I wouldn't go for the food. It is not to say the food is bad, but it isn't exactly good. passable pub grub at best.. I had wings that were breaded, which pisses me off. if you want to ruin wings this way, disclose it on the menu. the beer selection is solid, the drinks are good, they have games and such. the backyard part is cool. beach volleyball and lots of seating. it's cool. read more

Stellar prices on happy hour! I don't recommend their food. I watched the USA vs. Mexico soccer game here, and sat at the bar. We ended up ordering a pizza and it was pretty bad. The sauce tasted sweet like sugary sweet and my boyfriend has brought home their wings but they're not good either. This place has it all. During the season outdoor Sand volleyball courts are great gathering spot and super casual to meet up with friends. Pool tables and even one of those basketball hoop games inside. the bartenders seem to be on their game with serving drinks quickly and friendly service read more

I went to woodlands backyard today (Saturday) to watch the draft with a friend. After ordering food, my friend asked the bartender if they could put on the sound for the draft. She in turn asked the manager. The bartender came back and said the manager would not allow it because he only does that for Cavs games. There were 4 other people in the whole bar... the lazy manager did not ask any of the other 50+ year old men that were starring at the draft screen if they would rather listen to the draft than Kendrick Lamar, nor did he say anything to us. The manager just wanted to listen to music while at work. I would have understood if any of the other patrons said they wanted to listen to rap, but they were never asked. What's the point of even having a manager? I wonder why there were only 6 people in the bar? Next week there will only be 4. We went to another bar down the street and they quickly accommodated our request. PS - They don't carry ranch... ever. I am reluctant to admit that's probably not the managers fault. read more

Went there tonight. This was our second time there. Sadly. I have to say the French frys, which were delicious the first time there, were very salty. The texture was the same but way too much salt. Sad that there wasn't the consistency with what I said in my first review having the best frys in town. read more

Woodlands is a pretty standard sporty bar with bar food and a decent beer selection. The best part is their happy hour prices on CBC IPA each week when we played volleyball and most recently mini bowling! I absolutely love participating in the volleyball leagues each season! It's very well run and always a great time. The first session of mini bowling wasn't as well run but I think with time or a little effort it could definitely be something we continue doing each week. read more

Woodland's Backyard - Mini bowling league - Sports Bars Near Me - Columbus, Ohio

The bar is great, happy hour prices are phenomenal. Kitchen food availability isn't the best, but I am being told it is being worked out. I have been playing in the volleyball league for 2 years now, I think this is our 4th or 5th season. I am on yelp to disagree with Jill about the music and to explain. Her complaint was about a playlist that we know, and love called "90s hip hop BBQ". Because of her complaint, we went from Nelly "hot in here" to Sam Smith "stay with me". I would also like to remind her that we are at a bar, and we are playing in a REC league, where people drink beer and dance. Please bring back the fun music... I cant take another "stay with me" sleep serenade. read more

I frequently deal with customer service issues in my job, so I felt compelled to leave a comment about their service. I organized a volleyball team that's been playing at Woodland's this summer - my friends and I were happy to find a nice play to play near downtown. When it came time to sign up for a new session, there was an honest mistake about staff losing our registration. However, the owner really cares about making things right and went above and beyond with fixing it and showing great customer service. Kudos! Other tips for the volleyball league: -Be sure to sign up early for the timeslot you want -Arrive a little bit early for games on volleyball nights as the parking attendants may direct you to park next door and it's a little walk -Great drink deals during volleyball nights: stay after your game for a drink on the patio! read more

What a let down. I chose this place to take a large group to watch the National Championship. 1 star for lots of seats. 1 star for lots of TVs. Then it went bad. Really bad. This was particularly disappointing because this used to be an awesome bar with great food. New management? What the hell happened?! First, service was terrible. I'm pretty sure that it was everyone's first day. Next, worst bar food I've ever had. I am not exaggerating. Boneless wings tasted like they must have been tofu. I paid 6.99 and you get more (and better) chicken from the Wendy's dollar menu. Fried pickle chips, burnt, twice. Chicken nachos, soggy, lacked chicken. I've had better nachos at roller rinks. We sent them back. Pizza...it was okay according to my friends. I had given up on food by then. And to top it all off, sometime during the 4th quarter they legit turned off the heat. This is Ohio jerks! I was wearing my scarf, coat, and gloves and my teeth were still chattering. The place was packed and we all know you don't lose any money on your worst ever bar food, wtf?! Needless to say, after winning the biggest game of the year, that placed cleared out within 15 minutes because no one wanted to stay and celebrate. I'm sure it would have been sooner, but lord knows it's really hard to cash someone out. Never again. read more

This is my second season and 5th session playing Vball at woodlands! The courts are always in great shape with great music! Well until this past week. I honestly hope the opinion of one person on here didn't sway the bar to choose diff tunes! Usually we are jamming with the latest and greatest up beat tunes with occasional throw back hits that are always fun to relive and jam to as your throwing down on the courts with your fav beverage. Tho there are times the food and the draft beer is limited for some reason, all in all it's a pretty good hangout when it comes to the friendliness of the bartenders and the staff tho slow at times. Hope that our jams are back next week and keep up the good work!! read more

Found this place while riding the bike path. Had the turkey and cheese sandwich (half) and a side of fresh cut fries. Both were really good. The fries were crispy, hot and delicious. Paired with an Oberon off the nice beer selection, it was a nice break. I did have to ride another 20 miles to work off the calorie load. read more

Very clean and open sports bar. Food is good and there is plenty to do there. Sand volleyball courts are extremely nice... very nice joint.

My past experience at the Loose Goose was pretty negative, but Woodlands has done a good job of cleaning this place up. The awesome Woodlands happy hour has been carried over to Backyard, and although there aren't quite as many (or quite as good) beers on tap, there's still a solid selection with some decent craft beer mixed in. There's a very nice concert venue there that I look forward to checking out, and there are plenty of big screen TVs to watch games. I like the very long bar, as it makes it all the easier to get a seat there. Inferno Burger is an inspired choice for providing the food. There are still some rough edges to smooth out, but the place is vastly improved after its Woodlands makeover. read more

The Loose Goose was n interesting venture and I want to know the story of how it came to be, expanded, and then sold out to Woodlands. I checked it out tonight for the first time since it changed hands as I wanted to wait for the renovations. Not a whole is different in the interior except for the addition of the bar, which is a nice touch. They also got rid of the Lobster grab machine and the "Goose Nest" VIP area. You get the same great Woodlands Happy Hour (not as many beers on tap) but im sure that will change in the future. Also, once Volleyball season starts, this place will be raging. read more

I made my lone visit to this establishment in June 2017. When I drove in, I found the parking lot to be well paved. This is top notch compared to typical establishments. The interior gives an upbeat atmosphere with the vociferous noise, numerous television monitors displaying sports networks, and a myriad of activities such as billiards and air hockey. Serving food items provides a mass delight to the customers who look to purchase things outside of alcohol. It's tremendous that Woodland's has numerous sand volleyball courts. I played in a few of them during the Pelotonia tournament in June 2017. I was elated in participating at the time because it was my first time playing in a sand volleyball match since 2014. On this June night in 2017, I played in a practice match and 2 matches that counted. During the practice match, while near the net, I made this tough play, able to hit the ball to the other side for a point. A lady on my team complement me for the play. When it came to playing the matches that counted, a co-organizer put me on another team with the other organizer, who at the end of the night, praised me for being a good player despite our team ending up playing poorly. I played 2 matches with this team. My white Ohio State visor was knocked off twice by the ball, once in each match. The first time it occured was off a thunderous spike, which resulted in a point for the opposing team. I wasn't fazed having my visor knocked off since it's happened to me before. As I was about to pick up my visor, there was a good portion of sand on it, but I was able to brush it off. The second time my visor was knocked off, I attempted to pass. Prior to that, I never lost my visor or had it knocked off in the same day. When it was knocked off the second time, I was a little annoyed and had a notion that I was going to lost my visor or have it knocked off more times before the night concluded. But it wasn't knocked off again that night. I was able to manifest my talents in playing sand volleyball that night such as doing excellent serving and hitting for a point on a side out. Both of the organizers were affable to me as were my other teammates. As I walked out of Woodland's, I experienced that upbeat atmosphere again. I hope I'll be able to come to this place more often. read more