Service Bar

WOW, really a enjoyable experience. Do the tour ask for Kennedy (thank you, you're the best) and then have dinner....highly recommend

Special day - Hot Bolo Baos in the parking lot. Best quarantine breakfast so far! Served hot with the best butter ever.

First off - Shea is a great server! Second, the cocktails were delicious. Third, and most importantly, the burger was AMAZING. (now I'm biased as we supply the ground beef) Chef created a great marriage of flavors. Will 100% be back (probably next week - then maybe the week after) Run in here - and get the burger.

Middle West is such a fun spot! It's got a really cool bar space, the staff is hospitable, and the cocktails are always great. Melissa is the best!

I went to Service Bar with a few friends for dinner last night. We started with drinks at the bar. Trevor took care of us. He helped us with drink recommendations and we both LOVED our drinks. I got the Beez Nuts which was super refreshing. My date had the Rhinestone Cowboy which everyone at our dinner table proceeded to order because it’s so delicious. I love bourbon but sometimes find bourbon cocktails to be too heavy and sweet, but this was light and refreshing. Once we sat for dinner, a couple of the guys asked for custom drinks with a specific bourbon, and Trevor was creative and made up drinks for them that we all tried and loved. It seems like you can’t go wrong with their cocktails! The food was amazing as well. I’m a vegetarian and they have an entire vegetarian menu, so I was super happy with having tons of options! Our server (I wish I remembered her name - she was fantastic) helped us with recommendations and answered all of our questions. She was so friendly, attentive, and knowledgeable about the menu. All of our food was delicious and unique. I have literally zero complaints about food, drinks, or service. And the cost was very reasonable for the food! I will definitely be back soon!

Absolutely 5 Star! The music was The Smiths, Morrissey, New Order and Joy Division ALL NIGHT and we were there for a few hours. Bar tender was stellar and I tried to remember his name but sadly I have forgotten it. Planning on Going back soon and will update this. We went with a large party and thus sampled nearly everything they offered. EVERYTHING was exceptional. True gourmet Michelin Star performance. Whimsy and flavour filled every dish. The scallops were absolutely out of this world. Even the puffed on site pork rinds which I normally would not eat were stunners. Sauces for each dish were something to write home about. The food is fun and surprising. Great value for an experience that truly blew me away. Have been talking about it for weeks.

A really awesome and unique experience. The food was really great (for sure pricey, but definitely worth it in my opinion). The atmosphere was beautiful, I recommend going at night so that the candle lighting gets the full effect. Their "secret menu" on Instagram is such a fun and sweet idea. The staff is super friendly and engaging. They have community seating that's usually readily available and a great experience honestly, but if that's not your style you would try to reserve a table ahead of time.

Excellent atmosphere - best food we've had in a while.... This was our first time to Service Bar, a new distillery (OYO) and restaurant. The design of the facility is a cool blend of old-time vibe with modern elements. Service and food were excellent. The oil-poached salmon and the lamb dumplings were delicious and creative. Karen took time to sit with us and ask about our experience. In a city filled with outstanding dining choices, Service Bar is our new favorite. We are looking forward to going back.

Yummy cocktails, apps, and mains. Highly recommend the Stuffed Endive Cups. Great service. Edit a few years later: STILL AWESOME!!!!!! Excellent space to rent for private parties. Staff, drinks, and food are all incredible!

Service Bar easily tops my list of restaurants in Columbus. From the food, to the cocktails and dessert, you will not be dissapointed. I recommend checking it out for date night so you can try several different items on the menu that are designed to be shared. My favorite foods are the Cheesy Brisket Crunch, essentially a gourmet version of Taco bell's gordita crunch, and the Wagyu Pepper Steak, the best steak I have ever had. If you plan on drinking their signature cocktails, created with spirits made in house at Middle West Spirits, definitely make sure you have plans nearby afterwords.

If I could give Service Bar 10 stars, I would. Service Bar is my favorite restaurant in the city. The first time we came we actually just happened to be walking by (this was years ago when they first opened) and we were able to grab a seat at the bar. We have made many many reservations since and are now enjoying their great take-out! Everything I’ve ever had has been amazing but my favorite has to be the ham shank with bok choy and cheddar grits. It’s my dream meal and I plan to beg for it at my next birthday. 🤞🏼

Amazing food and service! I ordered via UberEats and a member of the team called me right away for clarification on a dietary restriction. Not only were they super accommodating, but they also clearly labeled everything and even threw in a free dessert. :) Everything was so flavorful and unique––I can't wait to try more of the menu!

Service bar is a top tier experience- if you're missing this dining experience you're really missing something special. I would say this is one of the best restaurants in Columbus. The chef's staff, and tour staff are so knowledgeable. The cocktails are perfect and the duck wings and crème brûlée cheesecake are something you'll think about until you go back and get it again. Don't miss out

We had a table reserved on 2/15/25 and had a fantastic experience. The service was on point, with a friendly waiter who took very good care of us. There was a small mishap with a drink hitting the floor (party foul!), but everyone jumped right on it and made it a non-issue for us or anyone else around. The food and drinks were top notch as well, all topped off by a great atmosphere. We will be back.

I stopped in with my wife for a date night last night and we were completely blown away. Our server Shea was polite, attentive and very knowledgeable about the drink menu and the food menu. The atmosphere of the restaurant seemed down to earth and elevated at the same time which is very hard to pull off. We started off with a few cocktails which were delicious, but the real selling point for this restaurant is the food. We started off with the chicken wings and we split a Caesar salad. The Caesar salad was amazing and these were some of the best wings we have ever tasted in our lives. The sauce was a perfect balance of sweet and spicy. We told our server Shea how much we loved the wings and especially the sauce and a few minutes later he comes out with a togo container with some sauce in it for us to take home, courtesy of Chef James. For Entrees, I had the Quail which was one of the best dishes I have had in a long long time and my wife had the Cedar Plank Salmon, which she managed to finish quickly even though we were both getting full from out appetizers. After our meal, we were even given a quick tour of the distillery that is attached to the restaurant. The customer service at Service Bar/Middle West Spirits exceeded all of our expectations. We picked up a bottle of their Bourbon and a bottle of their OYO Vodka on our way out and enjoyed a drink when we got home. We will definitely be adding Service Bar into our go to rotation for date night restaurants. All of the food that Chef James sends out of that kitchen is next level and inspired. 10/10 would recommend.

I have nothing but heartfelt praise for the menu and experience that Chef James and his team have curated! The beef in the beef neck raggout was amazingly tender and rich with flavor. The gjetost cheesecake and sticky toffee pudding were elevated classics whose flavors will live on in my taste buds memory bank. Meal pacing and service was great. Cocktails were delightful. Relaxed atmosphere that really just lends to a nice and easy night with friends. Highly recommend loving yourself and your people by taking them to try out Service Bar (:

The waitress, Bri, was absolutely stellar. Very knowledgeable about the menu, the drinks were so flavorful and had a great pour; the pork cheeks were incredibly tender and the ceasar salad was almost as good as the stuffed thai chicken wings. I will go back as often as I can afford to. Ten stars if I could!

Glad we could close out our visit to Columbus at this special place. It was highly recommended by friends and locals and it didn't disappoint. The cocktails were amazing, both in presentation and taste. Our server Chris was super friendly, attentive, and informative. We got the lamb dumplings and garlic bread from the secret menu for appetizers and they were delicious. The main entrees were amazing. I see a lot of reviews saying that this place is pricey- but if you were to get their normal apps and entrees you could really get a great meal for two for a reasonable amount. The cocktails are unique and thoughtful and very reasonably priced in my opinion. If we ever go back to Columbus we know where to go.

We were looking for a special dinner that would accommodate our group. First of all, the drinks were phenomenal and innovative. Kudos to the chef for curating a vegan dish that was truly unique and incredibly delicious. Also, the service was above and beyond! David, Cassidy and Grace were all super accommodating and kind. Everyone in Columbus - this place is so worth the visit! Don’t miss out 💕 P.S. - the Oaxacan 75 is one of the most well-rounded cocktails I’ve ever had! Couldn’t recommend it more!

Lots to say about this dining experience, overall it was good. The good: -The atmosphere was nice, good lighting and okay space between the tables. Nice decor and accents. -Our drinks were very good and the perfect strength, well balanced, nice aesthetic. -The whipped cream on creme brulee was perfectly sweetened. -The Caesar salad dressing is some of the best I've ever had and the cheese is so fresh. The bad: -The marrow appetizer was overpriced for what it was, we (maybe) got 1.5 tablespoons out of both bones combined. They were prepared well and the sourdough was very good and charred perfectly. -We asked to share a Caesar salad, the kitchen did not plate it onto 2 plates. We were given the dish and had to wait for plates. -Not bad, but surprised to receive regular heinz ketchup with the duck fat fries, anticipated something housemade. -Shocked to hear our server did not know what an Irish coffee was, and never gave us an answer if we could order one or not. -My pappardelle pasta was so salty I almost sent it back, the size and texture of the noodles was great. -My spouse's mussels seemed over cooked but everything else was fine he said. What should be fixed: -The front of house is undeniably understaffed, we saw 2 servers the entire time we were there on a Friday night. The bartender and 2 other support staff were there helping to run food and clear our table. -Retraining the FOH staff is a must...examples missing from our service include; replacing silver ware when you take dirty ones from the table (we went without a few utensils), boxing up food away from the table should be standard practice for a restaurant of this caliber, checking in on the meal at least twice (we were only checked on once we were done eating). All-in-all I will go back, but it seems like a 50-50 experience, some stuff is good and some stuff is bad and it's a mix of the food and service. For $141 before tip, it's overpriced for what it is right now. Small, consistent improvements will make this place worth it.

Great atmosphere, delicious food, and amazing service. Beware the cafeteria style seating...between the wide tables that put you far from those across from you and the extremely loud environment, it’s nearly impossible to interact with anyone who isn’t right beside you.

Very intimate setting. They didn't have many vegan options. What they did have (cauliflower with lentil and beet salad w/o burrata) was very delicious! The servings were quite small which was disappointing. The drinks were not the best I've had in town, but still good. It's seasonal, so I'm hoping they add more vegan options.

I used to love this place pre-pandemic, but it's not the same food. Cocktails are still great and worth a stop, but the food menu is limited and inconsistent and oddly priced (very expensive and not worth the price). The Jerusalem artichoke was my favorite, the tiny fruit salad appetizer ($22) was underwhelming.

I always meant to go here, I used to live right around the corner, I shop at the thrift store across the street, but I never had the money. Truth be told, I still don't have the money, but it was a nice splurge. Whenever I spend close to $100 at a restaurant, what I want to feel is that quiet energy you get through the evening, I want to feel the glow of the meal washing over me for the rest of the night. Luckily, I carried that difficult to capture feeling with me when I left the restaurant. The dining room is beautiful and well appointed. Silverware might have needed an extra round of polishing. Glassware and plates are unique and well taken care of. Their dirty martini was wonderful and just nice to look at. The oysters of the day were everything I wanted - they tasted decadent and creamy. Wonderful way to start the meal and definitely one of the highlights of the night. Caesar Salad did its job. Was happy to see they had Skins Field Recordings by the glass, the wine selection has some care put into it despite this distillery being known for its spirits. The mussels were served with a green curry sauce, which was unique and delicious. In an effort to save money, I had the Fried Chicken Sandwich but I didn't regret it. All the condiments played together nicely and I couldn't really piece together in my head what I was tasting, I just kept taking a bite and saying "god this is good." One of the best chicken sandwiches I've had.

Nice place, and nice service. Service was on the slow side but only because of limited staffing. $41 fish plate was tastey but extremely small, so were drinks. Honestly I spent over a hundred bucks with a tip but left very hungry. The fish was served on a comically large plate that enhances the small portion, but the flavor profile of the fish was very good - I like the tanginess of the sauce and it had a lot of seasoning. Filet was cooked well, and although the dish was on the oiley side it was very tastey. It came with pickled onions which were good. Probably wouldn't buy again though at 41 bucks. The pizza was much better value at 15 bucks for the food. Yes it was still small, but the quality of crust waa good and fellow diner recommended. For the price, I'd say it was alright.

Disappointing relaunch. Very brief menu, the only vegetarian entrée is a mushroom rissotto, which was fine for what it was but absolutley not something i would have ordered if there was a more creative non-meat option. I did try the beet salad as a starter and really enjoyed that dish though. My friend tried one of the seafood entrees and enjoyed it as well. I was not the happiest with learning they don’t offer any desserts? I wasn’t expecting a whole list of house baked items considering the short dinner menu, but seems weird there’s not like an ice cream or plain cheesecake at least. Alternatively I think it would be nice to offer a list of like amaros or desert wines if no sweets are available but it is what it is. Overall I just don’t think it was worth the pricepoint compared to other nicer options in the neighborhood, it doesn’t stack up to what the menu or service was like pre-covid but I would be open to going back if I knew they developed some more stuff.

I had been wanting to go here forever. It was just ok. I got the lamb wontons and was assured they weren't that spicy and then they came in a chili oil bath. I had asked if the oil could be on the side but our server thought not. They did have good flavor but couldn't really taste much after the first one cuz so hot. Had a decent cocktail. And dessert was pretty good, too. For the price, tho, it just didn't quite make it. Wish we spent $100 at the Refectory instead. Sorry, I wanted so much to rave about it!

This is our first time ordering food from this establishment. We ordered the food and asked for it to be ready at 7:30; our food was ready at 6:45 and we live 25 minutes from the restaurant. So needless to say the food was very cold! It was a burger and a lamb wrap w Peruvian Pasta salad. Pasta salad was a half dollar size amount and not good. Lamb wrap was ok. Very disappointed in the burger; soggy and cold. At the time the order was accepted would be a good time to give a time IF it is going to be done earlier... When hubby arrived to pick it up, restaraunt was dark and bag was sitting 3 feet from door.. Whole experience was disappointing....not sure if we will try again....

Food is amazing. Service isn't always the best which was a little disappointing. The space is beautiful, the food and drinks are unique. Getting a reservation is not always the easiest because so many are wanting to try this cute little spot. The times I've gone I've always been impressed with the food and the drinks but service... (and I hate to say it) is sometimes rude. This is such a bummer because most people there are so excited going for the first time (I've been with several friends when it was their first time dining here) just to be a little turned off by the service. Definitely a place to try but don't be surprised if service is underwhelming. I would say this is an area of opportunity for them.

Really nice bartenders. Bar is way too tight. Need to remove 3 or 4 seats. A little too hipster. Food is mediocre. Bartenders weren't quite sure what the dinners were all about. They said they did but my exotic fish was actually just salmon that was sou vied and still raw. But drinks were awesome.

Had an awesome tour and cocktails were great. Do the distillery tour, get a cocktail. Grab dinner somewhere else. Service was slow. Took a long time to get seen despite there being an almost 1:1 wait staff to patron ratio when we were there. Food was very underwhelming. Meat lacked the flavor/richness expected from a $30 plate. Caesar salad had an off taste and was gritty, overall unpleasant.

The squash blossom app and the cauliflower dish were great! However, I got the mussels, and the little algae “beard” was still in almost every single one/it didn’t seem like they were cleaned properly. I love mussels, but I couldn’t stomach these. The sauce was good though! Also, the bartender was out/they weren’t serving cocktails. However, they did call me before to let me know and offered me a free entree next time I come in, so that was good customer service.

Our party of four arrived around 7pm on a Friday night and was seated immediately because we made reservations. The restaurant was at about 90% capacity at that time. The ambiance was a modern 1920’s vibe, there was a lot of attention to these details in their clean restrooms (especially soap dispenser). The spirits were plentiful and the bar was sprawling. I came here for the culinary infusion foods and the presentation of it. We ordered the smaller plates as starters, it was the pork grinds and the mussels; which were both delicious, they had a great technique to create pork grinds as well as they did. About 25 minutes later, our main course arrived. We ordered the whole chicken, which came out to our surprise half roasted chicken and topped with the other half with fried chicken, and then topped with naan bread. Reading from the menu, I visualized a whole roasted-red tandoori chicken. The fried chicken was fresh and had a good light batter coating it, but was overly salted. We finished the meal with the cheesecake which wasn’t overly sweet and a good way to finish. Overall, we spent about $325 for the course and experience. I’ve come to realize my love and appreciation for simple street food.

Took my mother here for Mothers Day dinner since waffles aren't her thing and was very disappointed. Hoping for a unique cocktail experience and cuisine, we were met with odd cocktail combinations and food that just didn’t sit well on the plate together. The menu was limited and not versatile. For the price point we wouldn’t return. Our server was great but their vodka had a very strong smell almost reminiscent of my college days.

Disappointing. Our appetizers and entrees were really bland. The renovations are nice and the cocktails were ok. The previous SB’s food was incredible, but none of those classic dishes were on the menu. Seems like a totally different restaurant. Also the only restaurant I’ve ever been to where I’ve heard “The chef prefers a full order,” meaning we couldn’t order apps and mains at leisure. Pretentious nonsense.

Very disappointed. This is the first time I've eaten at Service Bar since before the pandemic/with the new executive chef. What once was an inventive and unbelievably out-of-this-world delicious menu is now bland and pretentious-feeling. Over $30 for a bowl of saffron risotto that tasted largely like a $3 box of broccoli and cheddar rice-a-roni. Beets and burrata was decent but literally just a bowl of beets and burrata mixed together. The froth on top of the cocktail was the only thing from the meal that I wasn't disappointed by. I was honestly embarrassed that I had talked this place up so much to my dinner date. It's a completely different restaurant than what it was before. Honestly, they should have renamed it so as to not get peoples hopes up. Unlikely to eat here again.

The food and service was great. We had dinner after taking the distillery tour (and buying a lot of spirits!). Two stars for two reasons: the host told me twice that they were booked until 9pm and couldn't seat us (I then used OpenTable to book a reservation for 15 minutes later). And, my dinner consisted solely of 7 small (rabbit filled) tortellini for $25.. I left still hungry! My fault for not ordering something else.

I was super excited to try this place and the two stars don’t reflect the quality of food. The service for a CARRYOUT order though was astonishing. I called and placed an order for a sandwich box of one kati roll and a side. While I was saying thank you to the guy on the phone he hung up on me. Okay. I wait 25 minutes and walk over to the restaurant and wait for about 30-40 minutes. During this wait Trust Fall delivery drivers come and pick up a large amount of orders which is fine and maybe that’s what is taking so long. The guy, who I assumed hung up on me, brings my order out when the gentleman in front of my who has been waiting just as long if not a bit longer complains. The guy rings me up when I notice my order is wrong and he over charged me. I don’t get spoken to even though I’m still standing there obviously not pleased. The gentleman gets his order for free while the guy rings me up correctly and takes out the incorrect items. He tried sending me on my way when I had to tell this employee that I was still missing the side and dessert. More attitude. Again, was super excited but really bummed about my first experience.

We loved Service bar before. Came for a distillery tour before the restaurant opened and then came back for dinner once it was finally open and had an amazing time. Last night's dinner (or lack of) fell completely on it's face. -Reserving a table: I was able to book dinner at the time I wanted online without issue. I wish I could select between community table or private table. I get the concept of the community table, but when I want to take my wife on a date night, I don't want to be seated between a big group of 8 friends and a family with two young kids. --Menu: When were being seated, we were asked if we needed a vegetarian or GF menu, we said no. I'm not sure what menu we were given, but it was not the menu we had last time and certainly not the one listed online. The menu was double sided, and almost, but not quite, identical on both sides. Wife wanted something light and was hoping to order the scallops. Those were not on the menu, in fact, there was no seafood option. I noticed the short ribs I got last time were also not on the menu. -Water: The host who sat asked if we preferred sparkling or flat water, we both requested sparkling. We got flat water. -Drinks: I ordered a seasonal cocktail off the menu, it was the best part of the whole night. My wife wanted a gin drink, there was only one on the menu, so she opted to asked for an Aviation instead(a somewhat uncommon request, but the waitress knew what it was and knew the bar staff could make it. The waitress returned a few moments later to let us know the bar was out of luxardo. Disappointed to say the least, my wife settled for a gin an tonic. The tonic was FLAT. -Food: By this time, we were not very impressed with our night so far and we hadn't even been there 10 minutes! Since the dinner menu was lacking, we decided to split an appetizer and then go somewhere else for dinner. We ordered the pork rinds, we got them last time and LOVED them. That was the last we saw of our waitress for about 20 minutes. She wasn't working any other tables, she never checked in to see if we wanted to order dinner, make sure we were good on drinks or anything. Our appetizer never came. We had a show to catch later and needed to leave so we could get dinner somewhere else, and finally our waitress came out and we asked to cancel the appetizer and bring our check. One of the bar staff delivering another tables drinks actually took and ran my card since our waitress was now busy serving a big group. To add insult to injury, as soon as we passed off our credit card we saw a waitress bringing out an order of pork rinds, I looked at my wife thinking maybe we were being over dramatic, but that order actually went to another table that sat and ordered after us! I don't think our food order was ever placed. We ended up paying about $25 for a seasonal cocktail and a gin and tonic. I'm giving 2 stars because we've had a fantastic time there before, but it seemed like nothing was quite right last night.

Service bar is beautiful and the food is creative but it is neither innovative nor humble - some of the dishes are in danger of moving into kitsch. My group and I, on more than one occasion said to each other, concerning multiple dishes, that while the flavors were enjoyable we had all tasted the same thing straight out of a bottle. The attempt to heighten fast food cuisine was a failure, and an expensive one at that. Oh, and the cheesecake brûlée with basil was hands down the worst dessert any of us had tasted in recent memory. The noodles were excellent reminding my friend of the food he experienced while living in China. The chef is obviously talented, but the menu seems to be reaching desperately for some sort of identity that it has yet to discover. Our service was technically very good, personally stale, and not at all welcoming, or warm. There was an air about the place, which as stated previously, reeked of everything but humility. When you walk into a restaurant the aesthetics, visually, are the first impression, and with Service Bar all of the details are addressed right down to the coffee service and silverware, and that bar!! You can't talk about this place visually without mentioning their beautiful bar. It is the center piece of the dining room. The issue with placing such a heavy amount of effort on this aesthetic is that it has a tendency to elevate the guest's expectations, which was the case for our group (not to mention the massive word-of-mouth praise that had been circulating). This elevated expectation is great as long as the food shines the brightest. You never want to leave a restaurant with the visual aesthetics serving as the greatest memory of your experience. Before the food hit the table we were as excited as we could remember for a meal in Columbus, and while the meal was by no means terrible, there was a sense of disappointment among all of us. On a side note: Our group spent quite a bit of money to dine there and we felt as if there was a rush to get us to exit after our dinner had finished. My friend asked for a digestif just to round out the meal as we prepared to pay the bill and leave. Our server informed us that they had called last call and we were not able to order anything more, which would have been fine, except for a few points. First, no one informed us of a last call. Second, who does a last call in a dining room? Third, we had just spent several hundred dollars and had simply asked for an end of dinner digestif for one guest. This type of request should always, always, always be accommodated. You are in the service industry, act like it. To add to this, there were several other tables still seated in the dining room seeing as it was only 10:15, and their hours clearly state that they are open until 11pm on Sundays. It was off putting and made us uncomfortable. This alone would have kept us from returning. It was special night for all of us and Service Bar was, to be completely honest, a pretty big and expensive disappointment. Lastly, stop making guests like you on instagram in order to access the specials, it's pretentious and assuming. We will decide to like you if we enjoy our experience. Offer alternatives to access your "secret kitchen menu".