This place gets a wrap for being a "gay bar" but really it's just a bar for sexual beings, which last I checked is almost everyone, but the asexuals. I like this place for "starting out the night." I've been twice and keep wanting to go back! They have a fun martini list - reasonably priced, they don't skimp on the alcohol but are still drinkable. Friday nights they have $4 Smirnoff drinks - and they come in massive sized glasses. Hello blueberry vodka and lemonade. Guzzle guzzle. Also, they have above average food for a bar because they are also a restaurant, so go figure! During my first visit, a friend and I split a pasta dish. I think it was maybe a special that night. We were eating at like 9:30pm or something so it was just the right amount of food for both of us at that hour without having to worry about the hassle of leftovers or over-stuffing ourselves, since we'd be going to other bars after. My second visit was with a couple of other friends and I split one of the wraps with a friend. They gave us each a huge portion of sweet potato fries. And the sweet potato fry dip is up there with creations like hazelnut spread. It's white and tastes like melted marshmallows (I believe that's called Fluff?) but who knows what it really is except for the chefs and cooks. It also happened to be really smokey when we first got there - the kitchen is not blocked off by a wall from the restaurant/bar area. It wasn't to the point of where you couldn't breathe or anything, just kind of annoying. No biggie. They play the best song selections of any bar in the Short North or Arena District, and I don't think they even have a DJ.
(4)
Kristina B.
This place is a bit classier than its competition down the street (you know who you are, competition). White leather (rawr), flat screens with music videos (Ga-ga, ooh la la!), lounge space on the 2nd floor (is this seat taken?). The bartenders are nice and the drinks, while priced about average, remain strong. Not everyone knows your name, but you WILL run into people you know. I'm not even from Columbus but am forever running into Peter, Paul and Mary (interchangable with Jesus, Mary and Joseph or perhaps Jeffrey, Andrew and James). There's definitely a 'Norm' and it's to get hammered. I'd say Level is pretty much a classy pseudo-Cheers. Drink up.
(4)
Denise Y.
Level is located in the old RJ Snapper building right by Jeni's Ice Cream. Perfect location. The interior was trendy trendy but still comfortable with flat screens playing your favorite old and new music (What is love? Haddaway.... love it! 90s throwback). I went for a bachelorette/birthday party dinner and drinks afterwards upstairs in the lounge. The service was great, not overbearing but didn't ignore us the whole time either. The food was so-so for me. The appetizer that we ordered (fry basket and hummus) was delicious but the entrees I thought were a little lacking. The portions are definitely big, I was full for the rest of the night, but I ordered the pork caccitore and the best part of the dish was the fried parmesan polenta cake. My bf referred to the menu as "Sbarro-esque" (sorry!) and i never got around to dessert since we brought a birthday cake. The best thing about this place is that it's not exclusive feeling meaning anyone who comes here can feel comfortable. I would come back for drinks and snacks.
(3)
Frances A.
I'm not writing about this place to eat...I'm writing about this place for meeting people and sitting on really comfortable seats! The ambiance is pretty cool with a modern, night-club vibe with good lighting, well-placed HDTVs, and upbeat 'i wanna dance' type music. The bar is my favorite place to sit. They have amazing, cushy, soft on my tushie seats where you can drink, talk and eat for hours. No, really! There's nothing worse than a bar with shitty seats. What is the point!? They have a cool night on Tuesdays, where a guest DJ comes in and spins Hip-Hop, dance-type music and a colorful crowd it attracts. It is for the 20-30 something hipster clientele. It is not really a gay bar...its more like a gay/straight/lesbian bar with just the right combination of ingredients to make anyone feel welcome. What's even better is the fact that you can hear each other talking. I really abhor places that excludes conversations. Again, what is the point?!
(4)
Brittany W.
I usually steer clear of all encompassing comments that speak for the world, but I feel comfortable with saying that we are all looking for a place where we can freely be ourselves, kick back and just have a good time. I first went to Level for my 29th Birthday. We had dinner at Barrio and wanted to continue the party. A friend suggested the gay friendly (to borrow another yelper's description) bar that had just opened in the former R.J. Snappers location. The sleek, stylish interior quicky revealed an inviting warmth usually missing in a club atmosphere. It wasn't homecooking and comfort food, I mean we went for drinks. But, it just felt comfortable. My recent trips to the Short North Bar have been on Tuesday nights. They say music brings people together and Hip-Hop is one of the best musical unifiers. Listen close on a summer afternoon .... you'll hear the driving beats and sometimes socially conscious words from the West side to Westerville. Go to Level on Tuesday's Hip Hop night and you'll see the layers of our differences converge on the restaurant turned dance floor. That's what happens Tuesdays at Level when the dinner hour is over, American Idol and Glee go off and the tables are removed. Imagine... the crowd- the gay and straight, the young and older, the buttoned-up and living free, all waving their glasses and compelled to move to the sound of Drake's Over (I'm Doing Me). Earlier in the day they were in their own parts of town... doing distinctly different jobs, maybe even pretending to be someone they are not- but on this dancing room only floor- they share the lyrics of a song that is at the center of this hotspot's vibe. "What am I doin?/ What am I doin?/Oh yeah that's right/ I'm doin' me/ I'm doin me/ And this is what I'll do 'til it's over/ 'til it'sover/ And it's far from over.... The bartenders are the type who will know your name. Ask for Steven and Tony... there are drink specials every night and the food is amazing. I had the Sinless Chicken the last time I was there and let me tell you not sinning never tasted so good and juicy. Be sure to try the creamy potatoes. This is a place where you can go for happy hour, stay for dinner and not leave until closing. But, if nothing else... grab your friends... no matter what "type" they are and have a drink where being "you" is celebrated in the midst of unparalleled variety.
(4)
S G.
Love the food and love the staff!
(5)
Amy S.
Ladies who Brunch took on a little different form this month. Dinner -- Gallery Hop -- Jeni's Ice Cream -- Sleep -- Then get back up for brunch! I threw it out there to the ladies that we should vote on where we wanted to go out to dinner and out of: Surly Girl, Happy Greek, Marcella's, and Level, the winner was, drum roll please...Well, you're reading this review. So you get the picture. I called ahead of time to make sure there wouldn't be a problem accommodating 10 women here on a Gallery Hop night and surprisingly the guy on the phone said it would be no problem at all, but suggested that we come around 6ish before they really got busy. And true to his word, at 6pm we were immediately seated (although they did have to scootch some tables together to make room for us all). Our server was amazing and remembered all of our orders perfectly without writing them down (this is why I could never be a server!). I ordered the portobello burger because 1) I LOVE portobello mushrooms and 2) it came with a side of sweet potato fries...with their special dipping sauce...their special marshmallow dipping sauce. What diet? All the girls raved about their meals and helped me finish my fries and Jody finish her Parmesan Chips. When one of the girls mentioned how garlicky (but yummy) her food was, the server deftly whipped out a package of gum and handed a piece to each of us (tip just went up a bit...). By the end of our dinner, several of the girls had remarked that Level was now their favorite place to go and couldn't wait to come back for more food, drinks, and dancing on the second level. Prices are decent and their wine selection has some of the best discount vinos of any place I've been (Columbia Crest Merlot for $9 a glass!)!
(4)
erin l.
My first Level experience was at the end of June when they first opened. I was overly impressed by the layout and decor, which includes white leather seats, a decent sized rectangular bar and an upper level. The best are the video screens with current hits and some throwbacks. I returned this past weekend and my opinion has not changed. The food. I must say the main reason I have been there is for drinks but the grilled cheese with pesto cannot be beat. Throw in the sweet potato fries and its a bit of heaven on a plate. The drinks. With only two beers on tap I find myself experimenting most of the time. Last weekend I went with the suggestion of the waiter and had the Silver Patron Cosmo. At first you get a mouthful of Patron then it finishes nicely with the white grapefruit juice. Overall Level is pretty sweet place with friendly staff and I am likely to return.
(4)
Seth D.
Eh, not worth the price in my opinion. The service is good enough, and if you're just coming for drinks and to hang out, it's cool enough, but the food misses the mark. I had the pork cacciatore which could have been good except for the excessive amount of salt which dried out the meat terribly and made the sauce a waste of ingredients. It's not my kinda place to begin with, so I don't have much of a reason to come back.
(3)
Jim H.
So, we really wanted to like Level. It's in the short north. It's a new, different option to the usual suspects. There was a letter to the editor bashing an article accusing them of stealing "trade secrets" from U which I thought was laughable. Well, here's the story. We went in around 1:00 for lunch. There were maybe 2 tables of diners. We were the only people sitting at the bar. There were quite a few waiters and one bartender. She was cordial. The interior looked great. We had high hopes. Here's what we got. Food: average. Ambiance: very nice. Service: dismissive (we got what we asked for but nothing more and nothing without having to ask for it...refills included.) Basically we were disappointed. Disappointed that it was typical for Columbus. Typical apathetic, untrained, unexcited, maybe even unhappy service. Why is it that you can get wonderful, genuine, friendly service in Chicago, New York, Miami, LA, but not in Columbus? I just don't get it. Hire happy people. Genuine people. People who smile. It makes a BIG difference. In the end, maybe Level did steal trade secrets from U. An uninterested, unexcited, can't-be-bothered management and staff.
(2)
Lauren L.
Oh Level. I feel like this is our back up plan if Union is a bust, or way too busy. They have karaoke on Sunday nights, which is thumbs up in my group of friends books. Wednesdays are 1/2 price bottles of wine, which I cannot complain about! The food isn't my favorite, but I feel like everything is better later in the night! Not sure if there is a different chef or what? But every dinner I have had at Level was great, and lunches are just mediocre. I think the only reason Level is a step behind Union (at least in my eyes) is because of the lack of patio. I love me some patio drinkin' during the summer, and Level cannot offer me a patio, therefore, Union it is! Levels atmosphere is great! And, later in the night they have a make-shift dance floor (aka they move tables out of the way)... which is kind of fun! They have music VIDEOS instead of just music, which I enjoy, and they have a pretty stellar brunch with some show-tunes action.
(4)
Gage D.
One of the best menus in the city. Huge selection great value. Was not able to go out this evening since the little one was sick, but was still in the mood for a great meal. With the help of cafe carrier we had an amazing steak delivered to the door in 30 mins.
(4)
Annie K.
I'm a fan of Level, but it could be so much more. The drinks are great, the food isn't bad (although the appetizers are a little boring) and my friends and I love Wine Wednesdays. But the place is starting to look a little dated (for trying to look so modern) and worn down.
(3)
Andrew M.
When I walked in this place I had rather low expectations. First off the place is GORGEOUS. Definitely spared no expense on decorating. I have gone once for drinks and twice for lunch. Both times my lunch was excellent and the prices are great. Only complain I have (and it's a big one) is that the kitchen must be experiencing a time warp. Don't eat here if you are in a hurry, it's at least a 60 minute affair. Their burger is fantastic, and they also have these sweet potato fries in a sweet dipping sauce that is insane. If they can speed things up here (service included) I think level has a real shot at being a winner. If not, they may find themselves being just a bar.
(3)
Robin L.
We were here during a recent Gallery Hop. The weather was fine and they had the windows open to enjoy what was going on outside as well as in. The pricing was decent, the service was timely and pleasant, the decor was modern, clean and comfortable and finally the food was AWESOME!! Dish # 1 Sinless Chicken - served w/ asparagus and rice pilaf. This meal would have been wonderful had I not tasted my husband's dish which is described below. Dish # 2 Chicken Cordon Bleu - A tender chicken breast cut into slices over linguine tossed with chunk's of ham. The sauce was delectable. It was the heroin of butter cream sauces. Once tasted you can only think of having more. .. Beer, wine and mixed drink selection is plentiful
(5)
Kelly R.
People here are interesting. Go to people watch for sure. Great white decor. Service was okay. The sweet potato fries are AMAZING! Must try.
(3)
Carolyn E.
I'm afraid I can only comment on the night-life as we came to dance and drink and not for food. It sounded delightful, though. Anyways - Level is an attractive, somewhat upscale lounge and dance club. Lots of little black dresses and button down shirts. The atmosphere is dark, but with splashes of ever-changing color from striped towers around the lower level. The upper level has a large glass window overlooking the down-stairs bar and dance floor, as well as comfy loveseats and lounges. Unlike some places, no one cares where you sit - no reservations for wine service or such, so it's a good place to go and chat with friends...though hearing can be difficult over the loud dance music. Now, I'm afraid I do not drink (much) and was driving the night we went, so I was a bit sad that there were no non-alcoholic beverages on the menu. I didn't see any way that any of the nifty sounding martinis could be altered into one, either. However, the server was very helpful and recommended a lemonade with some carbonated water, which hit the spot beautifully, and had free refills. I was also sorely tempted by the fabulous sounding desserts, especially the creme brulee, but we decided to stick to drinks. I am afraid that my one companion was not overly fond of her drink, and I must admit I understood why. I know a lot of people complain about drinks being watered down, but a drink being so strong that holding a cigarette near it would result in a fireball probably isn't a good thing either. The mint julep my other companion ordered, though, was pretty good (and also very potent. One sip threatened to endanger my driver status :) ) For me, then, the only complaint I have is that no one really was there to dance, and I was. There is a small but attractive dance space down stairs behind the bar. Emphasis here on small. However, even as late as 12:30, there were only a handful of people standing around it and none of them were really dancing. And this was a Saturday with a gallery hop, so there were tons of people there - indeed, you could barely move it was so crowded! Still, I wouldn't be against going back. The music is your standard pop music for the most part, but it's mixed decently and catchy enough that I could definitely enjoy dancing... if only I wasn't the only one doing it.
(3)
Jae R.
I went there on Thursday night. Fantastic food and interesting drinks. Friendly service and affordable. What could you ask for more. Unfortunately upstair lounge wasn't opened due to weekdays..
(4)
Marissa M.
It was the night of Thanksgiving and I wanted to show my LA cousins that Columbus has cool bars too. My first thought was Level. I'll be honest here and admit that we never got past the front bar. Thanksgiving is a very physically stressful holiday involving eating and none of us had recovered enough to go anywhere than straight to the first bar we saw. The good thing is that it rocked! The seating downstairs was full of options. The concept of good seating may seem a trifle, but as someone who wears outfits which definitely look better seated or standing, I appreciate the choice. We chose a corner near the bar and with couches. I must also add that room between said couches, bar and tables leaves ample space to move around and be social. No need to squeeze through the throngs here. Unless you want to that is. Great music and great drinks. I was impressed with Level's selection of all things alcoholic. The resident wine snob was subdued, the whiskey drinkers reveled, us champagne girls stayed bubbly and my brother could get their draft beers. The pours were heavy and contributed to my fuzzy memories of the night. What made it in my mind the morning after... Clean bathrooms without a line. Music that actually had variety, while still playing the faves. Nice, friendly staff who put up with overfed drunken cousins. Beautiful decor that made the LA cousins get over themselves.
(4)
Kara K.
The BF & I tried to go here last night during Gallery Hop. I understand it was Gallery Hop & they were probably busier than usual. However, one of the signs of a good host(ess) is that he/she can predict the wait time somewhat accurately. We walked in & were told 35 minutes, so we decided to put our name in. The hostess got my cell phone number & said she'd call when our table was ready. Thirty-five minutes later, still no call. After forty-five minutes, we stopped back in to check on how much longer it would be. She told us 15 minutes. We decided to go check out some more shops in the meantime. Eventually we decided to just try a different restaurant instead. An hour and 15 minutes after we initially walked into Level, they called to let us know our table was ready. By this time we had already walked in, been seated, & ordered food & drinks elsewhere. I was disappointed because the food at Level had sounded so good. But, based on the service we received from the hostess, I will not be back. If the hostess is that bad, I don't even want to deal with the servers.
(2)
Matt V.
Polenta cakes and calamari were great!
(5)
Ned K.
Nice addition to the Short North.
(4)
Marissa R.
When I come to Columbus, I love coming to Level for dinner and as my first start off to a night downtown! The food is amazing! So far, I've had the Cajun Pesto Fettuccine, Cordon Bleu, and the Buffalo Style Ravioli. The proportion size is very good. The prices are very reasonable, and they have drink specials! I love the ambiance, very classy and fun, and the service is always excellent!
This place is one of my new favorites, although it's in the short north (which parking is my least favorite thing downtown) it's worth the $5 for valet! The food is amazing and the waiters are great. I loved the music and videos that were played they made the atmosphere a lot of fun. The only thing I didn't like is there were so many good things on the menu I couldn't decide what to eat. I went with a few friends so we all got something different and shared! We got the quesadillas (AMAZE) and calamari for appetizers - this was so yummy. Can't wait to go back to try something new.
(5)
Mitch H.
Just opened and I'm excited to have it in my life. I didn't eat, focusing more on my love of spirits for the evening, however I did steal a few chips from a friend's plate. Oh. My. God. Granted I did already have 2 of 3 big and delicious long islands in my belly at the time, but the salty , warm from the deep fryer, hand cut chips makes me want to go back and actually enjoy a full meal. Ya know, not saying I don't consider 3 long islands the equivalent of a three-course meal, but I digress. The place is super chic, white leather, color changing columns with flat screens everywhere. Second floor has a really posh lounge space where you can watch people inside or out from a bird's perspective. Love. Love.
(5)
Drew G.
I order The Vintage Burger at least 3 days a week for lunch and it is always good, always the same and always done in 15 minutes. I have a good time when ever I go in for drinks after work and the staff attentive and attractive. Great place!
(5)
Matt W.
Great atmosphere, great drinks and great food. The only issue I had was service, but this can be expected with a new establishment. Its a refreshing change to an area that used to be controlled by one establishment.
(4)
Meg G.
Three of my best galfriends and I decided to grab a bite to eat in the Short North before heading out for the evening on a Friday night. So, we parked wherever we could find a spot and started walking. Press Grill- packed. Martini- too expensive. Haiku- not all sushi fans. Soon enough, we came upon Level Dining Lounge. All I'd heard about it was that it was a new gay friendly bar/restuarant in the old R.J. Snappers location. We agreed to give it a try. It was pretty crowded and we were told that we had to wait for a table, but we could go by the bar. Much to my surprise, we were escorted to a low table (right above the knee height) with a cushy booth enveloping it. I was confused at first- I thought we had to wait for a table? Soon enough, I realized that this table was just considered an extension of the bar and not a dining table. We took a seat and quickly decided to remain there for our dinner. It was at this point that I decided to really look around.....and I was impressed. There's a great energy in the place. The bottom level has a very modern, posh feel to it with an upscale, linear design- an impressive bar, square white leather chairs and flat screen tvs with the latest music videos playing. The crowd was great, too. Young Professionals lingering from their happy hours. Ladies meeting up for the start of their GNO (Girls Night Out)- much like us. I even noticed what I assumed to be a business traveler enjoying his solitary meal (most likely staying at a nearby Arena District hotel). The place was a-buzz with conversation and laughter. Ya know when you just get a good vibe at a place and you're like "It's gonna be a good night." (Kinda like the Black Eyed peas song) Well, I got that vibe. And the vibe was only confirmed as the night went on. All of their Smirnoff vodka mixed drinks were $4 and, it may have just been the bartender on duty that night, but these were some good, stiff drinks. Just the way I like 'em. And the food was great, too. One of my friends ordered the sinless chicken, which she raved about. I, on the other hand, opted for a less healthy item: burger and sweet potato fries. I'll admit, I pretty much automatically like any place that serves sweet potato fries because, in my book, that is one food item that can't be messed up and is always delicious. So, I was kind of partial when I saw that sweet potato fries were on the menu, but the remainder of the menu was great, too. They offered the perfect combination of more upscale items and comfort food, all for $8-$15. Our service was good, as well. Our server was attentive and had a fun personality, cracking a couple jokes and throwing some always appreciated compliments our way. I decided to venture upstairs to check out the scene. The modern, linear decor continued onto the second floor; however, the accent color upstairs was hot pink. The bar and tables lit up the room with their flourescent pink color. The upstairs is more of a lounge area and I was told that it can be rented out for private parties (mental note to myself). In conclusion: Great ambiance. Fun crowd. Stiff Drinks. AND sweet potato fries. I am most definitely a fan of Level.
(4)
Claire B.
Worried that it might be one of those annoyingly trendy spots, but atmosphere seemed really relaxed. Bourbon cocktail was delicious and not watered down. Risotto cakes were yum, and my husband is still raving about "the best turkey wrap ever." And the bill was really reasonable. Will definitely return!
(3)
baby l.
Pretty restaurant. Pretty people. Lousy food. Even lousier service.
(2)
Manuel C.
Great food, good setup, quick short wait. Brunch is on point. Beware of atmosphere it is a tad bit flamboyant.
(4)
Jey J.
This place is one of my favorite restaurants in Columbus. All of their menu items are delicious. The Level House Salad is my favorite dish. There's no other restaurant I've been to where the salad is my favorite dish but this salad is amazing. The management is awesome and the business is smoothly ran. Ebony is my favorite waitress there. Always fast, friendly, and efficient.
(5)
Hannah C.
Ate here last Saturday night during gallery hop with my mom and grandma. We got there just in time before they really got busy! Probably about 7-730pm. The crowd continues to grow from there! We were able to get a window seat but were disappointed the windows weren't open. (They have those big cool windows that a lot of places in short north have that make it feel like your outside even though you're not- a best of both worlds). By the time we left, about 830pm, it was very loud. We definitely had to yell to hear each other. But that's also a part of being there on a Saturday night, especially gallery hop. Service was good. Food was great. So glad we tried something new! We had the calamari as an appetizer. Super yummy. It's fried and is covered in some kind of sweat and sour sauce. I had the Cajun pesto fettuccine. It was very good. Couldn't taste the Cajun spice that much, mostly the pesto so if you're not big on spice or Cajun spice, you'd probably still like it. I would of preferred a bit more of the Cajun spice personally. Still very good. Mom and grandma had the mushroom flatbread and they really liked it as well. I would definitely eat here again. They have a good sized menu and a few other items I'd like to try!
(4)
Nicole M.
I have been a patron of this restaurant for years. The food is AMAZING, as well as the drinks. However, I've never received great, or even okay, customer service. The wait staff is very snippy. My friends and I always look past it because the food is good. However, after my last visit, never again. A friend of mine suddenly fell ill in their establishment so we had to leave shortly after we got there. We had sympathy for the wait staff and cleaned most of it ourselves. I was late and ordered a salad with dressing on the side before all of this occurred. The waitress comes over and while we're expressing our apologies she cuts us off, "Somebody has to pay for these bottles and the food." ...Like we weren't going to pay for our food and drinks. I try to cancel my salad for time sake since I had ordered it 5 minutes before the mishap and it could not have been started yet. She tells me no the order is up... My salad came out 15 minutes later... On top of being forced to pay for food, I ordered a bottle of wine to go. When I went to the bar to retrieve my merchandise I was told that the waitress took it. I found this odd because who takes a bottle that is to go to the table? When I looked to the waitress she said she sat it on the table (mind you... I was no longer at a table and hadn't been for 15 minutes), and she proceeds to accuse my friends of stealing it. I go to my friends who had just made it across the street and ask them (mind you... They have no bottle in their hands and are still walking towards their cars with clutch purses). I return to the bar with the conclusion of the matter. The waitress sticks to her guns and walks away. I go to the bar and request to see a manager. Unless the bar tender was the manager, I never got to see a manager. Long story short I paid for a meal that I didn't want and a bottle that I never received. There was no apology for what happened in their establishment, only fingers of blame. No one acknowledged the fact that the waitress was completely wrong for placing my merchandise anywhere but in my hand... Overall, it was hands down the worst experience as a customer I've ever had in my life thus far. I pray them longevity and good health, but hell will literally freeze over before I give them another dime. Who knows, maybe they needed my bottle funds to clean the napkins instead of my repeat business.
(1)
Gina M.
I like to describe Level as man-sized portions with girly menu choices. In my opinion, it is the PERFECT combination! The crowd that Level brings in varies dramatically from families with young children for brunch on the weekends to a full on bar at night; it works for everyone. Everything I have eaten there has been amazing, and the service has been above average as well. I was once there for a birthday dinner and our waiter actually bought shots for the whole table to help us celebrate with the birthday girl! The menu is also huge, so you've got lots of options if you're going to eat with a group who might not have similar tastes. From grilled cheese with pesto to chicken parm and pizza, this place has it all. It is a must-try if you're in the Short North area at any time of day!
(4)
Bill Z.
It's loud, it's trendy, it's certainly a good place to meet for drinks, which aren't too bad in price, and the cocktails are pretty potent. Unfortunately, we didn't see a drink menu, and I understand the drinks are pretty innovative. There's actually comfortable seating on the sides if you're quick enough to get a table, and it's a good place to see or be seen or to people watch outside. I can't comment on the food because we didn't order any on this visit. But this feels like a good spot to include in your evening itinerary in Short North.
(4)
Kirk S.
Drink here very often, really great drinks (Generous Pour). Some good high end liquor, bartender's are friendly and fun. The most upscale gay bar in the Short North. Haven't had food here, seems more like a fun video bar then a restaurant.
(5)
Cindy G.
Is this a gay bar? Is this not a gay bar? Is this a restaurant? Is this a bar? Is this a club? I'm not sure what the heck this place is as it suffers from an identity crisis. Going into it we, and every other tourist around us, thought this was a high end cocktail lounge. I'm here to tell you that it is not. Don't come here looking for craft cocktails. This place reminds me of Mynt in Cincinnati. Bumping techno, bright colorful lights everywhere, syrupy drinks and Billy Idol videos playing on the screens. We reluctantly sat at the bar took one look at the cocktail list and regretted it immediately. But instead of leaving we felt bad and ordered anyway which was a huge mistake. I got the grey goose melon cocktail - worst cocktail I have ever had. If you can even call it that. The bf got a beer and chugged it as fast as he could. We left my cocktail sitting on the bar. The one saving grace is that the prices were affordable. Others have described this as "high end" but everything in here seemed cheap to me. If flavored martini's and 80's techno is your thing, you will love this place. If not, skip it.
(2)
Anna T.
Level's food is pretty solid - I've been a few times and the food is always very good. The cheeseburgers are great. The menu is a nice balance between standard fare and something new or different. Great for trying things. The ambiance at Level is kind of weird and doesn't really match the kind of food they serve in my opinion. Not that that matters that much. There are a lot of screens sometimes playing bizarre videos and the noise level is always too loud. It could be a great place for conversation otherwise.
(3)
Ty W.
Level is definitely my favorite spot in Columbus. My friends and I meet up here at least once a week. The service, food, music, drinks, and ambiance are great. The staff and management are so friendly. Everything on the menu is amazing, but I love the grilled wings, blackened chicken quesadilla, tuscan florentine calzone, and chicken picatta. The drinks are strong and reasonably priced. There are drink specials every night: Sunday- $12 Long Island Pitchers & $15 Belvedere Pitchers, Monday- Happy Hour All Day, Tuesday- $4 Absolut Cocktails, Wednesday- 50% off of all bottles of wine, Thursday- $3 Smirnoff Cocktails, Friday- $7 Stoli Martinis, and Saturday- $6 Grey Goose Cocktails. I always recommend Level! Note: Level does offer valet parking, otherwise finding a spot can be very difficult on the weekends.
(5)
Nathaniel K.
Level is a fantastic spot to hang out, with high marks on food and drinks. I've honestly never ordered anything I didn't like at Level. Their menu items are simple, yet they have high standards for the quality of their food, and everything from their salads to their entrees shows the level of detail they put into the food. They always have a seasonal menu too, so it can be fun to try out some new options. Order the fry basket. Onion rings. Fried zucchini. Sweet potato fries. Everything is hot and crispy. Lord knows I've ordered it enough times to know how consistent it is. They have marshmallow sauce for the sweet potato fries if you're into that, but why would you dip your bounty of deep-fried goodness in anything other than ranch? Their wine list is pretty good, and they have a nice list of well-crafted cocktails, especially martinis if that's your thing. I do wish their beer list had more variety. The staff is usually pretty friendly, but it's hard to notice anything else when you're staring down that fry basket.
(4)
Holly K.
In general, I enjoy Level and it's set-up. However over the course of the years since it has been opened I see it losing some steam. Their food is good...and right now, I feel is much better than Union's. Most of the time I have very attentive and great service...except for last night. I walked in with a small entourage of friends after attending the Columbus Symphony Orchestra's Happy Hour event. Five minutes went by. No wait staff. We then asked a passing by staff member. She wasn't working our section. Finally I get up to the bar, order a drink and ask a bartender if there is anyone working our area. He said yes and would send someone over right away. Another five minutes goes by (and mind you they weren't busy)...nothing. Five more minutes go by and finally some girl comes our way. Service? Nope. Basically after being ignored for 20 minutes by all staff, we left and went to Union and got seated and a round of drinks ordered within five minutes and they were MUCH busier than Level. Last night Level was simply one word: LAZY.
(3)
Shuo F.
This is a very stylish modern lounge. It's just loud enough to have a nice sit-down conversation with someone while having a few drinks. I came here for a friend's birthday party so we didn't order off of the menu. The food we got was an unlimited supply of catering food. The food included different types of their versions of pizza, calamari, sandwich rolls, and stuffed mushrooms. If their catering food is a good representation of their menu items, then the food at this bar/lounge is definitely worth coming for. The Thai chicken pizza tasted great, just the right amount of spice. I ate at least 5 pieces! They also had a calamari in a sweet chili sauce. The sauce reminds me of the sriracha sauce at Buffalo Wild Wings. It's sweet and spicy. Definitely worth trying! I'll write more when I come back and have their menu food!
(4)
Dave T.
I have to say, given the cater-to-the-yuppie trend that Columbus has been experiencing in its Short North district for the past ten years, I was shocked the quality of my experience was not better. I came by Level to have some brunch, mid-afternoon on a Sunday. Plenty was as-expected. Loud tables of boozing brunch-go'ers. Videos of musical numbers played on mounted screens for sing-along purposes. Gaggles of gays enjoying their sleeping-in-today breakfasts, as well as a smattering of straight folks. Totally cool! Not sedate nor excessively loud, I thought. The hostess was a delightful young lady who seated me in a quiet (as quiet could be) spot as I requested and cleaned my table even though it looked fine, "Just in case." Then my waiter came by. Clearly he was the standard gay brunch waiter, hired for his handsome face and with-the-times facial hair as opposed to his experience in food service. A real looker! Unfortunately, for all the face, he had not a smile on it and the energy level of a drowsy toddler. He arrived just as the hostess had stepped away and asked me if I'd like anything. I just asked for a water while I browsed the menu. Always armed with my smart phone, I asked if they had WiFi. He said yes, and the password was their phone number but he didn't know it. I was only assured it started with 614. Upon returning, I ordered a beer and one of my favorites: "Corned Beef Hash - corned beef brisket sauteed with fresh potatoes and onions. Topped with two eggs cooked your way." It sounded great (Who loves that Alpo-looking stuff from the can?). And it was a really reasonable price, I thought. At the bottom of the menu, it listed sides such as breakfast potatoes, bacon, etc. I specifically asked if they could do poached eggs. My waiter said sure! I asked if it came with anything and he said no. "OK, I'll have a side of the breakfast potatoes with it then." He then informed me that the dish came with breakfast potatoes. I don't think I could withhold my raised eyebrow at that point. I asked him to have them make the potatoes well-done. Like 'em crispy, I do! He said sure. Without bringing my beer, he returned no less than 15 minutes later with my plate. Before he left me, I was sure to ask for my beer again. And a fork. When someone orders poached eggs, it is because they desire the gooey golden runny ecstasy that is a warm egg yolk. Down and onto your potatoes, dipping your toast into, etc. Oh, he at that point told me that my toast was on its way. This was news to me that toast was involved because, as I'd been informed, the dish didn't come with anything. The yolks were soft-boiled. No runny yolk to speak of. The potatoes were pale and definitely not well-done. They WERE tasty and cooked-through. But again, just not as I ordered. The corned beef was brilliant to look at among the other colors on the plate. It was nicely presented. Bite-sized shavings of corned beef were really a great way to do the dish and truly made it seem home-made. The concept was totally there. It was the delivery that was the problem. Another distasteful point was that underneath everything was a shallow pond of oil on the plate. It clearly seemed to stem from the beef because the potatoes were not greasy at all. When my toast came five minutes later, I added the two pieces of seemingly ordinary wheat toast from Anyloaf, USA to my plate and scooped the dish onto the halved single slice to simply absorb the oil. Perhaps a quick trip to a folded paper towel on a hot plate to absorb some excess fat would work? The dish WAS tasty! It wasn't even very salty which corned beef is ALWAYS guilty of. So big kudos there! I just wish they'd done the eggs right. It's tough to poach an egg! I've done it successfully and not-so. But a cook should be able to without completely soft-boiling the yolk. There seemed to be a big disconnect between concept, execution, and delivery. If the cook had been more attentive perhaps (the place was not exactly PACKED, just expectantly busy) and my waiter didn't have a laid-back attitude that bordered on disinterest, there may have been better results. Any attentive waiter could have at least seen the potatoes and thought, "hey, these don't look well-done." I will try them again for dinner sometime. Maybe the Executive Chef is around for dinner service. Give them a try. Just be specific and read your waiter. And get that drink before you're just sitting there for 15 minutes with nothing!
(2)
Christopher W.
I enjoy going to Level to have a good time with my friends. Their wings, calamari, onion straws, and French fries are some of my favorite things to order. They also have great drink specials. I definitely would recommend checking them out.
(5)
Raymond S.
Oh Level you have fallen so far and it saddens me. You used to have some of the best food in the Short North..now I feel like you just don't care. Let's talk burgers...I love your burgers! No matter what I've had they have always come loaded with toppings, cooks perfectly to temperature and seasoned well. Your menu has ceased evolving minus your "seasonal" menu which seems to only change when someone remembers to create it. I'm pretty sure there are some items on there from over the summer still. Drinks are good although I would like if they started to use shakers when making martinis or shots as I'm not a big fan or random ice chunks settling against my teeth. Finally....The stench. It smells like a perm meets urine meets bleach at times....Go ahead imagine it...yeah the mouth vomit is normal. Please come back to being the Level I fell in love with....5 years ago
(3)
Matt G.
Solid food, decent prices, and energetic atmosphere! I'll keep this short and sweet. PRICES: Average $10-$14/plate TASTES: Fry basket w/ sweet potato cinnamon dipping sauce was epic! Shrimp skewers are pretty solid...two words: bacon-wrapped. PARKING: Short North...need I say more? [Fun fact: There is a parking garage two blocks north behind Melt.] ENVIRONMENT: Modern/Casual, Pop/Hit Music, Gets pretty crowded as night goes on. OVERALL: I'll be back. If anything, just to take a bath in that sweet potato fry dipping sauce!
(4)
Robert P.
At first glance when you walk in or from the outside you might think "upscale, modern." Then you let your eyes adjust and you quickly see this place is desperately in need of a makeover. When I'm in there all I notice is how worn and tattered all the furniture is. Bar stools, dining chairs, booths...most have tears, terrible scratches, or patches of some sort. The furniture upstairs is even worse, looking like it was all picked up in a yard sale. The upstairs dining tables are actually folding CARD TABLES with table clothes which is just embarrassing. The men's room is FILTHY...seriously there is rust and mold all over the bases of the mirrors. There is often a disgusting odor near the bar...I can only imagine the source. I can't recommend this place as anything more than a gay bar to have a martini. It's a shame really...the bar itself is beautiful, as is a wood ceiling, and it's clear a lot went into the place, and it would not take a major investment to update it...new furniture, paint, and very deep cleaning. The current condition indicates the owners are losing money, or don't care to reinvest in their business.
(2)
James G.
I have to say that this place has grown tired. Maybe fine once in a while, but the service has gotten really slow and unprofessional. The food is mediocre at best, some dishes are to be avoided at all costs (the cordon Blu comes to mind). It's just too loud, with poor service, and sub-standard foid. Used to be better.
(2)
Emma L.
Visited here with a group of girlfriends for a Friday night birthday dinner. I had a reservation and we had a table for 6 upstairs (I didn't even know there was an upstairs). The only annoying thing was that they didn't want to seat us until the whole party was there and said they would only hold the table for 15 minutes past the reso time, but luckily everyone was prompt and it wasn't an issue. Our waiter was a gem. He was super fun, felt no need to rush us and had fun with us all throughout dinner. He recited the entire vodka menu for us (30 flavors or something like that) and suggested fun drinks for us to try. Our food was all tasty, though I was honestly a tad tipsy once it arrived so I may have eaten just about anything! Prices were all very reasonable, about $10 for a sandwich and side. I had a burger and homemade chips, no complaints at all. After dinner we headed downstairs for drinks and bff-catching up. A good time was had by all, though I will say the bartenders paid far less attention to 6 straight chicks than they would in any other bar... luckily our watier hung out after his shift and got his attention ;)
(4)
Erin M.
If I could give zero stars I would. Rude and slow service the entire night, it took us over 2 hours to eat a simple meal. Also this restaurant is not equipped to handle groups bigger than 4, at all. If you have a group expect to pay 20% gratuity automatically whether or not your service was good. On top of all this when we asked to speak with a manager about our experience, the hostess told us to just make a comment online. So here it is. I will not return to level.
(1)
Emily L.
Before this weekend, I had only been to Level on a really crazy crowded Saturday night. This weekend, I got to try lunch here and I was not disappointed. The menu is really huge here. There is almost too much to choose from, but I was able to narrow it down. My group started with the wings appetizer. They were actually really good and came with what seemed to be homemade blue cheese dressing, which was very tasty. I had a side Caesar salad and as far as Caesar salads go, this was a good one. Lots of freshly shaved Parmesan cheese and not too much dressing. I also had the spinach florentine calzone, which was really good and HUGE. It was filled with mushrooms, spinach, and lots of melty cheese. The marinara dipping sauce was flavorful, but a little watery. The calzone was so big I couldn't finish the whole thing, but it made for a nice breakfast the next morning. I also tried a bite of my boyfriend's chroizo breakfast burrito (which is available with brunch Saturday and Sunday 11-3). It was good, but I thought a little rich. I was plesantly surprised by Level during the day. It's a lot different than the club atmosphere they have in the evening time.
(4)
Brittney F.
Went here on a Wednesday evening so it wasn't as crowded as it usually is compared to the weekends. I had the BBQ shrimp skewers and they were good. I have no complaints about the food, it just wasn't 'over the top' so that's why I can't give it 4/5 stars. Prices are very reasonable and on Wednesdays they have half price bottles of wine! Atmosphere? very modern Loud? Yes Good for people watching? Yes
(3)
Kohy W.
Kelley, Savannah, and Allen never stop giving exceptional GREAT service!! Wonderful food and drinks the WHOLE TIME! Modern atmosphere helped a ton! Nothing wrong with my visit at all. Go there please :-)
(5)
Michael J.
Good food. Great fun atmosphere. Friendly Staff. What more could you ask for.... :)
(5)
Aaron W.
Had a little confusion with the seating, but after that we had great service. I had scallops on a bed of potatoes and wild mushrooms. It was one of the best things I've ever eaten! And the white chocolate bread pudding that topped off the meal was fabulous. Ambiance is great, crowd is great. Love it!
(4)
Crystal P.
I am a very picky eater and drinker but I love several things on Levels menu. I've been here a ton of times and I have always had an amazing experience.
(5)
Tawni S.
I will drive downtown just to have a dirty martini here. Not everyone can make a good martini but this place hands down is the best. My husband and I love this place.
(5)
Charlene A.
I love Level. The environment is so full of energy and filled with fun people...everything I have ever ordered has been excellent. I have referred several friends and they love it as well.
I came back here on my last visit for karoke and was also here for a sweet drag show as well. It is a great lounge to chill out with a cocktail or glass of wine and people watch, listen to music, watch videos, meet people... I love the vibe. I am not a fan of dive bars or micro brewery's or even pubs really. When I go out for drinks, I love to dress up and I love to be in an atmosphere of style... that is why I love Level... so far, the closest thing to The Abbey is West Hollywood that I have found in Cbus.
(4)
Jacinta Y.
I haven't been here for food, but I did have a few drinks here. It wasn't overcrowded like some other places even though it was the weekend. And the music selections were pretty good.
(4)
Jill W.
It is difficult to give this location four stars, not five. The food was phenomenal, my waiter was wonderful when he was there, and it was all reasonably priced. The problem was the service philosophy. Though there was multiple tables, all ordering drink after drink, the bartender and the waiter were the same person. He ran the food, he took the orders, and he made the drinks... and he was the *only* employee on the floor. It is clearly a managerial issues, wherein they don't want to pay to have two people on the floor during lunch. If they would be willing to rethink that philosophy, it would definitely be a 5-star experience.
(4)
Michelle S.
I would give this place a two if it weren't for their cocktails. I went here for the first time for their food during brunch. Since their drinks were good I had high expectations. Their calamari tastes like chicken with sweet chili sauce. It's pretty good but you won't like it if you hate sweet or sweet chili sauce. Their sweet potato fries are good but their dip is like an icing or something. Anyways, I ordered the French toast. I was excited and it was a generous size but the toast was pretty doughy and undercooked. Not only that but it was plain! I did enjoy my breakfasts potatoes and bacon but you can't really mess that up. I tried my moms skinless chicken and it was dry and plain as well as their salmon and blackened tilapia. I tried a bit of everyone's dish to see if I liked it but they were all just plain...no one seemed to be impressed with their dish except my sister was happy with her scallops that I never got the chance to try. My niece ordered the ribs and it was overly sweet barbecue sauce. Food isn't that good but their appetizers seem to be fine. Their cocktails are good, I like the ooh la la and the chocolate martini but I think they removed the chocolate one :(
(3)
Matthew U.
This is for the bar...upstairs. We arrived late, but were still able to order drinks. That made us happy, but not so much for the barmaid. It actually irritated her that she had a customer to serve. That should have been our cue to get out, but we decided to stay and have one drink before we ventured further out for the night. I ordered a margarita, which promptly got me a response snapped at me that they didn't have salt. Well, if you would have let me finish, I would have said margarita with no salt. My friends ordered their drinks, and the total came to an extremely high amount, but we didn't care at the moment. Whether it be because we were on vacation, or because we already had a few. But looking back now, we a little upset by the high prices we were charged here. My margarita was fine. Can't really mess up a margarita. However, my friends drinks were horrible according to them. They were super strong and they had trouble finishing them off. We were seated, enjoying our drinks and before long they told us we had to get out of the upstairs area. Not politely either. We went downstairs to finish our drinks as fast as we could. I doubt that I will ever return here again if I visit Columbus in the future. No way should a customer be treated like that. I'll gladly take my business elsewhere.
(2)
Doug H.
How cheap are the owners of this place. 1. You never see them. 2. Others bars and restaurants have heaters for the valet and over the doors to combat cold. Ok I have been a longtime patron of level. However, the odor coming from behind the bar it's nauseous. It smells like a rest area bathroom. And since i brought uo bathrooms this used to be the nicest place in the shory north now it ranks with short north tavern. As well as the cold air that blows through the front tables and the Lincoln street side of the bar. Not to mention the choice in LOUD vulgar music while I am dining is enough to This does not make me want to come here. Looks like we are on to new a better things. So long level.
(1)
Crit T.
Employs illegal immigrants in the back.
(1)
Will P.
A better food experience So was absolutely starving and decided to go to a Short North place that had parking close by; Level was the winner. Had the calamari appetizer and it was very good. I can't say it tasted like calamari thought, I mostly tasted the breading (which was fantastic) and the sweet, tangy sauce that comes on them. For entree I had the sweet & sinful burger with sweet potato fries. Sweet potato fries were great (but again, who can mess that up), but the burger was overcooked. I told them medium well, but it was well-done and had that grill smell like Burger King. For dessert I ordered the apple pie which was small and looked the same as the kind they have at kroger. Definitely store-bought, but tasted good.
(3)
Lan G.
I ordered the steak here, which is really delicacy. I don't like raw meat, so I asked it to be medium-well, but the steak is till fresh and tender instead of being old, which is really easy to eat and completely reach requirement, and I do like the sides of it. By the way, the service is also good there. Good experience and recommend!!
(4)
Cameron M.
Food is bad and the music is terrible. If I opened up a gay bar I'd actually play good music. I can't understand why they can't grasp a simple formula.
(1)
Tim A.
Trendy, laid back, open minded place to go. Hang out upstairs in the lounge on the couches and you may get to see your wife make out with another woman! :) Yes, even though its typically a "gay bar", its still a fantastic place to hang out and have dinner if you're straight. The service isn't always the best, but its location and ambiance are fantastic! -1 star for service and slacking food quality over the years; but a definite place you should try out...both downstairs and upstairs in the lounge.
(4)
Jason B.
Level has a great menu and always unique and tasty options. The prices are reasonable, and there are several vegetarian options. The season dishes are always delicious and the calzones are one of my go-to favorites. Half price wine Wednesdays are a good time, and the atmosphere is always great. I would absolutely recommend Level.
(5)
Michael B.
Level is overall pretty solid. It has a more mature vibe than Union, and I think that the food is better too. They make a great caprese salad, and their cocktails are nice and strong. Service is good, and their staff is really friendly.
(4)
Amy P.
Went here last night for Restaurant Week 1-2014. I loved the modern design of the place, but my reservation saved me and my fiance a table in the back corner of the place as well as unfortunate service. We had heard great things about this place and the food, but I can't say I was all that impressed. The menu offered a good selection (I chose the hummus/pita bread, pot roast, and chocolate lava cake) and you certainly can't beat the $20 price point. The hummus was delicious, the pot roast was okay (the veggies and potatoes were my favorite part), and the cake was amazing. I can say I'm happy to have branched out and tried this place, but I won't say that I'm heading back right away.
(3)
Catherine J.
Level is another one of my favorite jumping-off points for an evening in the Sho' No', especially if your night is getting off to a late start. The food is good, the few times I've had it, though I often forget the decent dinner options. I remember the tuna tartare being especially satisfying. Seating at the bar can get pretty crowded. There's some additional loungey space upstairs, with it's own bar. This is the best spot to chill with a group if you have more than 4 people and just want drinks. I think the decor in here is gorgeous. Maybe a tad too far on the Miami-vibe, but I like it, especially if I've dressed up a little bit. The people watching is fun, and I almost always get to flirt with gay men who love my shoes. The fun music videos in the background will get your primed up to visit Axis after you've had a few adult beverages.
(4)
Brian-David D.
Let me start off by saying that I work in service industry and am a very forgiving customer. The Service was non existent here. I spent multiple minutes standing and waiting for a host to seat me as many servers walked by without acknowledgment. Upon finally being greeted, I decide to sit at the bar. Big mistake. Spent an additional 7-8 minutes waiting for one of the 3 bartenders to say hi instead of talking to one another at the other end of bar and texting on their phones. One finally took my food order then completely walked away from the bar before I could place a drink order. Another 4-5 minutes, a different bartender took my drink order after noticing that I was sitting there. An additional 15 minutes, my food arrives with a untouchable hot plate and super soggy fries. (Too long under heat lamp perhaps?). No one checked on me my entire meal. (The Veggie melt which was an a+). I'm so disappointed in this establishment that has an opportunity to be so great!
(1)
Adrienne C.
Level is very atypical for Columbus. I feel wrong drinking beer here - the vibe encourages cocktails/martinis/wine. The interior has a metropolitan lounge feel and they usually play electronic music in the background while risque music videos show onscreen. Try the food! The chicken artichoke panini is filling and delicious and it comes with a side of your choice -- I like getting it with asparagus. Also, I haven't had a problem finding seating at the bar, or at one of their many tables without reservations. On any night of the week, they seem busy but never overcrowded. The location is perfect. You're next door to Jeni's ice cream, in the heart of the Short North, and also in walking distance to the Arena District if you decide later on to make a whole night of it. Level's spaciousness is conducive to larger groups so keep it in mind if you're looking for a place to have a birthday party!
(4)
Stephan h.
What was once hip and stylish has become something of a Max and Erma's. This spot is just BOR-ING. The crowd is very Dublin, very str8, and very dull. The decor is alright, but the crowd and the overall ambience both scream "SEE, LOOK, HILLBILLIES CAN BE COOL TOO!" Exclusivity and sophistication are just NEVER gonna happen it this town. Sad.
(2)
Liz M.
We met some friends for dinner at Level last night and sat there in the comfy booth wondering why we'd never been here before. The ambiance is mod and comfortable. A great place to hang out for dinner or drinks. The music was mostly pop and not too loud. Our server, Ebony, was a real trooper. Very sweet and engaging and put up with our goofy friends with ease. Their menu is awesome. Very well rounded with an excellent price point. Prices were $2-$4 less than surrounding restaurants. I ordered the sweet and sinful burger with onion rings and it was a great burger. The bun could have been better but the meat (advertised as angus) was tender and flavorful and just plain delicious! The onions rings were super crispy and yummy in the ranch dipping sauce. My boyfriend ordered the tortolini which he really liked with added pepperoni recommended by Ebony. Our guests got the blackened tilapia, which for a gross piece of fish actually looked appetizing, and his wife got the greek salad, which I tried and really enjoyed, although I didn't think it was very 'greek'. So, anyway for our 2 meals and 2 non alchololic drinks the bill was only $25 without tip and service was great along with the good food. I can definitely say we'll be back.
(4)
Mike S.
What a great dinner! We started with the quesadilla, excellent! The house salad was great. I had the Tilapia and it was phenomenal! Absolutely no complaints about the food. Service was a tad slow. Also, the server (who never told us his name) seemed to be overwhelmed and when he boxed our food for us it never made it back to the table. I definitely will go back to try different menu items and hopefully I can actually take my leftovers home with me.
(5)
Zack R.
I've eaten here before. I've reviewed it. I've always had a positive experience...until tonight. My wife and I decided to walk here for an early dinner. She usually gets to work around 6am, so dinner around 5:30 (on the rare occasion that she gets done before 6:30 pm) is not unusual for us. We entered to find no host. The place was pretty dead, so the bar tender told us to just sit where ever we like and a server would be right with us. With only four other diners and two people eating the bar, we figured service would be pretty quick. There were also four servers comgregated around the entrance to the kitchen and one eating at the booth behind us. We sat and waited for several minutes and no one came. After 10 minutes my wife decided to give them one more minute. I was inclined to give them a few more. After about three more minutes, we decided to leave. Even then, no one noticed. We even took our time putting our scarves, coats and gloves on. As we were walking out I told one of the servers that we were just going to leave. He asked, "was anyone helping you?". I said no, to which he responded "oh". Wow Level, I'm really sad that it's come to this.
(1)
Kyle H.
Great food. I loved the Chicken Picatta and that Gin Blossom Martini (okay three Gin Blossom Martinis) was absolutely excellent. The only reason I give it four stars is similar to other reviews we noticed a distinct difference in the treatment we got as a couple. We were seated before the table next to us, ordered before they did and everything, but they received their food and drinks before us the whole time, and the waiter would only occasionally check up on us but spend lengthy times serving the guys at the next table. Maybe they are just regulars, but for what the food costs. We even had to ASK if we could order dessert! All being said, I would definitely eat there again and recommend it. I just wanted to echo what previous posts have mentioned because it was very apparent to us.
(4)
Natalie O.
My brother, my boyfriend and I went here for restaurant week and were thoroughly impressed. The wings were so juicy and tasty, they had a nice chard bite to them as if they were fresh off the grill. Our tilapia was some of the best we've had. Upscale dining that won't break the bank. Much recommended.
(5)
Jonathan D.
Super delish portobello burger and grilled green beens! Super cute and swanky bar. I almost forgot I was in Columbus, Ohio.
(4)
Nicholas T.
This is our go to "family" restaurant. The food is consistent and easy on the budget. If you want to indulge I say go for the buffalo ravioli. The cobb salad is great with their house dressing, and its more than enough to split with someone before dinner or you can make it a dinner. You can substitute any side with the dinners, so pick your favorites. Plenty of drink specials all night, and they are all done with a nice and heavy pour.
(4)
Staci M.
Love this place. I have yet to have a dish that was bad, or service. The atmosphere is lively...reminds me of places I've been in DC & Chicago. They always stream videos and play lively music.. the drinks are made with generous pours as well. I've been here a few times for dinner, happy hour and to dance... never had a bad experience. It's a nice Short North lounge.. and stays true to the lounge-y type feel. Strongly suggest stopping by for drinks and/or dinner. The meal and drink prices are moderate. Their salmon is perfect :)
(5)
Brad S.
Three words: Silver Cosmo martini. You'll just have to trust me on this one. Don't even bother looking at the drink menu - just walk in, ask for one (or 5) of these and thank me at the next Yelp meetup. This divine potable consists of Patron Silver tequila, Cointreau, lime juice, and white cranberry juice - and while the price tag is cost-prohibitive (these puppies cost $8.75 each, and Level sneakily doesn't put the prices on their drink menu), you won't give a fig about how much you're paying once you down 2 or 3 of these things. I happily signed off on my tab at the end of the night, knowing full well the total was nearly more than I paid for my first quarter at OSU back in the day (I'm old). As for the bar itself, Level is quite gorgeous. As others have stated, the bar chairs are amazingly comfortable and aesthetically intriguing, and contribute a Kubrick/Clockwork Orange feel to the premises. I nearly expected them to serve Moloko-Plus out of statues of naked women. There are comfortable booths that surround the central bar area (which is stocked with an insanely extensive selection of vodkas), and tables that afford incredible people-watching along High Street. (There is also an "upstairs" area that I did not get to check out, as it was closed on my visit.) It's hard to tell this is technically a "gay" bar/restaurant as patrons of all types were present - I actually wouldn't have even known this was a gay bar if it weren't for the soundtrack of Lady Gaga and Kelly Clarkson, and the bartenders getting slightly "friendly" with each other behind the bar. But this isn't anything I haven't seen at any other bar in the city, so it's no big deal at all. Everyone is welcome. As for the food, I took advantage of one of the specials of the evening, which was a BBQ chicken flatbread pizza, and it was stupendous. The flatbread was juuuuuust crispy enough around the edges to create a lovely crunch, and the BBQ sauce was nice n' tangy. But the best part of the pizza was the inclusion of little, tiny, crispy bits of heaven, otherwise known as bacon. Mmmmmm, bacon. Bacon and I had a bit of a falling out recently (we were really just seeing other people, nothing serious) but were reunited in sweet carnivorous glory at Level. My heart will never wander again, I promise. The service was really the most defining aspect of Level, as I was greeted warmly by nearly every single employee with whom I came into contact. Even the barback said hello when I walked in, and we all know how emotionless/robotic those doods usually are. I sat with a fairly large group of people on my visit, and the server was a real peach. We had lots of late arrivals/early departures/special orders/separate checks and he worked with us without a hint of frustration. Great job. Level, you've charmed me. Your good looks, great service, playful personality, and big-city panache mean we will definitely be seeing each other again soon. I hope that's OK with you.
(5)
James D.
Picked up some take out on the way home from work, and it was yummy. The pickup at the bar was quick and friendly. Great atmosphere.
(4)
Jackie B.
Level is the go-to starting point for a night out with friends. The music is great and the drinks are lethal. I've been there both dressed up and in jeans and always feel comfortable. The food is consistently good. They have a huge selection which works well when you are with a group and everything we have ordered has always been wonderful. The prices are what make you want to come back. Several dollars less than other places around. I love the pork cacciatore and it is huge. Way more like 2 meals for around $12. It's somewhat heavy though so I don't order it that often. The wraps are tasty as are the chicken dishes. Nothing is going to blow your mind, it's not anything new or exciting, but it's always tasty and a great value. I have always had amazing service. The servers are friendly and check back on you often. I've always either been sat immediately on a weeknight or had a reservation for a group so I have never had a problem with a wait. I'm sure it could be bad during gallery hop or a busy Saturday, but I'm a planner so I never go anywhere in the Short North without reservations.
(4)
Paul F.
When I first went into Levels, being by myself, I naturally gravitated to the tables behind the bar, being that they were smaller than the booths. But the table height in relation to the chairs was too high. So I grabbed a booth and asked to speak with the manager. He didn't think it was any big deal so I gathered that we were off to a bad start. When my waitress arrived, I ordered the Shrimp Scampi, as it is called. What arrived was eight very small shrimp in a broth with some lemon in it. These were SMALL shrimp. They tasted okay but not what any restaurant that I'm familiar with served as scampi. For my main course I ordered the Sausage Italiano, which was pretty good. It included two largish pieces of sausage, in a tomato sauce which included peppers and onions. There was also a wedge of polenta included. I probably didn't need it but I ordered the apple pie for dessert. This was the best course of the evening. The pie was excellent as well as the ice cream that it came with. All in all, the food was passable. But there are too many other good restaurants in the Short North to come here for anything other than drinks. The waitress, btw, was excellent. I believe her name was Fumiko.
(3)
Jason S.
This is the story of how, after an eventful three hours at Level Dining Lounge and a string of logical errors, I left about ten pounds heavier with a crick in my back. Here is record of my mistakes: Mistake #1: going at 7:30pm during Restaurant Week without a reservation. The hostess told us it'd be about half hour. Try triple that. Mistake #2: getting Jeni's while we waited. Stupid but delicious way to spoil our dinner. And right next door! Mistake #3: ordering a $3 special long island at the bar on an empty stomach. As the evening's driver, I forgot the cardinal rule of gay bars/restaurants: thou shall get buzzed. One of these suckers was more than enough, with very strong alcohol but the usual long island masking of how much was really there. It's a good thing we were at Level for three hours. Mistake #4: ordering the fry basket at the bar before dinner in the midst of our 83 minute wait. It looked tasty enough that we couldn't stop ourselves. Featuring sweet potato fries (which I favor over even Tip Top), onion rings, zucchini straws and devilish marshmallow and ranch dipping sauces, the basket could have been the end of our gastronomic evening if we had any sense. Mistake #5: slouching in my chair once we finally got our table. While aesthetically pleasing, Level's seats have a significant cut out on the lower back area, which causes a hard edge to the rear of the seat and lower backrest. It was more comfortable to sit forward and slouch in the seat to avoid this, causing the aforementioned crick once dinner was over. Mistake #6: still ordering from the three course restaurant week menu once we got a table. Why, why did this seem like a good idea at the time? The house salad started things off with a great balance of spring mix, red onion, blue cheese, bacon and a balsamic dressing that was well integrated with the greens. The honey-soy salmon followed, a small but solid plate overall, though the salmon was a tad on the dry side and featured sauteed spinach that spent a little too much time in the pan. I still housed the whole meal. Mistake #7: still eating my dessert anyway. By this time I could barely breathe, and was rolling my eyes in a terrible, freaked-out-bovine way. Yet I still had to get ice cream (yes, for the second time in three hours) on my molten chocolate cake. Hello richness. As if my stomach needed more incentive to roil, I had to go and pummel it with this tasty chocolate warhammer. It was duly shared with a friend next to me. Then I tried to stand up. Oh the humanity. The moral of this sad tale is to avoid gastronomic excess at all costs when patronizing a restaurant with plenty of decent options. Otherwise you might end up looking like me on the way out, hunched over with a distended stomach, transformed from a near-thirty year old to a near-eighty year old. It's not a pretty sight.
(3)
Paris D.
Great atmosphere, great music and good food! Perfect stop for a late night dinner!
(4)
Lisa D.
I went to the Level on a recent snowy Tuesday night. We were seated right away at a table by the window -- the restaurant was not at all busy at 6pm, but would steadily fill up over the course of the next 2 hours. Service was pleasant and helpful. I started with the smoked salmon appetizer. It was fresh and delicious, with capers and some sort of pesto sauce. For my meal, I had the Cuban panini with the sweet potato fries. These fries stood out over the sandwich -- addicting, sweet, with a 'secret' sauce containing cinnamon and marshmallow. Other items that were enjoyed included the Hangar Steak, a generous portion, with green beans and potatoes, the Honey Soy Salmon, and the Cajun Pesto Fettucini. I can't wait to go back!
(4)
Steven H.
Level Dining Lounge is a contemporary multi-level restaurant and video bar. This place gets major props. The interior is phenomenal with modern lighting and gorgeous white leather seating. I'm not sure what Jim is referencing because the service was great! Very attentive and kind. I was also thoroughly impressed with the drink specials. $3 Smirnoff vodka drinks on select nights and other nights had specials on Long Island pitchers and $3 Three Olives vodka drinks. I have to say this is leaps and bounds better than other clubs/restaurants. The food I sampled was good. A friend tried the Cubano Grill and Parmesan potato chips and really liked it. The food was reasonably priced and everyone around us looked very pleased with their selections. A friend also tried the sweet potato fries which were good as well. The only complaint was the dipping sauce for the sweet potato fries which tasted like Cinnabon frosting which was kind of strange. A+++! This place has tremendous potential!
(5)
Liz B.
What's in that sauce?!?!? You must try the sweet potato fries and their 'signature' dipping sauce! I also had the Buffalo Ravioli... very interesting mixture of flavors and everyone at the table was jealous of my meal. Prices are very affordable and they have a great wine/drink list! Great find in the Short North.
(5)
Stacey L.
Three words... Sweet potato fries. Three more words... Marshmallow dipping sauce. Heaven! I have only ever eaten here for lunch, as it is always our very first stop as soon as we arrive in Columbus. I imagine it is a really cool club to hang out at in the evenings. The decor is very cool and I love the music videos they play, especially the old school ones. My husband and I often stop in for their sweet potato fries and a drink only... the fries are that good. And they are a great deal. About $4 for a whole basket with dipping sauce. We have also tried their pasta and salads. All have been stellar. If only they delivered to Cincinnati...
(5)
David F.
I went here for RW and was expecting fairly standard bar food. I was pleasantly shocked to find that the food was much higher quality than I expected. The drinks are overall pretty good, but a little on the sweet side for my tastes and if I'm going to have drinks nearby I'd rather go to Mouton. However, the environment here is great and the staff is friendly.
(4)
Damien K.
I was impressed! Great atmospher. Amazing food. I was visiting family in Ohio and boy did we make the right choice. I highly recommend the Talapia wow. I'll leave it at that.
(5)
Christina C.
I hear you, Miss Britney Spears! Bumpin' loud and clear in Level while I sip on a delightfully delicious martini. What a colorful, spunky little restaurant/bar/club (yes, all in one!) in the heart of the Short North. True story: The cocktail list is one from my dreams. Everything sounded good. I'm glad I chose the Level Saint though - with the help of the bartender. Tastes just as sweet as it sounds: Smirnoff Pear Vodka and St. Germain Elderflower Liqueur shaken with lemon juice. I have to say that it was the food that surprised me the most. We ordered two small plates that were hearty enough to serve as a meal and each tasted amazing! The coconut shrimp that was sweet and crispy and the coconut shrimp and the quesadillas were full of flavor. Likin' the flag you're wavin', Level!
(4)
Jessica H.
I need to amend..Level seems to have evolved. The menu is more consistent, there is more customization ability for vegetarians like me, and the concentrated focus on happy hour specials is pretty spectacular.
(3)
Tim O.
The food is great, the staff is friendly, the prices are reasonable, the atmosphere is sophisticated and fun, and the dinks are cold and full. What more can I say?
(5)
Nate H.
Fun restaurant and bar, and very chic, even for the Short North area. Try the Oh La La cocktail!
(4)
Sabrina L.
The cocktail list has about ten things I'd like to try, and for my last meal I would want to eat the sweet potato fries with the marshmallow dipping sauce. The parmesan chips are amazing too, though I've got to admit those are the only two things on the menu I ever order. I've had a taste of the portobella burger and it was also extremely good, so the food seems pretty solid. The only problem I ever seem to have at Level is getting seated. It's like a comedy of errors every time, but the food is worth it, and if you have to wait you can go to Jeni's across the street and have dessert first.
(4)
Mindy W.
I had brunch here last week and I was pretty impressed. Service was a tad spotty. I think we had the manager and she was pretty busy running the joint, so I'm not mad about that. The mimosa was standard, pretty decent at just under $6.00. I had the fritatta with a side of turkey sausage. The sausage was really good, and the fritatta was OK. I really just like the ambiance. The rest of the menu seemed much more exciting than their brunch menu. I would definitely come back for meals other than Broadway Brunches! Make sure to get here kind of early, too. When I got there at around noon, it wasn't that bad. By 1:00 it was pretty busy!
(4)
Greg M.
We went to Level Dining Lounge today for a late lunch. We had heard a lot about it over the last five years, but have never been. Unfortunately we were not that impressed. The resturant seemed to be dirty. The table that we were seated at was very wobley (sp). The hostess did try to fix the table but is was a half hearted attempt. The waiter wasn't very observant. It took quite a while to get our order placed. I did enjoy the very good bloody mary. The lunch was marginal. A bit over priced. Probably will not return.
(2)
Robert T.
Level Dining Lounge... I laugh every time I hear the full title! I have been there on numerous occasions for drinks, and it can be a great place to hang out; no matter what the crowd is like. I have had a range of meals there, including; a quick snack, lunch, and dinner. Consistently the food is good with a good wait staff. This is not fine dining, and the male servers cater to the male clientele, so sometimes you get a pretty waiter and not much more! Overall, I like the menu, and have enjoyed the dishes, and so has other people that I have been with or know have gone, but again, Thomas Keller has nothing to worry about. On my most recent visit the mood was killed by the the girl who had the most irritating voice in the world ( and this is coming from a guy who was fans of THE NANNY, so I can put up with irritating!) Luckily after she passed out in the bathroom and then vomited at the table her and her party were kicked out so things looked up from there. I dined on a Cesar Salad, which is could be improved upon if the lettuce was not swimming in dressing; and the New Orleans Quesadilla. They certainly did have a nice kick to them, and the accompanied Mango salsa was excellent. Matt had a wrap, that I don't think he was that impressed with, and I can't even remember the name so it must not have been. He ordered the Parmesan Potato Chips, but instead got the Sweet Potato Fries, which come with the strangest dipping sauce. SIDE NOTE: We thought it was marshmellow flavored but thought no, it couldn't be, and then our waiter told us that it was in fact marshmellow and cinnamon. Keith's Club looked good and he seemed to enjoy it. The drink specials were enjoyed as well, so all in all it was a nice guys night out!
(2)
Red D.
Pretty cool place. Great interior. A little queeny but tolerable. Had the ahi tuna steak...not bad. We thought it was properly cooked but probably not the greatest quality tuna. The mashed potatoes were excellent. The bartenders were friendly and fast. Drinks were strong :) I'd definitely go back for drinks, dinner or both.
(4)
Brett P.
4 stars before 10 pm, 1 star after. Before 10 pm, Level is a good place to grab some food and a few drinks with friends. The menu is impressive and everyone I was with enjoyed their food. I got the portobello sandwich with pesto and the in-house parmesan potato chips, which were amazing. I have dreams about these potato chips. The portions are generous, but so tasty that you'll likely eat everything! After 10pm Level turns more "bar" and the experience takes a nose dive. The last 3 times I've visited Level while it was bar-y horrible music was playing (what is it with Columbus and awful remixes?) and the place was awkwardly empty. We stayed long enough for a friend to visit the restroom, and then turned around and left, with every eye watching our steps. Awkward. I've heard the place gets packed, but have yet to witness this. If you want to experience the best of Level, go for dinner, but don't stick around after.
(3)
Jenny H.
Level had the hip ambiance of a celebratory birthday dinner without paying out the wazoo. Wednesday night was half off wine bottles. The waiter had some good suggestions for sauvignon blancs. We ordered sides of the parmesan chips and sweet potato fries. He was rather accommodating to bring them out first as appetizers. The side portions were overwhelming for one person and even in a group of four, it was quite generous. Soon enough my seafood scampi arrived. Like Jessica H mentioned, I didn't feel that the food was spectacular enough to be noteworthy. I think we were more fixated on the music video screens than our own plates. Nevertheless, Level seems like a great place for a night out with the girls. Probably will come back just for drinks and some appetizers. Though, I'm curious about their Broadway Brunch sundays...
(3)
Kenneth A.
it was decent, but not memorable!
(3)
Melanie B.
Wow, Level. You surprised me. I don't usually go for places like this, but my friend had his graduation dinner here, so I got to try out this restaurant that I have vaguely been wondering about since it opened. I agree with most of the reviews that site the trendy/modern yet comfortable atmosphere, busy but not overwhelming, etc etc. I only had a couple beers since I already ate dinner, but everyone's food looked delicious. I'd be very interested in what the post-dinner upstairs club is like at night - I'm wondering if it turns into a beautiful people party, or if it's just as relaxed as dinner - there was such an assortment of people here tonight, which made me very happy (i.e. no one stared admonishingly at my tattoos). I'm guessing this is because it's a gay friendly restaurant? I don't know. A trendy girl dumped her cell phone on the floor verrrry drunkenly when I was in the bathroom, which was slightly amusing, and then another trendy girl and I giggled about the situation together as we left the bathroom - I like that everyone (sober-ish) here was really nice, and social categories weren't super important. The service was a bit slow but it was busy and our waitress was amazingly gorgeous so I really can't complain. Really, one of the most gorgeous girls I've seen in a long while - I wish I got her name so I could give her a shout out. Long brown braids, tan, beautiful eye makeup, thick and curvy... mercy. Anyway, all I got were two beers and a coffee, so I don't have much to say except that the atmosphere was SO MUCH better than I expected and that while I won't be rushing back, I'll definitely recommend Level and go when my friends want to. I'd be interested in trying their tuna tartar.
(4)
Renee R.
Level Dining Lounge is one of my favorite staples in the Short North. I can't ever stay away for long. The atmosphere is inviting, the employees are friendly, and the music videos are always a treat. Plus, I've never had a bad meal here. Level is always about having a good time. If you're looking for more than just your average bar night out, check out 6.1.4. Tuesday nights where they have awesome DJs, dancing, and $3 Smirnoff drinks among other drink specials. Or Throwdown Thursdays with DJ Moxy and $3 3 Olives drinks. And I've never been to Karaoke Sunday nights, but I hear they're a blast as well. I love the interior design of Level; it's hip and fun. And the seats are the comfiest white leather seats you'll find in any bar or eating establishment. The street-facing windows open for some fresh air and everyone always greets you with a smile. There's usually a good mix of people here as well. You can be completely dressed up in the latest fashions or wear sneakers and a tee - no judgment here! In terms of food, the fried buffalo ravioli is the specialty here. It's delicious and I highly recommend it! I also love the sweet potato fries, mostly because they come with a delicious, sweet dipping sauce. Everything else I've tried has been delicious - the scallops, the calzones, the salads, the sandwiches & wraps - you name it, I've probably tried it! I'm also a fan of the bloody mary's during brunch on the weekends. Yum! Overall, the food is great, the service is great, the atmosphere is great, and it keeps me coming back week after week!
(5)
A A.
I stopped in here the other night for the first time with two of my girlfriends. We all work in the bar industry and definitely know the difference between bartenders who are having a bad night, and bartenders who simply give terrible service, and unfortunately I am going to have to say this was bad, bad service. We go out for girls night every Thursday, and we like to get an early start (around 8 or 9pm) so we can avoid running into crowds later in the night. We decided to try something different and check out Level, since we had heard good things before. When we came in, the chairs at the bar were all taken, but there was plenty of standing room around the bar, and most of the tables in the dining room were empty, so we knew we came at a slow moment and theoretically should get good service, right? Wrong. We walked up to the bar in a spot where there was a gap big enough to stand in, and made eye contact with one of the 3 bartenders behind the bar. Well, instead of coming over and serving us, he looked at us and then walked in the opposite direction. The other two bartenders- and then the bar-back as well -did the exact same thing! We stood there for another 10-15 minutes and watched the bartenders continue to blatantly ignore us while they stood around talking to each other and periodically glared in our direction, as if they were trying to make us as uncomfortable as possible and leave. After a solid 10-15 minutes of standing patiently waiting for someone to come serve us, we decided to put our cards back in our wallets and leave. Just as we were doing this, one of the bartenders finally came over and greeted us with the super-friendly (not!) line: "What do you girls want?". I quickly ordered us 3 shots so we could take them and leave. I decided to be nice with my tip still, and gave them a 100% ($12 on $12) tip, just incase their terrible attitudes were due to bad tippers earlier in the night. Right as I finished signing the receipt, the bartender came over, made a point of looking at the tip right in front of me, and then walked away without so much as a smile or a thank you or any sort of acknowledgement. We took our shots and got out of there as quickly as possible. I am seriously still shocked by how rude the bartenders were to us, especially since it was our first visit there. Needless to say, I have never felt more unwelcome in a bar before, and I will definitely NOT be returning.
Takes Reservations : Yes Delivery : No Take-out : Yes Accepts Credit Cards : Yes Good For : Dinner Parking : Street Bike Parking : Yes Wheelchair Accessible : Yes Good for Kids : No Good for Groups : Yes Attire : Casual Ambience : Trendy Noise Level : Loud Music : DJ Good For Dancing : No Alcohol : Full Bar Happy Hour : Yes Best Nights : Thu, Fri, Sat Coat Check : No Smoking : No Outdoor Seating : No Wi-Fi : No Has TV : Yes Waiter Service : Yes Caters : No
Laura C.
This place gets a wrap for being a "gay bar" but really it's just a bar for sexual beings, which last I checked is almost everyone, but the asexuals. I like this place for "starting out the night." I've been twice and keep wanting to go back! They have a fun martini list - reasonably priced, they don't skimp on the alcohol but are still drinkable. Friday nights they have $4 Smirnoff drinks - and they come in massive sized glasses. Hello blueberry vodka and lemonade. Guzzle guzzle. Also, they have above average food for a bar because they are also a restaurant, so go figure! During my first visit, a friend and I split a pasta dish. I think it was maybe a special that night. We were eating at like 9:30pm or something so it was just the right amount of food for both of us at that hour without having to worry about the hassle of leftovers or over-stuffing ourselves, since we'd be going to other bars after. My second visit was with a couple of other friends and I split one of the wraps with a friend. They gave us each a huge portion of sweet potato fries. And the sweet potato fry dip is up there with creations like hazelnut spread. It's white and tastes like melted marshmallows (I believe that's called Fluff?) but who knows what it really is except for the chefs and cooks. It also happened to be really smokey when we first got there - the kitchen is not blocked off by a wall from the restaurant/bar area. It wasn't to the point of where you couldn't breathe or anything, just kind of annoying. No biggie. They play the best song selections of any bar in the Short North or Arena District, and I don't think they even have a DJ.
(4)Kristina B.
This place is a bit classier than its competition down the street (you know who you are, competition). White leather (rawr), flat screens with music videos (Ga-ga, ooh la la!), lounge space on the 2nd floor (is this seat taken?). The bartenders are nice and the drinks, while priced about average, remain strong. Not everyone knows your name, but you WILL run into people you know. I'm not even from Columbus but am forever running into Peter, Paul and Mary (interchangable with Jesus, Mary and Joseph or perhaps Jeffrey, Andrew and James). There's definitely a 'Norm' and it's to get hammered. I'd say Level is pretty much a classy pseudo-Cheers. Drink up.
(4)Denise Y.
Level is located in the old RJ Snapper building right by Jeni's Ice Cream. Perfect location. The interior was trendy trendy but still comfortable with flat screens playing your favorite old and new music (What is love? Haddaway.... love it! 90s throwback). I went for a bachelorette/birthday party dinner and drinks afterwards upstairs in the lounge. The service was great, not overbearing but didn't ignore us the whole time either. The food was so-so for me. The appetizer that we ordered (fry basket and hummus) was delicious but the entrees I thought were a little lacking. The portions are definitely big, I was full for the rest of the night, but I ordered the pork caccitore and the best part of the dish was the fried parmesan polenta cake. My bf referred to the menu as "Sbarro-esque" (sorry!) and i never got around to dessert since we brought a birthday cake. The best thing about this place is that it's not exclusive feeling meaning anyone who comes here can feel comfortable. I would come back for drinks and snacks.
(3)Frances A.
I'm not writing about this place to eat...I'm writing about this place for meeting people and sitting on really comfortable seats! The ambiance is pretty cool with a modern, night-club vibe with good lighting, well-placed HDTVs, and upbeat 'i wanna dance' type music. The bar is my favorite place to sit. They have amazing, cushy, soft on my tushie seats where you can drink, talk and eat for hours. No, really! There's nothing worse than a bar with shitty seats. What is the point!? They have a cool night on Tuesdays, where a guest DJ comes in and spins Hip-Hop, dance-type music and a colorful crowd it attracts. It is for the 20-30 something hipster clientele. It is not really a gay bar...its more like a gay/straight/lesbian bar with just the right combination of ingredients to make anyone feel welcome. What's even better is the fact that you can hear each other talking. I really abhor places that excludes conversations. Again, what is the point?!
(4)Brittany W.
I usually steer clear of all encompassing comments that speak for the world, but I feel comfortable with saying that we are all looking for a place where we can freely be ourselves, kick back and just have a good time. I first went to Level for my 29th Birthday. We had dinner at Barrio and wanted to continue the party. A friend suggested the gay friendly (to borrow another yelper's description) bar that had just opened in the former R.J. Snappers location. The sleek, stylish interior quicky revealed an inviting warmth usually missing in a club atmosphere. It wasn't homecooking and comfort food, I mean we went for drinks. But, it just felt comfortable. My recent trips to the Short North Bar have been on Tuesday nights. They say music brings people together and Hip-Hop is one of the best musical unifiers. Listen close on a summer afternoon .... you'll hear the driving beats and sometimes socially conscious words from the West side to Westerville. Go to Level on Tuesday's Hip Hop night and you'll see the layers of our differences converge on the restaurant turned dance floor. That's what happens Tuesdays at Level when the dinner hour is over, American Idol and Glee go off and the tables are removed. Imagine... the crowd- the gay and straight, the young and older, the buttoned-up and living free, all waving their glasses and compelled to move to the sound of Drake's Over (I'm Doing Me). Earlier in the day they were in their own parts of town... doing distinctly different jobs, maybe even pretending to be someone they are not- but on this dancing room only floor- they share the lyrics of a song that is at the center of this hotspot's vibe. "What am I doin?/ What am I doin?/Oh yeah that's right/ I'm doin' me/ I'm doin me/ And this is what I'll do 'til it's over/ 'til it'sover/ And it's far from over.... The bartenders are the type who will know your name. Ask for Steven and Tony... there are drink specials every night and the food is amazing. I had the Sinless Chicken the last time I was there and let me tell you not sinning never tasted so good and juicy. Be sure to try the creamy potatoes. This is a place where you can go for happy hour, stay for dinner and not leave until closing. But, if nothing else... grab your friends... no matter what "type" they are and have a drink where being "you" is celebrated in the midst of unparalleled variety.
(4)S G.
Love the food and love the staff!
(5)Amy S.
Ladies who Brunch took on a little different form this month. Dinner -- Gallery Hop -- Jeni's Ice Cream -- Sleep -- Then get back up for brunch! I threw it out there to the ladies that we should vote on where we wanted to go out to dinner and out of: Surly Girl, Happy Greek, Marcella's, and Level, the winner was, drum roll please...Well, you're reading this review. So you get the picture. I called ahead of time to make sure there wouldn't be a problem accommodating 10 women here on a Gallery Hop night and surprisingly the guy on the phone said it would be no problem at all, but suggested that we come around 6ish before they really got busy. And true to his word, at 6pm we were immediately seated (although they did have to scootch some tables together to make room for us all). Our server was amazing and remembered all of our orders perfectly without writing them down (this is why I could never be a server!). I ordered the portobello burger because 1) I LOVE portobello mushrooms and 2) it came with a side of sweet potato fries...with their special dipping sauce...their special marshmallow dipping sauce. What diet? All the girls raved about their meals and helped me finish my fries and Jody finish her Parmesan Chips. When one of the girls mentioned how garlicky (but yummy) her food was, the server deftly whipped out a package of gum and handed a piece to each of us (tip just went up a bit...). By the end of our dinner, several of the girls had remarked that Level was now their favorite place to go and couldn't wait to come back for more food, drinks, and dancing on the second level. Prices are decent and their wine selection has some of the best discount vinos of any place I've been (Columbia Crest Merlot for $9 a glass!)!
(4)erin l.
My first Level experience was at the end of June when they first opened. I was overly impressed by the layout and decor, which includes white leather seats, a decent sized rectangular bar and an upper level. The best are the video screens with current hits and some throwbacks. I returned this past weekend and my opinion has not changed. The food. I must say the main reason I have been there is for drinks but the grilled cheese with pesto cannot be beat. Throw in the sweet potato fries and its a bit of heaven on a plate. The drinks. With only two beers on tap I find myself experimenting most of the time. Last weekend I went with the suggestion of the waiter and had the Silver Patron Cosmo. At first you get a mouthful of Patron then it finishes nicely with the white grapefruit juice. Overall Level is pretty sweet place with friendly staff and I am likely to return.
(4)Seth D.
Eh, not worth the price in my opinion. The service is good enough, and if you're just coming for drinks and to hang out, it's cool enough, but the food misses the mark. I had the pork cacciatore which could have been good except for the excessive amount of salt which dried out the meat terribly and made the sauce a waste of ingredients. It's not my kinda place to begin with, so I don't have much of a reason to come back.
(3)Jim H.
So, we really wanted to like Level. It's in the short north. It's a new, different option to the usual suspects. There was a letter to the editor bashing an article accusing them of stealing "trade secrets" from U which I thought was laughable. Well, here's the story. We went in around 1:00 for lunch. There were maybe 2 tables of diners. We were the only people sitting at the bar. There were quite a few waiters and one bartender. She was cordial. The interior looked great. We had high hopes. Here's what we got. Food: average. Ambiance: very nice. Service: dismissive (we got what we asked for but nothing more and nothing without having to ask for it...refills included.) Basically we were disappointed. Disappointed that it was typical for Columbus. Typical apathetic, untrained, unexcited, maybe even unhappy service. Why is it that you can get wonderful, genuine, friendly service in Chicago, New York, Miami, LA, but not in Columbus? I just don't get it. Hire happy people. Genuine people. People who smile. It makes a BIG difference. In the end, maybe Level did steal trade secrets from U. An uninterested, unexcited, can't-be-bothered management and staff.
(2)Lauren L.
Oh Level. I feel like this is our back up plan if Union is a bust, or way too busy. They have karaoke on Sunday nights, which is thumbs up in my group of friends books. Wednesdays are 1/2 price bottles of wine, which I cannot complain about! The food isn't my favorite, but I feel like everything is better later in the night! Not sure if there is a different chef or what? But every dinner I have had at Level was great, and lunches are just mediocre. I think the only reason Level is a step behind Union (at least in my eyes) is because of the lack of patio. I love me some patio drinkin' during the summer, and Level cannot offer me a patio, therefore, Union it is! Levels atmosphere is great! And, later in the night they have a make-shift dance floor (aka they move tables out of the way)... which is kind of fun! They have music VIDEOS instead of just music, which I enjoy, and they have a pretty stellar brunch with some show-tunes action.
(4)Gage D.
One of the best menus in the city. Huge selection great value. Was not able to go out this evening since the little one was sick, but was still in the mood for a great meal. With the help of cafe carrier we had an amazing steak delivered to the door in 30 mins.
(4)Annie K.
I'm a fan of Level, but it could be so much more. The drinks are great, the food isn't bad (although the appetizers are a little boring) and my friends and I love Wine Wednesdays. But the place is starting to look a little dated (for trying to look so modern) and worn down.
(3)Andrew M.
When I walked in this place I had rather low expectations. First off the place is GORGEOUS. Definitely spared no expense on decorating. I have gone once for drinks and twice for lunch. Both times my lunch was excellent and the prices are great. Only complain I have (and it's a big one) is that the kitchen must be experiencing a time warp. Don't eat here if you are in a hurry, it's at least a 60 minute affair. Their burger is fantastic, and they also have these sweet potato fries in a sweet dipping sauce that is insane. If they can speed things up here (service included) I think level has a real shot at being a winner. If not, they may find themselves being just a bar.
(3)Robin L.
We were here during a recent Gallery Hop. The weather was fine and they had the windows open to enjoy what was going on outside as well as in. The pricing was decent, the service was timely and pleasant, the decor was modern, clean and comfortable and finally the food was AWESOME!! Dish # 1 Sinless Chicken - served w/ asparagus and rice pilaf. This meal would have been wonderful had I not tasted my husband's dish which is described below. Dish # 2 Chicken Cordon Bleu - A tender chicken breast cut into slices over linguine tossed with chunk's of ham. The sauce was delectable. It was the heroin of butter cream sauces. Once tasted you can only think of having more. .. Beer, wine and mixed drink selection is plentiful
(5)Kelly R.
People here are interesting. Go to people watch for sure. Great white decor. Service was okay. The sweet potato fries are AMAZING! Must try.
(3)Carolyn E.
I'm afraid I can only comment on the night-life as we came to dance and drink and not for food. It sounded delightful, though. Anyways - Level is an attractive, somewhat upscale lounge and dance club. Lots of little black dresses and button down shirts. The atmosphere is dark, but with splashes of ever-changing color from striped towers around the lower level. The upper level has a large glass window overlooking the down-stairs bar and dance floor, as well as comfy loveseats and lounges. Unlike some places, no one cares where you sit - no reservations for wine service or such, so it's a good place to go and chat with friends...though hearing can be difficult over the loud dance music. Now, I'm afraid I do not drink (much) and was driving the night we went, so I was a bit sad that there were no non-alcoholic beverages on the menu. I didn't see any way that any of the nifty sounding martinis could be altered into one, either. However, the server was very helpful and recommended a lemonade with some carbonated water, which hit the spot beautifully, and had free refills. I was also sorely tempted by the fabulous sounding desserts, especially the creme brulee, but we decided to stick to drinks. I am afraid that my one companion was not overly fond of her drink, and I must admit I understood why. I know a lot of people complain about drinks being watered down, but a drink being so strong that holding a cigarette near it would result in a fireball probably isn't a good thing either. The mint julep my other companion ordered, though, was pretty good (and also very potent. One sip threatened to endanger my driver status :) ) For me, then, the only complaint I have is that no one really was there to dance, and I was. There is a small but attractive dance space down stairs behind the bar. Emphasis here on small. However, even as late as 12:30, there were only a handful of people standing around it and none of them were really dancing. And this was a Saturday with a gallery hop, so there were tons of people there - indeed, you could barely move it was so crowded! Still, I wouldn't be against going back. The music is your standard pop music for the most part, but it's mixed decently and catchy enough that I could definitely enjoy dancing... if only I wasn't the only one doing it.
(3)Jae R.
I went there on Thursday night. Fantastic food and interesting drinks. Friendly service and affordable. What could you ask for more. Unfortunately upstair lounge wasn't opened due to weekdays..
(4)Marissa M.
It was the night of Thanksgiving and I wanted to show my LA cousins that Columbus has cool bars too. My first thought was Level. I'll be honest here and admit that we never got past the front bar. Thanksgiving is a very physically stressful holiday involving eating and none of us had recovered enough to go anywhere than straight to the first bar we saw. The good thing is that it rocked! The seating downstairs was full of options. The concept of good seating may seem a trifle, but as someone who wears outfits which definitely look better seated or standing, I appreciate the choice. We chose a corner near the bar and with couches. I must also add that room between said couches, bar and tables leaves ample space to move around and be social. No need to squeeze through the throngs here. Unless you want to that is. Great music and great drinks. I was impressed with Level's selection of all things alcoholic. The resident wine snob was subdued, the whiskey drinkers reveled, us champagne girls stayed bubbly and my brother could get their draft beers. The pours were heavy and contributed to my fuzzy memories of the night. What made it in my mind the morning after... Clean bathrooms without a line. Music that actually had variety, while still playing the faves. Nice, friendly staff who put up with overfed drunken cousins. Beautiful decor that made the LA cousins get over themselves.
(4)Kara K.
The BF & I tried to go here last night during Gallery Hop. I understand it was Gallery Hop & they were probably busier than usual. However, one of the signs of a good host(ess) is that he/she can predict the wait time somewhat accurately. We walked in & were told 35 minutes, so we decided to put our name in. The hostess got my cell phone number & said she'd call when our table was ready. Thirty-five minutes later, still no call. After forty-five minutes, we stopped back in to check on how much longer it would be. She told us 15 minutes. We decided to go check out some more shops in the meantime. Eventually we decided to just try a different restaurant instead. An hour and 15 minutes after we initially walked into Level, they called to let us know our table was ready. By this time we had already walked in, been seated, & ordered food & drinks elsewhere. I was disappointed because the food at Level had sounded so good. But, based on the service we received from the hostess, I will not be back. If the hostess is that bad, I don't even want to deal with the servers.
(2)Matt V.
Polenta cakes and calamari were great!
(5)Ned K.
Nice addition to the Short North.
(4)Marissa R.
When I come to Columbus, I love coming to Level for dinner and as my first start off to a night downtown! The food is amazing! So far, I've had the Cajun Pesto Fettuccine, Cordon Bleu, and the Buffalo Style Ravioli. The proportion size is very good. The prices are very reasonable, and they have drink specials! I love the ambiance, very classy and fun, and the service is always excellent!
(5)Berta J.
I have been a fan of Level since they opened last year. It is such a refreshing change from the other available gay bars/ restaurants on the Short North. The menu is short but sweet and has such a variety that even the picky eaters, food snobs and pseudo-vegies in your circle of friends will find something delicious to eat. I especially love the hand cut potato chips and every meal for me begins with a basket of them. And for 3 bucks, you get a mountain of them. Even the sinless chicken somehow seems decadent with green beans or asparagus (that are always cooked just right). I have really never had a bad meal here. The potions are generous, but not so big that you have to carry around a bag of food all night or that you feel overstuffed when you become a member of the clean plate club (and likely you will want to). Drinks are amazing. The signature cocktails are creative and delicious. The something Saint Martini will ruin you for other martinis. Even just a dirty Hendricks martini is made with care and love and blue cheese stuffed olives. There are nights when drinks made with certain premium brands of vodka are only $3.00. The prices for drinks are in line with what you expect to pay in the Short North, but the pours are just generous enough that you can taste the booze but not so generous that you need to put it down halfway through. And the drinks are the same no matter which bartender mixes them for you. The décor is hip and trendy without being pretentious. I feel comfortable bringing New York and LA friends here and they are always impressed and surprised that they are in a lounge in the Midwest. The furniture and fixtures are finished well and the place is always sparkling clean. The biggest asset is the staff. On busy nights the host will take your cell phone number and call you when your table is ready which allows you to wander around the short north or hang out outside. When they say "20 minute wait" they mean it. I have been with a group of three or four for dinner and up to 12 for brunch. They always accommodate us and give amazing service. The servers are all cute and competent and remember us. Kudos to the owners for their ability to recruit and maintain such an amazing staff. It is refreshing that the owners actually walk around and visit with the tables. You get the feeling that everyone is truly interested in making sure you are having a good time. Good food, amazing drinks and a charming staff who actually like their jobs and are good at them.
(5)Jessica L.
This place is one of my new favorites, although it's in the short north (which parking is my least favorite thing downtown) it's worth the $5 for valet! The food is amazing and the waiters are great. I loved the music and videos that were played they made the atmosphere a lot of fun. The only thing I didn't like is there were so many good things on the menu I couldn't decide what to eat. I went with a few friends so we all got something different and shared! We got the quesadillas (AMAZE) and calamari for appetizers - this was so yummy. Can't wait to go back to try something new.
(5)Mitch H.
Just opened and I'm excited to have it in my life. I didn't eat, focusing more on my love of spirits for the evening, however I did steal a few chips from a friend's plate. Oh. My. God. Granted I did already have 2 of 3 big and delicious long islands in my belly at the time, but the salty , warm from the deep fryer, hand cut chips makes me want to go back and actually enjoy a full meal. Ya know, not saying I don't consider 3 long islands the equivalent of a three-course meal, but I digress. The place is super chic, white leather, color changing columns with flat screens everywhere. Second floor has a really posh lounge space where you can watch people inside or out from a bird's perspective. Love. Love.
(5)Drew G.
I order The Vintage Burger at least 3 days a week for lunch and it is always good, always the same and always done in 15 minutes. I have a good time when ever I go in for drinks after work and the staff attentive and attractive. Great place!
(5)Matt W.
Great atmosphere, great drinks and great food. The only issue I had was service, but this can be expected with a new establishment. Its a refreshing change to an area that used to be controlled by one establishment.
(4)Meg G.
Three of my best galfriends and I decided to grab a bite to eat in the Short North before heading out for the evening on a Friday night. So, we parked wherever we could find a spot and started walking. Press Grill- packed. Martini- too expensive. Haiku- not all sushi fans. Soon enough, we came upon Level Dining Lounge. All I'd heard about it was that it was a new gay friendly bar/restuarant in the old R.J. Snappers location. We agreed to give it a try. It was pretty crowded and we were told that we had to wait for a table, but we could go by the bar. Much to my surprise, we were escorted to a low table (right above the knee height) with a cushy booth enveloping it. I was confused at first- I thought we had to wait for a table? Soon enough, I realized that this table was just considered an extension of the bar and not a dining table. We took a seat and quickly decided to remain there for our dinner. It was at this point that I decided to really look around.....and I was impressed. There's a great energy in the place. The bottom level has a very modern, posh feel to it with an upscale, linear design- an impressive bar, square white leather chairs and flat screen tvs with the latest music videos playing. The crowd was great, too. Young Professionals lingering from their happy hours. Ladies meeting up for the start of their GNO (Girls Night Out)- much like us. I even noticed what I assumed to be a business traveler enjoying his solitary meal (most likely staying at a nearby Arena District hotel). The place was a-buzz with conversation and laughter. Ya know when you just get a good vibe at a place and you're like "It's gonna be a good night." (Kinda like the Black Eyed peas song) Well, I got that vibe. And the vibe was only confirmed as the night went on. All of their Smirnoff vodka mixed drinks were $4 and, it may have just been the bartender on duty that night, but these were some good, stiff drinks. Just the way I like 'em. And the food was great, too. One of my friends ordered the sinless chicken, which she raved about. I, on the other hand, opted for a less healthy item: burger and sweet potato fries. I'll admit, I pretty much automatically like any place that serves sweet potato fries because, in my book, that is one food item that can't be messed up and is always delicious. So, I was kind of partial when I saw that sweet potato fries were on the menu, but the remainder of the menu was great, too. They offered the perfect combination of more upscale items and comfort food, all for $8-$15. Our service was good, as well. Our server was attentive and had a fun personality, cracking a couple jokes and throwing some always appreciated compliments our way. I decided to venture upstairs to check out the scene. The modern, linear decor continued onto the second floor; however, the accent color upstairs was hot pink. The bar and tables lit up the room with their flourescent pink color. The upstairs is more of a lounge area and I was told that it can be rented out for private parties (mental note to myself). In conclusion: Great ambiance. Fun crowd. Stiff Drinks. AND sweet potato fries. I am most definitely a fan of Level.
(4)Claire B.
Worried that it might be one of those annoyingly trendy spots, but atmosphere seemed really relaxed. Bourbon cocktail was delicious and not watered down. Risotto cakes were yum, and my husband is still raving about "the best turkey wrap ever." And the bill was really reasonable. Will definitely return!
(3)baby l.
Pretty restaurant. Pretty people. Lousy food. Even lousier service.
(2)Manuel C.
Great food, good setup, quick short wait. Brunch is on point. Beware of atmosphere it is a tad bit flamboyant.
(4)Jey J.
This place is one of my favorite restaurants in Columbus. All of their menu items are delicious. The Level House Salad is my favorite dish. There's no other restaurant I've been to where the salad is my favorite dish but this salad is amazing. The management is awesome and the business is smoothly ran. Ebony is my favorite waitress there. Always fast, friendly, and efficient.
(5)Hannah C.
Ate here last Saturday night during gallery hop with my mom and grandma. We got there just in time before they really got busy! Probably about 7-730pm. The crowd continues to grow from there! We were able to get a window seat but were disappointed the windows weren't open. (They have those big cool windows that a lot of places in short north have that make it feel like your outside even though you're not- a best of both worlds). By the time we left, about 830pm, it was very loud. We definitely had to yell to hear each other. But that's also a part of being there on a Saturday night, especially gallery hop. Service was good. Food was great. So glad we tried something new! We had the calamari as an appetizer. Super yummy. It's fried and is covered in some kind of sweat and sour sauce. I had the Cajun pesto fettuccine. It was very good. Couldn't taste the Cajun spice that much, mostly the pesto so if you're not big on spice or Cajun spice, you'd probably still like it. I would of preferred a bit more of the Cajun spice personally. Still very good. Mom and grandma had the mushroom flatbread and they really liked it as well. I would definitely eat here again. They have a good sized menu and a few other items I'd like to try!
(4)Nicole M.
I have been a patron of this restaurant for years. The food is AMAZING, as well as the drinks. However, I've never received great, or even okay, customer service. The wait staff is very snippy. My friends and I always look past it because the food is good. However, after my last visit, never again. A friend of mine suddenly fell ill in their establishment so we had to leave shortly after we got there. We had sympathy for the wait staff and cleaned most of it ourselves. I was late and ordered a salad with dressing on the side before all of this occurred. The waitress comes over and while we're expressing our apologies she cuts us off, "Somebody has to pay for these bottles and the food." ...Like we weren't going to pay for our food and drinks. I try to cancel my salad for time sake since I had ordered it 5 minutes before the mishap and it could not have been started yet. She tells me no the order is up... My salad came out 15 minutes later... On top of being forced to pay for food, I ordered a bottle of wine to go. When I went to the bar to retrieve my merchandise I was told that the waitress took it. I found this odd because who takes a bottle that is to go to the table? When I looked to the waitress she said she sat it on the table (mind you... I was no longer at a table and hadn't been for 15 minutes), and she proceeds to accuse my friends of stealing it. I go to my friends who had just made it across the street and ask them (mind you... They have no bottle in their hands and are still walking towards their cars with clutch purses). I return to the bar with the conclusion of the matter. The waitress sticks to her guns and walks away. I go to the bar and request to see a manager. Unless the bar tender was the manager, I never got to see a manager. Long story short I paid for a meal that I didn't want and a bottle that I never received. There was no apology for what happened in their establishment, only fingers of blame. No one acknowledged the fact that the waitress was completely wrong for placing my merchandise anywhere but in my hand... Overall, it was hands down the worst experience as a customer I've ever had in my life thus far. I pray them longevity and good health, but hell will literally freeze over before I give them another dime. Who knows, maybe they needed my bottle funds to clean the napkins instead of my repeat business.
(1)Gina M.
I like to describe Level as man-sized portions with girly menu choices. In my opinion, it is the PERFECT combination! The crowd that Level brings in varies dramatically from families with young children for brunch on the weekends to a full on bar at night; it works for everyone. Everything I have eaten there has been amazing, and the service has been above average as well. I was once there for a birthday dinner and our waiter actually bought shots for the whole table to help us celebrate with the birthday girl! The menu is also huge, so you've got lots of options if you're going to eat with a group who might not have similar tastes. From grilled cheese with pesto to chicken parm and pizza, this place has it all. It is a must-try if you're in the Short North area at any time of day!
(4)Bill Z.
It's loud, it's trendy, it's certainly a good place to meet for drinks, which aren't too bad in price, and the cocktails are pretty potent. Unfortunately, we didn't see a drink menu, and I understand the drinks are pretty innovative. There's actually comfortable seating on the sides if you're quick enough to get a table, and it's a good place to see or be seen or to people watch outside. I can't comment on the food because we didn't order any on this visit. But this feels like a good spot to include in your evening itinerary in Short North.
(4)Kirk S.
Drink here very often, really great drinks (Generous Pour). Some good high end liquor, bartender's are friendly and fun. The most upscale gay bar in the Short North. Haven't had food here, seems more like a fun video bar then a restaurant.
(5)Cindy G.
Is this a gay bar? Is this not a gay bar? Is this a restaurant? Is this a bar? Is this a club? I'm not sure what the heck this place is as it suffers from an identity crisis. Going into it we, and every other tourist around us, thought this was a high end cocktail lounge. I'm here to tell you that it is not. Don't come here looking for craft cocktails. This place reminds me of Mynt in Cincinnati. Bumping techno, bright colorful lights everywhere, syrupy drinks and Billy Idol videos playing on the screens. We reluctantly sat at the bar took one look at the cocktail list and regretted it immediately. But instead of leaving we felt bad and ordered anyway which was a huge mistake. I got the grey goose melon cocktail - worst cocktail I have ever had. If you can even call it that. The bf got a beer and chugged it as fast as he could. We left my cocktail sitting on the bar. The one saving grace is that the prices were affordable. Others have described this as "high end" but everything in here seemed cheap to me. If flavored martini's and 80's techno is your thing, you will love this place. If not, skip it.
(2)Anna T.
Level's food is pretty solid - I've been a few times and the food is always very good. The cheeseburgers are great. The menu is a nice balance between standard fare and something new or different. Great for trying things. The ambiance at Level is kind of weird and doesn't really match the kind of food they serve in my opinion. Not that that matters that much. There are a lot of screens sometimes playing bizarre videos and the noise level is always too loud. It could be a great place for conversation otherwise.
(3)Ty W.
Level is definitely my favorite spot in Columbus. My friends and I meet up here at least once a week. The service, food, music, drinks, and ambiance are great. The staff and management are so friendly. Everything on the menu is amazing, but I love the grilled wings, blackened chicken quesadilla, tuscan florentine calzone, and chicken picatta. The drinks are strong and reasonably priced. There are drink specials every night: Sunday- $12 Long Island Pitchers & $15 Belvedere Pitchers, Monday- Happy Hour All Day, Tuesday- $4 Absolut Cocktails, Wednesday- 50% off of all bottles of wine, Thursday- $3 Smirnoff Cocktails, Friday- $7 Stoli Martinis, and Saturday- $6 Grey Goose Cocktails. I always recommend Level! Note: Level does offer valet parking, otherwise finding a spot can be very difficult on the weekends.
(5)Nathaniel K.
Level is a fantastic spot to hang out, with high marks on food and drinks. I've honestly never ordered anything I didn't like at Level. Their menu items are simple, yet they have high standards for the quality of their food, and everything from their salads to their entrees shows the level of detail they put into the food. They always have a seasonal menu too, so it can be fun to try out some new options. Order the fry basket. Onion rings. Fried zucchini. Sweet potato fries. Everything is hot and crispy. Lord knows I've ordered it enough times to know how consistent it is. They have marshmallow sauce for the sweet potato fries if you're into that, but why would you dip your bounty of deep-fried goodness in anything other than ranch? Their wine list is pretty good, and they have a nice list of well-crafted cocktails, especially martinis if that's your thing. I do wish their beer list had more variety. The staff is usually pretty friendly, but it's hard to notice anything else when you're staring down that fry basket.
(4)Holly K.
In general, I enjoy Level and it's set-up. However over the course of the years since it has been opened I see it losing some steam. Their food is good...and right now, I feel is much better than Union's. Most of the time I have very attentive and great service...except for last night. I walked in with a small entourage of friends after attending the Columbus Symphony Orchestra's Happy Hour event. Five minutes went by. No wait staff. We then asked a passing by staff member. She wasn't working our section. Finally I get up to the bar, order a drink and ask a bartender if there is anyone working our area. He said yes and would send someone over right away. Another five minutes goes by (and mind you they weren't busy)...nothing. Five more minutes go by and finally some girl comes our way. Service? Nope. Basically after being ignored for 20 minutes by all staff, we left and went to Union and got seated and a round of drinks ordered within five minutes and they were MUCH busier than Level. Last night Level was simply one word: LAZY.
(3)Shuo F.
This is a very stylish modern lounge. It's just loud enough to have a nice sit-down conversation with someone while having a few drinks. I came here for a friend's birthday party so we didn't order off of the menu. The food we got was an unlimited supply of catering food. The food included different types of their versions of pizza, calamari, sandwich rolls, and stuffed mushrooms. If their catering food is a good representation of their menu items, then the food at this bar/lounge is definitely worth coming for. The Thai chicken pizza tasted great, just the right amount of spice. I ate at least 5 pieces! They also had a calamari in a sweet chili sauce. The sauce reminds me of the sriracha sauce at Buffalo Wild Wings. It's sweet and spicy. Definitely worth trying! I'll write more when I come back and have their menu food!
(4)Dave T.
I have to say, given the cater-to-the-yuppie trend that Columbus has been experiencing in its Short North district for the past ten years, I was shocked the quality of my experience was not better. I came by Level to have some brunch, mid-afternoon on a Sunday. Plenty was as-expected. Loud tables of boozing brunch-go'ers. Videos of musical numbers played on mounted screens for sing-along purposes. Gaggles of gays enjoying their sleeping-in-today breakfasts, as well as a smattering of straight folks. Totally cool! Not sedate nor excessively loud, I thought. The hostess was a delightful young lady who seated me in a quiet (as quiet could be) spot as I requested and cleaned my table even though it looked fine, "Just in case." Then my waiter came by. Clearly he was the standard gay brunch waiter, hired for his handsome face and with-the-times facial hair as opposed to his experience in food service. A real looker! Unfortunately, for all the face, he had not a smile on it and the energy level of a drowsy toddler. He arrived just as the hostess had stepped away and asked me if I'd like anything. I just asked for a water while I browsed the menu. Always armed with my smart phone, I asked if they had WiFi. He said yes, and the password was their phone number but he didn't know it. I was only assured it started with 614. Upon returning, I ordered a beer and one of my favorites: "Corned Beef Hash - corned beef brisket sauteed with fresh potatoes and onions. Topped with two eggs cooked your way." It sounded great (Who loves that Alpo-looking stuff from the can?). And it was a really reasonable price, I thought. At the bottom of the menu, it listed sides such as breakfast potatoes, bacon, etc. I specifically asked if they could do poached eggs. My waiter said sure! I asked if it came with anything and he said no. "OK, I'll have a side of the breakfast potatoes with it then." He then informed me that the dish came with breakfast potatoes. I don't think I could withhold my raised eyebrow at that point. I asked him to have them make the potatoes well-done. Like 'em crispy, I do! He said sure. Without bringing my beer, he returned no less than 15 minutes later with my plate. Before he left me, I was sure to ask for my beer again. And a fork. When someone orders poached eggs, it is because they desire the gooey golden runny ecstasy that is a warm egg yolk. Down and onto your potatoes, dipping your toast into, etc. Oh, he at that point told me that my toast was on its way. This was news to me that toast was involved because, as I'd been informed, the dish didn't come with anything. The yolks were soft-boiled. No runny yolk to speak of. The potatoes were pale and definitely not well-done. They WERE tasty and cooked-through. But again, just not as I ordered. The corned beef was brilliant to look at among the other colors on the plate. It was nicely presented. Bite-sized shavings of corned beef were really a great way to do the dish and truly made it seem home-made. The concept was totally there. It was the delivery that was the problem. Another distasteful point was that underneath everything was a shallow pond of oil on the plate. It clearly seemed to stem from the beef because the potatoes were not greasy at all. When my toast came five minutes later, I added the two pieces of seemingly ordinary wheat toast from Anyloaf, USA to my plate and scooped the dish onto the halved single slice to simply absorb the oil. Perhaps a quick trip to a folded paper towel on a hot plate to absorb some excess fat would work? The dish WAS tasty! It wasn't even very salty which corned beef is ALWAYS guilty of. So big kudos there! I just wish they'd done the eggs right. It's tough to poach an egg! I've done it successfully and not-so. But a cook should be able to without completely soft-boiling the yolk. There seemed to be a big disconnect between concept, execution, and delivery. If the cook had been more attentive perhaps (the place was not exactly PACKED, just expectantly busy) and my waiter didn't have a laid-back attitude that bordered on disinterest, there may have been better results. Any attentive waiter could have at least seen the potatoes and thought, "hey, these don't look well-done." I will try them again for dinner sometime. Maybe the Executive Chef is around for dinner service. Give them a try. Just be specific and read your waiter. And get that drink before you're just sitting there for 15 minutes with nothing!
(2)Christopher W.
I enjoy going to Level to have a good time with my friends. Their wings, calamari, onion straws, and French fries are some of my favorite things to order. They also have great drink specials. I definitely would recommend checking them out.
(5)Raymond S.
Oh Level you have fallen so far and it saddens me. You used to have some of the best food in the Short North..now I feel like you just don't care. Let's talk burgers...I love your burgers! No matter what I've had they have always come loaded with toppings, cooks perfectly to temperature and seasoned well. Your menu has ceased evolving minus your "seasonal" menu which seems to only change when someone remembers to create it. I'm pretty sure there are some items on there from over the summer still. Drinks are good although I would like if they started to use shakers when making martinis or shots as I'm not a big fan or random ice chunks settling against my teeth. Finally....The stench. It smells like a perm meets urine meets bleach at times....Go ahead imagine it...yeah the mouth vomit is normal. Please come back to being the Level I fell in love with....5 years ago
(3)Matt G.
Solid food, decent prices, and energetic atmosphere! I'll keep this short and sweet. PRICES: Average $10-$14/plate TASTES: Fry basket w/ sweet potato cinnamon dipping sauce was epic! Shrimp skewers are pretty solid...two words: bacon-wrapped. PARKING: Short North...need I say more? [Fun fact: There is a parking garage two blocks north behind Melt.] ENVIRONMENT: Modern/Casual, Pop/Hit Music, Gets pretty crowded as night goes on. OVERALL: I'll be back. If anything, just to take a bath in that sweet potato fry dipping sauce!
(4)Robert P.
At first glance when you walk in or from the outside you might think "upscale, modern." Then you let your eyes adjust and you quickly see this place is desperately in need of a makeover. When I'm in there all I notice is how worn and tattered all the furniture is. Bar stools, dining chairs, booths...most have tears, terrible scratches, or patches of some sort. The furniture upstairs is even worse, looking like it was all picked up in a yard sale. The upstairs dining tables are actually folding CARD TABLES with table clothes which is just embarrassing. The men's room is FILTHY...seriously there is rust and mold all over the bases of the mirrors. There is often a disgusting odor near the bar...I can only imagine the source. I can't recommend this place as anything more than a gay bar to have a martini. It's a shame really...the bar itself is beautiful, as is a wood ceiling, and it's clear a lot went into the place, and it would not take a major investment to update it...new furniture, paint, and very deep cleaning. The current condition indicates the owners are losing money, or don't care to reinvest in their business.
(2)James G.
I have to say that this place has grown tired. Maybe fine once in a while, but the service has gotten really slow and unprofessional. The food is mediocre at best, some dishes are to be avoided at all costs (the cordon Blu comes to mind). It's just too loud, with poor service, and sub-standard foid. Used to be better.
(2)Emma L.
Visited here with a group of girlfriends for a Friday night birthday dinner. I had a reservation and we had a table for 6 upstairs (I didn't even know there was an upstairs). The only annoying thing was that they didn't want to seat us until the whole party was there and said they would only hold the table for 15 minutes past the reso time, but luckily everyone was prompt and it wasn't an issue. Our waiter was a gem. He was super fun, felt no need to rush us and had fun with us all throughout dinner. He recited the entire vodka menu for us (30 flavors or something like that) and suggested fun drinks for us to try. Our food was all tasty, though I was honestly a tad tipsy once it arrived so I may have eaten just about anything! Prices were all very reasonable, about $10 for a sandwich and side. I had a burger and homemade chips, no complaints at all. After dinner we headed downstairs for drinks and bff-catching up. A good time was had by all, though I will say the bartenders paid far less attention to 6 straight chicks than they would in any other bar... luckily our watier hung out after his shift and got his attention ;)
(4)Erin M.
If I could give zero stars I would. Rude and slow service the entire night, it took us over 2 hours to eat a simple meal. Also this restaurant is not equipped to handle groups bigger than 4, at all. If you have a group expect to pay 20% gratuity automatically whether or not your service was good. On top of all this when we asked to speak with a manager about our experience, the hostess told us to just make a comment online. So here it is. I will not return to level.
(1)Emily L.
Before this weekend, I had only been to Level on a really crazy crowded Saturday night. This weekend, I got to try lunch here and I was not disappointed. The menu is really huge here. There is almost too much to choose from, but I was able to narrow it down. My group started with the wings appetizer. They were actually really good and came with what seemed to be homemade blue cheese dressing, which was very tasty. I had a side Caesar salad and as far as Caesar salads go, this was a good one. Lots of freshly shaved Parmesan cheese and not too much dressing. I also had the spinach florentine calzone, which was really good and HUGE. It was filled with mushrooms, spinach, and lots of melty cheese. The marinara dipping sauce was flavorful, but a little watery. The calzone was so big I couldn't finish the whole thing, but it made for a nice breakfast the next morning. I also tried a bite of my boyfriend's chroizo breakfast burrito (which is available with brunch Saturday and Sunday 11-3). It was good, but I thought a little rich. I was plesantly surprised by Level during the day. It's a lot different than the club atmosphere they have in the evening time.
(4)Brittney F.
Went here on a Wednesday evening so it wasn't as crowded as it usually is compared to the weekends. I had the BBQ shrimp skewers and they were good. I have no complaints about the food, it just wasn't 'over the top' so that's why I can't give it 4/5 stars. Prices are very reasonable and on Wednesdays they have half price bottles of wine! Atmosphere? very modern Loud? Yes Good for people watching? Yes
(3)Kohy W.
Kelley, Savannah, and Allen never stop giving exceptional GREAT service!! Wonderful food and drinks the WHOLE TIME! Modern atmosphere helped a ton! Nothing wrong with my visit at all. Go there please :-)
(5)Michael J.
Good food. Great fun atmosphere. Friendly Staff. What more could you ask for.... :)
(5)Aaron W.
Had a little confusion with the seating, but after that we had great service. I had scallops on a bed of potatoes and wild mushrooms. It was one of the best things I've ever eaten! And the white chocolate bread pudding that topped off the meal was fabulous. Ambiance is great, crowd is great. Love it!
(4)Crystal P.
I am a very picky eater and drinker but I love several things on Levels menu. I've been here a ton of times and I have always had an amazing experience.
(5)Tawni S.
I will drive downtown just to have a dirty martini here. Not everyone can make a good martini but this place hands down is the best. My husband and I love this place.
(5)Charlene A.
I love Level. The environment is so full of energy and filled with fun people...everything I have ever ordered has been excellent. I have referred several friends and they love it as well.
(4)anup c.
I'm sure it's a great place, just not for me Was vacillating btwn this place and Eleven... Eclectic menu, I guess you can't call it fine dining, but at least looked like a 'better' place on this street. Atmosphere was good with a good helping of gay boys around the bar. THREE STRIKES YOU'RE OUT Strike 1 - 'dirty martini' was clear as glass, even though though Jerry said he 'pressed' the dirty button. The second one was better. Strike 2 - maybe the (cute) busboy needs a refresher class on this: when you _remove_ a fork with my plate, then _replace_ it! Especially when you give me my entrée. not rocket science. Maybe class hasn't met yet since it's August... Part of the job is to watch My water, plates & utensils.... Strike 3 - medium-rare steak was not. Not the waiters fault, but it should not take a waiter more than 10 minutes to inquire about *any* food after he serves it. Especially when it takes more tha 5 minutes to get a fork... I'm not a big fan of sending food back because I'm apprehensive of what the kitchen can do to my re-food when Gordon Ramsey's cameras aren't there, but I ate my inseminated steak anyways... Was ~okay. I think the waiter knew I was annoyed because when he cleared our plates, he offered up the cheque right away without suggesting desert.... didn't want it there anyways ...because there were quite a few gayboys there, I rounded my rating up to 3. Also, why do the sweet potato fries come with cinnamon cream cheese dipping sauce. Disgusting.
(3)Corey Tess T.
I came back here on my last visit for karoke and was also here for a sweet drag show as well. It is a great lounge to chill out with a cocktail or glass of wine and people watch, listen to music, watch videos, meet people... I love the vibe. I am not a fan of dive bars or micro brewery's or even pubs really. When I go out for drinks, I love to dress up and I love to be in an atmosphere of style... that is why I love Level... so far, the closest thing to The Abbey is West Hollywood that I have found in Cbus.
(4)Jacinta Y.
I haven't been here for food, but I did have a few drinks here. It wasn't overcrowded like some other places even though it was the weekend. And the music selections were pretty good.
(4)Jill W.
It is difficult to give this location four stars, not five. The food was phenomenal, my waiter was wonderful when he was there, and it was all reasonably priced. The problem was the service philosophy. Though there was multiple tables, all ordering drink after drink, the bartender and the waiter were the same person. He ran the food, he took the orders, and he made the drinks... and he was the *only* employee on the floor. It is clearly a managerial issues, wherein they don't want to pay to have two people on the floor during lunch. If they would be willing to rethink that philosophy, it would definitely be a 5-star experience.
(4)Michelle S.
I would give this place a two if it weren't for their cocktails. I went here for the first time for their food during brunch. Since their drinks were good I had high expectations. Their calamari tastes like chicken with sweet chili sauce. It's pretty good but you won't like it if you hate sweet or sweet chili sauce. Their sweet potato fries are good but their dip is like an icing or something. Anyways, I ordered the French toast. I was excited and it was a generous size but the toast was pretty doughy and undercooked. Not only that but it was plain! I did enjoy my breakfasts potatoes and bacon but you can't really mess that up. I tried my moms skinless chicken and it was dry and plain as well as their salmon and blackened tilapia. I tried a bit of everyone's dish to see if I liked it but they were all just plain...no one seemed to be impressed with their dish except my sister was happy with her scallops that I never got the chance to try. My niece ordered the ribs and it was overly sweet barbecue sauce. Food isn't that good but their appetizers seem to be fine. Their cocktails are good, I like the ooh la la and the chocolate martini but I think they removed the chocolate one :(
(3)Matthew U.
This is for the bar...upstairs. We arrived late, but were still able to order drinks. That made us happy, but not so much for the barmaid. It actually irritated her that she had a customer to serve. That should have been our cue to get out, but we decided to stay and have one drink before we ventured further out for the night. I ordered a margarita, which promptly got me a response snapped at me that they didn't have salt. Well, if you would have let me finish, I would have said margarita with no salt. My friends ordered their drinks, and the total came to an extremely high amount, but we didn't care at the moment. Whether it be because we were on vacation, or because we already had a few. But looking back now, we a little upset by the high prices we were charged here. My margarita was fine. Can't really mess up a margarita. However, my friends drinks were horrible according to them. They were super strong and they had trouble finishing them off. We were seated, enjoying our drinks and before long they told us we had to get out of the upstairs area. Not politely either. We went downstairs to finish our drinks as fast as we could. I doubt that I will ever return here again if I visit Columbus in the future. No way should a customer be treated like that. I'll gladly take my business elsewhere.
(2)Doug H.
How cheap are the owners of this place. 1. You never see them. 2. Others bars and restaurants have heaters for the valet and over the doors to combat cold. Ok I have been a longtime patron of level. However, the odor coming from behind the bar it's nauseous. It smells like a rest area bathroom. And since i brought uo bathrooms this used to be the nicest place in the shory north now it ranks with short north tavern. As well as the cold air that blows through the front tables and the Lincoln street side of the bar. Not to mention the choice in LOUD vulgar music while I am dining is enough to This does not make me want to come here. Looks like we are on to new a better things. So long level.
(1)Crit T.
Employs illegal immigrants in the back.
(1)Will P.
A better food experience So was absolutely starving and decided to go to a Short North place that had parking close by; Level was the winner. Had the calamari appetizer and it was very good. I can't say it tasted like calamari thought, I mostly tasted the breading (which was fantastic) and the sweet, tangy sauce that comes on them. For entree I had the sweet & sinful burger with sweet potato fries. Sweet potato fries were great (but again, who can mess that up), but the burger was overcooked. I told them medium well, but it was well-done and had that grill smell like Burger King. For dessert I ordered the apple pie which was small and looked the same as the kind they have at kroger. Definitely store-bought, but tasted good.
(3)Lan G.
I ordered the steak here, which is really delicacy. I don't like raw meat, so I asked it to be medium-well, but the steak is till fresh and tender instead of being old, which is really easy to eat and completely reach requirement, and I do like the sides of it. By the way, the service is also good there. Good experience and recommend!!
(4)Cameron M.
Food is bad and the music is terrible. If I opened up a gay bar I'd actually play good music. I can't understand why they can't grasp a simple formula.
(1)Tim A.
Trendy, laid back, open minded place to go. Hang out upstairs in the lounge on the couches and you may get to see your wife make out with another woman! :) Yes, even though its typically a "gay bar", its still a fantastic place to hang out and have dinner if you're straight. The service isn't always the best, but its location and ambiance are fantastic! -1 star for service and slacking food quality over the years; but a definite place you should try out...both downstairs and upstairs in the lounge.
(4)Jason B.
Level has a great menu and always unique and tasty options. The prices are reasonable, and there are several vegetarian options. The season dishes are always delicious and the calzones are one of my go-to favorites. Half price wine Wednesdays are a good time, and the atmosphere is always great. I would absolutely recommend Level.
(5)Michael B.
Level is overall pretty solid. It has a more mature vibe than Union, and I think that the food is better too. They make a great caprese salad, and their cocktails are nice and strong. Service is good, and their staff is really friendly.
(4)Amy P.
Went here last night for Restaurant Week 1-2014. I loved the modern design of the place, but my reservation saved me and my fiance a table in the back corner of the place as well as unfortunate service. We had heard great things about this place and the food, but I can't say I was all that impressed. The menu offered a good selection (I chose the hummus/pita bread, pot roast, and chocolate lava cake) and you certainly can't beat the $20 price point. The hummus was delicious, the pot roast was okay (the veggies and potatoes were my favorite part), and the cake was amazing. I can say I'm happy to have branched out and tried this place, but I won't say that I'm heading back right away.
(3)Catherine J.
Level is another one of my favorite jumping-off points for an evening in the Sho' No', especially if your night is getting off to a late start. The food is good, the few times I've had it, though I often forget the decent dinner options. I remember the tuna tartare being especially satisfying. Seating at the bar can get pretty crowded. There's some additional loungey space upstairs, with it's own bar. This is the best spot to chill with a group if you have more than 4 people and just want drinks. I think the decor in here is gorgeous. Maybe a tad too far on the Miami-vibe, but I like it, especially if I've dressed up a little bit. The people watching is fun, and I almost always get to flirt with gay men who love my shoes. The fun music videos in the background will get your primed up to visit Axis after you've had a few adult beverages.
(4)Brian-David D.
Let me start off by saying that I work in service industry and am a very forgiving customer. The Service was non existent here. I spent multiple minutes standing and waiting for a host to seat me as many servers walked by without acknowledgment. Upon finally being greeted, I decide to sit at the bar. Big mistake. Spent an additional 7-8 minutes waiting for one of the 3 bartenders to say hi instead of talking to one another at the other end of bar and texting on their phones. One finally took my food order then completely walked away from the bar before I could place a drink order. Another 4-5 minutes, a different bartender took my drink order after noticing that I was sitting there. An additional 15 minutes, my food arrives with a untouchable hot plate and super soggy fries. (Too long under heat lamp perhaps?). No one checked on me my entire meal. (The Veggie melt which was an a+). I'm so disappointed in this establishment that has an opportunity to be so great!
(1)Adrienne C.
Level is very atypical for Columbus. I feel wrong drinking beer here - the vibe encourages cocktails/martinis/wine. The interior has a metropolitan lounge feel and they usually play electronic music in the background while risque music videos show onscreen. Try the food! The chicken artichoke panini is filling and delicious and it comes with a side of your choice -- I like getting it with asparagus. Also, I haven't had a problem finding seating at the bar, or at one of their many tables without reservations. On any night of the week, they seem busy but never overcrowded. The location is perfect. You're next door to Jeni's ice cream, in the heart of the Short North, and also in walking distance to the Arena District if you decide later on to make a whole night of it. Level's spaciousness is conducive to larger groups so keep it in mind if you're looking for a place to have a birthday party!
(4)Stephan h.
What was once hip and stylish has become something of a Max and Erma's. This spot is just BOR-ING. The crowd is very Dublin, very str8, and very dull. The decor is alright, but the crowd and the overall ambience both scream "SEE, LOOK, HILLBILLIES CAN BE COOL TOO!" Exclusivity and sophistication are just NEVER gonna happen it this town. Sad.
(2)Liz M.
We met some friends for dinner at Level last night and sat there in the comfy booth wondering why we'd never been here before. The ambiance is mod and comfortable. A great place to hang out for dinner or drinks. The music was mostly pop and not too loud. Our server, Ebony, was a real trooper. Very sweet and engaging and put up with our goofy friends with ease. Their menu is awesome. Very well rounded with an excellent price point. Prices were $2-$4 less than surrounding restaurants. I ordered the sweet and sinful burger with onion rings and it was a great burger. The bun could have been better but the meat (advertised as angus) was tender and flavorful and just plain delicious! The onions rings were super crispy and yummy in the ranch dipping sauce. My boyfriend ordered the tortolini which he really liked with added pepperoni recommended by Ebony. Our guests got the blackened tilapia, which for a gross piece of fish actually looked appetizing, and his wife got the greek salad, which I tried and really enjoyed, although I didn't think it was very 'greek'. So, anyway for our 2 meals and 2 non alchololic drinks the bill was only $25 without tip and service was great along with the good food. I can definitely say we'll be back.
(4)Mike S.
What a great dinner! We started with the quesadilla, excellent! The house salad was great. I had the Tilapia and it was phenomenal! Absolutely no complaints about the food. Service was a tad slow. Also, the server (who never told us his name) seemed to be overwhelmed and when he boxed our food for us it never made it back to the table. I definitely will go back to try different menu items and hopefully I can actually take my leftovers home with me.
(5)Zack R.
I've eaten here before. I've reviewed it. I've always had a positive experience...until tonight. My wife and I decided to walk here for an early dinner. She usually gets to work around 6am, so dinner around 5:30 (on the rare occasion that she gets done before 6:30 pm) is not unusual for us. We entered to find no host. The place was pretty dead, so the bar tender told us to just sit where ever we like and a server would be right with us. With only four other diners and two people eating the bar, we figured service would be pretty quick. There were also four servers comgregated around the entrance to the kitchen and one eating at the booth behind us. We sat and waited for several minutes and no one came. After 10 minutes my wife decided to give them one more minute. I was inclined to give them a few more. After about three more minutes, we decided to leave. Even then, no one noticed. We even took our time putting our scarves, coats and gloves on. As we were walking out I told one of the servers that we were just going to leave. He asked, "was anyone helping you?". I said no, to which he responded "oh". Wow Level, I'm really sad that it's come to this.
(1)Kyle H.
Great food. I loved the Chicken Picatta and that Gin Blossom Martini (okay three Gin Blossom Martinis) was absolutely excellent. The only reason I give it four stars is similar to other reviews we noticed a distinct difference in the treatment we got as a couple. We were seated before the table next to us, ordered before they did and everything, but they received their food and drinks before us the whole time, and the waiter would only occasionally check up on us but spend lengthy times serving the guys at the next table. Maybe they are just regulars, but for what the food costs. We even had to ASK if we could order dessert! All being said, I would definitely eat there again and recommend it. I just wanted to echo what previous posts have mentioned because it was very apparent to us.
(4)Natalie O.
My brother, my boyfriend and I went here for restaurant week and were thoroughly impressed. The wings were so juicy and tasty, they had a nice chard bite to them as if they were fresh off the grill. Our tilapia was some of the best we've had. Upscale dining that won't break the bank. Much recommended.
(5)Jonathan D.
Super delish portobello burger and grilled green beens! Super cute and swanky bar. I almost forgot I was in Columbus, Ohio.
(4)Nicholas T.
This is our go to "family" restaurant. The food is consistent and easy on the budget. If you want to indulge I say go for the buffalo ravioli. The cobb salad is great with their house dressing, and its more than enough to split with someone before dinner or you can make it a dinner. You can substitute any side with the dinners, so pick your favorites. Plenty of drink specials all night, and they are all done with a nice and heavy pour.
(4)Staci M.
Love this place. I have yet to have a dish that was bad, or service. The atmosphere is lively...reminds me of places I've been in DC & Chicago. They always stream videos and play lively music.. the drinks are made with generous pours as well. I've been here a few times for dinner, happy hour and to dance... never had a bad experience. It's a nice Short North lounge.. and stays true to the lounge-y type feel. Strongly suggest stopping by for drinks and/or dinner. The meal and drink prices are moderate. Their salmon is perfect :)
(5)Brad S.
Three words: Silver Cosmo martini. You'll just have to trust me on this one. Don't even bother looking at the drink menu - just walk in, ask for one (or 5) of these and thank me at the next Yelp meetup. This divine potable consists of Patron Silver tequila, Cointreau, lime juice, and white cranberry juice - and while the price tag is cost-prohibitive (these puppies cost $8.75 each, and Level sneakily doesn't put the prices on their drink menu), you won't give a fig about how much you're paying once you down 2 or 3 of these things. I happily signed off on my tab at the end of the night, knowing full well the total was nearly more than I paid for my first quarter at OSU back in the day (I'm old). As for the bar itself, Level is quite gorgeous. As others have stated, the bar chairs are amazingly comfortable and aesthetically intriguing, and contribute a Kubrick/Clockwork Orange feel to the premises. I nearly expected them to serve Moloko-Plus out of statues of naked women. There are comfortable booths that surround the central bar area (which is stocked with an insanely extensive selection of vodkas), and tables that afford incredible people-watching along High Street. (There is also an "upstairs" area that I did not get to check out, as it was closed on my visit.) It's hard to tell this is technically a "gay" bar/restaurant as patrons of all types were present - I actually wouldn't have even known this was a gay bar if it weren't for the soundtrack of Lady Gaga and Kelly Clarkson, and the bartenders getting slightly "friendly" with each other behind the bar. But this isn't anything I haven't seen at any other bar in the city, so it's no big deal at all. Everyone is welcome. As for the food, I took advantage of one of the specials of the evening, which was a BBQ chicken flatbread pizza, and it was stupendous. The flatbread was juuuuuust crispy enough around the edges to create a lovely crunch, and the BBQ sauce was nice n' tangy. But the best part of the pizza was the inclusion of little, tiny, crispy bits of heaven, otherwise known as bacon. Mmmmmm, bacon. Bacon and I had a bit of a falling out recently (we were really just seeing other people, nothing serious) but were reunited in sweet carnivorous glory at Level. My heart will never wander again, I promise. The service was really the most defining aspect of Level, as I was greeted warmly by nearly every single employee with whom I came into contact. Even the barback said hello when I walked in, and we all know how emotionless/robotic those doods usually are. I sat with a fairly large group of people on my visit, and the server was a real peach. We had lots of late arrivals/early departures/special orders/separate checks and he worked with us without a hint of frustration. Great job. Level, you've charmed me. Your good looks, great service, playful personality, and big-city panache mean we will definitely be seeing each other again soon. I hope that's OK with you.
(5)James D.
Picked up some take out on the way home from work, and it was yummy. The pickup at the bar was quick and friendly. Great atmosphere.
(4)Jackie B.
Level is the go-to starting point for a night out with friends. The music is great and the drinks are lethal. I've been there both dressed up and in jeans and always feel comfortable. The food is consistently good. They have a huge selection which works well when you are with a group and everything we have ordered has always been wonderful. The prices are what make you want to come back. Several dollars less than other places around. I love the pork cacciatore and it is huge. Way more like 2 meals for around $12. It's somewhat heavy though so I don't order it that often. The wraps are tasty as are the chicken dishes. Nothing is going to blow your mind, it's not anything new or exciting, but it's always tasty and a great value. I have always had amazing service. The servers are friendly and check back on you often. I've always either been sat immediately on a weeknight or had a reservation for a group so I have never had a problem with a wait. I'm sure it could be bad during gallery hop or a busy Saturday, but I'm a planner so I never go anywhere in the Short North without reservations.
(4)Paul F.
When I first went into Levels, being by myself, I naturally gravitated to the tables behind the bar, being that they were smaller than the booths. But the table height in relation to the chairs was too high. So I grabbed a booth and asked to speak with the manager. He didn't think it was any big deal so I gathered that we were off to a bad start. When my waitress arrived, I ordered the Shrimp Scampi, as it is called. What arrived was eight very small shrimp in a broth with some lemon in it. These were SMALL shrimp. They tasted okay but not what any restaurant that I'm familiar with served as scampi. For my main course I ordered the Sausage Italiano, which was pretty good. It included two largish pieces of sausage, in a tomato sauce which included peppers and onions. There was also a wedge of polenta included. I probably didn't need it but I ordered the apple pie for dessert. This was the best course of the evening. The pie was excellent as well as the ice cream that it came with. All in all, the food was passable. But there are too many other good restaurants in the Short North to come here for anything other than drinks. The waitress, btw, was excellent. I believe her name was Fumiko.
(3)Jason S.
This is the story of how, after an eventful three hours at Level Dining Lounge and a string of logical errors, I left about ten pounds heavier with a crick in my back. Here is record of my mistakes: Mistake #1: going at 7:30pm during Restaurant Week without a reservation. The hostess told us it'd be about half hour. Try triple that. Mistake #2: getting Jeni's while we waited. Stupid but delicious way to spoil our dinner. And right next door! Mistake #3: ordering a $3 special long island at the bar on an empty stomach. As the evening's driver, I forgot the cardinal rule of gay bars/restaurants: thou shall get buzzed. One of these suckers was more than enough, with very strong alcohol but the usual long island masking of how much was really there. It's a good thing we were at Level for three hours. Mistake #4: ordering the fry basket at the bar before dinner in the midst of our 83 minute wait. It looked tasty enough that we couldn't stop ourselves. Featuring sweet potato fries (which I favor over even Tip Top), onion rings, zucchini straws and devilish marshmallow and ranch dipping sauces, the basket could have been the end of our gastronomic evening if we had any sense. Mistake #5: slouching in my chair once we finally got our table. While aesthetically pleasing, Level's seats have a significant cut out on the lower back area, which causes a hard edge to the rear of the seat and lower backrest. It was more comfortable to sit forward and slouch in the seat to avoid this, causing the aforementioned crick once dinner was over. Mistake #6: still ordering from the three course restaurant week menu once we got a table. Why, why did this seem like a good idea at the time? The house salad started things off with a great balance of spring mix, red onion, blue cheese, bacon and a balsamic dressing that was well integrated with the greens. The honey-soy salmon followed, a small but solid plate overall, though the salmon was a tad on the dry side and featured sauteed spinach that spent a little too much time in the pan. I still housed the whole meal. Mistake #7: still eating my dessert anyway. By this time I could barely breathe, and was rolling my eyes in a terrible, freaked-out-bovine way. Yet I still had to get ice cream (yes, for the second time in three hours) on my molten chocolate cake. Hello richness. As if my stomach needed more incentive to roil, I had to go and pummel it with this tasty chocolate warhammer. It was duly shared with a friend next to me. Then I tried to stand up. Oh the humanity. The moral of this sad tale is to avoid gastronomic excess at all costs when patronizing a restaurant with plenty of decent options. Otherwise you might end up looking like me on the way out, hunched over with a distended stomach, transformed from a near-thirty year old to a near-eighty year old. It's not a pretty sight.
(3)Paris D.
Great atmosphere, great music and good food! Perfect stop for a late night dinner!
(4)Lisa D.
I went to the Level on a recent snowy Tuesday night. We were seated right away at a table by the window -- the restaurant was not at all busy at 6pm, but would steadily fill up over the course of the next 2 hours. Service was pleasant and helpful. I started with the smoked salmon appetizer. It was fresh and delicious, with capers and some sort of pesto sauce. For my meal, I had the Cuban panini with the sweet potato fries. These fries stood out over the sandwich -- addicting, sweet, with a 'secret' sauce containing cinnamon and marshmallow. Other items that were enjoyed included the Hangar Steak, a generous portion, with green beans and potatoes, the Honey Soy Salmon, and the Cajun Pesto Fettucini. I can't wait to go back!
(4)Steven H.
Level Dining Lounge is a contemporary multi-level restaurant and video bar. This place gets major props. The interior is phenomenal with modern lighting and gorgeous white leather seating. I'm not sure what Jim is referencing because the service was great! Very attentive and kind. I was also thoroughly impressed with the drink specials. $3 Smirnoff vodka drinks on select nights and other nights had specials on Long Island pitchers and $3 Three Olives vodka drinks. I have to say this is leaps and bounds better than other clubs/restaurants. The food I sampled was good. A friend tried the Cubano Grill and Parmesan potato chips and really liked it. The food was reasonably priced and everyone around us looked very pleased with their selections. A friend also tried the sweet potato fries which were good as well. The only complaint was the dipping sauce for the sweet potato fries which tasted like Cinnabon frosting which was kind of strange. A+++! This place has tremendous potential!
(5)Liz B.
What's in that sauce?!?!? You must try the sweet potato fries and their 'signature' dipping sauce! I also had the Buffalo Ravioli... very interesting mixture of flavors and everyone at the table was jealous of my meal. Prices are very affordable and they have a great wine/drink list! Great find in the Short North.
(5)Stacey L.
Three words... Sweet potato fries. Three more words... Marshmallow dipping sauce. Heaven! I have only ever eaten here for lunch, as it is always our very first stop as soon as we arrive in Columbus. I imagine it is a really cool club to hang out at in the evenings. The decor is very cool and I love the music videos they play, especially the old school ones. My husband and I often stop in for their sweet potato fries and a drink only... the fries are that good. And they are a great deal. About $4 for a whole basket with dipping sauce. We have also tried their pasta and salads. All have been stellar. If only they delivered to Cincinnati...
(5)David F.
I went here for RW and was expecting fairly standard bar food. I was pleasantly shocked to find that the food was much higher quality than I expected. The drinks are overall pretty good, but a little on the sweet side for my tastes and if I'm going to have drinks nearby I'd rather go to Mouton. However, the environment here is great and the staff is friendly.
(4)Damien K.
I was impressed! Great atmospher. Amazing food. I was visiting family in Ohio and boy did we make the right choice. I highly recommend the Talapia wow. I'll leave it at that.
(5)Christina C.
I hear you, Miss Britney Spears! Bumpin' loud and clear in Level while I sip on a delightfully delicious martini. What a colorful, spunky little restaurant/bar/club (yes, all in one!) in the heart of the Short North. True story: The cocktail list is one from my dreams. Everything sounded good. I'm glad I chose the Level Saint though - with the help of the bartender. Tastes just as sweet as it sounds: Smirnoff Pear Vodka and St. Germain Elderflower Liqueur shaken with lemon juice. I have to say that it was the food that surprised me the most. We ordered two small plates that were hearty enough to serve as a meal and each tasted amazing! The coconut shrimp that was sweet and crispy and the coconut shrimp and the quesadillas were full of flavor. Likin' the flag you're wavin', Level!
(4)Jessica H.
I need to amend..Level seems to have evolved. The menu is more consistent, there is more customization ability for vegetarians like me, and the concentrated focus on happy hour specials is pretty spectacular.
(3)Tim O.
The food is great, the staff is friendly, the prices are reasonable, the atmosphere is sophisticated and fun, and the dinks are cold and full. What more can I say?
(5)Nate H.
Fun restaurant and bar, and very chic, even for the Short North area. Try the Oh La La cocktail!
(4)Sabrina L.
The cocktail list has about ten things I'd like to try, and for my last meal I would want to eat the sweet potato fries with the marshmallow dipping sauce. The parmesan chips are amazing too, though I've got to admit those are the only two things on the menu I ever order. I've had a taste of the portobella burger and it was also extremely good, so the food seems pretty solid. The only problem I ever seem to have at Level is getting seated. It's like a comedy of errors every time, but the food is worth it, and if you have to wait you can go to Jeni's across the street and have dessert first.
(4)Mindy W.
I had brunch here last week and I was pretty impressed. Service was a tad spotty. I think we had the manager and she was pretty busy running the joint, so I'm not mad about that. The mimosa was standard, pretty decent at just under $6.00. I had the fritatta with a side of turkey sausage. The sausage was really good, and the fritatta was OK. I really just like the ambiance. The rest of the menu seemed much more exciting than their brunch menu. I would definitely come back for meals other than Broadway Brunches! Make sure to get here kind of early, too. When I got there at around noon, it wasn't that bad. By 1:00 it was pretty busy!
(4)Greg M.
We went to Level Dining Lounge today for a late lunch. We had heard a lot about it over the last five years, but have never been. Unfortunately we were not that impressed. The resturant seemed to be dirty. The table that we were seated at was very wobley (sp). The hostess did try to fix the table but is was a half hearted attempt. The waiter wasn't very observant. It took quite a while to get our order placed. I did enjoy the very good bloody mary. The lunch was marginal. A bit over priced. Probably will not return.
(2)Robert T.
Level Dining Lounge... I laugh every time I hear the full title! I have been there on numerous occasions for drinks, and it can be a great place to hang out; no matter what the crowd is like. I have had a range of meals there, including; a quick snack, lunch, and dinner. Consistently the food is good with a good wait staff. This is not fine dining, and the male servers cater to the male clientele, so sometimes you get a pretty waiter and not much more! Overall, I like the menu, and have enjoyed the dishes, and so has other people that I have been with or know have gone, but again, Thomas Keller has nothing to worry about. On my most recent visit the mood was killed by the the girl who had the most irritating voice in the world ( and this is coming from a guy who was fans of THE NANNY, so I can put up with irritating!) Luckily after she passed out in the bathroom and then vomited at the table her and her party were kicked out so things looked up from there. I dined on a Cesar Salad, which is could be improved upon if the lettuce was not swimming in dressing; and the New Orleans Quesadilla. They certainly did have a nice kick to them, and the accompanied Mango salsa was excellent. Matt had a wrap, that I don't think he was that impressed with, and I can't even remember the name so it must not have been. He ordered the Parmesan Potato Chips, but instead got the Sweet Potato Fries, which come with the strangest dipping sauce. SIDE NOTE: We thought it was marshmellow flavored but thought no, it couldn't be, and then our waiter told us that it was in fact marshmellow and cinnamon. Keith's Club looked good and he seemed to enjoy it. The drink specials were enjoyed as well, so all in all it was a nice guys night out!
(2)Red D.
Pretty cool place. Great interior. A little queeny but tolerable. Had the ahi tuna steak...not bad. We thought it was properly cooked but probably not the greatest quality tuna. The mashed potatoes were excellent. The bartenders were friendly and fast. Drinks were strong :) I'd definitely go back for drinks, dinner or both.
(4)Brett P.
4 stars before 10 pm, 1 star after. Before 10 pm, Level is a good place to grab some food and a few drinks with friends. The menu is impressive and everyone I was with enjoyed their food. I got the portobello sandwich with pesto and the in-house parmesan potato chips, which were amazing. I have dreams about these potato chips. The portions are generous, but so tasty that you'll likely eat everything! After 10pm Level turns more "bar" and the experience takes a nose dive. The last 3 times I've visited Level while it was bar-y horrible music was playing (what is it with Columbus and awful remixes?) and the place was awkwardly empty. We stayed long enough for a friend to visit the restroom, and then turned around and left, with every eye watching our steps. Awkward. I've heard the place gets packed, but have yet to witness this. If you want to experience the best of Level, go for dinner, but don't stick around after.
(3)Jenny H.
Level had the hip ambiance of a celebratory birthday dinner without paying out the wazoo. Wednesday night was half off wine bottles. The waiter had some good suggestions for sauvignon blancs. We ordered sides of the parmesan chips and sweet potato fries. He was rather accommodating to bring them out first as appetizers. The side portions were overwhelming for one person and even in a group of four, it was quite generous. Soon enough my seafood scampi arrived. Like Jessica H mentioned, I didn't feel that the food was spectacular enough to be noteworthy. I think we were more fixated on the music video screens than our own plates. Nevertheless, Level seems like a great place for a night out with the girls. Probably will come back just for drinks and some appetizers. Though, I'm curious about their Broadway Brunch sundays...
(3)Kenneth A.
it was decent, but not memorable!
(3)Melanie B.
Wow, Level. You surprised me. I don't usually go for places like this, but my friend had his graduation dinner here, so I got to try out this restaurant that I have vaguely been wondering about since it opened. I agree with most of the reviews that site the trendy/modern yet comfortable atmosphere, busy but not overwhelming, etc etc. I only had a couple beers since I already ate dinner, but everyone's food looked delicious. I'd be very interested in what the post-dinner upstairs club is like at night - I'm wondering if it turns into a beautiful people party, or if it's just as relaxed as dinner - there was such an assortment of people here tonight, which made me very happy (i.e. no one stared admonishingly at my tattoos). I'm guessing this is because it's a gay friendly restaurant? I don't know. A trendy girl dumped her cell phone on the floor verrrry drunkenly when I was in the bathroom, which was slightly amusing, and then another trendy girl and I giggled about the situation together as we left the bathroom - I like that everyone (sober-ish) here was really nice, and social categories weren't super important. The service was a bit slow but it was busy and our waitress was amazingly gorgeous so I really can't complain. Really, one of the most gorgeous girls I've seen in a long while - I wish I got her name so I could give her a shout out. Long brown braids, tan, beautiful eye makeup, thick and curvy... mercy. Anyway, all I got were two beers and a coffee, so I don't have much to say except that the atmosphere was SO MUCH better than I expected and that while I won't be rushing back, I'll definitely recommend Level and go when my friends want to. I'd be interested in trying their tuna tartar.
(4)Renee R.
Level Dining Lounge is one of my favorite staples in the Short North. I can't ever stay away for long. The atmosphere is inviting, the employees are friendly, and the music videos are always a treat. Plus, I've never had a bad meal here. Level is always about having a good time. If you're looking for more than just your average bar night out, check out 6.1.4. Tuesday nights where they have awesome DJs, dancing, and $3 Smirnoff drinks among other drink specials. Or Throwdown Thursdays with DJ Moxy and $3 3 Olives drinks. And I've never been to Karaoke Sunday nights, but I hear they're a blast as well. I love the interior design of Level; it's hip and fun. And the seats are the comfiest white leather seats you'll find in any bar or eating establishment. The street-facing windows open for some fresh air and everyone always greets you with a smile. There's usually a good mix of people here as well. You can be completely dressed up in the latest fashions or wear sneakers and a tee - no judgment here! In terms of food, the fried buffalo ravioli is the specialty here. It's delicious and I highly recommend it! I also love the sweet potato fries, mostly because they come with a delicious, sweet dipping sauce. Everything else I've tried has been delicious - the scallops, the calzones, the salads, the sandwiches & wraps - you name it, I've probably tried it! I'm also a fan of the bloody mary's during brunch on the weekends. Yum! Overall, the food is great, the service is great, the atmosphere is great, and it keeps me coming back week after week!
(5)A A.
I stopped in here the other night for the first time with two of my girlfriends. We all work in the bar industry and definitely know the difference between bartenders who are having a bad night, and bartenders who simply give terrible service, and unfortunately I am going to have to say this was bad, bad service. We go out for girls night every Thursday, and we like to get an early start (around 8 or 9pm) so we can avoid running into crowds later in the night. We decided to try something different and check out Level, since we had heard good things before. When we came in, the chairs at the bar were all taken, but there was plenty of standing room around the bar, and most of the tables in the dining room were empty, so we knew we came at a slow moment and theoretically should get good service, right? Wrong. We walked up to the bar in a spot where there was a gap big enough to stand in, and made eye contact with one of the 3 bartenders behind the bar. Well, instead of coming over and serving us, he looked at us and then walked in the opposite direction. The other two bartenders- and then the bar-back as well -did the exact same thing! We stood there for another 10-15 minutes and watched the bartenders continue to blatantly ignore us while they stood around talking to each other and periodically glared in our direction, as if they were trying to make us as uncomfortable as possible and leave. After a solid 10-15 minutes of standing patiently waiting for someone to come serve us, we decided to put our cards back in our wallets and leave. Just as we were doing this, one of the bartenders finally came over and greeted us with the super-friendly (not!) line: "What do you girls want?". I quickly ordered us 3 shots so we could take them and leave. I decided to be nice with my tip still, and gave them a 100% ($12 on $12) tip, just incase their terrible attitudes were due to bad tippers earlier in the night. Right as I finished signing the receipt, the bartender came over, made a point of looking at the tip right in front of me, and then walked away without so much as a smile or a thank you or any sort of acknowledgement. We took our shots and got out of there as quickly as possible. I am seriously still shocked by how rude the bartenders were to us, especially since it was our first visit there. Needless to say, I have never felt more unwelcome in a bar before, and I will definitely NOT be returning.
(1)