Columbus, Ohio, is the 15th largest city in the United States. In recent years, though, it’s been ranking mighty high in the culinary world. No longer overshadowed by the coastal bookends of New York City and Los Angeles, Ohio’s capital, with its distinct neighborhoods, inclusive spirit, and Midwestern warmth, has emerged as one of the country’s most flourishing destinations for food and drink.
Many local restaurant and bar owners credit their success to mutual support. Here, a national award—like a James Beard Award nomination—isn’t just a personal win; it’s a win for the entire city. Collaboration overrides competition. “Columbus is one of those rare places where your peers actually root for you to win,” says Avishar Barua, the Bengali American chef behind two of the city’s buzziest spots, Joyas and Agni. “It’s small enough to feel like a family, but big enough that creativity and identity matter.”
This spirit of shared success has also helped attract a wave of ambitious culinary talent since the pandemic. Among them is chef BJ Lieberman, who relocated from Washington, D.C., in 2020 after his time at D.C.’s Michelin-starred Rose’s Luxury to open several concepts—including Metsi’s, his new wood-fired Italian restaurant in the Short North—that have helped put Columbus in the national spotlight.
The open-mindedness of local diners also gets credit for the city’s culinary rise. “Columbus’s food scene thrives on adventurous eaters whose curiosity for new cuisines supports the city’s multicultural culinary landscape,” says Abdilahi Hassan, co-owner of Hoyo’s Kitchen, a Somali fast-casual counter concept. Kaori Becker of the Mochi Shop adds, “Word spreads quickly about new bakeries, coffee shops, and restaurants, and I feel Columbus residents love trying new things and supporting local businesses.”
Immigrant and first-generation restaurateurs get the job done
Diners queue for a meal at Joyas; the pani puri at Agni
Photo by Andy Foster (L); photo by Norman Ai (R)
Agni
- Location: 716 S. High St. | Find on Google Maps
Born in Columbus and raised by Bangladeshi immigrant parents, Avishar Barua, a Top Chef alum, has become the city’s unofficial culinary ambassador with his wildly imaginative and cross-cultural approach. From his chutney-smothered breakfast sandwich at daytime café Joyas to Agni’s tasting menu of “forward, borderless cuisine”—his riff on the Bengali street food phuchka, for example, is filled with foie gras and tamarind—Barua cooks with one goal: flavor. He says, “We try to give guests more of what they crave, no matter where it originates in the world.”
North Market
- Location: 59 Spruce St. | Find on Google Maps
Where the Short North and Arena District converge is North Market, home to two immigrant-owned counter spots cherished by locals. Started by the Hassan family (siblings Abdilahi, Mohamed, and Anod, and their mother Hayaat) from Somalia, Hoyo’s Kitchen serves build-your-own bowls based on generations-old recipes, like the one for Hoyo’s stewed, fall-off-the-bone goat (hilib ari).
A few feet away, Momo Ghar’s wife-husband owners, Phuntso and Pramod Lama, make their specialty, the Tibetan and Nepali dumplings momos, by hand. They come in assorted fillings, from pork to vegetables, and are best dunked into Momo Ghar’s fiery tomato-fenugreek sauce.
Bethel Road
- Location: Find on Google Maps
A 15-minute drive from downtown will lead you to one of Columbus’s hidden gems, Bethel Road. The area, crammed with fast-food chains and strip malls, might initially not look like much. But dive deep and be rewarded with a wealth of spots owned by immigrants and first-generation Americans.
Some of the most popular include Leo Xia’s Jiu Thai Asian Cafe, where you can watch the noodles being hand-pulled for the spicy Shaanxi biang biang noodles; the Mochi Shop for mochi doughnuts and mochi daifuku (a type of mochi stuffed with a sweet filling); and Meshikou Ramen for spicy miso ramen.
Bonifacio
- Location: 1577 King Ave. | Find on Google Maps
Taking up residence in what was once one of Wendy’s first outposts—the fast-food chain was founded in Columbus in 1969—Bonifacio is the city’s first full-service Filipino restaurant and bar. Owned by Krizzia Yanga, the convivial space done up with bamboo seats and green plants for a tropical vibe is best known for its Boodle Nights.
Held on Tuesday, Thursday, and Sunday nights, this traditional, communal Filipino feast of sisig, lumpia, and lechon spread across banana leaves—which you eat with your hands—is best accompanied by one of Bonifacio’s original cocktails like the Kamayan Old Fashioned, made with local Watershed Bourbon and tiki bitters.
Must-discover bakeries
Come to Belle’s Bread, and this could be your breakfast
Courtesy of Belle’s Bread, Japan Marketplace
Belle’s Bread
- Location: 1168 Kenny Centre Mall | Find on Google Maps
Tucked away in Japan Marketplace, an eight-business hub off Kenny and Old Henderson Road, Belle’s Bread is a bakery by Japan-born Takashi Takenaka that’s been around since 2011. The extensive selections are made from scratch daily, with the best sellers being buns stuffed with two types of sweet red bean paste (tsubu and koshi), croissants (an ode to Takenaka’s French wife), and animal-shaped breads.
Dan the Baker
- Location: 1042 Ridge St. | Find on Google Maps
Another fantastic bakery in town is Dan the Baker, run by Daniel Riesenberger. Although Riesenberger has been baking professionally since 2007, his business really took off after expanding his Grandview location into the neighboring space in May, nearly tripling its size. (He was also named a 2025 James Beard Award semifinalist for “Outstanding Bakery.”)
There is almost always a queue for the croissants and sourdough loaves incorporating organic grains and house-made butter, but the line moves quickly.
The Lox Bagel Shop
- Location: 772 N. High St., #106 | Find on Google Maps
Kevin and Jenna Crowley’s the Lox Bagel Shop proves that quintessential bagels aren’t limited to New York City—and that dedicating yourself to a single craft, much like a Japanese shokunin, can be incredibly rewarding. Here, the bagels are a mix of New York and Montreal styles (think: chewy and subtly sweet) and finished in a wood-fired oven. The namesake lox is made in-house, too.
Fox in the Snow
- Location: 1031 N. Fourth St., plus other locations | Find on Google Maps
With five locations around central Ohio, Fox in the Snow is a homegrown concept founded by partners in work and life Lauren Culley and Jeff Excell in 2014. At their cafés, all the pastries—and their accoutrements, such as custards and icings—are made in-house, and the perennial best seller is the signature egg sandwich: souffléed egg, candied bacon, arugula, and a creamy dijon sauce layered on crusty ciabatta.
Other baked treats worth digging into include Korean pastry chef Calvin Kim’s macarons at Mjomii; Three Bites Bakery’s ensaymada, a sweet Filipino brioche-like pastry topped with sugar, butter, and grated cheese; and Golden Delight Bakery’s strawberry cake.
Unmissable bars and breweries
Alex Chien of Cobra is shaking up Columbus’s bar scene; every bar seat is occupied at Law Bird.
Courtesy of Cobra (L); courtesy of Law Bird (R)
Cobra
- Location: 684 S. High St. | Find on Google Maps
It’s no surprise that a city with such excellent restaurants also has excellent places to drink. And leading the pack is the Brewery District’s Cobra. While David Yee—who’s a co-owner, alongside Josh Spiers, Alex Chien, and Kayla LeRoy—describes the concept as “an Asian American neighborhood bar specializing in cocktails and food,” the crowds on any given night make it clear that Cobra represents much more to the community.
Housed in a former Panera, Cobra offers warm yet professional service, come-as-you-are vibes, and wallet-friendly food and drinks. (The Sake Pomodoro, featuring grated egg yolk, sake-infused tomato sauce, and housemade bucatini, is simple and sublime.)
Law Bird
- Location: 740 S. High St. | Find on Google Maps
A few blocks from Cobra down South High Street is Annie Williams’s and Luke Pierce’s Law Bird, a 2025 James Beard Award semifinalist for Outstanding Bar. The imaginative cocktail menus rotate several times a year—on deck now is one inspired by Goosebumps, the children’s book series by Columbus-born author R. L. Stine—but what remains the same is Law Bird’s playful and welcoming energy.
Land-Grant Brewing Company
- Location: 424 W. Town St. | Find on Google Maps
Just west in Franklinton is the Land-Grant Brewing Company, founded by Walt Keys and Adam Benner. While the brewery is famed for its lineup of easy-drinking beers—including what Keys calls “killer IPAs”—Land-Grant is as much about community as it is about craft. The expansive space features plenty of outdoor seating, a live music stage, giant screens, and the Land-Grant Extension, an intimate taproom for wine, cocktails, and experimental beers that opened last year.
Ginger Rabbit Jazz Lounge
- Location: 17 Buttles Ave. | Find on Google Maps
In Short North, BJ Lieberman and Bronwyn Haines’s Ginger Rabbit Jazz Lounge is a swanky, subterranean cocktail bar inspired by the Midwest’s deep connection to jazz and the Prohibition era—hence, the strong showing of gin cocktails on the menu. Live music fills the space Monday through Saturday evenings, and thanks to Lieberman’s culinary credentials, the bar also serves elevated bites such as lobster rolls and conservas.
