Ringside Cafe

Oldest bar in Columbus. Cool.
Old, beautiful brick building in an alley adjacent to the state capitol? Cool.
They serve Johnny Walker Black. Cool.
Good burgers, made to order. Cool.
Onion rings, a little over-​oily but cooked all the way through. Cool.
Old interior and classic bar? Cool.
All of this adds up to Ringside Café being a very cool place. I can see myself returning here on subsequent business trips to Columbus.

Setting foot into the Ringside Café is like taking a trip into history. Like an English pub, the atmosphere and décor are subdued. Hard wood adorns the walls as dim lighting establishes a relaxed ambience.
The food is, suitably, standard bar fare with an emphasis on hamburgers. Naturally, I had one of the burgers that came with bacon, cheese and barbecue sauce. I also got a side of onion rings for an additional charge. The burger was overall really good. The bacon was crisp and the barbecue sauce was delicious. The burger patty itself was cooked perfectly but the ground meet was quite fatty, even for a burger. The onion rings would probably have been great if they were at all drained after frying. Bleeding grease rendered the rings inedible.
Overall a good choice that is definitely worth checking out for both its history and food… Just be weary of the onion rings.

Never knew of this place but was meeting my buddy for lunch and we decided to try this out. It’s tucked away away from everything and the main area itself is quite small, but we had no problems getting a table. The food itself was extremely quick, in fact I would say it came right off the grill! I burned my mouth on my portable sandwich because it was so hot, but needless to say it was really delicious. My buddy also compliment his chicken sandwich as being really good. Not many vegetarian options and the bathrooms need a bit of tidying up, but all-​in-​all it was a pretty decent lunch place.

The service was great. The food was… was eatable. It’s bar food, what do you expect! Their not 101 beer kitchen. Then again who is??? Moving on, my only complaint is the mildew smell and the interesting aroma coming from the cellar. Which made dining not so pleasant. However the service made up for it. After a couple shots and 6 beers later you won’t even care about the odor from the basement.

Ringside is a downtown fixture, and for good reason: with the Jury Room changing it’s name, Ringside is now the oldest bar in town. As the site of countless political gatherings and deal makings, the small intimate space has seen plenty of Columbus and Ohio history.
But the reason to visit is not the history, it’s the hamburgers.
An important notice before I begin: they’re not small. Most clock in at at least ½ lb. Some are bigger. So if you have work to get done in the afternoon, caveat emptor.
They are tasty though! There are several options with respect to toppings. None are super out there, sticking mostly to the traditional burger combinations. My usual go-​to is the BBQ, cheddar, and bacon option. (Because why NOT add bacon to the already large burger?)
The kitchen does a great job of cooking them to your desired temperature, or always has during my visits. This isn’t a place where you end up with a well-​done burger even though you asked for it to be medium.
The burgers come with chips. Which are good. Fries and onion rings are both options as well. The fries probably stand out more than the rings, which are fine but not great.

It’s a contender in a world filled with overpriced, overhyped, and just lame burgers… none of that here. In an area where everyone claim to be gourmet, upscale, and special… they aren’t trying to be all of that, and I frankly appreciate it. They are honest, comfortable, down to earth, and I get it. No overinflated burger promises that don’t deliver, or overinflated bills to go with it. The atmosphere is very casual, though at a fast pace for the lunch crowd to eat it and beat it. Tasty burgers, and great sides, as Americana as it gets. They do it well, and I’m in and out in less than an hour, while not feeling rushed or uncomfortable.
It’s a bit hard to find, but worth checking out.

The place has great character and is somewhat hidden in an alley. I’m glad for the Unilocal tips for the alley as I may not have found the place when exploring the city one night. I had a tough time picking which burger to have as there were so many interesting options. The beer selection was good too.
Some downsides on my visit that prevented me from scoring a 5 star:
— my chips were considerably over-​cooked but I didn’t say anything. I still ate them.
— for how slow it was when I stopped in (about 9pm; only one other table with guests), I was surprised how long it took to get my food.
— lastly, while the gentleman who sat me and got my beer was very nice, it was a turn off when he started cleaning the other tables with a super strong-​smelling cleaner.
With all of this, I would still go back to try another burger. Again, it has character and a nice burger & beer menu.

Ringside can be overlooked, since its tucked away in Pearl Alley. It is a great place to get a bite for lunch — they are very accomodating if you are on a time crunch, as we were today. I have never had a bad meal there.
Today, my friend and I split the Turkey Club and a Greek Salad. The sandwhich was massive and stuffed to the brim with meat and came with homemade kettle chips and a pickle wedge. The salad was equally as large — with lots of veggies and feta! Even after splitting, we both had to go boxes.
The staff is friendly and attentive, even with a packed house for the lunch rush. Also, we had no problem using our BOGO entertainment book coupon.

I had high hopes for this place, and maybe it was an off day. I’m always willing to give a place another chance though. So, where to start…
I came here for lunch today with two coworkers. The building is amazing (built in 1897), the interior is tiny, and it’s so cozy! That alone was enough to intrigue me. Gorgeous.
I ordered a burger that had pepper jack cheese and jalapeños. Medium. It came to the table looking good! But a few bites in, I realized it was totally rare. Basically raw. Like chewing on tough, cold, gummy meat. Funny, because on the first bite, I thought it was juicy. But it wasn’t even cooked to the point where the beef could even give off any blood or juice. It was RAW. I should have known, because the cheese wasn’t melted at all. It was pretty flavorless. One of my coworkers also ordered a medium burger. Hers was as undercooked as mine. My other coworker ordered medium-​well and got a perfect pink-​in-​the-​middle burger. Timing was obviously off at the grill.
I wasn’t facing the kitchen but one coworker noticed the grill was actually a flame grill, not a flat top. I do have to say this gave the Angus a char-​broiled taste… but I also got an overwhelming flavor of lighter fluid. My stomach and entire digestive tract went into meltdown.
On that note, I do have to say that the service was great, and the staff was just lovely! Very nice folks, and very accommodating. If I wasn’t on a short lunch break, I would have sent my burger back. I just didn’t have time to wait. I left mostly empty. The onion rings were good though.

If you are looking for a trendy, foofy, flash in the pan kale bar, don’t go to the Ringside.
If you are looking for an amazing burger accompanied by a cold beer and friendly staff, this is your place. The Ringside is in an alley, it offers no frills, and I love it! The burgers, fresh cut fries (or onion rings if you prefer) is American as it gets. If you are in the downtown/​3^rd Street area, check it out!

I came with my boyfriend to Columbus, Ohio in August for the MatsuriCon, looking for a burger place to eat and found this on Unilocal.The café was hidden in an alley way which we were surprise to find since we live in New York. They had a patio with many seats and a view of old brick buildings. We went into the café and was greeted and got seated right away. Since we came on a Thursday night, they weren’t very busy, so they asked us where we would like to sit. Of course, I would choose the booth.
As we sat, I looked around the café and saw stained glass windows like the ones you see in the church. Very historic features and it matches the café. Anyways, the server handed us the menu and it was plain simple. Nothing fancy and the prices were affordable. My boyfriend ordered the Ali Burger with a side of French Fries and I ordered the Duran Burger with a side of Beer Batter Onion Rings. I’d say about 10 – 15 minutes we got our food. Whatever they had described on the menu were on the burgers.
Firstly, I’ve never been to any burger shop in New York City, so my reaction would be surprised. But these burgers were absolutely beautiful. My boyfriend and I took the first bite and it was DELICIOUS! We tried the French Fries and the Beer Battered Onion Rings. Oh my, I’m not even sure how to describe them, but the Onion Rings were so crunchy. It was the most satisfying meal for the both of us.
Secondly, we stopped one last time on a Saturday night and ordered to go. We ate those burger in our hotel and had a food coma. Still satisfying as it is on the first day we tried it.
Lastly, I don’t think I would go anywhere else for burgers. This would be my go-​to burger place. Four thumbs up! I would definitely come back to Columbus to try their other burgers, if I’m in town.

I haven’t been there for awhile and dropped in yesterday afternoon after a meeting. I love the atmosphere and environment. Too bad Columbus has torn down everything of historic value.
I had a great Tyson Bison burger, cooked just like I like it, with tomato, a little bit of lettucde, and blue cheese. It was huge. Also had a Bloody Mary. The bartender told me it was it was only the second one he’d made one in 4 months, but he did a wonderful job.
I hae two favorite places to eat downtown, one at each end. The Warehouse and the Ringside. I“ll be doing the Ringside when I’m in that part of downtown.

The service was super friendly. It was mid afternoon and there were only three other people in the bar. Our food was awesome! Even our daughter ate every morsel! We had a slight problem with our Groupon, but our server was really sweet and understanding.
We visited the vape shop downstairs and really liked it.

Solid burger joint located down the very cool Pearl Alley in the heart of downtown. Patio is fantastic for people watching an eclectic mix of society, especially on a nice Friday afternoon during the hustle & bustle of Pearl Market. Interior is relatively small, though has a great feel to it.
Grip onto one of these massive burgers cooked to greasy perfection named after a boxing legend! Which I love how Ringside named their burgers, but c’mon where’s the Buster Douglas burger?! Give some props to the local heavyweight champ with a 2lb behemoth burger! If you’re downtown and want a great burger at a decent price then check this place out, I’ll def be back.

Cool place. It’s a hole in the wall but who doesn’t love that. Solid sandwiches and a decent bar. Limited draft beer selection but they made a wicked Bloody Mary. Great location. Short walk from broad and high. Service was a little slow today but no big deal. Peace and love.

I have been living a stone’s throw from Ringside for almost a year and just yesterday got carryout for lunch. Had the Jack Dempsey (standard burger with American, lettuce, mustard, mayo-​I held the mayo), and onion rings. It was really good. The burger was cooked correctly, onion rings were very crispy, and the lettuce was shredded, which is far superior to leaves that wilt on the meat.
Only complaint is there was no sauce for the rings. I would eat there next time instead of getting to go, so I can eat it hot off the grill.
I see the CPD eat here a lot, so that’s a seal of approval.

I’ve been searching for a place to substitute for Thurman’s since its profile on Man Versus Food has turned it into man versus queue– beyond what was once expected. So being inspired by the first amazing afternoon of spring to scout OBX-​ing opportunities (which in a town with rising value and knee-​jerk property protection is basically zero – not like in the days gone by) I decide to try this place while out on my 10-​mile walk. I wouldn’t say it reaches the heavenly heights of Thurman’s, but it did make my top-​5. It certainly will satisfy my lust for grounded up bovine.
Ringside sits in the shadows of Rhodes Tower, there after Pearl Street abuts at Gay, and then continues on as an off-​road plaza until Broad; in that black areas between skyscrapers where from the street it seems nothing exist, but in reality holds independent eateries and watering holes to serve downtown offices and politicos from the statehouse. An establishment has been in its red brick building since the 1890s, becoming a speak easy during prohibition– no doubt to serve the hypocrisies of machine politicians– and continues today.
Its old, red entrance door leads to a small, dark space that reminds my of a church or abbey. In dark wood the booths look like rustic pews in design; the wall are paneled the same; the restroom door seemed to lead to a confessional. Above, the only natural light glows through stain glass windows wrapping the space; they seem to show Tudor inspired scenes, save one with the image of a donkey and an elephant – the contestants of the boxing match theme of the place. No doubt this is the place where many deals were made in corrupting fumes of cigar smoke; one of many historical spaces that combine to be the real statehouse.
The most impressive item sat above the door. A huge, portrait oriented painting of a boxing scene that I suspect – hope – is a original (or even copy) George Bellows. It looks like one of his boxing set. A point-​of-​view from a ringside seat, in an illegal boxing venue of the early 1900s, it shows a pugilist knocking his opponent across the ropes. Even if not a Bellow, it still connects the two themes of the place in its religiously conspicuous spot.
I sat at the bar where the only server looked like a boxer just out from a spare. This is not a slam, as his torn clothing, five o’clock shadow, and punch– drunk demeanor seemed authentic for the pubs environment. He was helpful and gave great service.
The menu here is small and focused on hamburgers named after famed boxers: The Ali, Jack Dempsey, Oscar De La Hoya. These are your usual choices: Bleu Cheese, Red Pepper, BBQ. They have a mammoth 1.5 lbs «TKO», but that was too much for me. I selected a ½ pound Brown Bomber, a portabella topped patty with Swiss. The ground beef was of great quality, though it wasn’t spice rubbed, it did have a classic burger taste. The mushrooms come with a glaze that was tasty. I added fries for a buck-​and-​a-​pop; they were decent. The on-​tap choices were two crafts; A Columbus Brew IPA and Elevator’s Brown Nut. I chose a pint of Guinness. They also sell the full set of domestics and imports, as well as several local crafts by bottle. They make other bar staple food as well.
I ordered it well-​done. .. sigh, there really needs to be a universal standard of what that means; here it means to ‘charcoal’ the outer shell. So take note if you want a step down. I think I will do that the next time.
They have a nice patio out front, and a basement I didn’t venture down. This place certainly makes a great bugger, and provides an awesome place enough to attract me on further visits. I am excited to sample more of their menu.

Picture it: the heart of downtown, down the gorgeous and secretive Pearl Alley, a beautiful old brick building that houses the most historic restaurant in the city.
That’s Ringside Café.
I can’t believe I waited 10 years to try this place! I loved everything about it. Now before you scurry downtown, I need to tell you a few things first:
–It’s down an alley, so parking is, umm… yeah. I freaking love that it’s down Pearl, so this isn’t a gripe from me. But seriously, park at the meters or the lot on Gay St and take a little stroll. Or catch the CBUS.
–The building was built in 1897, so it’s old. It’s not shiny and new. I repeat: it’s OLD. This is another plus in my book.
–The interior is pretty tiny, so don’t bring a group. 4 people max, y’all.
–There will likely only be three people running the entire restaurant, so if you like service that is at your every beckon call, Ringside isn’t for you. Don’t get me wrong, everyone was really friendly and helpful; they just treat you more like you’re friends at their house rather than traditional table service.
–The menu is small, yet full of greasy deliciousness. Lots of tasty burger options. And these ½-​pound burgers are DEE-​licious too… some of the best in the city. They have some salads and other options too, but really – get a burger.
–The prices are just right too. $ 9 – 10 for a massive, good-​quality burger? Yes please.
If it sounds like I’m trying to deter you a little bit from coming, that’s because I am. Ringside isn’t for everyone, so I’m trying to set expectations. But if you’re an adventurer who loves hidden gems and delicious food, then this is the place for you.

I had high hopes going into Ringside. Unfortunately, the experience didn’t live up to the hype.
Pro’s:
— cute environment
— convenient location if you’re downtown
Cons:
— inconvenient location if you’re not already downtown
— nonchalant customer service
— 2 burgers at my table, 3 at the table next to me, all ordered medium to well done burgers and all arrived with the same rare cooking. Messing up cooking it too much is safe and understandable. Messing it up cooking it too little on 5 burgers in a row is dangerous and poor cooking on the restaurants behalf.
— prices were a little high considering how poor the food was (the chips were pretty bad; Easy Streets house chips are better)
— while the pub layout and décor was a nice environment, it also felt like the place was a hole in the wall mom and pop shop that shouldn’t have been cooking that bad for that much money.

We came here on a Wednesday night with a hankerin’ for burgers, and were the only people in the place! Maybe it’s the location? I mean, they’re tucked in Pearl Alley with no signage to be seen, other than the laminated paper on the door listing their hours. But whatever the reason, people are missing out if they pass by Ringside.
We had a Cesar salad to start. It was huge, plenty for both of us, and they don’t skimp on any of the toppings. We each ordered a burger. I had the bbq bacon burger, and my guy had the haymaker. We both devoured them, no time for swappin’ bites! The fires were super crispy, the onion rings were delish, and the price was right!
I’ll pick this place over that OTHER burger joint– where you have to wait an hour for a seat– any day!