Budget
Raising Canes
(http://www.raisingcanes.com). five locations in the columbus area. fast food chain that serves excellent chicken fingers in a tasty dipping sauce. try the box combos that include fries, cole slaw, and texas toast.
City Barbecue
(http://www.citybbq.com). chain that is primarily in columbus, with locations in a few of the suburbs. incredibly good pulled pork, with tastes for anyone interested in bbq cooking.
Yau's China Bistro
This is an unpretentious, but incredibly good chinese restaurant located on north high street, part of the campus area. very authentic and reasonably priced.
White Castle
Scattered throughout columbus, you will find the popular white castle burger franchise. fries, burgers, shakes, breakfast. most are open 24/7 and offer some of the most inexpensive eats in town.
Mi Mi Cafe
5858 columbus square in the shopping area at cleveland ave and 161. very nice vietnamese sandwiches and noodle dishes. iced coffee and billiards too.
Bangkok Grocery & Restaurant
3283 refugee rd on the east side. thai restaurant and connected grocery store serving the usual thai, laotian, and chinese fare. very large portions.
Penn Station
(http://www.penn-station.com). this chain serves toasted subs using freshly-grilled meats, fries freshly cut from potatoes, and fresh-squeezed lemonade.
El Arepazo
Corner of gay and pearl. venezuelan faire. delicious and cheap.
Tensuke Market Cafe
1167 old henderson road 614 451-6002. a well kept secret for japanese food, and budget alternative to its posh neighbor, akai hana. features several kinds of japanese noodles, tempura, gyoza, teriyaki, and potato croquettes.
Taco Trucks
All over columbus. cheap and tasty mexican fare. check out the taco truck tracker website: (http://tacotruckscolumbus.com/)
Whole World Natural Restaurant
3269 north high street 614 268-5751. entirely vegetarian with many vegan options. new soups and specials every day, as well as vegan pastries, cookies, and cakes sold at the counter.
Wendy's
Headquartered in nearby dublin, ohio. the original wendy's restaurant was located downtown on broad street, but has closed.
Lunch Wagons
Called loncheras, or lovingly referred to as "roach coaches" which cater to a latino labor force, are becoming a common sight around town and are very popular with those in the know. simliar to the lunch wagons so popular in hawaii, but with a latino twist. they are subject to inspection by the health dept. and should not be feared but enjoyed.
Udupi Cafe
Excellent, inexpensive, entirely vegetarian south indian restaurant, located on 161 between i-71 and cleveland ave.
Midrange
Max & Erma's
(http://www.maxandermas.com/). the quintessential 'burgers and stuff' sort of place got its' start here, and you can find one almost anywhere in town, including the original restaurant in german village. adventurers are recommended to try their garbage burger, while those with a sweet tooth should get a pan of cookies made fresh for them, or try the sundae bar!
Columbus Brewing Company
Just west of the brewery district. fine food at a good price.
Akai Hana
Columbus' most authentic source of excellent japanese food and sushi. located at old henderson & kenny, in the japanese part of town next to the japanese gift shop, japanese bakery, and japanese market. it's a bit hard to find, tucked in a strip mall behind 'the ski shack'. also provides carry-out. this restaurant is formerly known as restaurant japan.
Eddie George's Grille 27
1636 north high st., +1 614-421-2727. (http://www.eddiegeorgesgr...) great american food and atmosphere for watching sports. located in the south campus gateway. this sports-themed restaurant is owned and named after the heisman trophy winner from ohio state.
The Blue Nile
2631 north high st., +1 614-421-2323. (http://www.bluenilecolumb...) located within walking distance of the ohio state university campus. the blue nile serves ethiopian food, community-style, on a big tray lined with injera, a crepe-like bread.
My Momma's Sweet Potato Pies
813 east livingston ave. +1 614 444-4282 (http://www.mymamassweetpo...) authentic sweet potato pie.
Buona Pasta
2962 mckinley ave., +1 614-481-8105. (http://www.mybuonapasta.com). authentic italian food. pastas/sauces made fresh. great food and outstanding service.
Top end
Dragonfly
(http://www.dragonflyneov.com/). a nationally known, upscale, 100% vegan restaurant on king avenue near campus.
Alana's
2333 north high street, ..just north of the ohio state university, +1 614-294-6783. . is the best place to indulge in a nice bottle of wine with dinner, as the mark-up on her amazing selection is practically non-existant. with a new menu hand-picked by alana herself every night and an on-site sommelier her husband, alana's is a great place to enjoy fine food in a non-pretentious atmosphere.
Cameron Mitchel Restaurants
(http://www.cameronmitchel...). for better or for worse, a majority of the fine dining in columbus is owned by the same parent company. for a predictably pleasant if unadventurous night out you can choose from molly woos, the columbus fish market, m high-end, cameron's steak, or cap city diner.
Spagio
(http://www.spagio.com/spa...). 1295 grandview ave. european and pacific rim cuisine. they have excellent wood-fired pizzas.
Dives
Ena's Caribbean Kitchen
2458 cleveland ave., +1 614-262-0988. limited seating, great food, family operation. daily specials.
For the mid-west, Columbus has its share of ethnic and domestic eateries that shelter culinary artists throughout the city and offer outstanding meals at sometimes bargain prices, in locations that may be carry-out only, limited seating or maybe small bars that offer outstanding food. Places that are well worth the effort to find, which is part of the adventure.
Chef Butcher's Creole Kitchen
777 e long st., +1 614 228-7588. creole for the lunch crowd.
Paradise Foods
3180 e. main st., +1 614-236-1599. international dishes for every taste. restaurant. caribbean jerk/curry/brown stew chicken with red beans and rice; fried, steamed or blackened whiting, perch, catfish, red snapper, scallops and more shrimp is also available by the pound. choose from full or half slabs of long, center and short bone beef or pork barbecue ribs. outside seating only.
The City of Columbus issues approximately 6,000 licenses for a variety of types of food vendors, Franklin County issues about 3,000 for the remainder of the County and the suburban area.
Food Safety â In Columbus, starting late May of 2007, all 6,000 local restaurants must post color coded signs that reflect the results of the most previous inspection by the Columbus Public Health Dept. Green = passing most recent inspection. Red, yellow or white suggests you probably may want to reconsider your options. The law applies to public pools, tattoo parlors, spas, campgrounds as well as food markets. The sign must be obvious, within five foot of an entrance.
A major test market for most major chain restaurants though this is not as true as it once was, Columbus has a large density of national chain restaurants, some even having multiple venues in a single neighborhood.That being said, Columbus has a growing ethnic and upper class dining scene thanks in part to continued immigration from Africa {especially Somalia and Ghana}, Southeast Asia, & more recently Latin America and the continued gentrification of the downtown area.
Columbus is a huge city, so all individual listings should be moved to the appropriate district articles, and this section should contain a brief overview. Please help to move listings if you are familiar with this city.