Italian Seafood$$$dublinMon-Thu 10:00-21:00; Fri 10:00-23:00; Sat 09:30-23:00; Sun 09:30-21:00
Tucci's on North High Street in Historic Dublin has run as the Columbus suburb's Italian seafood room since 1992, with a fine-wine cellar list.
Signature: Italian seafood plates, Whole-fish preparations
Order: The whole-fish special of the night plus a glass from the deep Italian list.
Tip: Reservations on OpenTable; the bar holds a few walk-in seats Tuesday through Thursday.
Mediterranean$$short-northDaily 11:00-21:30
Brassica on North High Street in Columbus's Short North is the Mediterranean fast-casual counter with hearth-baked pita and house-made falafel.
Signature: Hearth-baked pita, Roasted vegetable bowls
Order: Build a bowl with falafel, roasted carrots, hummus and the marinated eggplant.
Tip: No reservations, line moves fast; the to-go counter side door beats the dining room queue at lunch.
German$$grandview-heightsSun-Thu 11:00-22:00; Fri-Sat 11:00-23:00
Hofbrauhaus Columbus on Goodale Boulevard in Grandview Yard is the city's full-scale Bavarian beer hall, with house-brewed lagers and pretzels.
Signature: Bavarian pretzel, Schnitzel platter
Order: A house pretzel with mustard, the schnitzel platter and a one-liter Mass of the Original lager.
Tip: Live oompah Friday and Saturday nights; outdoor biergarten in season is the best seating.
Pizza$$franklintonMon-Thu 11:00-22:00; Fri 11:00-23:00; Sat-Sun 11:00-22:00
Yellow Brick Pizza on West Rich Street in Columbus's Franklinton is the West Side arts district craft-pizza counter for thin-crust pies and pepperoni slices.
Signature: New York-style slice, Margherita whole pie
Order: The margherita whole pie and a slice of the pepperoni for the road.
Tip: Counter service; whole pies take a 20 minute wait. The East Market location on Kelton runs longer evening hours.
Levantine$$clintonvilleMon-Thu 11:00-21:00; Fri-Sat 11:00-22:00; Sun 11:00-21:00
Aladdin's Eatery on North High Street in Columbus's Clintonville is the city's Lebanese Mediterranean counter with mezze and a vegetarian menu.
Signature: Lebanese mezze plate, Pita-rolled wraps
Order: The hummus and baba ghanoush mezze with warm pita, plus a chicken shawarma rollup.
Tip: Walk-ins steady; vegan and gluten-free options are clearly tagged on the menu.
American$$german-villageTue-Thu 16:00-22:00; Fri-Sat 16:00-23:00; Sun 11:00-21:00; closed Mon
The Sycamore on East Sycamore Street has been a Columbus German Village gathering room for over a century, now a wine-and-bites bar since 2021.
Signature: Bar pizzas, Local cheese plates
Order: A bar pizza off the small-plates list plus a glass from the rotating natural list.
Tip: Walk-up seats at the bar; weekend brunch fills a small dining room.