Tatoheads Public House

This place is awesome. From the games you can grab and play while you wait for food, to the live bands playing, to the beer list and awesome staff, this is just an all around great place to be. The only reason I didn’t give 5 stars is they changed the menu not too long ago, and it only has 1 or 2 vegan options … But the brunch menu is definitely a 5 star vegan menu.

Love love love this place!!! Great beer on draft! Food is impossibly perfect! Owners become your friend! Service is great! It’s a diamond in the rough!

Maybe I went on an off day but the food was just okay and the service wasn’t attentive in the least. We had to chase someone down to just get a menu then again to put an order in and it wasn’t packed at all. I felt purposefully ignored. The whole atmosphere was off putting. We sat and watched other people experience the same feeling– they walked in for a min and walked right back out. Again, maybe it was an off night? But nothing made me want to return.

We went to the Common Grounds fundraiser/​pop up brunch today and I wasn’t expecting much. We ate there when it first changed hands from Hal & Als and it was awful. So bad that I couldn’t bring myself to do a Unilocal review because I really want to be supportive of businesses here on the South Side.
Well the place was packed (Joel of Common Grounds did a great FB campaign) and the wait staff was a mess. I don’t think that they’ve ever been that busy. But the food was marvelous. The kitchen has gotten its act together big time. Apparently they have a vegan consultant and wow, what a difference. I had the Vegan Skillet– red skins, a delish marinated tofu, onions and sweet red peppers. I also ordered a side of vegan sausage patty and it was great, moist and flavorful.
They don’t normally do brunch but I hope that they start because wowza it’s great.

Let me give you the run down of my first experience with Tatoheads.
Me and two other friends were starving at around 9 pm on a Sunday. We wanted craft beer, dinner, and one of us wanted vegetarian (the others did not). I suggested Tatoheads mainly because I had yet to try this local neighborhood spot and I knew they had many vegetarian options.
I couldn’t be more impressed overall. The chef/​owner was perfectly happy to whip us up some dishes and we were VERY satisfied with the food. Absolutely delicious! We got 4 different plates to share.
Next, we noticed the large stack of board games in the corner and decided to partake. It ended up being very fun. The owner talked to us personally and made sure we liked everything. The bartender kept our beers full and checked in on our selections.
I guess the location on Parsons could seem strange to some customers — I urge you to ignore this. Know that you can park right off Gates in Merion village and walk straight into this hidden gem. I did not find the location disconcerting to the overall experience.
In the end; just go ahead and try Tatoheads Public House. It’s a local business with great food & drink options… what is not to like here?

TOT. POU. TINE. and you don’t have to stalk the truck to get it. I loved H&A’s but Public House fills the space beautifully. The walls are brighter and there is meat on the menu. Love having this down the road on Parsons.

My coworkers and I had a wonderful time here on a Tuesday night. The staff was more than friendly, giving top-​notch service. They started to run out of burgers, so I thought I was going to be out of luck, but they ended up having one extra for me! The outdoor patio space is beautiful, so I recommend heading out there once your sports game is done. Loved the burger and everyone working there. Check this place out!

Food was really good. The guacamole balls is a must have. Also play some great music.

The wife and I dined here about a week ago (sorry about the late review!). Overall I would say the experience was pleasant, but cold. I would estimate the temperature inside was in the low 60s, as we both had to keep the jackets on while dining.
We arrived on a Saturday at exactly 4:00pm, right when they opened. I didn’t quite expect the décor that they had. As another reviewer mentioned, it has a very dive-​bar atmosphere more than a dining establishment.
We had never tried Tatoheads before, so we were not at all familiar with the menu. The bartender was very patient explaining how the ‘potato-​side’ of the menu worked, and explained the options and the different entrees available.
I chose the Chorizo loaded fries, and the wife had the Poutine. The portions both looked smaller than what they were, but wow, they were very filling. The Chorizo was spicy with a sauce that complimented it very well. The wife said the Poutine was excellent, but wished the gravy was a little more runny. She said the gravy definitely had a slow-​cooked beef flavor, like one you would get on ribs or a roast. She also said the cheese curds were excellent, and were of good value for the money.
Overall I’d visit again. but maybe later in the day when the establishment gets warmed up and more people were around. We were the only ones in the place, so it was a bit weird.

It doesn’t look like much from the outside, but the food is great and they have a great draft beer selection– and happy hour every day! The BBQ chicken and curry chicken wraps are our favorite things so far, and my husband is in love with the sweet potato fries. They still have vegan options like the previous restaurant, but can please even our most carnivorous friend. You should definitely give it a try!

The chorizo tots were amazing! I liked the fries & tots from the food truck, but now as a storefront, its available to me without having to stand in a line waiting and then aimlessly looking for a spot on the ground to dine. Now you can have a seat at their high top tables, kick back with a drink and enjoy potatoes the way you were meant to.
The bar also hosts a watch party for The Walking Dead and American Horror Stories, (while the season is ongoing) which is pretty neat. I like it when a business tries to get their community together, even if it’s to come together and watch zombies maul on human flesh.

Finally everything that I love about the food truck and much more! Tatoheads is an awesome addition to Marion Village and I am excited to eat here again. Tatoheads knows potatoes whether skin on, sweet, tater form, or pierogies. Their entrée meals are phenomenal and their spuds can’t be beat. Potatoes fried to perfection, seasoned in an array of spice choices and dipped in 1 of many secret dipping sauces, nothing hits the spot more in times of hunger. The menu is extensive so be prepared to make some decisions, and get ready to share cause they don’t skimp on portions!
Definitely a great new spot to check out and eat at. Can’t wait to see this business thrive!

The cheese curds were really really good and the beer list was pretty great. That’s all I had to eat, but the venue all the way round was a lot of fun. Dan the owner stopped by our table, introduced himself and had me in stitches a minute later. Good dude, good food and a great time.

I live in Merion Village and really want to like this place so I’m willing to try it again, but right now I can’t go higher than two stars.
The biggest complaint I have is the wait time for our meals. There were maybe 10 total guests several just at the bar, and our simple orders took an hour. However, when the food did come, it was pretty good. I got a burger and my vegan friend got a wrap. It’s possible that we weren’t reading closely enough, but we were both surprised that our meals came with fries since we had ordered an additional side of their «specialty» fries to share.
If this were any other restaurant I wouldn’t mention it, but since it is TATOheads, I was expecting the fries to be spectacular. Honestly, the plain fries that came with our meal were limp and under-​seasoned. The side of sweet potato curry fries were crispier and better seasoned although the curry flavor was still too mild.
The décor definitely needs work. The floor is concrete with what looks like tile glue and the booths are fast food style. This is an odd dichotomy because the menu feels like good pub food, but the décor screams dive bar.
We enjoyed the selection of draft beers and I feel like I could come here just for drinks or for dinner too. I would love for Tatoheads to become a neighborhood favorite, but right now it feels too disorganized to stand out among the other Parsons Avenue dive bars.

Lamb lovers unite! Shepherd’s pie with actual lamb!(Unlike cottage pie, which is made with beef and is then passed off as shepherd’s pie at most pubs.) Seriously, any lamb lovers need to come down for this. It’s perfectly lamby ground lamb with veggies under a pillow of creamy, toasted mashed potatoes. As a lamb lover I thought it was bursting with lamb goodness and my girlfriend who doesn’t like lamb wouldn’t like it, but she thought it was good too! Everybody needs to support this and let those non-​lamb establishments know you won’t take it anymore! Mmmmmm. I want another. And some of that awesome poutine too, please.

I loved the atmosphere of «come one come all» at Hal and Al’s and expect the same here shortly. I’ve only been here early (around 530) so there was no crowd yet.
I got the chorizo burger which, as you know, couldn’t be farther away from the previous concept. It was good and juicy but not the best burger in Columbus. That honor so far for me goes to Ringside.
I started out with the fried curds. And honestly how couldn’t those be good? They were.
The bartender was super nice and accommodating. The guy who brought our food was super friendly also. According to them a lot of the H & A’s staff remained while some decided to go. I appreciate when a new owner respects the old staff so that’s a plus in my book.
I will miss the special vegan nights but like another reviewer mentioned, Hal and Al’s vegan selection wasn’t healthy generally.
I would love them to paint a big «Tatoheads» on the side of the building similar to Hal and Al’s.
So let’s take a step back from missing Hal and Al’s and welcome Tatoheads to the neighborhood!

Eh.
I did love Hal and Al’s. Great beer sleection — pretty
menu with great specials on certain nights (sushi) and cool beer tastings and «challenges» which I am always into.
But I haven’t been a regular there for awhile now. When i heard it was closing and being taken over I did feel a twinge of nostalgia and a bit of sadness. BUT I LOVE potatoes. LOVE. Potatoes. I would actually eat them at every meal if I could. So when friends suggested we check the post-​Hal and Al’s joint out I agreed. After all, they were keeping the sweet half off happy hour.
Menu is still pretty small to start with — which I expected. But fun — i love potatoes, like I said
I ordered the tater tots with cajun seasoning and the house ketchup which totaled 7 bucks. For tater tots… I could tell the tots had seasoning on them only because they were a darker color than normal tots. I could not taste any seasoning. I ended up with 23 tater tots for 7 bucks (i got the fancy ketchup for a dollar more) They were fine. but i could have paid 1.99 for the same grade tots at sonic or a couple bucks more for 8 lbs of tots at costco.
My friend ordered some fried guacamole balls for the table that were also fine. Not spectacular, but fine. We got some bruschetta potato skins that were also fine. And a fried ordered some poutine which also looked to be… fine.
I am not trying to be mean or harsh but I can make food that is just okay at home, but if i go out and pay extra I want to either be wowed by the food (most importantly), the service, OR be entertained.
Very dissapointed, and probably won’t be going back unless it is to get a few beers for the awesome happy hour. :/​
Edit: Why are the tots from the food truck 2 bucks less than the restaurant. i have to pay tax AND more to begin with?

REVIEW NUMBER 700!
So I went in several times before the new menu rolled out, but it didn’t seem appropriate to write a review until the new menu went live (ahem). The new menu is NOT vegan and apparently many in the vegan community and just old Hal and Al regulars in general felt a little left out in the cold by the rapid and relatively unannounced nature of the sale and closure of the Southside stronghold. But the fact of the matter is, this isn’t tatoheads doing. It’s not as if the old owners sold a business they wanted to keep, and they could have publicized their intent to sell at anytime, so holding a grudge against the new owner isn’t really logical. But when acting out of emotion, logic is defied!
Speaking of that new owner, his name is Dan, and I’ve spoken with him on two different visits to the restaurant/​bar now. This is because he makes sure he is no stranger to the front of house of his establishment. I saw him interact with most people there. This rules. The first time, I got to see their draft menu and was excited to see some vegan options on there. But few of those made the final cut on the menu I saw on Monday. However, Dan told me that he hopes to add some of those back on as he builds his clientele. His reasons for going non-​vegan are sound. Apparently only 20% of Hal and Al’s customers were ordering food, so the demand for the food from most bar patrons was not there. By opening up the menu, he hopes to draw in more people from the surrounding neighborhood. I can attest that many of the H&A customers drove from elsewhere in the city to come here. People will do that for vegan food. But to build a business that is commercially successful and appeals to the neighborhood in which it sets, Dan is correct to serve meat dishes. I do hope to one day see a vegan poutine though. I would kill for it!
He leased not just the bar, but the adjoining vacant lot, the house next door and the community garden to boot. He moved into the house and is therefore a new neighbor to the southside. If you’re reading this and are a resident, please give him a warm welcome. We should be glad we have business owners like him taking a chance on our neighborhood, when most people’s gazes are set on Franklinton, Weinland Park, and to a lesser extent, OTE. It could be years before this comes to fruition, but he also told me about some pretty rad plans for the community garden that involve community outreach.
Now to the food. It’s way more upscale than what was featured at H&A’s. I loved Hal and Al’s, but if any of us would deny that you always came out of their with a rock gut full of oil, you’re lying to yourself. It was the most unhealthy vegan food I’ve ever consumed. And I loved it for it. But Dan’s kitchen uses more than a deep fryer. Although it uses that too. The guacamole balls, for instance, were fan-​fucking-​tastic. I’d like to see them served with a dipping sauce though.
For my meal, I went with the potato-​crusted tilapia. This isn’t going to ultimately make the menu. More than likely, pricier main entrees like this will be daily specials. But let me tell you, it was stellar. It was served with asparagus, tomato caper salad, and a garlic sauce of some kind. It was really awesome. The potato crust was like hash browns. Very unique, and not at all what one would expect out of an establishment like this. I think it will take time to get the patrons used to classier food, but if he can pull it off, this could be a very good spot to dine and knock back a few.
A few suggestions and one negative: They have no beer list, just using the old H&A chalkboard. That’s fine and dandy, but please list the abv of your beers! I need to know what I’m getting myself into! Do something for brunch! Brunch is everyone’s favorite meal. Lastly, Dan told me personally that he had instructed the bartender to comp my guacamole balls, but she still charged me for them. That’s a foul on her, not Tatoheads, but still… I got my eyes on you now, cute 50s looking hipster bartender girl!

I’m not sure what I was expecting but it was more that this. Imagine An empty room with a handful of tables and a menu with mostly french fries and you got it. I ordered a wrap that wasn’t bad bit it wasn’t great either. Oh well, I tried it.

Formerly Hal & Al’s, one of my favorite neighborhood spots, it is now under new ownership and will be undergoing some big transformations over time.
Currently, while they clean up the joint, they will be serving food off of the Tatoheads food truck menu, and it’s being prepared on the truck parked out back.
Still with a great selection of draft and bottled beers, the plan is to also add six taps for Rambling House Soda Pop! (If you haven’t been there to try it, you need to go experience Rambling House.)
Lots of cool plans and ideas in the works for this place. Change is hard to accept sometimes, but I’m really looking forward to this one!