GA Benton
Getting back to fun places that have been temporarily closed because of the pandemic can feel like stepping back into the sunlight after exiting a pitch black, almost abandoned movie theater showing a bad horror movie. That Columbus Brewing Co. Taproom, which reopened at the end of June after being closed for a year, is one such mood-enhancing place.
Let the sun in again – along with a few crisp Columbus Brewing Co. beers, I thought as I recently walked into the light-flooded taproom, which has a popular terrace. Although not very well known, the beer facility in a predominantly industrial part of the West Side offers refreshing drinks as well as a small menu with delicious dishes.
In fact, CBC’s burgers, fries, wings, and pizzas could be worth a visit in the taproom on their own. However, this freshly made dish is well designed to work with the establishment’s 20 home-brewed draft beers.
Fans of the groundbreaking Columbus brewery – their often teeming pub will confirm we’re a legion – are hardly looking for subtle beers. Instead, most aficionados turn to CBC for spirited (in the double sense of the word) creations, like the widely popular Bodhi, a double IPA with 8.3 percent ABV.
“Subtle” would not be the best description for the slim, but often rough and busy taproom. Its unsubtle, outstanding visual feature brings mood into a huge room with neutral tones, brewery photos and branded goods for sale: an expansive mural depicting mythical animals feasting on hop plants.
My favorite way to feast on hops is with a variety of snifters that hold larger cans of one-tenth of a liter (three to four ounces; $ 1.50 to $ 3.50). Some seasonal recommendations are Pils, Insane Wanderer and Five Minutes of Funk.
Like such drinks, the food at CBC is ordered by waiters who roam the spacious seating area. Since the friendly but sometimes overwhelmed crew has to bring the food from the nearby CBC food truck, the service at the table is not always fast and one of my three orders resulted in lukewarm dishes. But everything I tried was good and flavorful – apart from one obvious outlier from so-so Queso Blanco ($ 8).
The standout diner-style cheeseburger ($ 12), served with strong and excellent fries, was reminiscent (oxymoron alarm) of an artisanal Big Mac made with locally raised beef patties flattered by a tangy house sauce and zesty house cucumbers became.
CBC is also doing something interesting with za’atar, an old and fragrant spice and herb mix that’s trending: it becomes an addicting sauce for the big, crispy, and salted traditional wings of the place ($ 8).
Boneless “wings” (go za’atar sauce) are offered to add even more pizazz to the recommended large house salad ($ 8; wings are $ 4 extra) – good vegetables, pecorino romano cheese, and shaved carrots and radishes energized by an aggressive pickle shallot vinaigrette.
More:Food evaluation | Pie of the Tiger offers delicious, crispy pizza at moderate prices
By offering pan pizzas with impressive toppings (e.g. Grande Mozzarella, Ezzo Pepperoni), CBC joins a new wave of ambitious thick crust providersWizard of Za, Cake of the tiger) contrary to the local thin crust conventions. CBC’s heavy pies feature a yeasty bottom that is essentially deep fried in its rectangular baking pan for an irresistibly crispy exterior with a springy interior.
I would love to return for one of the three delicious pizzas I’ve tried: a bold tart with excellent homemade chorizo on top of a lively salsa verde ($ 18); a flavourful, crispy pepperoni tart topped with a light, shredded organic tomato sauce ($ 16); and the Cacio e Pepe Pie ($ 16), whose thick and soothing blanket of melted mozzarella, ricotta, and parmesan cheese was toned down by cracked black pepper that I wanted more of.
In conclusion, with COVID-19 on the rise again, I would like to urge everyone to take the disease seriously. Because it’s much more fun to go back to bright party-time places like CBC than to go back to a 2020-like restaurant landscape darkened by a pandemic.
Columbus Brewing Company taproom
Where: 2555 Harrison Road, West Side
Contact: 614-224-3626, www.columbusbrewing.com/taproom
Hours: Wednesday and Thursday 3:00 p.m. to 11:00 p.m. 11:30 am to midnight on Fridays and Saturdays; 11.30 a.m. to 10 p.m. on Sundays; Closed on Monday and Tuesday
Price range: $ 8 to $ 18
Ambience: Modern, spacious party brew pub with a terrace that can get loud and crowded
Children’s menu: Yes
Reservations: no
Accessible: Yes
License for spirits: full bar
Quick click: The large and lively taproom of a groundbreaking local brewery uses fine ingredients to scratch impressive burgers and pizzas
