While many of us aren’t able to travel for spring break this year, you can still take your taste buds on a world tour without even leaving Columbus! Here’s a highlight of some of the many wonderful global restaurants in the city where you can explore the cuisine of every continent.
Alebrijes Food Truck (Near East Side) – a newer taco truck with classics like tacos and burritos, as well as rotating specials and signatures like pollo al carbon
Andes Bar & Grill (Downtown) – downtown eatery covering a variety of Latin cuisines, from tapas and sandwiches to plantains and salteñas – Bolivian-style empanadas
Barroluco Argentine Comfort Food (Downtown) – hidden gem downtown serving paella, empanadas, churros
El Arepazo Latin Grill (Brewery District/Gahanna) – family-owned Latin American spot known especially for Venezuelan arepas
Ena’s Caribbean Kitchen (Linden) – Ms. Ena hails from Jamaica and treats her customers to jerk chicken, curry goat, fried fish, and more
Estilo Brazil (Columbus Square) – cafeteria-style market and eatery featuring a wide range of Brazilian dishes: roasted chicken, picanha, beans, rice, much more
La Poblanita (Clintonville) – a long-running food truck known for tacos, tortas, tamales
Los Agavez Taqueria (Clintonville) – taco truck specializing in Tijuana-style birria: stewed-beef tacos fried on the grill and served with a side of consommé
Los Galapagos (West Side) – an Ecuadoran eatery featuring dishes from across Latin America - try the Ecuadoran bandera or the Colombian bandeja paisa
Los Guachos Taqueria (Northwest, Dublin, Gahanna, Whitehall) – popular taqueria known for their al pastor tacos (two-for-one on Mondays!) and gringas
Pablo’s Havana Cafe (Powell) – family-run cafe with plantains, Cuban sandwiches, ropa vieja, Cuban coffee
Ranchero Kitchen (Northeast) – Salvadoran restaurant known for their pupusas: griddled corn cakes stuffed with meats, cheeses, and vegetables
Si Senor (Grandview, Downtown) – Peruvian shop with an interesting roster of sandwiches - check out the Peruvian-style chicken salad, chicharron Peruano, or jumping beef sandwiches
Spicy Cup Cafe (Northeast) – popular Mexican bakery known for conchas, picones, churros, savory sandwiches
Diaspora (Campus) – modern Korean shop serving small plates, noodles, tempura, bibimbap, and combo boxes
Dosa Corner (Northwest) – a hidden gem focused on vegetarian South Indian dishes, especially their namesake thin, lentil pancakes
Hong Kong House (Northwest) – an expansive restaurant focusing on Szechuan Chinese specialties. Explore dishes on the traditional Chinese menu like dumplings in chili oil, dan dan noodles, mapo tofu
Huong Vietnamese Restaurant (Northeast) – family-run Vietnamese spot featuring what’s considered the best pho in town
Japan Marketplace: Tensuke Express / Akai Hana / Belle’s Bread (Northwest) – a city-favorite complex with a market, ramen shop, sushi restaurant, and a nationally recognized French/Japanese bakery
Jiu Thai Asian Cafe (Northwest) – a delightful Chinese restaurant known for their hand-pulled noodles
Kuya Ian’s Bistro (Westerville) – family-run Filipino eatery dishing out lumpia spring rolls, adobo chicken, crispy lechon kawali pork belly
Meshikou (Northwest) – cozy ramen shop with a secondary chicken-focused eatery next door; try a bowl of shoyu chintan or spicy miso paitan ramen
MiLi Cafe (Northeast) – beloved Vietnamese spot known especially for their banh mi sandwiches
Min-Ga (Northwest) – tucked into a strip mall, this Korean spot features a big menu of dumplings, noodle dishes, BBQ, stir fries
Momo Ghar (North Market/Dublin) – popular stall and restaurant featuring Nepalese and Tibetan dumplings; tart with the johl momo in a fiery red sauce
N.E. Chinese (Campus) – as the name implies, this spot focused on the cuisine of northeastern China - try the cumin potatoes, twice-fried fish, hot and sour fern root noodles
Poong Mei Asian Bistro (Upper Arlington) – Poong Mei focuses around Korean specialties, from bulgogi to bibimbap to dak kang jung
Tandoori Grill (Northwest) – restaurant with a small market next door, offering Indian favorites like samosas, biryani, curries, and of course grilled chicken and breads straight from the tandoor oven
Xi Xia Western Chinese Cuisine (Northwest) – an award-winning Chinese spot featuring favorites like short ribs, Szechuan hot pots, or their signature stirred house-made noodles
Addis Restaurant (Linden) – a family-run shop serving Ethiopian favorites like doro wot, fir fir, and zillzill tibs
Afra Grill (Northeast) – a new Somali fast casual that lets you customize your meal with different rices, proteins like chicken suqaar and habo steak, plus a range of veggies and sauces
Dabakh Restaurant (Northeast) – a Senegalese restaurant featuring items like grilled lamb and maffe, a rich, peanut butter-based stew
Hoyo’s Kitchen (North Market, Northeast, North Market Bridge Park) – the family-run Hoyo’s features a build-your-own menu of different bases, proteins, and sides. Be sure to order sambusas!
Intercontinental Restaurant (Northeast) – Dig in to the flavors of Nigeria at Intercontinental, like fried plantains, jollof rice, fufu and egusi stew
Lalibela Restaurant (Whitehall) – a community-favorite Ethiopian restaurant, serving huge platters layered with spongy injera bread and topped with a variety of meat- and vegetable-centric stews
Riziki Swahili Grill (Northeast) – featuring the flavors of Zanzibar, Riziki serves up sambusas, beef pilau, and chicken biriani
Wycliff’s Kitchen (Northeast) – a warm and welcoming spot featuring the flavors of Kenya like its goat and beef stews
Cafe Istanbul (Dublin, Easton) – a full bar complements the robust menu of Turkish and Mediterranean favorites: hummus, baba ganoush, lentil soup, Turkish-style pizzas and pides, kebabs, grilled fish, stuffed eggplant
Kebob Shack (Hilliard) – featuring Afghan flavors, Kebob Shack does indeed serve chicken and beef kebobs, as well as lamb chops, rich stews, and desserts
Lavash Cafe (Clintonville) – a long-running Clintonville institution serving up hummus, falafel, shawarma, kebobs, gyros, and more
Mazah Mediterranean Eatery (Grandview) – a family-run spot featuring scratch-made dishes like stuffed grape leaves, falafel, salads, lamb skewers, fatayers. The same family just opened Falafel Kitchen in the new North Market Bridge Park.
Mr. Hummus Grill (Northwest) – this eatery – with one location on the Northwest side and another coming to Italian Village – highlights Lebanese dishes like hummus, roasted vegetables, homemade sausage, fried kibbeh, kebabs, and more
Syrian Kitchen (Dublin) – an out-of-the-way gem serving fattoush, fried kibbeh, schwarma, baklava
Yemeni Restaurant (Northeast) – the wonderful Yemeni Restaurant serves staples like hummus, lamb, chicken agada stew, and slow-roasted lamb haneeth
Anna’s Greek Cuisine (Dublin) – Anna’s serves a hearty and homemade menu rich in Greek classics like stuffed grape leaves, pitas, saganaki, lamb, pasticcio, mousaka
Barcelona (German Village) – an institution known for its tapas, paella, and robust wine list, plus its big patio
Fado Irish Pub (Easton) – Fado replicates the feel of an Irish pub with dark woods, Premiere League soccer playing at all hours, plus pints of Guinness, shepherd’s pie, fish and chips, Irish breakfasts
Geordie’s Restaurant (Merion Village) – classic English pub serving Scotch eggs, fish and chips, steak and ale pie, Sunday roasts
Hubert’s Polish Kitchen (North Market) – hearty Polish specialties like handmade pierogi, mielones, kielbasa
Kolache Republic (German Village) – small bakery crafting square Czech-style pastries with cream cheese, fruit, and other sweets in the center
La Chatelaine Bakery & Bistro (Upper Arlington/Dublin/Worthington) – a series of French bistros offering fresh breads and pastries, plus classics like croquet madam, vol au vent, beef bourguignon
Mozart’s Cafe & Bakery (Clintonville) – the much-loved Mozart’s earns praise for its Austrian and German dishes, plus its display case full of beautiful pastries
Schmidt’s Sausage Haus (German Village) – long-running Columbus institution known for its Autobahn buffet, Bahama Mama sausages, and giant cream puffs
Valter’s at the Maennerchor (German Village) – German food like schnitzel and käsespätzle paired with German beer
