Columbus’ network of distinct but interconnected neighborhoods allows unique small businesses, restaurants and dive bars to dot the city only a few miles apart. Dive bar enthusiasts can grab a cold beer at a downtown ex-funeral parlor just a few minutes' drive from a grocery store turned dive in the middle of a residential neighborhood.
These community cornerstones are lovingly cataloged in Scoundrel’s Field Guide: Columbus Dive Bars, available now on Amazon and ScoundrelShop.com, a travel guide that explores the everyday drinking institutions that make Columbus and its neighborhoods different from any other city. Some of these neighborhood/dive bar pairings are detailed below, and all of them are great jumping-off points to explore all Columbus has to offer.
*All images in this post are courtesy of David Shaw.
Beck Tavern
Beck Tavern, German Village
284 E Beck St, Columbus, OH 43206
Amid high-end homes, cobblestone streets and one of Columbus’ signature restaurants, Lindey’s, Beck Tavern feels a bit like a dive bar oasis. Thanks to a signature red neon sign and long, green awning, Beck Tavern is impossible to miss and thankfully visually distinct from the nearby, oft-confused High Beck Tavern a few blocks away. Here, activity swirls around a centrally-placed bar, a string of built-in wooden booths etched with the wisdom of generations along one wall, and a handful of group seating areas along the opposite wall. Dartboards wedged into one of the bar’s corners make for interesting navigation patterns as steel-tip darts fly precariously close to the swelling crowd often found here each weekend.
Betty's Bar
Betty’s Bar, Arena District
435 W Nationwide Blvd, Columbus, OH 43215
Converted from a convenience store to a bar in 1962, Betty’s Bar is a family-run business now spanning three generations. Current owner Shorty Temple, now supported by daughter Megan, inherited the bar from parents Betty (naturally) & Russ. A sign next to the Betty’s Bar door reads, “Open when I get here, closed when I leave.” Indeed, Betty’s Bar is typically open specifically before, during and after home sporting events in the area, including Columbus Crew, Columbus Clippers and Columbus Blue Jackets games.
Rehab Tavern
Rehab Tavern, Franklinton
456 W Town St, Columbus, OH 43215
Located on the site of what was Three Deuces Bar for over 40 years, Rehab Tavern lives up to its name, constructed in part with salvaged architectural elements from the bar’s previous incarnation. Remnants of Three Deuces Bar can be found sprinkled throughout Rehab Tavern, from the large, reclaimed sign near the back of the bar to the counter itself, built out of Three Deuces Bar lumber. Rehab Tavern boasts one of the more underrated outdoor patios in Columbus, a pergola-covered space adjacent to the building.
Char Bar
Char Bar, Downtown Columbus
439 N High St, Columbus, OH 43215
Rumored to be one of the city’s most haunted structures, Char Bar opened as a funeral parlor in 1847 on the grounds of what was once the Old North Graveyard. During the 1800s, the bodies once buried here were relocated, but unfortunately, not all were found. Suffice to say, the potential for a ghost sighting here is high, especially in the eerily quiet basement now home to an unattended piano. Brothers Charles & Robert Gordon smashed their names together to create the bar’s official name, Charbert’s Bar, in 1962. The signature drink here is no doubt the Long Island Iced Tea, but beware, one goes a long way. Char Bar is temporarily closed for renovation, but keep an eye on their social media channels for news and updates.
Short North Tavern
Short North Tavern, Short North
674 N High St, Columbus, OH 43215
Opened in 1981, Short North Tavern is credited as the first area business to use the phrase “Short North” in its name, planting a flag in a community that looked far different from the destination neighborhood it is today. After relocating to its current location in 1989, Short North Tavern hunkered down, catering to an eclectic and arts-friendly crowd still well-represented by the local art pieces that rotate through the gallery found along one of the bar’s walls. So intertwined is Short North Tavern with its Short North community that the bar was the site where the idea for one of Columbus’ great traditions, the Doo Dah Parade, was first hatched.
Johnnie's Glenn Avenue Grill
Johnnie’s Glenn Avenue Grill, Grandview Heights
1491 Glenn Ave, Columbus, OH 43212
Hidden in the middle of a Grandview Heights residential block, Johnnie’s Glenn Avenue Grill has been owned by only two families since its original conversion from a grocery store and residence into a bar and restaurant in 1934. Brothers John & James Buscemi purchased the bar from their father, John, in 1960 and remain owners today. The bar is known for its amazing neon sign, perhaps the best among Columbus dive bars, and the ever-present bucket of cheeseballs freely offered to all patrons in the kitchen area behind the bar.
Missing Jimmy's
Missing Jimmy’s, Dublin
55 S High St, Dublin, OH 43017
True to its name, Missing Jimmy’s is easy to overlook, nestled into the corner of a parking lot just south of the heart of historic downtown Dublin. Though Missing Jimmy’s is new by dive bar standards, opened in 2022, the simple layout and immense selection of ‘old man beers’ embody everything great about a time-tested dive. Owner Robert DelliQuadri named the bar after the elusive Jimmy Hoffa and fittingly offers a streamlined menu inspired by his other Columbus-area business, Meatball Mafia.
Dolphin Lounge
Dolphin Lounge, Gahanna
345 Agler Rd, Gahanna, OH 43230
Few dive bar logos can match Dolphin Lounge’s impeccable rendering of a dolphin holding a guitar and a martini. The presence of a guitar is no accident, a nod to the live music that commands the Dolphin Lounge stage on a near-nightly basis. So storied is Dolphin Lounge as a music venue that it hosts the longest, continuously-running blues jam event in the world, a weekly Monday night series started in 1984. The sunken bar inside is surrounded by dolphin statues, lava lamps and bags (yes, bags) of Jell-O shots.
Ruckmoor Lounge
Ruckmoor Lounge, Worthington
7496 N High St, Columbus, OH 43235
Just north of I-270 sits Ruckmoor Lounge, a cathedral of a dive bar opened in 1958 by original owner Robert Rucker. Ruckmoor Lounge’s roots as a third shift-friendly business show thanks to a glorious 5:30 AM opening time. A standalone structure today, Ruckmoor Lounge was once joined on its site by the Pearly Gates Hotel, destroyed by intentional fire in 1981 and the source of hotel keys that can be seen under epoxy along the Ruckmoor Lounge bar.
O'Reilly's Pub
O’Reilly’s Pub, Clintonville
2822 N High St, Columbus, OH 43202
Perhaps the most underrated late-night food option in Columbus, O’Reilly’s Pub has a long history of serving up homestyle meals including classic favorites like the Pepper Burger and rotating nightly specials like meatloaf (every Friday). Ideal seating here can be found along a sunken bar in the center of its slender footprint surrounded by padded rolling chairs that make for their own type of entertainment.
Dick's Den
Dick’s Den, Old North Columbus
2417 N High St, Columbus, OH 43202
Opened in 1964, Dick’s Den is covered almost entirely in wood paneling, creating a perfectly cozy dive bar atmosphere just a few blocks north of the University District. A dark wooden sign over the door is inscribed with the name of the bar and a signature question mark, echoing the red neon sign in the front window that reads, “Why Not?” The sentiment is hard to argue with thanks in large part to a long-running tradition of live jazz music played on the small stage in the bar’s secondary room.
Meister's Bar
Meister’s Bar, Fifth by Northwest (Grandview)
1168 Chambers Rd, Columbus, OH 43212
Deep dish pizza and dollar beer is an unbeatable dive bar combo, a Meister’s Bar specialty in Columbus’ Fifth by Northwest neighborhood in Grandview. Some of the city’s best deep-dish pizza (and equally glorious buffalo cheese sticks) perfectly complement Thursday’s dollar can night special featuring several dive bar-friendly beer varieties. Opened in 2010 by cousins Matt & Todd Meister, Meister’s Bar houses a covered patio, a pair of pool tables and an elevated “nook,” home to the bar’s dart boards.
Zeno's
Zeno’s, Harrison West
384 W 3rd Ave, Columbus, OH 43201
Zeno’s occupies a structure first used as Shoppe Family Bakery, the original supplier of slider-style buns to Columbus institution, White Castle. A classic corner neighborhood pub, Zeno’s was opened in 1984 by local dive bar legend Dick Allen, ex-owner of multiple area bars including the now-closed but legendary Ohio State campus bar, The Travel Agency. Now operated by Allen’s sons Quinn & Mitch, a living tribute to their father can be found in the form of a separate bar space underneath Zeno’s dubbed Dick’s Dive.
Ruby Tuesday Live
Ruby Tuesday Live, University District
1978 Summit St, Columbus, OH 43201
Taking its naming inspiration from the Rolling Stones song of the same name (and not the salad bar-friendly chain restaurant), Ruby Tuesday Live opened in 1973 on the edge of the University District. The walk-in cooler behind the bar predates the opening of Ruby Tuesday Live, a remnant from the structure’s long history as a restaurant and even drug store as far back as 1933. The bar’s stage has been graced by legends like McGuffey Lane and today hosts live music, open-mic comedy and trivia nights.
Pointe Tavern
Pointe Tavern, Upper Arlington
1991 Riverside Dr, Upper Arlington, OH 43221
There is something magical about the ability to grab disc golf supplies and affordable beer in the same strip mall and such is the allure of Pointe Tavern, just steps away from Disc Golf Mart on the fringes of Upper Arlington. Aside from a classic dive bar atmosphere, Pointe Tavern is home to a freshly remodeled interior, sparkling new bathrooms and the well-loved Bazemore Pizza Co. Those looking for an early morning beer should check the schedule for Premier League giant Arsenal as Pointe Tavern is the official home for the team’s fans in Columbus and opens early for morning games
