I'll start with food. It's really just overpriced bar food. I like the spinach and artichoke dip (ask for half chips and half pita) and the Sunday brunch is very good. Other than that it's nothing to make a trip for. We always joke that the hotness of the server is inversely proportionate to her serving ability. Now that's not always their problem; sometimes they seem to be understaffed, especially on weekend afternoons. Usually patio service isn't really speedy (or there at all), which is only a big deal if you have somewhere you need to be. This used to be our hangout for a few months and then the scene got kind of old. It's sort of hard to explain. There are some really cool people that hang out there and will chat, but then there's a pretty heavy d-bag crowd that will come in on the weekends, screeching girls and the like. We'll still go for weekend afternoons, but we don't really hit it up on weekend nights anymore. The patio is probably one of the BEST patios in town. The second story and part of the first story patio is covered (and heated in the winter) so you can still enjoy it during inclement weather. So there you go.
(3)
Shawnie K.
Eh... I like it. But I don't go out of my way to eat here. I usually end up at the Grandview Cafe when my friend's band is playing upstairs, but I won't complain because the food is pretty darn good. The menu is a mix of homestyle comfort food and the usual suspects,like burgers, sandwiches and salads. The portions are great, as are the prices. I am not a fan of the ambiance. The massive island bar consumes most of the first floor, while a few booths and tables are shoved off along the side walls. I find it a bit claustrophobic if you aren't actually sitting at the bar, but most of my friends don't mind it. There's a few flatscreen TV's around the bar and a large one out back on the patio. I don't view the Grandview Cafe as a friendly "neighborhood bar", but when compared to the trendier, high-brow restaurants along Grandview Avenue, it seems more approachable. The upper floor has a full bar, tables, another outdoor patio and a dance floor. I almost prefer this space, which is open primarily on weekends when bands are playing, The Grandview Cafe scores some fun local bands that draw a wide mix of people. While patrons can hear the music from the first floor, a $5 cover is charged to head upstairs and watch the band.
(3)
Emily H.
Surprisingly decent and quiet bar/restaurant in Grandview. The food is surprisingly upscale - grilled brie, salmon salads, and a whole page of vegetarian & lo-carb options. Not your typical bar fare, in other words. The cajun penne is perfectly spicy, not oily, and even better heated up for lunch the next day. Even though I have only visited once, I pass by frequently and it is always busy. If I lived in the neighborhood, this would definitely be my watering hole. It's quiet, clean, and has great food to munch on while you're passing some time with friends.
(3)
Stephanie B.
On an afternoon after a trip to the eye doctor, Jeff wanted to take me out to lunch. I wasn't having a good morning, after spending over $300 on contacts and suffering through a day of dilated pupils. I swear, every time I go to the eye doctor and they dilate my pupils it's a very sunny day without a cloud in the sky. And this day was no exception. If you haven't ever had your pupils dilated, all you need to know is light really hurts your eyes. Anyway, enough about that. He drove us here because he had recently heard great things about it. At first glance I could tell why people liked it. The patio. Out in back, it's huge and lined with pretty plants and looks like such a peaceful and pleasant place to sit. But I wasn't doing that this afternoon. It was a little chilly, plus it would have killed my eyes. We had to drive around a bit to find a place to park and finally found one behind Spagio. I guess they share that lot with a few other places in the area. The lot's not easy to find a spot in, so consider yourself lucky if you find one on your first try. It was even crowded on this Tuesday afternoon. When we went in, I was relieved to see that it was sort of dark inside. Everything was wood-paneled and we got a booth that happened to be away from the windows lining the front and side of the building. Our server brought us our drinks and gave us our menus. I had no idea what I wanted, but Jeff got the GC Hockey Fries to start. The menu had a typical cafe fare, sandwiches, salads, appetizers, steaks, desserts, etc. This place definitely had a neighborhood feel to it, being comfy and simple. It definitely had a small town feel. When our appetizer came out I didn't know what to think of it. It was a pile of fries (which were thick-cut steak fries) smothered in brown gravy and gobs of mozzarella cheese. I am not a big gravy fan, and I tried a bit and it wasn't my thing. It was thick and peppery. I went for the fries that didn't have much if any gravy on them and had them with ketchup. They weren't bad, but there weren't many that weren't soaked in gravy. About the time we were finishing up with our fries, our lunches came out. I had the taco salad. It was the kind of the big crispy tortilla shell bowl. It had all the typical ingredients that you would expect in a taco salad, and there really wasn't anything special about it. It also wasn't all that big. I ate most of it, but there was no point in taking the rest home because everything had kind of run together and it was all mush. Jeff had the Club sandwich and really, it just looked like your typical club sliced into 4 triangles. He enjoyed it, but we both weren't a huge fan of the kettle chips that came with his sandwich. We'd both decided that we'd had better. The service was good - our waitress was attentive and made sure that our drinks were refilled most of the time. We were thirsty so we were going through them quickly. Our bill wasn't too bad, I guess. $6 for the appetizer, $10 for my salad (I think that was too much) and $8 for Jeff's club. I think that for food that tastes this middle-of-the-line, it could be a little cheaper. I think that maybe I didn't try one of the better options on the menu, but nothing else looked as appealing to bring me back in for another visit. It was OK, but that's it. I'd rather go somewhere else. Although I wouldn't mind trying Grandview Cafe out for happy hour sometime. I think I would enjoy coming out to sit on this patio and enjoy a few beers and maybe a different appetizer, like the Hummus and Grilled Pita. But I definitely won't come back here for an entire meal, especially if I can't sit out on the patio.
(2)
Angie K.
Never had a bad time. Food is low on my list but scene is good.
(3)
Joye P.
It's like a large "Cheers." Friendly, young, casual crowd. Moderate prices. Cozy for a date or a small group. Sometimes the bartenders get too busy to notice that you need a refill (hence I deduct a couple stars). Not good for large groups because it can get loud and crowded. Overall, I recommend.
(3)
Marie S.
I really used to love this bar but over the past year the service has been really bad. Bartenders will ignore you forever, even when they're not busy. It's like they are having a contest to see who can be the rudest to customers all the time. I hope management reads this and corrects it, because I want to start hanging out there again.
(3)
Pete C.
A lot of people go in to Grandview Cafe having no idea what to expect, and the first time I went there with friends was no different for me. Being in Grandview, my first guess was that it would be a place for people that are at least 3 or 4 years removed from college to dress up a little but still cut loose like they should on a weekend night. There's live music and a very respectable outdoor patio area, which always lends to a livelier atmosphere, right? Well, sort of. We decided to stop by after a light sushi dinner next door at Shoku (highly recommended!) to see what all the buzz was about over a few drinks, and we ended up being surprised at how enjoyable of a place GC is to be on a weekend. Most of the people seemed like they were there to have a good time and talk a little louder than they can at most of the other places in the area, which gave it a very fun, laid back vibe. The upstairs had some sort of karaoke thing going on, but it did little to interfere with the goodwill that my friends and I were experiencing. The drink prices were average and never ended up becoming an issue at any point in the night, which is a huge bonus if you know the kind of people I was hanging out with. After a few drinks we all decided to split a handful of appetizers between the five of us, which ended up being an awesome idea. The quesadillas, which were loaded with cheese and served with a heaping side of salsa (at our request), became a huge hit with the group. A large side of fries with a special ranch-type sauce for dipping were also enjoyed by many as well. Like I said before, this isn't a wild party atmosphere where you can cut loose and go nuts, but it's friendly enough to be a great place to go with a small group of friends that are still looking to get their drink on and not worry about offending tourists from the suburbs. The food is awesome, and the upstairs patio is one of the finest in Grandview if you're here on a warm spring evening.
(4)
Cheryl H.
The first bar I ever went to in Grandview, long before living here, and one I still visit fairly often. I'm a big fan of the atmosphere, and they have a decent beer selection. The food is over-priced and under-great, but hey, after a few drinks who cares about a $12 burger? Also in good weather GC has one of the best patios around. Two stories. Smoker heaven.
(4)
Jack S.
Loved my lunch here....upscale home made bar food and daily specials. I have not had a chance to enjoy it but the patio looks like a great weekend night spot. I'll be back soon!
(5)
Joe C.
Working the overnight shift is one of the hardest things that a man can do. Mostly because when he gets off his shift at 9:00 in the morning, there are no happy hours to go to in the City of Columbus. Not that its the fault of the City of Columbus -- not by any means...but it is an annoyance. If you've ever worked the third shift, then you feel my pain. So even if you can't get to happy hour at 9:00 AM, you can still buy beer all day because of this state's great laws. But that being said...you get a lot of auspicious looks if you order a beer at 9:00 AM. Or even 11:00 AM, at some places. It forced me to ask the question: "What is a man to do in this town when all he wants to do is have a beer with friends at the end of his shift?" (Granted, the entire time, I could have bought a six pack of whatever the night before, and then my friends and I could have enjoyed it at Casa del Cowboy...but there's really not a whole lot of ambiance in my little room.) I was introduced to the Grandview Cafe to celebrate my friend's liberation from the place where we both worked. She had just gotten a MUCH better job in Cleveland, so we had to go out to celebrate her promotion. We decided on the Grandview Cafe based on the following criteria: 1) It was near where we worked. And by near, I mean maybe a half-mile down two streets. 2) The food prices were alright, and it was a good enough place to grab a late breakfast/early lunch. 3) They served beer as soon as they started opening at 10:00 AM. One of the hardest things about going to the Grandview Cafe was the fact that there is no actual parking AT the Cafe itself. The parking for the cafe is, in fact, across the street, where they share parking with another restaurant. It took me circling the building twice and parking in a tow-away zone to figure that out. Once that was all figured out, and I crossed the street, it wasn't much of a challenge from there. When you walk in, you'll feel like you walked in into any other generic Americana-themed restaurant...except with a Columbus theme. You know how everything in Grandview has that older feel? They took that theme when doing the interior decoration for the restaurant as well. The lunch crowd on a Tuesday wasn't so bad, and their wait staff is very friendly, to say the least. Not knowing what I wanted, or what was good there (because it was my first time there), I asked the waitress for her recommendation. She recommended the Buffalo Chicken Wrap -- and I just happen to love Buffalo Chicken. The wrap was messy...but its Buffalo Chicken -- what do you expect? Overall, it wasn't bad -- it really hit the spot for lunch with a couple of Blue Moon ales (on tap, no less). I ended up eating it with a fork. But it was quite refreshing, to say the least. The cafe itself is quite small -- The bar is the centerpiece, with booths lining the outside of the room. The name "Cafe," in the most traditional sense, can be very misleading, as this is more like a "Pub" than a "Cafe." All that being said, I must say that the inconvenience of parking, combined with the small venue has prevented me from going back to the Grandview Cafe. But I've also never been there when a band has played, or any trivia night, or other events they hold there. And those events could certainly have me coming back for more. If you're looking for a small, casual place, and you're in or near the Grandview Area, and you're looking for similar fare that you'd find at any other generic Americana Restaurant, I'd recommend Grandview Cafe to you -- its nice for a first or second date, or a small gathering of friends. But for anything more...I'd suggest finding a place with just a little more space.
(3)
Jackie C.
I enjoy Grandview Cafe very much, it is a great place to meet friends for dinner and drinks after work. The happy hour is okay as far as prices are concerned, but the food is really good, especially the sliders that have been mentioned in previous reviews. If your looking for a big party atmosphere then this isn't your place, its laid back and the crowd is usually over 25 and thankfully has a very low chochkie (sp?) level. (Which I think Yelp should start measuring.) The patio at Grandview cafe is great and I have only been there once to see a live band, I must say I did enjoy myself very much. When they are really busy the service does suffer a little, but not so much to warrant me to not go. Definitely give it a try.
I live on the coast in SoCal, and when I saw "Famous" fish 'n chips in Ohio I was sceptical.... I was wrong! They were great; service great; atmosphere even better..... Try the Elevator Ale (local). Be There!
(4)
Heather M.
We live in Grandview and really want and like to support the local businesses. We want to like this place but the last two visits have been awful experiences. The first time, it was a slow night and our food took 45 minutes to come out and the order was wrong. The second time, the service was also slow and the food literally made me sick. With all of the great restaurants in the Grandview area, I can say, with certainty, that I will not be going back to the Grandview Cafe.
(1)
Ryan P.
Underrated food (especially the fish n chips) and a fantastic selection of beer! Go on Tuesday or Thursday nights for trivia night!
(4)
Lisa D.
My husband and I decided to try out Grandview Cafe for lunch on a Saturday afternoon while we were in the area to buy some coffee from Stauf's. The menu looks very good and they did have a few vegetarian options which pleased me. I got the Garden Burger with onion rings, it was alright. It wasn't bad but it wasn't fabulous either. I did appreciate that it was grilled and served with a wheat pita instead of a bun and that it was topped with hummus. They claim to have the best hummus, but I still say Yanni's has the best hummus ever. Our server was there, she did her job but certainly didn't put any effort into it. Overall, it was good and I would go back if I happened to be in the area.
(3)
Renata H.
I went here to see my brother's band play and was pleasantly surprised. Granted, we spent all our time there in the upstairs portion, so I didn't even get a look at downstairs, but I like the way the place is set up. The upstairs is roomy enough for a band to play and has a nice bar but it feels much more intimate than other venues. Feels like a place where you can definitely talk to people and watch everyone but in a comfortable way. I can definitely see how people would be regulars here. The drinks were nice and strong and surprisingly well-priced. We didn't get to try the food, unfortunately. The clientele were mostly in their 30's to 40's, and provided some of the most entertaining bad dancing I have ever seen in my life. People were really enjoying the band (they play covers of pop-dance/hip hop stuff), but the most shocking aspect of the evening was cougar-to-regular-dude ratio! I mean, this place was being RUN by totally smashed women in their mid-to-late 30s just poppin' and lockin' and throwin' their thangs every which way. Most of the men looked either too drunk or simply too SCARED to get out on the dance floor! These cougars were having the time of their LIVES dancing away, and only a few brave men ventured in and tried to keep up with the gyrating. Seriously, I have never been so entertained in my life just by watching people at a bar. The vibe was like--everyone is totally wasted and just havin' a good time despite the fact that they have NO idea how to dance. And you know what? It was fun. I would definitely go back. Cause this is the kind of place where you can get your middle-aged freak on and nobody will bat an eye because they sure as hell can't dance either. Rock on, cougars. You rule.
(4)
Heather A.
Regarding the food at GC, I had it for the first time the other night and wanted to say that I was very pleased! The queso was unexpectedly great and the quesadilla's were scrumptious. I also picked off a friends chicken finger platter and they were super duper yummy especially if you like the crispy outer bits of the chicken. :)
(4)
Toine R.
Not my crowd! But that had a lot to do with the reason for me being there in the first place. Never attend a reunion without a friend...It was not a complete waste. They have this apricot beer on tap and the menu was very nice....I don't see the deal about Nathan's hot dogs they taste like every other type. Ike the bartender recommended them...next time I'll order the Italian sub. The bar featured started out pretty good but I didn't stay for the whole show. I will be traveling back for another stab.
(4)
Emily A.
went for the first time last Friday for a quick happy hour drink or two with my girl and her brother and sister in law. drinks were good and very decently priced. food was surprisingly good as well. we had the portabello sliders - the mushrooms were nicely marinated and the buns were oiled and toasty - very satifsying greasy but still sort of wholesome vegetarian bar food. her bro and sil had the nachos with barbecued pork, which they also really enjoyed. i'm only giving three stars because the atmosphere in the main bar downstairs, where we sat, was so nonexistant that i felt like i'd been in the same bar in about eight other locations. and the service was awful! our first server was brand new, and very annoying; i'd cut her some slack for not knowing the answers to questions, but she hovered around while we were deciding on our order and had an oddly unfriendly manner. she left or went on break and our second server was the exact opposite - much more intent on flirting with the bartender than on bringing us our second drinks or our checks.
(3)
Scott V.
The Grandview Cafe is an iconic place. I went here as an OSU student many times in the late 90's. When I come back to Cbus to visit, I still enjoy this place just I did when I was a student. The ambiance of this place gives you the feeling that you're at a neat gastropub. There's a circular bar and seating on first floor, upstairs seating & and patio seating in the back. The menu is pretty simple with sandwiches and salads. They serve breakfast on Sundays all day and I had the eggs benedict with sausage for $9. I was impressed with the large portion of homefries that came with this meal. The bartender Bart was also a cool guy as I washed down my meal with the beers on tap while watching tv on the many big screens at the bar. If I didn't live 2 hours away, I would love to see the live kareoke, bands or play trivia late nights. All of these promotions are big and bring a good crowd each night in this nice neighborhood. There are many new pubs and microbrews that have come to Grandview in the last 15 years, but I will always come back to the Grandview Cafe. It's a special place that makes me feel young.
(5)
Ryan S.
Its presence on the corner of 3rd and Grandview Avenue is iconic; the scaling two story building has stood there for 90-years and maintains a bit of the past in what is quickly becoming an area of hyper-modern prefab luxury overkill. The place looks like it should be good. If you wanted a painting or a story setting of a fantastic food place you'd paint or describe this facade. That is its draw. The interior too is beautiful. Colored by oaken brown, it is centered by a sizable rectangular bar. It seems like a wonderful place. But it is merely mediocre. Catherine's review circa 2012 nail it: Grandview Cafe IS that annoying friend. The biggest disappointment is the food; the appetizers are uninspired, the chicken rueben is bland, the hamburger is charcoaled encrusted overcook. The prices are low for pubs, but even so, there are many pubs with better food at the same price points in a two mile radius. Moreover, it is hard to figure out what this place is good for. Sports? No, the several TVs are hung behind the chairs and the bar making watching a cause for chiropractoric visits. There is no place to dance nor for live bands ( though I have never been upstairs.) Its draft choices are not novel, so it is not an experimental taproom. It is not a grimy dive, nor a small hole-in-the-wall. It seems like a neighborhood tavern, but the feel as well as the loud TV seem couter to conversation. It has a patio, enticing from the street, but depressingly dark on the inside. So I don't know. It just seems like a start or end the night place--or some boring though not objectionable meet spot-- like the Applebees of the Grandview bar scene-- " lets meet here than argue where to go next." Yet I give it three stars because I find myself here often enough, 'not good' does not necessarily equal bad. The servers and bar tenders are energetic and friendly. They have trivia night during the week which is well known though I have never done it. For what it is worth, this is my opinion. My recent trip happened fourty minutes after opening and the place was turning dishes. The bell went off constantly ring, ring, ring. I guess taste is on the tongue of the bechewer.
(3)
Brittany C.
I visited the Grandview Cafe this past weekend, and it was, in a word, disgusting. We sat on the patio, which reeked of the dumpsters that were just on the other side of the fence. Our table was not clean when we sat down, and there were bugs crawling around in the spilled food and drink. The menus were sticky and stained. I didn't want to touch anything. We ended up just having one drink and leaving to immediately shower. Gross.
(1)
Caz O.
We stopped here for the first time today for a quick weekday lunch before having to get back to work. We walked in and sat down immediately. Our server brought us menus and took our drink orders immediately. This is a pretty "standard" looking pub on the inside, except a little brighter and a lot cleaner than the rest! They have a huge menu with lots of options; salads, wraps, sandwiches, soups etc! We had potato skins and the Fish & Chips, both of which came out super fast. The skins were OK. (I admit, I'm not a potato skin fan, but they are my husband's only weakness, so I obliged.) But the fish & chips were deelish! Their steak fries were amazingly crispy on the outside, but puffy and soft on the inside and the beer-battered cod fillet was perfect. Not too much breading, crispy and light and the fish wasn't that fake-fillet crap you get at fast food places. It was a great meal! Our server was really attentive and seemed like a really nice guy! The place was busy, but not slammed, plenty of seating. Looks like they have an awesome patio, and there's seating upstairs too. I look forward to coming back to check out their drinks sometime, you know, when I don't have to go back to work afterwards :)
(5)
Mark H.
This place is just okay. I think the most off-putting thing is that when you walk into the bar area you can clearly smell dirty, bleach mop water. There isn't anything in a restaurant that's more of a turn-off than that. The food is typical bar fare. Potato skins, burgers, a couple entrees, nothing really short of your run-of-the-mill neighborhood bar. I've had the potato skins and the chili mac here before. It's just okay.
(2)
Tyler S.
I've been back a handful of times more and I really enjoy this place now. It's Too convenient and classic to not like. The trivia night is a lot of fun, the sandwiches have been good, the hummus appetizer is really good and worth the 7 or 9 dollars. The BLT was awesome. For $5 with fries, that works for me!
(5)
Kaity K.
I feel like I did not get a proper feel for this little cafe the only time I went, so I would like to give it another chance, but for the time being, my feeling is that it is just ok. I went during the columbus marathon; it was being run right past the windows of the restaurant so we stopped in after watching the runners for awhile. They had a special limited marathon breakfast menu with only 3 options on it. I chose the omelette which was kind of disappointing. There was not much to it-the fillings were lost in the eggs, and I had to search to find the ham. There definitely was not much cheese to be had either... I would have been better off just ordering scrambled eggs and saving the few dollars. Everyone seemed friendly enough, but I think they were distracted by the event outside the windows as well. Like I said, this was a special circumstance, so I hope to upgrade this quaint place to more stars in the future
(3)
Kaoru M.
The Grandview Cafe used to be one of our favorite dining spots when we lived in Grandview. Their menu has a little more variety to it compared to similar pub type restaurants (we love their hummus!), the prices are reasonable, and their beer list has a fair amount of variety. They also have a fairly decent patio seating, which a few years ago I would've called one of the best in Grandview. (Nowadays the patio at the Winking Lizard down the street is way better.) Maybe my perspective has changed since we moved out of Grandview, got married, bought a house, and had a baby... but my most recent trip to the Grandview Cafe was not so good. First, the parking, or the lack thereof. There's like 6 spots available across the street behind Panzera's pizza, but if those are full, you need to find street parking somewhere nearby... which can be difficult. Upon walking in, I was hit with a foul odor. I personally thought it smelled like the sewer backed up into the bathroom, but a review by Mark H. describes it as "dirty, bleach mop water." We were meeting a friend here though, and she had already grabbed us a seat, so I ignored the odor and sat down. (Fortunately my nose became acclimated to the air inside and I stopped smelling the odor.) I should note, the restaurant has never smelled like this in any of my previous visits. As soon as we sit down, the lady sitting in the booth behind us stands up and proclaims to the entire restaurant, "I DO NOT DO BABIES" and demands that she be moved elsewhere. Our server of course prioritizes her demands, and we are forced to wait for service. True, having a crabby bitter woman as a customer is not the Grandview Cafe's fault. But it did further dampen my mood after the initial odor of the restaurant. Fortunately, the remainder of our meal was fine. The drinks and foods came out as ordered, were tasty, and our server was fairly attentive. 3 years ago, I would've given the Grandview Cafe 4 stars. My most recent visit was 2.5 stars. I'll take the average and give 3 stars to this particular review. I'll give them a try again sometime...
(3)
Robert S.
Had dinner today with a friend. Beautiful day so we sat on the patio. Our waitress was nice but I wish she would have checked on us a little more often. We both got the burger special. I asked for mine medium well. My burger was a little more well done/Charred in places but overall was good. The steak fries were tasty and had some nice seasoning on them. Overall I was pleased with my meal.
(4)
Douglas G.
Im a big fan of this restaurant, and since discovering it earlier this year i have been there plenty of times. I usually go for their "sunday funday" brunches which are on both saturday and sunday. To start, if you dont get the bloody mary youre just doing it wrong. They make their own bloody mary mix which kind of has a pizza sauce taste and just the right ammount of spice. Im a bit of a bloody mary snob and these definitely pass the test. After a couple bloodys, its time to eat of course! Ive had most of the items on the brunch menu, and have never had one i didnt enjoy. My favorite is probably the eggs benedict which is pretty traditional but done very well. I also love to get the half order of biscuits and gravy if i feel like getting the Fiery Feta appetizer first, which is just a wonderful appetizer. Overall, its a great place, especially for a bar grill, with great service and i am happy to be a regular there!
(4)
Mallory B.
This place is NOT my favorite food-wise- yet I find myself here about 5x/month.. It's close to home, and they have the BEST bloody marys in Grandview.. Maybe not the best.. DK diner holds that title with me (bacon wrapped tater tots- omg), but who wants to wait 2 hours while hungover in the heat or cold to be seated for brunch? Not this gal. I've never had to wait for a seat here no matter the time and I like that. Also, the prices are reasonable and the servers are great, so I come back.
(3)
Han T.
An intimate and cozy little spot for a one on one dine-in. Fair prices on drinks. Service was impressively timely and pleasant. They have a separate brunch menu which means... Heck yeah I'm gonna check out this place when I'm not trying to get hammered. A younger crowd can be seen here. Singles mingling and couples hanging out. Overall very relaxed and cozy place to enjoy your outing at.
(4)
Erin D.
We made our way here after dinner at Spagio and sat on the patio for OSU game. Our waitress was super attentive. There is really nothing special about this place and the fact it was pretty dead on a Saturday night leads me to think no one else thinks so as well. It took a nosedive shortly before closing time. Friend wanted a late night snack and ordered nachos. While it was a good portion, there were maybe 10 chips on the plate. The rest was a heap of nacho-mess toppings. We asked for more chips but were told all the food is immediately under lock and key at 1 when the kitchen closes. Um...ok. That sounds a bit drastic and like a lie. Then this gal's phone was dangerously on battery so whipped out my charger to plug into an outlet outside. Was met w/ yelling, "hey! Hey! Hey! Why are you doing that? You'll bring down the electrical. You don't listen when someone is yelling at you?!?" That's dude name was Bart and he has a beard. I was in the wrong for attempted electricity stealing. Think could've been handled differently. I explained that I needed more battery to order Uber and was told again in the loveliest of tones, "Leave. Just get out." No problem, not coming back.
(2)
Lauren W.
We love this place! Especially the patio. Great food and a great spot to meet up with friends.
(5)
Phillip J.
I'll preface this review by saying I've only been to the Grandview Cafe for trivia night so it is possible you might have a different experience when it is less crowded. The food is forgettable. It passes as decent bar food, but that's it. I would stick with the appetizers. The have a few beers on tap, and they do a pretty good job of rotating their selection. Mixed drinks are about what you'd expect at any typical bar, but they have a few local liquors too. The main turn off for me is the service. It always feels like I'm inconveniencing the bartenders when I get a drink. Their point of sale system really seems to slow things down too. The bartenders seem to spend more time with the POS than helping customers. Perhaps it's just due to being understaffed. Oh and there's a $10 minimum for credit card purchases. What year is this? If you're going for trivia night, you will probably have a good time. But that credit should go to Columbus Trivia, more than Grandview Cafe.
(2)
Melissa B.
My husband and I stopped in here one evening last week because we hadn't been in years, and figured it could be fun to go to a trivia night. The place was not at all the way I remembered. We decided to sit inside because the patio was overwhelmingly hot and the smell of garbage was pretty putrid (also the servers and guests smoking cigarettes outside was a turn-off), but honestly the inside wasn't much better. First of all, the music was way too loud and terrible. I could hardly have a conversation. I ordered a beer and a burger-ten minutes later I get a warm beer in a dirty, sticky glass that I couldn't even finish, the water had a foul taste and smell to it. I could see the burger I ordered sitting in the kitchen window for about 10 minutes before it got to my table, and when it did it was so greasy and lukewarm I didn't even want to eat it. I noticed small flies around the overflowing trash cans around the building, the bathroom was just gross (even my husband commented on the smell of the men's room and he's usually pretto oblivious to that kind of stuff), It was an overall disgusting experience. I should've just ordered takeout because it would've been cheaper and at least edible.
(1)
Sagnik R.
Bad service. They wouldn't take our orders on time. Took forever to serve the food. The food was alright. But an overall okay experience.
(1)
Jay F.
The bartender choked me out, held me in the choke hold for more than 15 seconds, ripped my clothes, and kicked me out of the bar--shocking more than 30 people at the downstairs bar. Back story: We had a tab open at the upstairs bar. We went down to see a friend and the bartender asked if we would like another. We said sure, since we needed an extra beer on our tab to close out the $10 minimum. As he poured, he asked for our method of payment and we told him we had a tab open. He asked if it was upstairs, and we said yes. He revealed that the system upstairs and downstairs was separate and we needed to pay him separately--thus requiring us to drink even more beer to close our tab (keep in mind we are driving). We shared this concern with him, and he said "sorry you gotta buy this beer". To which we said, no, we do not. We are not required to do anything, and we will go back upstairs to order the beers required to close out our tab. Bartender hops the bar and puts me in a choke hold as the entire bar freaks out. Kicks us out, with our tab still open. We find a $25 charge on the tab the next morning. This would have been our second beer of the evening. Do not go to Grandview Cafe
(1)
Dru B.
I was excited to try this place until I got my food. The burger wasn't cooked properly, the cheese was lumpy and chicken was bland. I ended up getting food poisoning that night and felt it for a few days after. Our waitress was great though and she didn't mind asking the cook when I had questions about the menu or substitutions. Can't blame the food being poorly made because of traffic, it was a slow day even post OSU Game. Needless to say I will not be returning to this establishment and won't encourage others to but everyone should experience things on their own. Just have some electrolytes and crackers handy for the next day.
(1)
Matt R.
Don't go for the food, see some awesome cover bands, and play some trivia. I'll agree with everyone here that the food isn't going to blow you away. You're already at Grandview Cafe and you want something to eat? By all means, dig in. It's just not a place you should go out of your way for food. One thing you can get at Grandview Cafe is awesome cover bands. I was here the other night for the Wet Bandits and they were killing it with some Wallflowers and, yes, Matchbox 20. It's loud upstairs with the smaller space so be prepared for that. The other thing you can get at Grandview Cafe is trivia on Mondays, Tuesdays, and Thursdays. Word to the wise: get there at least at 7:30 (30 min early) if you ever want to have a prayer for seats, especially on Thursdays. Overall, Grandview Cafe adds a little drinking and entertainment pizzazz to the Grandview area that is otherwise a little light in that area.
(4)
Carol N.
Met my husband here for lunch today. We sat at a booth in the bar area and were promptly greeted by the incredibly friendly bartender. Service was fast and attentive. We both had the meatloaf sandwich and i was delicious - perfect for a dreary, rainy day. The chips were fantastic as well, but I couldn't finish them. We were in and out in about 40 minutes. I'd love to come back for trivia or just to hang out with friends.
(5)
Shannon M.
I love the food at this place. Every co-worker that I've taken here loves it, too. My favorite things are their buffalo fries, grilled cheese with ham, and french onion soup. Literally everything I've ever got I loved though. Can't go wrong with this place. And the prices are SO low too!!!! One of my top fave places to grab grub from for sure.
(5)
Helen W.
Yummy! Great location, awesome service. Love the atmosphere of this place. The waitresses are always friendly and know the menu
(5)
Jordan B.
This is a typical 'local cafe'. The food is average but good, inexpensive, with a cute diner atmosphere. Nothing special but nothing bad about the place.
(3)
Keith B.
I've been here a few times over the years, and I popped in recently for a date. It's... kind of a townie bar that caters to everyone well. The food isn't amazing, but it isn't bad (and perhaps, most importantly, it's consistent). The service has always been decent. The patio - two levels, always packed. All in all, I feel like people feel the need to tout it because of its name, its age, and its location. It's a good spot! But it's not really "the place" I think of, or tell people about, in the area. It's just another local bar, with okay food and beer selection. It's hard to go wrong, but there is so much better.
(3)
Hannah B.
The food is just alright. Pretty neat atmosphere. We got the chicken salad wrap and 2 speciality hot dogs. Pricey for the quality of our food. I'm glad we tried it out, but I won't be rushing back.
(3)
Maxson G.
You guys will continue to get one-star reviews until your servers learn to be servers. I don't think I've had more inattentive service in my life. And if it were a one-time problem I wouldn't leave this review, but it happens almost every time. 10 minutes while servers walk right by us without greeting us. Then almost another 10 minutes for two drinks. And the kicker was that they weren't even that busy.
(1)
Ambrosiac V.
great location, sometimes hard to find parking. the food is overpriced, I can honestly say I feel cheated when I eat here. 5 stars for service and atmosphere but that's easy. my advice to them: make better food or charge less. I'll come and bring friends once you do.
(1)
Suzanne K.
I previously gave Grandview Cafe a very positive review based on very positive experiences there. Since then, I have been several times, and the calibre of the food has been embarrassingly awful. Brown lettuce, tasteless re heated fries. I was just in last weekend for brunch. Ordered an omelette with mushrooms, bacon and provolone. I think there were two mushrooms, a slice of cheese, and old reheated bacon in that $9 omelette. Stale fries. Tsk tsk. Great location, great patio. Don't understand why they have such low standards for their food.
(2)
Walt S.
Why 3-stars? I want to give Grandview Cafe' more yet I can't get out of the VIllage of A-OK for various reasons. I think it is due to; (a) tight quarters on the main floor for dining; (b) a lackluster outdoor patio downstairs with service that is just kinda "eh"; (c) the inconsiderate nature of music and trivia upstairs for the patrons downstairs; (d) parking is almost non-existent and finally; (e) that darned front step that I trip over walking in and fall off of when I'm walking out (petty but it peturbs me and you KNOW that step if you've been there). So why Grandview Cafe? Location, location, location and better than average food. I've enjoyed at least 3 different cheeseburgers and they are good. The reuben sandwich is above par. I really like their chicken salad wrap with a side of onion rings. Onion Rings!!! They're darned good at Grandview Cafe in my humble opinion; always piping hot and variety (Big to small). And Fish 'n Chips is good... oh, and their steak & potato soup, too. So food wins out for me. I'm not a trivia guy so that evening is a write-off for me. And as far as watching sports on TV, Grandview Cafe isn't all that conducive to it. Small place where friends meet for beers and burgers and conversation. Nice rectangular bar downstairs for the local patrons to hang out. Grandview Cafe makes me a patron about once every two months... for the food. That's the Village of A-OK, isn't it?
(3)
Tim S.
Overall this is a solid place to hang out and have a bite to eat. Decent food, good beer and average prices. It's in a good location, right in the middle of grandview and very accessible. Nothing really makes me love this place, but I've never left that disappointed. The back patio is really nice, great view of the grandview area, and has a tv for your viewing pleasure as well. Check this place out on a nice summer night with a few friends.
(3)
Lust L.
small. boring. dead. expensive. a bunch of dudes
(1)
Joe B.
Great Patio.
(4)
John S.
A solid Bar/Restaurant with a good trivia night on both Tuesday and Thursday nights. The atmosphere is warm with dark woods and copper metal working throughout. The seating is comprised of a center stage rectangular bar with bar-tops and booths on apposing sides. The service is good and the food is decent but the reason I come here is the good company and great atmosphere *its also a short walk from my home :) The outdoor patio offers two separate levels and is one of the Best patio's in the area. If you're looking for a nice comfy place to toss back a few pints and a meet up with friends; this place is perfect. Its easy to locate and offers a good starting point to any evening.
(4)
Renee B.
My experiences here have been mediocre at best. Trivia night and live music make this an easy spot to meet up at if you're looking for a group-friendly place; however, the standards of service and quality of food are quite lacking. I have never had less than a 20 minute wait for my food, no matter if I had ordered an app or a full entre. Today during my most recent visit, we ordered burger sliders, for which they burnt a regular burger to a crisp (not the meaning of "well") and then quartered it for each sandwich. 3/4 of the condiments on the table were mere empty bottles, the French fries were lukewarm, and the chips were burnt. Our server Corey was great; however, when we were leaving we encountered another server loudly accosting customers over their parking situation or something of the like? God bless whoever gets her as a server - I have never seen such unprofessional behavior, and honestly after this last experience, I will think long and hard about ever visiting this restaurant again.
(2)
Christopher G.
Not sure how I missed giving this place its review since Ive been going there for 40 years, AND all my high school reunions are held there, but lets go... This place is an area landmark. While not in Grandview Heights proper, it is named for the avenue adjacent to it. It has stood the test of time, opened in 1925, my father first took me there to eat in the early '70s. It has gone through many changes, and while it used to be a local watering hole, it is now over run with non-local wanna-be hipsters. The ambiance: Loud and sometimes crowded. Dont look for this place for a romantic dinner with your significant other, however, the decor is nice. Entertainment: Their infamous trivia night is the best around! It too can get crowed, but its always good stuff, every Monday, Tuesday, and Thursday nights. Karaoke every Sunday night, and live music Friday and Saturday nights...good stuff indeed! Food: This place can be hit or miss. Some stuff is real good, like their Fish and Chips, Oriental salad, and Italian sub. Other stuff that is meh, is their wings and nachos. And stay completely away from their spaghetti and meatballs, yuck. Drink: Full service bar, but just a decent beer and wine selection. I would like to see more exotics and craft beers, and better wines. Price: Id say this place is a little on the pricey side, but thats expected for the area. Ive never had "bad" service here, but as I said, it can get real busy, so be prepared to wait a minute on your refill. Over all, Im a fan, and will be returning when ever in the area.
(4)
Catherine J.
Grandview Cafe is kinda like that annoying friend you miss if you haven't seen him/her in awhile, but remember why you've not been so eager to set up a playdate about 20 minutes into hanging out. I've had great times at Grandview Cafe, and I find myself there pretty often (considering I only give it 3 stars), and even sometimes suggesting it to out-of-towners (if I don't know their tastes that well). I find Grandview Cafe's appeal to be almost coercive, and for every high there is a low: - The location is great if you're making "a night" of it out in Grandview (but parking blows) - I always see someone I know (could be good or bad, amirite?!) - The menu is broad, something for everyone (but waaay overpriced) - decent patio drankin' (but always crowded and understaffed) - bustling trivia crowd (but this "crowd" consists of a lot of brosephs, and you really have to get there early to poach a table). When I think of my best memories here (of which there are many), it has often been due to the company-- Grandview Cafe just happens to be in the right place at the right time.
(3)
Zack R.
Our server was super fast, super friendly, and super helpful. Super duper. We started with the nachos with all the junk on them. Good chips, meh toppings. The Buffalo chicken wrap and balogna sandwich were just ok too. Nice location though. Parking in the area is what it is. It's Grandview Ave. Also no need to complain about cover charges for live bands. I don't like working for free.
(4)
Nan B.
We've been to Grandview Cafe a few times before and had good food with okay service, but we went on Sunday afternoon with a party of 8 and were sadly disappointed. There was a table that had not been cleared, paid checks still at the table, etc. We stacked the dishes and the check folders to the side and sat and waited for a server. No one ever showed up to clean the table or wait on us. We left. Appeared to be very understaffed. No one even approached the table (the bartender came nearby and changed the channel on the TV, though) and asked us to give them a moment. May try one more time, but that would be my limit.
(1)
Lisa E.
I have been going here for over a decade! Whenever I am in town, I always have to stop in to 'The Cafe'. THE PROS: -most of the bartenders -atmosphere (generally busy, and that cheers kind of neighborhood bar feel) -live music -good food -the owner (he is a riot) -location -lots of TVs for sports -Sunday brunch -SUNDAY FUNDAY THE CONS: -weekend evenings can be TOO packed -food is not comparatively outstanding (hard to compete with some of the amazing bar food in Grandview/Short North) -the service at the tables can REALLY suck! I now ALWAYS sit at the bar. (I should note, I know they have been working on this, but I gave up long ago). -parking I will always love this place along with the neighborhood. It is a staple of Grandview. No matter how long, I can walk in and someone always knows my name and wants to know where I have been (and I don't even live in this state anymore)...Also not in a nosy way, but a rather genuine way. That is what makes this place priceless! See you next time! :)
(4)
Pat P.
That neighborhood bar where you can go in and everyone knows your name? Probably not, because It's often pretty busy. But, There's a good chance at least the staff will know you! I end up here a lot, just to have a drink and meal. Its not the fanciest place, but its comfortable, everyone is nice, and service is always good. The food is usual bar fare at reasonable prices. The only (small) complaint I would have is the small selection of beers on tap. But they cover the basics, so it's not too bad. Live music, trivia, and karaoke are all a plus upstairs. The bands are usually pretty good if you want to see, and if not, you can stay downstairs and chill with the jukebox.
(3)
Wade D.
A really cool, fun, laid back place with good food and great drink specials! Definitely represents how great Grandview is!
(5)
Tiffany Y.
I really wanted to like this place. They don't serve pitchers. Limited drafts on tap. I do like the way the place is set up though - cozy bar/restaurant vibe. The food is mediocre. We ordered Buffalo French Fries, which came out to be steak fries you find in your local supermarket smothered in bottled buffalo sauce. Our burgers came out to be bland, unseasoned - very inoffensive. Unfortunately, I don't think I'll be coming back. 4 pints, 1 appetizer, and 2 burgers for $50? I'd rather spend that money elsewhere.
(2)
Bee S.
Ok. After going to trivia here about 4 times, I am addicted!! I've gotten over the average food and even more average service. Parking is still a nightmare, but at least I've never not been able to find a spot. I will probably only ever keep coming here for the trivia only. The waitresses are always in a hurry (understandably so), so it's kind of hard to get everything you want and need (like... silverware...) so make sure you cover your bases in the 0.02 seconds they are at your table. If you're a trivia newbie, here are some tips: 1) Get there early. Like... 6:30-6:45pm (trivia starts at 8pm). They actually let you save a huge table if only a few people are there, so that's pretty nice. 2) Order all your drinks and food at the bar. It's so much faster and they just open a tab. Waitresses are there only for bringing your food and removing empty glasses. 3) Think of a clever team name. Use cheesy puns, current events, etc. Usually the more vulgar and inappropriate it is, the better... this took me some getting used to, but it's all in good fun.
(4)
Shannon H.
Great location, and an awesome two-tiered patio. Unfortunately, I have the impression they decided this was "good enough" and basically called in the rest. Their food is okay, nothing to write home about. Their draft beer selection is wanting. Overall, I don't think Grandview cafe is egregiously overpriced, but given their pretty "meh" food and drink offerings, I never feel like I get my money's worth. I know everyone is entitled to their opinion, but in my book, I'll reserve Grandview Cafe visits for times when a) I can't convince my friends to go elsewhere or b) I'm too tired to go a little farther out of my way to find something better.
(2)
James S.
This place is extraordinarily average. From the waitstaff/bartenders down to the food and music. 4 or 5 beers on tap, several TVs, typical bar menu. Go there for a drink and a bite...or don't.
(3)
Travis U.
GC seems to have the most bipolar reputation out there. I know people that rave about the place. Then I know people that can't stand it and will never go. For the time I lived near here, Grandview Cafe was OK, and I've gone back since. It's just very mediocre. I've gone here with friends, gone here for drinks after a date, and gone by myself to get drunk and drown sorrows. OK, I haven't done that--but I think it might be good for that if that's your thing. A few times I went here I was annoyed because there was a cover to go upstairs (sorry GC, you will never merit a cover charge) and the downstairs was too crowded. But the patio is really good and large. Literally the only constant is this one asshole bartender who is legitimately the worst bartender in Central Ohio. And he is ALWAYS THERE. I realize the good looking girl next to me will get served first, that's just common knowledge and an unfortunate bias that I can tolerate (because at least there's good looking girls around). Unfortunately, these are the ONLY people he serves. I've had him serve a girl then stand there and look around waiting for another one while multiple guys wait for the other bartender to come back. I'd be willing to bet this guy's "maybe if I serve her quick I'll get laid" attitude has actually never panned out as he'd hoped--cuz they don't like him either. Every bar has that one crappy worker--this guy beats em all.
(3)
Jon C.
Another location (I forget which) has a motto..."good food, bad service". Grandview Cafe should take a page from them with this motto "good environment, bad service". Every time I have been to Grandview Cafe, I have had a mediocre meal, at a relatively high price. Going directly to the bar for a beer is a little faster, but the bartenders are still quite slow compared to other places. Despite this, the place looks great. It has a great patio, with excellent views of Grandview Ave.
(2)
Liz M.
This space has so much potential. I wish it was better! I've been to Grandview Cafe many times and perhaps 5 years ago, I would have given it 4 stars as it had great food and good service and was a fun place. Now, GC is not a place I identify with good service, value, or yumminess. I had been going often with friends for trivia and the food was consistently bad and overpriced. Drink weren't cheap either. Not to mention their bar tender (Dane Cook look alike) only served you when he felt like it and made lude comments often. Anyway, I haven't been back in a long time even though trivia there was always lots of fun. It's just that there's trivia elsewhere at places I can get better food and better service. I wish someone would buy out Grandview Cafe and make it great! Anyone wanna loan me some money? I've got great ideas ;o)
(2)
Joe G.
This place is so awesome! Great food, good drink options and I love the patio bar on the second floor. I love their burgers.
(4)
Al H.
Place is great, good drink selection and nice happy hour. Would get 5 stars but the service is a little slow sometimes
(4)
Jennifer S.
We went here on a Thursday to check out their infamous trivia night. It was extremely loud and crowded with a number people whom I can most politely describe as meat heads. The food was really not good. I ordered the "famous" tomato soup, grilled cheese and the steak fries. The fries were thick and potatoey, but they only have Hunt's ketchup! Why would anyone have anything other than Heinz? The tomato soup tasted strongly of vinegar and the grilled cheese wasn't cooked all the way through. Their beer selection was the best thing they have going for them, and they have lots of local beers on tap. The trivia game itself was really fun, though, and I'm glad we went. The host was great and the game is well organized. Not sure we'll go back to trivia here even though its the best we've found in Columbus so far. Bodega on N. High St. has decent trivia too on Sunday nights. In a nutshell: don't go here for the food; go here for the beer.
(2)
Maryann H.
Ordered blacken chicken and it was so over seasoned it was not edible. Atmosphere depressing.
(1)
Janna B.
Ok- I am impressed. After a personal email from the folks at grandview cafe, they are aware and working on improving their image- even building an entirely new menu. I gotta give them credit, as a grandview resident I will be stopping by soon to check it out!
(3)
Sam U.
Went here recently for trivia night. Had a great time, but was disappointed to get my tab and find that draft beers upstairs are $5 each, for a small glass. That's fine at a baseball game, but at a local bar? The beer was good and the service was fine, but there's much better places in Grandview to hang out.
(2)
Brigid N.
Good place to drink, NOT to eat. Food is constistantly a disappointment. Overpriced, comes out cold, soggy, or gross, there is always something wrong with it. I've had decent service here, but one time my friend and I sat at a table outside for 30 MINUTES without someone taking our drink order! We left. It's a fun place to throw a few beers back, and sometimes they have good bands. That's about it though.
(2)
Steve T.
We went to Grandview Cafe for trivia night on 12/27/11. It was a fun evening for our group but we ran into a very shady bartender when we were closing our tabs. Brandy (the bartender) intentionally double-charged us for a round of shots by putting the full amount on two separate tabs. When we brought this to her attention, she did not even apologize. What a shady bartender and shame on Grandview Cafe for allowing these practices to occur. AVOID this establishment or at least carefully review your tabs.
(1)
Jackie P.
Grandview Cafe.... what are you on Sunday afternoons? A place where graduated frat bros come? Family friendly brunch dining? Casual 20-something hungover food? A Sunday sports bar? A divey-local joint? Quite honestly, I don't really know. What are you trying to be?!?! I have only been here for their Sunday brunch - which is delicious in it's own right! The eggs benedict and huevos rancheros were both appetizing on my growling stomach. However, service can be hit or miss. On a busy brunch day, expect slow(er) service than normal. Even when sitting at the bar. On a normal brunch day, the service can be just right. Not too invasive, but still there if you need refills or anything. About their bloody mary's....why do you put lemons in them? I'm just curious. Also, to the drunk douchebags sitting at the bar......smh, it was only noon, and you're rambling on about the inappropriate things at the top of your lungs. Not the cafe's fault, but just know the environment you may be getting yourself in to! It can feel like 1AM on a Saturday night even at 1PM on a Sunday afternoon. Forewarned. Good luck finding parking ;P
(3)
Doug O.
I'm a fan of this Grandview bar. The food is very tasty bar food. The beer isn't especially high-end, but it's better than just domestic macros on tap. The patio area is great because there's tons of space and it's mostly covered, so there are plenty of shady seats. Good place to watch OSU football games. Trivia on Tuesdays and Thursdays upstairs is a good time, but get there early for a seat. Try the hockey fries. They're delicious.
(4)
Nicole W.
I wanted to love Grandview Cafe - I really did. But I left feeling "meh..." While the menu looks superficially delicious, I found the food mediocre at best. I've tried several of the soups, sides, and my group had a wrap, burger, and sandwich -- all just decent. I wouldn't say the menu is overpriced if the food had a *wow* factor, but because it was so average, I felt we overpaid. They also do not have a great beer selection (beers you can get anywhere, only a few interesting ones on tap) and the happy hour doesn't make you feel all that happy because you barely save anything! I gave this place three stars because I have had exceptional wait staff and want to give credit where credit is do. Both had very unique personalities and were very helpful and entertaining. Will give trivia a try to see if this changes my review.
(3)
KP K.
Being new to Columbus - I kept hearing how great Grandview is. The area is ok, but, I am not sure where all the hype comes from. This is a decent bar. Service is pretty good. It is clean, they seem to incorporate live music and events from time to time. I would call it a decent bar.
(3)
Brandon S.
Pros: Trivia Cons: Everything else
(1)
Kimberly C.
A little bit of small town near the city...that's how I feel about GV Cafe. I grew up in a small town so I need a bit of this every once in a while. The location is good and the patio is perfect for a spring or fall day. The food is a little bit more like bar food than I expect for the price (compared to others in the area) and the service is hit or miss. I would recommend going...occasionally or for a short, small event.
(3)
Danny F.
Love this place. Foods not bad, staff is always entertaining, can always plan on seeing a friendly face.
(5)
Jeana H.
I recently discovered Grandview Cafe and it is quickly becoming one of my favorite places in Columbus. We've had awesome service every time I've been there, and the food I've tried has been delish. (Granted, it doesn't take much to please these taste buds.) The patio is obviously wonderful too and I love the location: perfect people-watching spot. I'm assuming -- based on previous reviews -- that you'll probably have a better experience on a slow night. I say this based on the fact that I've only really been to GC on Sunday and/or Monday, and I've clearly had a much better experience than most. Maybe I'll test this theory then review again just to be sure. Also looking forward to a trivia night in my future. Overall, fun place!
(4)
Seth D.
Horrible experience. Like so pathetic it was funny. First off, karaoke here just sucks. It's so crammed and most people are turned away from the "stage" so you feel like you're just sitting there singing and no one cares. I guess if you like hearing pop country songs all night you might like it a little better. Then there was the bartender. He flat out refused to get me a cup of ice water after having 3-4 drinks! He said something like "we're not an ice house". Not sure what his problem was. And to top it all off this guy across the bar kept throwing coasters at the girl next to me and they were hitting me, so I threw one or two back and the bartender flips out on me like it's all my fault. Will not be back. Horribly run place.
(1)
Nathan H.
This place is average at best. Not a good beer selection. Food is average bar food. I've never really had a great time here. Patio is cool though.
(3)
Matt F.
Our rude waitress had to come back several times to confirm our very basic orders. I ordered the special (meatball sliders), which came out cold. My friend was charged for an extra beer, which he did order, but never received. Finally, our party of six was charged 20% gratuity, when the menu clearly said parties of 8 would receive said charge. Manager's explanation? "It was a misprint."
(1)
Big Baby Jesus C.
OK some people liked it here, some people didn't, let me help you decide, this place blows. Went here with a couple close friends to do a little drinking on a Friday night. We were all taking turns getting rounds, our usual MO. So when my turn comes, I tried to go buy a round of Irish car bombs (A boilermaker, half pint of Guinness, and a shot with Jameson's and Bailey's) and the bartender tells me "we don't serve those." I am confused by this, and reply, "Um, I see you have Guinness, Jameson's, and Bailey's, what's the problem?" He tells me, "People were getting too wasted." Huh, so since I am quick on my feet most of the time, I ask him, "Can I get 3 doubles of 151?" He says, "Sure." Don't you see it? Yet another establishment concerned totally with their "image" and not at all with being the best bar/restaurant. On top of this utter stupidity outlined above, all of the staff I dealt with were stuck up and snotty, and the prices are high too. You can do so much better for your money people.
(1)
Andy P.
There are so many things I would like to talk about when thinking about the Grandview Cafe. Firstly I will say one of the few complaints I have about the Cafe is that there is basically 0 parking for this restaurant. It is definitely a pain in the butt to find parking sometimes, but to counter, this restaurant is definitely worth the trouble. The atmosphere is very casual and laid back, the people who go there seem to be locals. It's great for anyone really, the only people I wouldn't suggest would be kids. The service can be a bit hit and miss, I've been there during times where the service was absolutely wonderful, but then at other times the service has been so slow and awful. But I always keep an optimistic attitude. One thing I will always get when going here in the hockey fries! It's probably the ONLY reason I go here lol I crave them every so often. It is like the perfect mixture of fries, mozz chess and gravy. I wish I knew their gravy secret so I could just make it myself. On to other items though, their chicken tortilla soup is just about as good as Betty's (which still has the best IMO). The fish sandwich is gigantic! If you order the fish & chips or the fish sandwich I hope you come with an appetite. The fish is perfectly fried to perfection and it's just a nice happy marriage of flavors. The buffalo chicken sandwich I had was sub par. It's basically a grilled/fried chicken sandwich with buffalo sauce (nothing to truly write home about). The Turkey Club will always be a safe choice bc let's face it, how can you really mess up a turkey club. All in all I always try to bring people here and suggest it to other people when ever I get the chance. It's a great restaurant with a very relaxed atmosphere and wonderful food. I have no issue putting the Grandview Cafe into my Top 10 Favorite restaurants!
(4)
Brad S.
One of the most maddening bars in Columbus. I simply have yet to have a fantastic time in here. Fun, enjoyable times? Definitely. But nothing that ever blows my skirt up and sadly, I'm pretty much resigned to the fact that it ain't gonna happen in my lifetime. The patio, for such an amazing location, sucks for some indiscernible reason. Maybe it's the volume level? It's like a library out here most of the time. Talk, people! Laugh! Have a good time, for chrissakes! You're getting drunk - this is supposed to be fun, remember? I've seen livelier patios next to the shuffleboard court on cruise ships. Also, the servers always seem confused. There is always an issue when you walk in to the bar and want to sit on the patio. The hostess never seems sure of how to handle it. "Oh, ummmm, yeah, I guess you can sit out there....I'm pretty sure there's a server out there...." Fail. I always have to end up coming in and ordering at the bar and taking my drink out to the patio......which, again, confuses the young chick who ends up finally strolling out to make her rounds. "Oh, um, you have a drink already.....did someone help you already or do you have a tab at the bar?" We also got the "um, my shift ends in 5 minutes, so do you mind if I cash you guys out?" question on my last visit, which always rubs me the wrong way. I don't usually eat food here because I was underwhelmed on too many trips in a row to make this a dining destination. I recommend the Grandview Cafe for either a late night nightcap kind of place, or a "start the evening" joint - sit at the bar, have one beer or one shot, then you should probably go ahead and book - it won't improve much and you'll likely start to get annoyed at some point by either the clientele, the atmosphere, or the service.
(3)
Josh O.
Not too much to like about this place. Beer selection isn't great and drinks and food are both overpriced. Collectively, the bartenders and waiters upstairs have to be the worst I've ever experience at a bar. They get low marks for bad service and just general douchiness. Trivia is fun and Steve does a good job but it's often way too crowded to enjoy and the house team wins almost every week. (Come on, you're telling me that the two bartenders who are working while trivia is going on are just that much smarter than the other 20 teams every week??) And parking is awful! It's nearly impossible. So basically, if you feel like driving around for an hour looking for a parking spot, waiting two hours to play trivia, overpaying for food and drinks, and having your waitress roll her eyes at you when you tell her she messed up your oder, Grandview Cafe is the place for you!
(1)
Marshall S.
The food was at times creative, but nothing special. Drink orders were missed, special instructions were missed, food that was supposed to be hot was not, and service was slow. I really wanted to like GC. Unfortunately, they really missed the mark.
(1)
Melanie B.
Lita Ford once sang, "Uh huh, it ain't no big thing... but I know what I like..." And what I like is not exactly embodied in Grandview Cafe. This place is pretty blasè. I guess I just thought a local cafe wouldn't have a laminated, flip book menu, and overpriced, generic food options. I ended up ordering something so unremarkable I actually can't recall, except that it came with a side of unremarkable mac n cheese - the reason I am reviewing GC now is because I keep driving by it and becoming enraged that it's not more awesome. My friends and I sat outside here on a blustery day last month, drinking seasonal microbrews and chatting. The service was weird. Our server inappropriately dressed (she was too old to have her ass literally hanging out of her short shorts - sorry to be catty but it was uncomfortable and daytime-inappropes! And if you know me, you know I usually have NO problems with a little sassy assy in my life, so...). Not only this, but she was inconsistent in attending to us, and sort of disengaged from the whole experience. Blerg. And as much as I adore Ms. Cheryl H., I'm going to have to disagree and say that the atmosphere here sucked - and it was Saturday afternoon. Nothing was doing, there was no audible music, and no people living it up. Daydrinkers, my beloveds, where WERE you all?! Perhaps one day when I'm looking to get obliterated, I shall text Cheryl and my fellow Yelp drinking buddies and we can try again. But for now, I get all crumply-faced every time I drive Grandview Cafe. Come on pretty bayyyyybeee kiss me deaaaaaaaadllllllly....!!!
(2)
Steven M.
Everything you could possibly need in the heart of Grandview: patio, beer selection, good eats, live music, trivia, karaoke, strong neighborhood vibe. This place is always popping, which might be a bit of a knock, and the menu is fairly basic and reasonable. Fun place to party, but a bit more crowded than your typical neighborhood bar.
(4)
Chris H.
I've only ever gone here for lunch or late lunch. I have yet to have good service.
(2)
Trenk J.
Always understaffed - but the food used to be good, seems that they cut corners on this last leg of acceptable service the last time I was there (for the price). Great casual atmosphere - and I was there with two folks who love cas - a college prof and a just graduated student... but, the prof never got his lemon, and the student never got a replacement salad dressing after spilling the original - and they were dying to go there! (Not again!
(2)
Molly B.
I'm not a huge fan of Grandview Cafe. My experience there last night solidified that. Negatives: The music is so loud inside that you can barely hear yourself think The crowd = douchebags The bartenders are a*holes The food is crappy and expensive The wine is barf-worthy Positives: The outside patio is pretty sweet in the summa' time It's close to where I live Ummmm....they serve alcohol
(2)
Rachel P.
Oy. What sort of place was this? Was it a diner? Was it a cafe? Was it a sports bar? I'm honestly a little confused and so is Grandview Cafe. Jon R. and I went on a gorgeous, warm Saturday night and were hoping to sit outside. However, there was 15 minute wait for a patio table and being from the East Coast, 15 minutes is an outrageously long time to wait for the both of us. So we sat inside. I am regretting not being patient and waiting the 15 minutes. There was an OSU game on and about 7 fans were packed around the bar. These fans made as much noise as 50 OSU fans packed around the bar. I mean, this was the game where we were winning 74 - 23. WHY ARE YOU ALL STILL SCREAMING?! The food was alright. I had the spinach and artichoke dip, which was was different, but still good. The dip came in a casserole dish and I had to kind of punch through the hard shelling of seasoned salt and cheese to get to the warm gooeyness inside. I had thought it might be a little bit salty though Jon R. had the burger, which he said he liked. Honestly, it was pretty good, but it isn't anything I would ever crave. It's one of those places that if a friend brought me to I wouldn't mind, but it wouldn't be the place I would bring them.
(3)
Andrew M.
This place has gone way downhill. I think the food is not even edible. The two times I have had lunch, I was so mentally scarred that I'm surprised I even gave this place a 3rd try for happy hour. We sat at the bar and had cocktails. The worst in town. There was no liquor in the drinks, and they aren't cheap either. I used to love their Karaoke night but now with all the other places that offer Karaoke, the Grandview Cafe is no longer a place I'm interested in going to.
(2)
Heather G.
I want to you to be more than A-OK Grandview Cafe, I really do. I dig your location and local bar vibe but I keep being disappointed. This is an okay place to go during the week. I agree with other reviews, the food is really just average. Nothing has stood out for me. Last time I was there the service was really bad. It wasn't busy but we waited a long time to place our order and get our food. I'll probably wait for patio season before I return.
(3)
Tom M.
You really have to try the hot dogs. They have a variety to choose from and are pretty good.
(3)
Reuben B.
The location is prime and the atmosphere is simply great. The booths are quite comfortable and there are plenty of big tvs in the bar area to catch your favorite sports game. I ordered their "signature" fish and chips. The meal itself was nothing to write home about. The french fries were of a great consistency and doneness. However, they were marred by a hint of sour cream and onion flavor (this is probably just a personal taste thing). The fish overall tasted relatively good given the Ohio location. The biggest complaint is that the portion was a little bit small for the price. Service was overall attentive. Definitely, this place seems like a comfortable local hang out with a cozy bar area and solid food.
(4)
Sarah H.
triviaaaaaaa! I am a huge fan of trivia. Especially trivia that welcomes unsavory team names and notes written on answer sheets. Trivia is every Tuesday and Thursday upstairs, starting at 8pm. Unfortunately, if you want to actually play trivia, you have to get there at 6:45pm. Which is absurd. I mean, I'm used to arriving a half hour early for trivia, but 75 minutes early? That's insanity. Trivia categories tend to lean towards American History and Pop Culture, so brace yourself if you're nerds (like my team): you're not going to do so well with the pop culture. We always cheer when they finally get to the singular science and singular anagram rounds. Anyway, aside from the trivia fun times, GVC isn't that exciting. The food is overpriced and uncreative bar fare. They have deep fried twinkies that I have yet to try, but someday I'm sure I will. I have not been impressed with their draft selection. Upstairs they usually have 3-4 taps, one of which is always Bell's Two Hearted (decent) and another which is always Stella (ew!). They have a few more downstairs, but they're equally unexciting - Guiness, Blue Moon, Magic Hat #9, etc. It's not crap, but it's not great. I also wish they had pitchers. For me, pitchers are mandatory for bar trivia.
(3)
Kevin G.
I went their the other night with a friend of mine and we had a fine time. The draft selection isn't super large though they had a variety of magic hat and great lakes which is nice... But the pricing is about on par with the winking lizard. I got the fish sandwich and it was tasty enough but I agree with some of the other review and wish that it had a little something extra to make me feel that it was worth the price. The tartar saw was lack luster... Granted I didn't use much cause I like my fish, and the chips were good though I wish they were still warm when my sandwich was served. All and all not a bad evening and it is one of the more low-key places on the grandview strip which makes it a nice hang out. They also have live music a couple of nights a week, but we didn't attend that.
(3)
Kyle J.
I go here Tuesdays and Thursdays for trivia. It's worth the crowds. I've also been late one Sunday for Karaoke and that was a riot. The food is honestly, just okay. Lots of 'sammichs' and burgers. The Mac and Cheese is my favorite and they have some veggie options which is alwasy good in my book. The beer selection is great and the patio is always packed on a Saturday night. It's also a short walk from almost anywhere in Grandview. Be careful parking on some side streets. Watch for permit areas.
(4)
Christiana C.
Any place that can make sliders classy can't be all bad in my book. Listen, it is what it is. I don't think Grandview Cafe will be my go-to cafe/tavern/bar/patio, but I liked it! If you wanted to go back, I wouldn't make faces or anything! I might even smile a little! With teeth even! But I don't think I'm going to suggest we go there. Especially to investigate this all day Sunday happy hour business. You can get breakfast and mimosas and bloody marys at a discount all day Sunday. Intriguing. What you might like here: full bar! pub food! decent service! If this sounds up your alley, I think you should give it a shot at least. My dining partner got the hummus platter and felt pretty good about it. I got the portabello mushroom sliders and they were pretty tasty. Was it the best portabello ever? No! Was I expecting it to be? Of course not!
(3)
Frances A.
Grandview Cafe or GC is my beau's favorite bar in Grandview. I'm not sure totally why, but I can appreciate why and therefore, I'm giving it 4 stars. First, location - this place is conveniently located in the heart of Grandview. Second, great setup - this is the quintessential neighborhood bar, with live music, and local watering hole gathering scene. The feel is good. The bar is sturdy and strategically placed in the center of the bottom floor surrounded by decent bar stools, tables and booths. All around, there are big and small, HDTVs for good viewing. There is a couple electronic poker machines for the bar fly or for the loner looking to look busy. There is a great upstairs space and the patio is my personal favorite. Though I haven't been to the upstairs patio yet... Third, food - bars need to have food and the menu here is extensive. Honestly, it is average but I think many men who like beer would find this menu to be pleasing... It is filled with bar staples like potato skins and cobb salads. Lastly, the management here has done a fantastic job keeping this place going. A lot of the Grandview residents come here and make this their meeting place for launching into other activities. It is probably a neutral first date place, a good third date place, and a great 'we're a couple' type of hangout because it is so friendly in there with lots of familiar faces.
(4)
Christina C.
I DOMINATE at Tuesday & Thursday night trivia! OK, that's a lie; but it sure is a helluva lot of fun! Sometimes, I feel like Grandview Cafe is my Cheers. Everyone doesn't know my name, but it sure does offer a diverse selection of tasty beer in addition to a friendly crowd. I've only tried a few of the menu items; the garden burger and hummus plate are two of my favorites. Two thumbs up for the two-story patio, kick-ass trivia nights and live music on Friday and Saturday. Double thumbs down for lack of convenient parking and the $3-$5 cover to enjoy the live band. Update to come when I get a chance to enjoy the famous Sunday brunch and evening karaoke.
(4)
Greg B.
Went on a Sunday afternoon and pretty quickly realized that those who were sitting outside got priority over the few of us who decided to sit inside. Nothing special food wise, I had a burger and onion rings and have had better but also have had worse as well. I'll have to go back and try some other items I had my eye on while perusing the menu.
(3)
Patricia K.
I agree with another reviewer - this place has major potential. I've been here probably 4 times; The first 3 times, food has been ok, but nothing to rave about, but I like the idea of a cafe/diner type place I could walk to from my apartment, so I kept going back. However, I recently had a really disappointing experience, to which I will never go back. I went to eat here for lunch/brunch on the weekend. Now granted, it seemed busy that day. I came in with 3 people, and the 4th person joined us a bit later. So we sat down, ordered our drinks. They arrived in a timely manner. Next, we ordered our food, including hockey fries as an appetizer. This is where the trouble starts. Maybe 30 minutes after we ordered, we realized 1 more person was joining, so we ordered a salad for her. In the meantime, we had received our hockey fries. It seemed like the hockey fries came out sort of slow, but I brushed it off thinking that we would probably get our meal soon. The 4th person arrives. About 15 minutes after, her salad arrives. We still have not gotten our food yet (even though we ordered a good 30 minutes before I put in the order for her salad). There in itself is an issue - how are we supposed to eat together when she has her food and we don't? At this point we had been waiting for our food for about an hour, so I asked the waitress/bartender that was serving us if our food was still coming. It was to the point where I thought maybe the waitress thought we had gotten our food already, because nobody had checked on us for awhile. She said, "I know, honey, the wait has been about 45 minutes for food. We had a big party earlier today." It was kind of condescending, and like most people, I don't really like to be called "honey" by random people. Also, no where in that sentence was an apology for the wait. As I was explaining to the table, "Oh, I just asked our waitress where our food was because ___ got her salad already", the waitress overheard and cut into our table to say something to the effect of, "We gave her her salad because..." and then literally I couldn't hear or understand her after that, so I still don't know why they did it, but I felt like it was kind of rude. Another 15 minutes goes by. The 4th person has actually finished her salad by now. At this point it seems a bit ridiculous - she's finished her food by the time ours has come out? At this point, we had been there for an hour and a half, and we had no idea when our food was coming out. We actually saw a table who had arrived a good 30 minutes after us get their food before we did. Typically I would give the benefit of the doubt (maybe they called in their order?), but the wait had simply been too long for our food - we were fed up. We simply asked the waitress for the check for the food we'd gotten so far, because we were leaving. Again, no apology, but they actually charged us for the food we ate; we paid the $15 for the salad & the hockey fries, and left. I'm glad we left, because if we had gotten our food anytime after waiting for so long, I would have felt like it was such a waste of money for such a negative dining experience. Unfortunately, I won't be going back.
(1)
Kimberly C.
Just moved to Grandview, and went here for the first time tonight for a couple beers. Granted, it was a monday night. Good laid-back atmosphere. Service was good, but a $5 blue moon...really? Got the quesadilla (underwhelming) but the hummus plate was quite delicious. Would go back for another try, but maybe during happy hour when the drinks are cheaper. I could definitely see how parking could be a pain, but isn't parking crappy in all of Columbus?
Takes Reservations : Yes Delivery : No Take-out : Yes Accepts Credit Cards : Yes Good For : Dinner, Late Night Parking : Street Bike Parking : Yes Wheelchair Accessible : Yes Good for Kids : No Good for Groups : Yes Attire : Casual Ambience : Casual Noise Level : Very Loud Music : Live Good For Dancing : No Alcohol : Full Bar Happy Hour : Yes Best Nights : Thu, Fri, Sat Coat Check : No Smoking : Outdoor Area/ Patio Only Outdoor Seating : Yes Wi-Fi : Free Has TV : Yes Dogs Allowed : No Waiter Service : Yes Caters : Yes
Anh Hai C.
Meh. Sub par food. Worse service
(2)Stacia K.
I'll start with food. It's really just overpriced bar food. I like the spinach and artichoke dip (ask for half chips and half pita) and the Sunday brunch is very good. Other than that it's nothing to make a trip for. We always joke that the hotness of the server is inversely proportionate to her serving ability. Now that's not always their problem; sometimes they seem to be understaffed, especially on weekend afternoons. Usually patio service isn't really speedy (or there at all), which is only a big deal if you have somewhere you need to be. This used to be our hangout for a few months and then the scene got kind of old. It's sort of hard to explain. There are some really cool people that hang out there and will chat, but then there's a pretty heavy d-bag crowd that will come in on the weekends, screeching girls and the like. We'll still go for weekend afternoons, but we don't really hit it up on weekend nights anymore. The patio is probably one of the BEST patios in town. The second story and part of the first story patio is covered (and heated in the winter) so you can still enjoy it during inclement weather. So there you go.
(3)Shawnie K.
Eh... I like it. But I don't go out of my way to eat here. I usually end up at the Grandview Cafe when my friend's band is playing upstairs, but I won't complain because the food is pretty darn good. The menu is a mix of homestyle comfort food and the usual suspects,like burgers, sandwiches and salads. The portions are great, as are the prices. I am not a fan of the ambiance. The massive island bar consumes most of the first floor, while a few booths and tables are shoved off along the side walls. I find it a bit claustrophobic if you aren't actually sitting at the bar, but most of my friends don't mind it. There's a few flatscreen TV's around the bar and a large one out back on the patio. I don't view the Grandview Cafe as a friendly "neighborhood bar", but when compared to the trendier, high-brow restaurants along Grandview Avenue, it seems more approachable. The upper floor has a full bar, tables, another outdoor patio and a dance floor. I almost prefer this space, which is open primarily on weekends when bands are playing, The Grandview Cafe scores some fun local bands that draw a wide mix of people. While patrons can hear the music from the first floor, a $5 cover is charged to head upstairs and watch the band.
(3)Emily H.
Surprisingly decent and quiet bar/restaurant in Grandview. The food is surprisingly upscale - grilled brie, salmon salads, and a whole page of vegetarian & lo-carb options. Not your typical bar fare, in other words. The cajun penne is perfectly spicy, not oily, and even better heated up for lunch the next day. Even though I have only visited once, I pass by frequently and it is always busy. If I lived in the neighborhood, this would definitely be my watering hole. It's quiet, clean, and has great food to munch on while you're passing some time with friends.
(3)Stephanie B.
On an afternoon after a trip to the eye doctor, Jeff wanted to take me out to lunch. I wasn't having a good morning, after spending over $300 on contacts and suffering through a day of dilated pupils. I swear, every time I go to the eye doctor and they dilate my pupils it's a very sunny day without a cloud in the sky. And this day was no exception. If you haven't ever had your pupils dilated, all you need to know is light really hurts your eyes. Anyway, enough about that. He drove us here because he had recently heard great things about it. At first glance I could tell why people liked it. The patio. Out in back, it's huge and lined with pretty plants and looks like such a peaceful and pleasant place to sit. But I wasn't doing that this afternoon. It was a little chilly, plus it would have killed my eyes. We had to drive around a bit to find a place to park and finally found one behind Spagio. I guess they share that lot with a few other places in the area. The lot's not easy to find a spot in, so consider yourself lucky if you find one on your first try. It was even crowded on this Tuesday afternoon. When we went in, I was relieved to see that it was sort of dark inside. Everything was wood-paneled and we got a booth that happened to be away from the windows lining the front and side of the building. Our server brought us our drinks and gave us our menus. I had no idea what I wanted, but Jeff got the GC Hockey Fries to start. The menu had a typical cafe fare, sandwiches, salads, appetizers, steaks, desserts, etc. This place definitely had a neighborhood feel to it, being comfy and simple. It definitely had a small town feel. When our appetizer came out I didn't know what to think of it. It was a pile of fries (which were thick-cut steak fries) smothered in brown gravy and gobs of mozzarella cheese. I am not a big gravy fan, and I tried a bit and it wasn't my thing. It was thick and peppery. I went for the fries that didn't have much if any gravy on them and had them with ketchup. They weren't bad, but there weren't many that weren't soaked in gravy. About the time we were finishing up with our fries, our lunches came out. I had the taco salad. It was the kind of the big crispy tortilla shell bowl. It had all the typical ingredients that you would expect in a taco salad, and there really wasn't anything special about it. It also wasn't all that big. I ate most of it, but there was no point in taking the rest home because everything had kind of run together and it was all mush. Jeff had the Club sandwich and really, it just looked like your typical club sliced into 4 triangles. He enjoyed it, but we both weren't a huge fan of the kettle chips that came with his sandwich. We'd both decided that we'd had better. The service was good - our waitress was attentive and made sure that our drinks were refilled most of the time. We were thirsty so we were going through them quickly. Our bill wasn't too bad, I guess. $6 for the appetizer, $10 for my salad (I think that was too much) and $8 for Jeff's club. I think that for food that tastes this middle-of-the-line, it could be a little cheaper. I think that maybe I didn't try one of the better options on the menu, but nothing else looked as appealing to bring me back in for another visit. It was OK, but that's it. I'd rather go somewhere else. Although I wouldn't mind trying Grandview Cafe out for happy hour sometime. I think I would enjoy coming out to sit on this patio and enjoy a few beers and maybe a different appetizer, like the Hummus and Grilled Pita. But I definitely won't come back here for an entire meal, especially if I can't sit out on the patio.
(2)Angie K.
Never had a bad time. Food is low on my list but scene is good.
(3)Joye P.
It's like a large "Cheers." Friendly, young, casual crowd. Moderate prices. Cozy for a date or a small group. Sometimes the bartenders get too busy to notice that you need a refill (hence I deduct a couple stars). Not good for large groups because it can get loud and crowded. Overall, I recommend.
(3)Marie S.
I really used to love this bar but over the past year the service has been really bad. Bartenders will ignore you forever, even when they're not busy. It's like they are having a contest to see who can be the rudest to customers all the time. I hope management reads this and corrects it, because I want to start hanging out there again.
(3)Pete C.
A lot of people go in to Grandview Cafe having no idea what to expect, and the first time I went there with friends was no different for me. Being in Grandview, my first guess was that it would be a place for people that are at least 3 or 4 years removed from college to dress up a little but still cut loose like they should on a weekend night. There's live music and a very respectable outdoor patio area, which always lends to a livelier atmosphere, right? Well, sort of. We decided to stop by after a light sushi dinner next door at Shoku (highly recommended!) to see what all the buzz was about over a few drinks, and we ended up being surprised at how enjoyable of a place GC is to be on a weekend. Most of the people seemed like they were there to have a good time and talk a little louder than they can at most of the other places in the area, which gave it a very fun, laid back vibe. The upstairs had some sort of karaoke thing going on, but it did little to interfere with the goodwill that my friends and I were experiencing. The drink prices were average and never ended up becoming an issue at any point in the night, which is a huge bonus if you know the kind of people I was hanging out with. After a few drinks we all decided to split a handful of appetizers between the five of us, which ended up being an awesome idea. The quesadillas, which were loaded with cheese and served with a heaping side of salsa (at our request), became a huge hit with the group. A large side of fries with a special ranch-type sauce for dipping were also enjoyed by many as well. Like I said before, this isn't a wild party atmosphere where you can cut loose and go nuts, but it's friendly enough to be a great place to go with a small group of friends that are still looking to get their drink on and not worry about offending tourists from the suburbs. The food is awesome, and the upstairs patio is one of the finest in Grandview if you're here on a warm spring evening.
(4)Cheryl H.
The first bar I ever went to in Grandview, long before living here, and one I still visit fairly often. I'm a big fan of the atmosphere, and they have a decent beer selection. The food is over-priced and under-great, but hey, after a few drinks who cares about a $12 burger? Also in good weather GC has one of the best patios around. Two stories. Smoker heaven.
(4)Jack S.
Loved my lunch here....upscale home made bar food and daily specials. I have not had a chance to enjoy it but the patio looks like a great weekend night spot. I'll be back soon!
(5)Joe C.
Working the overnight shift is one of the hardest things that a man can do. Mostly because when he gets off his shift at 9:00 in the morning, there are no happy hours to go to in the City of Columbus. Not that its the fault of the City of Columbus -- not by any means...but it is an annoyance. If you've ever worked the third shift, then you feel my pain. So even if you can't get to happy hour at 9:00 AM, you can still buy beer all day because of this state's great laws. But that being said...you get a lot of auspicious looks if you order a beer at 9:00 AM. Or even 11:00 AM, at some places. It forced me to ask the question: "What is a man to do in this town when all he wants to do is have a beer with friends at the end of his shift?" (Granted, the entire time, I could have bought a six pack of whatever the night before, and then my friends and I could have enjoyed it at Casa del Cowboy...but there's really not a whole lot of ambiance in my little room.) I was introduced to the Grandview Cafe to celebrate my friend's liberation from the place where we both worked. She had just gotten a MUCH better job in Cleveland, so we had to go out to celebrate her promotion. We decided on the Grandview Cafe based on the following criteria: 1) It was near where we worked. And by near, I mean maybe a half-mile down two streets. 2) The food prices were alright, and it was a good enough place to grab a late breakfast/early lunch. 3) They served beer as soon as they started opening at 10:00 AM. One of the hardest things about going to the Grandview Cafe was the fact that there is no actual parking AT the Cafe itself. The parking for the cafe is, in fact, across the street, where they share parking with another restaurant. It took me circling the building twice and parking in a tow-away zone to figure that out. Once that was all figured out, and I crossed the street, it wasn't much of a challenge from there. When you walk in, you'll feel like you walked in into any other generic Americana-themed restaurant...except with a Columbus theme. You know how everything in Grandview has that older feel? They took that theme when doing the interior decoration for the restaurant as well. The lunch crowd on a Tuesday wasn't so bad, and their wait staff is very friendly, to say the least. Not knowing what I wanted, or what was good there (because it was my first time there), I asked the waitress for her recommendation. She recommended the Buffalo Chicken Wrap -- and I just happen to love Buffalo Chicken. The wrap was messy...but its Buffalo Chicken -- what do you expect? Overall, it wasn't bad -- it really hit the spot for lunch with a couple of Blue Moon ales (on tap, no less). I ended up eating it with a fork. But it was quite refreshing, to say the least. The cafe itself is quite small -- The bar is the centerpiece, with booths lining the outside of the room. The name "Cafe," in the most traditional sense, can be very misleading, as this is more like a "Pub" than a "Cafe." All that being said, I must say that the inconvenience of parking, combined with the small venue has prevented me from going back to the Grandview Cafe. But I've also never been there when a band has played, or any trivia night, or other events they hold there. And those events could certainly have me coming back for more. If you're looking for a small, casual place, and you're in or near the Grandview Area, and you're looking for similar fare that you'd find at any other generic Americana Restaurant, I'd recommend Grandview Cafe to you -- its nice for a first or second date, or a small gathering of friends. But for anything more...I'd suggest finding a place with just a little more space.
(3)Jackie C.
I enjoy Grandview Cafe very much, it is a great place to meet friends for dinner and drinks after work. The happy hour is okay as far as prices are concerned, but the food is really good, especially the sliders that have been mentioned in previous reviews. If your looking for a big party atmosphere then this isn't your place, its laid back and the crowd is usually over 25 and thankfully has a very low chochkie (sp?) level. (Which I think Yelp should start measuring.) The patio at Grandview cafe is great and I have only been there once to see a live band, I must say I did enjoy myself very much. When they are really busy the service does suffer a little, but not so much to warrant me to not go. Definitely give it a try.
(4)Trent C.
The Grandview Café is located on the corner of 3rd and Grandview Ave in the center of Grandview. This place is a good local place to go for bar food and drinks, especially after EJ's shut down for a while. They feature 2 stories and the lower level is occupied by the bar and bar tables. The bar has plenty of space and always feature friendly bar tenders. There is a good selection of drinks to choose from. The food is typical American bar fare with your hamburgers, sandwiches and other fried foods. The weekends are easily the busiest times to visit but if you go on a weeknight you can still find a decent crowd. For the most part, you get younger people going here but don't be surprised to find some of the 40+ crowd here as well. Out the back they have a great patio which is always packed on OSU game days. Tuesdays and Thursdays are trivia nights and can also be quite busy. Food is priced well and so are the drinks. Best place in Grandview to go for bar food and a drink easily. Live local bands are also featured here so keep an eye on the upcoming schedule.
(4)Daniel C.
I live on the coast in SoCal, and when I saw "Famous" fish 'n chips in Ohio I was sceptical.... I was wrong! They were great; service great; atmosphere even better..... Try the Elevator Ale (local). Be There!
(4)Heather M.
We live in Grandview and really want and like to support the local businesses. We want to like this place but the last two visits have been awful experiences. The first time, it was a slow night and our food took 45 minutes to come out and the order was wrong. The second time, the service was also slow and the food literally made me sick. With all of the great restaurants in the Grandview area, I can say, with certainty, that I will not be going back to the Grandview Cafe.
(1)Ryan P.
Underrated food (especially the fish n chips) and a fantastic selection of beer! Go on Tuesday or Thursday nights for trivia night!
(4)Lisa D.
My husband and I decided to try out Grandview Cafe for lunch on a Saturday afternoon while we were in the area to buy some coffee from Stauf's. The menu looks very good and they did have a few vegetarian options which pleased me. I got the Garden Burger with onion rings, it was alright. It wasn't bad but it wasn't fabulous either. I did appreciate that it was grilled and served with a wheat pita instead of a bun and that it was topped with hummus. They claim to have the best hummus, but I still say Yanni's has the best hummus ever. Our server was there, she did her job but certainly didn't put any effort into it. Overall, it was good and I would go back if I happened to be in the area.
(3)Renata H.
I went here to see my brother's band play and was pleasantly surprised. Granted, we spent all our time there in the upstairs portion, so I didn't even get a look at downstairs, but I like the way the place is set up. The upstairs is roomy enough for a band to play and has a nice bar but it feels much more intimate than other venues. Feels like a place where you can definitely talk to people and watch everyone but in a comfortable way. I can definitely see how people would be regulars here. The drinks were nice and strong and surprisingly well-priced. We didn't get to try the food, unfortunately. The clientele were mostly in their 30's to 40's, and provided some of the most entertaining bad dancing I have ever seen in my life. People were really enjoying the band (they play covers of pop-dance/hip hop stuff), but the most shocking aspect of the evening was cougar-to-regular-dude ratio! I mean, this place was being RUN by totally smashed women in their mid-to-late 30s just poppin' and lockin' and throwin' their thangs every which way. Most of the men looked either too drunk or simply too SCARED to get out on the dance floor! These cougars were having the time of their LIVES dancing away, and only a few brave men ventured in and tried to keep up with the gyrating. Seriously, I have never been so entertained in my life just by watching people at a bar. The vibe was like--everyone is totally wasted and just havin' a good time despite the fact that they have NO idea how to dance. And you know what? It was fun. I would definitely go back. Cause this is the kind of place where you can get your middle-aged freak on and nobody will bat an eye because they sure as hell can't dance either. Rock on, cougars. You rule.
(4)Heather A.
Regarding the food at GC, I had it for the first time the other night and wanted to say that I was very pleased! The queso was unexpectedly great and the quesadilla's were scrumptious. I also picked off a friends chicken finger platter and they were super duper yummy especially if you like the crispy outer bits of the chicken. :)
(4)Toine R.
Not my crowd! But that had a lot to do with the reason for me being there in the first place. Never attend a reunion without a friend...It was not a complete waste. They have this apricot beer on tap and the menu was very nice....I don't see the deal about Nathan's hot dogs they taste like every other type. Ike the bartender recommended them...next time I'll order the Italian sub. The bar featured started out pretty good but I didn't stay for the whole show. I will be traveling back for another stab.
(4)Emily A.
went for the first time last Friday for a quick happy hour drink or two with my girl and her brother and sister in law. drinks were good and very decently priced. food was surprisingly good as well. we had the portabello sliders - the mushrooms were nicely marinated and the buns were oiled and toasty - very satifsying greasy but still sort of wholesome vegetarian bar food. her bro and sil had the nachos with barbecued pork, which they also really enjoyed. i'm only giving three stars because the atmosphere in the main bar downstairs, where we sat, was so nonexistant that i felt like i'd been in the same bar in about eight other locations. and the service was awful! our first server was brand new, and very annoying; i'd cut her some slack for not knowing the answers to questions, but she hovered around while we were deciding on our order and had an oddly unfriendly manner. she left or went on break and our second server was the exact opposite - much more intent on flirting with the bartender than on bringing us our second drinks or our checks.
(3)Scott V.
The Grandview Cafe is an iconic place. I went here as an OSU student many times in the late 90's. When I come back to Cbus to visit, I still enjoy this place just I did when I was a student. The ambiance of this place gives you the feeling that you're at a neat gastropub. There's a circular bar and seating on first floor, upstairs seating & and patio seating in the back. The menu is pretty simple with sandwiches and salads. They serve breakfast on Sundays all day and I had the eggs benedict with sausage for $9. I was impressed with the large portion of homefries that came with this meal. The bartender Bart was also a cool guy as I washed down my meal with the beers on tap while watching tv on the many big screens at the bar. If I didn't live 2 hours away, I would love to see the live kareoke, bands or play trivia late nights. All of these promotions are big and bring a good crowd each night in this nice neighborhood. There are many new pubs and microbrews that have come to Grandview in the last 15 years, but I will always come back to the Grandview Cafe. It's a special place that makes me feel young.
(5)Ryan S.
Its presence on the corner of 3rd and Grandview Avenue is iconic; the scaling two story building has stood there for 90-years and maintains a bit of the past in what is quickly becoming an area of hyper-modern prefab luxury overkill. The place looks like it should be good. If you wanted a painting or a story setting of a fantastic food place you'd paint or describe this facade. That is its draw. The interior too is beautiful. Colored by oaken brown, it is centered by a sizable rectangular bar. It seems like a wonderful place. But it is merely mediocre. Catherine's review circa 2012 nail it: Grandview Cafe IS that annoying friend. The biggest disappointment is the food; the appetizers are uninspired, the chicken rueben is bland, the hamburger is charcoaled encrusted overcook. The prices are low for pubs, but even so, there are many pubs with better food at the same price points in a two mile radius. Moreover, it is hard to figure out what this place is good for. Sports? No, the several TVs are hung behind the chairs and the bar making watching a cause for chiropractoric visits. There is no place to dance nor for live bands ( though I have never been upstairs.) Its draft choices are not novel, so it is not an experimental taproom. It is not a grimy dive, nor a small hole-in-the-wall. It seems like a neighborhood tavern, but the feel as well as the loud TV seem couter to conversation. It has a patio, enticing from the street, but depressingly dark on the inside. So I don't know. It just seems like a start or end the night place--or some boring though not objectionable meet spot-- like the Applebees of the Grandview bar scene-- " lets meet here than argue where to go next." Yet I give it three stars because I find myself here often enough, 'not good' does not necessarily equal bad. The servers and bar tenders are energetic and friendly. They have trivia night during the week which is well known though I have never done it. For what it is worth, this is my opinion. My recent trip happened fourty minutes after opening and the place was turning dishes. The bell went off constantly ring, ring, ring. I guess taste is on the tongue of the bechewer.
(3)Brittany C.
I visited the Grandview Cafe this past weekend, and it was, in a word, disgusting. We sat on the patio, which reeked of the dumpsters that were just on the other side of the fence. Our table was not clean when we sat down, and there were bugs crawling around in the spilled food and drink. The menus were sticky and stained. I didn't want to touch anything. We ended up just having one drink and leaving to immediately shower. Gross.
(1)Caz O.
We stopped here for the first time today for a quick weekday lunch before having to get back to work. We walked in and sat down immediately. Our server brought us menus and took our drink orders immediately. This is a pretty "standard" looking pub on the inside, except a little brighter and a lot cleaner than the rest! They have a huge menu with lots of options; salads, wraps, sandwiches, soups etc! We had potato skins and the Fish & Chips, both of which came out super fast. The skins were OK. (I admit, I'm not a potato skin fan, but they are my husband's only weakness, so I obliged.) But the fish & chips were deelish! Their steak fries were amazingly crispy on the outside, but puffy and soft on the inside and the beer-battered cod fillet was perfect. Not too much breading, crispy and light and the fish wasn't that fake-fillet crap you get at fast food places. It was a great meal! Our server was really attentive and seemed like a really nice guy! The place was busy, but not slammed, plenty of seating. Looks like they have an awesome patio, and there's seating upstairs too. I look forward to coming back to check out their drinks sometime, you know, when I don't have to go back to work afterwards :)
(5)Mark H.
This place is just okay. I think the most off-putting thing is that when you walk into the bar area you can clearly smell dirty, bleach mop water. There isn't anything in a restaurant that's more of a turn-off than that. The food is typical bar fare. Potato skins, burgers, a couple entrees, nothing really short of your run-of-the-mill neighborhood bar. I've had the potato skins and the chili mac here before. It's just okay.
(2)Tyler S.
I've been back a handful of times more and I really enjoy this place now. It's Too convenient and classic to not like. The trivia night is a lot of fun, the sandwiches have been good, the hummus appetizer is really good and worth the 7 or 9 dollars. The BLT was awesome. For $5 with fries, that works for me!
(5)Kaity K.
I feel like I did not get a proper feel for this little cafe the only time I went, so I would like to give it another chance, but for the time being, my feeling is that it is just ok. I went during the columbus marathon; it was being run right past the windows of the restaurant so we stopped in after watching the runners for awhile. They had a special limited marathon breakfast menu with only 3 options on it. I chose the omelette which was kind of disappointing. There was not much to it-the fillings were lost in the eggs, and I had to search to find the ham. There definitely was not much cheese to be had either... I would have been better off just ordering scrambled eggs and saving the few dollars. Everyone seemed friendly enough, but I think they were distracted by the event outside the windows as well. Like I said, this was a special circumstance, so I hope to upgrade this quaint place to more stars in the future
(3)Kaoru M.
The Grandview Cafe used to be one of our favorite dining spots when we lived in Grandview. Their menu has a little more variety to it compared to similar pub type restaurants (we love their hummus!), the prices are reasonable, and their beer list has a fair amount of variety. They also have a fairly decent patio seating, which a few years ago I would've called one of the best in Grandview. (Nowadays the patio at the Winking Lizard down the street is way better.) Maybe my perspective has changed since we moved out of Grandview, got married, bought a house, and had a baby... but my most recent trip to the Grandview Cafe was not so good. First, the parking, or the lack thereof. There's like 6 spots available across the street behind Panzera's pizza, but if those are full, you need to find street parking somewhere nearby... which can be difficult. Upon walking in, I was hit with a foul odor. I personally thought it smelled like the sewer backed up into the bathroom, but a review by Mark H. describes it as "dirty, bleach mop water." We were meeting a friend here though, and she had already grabbed us a seat, so I ignored the odor and sat down. (Fortunately my nose became acclimated to the air inside and I stopped smelling the odor.) I should note, the restaurant has never smelled like this in any of my previous visits. As soon as we sit down, the lady sitting in the booth behind us stands up and proclaims to the entire restaurant, "I DO NOT DO BABIES" and demands that she be moved elsewhere. Our server of course prioritizes her demands, and we are forced to wait for service. True, having a crabby bitter woman as a customer is not the Grandview Cafe's fault. But it did further dampen my mood after the initial odor of the restaurant. Fortunately, the remainder of our meal was fine. The drinks and foods came out as ordered, were tasty, and our server was fairly attentive. 3 years ago, I would've given the Grandview Cafe 4 stars. My most recent visit was 2.5 stars. I'll take the average and give 3 stars to this particular review. I'll give them a try again sometime...
(3)Robert S.
Had dinner today with a friend. Beautiful day so we sat on the patio. Our waitress was nice but I wish she would have checked on us a little more often. We both got the burger special. I asked for mine medium well. My burger was a little more well done/Charred in places but overall was good. The steak fries were tasty and had some nice seasoning on them. Overall I was pleased with my meal.
(4)Douglas G.
Im a big fan of this restaurant, and since discovering it earlier this year i have been there plenty of times. I usually go for their "sunday funday" brunches which are on both saturday and sunday. To start, if you dont get the bloody mary youre just doing it wrong. They make their own bloody mary mix which kind of has a pizza sauce taste and just the right ammount of spice. Im a bit of a bloody mary snob and these definitely pass the test. After a couple bloodys, its time to eat of course! Ive had most of the items on the brunch menu, and have never had one i didnt enjoy. My favorite is probably the eggs benedict which is pretty traditional but done very well. I also love to get the half order of biscuits and gravy if i feel like getting the Fiery Feta appetizer first, which is just a wonderful appetizer. Overall, its a great place, especially for a bar grill, with great service and i am happy to be a regular there!
(4)Mallory B.
This place is NOT my favorite food-wise- yet I find myself here about 5x/month.. It's close to home, and they have the BEST bloody marys in Grandview.. Maybe not the best.. DK diner holds that title with me (bacon wrapped tater tots- omg), but who wants to wait 2 hours while hungover in the heat or cold to be seated for brunch? Not this gal. I've never had to wait for a seat here no matter the time and I like that. Also, the prices are reasonable and the servers are great, so I come back.
(3)Han T.
An intimate and cozy little spot for a one on one dine-in. Fair prices on drinks. Service was impressively timely and pleasant. They have a separate brunch menu which means... Heck yeah I'm gonna check out this place when I'm not trying to get hammered. A younger crowd can be seen here. Singles mingling and couples hanging out. Overall very relaxed and cozy place to enjoy your outing at.
(4)Erin D.
We made our way here after dinner at Spagio and sat on the patio for OSU game. Our waitress was super attentive. There is really nothing special about this place and the fact it was pretty dead on a Saturday night leads me to think no one else thinks so as well. It took a nosedive shortly before closing time. Friend wanted a late night snack and ordered nachos. While it was a good portion, there were maybe 10 chips on the plate. The rest was a heap of nacho-mess toppings. We asked for more chips but were told all the food is immediately under lock and key at 1 when the kitchen closes. Um...ok. That sounds a bit drastic and like a lie. Then this gal's phone was dangerously on battery so whipped out my charger to plug into an outlet outside. Was met w/ yelling, "hey! Hey! Hey! Why are you doing that? You'll bring down the electrical. You don't listen when someone is yelling at you?!?" That's dude name was Bart and he has a beard. I was in the wrong for attempted electricity stealing. Think could've been handled differently. I explained that I needed more battery to order Uber and was told again in the loveliest of tones, "Leave. Just get out." No problem, not coming back.
(2)Lauren W.
We love this place! Especially the patio. Great food and a great spot to meet up with friends.
(5)Phillip J.
I'll preface this review by saying I've only been to the Grandview Cafe for trivia night so it is possible you might have a different experience when it is less crowded. The food is forgettable. It passes as decent bar food, but that's it. I would stick with the appetizers. The have a few beers on tap, and they do a pretty good job of rotating their selection. Mixed drinks are about what you'd expect at any typical bar, but they have a few local liquors too. The main turn off for me is the service. It always feels like I'm inconveniencing the bartenders when I get a drink. Their point of sale system really seems to slow things down too. The bartenders seem to spend more time with the POS than helping customers. Perhaps it's just due to being understaffed. Oh and there's a $10 minimum for credit card purchases. What year is this? If you're going for trivia night, you will probably have a good time. But that credit should go to Columbus Trivia, more than Grandview Cafe.
(2)Melissa B.
My husband and I stopped in here one evening last week because we hadn't been in years, and figured it could be fun to go to a trivia night. The place was not at all the way I remembered. We decided to sit inside because the patio was overwhelmingly hot and the smell of garbage was pretty putrid (also the servers and guests smoking cigarettes outside was a turn-off), but honestly the inside wasn't much better. First of all, the music was way too loud and terrible. I could hardly have a conversation. I ordered a beer and a burger-ten minutes later I get a warm beer in a dirty, sticky glass that I couldn't even finish, the water had a foul taste and smell to it. I could see the burger I ordered sitting in the kitchen window for about 10 minutes before it got to my table, and when it did it was so greasy and lukewarm I didn't even want to eat it. I noticed small flies around the overflowing trash cans around the building, the bathroom was just gross (even my husband commented on the smell of the men's room and he's usually pretto oblivious to that kind of stuff), It was an overall disgusting experience. I should've just ordered takeout because it would've been cheaper and at least edible.
(1)Sagnik R.
Bad service. They wouldn't take our orders on time. Took forever to serve the food. The food was alright. But an overall okay experience.
(1)Jay F.
The bartender choked me out, held me in the choke hold for more than 15 seconds, ripped my clothes, and kicked me out of the bar--shocking more than 30 people at the downstairs bar. Back story: We had a tab open at the upstairs bar. We went down to see a friend and the bartender asked if we would like another. We said sure, since we needed an extra beer on our tab to close out the $10 minimum. As he poured, he asked for our method of payment and we told him we had a tab open. He asked if it was upstairs, and we said yes. He revealed that the system upstairs and downstairs was separate and we needed to pay him separately--thus requiring us to drink even more beer to close our tab (keep in mind we are driving). We shared this concern with him, and he said "sorry you gotta buy this beer". To which we said, no, we do not. We are not required to do anything, and we will go back upstairs to order the beers required to close out our tab. Bartender hops the bar and puts me in a choke hold as the entire bar freaks out. Kicks us out, with our tab still open. We find a $25 charge on the tab the next morning. This would have been our second beer of the evening. Do not go to Grandview Cafe
(1)Dru B.
I was excited to try this place until I got my food. The burger wasn't cooked properly, the cheese was lumpy and chicken was bland. I ended up getting food poisoning that night and felt it for a few days after. Our waitress was great though and she didn't mind asking the cook when I had questions about the menu or substitutions. Can't blame the food being poorly made because of traffic, it was a slow day even post OSU Game. Needless to say I will not be returning to this establishment and won't encourage others to but everyone should experience things on their own. Just have some electrolytes and crackers handy for the next day.
(1)Matt R.
Don't go for the food, see some awesome cover bands, and play some trivia. I'll agree with everyone here that the food isn't going to blow you away. You're already at Grandview Cafe and you want something to eat? By all means, dig in. It's just not a place you should go out of your way for food. One thing you can get at Grandview Cafe is awesome cover bands. I was here the other night for the Wet Bandits and they were killing it with some Wallflowers and, yes, Matchbox 20. It's loud upstairs with the smaller space so be prepared for that. The other thing you can get at Grandview Cafe is trivia on Mondays, Tuesdays, and Thursdays. Word to the wise: get there at least at 7:30 (30 min early) if you ever want to have a prayer for seats, especially on Thursdays. Overall, Grandview Cafe adds a little drinking and entertainment pizzazz to the Grandview area that is otherwise a little light in that area.
(4)Carol N.
Met my husband here for lunch today. We sat at a booth in the bar area and were promptly greeted by the incredibly friendly bartender. Service was fast and attentive. We both had the meatloaf sandwich and i was delicious - perfect for a dreary, rainy day. The chips were fantastic as well, but I couldn't finish them. We were in and out in about 40 minutes. I'd love to come back for trivia or just to hang out with friends.
(5)Shannon M.
I love the food at this place. Every co-worker that I've taken here loves it, too. My favorite things are their buffalo fries, grilled cheese with ham, and french onion soup. Literally everything I've ever got I loved though. Can't go wrong with this place. And the prices are SO low too!!!! One of my top fave places to grab grub from for sure.
(5)Helen W.
Yummy! Great location, awesome service. Love the atmosphere of this place. The waitresses are always friendly and know the menu
(5)Jordan B.
This is a typical 'local cafe'. The food is average but good, inexpensive, with a cute diner atmosphere. Nothing special but nothing bad about the place.
(3)Keith B.
I've been here a few times over the years, and I popped in recently for a date. It's... kind of a townie bar that caters to everyone well. The food isn't amazing, but it isn't bad (and perhaps, most importantly, it's consistent). The service has always been decent. The patio - two levels, always packed. All in all, I feel like people feel the need to tout it because of its name, its age, and its location. It's a good spot! But it's not really "the place" I think of, or tell people about, in the area. It's just another local bar, with okay food and beer selection. It's hard to go wrong, but there is so much better.
(3)Hannah B.
The food is just alright. Pretty neat atmosphere. We got the chicken salad wrap and 2 speciality hot dogs. Pricey for the quality of our food. I'm glad we tried it out, but I won't be rushing back.
(3)Maxson G.
You guys will continue to get one-star reviews until your servers learn to be servers. I don't think I've had more inattentive service in my life. And if it were a one-time problem I wouldn't leave this review, but it happens almost every time. 10 minutes while servers walk right by us without greeting us. Then almost another 10 minutes for two drinks. And the kicker was that they weren't even that busy.
(1)Ambrosiac V.
great location, sometimes hard to find parking. the food is overpriced, I can honestly say I feel cheated when I eat here. 5 stars for service and atmosphere but that's easy. my advice to them: make better food or charge less. I'll come and bring friends once you do.
(1)Suzanne K.
I previously gave Grandview Cafe a very positive review based on very positive experiences there. Since then, I have been several times, and the calibre of the food has been embarrassingly awful. Brown lettuce, tasteless re heated fries. I was just in last weekend for brunch. Ordered an omelette with mushrooms, bacon and provolone. I think there were two mushrooms, a slice of cheese, and old reheated bacon in that $9 omelette. Stale fries. Tsk tsk. Great location, great patio. Don't understand why they have such low standards for their food.
(2)Walt S.
Why 3-stars? I want to give Grandview Cafe' more yet I can't get out of the VIllage of A-OK for various reasons. I think it is due to; (a) tight quarters on the main floor for dining; (b) a lackluster outdoor patio downstairs with service that is just kinda "eh"; (c) the inconsiderate nature of music and trivia upstairs for the patrons downstairs; (d) parking is almost non-existent and finally; (e) that darned front step that I trip over walking in and fall off of when I'm walking out (petty but it peturbs me and you KNOW that step if you've been there). So why Grandview Cafe? Location, location, location and better than average food. I've enjoyed at least 3 different cheeseburgers and they are good. The reuben sandwich is above par. I really like their chicken salad wrap with a side of onion rings. Onion Rings!!! They're darned good at Grandview Cafe in my humble opinion; always piping hot and variety (Big to small). And Fish 'n Chips is good... oh, and their steak & potato soup, too. So food wins out for me. I'm not a trivia guy so that evening is a write-off for me. And as far as watching sports on TV, Grandview Cafe isn't all that conducive to it. Small place where friends meet for beers and burgers and conversation. Nice rectangular bar downstairs for the local patrons to hang out. Grandview Cafe makes me a patron about once every two months... for the food. That's the Village of A-OK, isn't it?
(3)Tim S.
Overall this is a solid place to hang out and have a bite to eat. Decent food, good beer and average prices. It's in a good location, right in the middle of grandview and very accessible. Nothing really makes me love this place, but I've never left that disappointed. The back patio is really nice, great view of the grandview area, and has a tv for your viewing pleasure as well. Check this place out on a nice summer night with a few friends.
(3)Lust L.
small. boring. dead. expensive. a bunch of dudes
(1)Joe B.
Great Patio.
(4)John S.
A solid Bar/Restaurant with a good trivia night on both Tuesday and Thursday nights. The atmosphere is warm with dark woods and copper metal working throughout. The seating is comprised of a center stage rectangular bar with bar-tops and booths on apposing sides. The service is good and the food is decent but the reason I come here is the good company and great atmosphere *its also a short walk from my home :) The outdoor patio offers two separate levels and is one of the Best patio's in the area. If you're looking for a nice comfy place to toss back a few pints and a meet up with friends; this place is perfect. Its easy to locate and offers a good starting point to any evening.
(4)Renee B.
My experiences here have been mediocre at best. Trivia night and live music make this an easy spot to meet up at if you're looking for a group-friendly place; however, the standards of service and quality of food are quite lacking. I have never had less than a 20 minute wait for my food, no matter if I had ordered an app or a full entre. Today during my most recent visit, we ordered burger sliders, for which they burnt a regular burger to a crisp (not the meaning of "well") and then quartered it for each sandwich. 3/4 of the condiments on the table were mere empty bottles, the French fries were lukewarm, and the chips were burnt. Our server Corey was great; however, when we were leaving we encountered another server loudly accosting customers over their parking situation or something of the like? God bless whoever gets her as a server - I have never seen such unprofessional behavior, and honestly after this last experience, I will think long and hard about ever visiting this restaurant again.
(2)Christopher G.
Not sure how I missed giving this place its review since Ive been going there for 40 years, AND all my high school reunions are held there, but lets go... This place is an area landmark. While not in Grandview Heights proper, it is named for the avenue adjacent to it. It has stood the test of time, opened in 1925, my father first took me there to eat in the early '70s. It has gone through many changes, and while it used to be a local watering hole, it is now over run with non-local wanna-be hipsters. The ambiance: Loud and sometimes crowded. Dont look for this place for a romantic dinner with your significant other, however, the decor is nice. Entertainment: Their infamous trivia night is the best around! It too can get crowed, but its always good stuff, every Monday, Tuesday, and Thursday nights. Karaoke every Sunday night, and live music Friday and Saturday nights...good stuff indeed! Food: This place can be hit or miss. Some stuff is real good, like their Fish and Chips, Oriental salad, and Italian sub. Other stuff that is meh, is their wings and nachos. And stay completely away from their spaghetti and meatballs, yuck. Drink: Full service bar, but just a decent beer and wine selection. I would like to see more exotics and craft beers, and better wines. Price: Id say this place is a little on the pricey side, but thats expected for the area. Ive never had "bad" service here, but as I said, it can get real busy, so be prepared to wait a minute on your refill. Over all, Im a fan, and will be returning when ever in the area.
(4)Catherine J.
Grandview Cafe is kinda like that annoying friend you miss if you haven't seen him/her in awhile, but remember why you've not been so eager to set up a playdate about 20 minutes into hanging out. I've had great times at Grandview Cafe, and I find myself there pretty often (considering I only give it 3 stars), and even sometimes suggesting it to out-of-towners (if I don't know their tastes that well). I find Grandview Cafe's appeal to be almost coercive, and for every high there is a low: - The location is great if you're making "a night" of it out in Grandview (but parking blows) - I always see someone I know (could be good or bad, amirite?!) - The menu is broad, something for everyone (but waaay overpriced) - decent patio drankin' (but always crowded and understaffed) - bustling trivia crowd (but this "crowd" consists of a lot of brosephs, and you really have to get there early to poach a table). When I think of my best memories here (of which there are many), it has often been due to the company-- Grandview Cafe just happens to be in the right place at the right time.
(3)Zack R.
Our server was super fast, super friendly, and super helpful. Super duper. We started with the nachos with all the junk on them. Good chips, meh toppings. The Buffalo chicken wrap and balogna sandwich were just ok too. Nice location though. Parking in the area is what it is. It's Grandview Ave. Also no need to complain about cover charges for live bands. I don't like working for free.
(4)Nan B.
We've been to Grandview Cafe a few times before and had good food with okay service, but we went on Sunday afternoon with a party of 8 and were sadly disappointed. There was a table that had not been cleared, paid checks still at the table, etc. We stacked the dishes and the check folders to the side and sat and waited for a server. No one ever showed up to clean the table or wait on us. We left. Appeared to be very understaffed. No one even approached the table (the bartender came nearby and changed the channel on the TV, though) and asked us to give them a moment. May try one more time, but that would be my limit.
(1)Lisa E.
I have been going here for over a decade! Whenever I am in town, I always have to stop in to 'The Cafe'. THE PROS: -most of the bartenders -atmosphere (generally busy, and that cheers kind of neighborhood bar feel) -live music -good food -the owner (he is a riot) -location -lots of TVs for sports -Sunday brunch -SUNDAY FUNDAY THE CONS: -weekend evenings can be TOO packed -food is not comparatively outstanding (hard to compete with some of the amazing bar food in Grandview/Short North) -the service at the tables can REALLY suck! I now ALWAYS sit at the bar. (I should note, I know they have been working on this, but I gave up long ago). -parking I will always love this place along with the neighborhood. It is a staple of Grandview. No matter how long, I can walk in and someone always knows my name and wants to know where I have been (and I don't even live in this state anymore)...Also not in a nosy way, but a rather genuine way. That is what makes this place priceless! See you next time! :)
(4)Pat P.
That neighborhood bar where you can go in and everyone knows your name? Probably not, because It's often pretty busy. But, There's a good chance at least the staff will know you! I end up here a lot, just to have a drink and meal. Its not the fanciest place, but its comfortable, everyone is nice, and service is always good. The food is usual bar fare at reasonable prices. The only (small) complaint I would have is the small selection of beers on tap. But they cover the basics, so it's not too bad. Live music, trivia, and karaoke are all a plus upstairs. The bands are usually pretty good if you want to see, and if not, you can stay downstairs and chill with the jukebox.
(3)Wade D.
A really cool, fun, laid back place with good food and great drink specials! Definitely represents how great Grandview is!
(5)Tiffany Y.
I really wanted to like this place. They don't serve pitchers. Limited drafts on tap. I do like the way the place is set up though - cozy bar/restaurant vibe. The food is mediocre. We ordered Buffalo French Fries, which came out to be steak fries you find in your local supermarket smothered in bottled buffalo sauce. Our burgers came out to be bland, unseasoned - very inoffensive. Unfortunately, I don't think I'll be coming back. 4 pints, 1 appetizer, and 2 burgers for $50? I'd rather spend that money elsewhere.
(2)Bee S.
Ok. After going to trivia here about 4 times, I am addicted!! I've gotten over the average food and even more average service. Parking is still a nightmare, but at least I've never not been able to find a spot. I will probably only ever keep coming here for the trivia only. The waitresses are always in a hurry (understandably so), so it's kind of hard to get everything you want and need (like... silverware...) so make sure you cover your bases in the 0.02 seconds they are at your table. If you're a trivia newbie, here are some tips: 1) Get there early. Like... 6:30-6:45pm (trivia starts at 8pm). They actually let you save a huge table if only a few people are there, so that's pretty nice. 2) Order all your drinks and food at the bar. It's so much faster and they just open a tab. Waitresses are there only for bringing your food and removing empty glasses. 3) Think of a clever team name. Use cheesy puns, current events, etc. Usually the more vulgar and inappropriate it is, the better... this took me some getting used to, but it's all in good fun.
(4)Shannon H.
Great location, and an awesome two-tiered patio. Unfortunately, I have the impression they decided this was "good enough" and basically called in the rest. Their food is okay, nothing to write home about. Their draft beer selection is wanting. Overall, I don't think Grandview cafe is egregiously overpriced, but given their pretty "meh" food and drink offerings, I never feel like I get my money's worth. I know everyone is entitled to their opinion, but in my book, I'll reserve Grandview Cafe visits for times when a) I can't convince my friends to go elsewhere or b) I'm too tired to go a little farther out of my way to find something better.
(2)James S.
This place is extraordinarily average. From the waitstaff/bartenders down to the food and music. 4 or 5 beers on tap, several TVs, typical bar menu. Go there for a drink and a bite...or don't.
(3)Travis U.
GC seems to have the most bipolar reputation out there. I know people that rave about the place. Then I know people that can't stand it and will never go. For the time I lived near here, Grandview Cafe was OK, and I've gone back since. It's just very mediocre. I've gone here with friends, gone here for drinks after a date, and gone by myself to get drunk and drown sorrows. OK, I haven't done that--but I think it might be good for that if that's your thing. A few times I went here I was annoyed because there was a cover to go upstairs (sorry GC, you will never merit a cover charge) and the downstairs was too crowded. But the patio is really good and large. Literally the only constant is this one asshole bartender who is legitimately the worst bartender in Central Ohio. And he is ALWAYS THERE. I realize the good looking girl next to me will get served first, that's just common knowledge and an unfortunate bias that I can tolerate (because at least there's good looking girls around). Unfortunately, these are the ONLY people he serves. I've had him serve a girl then stand there and look around waiting for another one while multiple guys wait for the other bartender to come back. I'd be willing to bet this guy's "maybe if I serve her quick I'll get laid" attitude has actually never panned out as he'd hoped--cuz they don't like him either. Every bar has that one crappy worker--this guy beats em all.
(3)Jon C.
Another location (I forget which) has a motto..."good food, bad service". Grandview Cafe should take a page from them with this motto "good environment, bad service". Every time I have been to Grandview Cafe, I have had a mediocre meal, at a relatively high price. Going directly to the bar for a beer is a little faster, but the bartenders are still quite slow compared to other places. Despite this, the place looks great. It has a great patio, with excellent views of Grandview Ave.
(2)Liz M.
This space has so much potential. I wish it was better! I've been to Grandview Cafe many times and perhaps 5 years ago, I would have given it 4 stars as it had great food and good service and was a fun place. Now, GC is not a place I identify with good service, value, or yumminess. I had been going often with friends for trivia and the food was consistently bad and overpriced. Drink weren't cheap either. Not to mention their bar tender (Dane Cook look alike) only served you when he felt like it and made lude comments often. Anyway, I haven't been back in a long time even though trivia there was always lots of fun. It's just that there's trivia elsewhere at places I can get better food and better service. I wish someone would buy out Grandview Cafe and make it great! Anyone wanna loan me some money? I've got great ideas ;o)
(2)Joe G.
This place is so awesome! Great food, good drink options and I love the patio bar on the second floor. I love their burgers.
(4)Al H.
Place is great, good drink selection and nice happy hour. Would get 5 stars but the service is a little slow sometimes
(4)Jennifer S.
We went here on a Thursday to check out their infamous trivia night. It was extremely loud and crowded with a number people whom I can most politely describe as meat heads. The food was really not good. I ordered the "famous" tomato soup, grilled cheese and the steak fries. The fries were thick and potatoey, but they only have Hunt's ketchup! Why would anyone have anything other than Heinz? The tomato soup tasted strongly of vinegar and the grilled cheese wasn't cooked all the way through. Their beer selection was the best thing they have going for them, and they have lots of local beers on tap. The trivia game itself was really fun, though, and I'm glad we went. The host was great and the game is well organized. Not sure we'll go back to trivia here even though its the best we've found in Columbus so far. Bodega on N. High St. has decent trivia too on Sunday nights. In a nutshell: don't go here for the food; go here for the beer.
(2)Maryann H.
Ordered blacken chicken and it was so over seasoned it was not edible. Atmosphere depressing.
(1)Janna B.
Ok- I am impressed. After a personal email from the folks at grandview cafe, they are aware and working on improving their image- even building an entirely new menu. I gotta give them credit, as a grandview resident I will be stopping by soon to check it out!
(3)Sam U.
Went here recently for trivia night. Had a great time, but was disappointed to get my tab and find that draft beers upstairs are $5 each, for a small glass. That's fine at a baseball game, but at a local bar? The beer was good and the service was fine, but there's much better places in Grandview to hang out.
(2)Brigid N.
Good place to drink, NOT to eat. Food is constistantly a disappointment. Overpriced, comes out cold, soggy, or gross, there is always something wrong with it. I've had decent service here, but one time my friend and I sat at a table outside for 30 MINUTES without someone taking our drink order! We left. It's a fun place to throw a few beers back, and sometimes they have good bands. That's about it though.
(2)Steve T.
We went to Grandview Cafe for trivia night on 12/27/11. It was a fun evening for our group but we ran into a very shady bartender when we were closing our tabs. Brandy (the bartender) intentionally double-charged us for a round of shots by putting the full amount on two separate tabs. When we brought this to her attention, she did not even apologize. What a shady bartender and shame on Grandview Cafe for allowing these practices to occur. AVOID this establishment or at least carefully review your tabs.
(1)Jackie P.
Grandview Cafe.... what are you on Sunday afternoons? A place where graduated frat bros come? Family friendly brunch dining? Casual 20-something hungover food? A Sunday sports bar? A divey-local joint? Quite honestly, I don't really know. What are you trying to be?!?! I have only been here for their Sunday brunch - which is delicious in it's own right! The eggs benedict and huevos rancheros were both appetizing on my growling stomach. However, service can be hit or miss. On a busy brunch day, expect slow(er) service than normal. Even when sitting at the bar. On a normal brunch day, the service can be just right. Not too invasive, but still there if you need refills or anything. About their bloody mary's....why do you put lemons in them? I'm just curious. Also, to the drunk douchebags sitting at the bar......smh, it was only noon, and you're rambling on about the inappropriate things at the top of your lungs. Not the cafe's fault, but just know the environment you may be getting yourself in to! It can feel like 1AM on a Saturday night even at 1PM on a Sunday afternoon. Forewarned. Good luck finding parking ;P
(3)Doug O.
I'm a fan of this Grandview bar. The food is very tasty bar food. The beer isn't especially high-end, but it's better than just domestic macros on tap. The patio area is great because there's tons of space and it's mostly covered, so there are plenty of shady seats. Good place to watch OSU football games. Trivia on Tuesdays and Thursdays upstairs is a good time, but get there early for a seat. Try the hockey fries. They're delicious.
(4)Nicole W.
I wanted to love Grandview Cafe - I really did. But I left feeling "meh..." While the menu looks superficially delicious, I found the food mediocre at best. I've tried several of the soups, sides, and my group had a wrap, burger, and sandwich -- all just decent. I wouldn't say the menu is overpriced if the food had a *wow* factor, but because it was so average, I felt we overpaid. They also do not have a great beer selection (beers you can get anywhere, only a few interesting ones on tap) and the happy hour doesn't make you feel all that happy because you barely save anything! I gave this place three stars because I have had exceptional wait staff and want to give credit where credit is do. Both had very unique personalities and were very helpful and entertaining. Will give trivia a try to see if this changes my review.
(3)KP K.
Being new to Columbus - I kept hearing how great Grandview is. The area is ok, but, I am not sure where all the hype comes from. This is a decent bar. Service is pretty good. It is clean, they seem to incorporate live music and events from time to time. I would call it a decent bar.
(3)Brandon S.
Pros: Trivia Cons: Everything else
(1)Kimberly C.
A little bit of small town near the city...that's how I feel about GV Cafe. I grew up in a small town so I need a bit of this every once in a while. The location is good and the patio is perfect for a spring or fall day. The food is a little bit more like bar food than I expect for the price (compared to others in the area) and the service is hit or miss. I would recommend going...occasionally or for a short, small event.
(3)Danny F.
Love this place. Foods not bad, staff is always entertaining, can always plan on seeing a friendly face.
(5)Jeana H.
I recently discovered Grandview Cafe and it is quickly becoming one of my favorite places in Columbus. We've had awesome service every time I've been there, and the food I've tried has been delish. (Granted, it doesn't take much to please these taste buds.) The patio is obviously wonderful too and I love the location: perfect people-watching spot. I'm assuming -- based on previous reviews -- that you'll probably have a better experience on a slow night. I say this based on the fact that I've only really been to GC on Sunday and/or Monday, and I've clearly had a much better experience than most. Maybe I'll test this theory then review again just to be sure. Also looking forward to a trivia night in my future. Overall, fun place!
(4)Seth D.
Horrible experience. Like so pathetic it was funny. First off, karaoke here just sucks. It's so crammed and most people are turned away from the "stage" so you feel like you're just sitting there singing and no one cares. I guess if you like hearing pop country songs all night you might like it a little better. Then there was the bartender. He flat out refused to get me a cup of ice water after having 3-4 drinks! He said something like "we're not an ice house". Not sure what his problem was. And to top it all off this guy across the bar kept throwing coasters at the girl next to me and they were hitting me, so I threw one or two back and the bartender flips out on me like it's all my fault. Will not be back. Horribly run place.
(1)Nathan H.
This place is average at best. Not a good beer selection. Food is average bar food. I've never really had a great time here. Patio is cool though.
(3)Matt F.
Our rude waitress had to come back several times to confirm our very basic orders. I ordered the special (meatball sliders), which came out cold. My friend was charged for an extra beer, which he did order, but never received. Finally, our party of six was charged 20% gratuity, when the menu clearly said parties of 8 would receive said charge. Manager's explanation? "It was a misprint."
(1)Big Baby Jesus C.
OK some people liked it here, some people didn't, let me help you decide, this place blows. Went here with a couple close friends to do a little drinking on a Friday night. We were all taking turns getting rounds, our usual MO. So when my turn comes, I tried to go buy a round of Irish car bombs (A boilermaker, half pint of Guinness, and a shot with Jameson's and Bailey's) and the bartender tells me "we don't serve those." I am confused by this, and reply, "Um, I see you have Guinness, Jameson's, and Bailey's, what's the problem?" He tells me, "People were getting too wasted." Huh, so since I am quick on my feet most of the time, I ask him, "Can I get 3 doubles of 151?" He says, "Sure." Don't you see it? Yet another establishment concerned totally with their "image" and not at all with being the best bar/restaurant. On top of this utter stupidity outlined above, all of the staff I dealt with were stuck up and snotty, and the prices are high too. You can do so much better for your money people.
(1)Andy P.
There are so many things I would like to talk about when thinking about the Grandview Cafe. Firstly I will say one of the few complaints I have about the Cafe is that there is basically 0 parking for this restaurant. It is definitely a pain in the butt to find parking sometimes, but to counter, this restaurant is definitely worth the trouble. The atmosphere is very casual and laid back, the people who go there seem to be locals. It's great for anyone really, the only people I wouldn't suggest would be kids. The service can be a bit hit and miss, I've been there during times where the service was absolutely wonderful, but then at other times the service has been so slow and awful. But I always keep an optimistic attitude. One thing I will always get when going here in the hockey fries! It's probably the ONLY reason I go here lol I crave them every so often. It is like the perfect mixture of fries, mozz chess and gravy. I wish I knew their gravy secret so I could just make it myself. On to other items though, their chicken tortilla soup is just about as good as Betty's (which still has the best IMO). The fish sandwich is gigantic! If you order the fish & chips or the fish sandwich I hope you come with an appetite. The fish is perfectly fried to perfection and it's just a nice happy marriage of flavors. The buffalo chicken sandwich I had was sub par. It's basically a grilled/fried chicken sandwich with buffalo sauce (nothing to truly write home about). The Turkey Club will always be a safe choice bc let's face it, how can you really mess up a turkey club. All in all I always try to bring people here and suggest it to other people when ever I get the chance. It's a great restaurant with a very relaxed atmosphere and wonderful food. I have no issue putting the Grandview Cafe into my Top 10 Favorite restaurants!
(4)Brad S.
One of the most maddening bars in Columbus. I simply have yet to have a fantastic time in here. Fun, enjoyable times? Definitely. But nothing that ever blows my skirt up and sadly, I'm pretty much resigned to the fact that it ain't gonna happen in my lifetime. The patio, for such an amazing location, sucks for some indiscernible reason. Maybe it's the volume level? It's like a library out here most of the time. Talk, people! Laugh! Have a good time, for chrissakes! You're getting drunk - this is supposed to be fun, remember? I've seen livelier patios next to the shuffleboard court on cruise ships. Also, the servers always seem confused. There is always an issue when you walk in to the bar and want to sit on the patio. The hostess never seems sure of how to handle it. "Oh, ummmm, yeah, I guess you can sit out there....I'm pretty sure there's a server out there...." Fail. I always have to end up coming in and ordering at the bar and taking my drink out to the patio......which, again, confuses the young chick who ends up finally strolling out to make her rounds. "Oh, um, you have a drink already.....did someone help you already or do you have a tab at the bar?" We also got the "um, my shift ends in 5 minutes, so do you mind if I cash you guys out?" question on my last visit, which always rubs me the wrong way. I don't usually eat food here because I was underwhelmed on too many trips in a row to make this a dining destination. I recommend the Grandview Cafe for either a late night nightcap kind of place, or a "start the evening" joint - sit at the bar, have one beer or one shot, then you should probably go ahead and book - it won't improve much and you'll likely start to get annoyed at some point by either the clientele, the atmosphere, or the service.
(3)Josh O.
Not too much to like about this place. Beer selection isn't great and drinks and food are both overpriced. Collectively, the bartenders and waiters upstairs have to be the worst I've ever experience at a bar. They get low marks for bad service and just general douchiness. Trivia is fun and Steve does a good job but it's often way too crowded to enjoy and the house team wins almost every week. (Come on, you're telling me that the two bartenders who are working while trivia is going on are just that much smarter than the other 20 teams every week??) And parking is awful! It's nearly impossible. So basically, if you feel like driving around for an hour looking for a parking spot, waiting two hours to play trivia, overpaying for food and drinks, and having your waitress roll her eyes at you when you tell her she messed up your oder, Grandview Cafe is the place for you!
(1)Marshall S.
The food was at times creative, but nothing special. Drink orders were missed, special instructions were missed, food that was supposed to be hot was not, and service was slow. I really wanted to like GC. Unfortunately, they really missed the mark.
(1)Melanie B.
Lita Ford once sang, "Uh huh, it ain't no big thing... but I know what I like..." And what I like is not exactly embodied in Grandview Cafe. This place is pretty blasè. I guess I just thought a local cafe wouldn't have a laminated, flip book menu, and overpriced, generic food options. I ended up ordering something so unremarkable I actually can't recall, except that it came with a side of unremarkable mac n cheese - the reason I am reviewing GC now is because I keep driving by it and becoming enraged that it's not more awesome. My friends and I sat outside here on a blustery day last month, drinking seasonal microbrews and chatting. The service was weird. Our server inappropriately dressed (she was too old to have her ass literally hanging out of her short shorts - sorry to be catty but it was uncomfortable and daytime-inappropes! And if you know me, you know I usually have NO problems with a little sassy assy in my life, so...). Not only this, but she was inconsistent in attending to us, and sort of disengaged from the whole experience. Blerg. And as much as I adore Ms. Cheryl H., I'm going to have to disagree and say that the atmosphere here sucked - and it was Saturday afternoon. Nothing was doing, there was no audible music, and no people living it up. Daydrinkers, my beloveds, where WERE you all?! Perhaps one day when I'm looking to get obliterated, I shall text Cheryl and my fellow Yelp drinking buddies and we can try again. But for now, I get all crumply-faced every time I drive Grandview Cafe. Come on pretty bayyyyybeee kiss me deaaaaaaaadllllllly....!!!
(2)Steven M.
Everything you could possibly need in the heart of Grandview: patio, beer selection, good eats, live music, trivia, karaoke, strong neighborhood vibe. This place is always popping, which might be a bit of a knock, and the menu is fairly basic and reasonable. Fun place to party, but a bit more crowded than your typical neighborhood bar.
(4)Chris H.
I've only ever gone here for lunch or late lunch. I have yet to have good service.
(2)Trenk J.
Always understaffed - but the food used to be good, seems that they cut corners on this last leg of acceptable service the last time I was there (for the price). Great casual atmosphere - and I was there with two folks who love cas - a college prof and a just graduated student... but, the prof never got his lemon, and the student never got a replacement salad dressing after spilling the original - and they were dying to go there! (Not again!
(2)Molly B.
I'm not a huge fan of Grandview Cafe. My experience there last night solidified that. Negatives: The music is so loud inside that you can barely hear yourself think The crowd = douchebags The bartenders are a*holes The food is crappy and expensive The wine is barf-worthy Positives: The outside patio is pretty sweet in the summa' time It's close to where I live Ummmm....they serve alcohol
(2)Rachel P.
Oy. What sort of place was this? Was it a diner? Was it a cafe? Was it a sports bar? I'm honestly a little confused and so is Grandview Cafe. Jon R. and I went on a gorgeous, warm Saturday night and were hoping to sit outside. However, there was 15 minute wait for a patio table and being from the East Coast, 15 minutes is an outrageously long time to wait for the both of us. So we sat inside. I am regretting not being patient and waiting the 15 minutes. There was an OSU game on and about 7 fans were packed around the bar. These fans made as much noise as 50 OSU fans packed around the bar. I mean, this was the game where we were winning 74 - 23. WHY ARE YOU ALL STILL SCREAMING?! The food was alright. I had the spinach and artichoke dip, which was was different, but still good. The dip came in a casserole dish and I had to kind of punch through the hard shelling of seasoned salt and cheese to get to the warm gooeyness inside. I had thought it might be a little bit salty though Jon R. had the burger, which he said he liked. Honestly, it was pretty good, but it isn't anything I would ever crave. It's one of those places that if a friend brought me to I wouldn't mind, but it wouldn't be the place I would bring them.
(3)Andrew M.
This place has gone way downhill. I think the food is not even edible. The two times I have had lunch, I was so mentally scarred that I'm surprised I even gave this place a 3rd try for happy hour. We sat at the bar and had cocktails. The worst in town. There was no liquor in the drinks, and they aren't cheap either. I used to love their Karaoke night but now with all the other places that offer Karaoke, the Grandview Cafe is no longer a place I'm interested in going to.
(2)Heather G.
I want to you to be more than A-OK Grandview Cafe, I really do. I dig your location and local bar vibe but I keep being disappointed. This is an okay place to go during the week. I agree with other reviews, the food is really just average. Nothing has stood out for me. Last time I was there the service was really bad. It wasn't busy but we waited a long time to place our order and get our food. I'll probably wait for patio season before I return.
(3)Tom M.
You really have to try the hot dogs. They have a variety to choose from and are pretty good.
(3)Reuben B.
The location is prime and the atmosphere is simply great. The booths are quite comfortable and there are plenty of big tvs in the bar area to catch your favorite sports game. I ordered their "signature" fish and chips. The meal itself was nothing to write home about. The french fries were of a great consistency and doneness. However, they were marred by a hint of sour cream and onion flavor (this is probably just a personal taste thing). The fish overall tasted relatively good given the Ohio location. The biggest complaint is that the portion was a little bit small for the price. Service was overall attentive. Definitely, this place seems like a comfortable local hang out with a cozy bar area and solid food.
(4)Sarah H.
triviaaaaaaa! I am a huge fan of trivia. Especially trivia that welcomes unsavory team names and notes written on answer sheets. Trivia is every Tuesday and Thursday upstairs, starting at 8pm. Unfortunately, if you want to actually play trivia, you have to get there at 6:45pm. Which is absurd. I mean, I'm used to arriving a half hour early for trivia, but 75 minutes early? That's insanity. Trivia categories tend to lean towards American History and Pop Culture, so brace yourself if you're nerds (like my team): you're not going to do so well with the pop culture. We always cheer when they finally get to the singular science and singular anagram rounds. Anyway, aside from the trivia fun times, GVC isn't that exciting. The food is overpriced and uncreative bar fare. They have deep fried twinkies that I have yet to try, but someday I'm sure I will. I have not been impressed with their draft selection. Upstairs they usually have 3-4 taps, one of which is always Bell's Two Hearted (decent) and another which is always Stella (ew!). They have a few more downstairs, but they're equally unexciting - Guiness, Blue Moon, Magic Hat #9, etc. It's not crap, but it's not great. I also wish they had pitchers. For me, pitchers are mandatory for bar trivia.
(3)Kevin G.
I went their the other night with a friend of mine and we had a fine time. The draft selection isn't super large though they had a variety of magic hat and great lakes which is nice... But the pricing is about on par with the winking lizard. I got the fish sandwich and it was tasty enough but I agree with some of the other review and wish that it had a little something extra to make me feel that it was worth the price. The tartar saw was lack luster... Granted I didn't use much cause I like my fish, and the chips were good though I wish they were still warm when my sandwich was served. All and all not a bad evening and it is one of the more low-key places on the grandview strip which makes it a nice hang out. They also have live music a couple of nights a week, but we didn't attend that.
(3)Kyle J.
I go here Tuesdays and Thursdays for trivia. It's worth the crowds. I've also been late one Sunday for Karaoke and that was a riot. The food is honestly, just okay. Lots of 'sammichs' and burgers. The Mac and Cheese is my favorite and they have some veggie options which is alwasy good in my book. The beer selection is great and the patio is always packed on a Saturday night. It's also a short walk from almost anywhere in Grandview. Be careful parking on some side streets. Watch for permit areas.
(4)Christiana C.
Any place that can make sliders classy can't be all bad in my book. Listen, it is what it is. I don't think Grandview Cafe will be my go-to cafe/tavern/bar/patio, but I liked it! If you wanted to go back, I wouldn't make faces or anything! I might even smile a little! With teeth even! But I don't think I'm going to suggest we go there. Especially to investigate this all day Sunday happy hour business. You can get breakfast and mimosas and bloody marys at a discount all day Sunday. Intriguing. What you might like here: full bar! pub food! decent service! If this sounds up your alley, I think you should give it a shot at least. My dining partner got the hummus platter and felt pretty good about it. I got the portabello mushroom sliders and they were pretty tasty. Was it the best portabello ever? No! Was I expecting it to be? Of course not!
(3)Frances A.
Grandview Cafe or GC is my beau's favorite bar in Grandview. I'm not sure totally why, but I can appreciate why and therefore, I'm giving it 4 stars. First, location - this place is conveniently located in the heart of Grandview. Second, great setup - this is the quintessential neighborhood bar, with live music, and local watering hole gathering scene. The feel is good. The bar is sturdy and strategically placed in the center of the bottom floor surrounded by decent bar stools, tables and booths. All around, there are big and small, HDTVs for good viewing. There is a couple electronic poker machines for the bar fly or for the loner looking to look busy. There is a great upstairs space and the patio is my personal favorite. Though I haven't been to the upstairs patio yet... Third, food - bars need to have food and the menu here is extensive. Honestly, it is average but I think many men who like beer would find this menu to be pleasing... It is filled with bar staples like potato skins and cobb salads. Lastly, the management here has done a fantastic job keeping this place going. A lot of the Grandview residents come here and make this their meeting place for launching into other activities. It is probably a neutral first date place, a good third date place, and a great 'we're a couple' type of hangout because it is so friendly in there with lots of familiar faces.
(4)Christina C.
I DOMINATE at Tuesday & Thursday night trivia! OK, that's a lie; but it sure is a helluva lot of fun! Sometimes, I feel like Grandview Cafe is my Cheers. Everyone doesn't know my name, but it sure does offer a diverse selection of tasty beer in addition to a friendly crowd. I've only tried a few of the menu items; the garden burger and hummus plate are two of my favorites. Two thumbs up for the two-story patio, kick-ass trivia nights and live music on Friday and Saturday. Double thumbs down for lack of convenient parking and the $3-$5 cover to enjoy the live band. Update to come when I get a chance to enjoy the famous Sunday brunch and evening karaoke.
(4)Greg B.
Went on a Sunday afternoon and pretty quickly realized that those who were sitting outside got priority over the few of us who decided to sit inside. Nothing special food wise, I had a burger and onion rings and have had better but also have had worse as well. I'll have to go back and try some other items I had my eye on while perusing the menu.
(3)Patricia K.
I agree with another reviewer - this place has major potential. I've been here probably 4 times; The first 3 times, food has been ok, but nothing to rave about, but I like the idea of a cafe/diner type place I could walk to from my apartment, so I kept going back. However, I recently had a really disappointing experience, to which I will never go back. I went to eat here for lunch/brunch on the weekend. Now granted, it seemed busy that day. I came in with 3 people, and the 4th person joined us a bit later. So we sat down, ordered our drinks. They arrived in a timely manner. Next, we ordered our food, including hockey fries as an appetizer. This is where the trouble starts. Maybe 30 minutes after we ordered, we realized 1 more person was joining, so we ordered a salad for her. In the meantime, we had received our hockey fries. It seemed like the hockey fries came out sort of slow, but I brushed it off thinking that we would probably get our meal soon. The 4th person arrives. About 15 minutes after, her salad arrives. We still have not gotten our food yet (even though we ordered a good 30 minutes before I put in the order for her salad). There in itself is an issue - how are we supposed to eat together when she has her food and we don't? At this point we had been waiting for our food for about an hour, so I asked the waitress/bartender that was serving us if our food was still coming. It was to the point where I thought maybe the waitress thought we had gotten our food already, because nobody had checked on us for awhile. She said, "I know, honey, the wait has been about 45 minutes for food. We had a big party earlier today." It was kind of condescending, and like most people, I don't really like to be called "honey" by random people. Also, no where in that sentence was an apology for the wait. As I was explaining to the table, "Oh, I just asked our waitress where our food was because ___ got her salad already", the waitress overheard and cut into our table to say something to the effect of, "We gave her her salad because..." and then literally I couldn't hear or understand her after that, so I still don't know why they did it, but I felt like it was kind of rude. Another 15 minutes goes by. The 4th person has actually finished her salad by now. At this point it seems a bit ridiculous - she's finished her food by the time ours has come out? At this point, we had been there for an hour and a half, and we had no idea when our food was coming out. We actually saw a table who had arrived a good 30 minutes after us get their food before we did. Typically I would give the benefit of the doubt (maybe they called in their order?), but the wait had simply been too long for our food - we were fed up. We simply asked the waitress for the check for the food we'd gotten so far, because we were leaving. Again, no apology, but they actually charged us for the food we ate; we paid the $15 for the salad & the hockey fries, and left. I'm glad we left, because if we had gotten our food anytime after waiting for so long, I would have felt like it was such a waste of money for such a negative dining experience. Unfortunately, I won't be going back.
(1)Kimberly C.
Just moved to Grandview, and went here for the first time tonight for a couple beers. Granted, it was a monday night. Good laid-back atmosphere. Service was good, but a $5 blue moon...really? Got the quesadilla (underwhelming) but the hummus plate was quite delicious. Would go back for another try, but maybe during happy hour when the drinks are cheaper. I could definitely see how parking could be a pain, but isn't parking crappy in all of Columbus?
(3)