Bodega

Bodega is one of those places that knows exactly what it is and leans into it. A low-key, no-frills neighborhood dive with just enough charm to make you want to hang out longer than you planned. The funnel cake fries are the real surprise hit. Crispy, fluffy, perfectly dusted with sugar and dangerously easy to keep eating. I honestly came in for a drink and left thinking about those fries. Huge shoutout to Salim behind the bar. Super friendly, attentive, and bringing just the right mix of smooth and playful energy that makes you feel welcome the moment you sit down. He made the whole experience better. Bodega may not be trying to be fancy, and that’s part of its appeal. It’s a relaxed, easygoing spot with good vibes, great service, and snacks that punch way above their weight. Would come back, especially for those funnel cake fries and Salim’s hospitality.

I really like the happy hr and daily specials. The Sunday chicken sandwich is a good deal. There's a cozy speak easy in the back. Thank you Taylor for the excellent service!

Taylor was so friendly and gave great suggestions. The funnel cake fries were amazing, the chicken and waffles are delicious, and my partner said the smash burger was really, really good. We had doc’s Irish coffee and big bean energy for drinks, and both were super yummy. All around awesome brunch!

UPDATE: We decided to give Bodega another try after seeing a sign outside promoting a new brunch menu. When we arrived, we got the menus… but honestly didn’t notice much of a change. We asked the staff what was new, but no one seemed to know. We ordered a Mimosa and a Bloody Mary, two of the easiest brunch drinks out there, but it was clear the bartender wasn’t familiar with how to make them. He figured it out eventually. Another server seemed completely lost and even asked, “What do I do with that?” while holding a tray of celery, unsure how to garnish the drinks. She didn’t even know how to place the garnish on the glass. While we were still trying to decide what to order, the couple next to us sent back one of their appetizers, which didn’t help our confidence. We ended up deciding to leave and go somewhere else. I tried reaching out to the manager to share our experience, but never heard back. Hopefully they’re just busy training the team. _____ Bodega is a really solid brunch spot, and the prices are fair for what you get. We went on a Saturday around 10:15 a.m. (they open at 10), and while our black coffee took a little longer than expected — they had just run out of filters — the staff fixed it pretty quickly. Everything else was great. The chicken and waffles were amazing, and the biscuits and gravy were full of flavor. Definitely a tasty spot for brunch.

Food was delicious! Our server was Megan and she and her manager Bella were so helpful, able to bring us a sample of aioli so we could make sure it wasn’t too spicy for me. We both ordered breakfast burritos and they were absolutely mouth watering!

Great spot! The funnel cake fries were fantastic! Fresh, warm, and very tasty. We had the BLT with an egg and the egg sandwich—boy here great. The bloody Mary’s are fantastic! Definitely get the bacon with it. We’ll be back!

Taylor and Ashley were very welcoming and attentive. The food was simple and perfect start to the day. We traveled from Cleveland for hockey and wanted to take the family to new places, it’s always a great atmosphere at the Bodega! The bacon is the BOMB!

We went there to try out the new brunch and my friend and I both got the $12 grilled cheese, she got hers with fries, I did mine with tomato soup. The grilled cheese came out and it only had cheese in between the white bread. It didn’t have any basil, aioli, or tomato basil bread as the menu mentioned. (I included pictures). The soup given was also in a mini container, much smaller than their $3 deal. When we told our waitress about the grilled cheeses missing the ingredients, she went back to the chef and when she came back she had two aiolis in the side for us to use. She said that the chef insisted they were made right, when clearly they weren’t. We paid $24 plus tax and tip for a basic grilled cheese when we ordered ‘their bodega specialty’. The waitress even stated that we were in the right and that the food was wrong. Not sure what can be done, but really unfortunate as we were trying to celebrate my bday. There were also a ton of flies everywhere and one even landed on my bowl which really sucked. I included pictures to see if anything could be done, because we clearly didn’t get what we ordered.

An excellent destination for handcrafted cocktails. This is a superb location on the north end of the Short North to meet up with friends or to perhaps meet new people. I have posted some photos of a few of the cocktail selections that you may be able to enjoy while visiting. Pro tip: ask around and you might find out that there is a "secret" speakeasy style bar hidden within the confines of this building. That's all I'll say about it, and will leave you to discover the delightful surprise you might find "hidden" toward the back of the establishment.

First time in Columbus and I needed a dog friendly dinner spot. Read the reviews and settled on Bodega. Staff was incredibly nice and accommodating (patio was technically not open but they made an exception for us). The grilled cheese was delicious and the the peach sangria was exactly what I was after. Location is fun and lively with great people watching.

I went here for brunch on my birthday and my food was good and affordable. Service could have been better but the waiter we had just wasn't friendly. Chill vibe and would definitely go again. Didn't have to wait on a Saturday morning and when I went they had both indoor and outdoor seating.

Came in with a group of friends for brunch and was super disappointed. Most of the food came out cold and was just overall lacking. My biscuits and gravy as pictured were ridiculously oily I had asked the waitress if it's supposed to be like that and she said yes. My side of blueberry bacon came out stone cold. My friend ordered the cinnamon roll and the bottom was burned so bad that it wasn't eatable. The service wasn't good but I won't blame our waitress she was very nice but it was clear that they were understaffed. The napkins and silverware were also dirty. Definitely not a place I would ever come back to.

I really liked it here. The service was good, the vibes were nice, and my food was delicious. Perfect day to sit outside and yap with my friend for weekend brunch. $24 for a bottle of champagne & a tall glass of juice of your choice is a pretty good deal. My carne asada tacos were to die for. I wasn't personally a fan of the hash brown bites, but my friend loved it. Will be coming back!

After a change of plans, I decided to go for a late brunch at Bodega in Columbus, Ohio. Other establishments I was interested in had stopped serving brunch, but Bodega had great reviews, was within walking distance from my location, and the food was highly recommended. Upon arriving, I sat at the bar. While I didn't catch the name of the bartender, I appreciated his attentiveness and excellent service. I ordered the chicken and waffles and really enjoyed the texture of the waffle--it was perfectly crunchy on the outside and soft on the inside. The dish came with about four chicken tenders, and I found the portion size to be very good for the price. Overall, I'm really glad I was able to visit Bodega and would definitely recommend it for a satisfying brunch experience.

I knew bodega had food, but never thought to try it. While craving wings on a Wednesday, I saw they had a special. We decided to go try them as they were half off. We started with an app of brisket queso. Super good! I love the brisket from Bristol (which this had) so I knew it'd be tasty. When we were looking at apps, our waitress had let us know a list of things they were out of. This was kind of disappointing as we wanted to try a side salad, and the cheddar puffs, which they didn't have either. The wings were great. We did buffalo and then maple chipotle on the side since we didn't know if we'd like it. It was very good. Overall - I will definitely be back and would love to try some of their other specials.

This was a pretty good place. We came in here prior to going to the Chelsea match at OSU, so it was pretty lively. I was a tad disappointed to find out that they were only serving the brunch which I kind of kid it but that menu was a lot more limited. The dinner menu had a lot more options for sure. I was with a group so I didn't have much of a choice. I'm not just much a bunch fan. I had a veggie omelette with some breakfast potatoes. It was fine, nothing amazing. Kind of what I expected for the type of omelette I got. The potatoes were really good. The service was good. It was really busy in there the whole time but I had no issues. I liked the large beer selection. I went for a Guinness which I was a tad surprised to see that they had it.

I was in Columbus for a concert and this restaurant was so unassuming, but delicious. I was pleasantly surprised by the atmosphere. Young, queer friendly space with the nicest server. I wish I could remember her name to give her a shout-out, but she had wonderful recommendations. She suggested a cider that I loved.

The service is good but the food was very bland and not cheap enough to be passable. Lots of other options in the area that are better. Could be good for just a happy hour drink!

I was visiting during happy hour on 1/2 off wing Wednesday with friends. I ordered a peach cider and spicy garlic cauliflower "wings". For $2 off draft and 1/2 wings, my meal was $12 total and a steal!!! What a wonderful location, environment and location! It was loud and crowded, even until 8/9 PM since they have a extended happy hour menu but so worth it if you get off work late!! Can't wait to come back for their happy hours!

lousy food that was drowning in some soupy cheese sauce that had too much flour and no cheese flavor. The nachos were also drowning in sour cream with very little underlying substance. The waiters were very pleasant. Don't go here for decent food.

Me and my friend went here to catch up for drinks and dinner - Bodega is a great place for times like that. I've been coming to Bodega since college, I always enjoyed ambiance and service there which is always goooood. We ordered two appetizers to split - Brisket Queso & Crispy Chicken Wings (w/BBQ Sauce). Both were so good, the queso had brisket from their sister location at Bristol Republic, had great smoky flavor. The BBQ wings were really good, super solid! I would definitely return here whenever I get the chance. Their draft list is supreme, they have options for everyone! I've never had a bad experience here!

Bella is the best bartender in Columbus! Always makes sure my friends and I have a good time. Go buy a shot from her.

Updating to include my review of the tacos I had there recently! Loved the $3 taco Tuesday special. I got 2 tacos and chips and guac for $10. The jackfruit was pretty good but wasn't my favorite flavor profile. Loved the Carnitas though! I think next time I will skip the chips and guac because the guac was a little plain. Still a pretty legit meal for only $10.

We just stopped in for some drinks at their Speakeasy "hidden" inside the restaurant. Fantastic cocktails with a really cool vibe!

Visited Apartment B which is the speakeasy hidden in the back. Love the vibe in there and Nick and Vince made great cocktails. Will definitely return!

I love coming here. Salim always takes good care of us and the Crunchwrap with chorizo is the best!!!

Good food, good drinks, the vibe def changes as the night goes on, especially over the weekend. Tacos are v small. But delicious! Service is ok depending on when you go. I can see they need some more servers, the ones they got are tending inside and outside tables and come across overwhelmed half the time. You can feel the "i got this" radiating.

The bartender Alan was amazing! Super quick and made great cocktails! I asked him questions about a few classics, and he was incredibly informative and made the perfect cocktail for me. Additionally, Nyla the server was composed while handing 8-10 tables in the restaurant alone, which is not an easy feat. Superb hospitality and staff!

We ate breakfast at Bodega twice while on our trip to Ohio from Los Angeles and loved it! The staff is very friendly, the food is tasty, and they have great prices! The Mimosa Kit is also perfect when two people want at least 2 mimosas. We'll definitely visit again when we are back in Ohio!

The food was excellent, would highly recommend the brisket queso and grilled cheese. Great selection of draft beer and a wide variety of cocktails. The poor service is the main reason for such a low review. We placed a reservation in advance and were seated at a very nice spacious table. The waitress was very attentive and brought us drinks promptly. After being at our table for 20 or 30 minutes, the bar tender approached us and said there was a mistake and we had been sat at the wrong table. He proceeded to move us to a tiny table shoved into a corner next to a really loud and obnoxious party. As he sat us, he apologized and said they'd take care of part of our bill. We then didn't see our waitress again for ten minutes and for the rest of our time there the service was hard to come by. When our check finally arrived, they claimed they had taken some off but after looking at the charge on my card, they literally took off nothing...

The service was good and relatively quick. We were a group of 10 and anything went down smoothly. There is no good place for a large group. We sat down in a large, thin, double table in the middle and it was ok. One thing I do have to say, is to please DO NOT ORDER THE TACOS. They are expensive and dry. I would probably go back and try a sandwich or something else, but I will never order the tacos again, as a Mexican born and raised, they were really bad.

Biked here on a Monday night. It was our first time in maybe 7 or 8 years (since undergrad)! I remember having fond/drunk memories here so expected our time to be great. It was. Half off all drafts during happy hour which is 4-8 every weekday. Monday is $1 grilled cheese. Our 5 beers, chicken sandwich, side salad, grilled cheese, tacos, chips and guacamole were like a total of $46 lol. Incredible deal. Loved the shorts soft parade - a fruity beer (not a sour) with a surprising 7.5% ABV. Enjoyed all the food but loved the grilled cheese and side salad especially.

Great craft beer bar in the short north, the bartender Salim is very friendly and knowledgeable about beer. 10/10 service from this guy, would absolutely come back just to see him.

Nick is the best bartender server there is no better at Bodega!! Always come back for him!

Decent food, however a few down sides. For one, service was slow and took 35 minutes to get us our food (4 brunch items). There was a group who was very drunk in the corner (noon on a Sunday) and one girl fell over, onto the floor, twice before being asked to leave. The music was loud, definitely more of a bar setting than a sit down brunch spot so if you're looking for that, go elsewhere. Overall you can expect to pay between $15 and $20, and though the food was good, the ambiance over all was lacking a bit.

I LOVE Bodega! I'm lucky enough to live nearby and come here each week. The happy hour deal is fabulous - it's from 4-8 M-F, and the weekly food deals are great, too. The atmosphere is cozy, yet eclectic and fun. It's perfect for a date or a group outing. Tonight I got the fall salad which was incredible. Possibly my favorite salad I've ever had. The maple balsamic vinaigrette and candied pecans are addicting. My boyfriend got the maple chipotle wings and we shared a side of fries dipped in the tomato aioli, which were all yummy. Overall, the food is consistently good and the bar is great for either a chill or fun night. Would definitely recommend!

Back in the day I avoided this place like no other. It was always packed full of hipsters (not the nice kind, the snooty kind), didn't really give off a welcoming, fun vibe, and getting a seat seemed impossible. Whelp, I left Ohio for a few years and when I came back something definitely changed. It's like a magical fairy sprinkled her dust over this little corner on High St. and BOOM! Now when I walk by Bodega, it pulls me in with fun music, a diverse and friendly crowd, trendy space, a seasonal cocktail menu, a solid happy hour and heck, there's even an elephant disco ball reigning happiness over all that walk through the doors. The staff is regularly attentive, and the prices are spot on. I've never had anything to eat here (except for maybe once years ago) but I can speak highly of their Sunday mimosas and the Tom Tom cocktail. This cocktail has gin, lime, soda, and basil and its exactly what I think of when I want a refreshing drink. All in all, I'm excited to continue visiting Bodega when I need a night cap or a fun brunch spot. Maybe I'll venture out of my comfort zone and try their food menu sometime soon as well. Very happy to see this spot become more welcoming than my last experiences.

Great service. Great happy hour. The spicy garlic chicken wings were fantastic. Good ranch. I give it a score of 8.8. Highly recommend.

My favorite part about bodega is their happy hour. They have so many delicious beers on tap and all beer is half off during happy hour. What a great way to try some new beers without busting the bank! They also have an amazing dollar grilled cheese Monday! Very tasty and very affordable!

Bodega was a pleasant surprise for me this Monday evening. I've been to Bristol many times, but never Bodega (owned by the same people). I've heard great things, but never had the opportunity to stop by until my friend's 21st this week. When we got there, we found out it was $1 GRILLED CHEESE MONDAYS!! What a STEAL. I was so excited, as grilled cheese is one of my fav foods (I know I'm basic). I ordered the $1 grilled cheese (no, soup is not included but definitely order it on the side for the full experience) and the Headhunter IPA. Both were equally delicious and I loved the taste! 10/10 on the food and drinks, you have to go on a Monday! I will warn you though, if you look young like me, make sure to have your ID ready to go!! According to our server, I look "12 years old" :/

Me and my co-workers essentially live here for the wonderful happy hour beer drafts as well as the delicious food offered as well. You come into some great Tunes, free smells of the food cooking in the back, and the friendly faces of the employees! Lovely, lovely people! This bar features a patio outside so you can sit and enjoy your beer and watch the Columbus construction at its best! Or you can venture inside to enjoy the warm ambiance of the decor and the beautiful disco elephant in the middle of the ceiling. This bar features different Brewery drafts from time to time so you can try almost anything here they have about over 70 taps and that is not including the mixed drinks and wine. During the week they have food specials like the famous grilled cheese for a dollar and they don't mess around cuz it tastes so amazing! You can also catch the game in the front where the TVs are! So come on down and enjoy a quick Brew you may see me flying around there! Five stars for great food and fellowship!

$2 grilled cheese Monday's are the best. Crunchy exterior, cheesy interior. It was really dark inside though so I couldn't really see what I was eating. Good first time experience

We just discovered Bodega this year and have loved this spot. The happy hour is great, and they have a great beer selection. The grilled cheese and tomato bisque is amazing, as well as the chicken sandwich. We come all the time.

Bodega doubles down as 2 different things. A chill spot in the daytime where you can get food and drinks, and one of, if not the best night time spots. Daytime: It's super chill. There is always a nice vibe. Everyone is chill and approachable. Then they normally have good happy hour deals as well. If you like beer make sure to make it in during their happy hour. Then the food is actually pretty good. Which is hard to say about a lot of places that serve as a restaurant in the day time and a night time spot in the scary hours. But surprisingly i will say that out of everything here, my fav dish has to be the chicken tenders. You really won't ever see me order chicken tenders anywhere else. But they are always huge, and the sauce or aioli they come with is so fire. Night Time: This is easily my favorite bar to come to when the sun goes down and it's time to lock in. Me and my friends call it "Home Base". Because we come here first, and then decide if we are going to stay the night, or move from there..There is always a good mix of people and everyone is in good spirits. And the biggest thing to me is they play the BEST music out of any bar in the short. And that in itself is major. Nothing can change the mood of a night then the quality of music going on. It sets the tone, and Bodega has it down. I consider myself as a person who loves music and stays up to date, but I've come in and been put on to a new song or two lol. Overall I've probably been to Bodega more than any other bar in Columbus over the past 3 years. Best music, nice ambiance, good food, great crowd, good drinks.. That all you could want.. period.

I started coming here for Sunday trivia, and while I'm usually not a huge fan of bars, this is a good one :-) It tends to be loud, but they turn down the volume for the actual trivia around 8, which means you can have an actual conversation with more than two other people. It also seems to be when the crowds clear out a bit - we tend to have a larger group, but usually find a spot to sit together. The beer selection is great, and the food is bar food, but perfectly good bar food. The truffle fries are delicious, as are the tempura green beans (super salty, but delicious), and the grilled cheese looks amazing (must remember to try that sometime). They even have a hummus and veggie platter that's really good, if you need some vitamins with your beer.

Bodega has one of the best happy hours downtown and great daily deals as well. The $2 grilled cheeses are so good and the tomato soup is amazing as well. The wings and sauces are great too! I've never had a bad meal here. Also a great front patio to sit and people watch on High Street!

Very nice community. I loved the vibe and the atmosphere. I couldn't get a veggie burger because the bread wasn't vegan but they did offer me a lettuce wrapped burger. They weren't very vegan friendly.

cute place in the short north with plenty of brews and food for everyone! the truffle fries and wings were delicious! service was a bit slow for them being not that busy- but our server was AMAZING! she knew the entire menu and answered all our questions. giving 4 stars because their happy hour menu isn't that great and brisket queso was delicious, but unfortunately there were like 4 little pieces of meat in there and nothing more. queso still had a smoky flavor though. would come again!

Bodega is one of my favorite restaurants in the Short North. This visit yielded a completely different menu from my last visit about 6 months ago, and I'm not mad about it! Bodega isn't a huge restaurant, but they plenty of comfy booths and tables and a good sized bar. A lot of people crowd around the bar and they always seem a little understaffed so it can be hard to get a waiters attention. I went with the Big Mic Burger this time with sea salt and truffle fries and I definitely made the eight choice! The burger was juicy with tons of flavor and the fries were amazing!!! I love their large selection of drinks, I got the Ciderboys strawberry cider and it was delicious. Bodega doesn't have their own parking lot, but there's plenty of street parking and it's easy enough to walk to from anywhere else in the Short North.

Stopped here with friends before attending the night game at Ohio Stadium. Great craft beer selection and incredible food! I loved the Bodega House Hazy IPA collaboration. The grilled cheese had bacon and caramelized onions and that tomato soup was incredible! Great spot to enjoy with friends in the Short North.

This was so a cute small place for brunch. We went for a friends birthday with a party of 10. The music they played at first was like a strange techno sound but we asked if they could change to something a little more upbeat with words like pop r&b or something and they switched it over shortly after. They had a lot of bar type seating with the higher bar stools but we like seating like that. We had the bottomless mimosas for 18 bucks because one mimosa was eight dollars so might as well get bottomless right? For the mimosas they just brought a bucket with ice that had a carafe of orange juice and bottle of champagne (I can't remember the brand...but it was good and that's what counts!). It was pretty simple, once you were done they brought more! Our server Matt was on top of getting us another bottle of champagne. But now for the food. I had the chicken and waffles with the Nashville hot add on. It was amazing! It was so flavorful and the savory but sweet with an added kick of spice was perfect. I wanted to go back the next day just for that. My friend got one of the sandwiches I can't remember what kind but she like it. My other friend got the steak and eggs which they made wrong and took a little min to get out a new one but she said it was good. Overall great atmosphere and I loved the food. Definitely would go back to try something different or just get the chicken and waffles again.

Great happy hour special!! They have half off beers from 4-8 (one of the latest in town) Monday through Friday. Their grilled cheese is also one of the best in town! Bodega always has a great neighborhood feel to it and there are always tons of different types of people here. Parking here is not your friend, but it isn't really your friend anywhere in short north. If you haven't checked out bodega yet, I highly recommend doing so!

Not that impressed. Don't serve anything other than brunch til 3pm. Waiter was kind of aloof. Food was eh. Music was oddly loud to the point where you couldn't hear other people at your table.

Terrible place. Management does not care how you feel and will bully you in an attempt to "make it right". The manager, Joey, allowed me to be assaulted and battered multiple times by the "DJ Security". However, any small woman whom walked to the exact same spot I stood was allowed to order and remain without confrontation. Joey not only allowed me to be accousted by the DJ Security, he antagonized the situation. As an attorney, I was blackmailed, assaulted and battered by Bodega management and left due to the perception I would be physically abused. I will be filing a complaint with the BBB and my friend the DA.

Stopped by for burger and beer week! I knew their grilled cheese was legendary but this burger-a highlight no doubt. The burger is a sexier older brother to the Big Mac with fresh ingredients and much better executed sauce flavors. The truffle fries were ok, didn't get much truffle flavor from them and the sauce they came with was not my favorite. Would ask for ranch instead next time, not a deal breaker tho.

I went to Bodega for the happy hour with half off wings. The restaurant has a nice layout with character from the wooden seats and tables. I got the North Mile High beer which was referred to as the "Champaign of Beers". It was an ok beer for the price. I don't think it deserves that title. The wings we got were buffalo and maple chipotle. The maple chipotle sauce was so good! The sweet and smoky flavor of the sauce complimented the wings. The buffalo was your traditional flavor. The loaded Tat'R bites were very good. They had a mashed potato inside which I loved. The bacon and cheese always make potatoes taste better. I definitely will be back for more beer and wings! Cheers!

I REALLY like the vibes here and the happy hour prices are awesome, but overall I'm not sure it's worth the hype. We came in for dinner on $1 grilled cheese night. It was packed, but there were three window seats in a row that we were able to snag. It was seat-yourself, so I guess no one saw us come in, but we weren't greeted at all and no one ever came to take our order. I'm not sure if this is typical or not, but we eventually went to the bar to order. The bar tender was helpful and took our drink and meal orders, but he kept walking away in the middle of our sentences and seemed to be annoyed to be serving us. Overall, a weird experience. We were enjoying ourselves people-watching out the windows, and our food came out quickly. I ordered the grilled cheese with jalapeños and the tempura fried green beans. Honestly? I was underwhelmed. The grilled cheese, while I wasn't expecting anything amazing with a $1 price tag, was two pieces of white bread with barely melted cheese. Definitely disappointing because I could've easily made something better at home. The tempura fried green beans were an interesting appetizer that I was excited to try, but they ended up being difficult to eat and not really seasoned at all. Their only saving grace was the small cup of aioli. I might come back to Bodega on a different night, or if I was looking for something quick, but overall I wasn't really impressed.