I've definitely had a better experience at the Bar Louie down here on Park St. than I did with the one in Cleveland. For one, the service I've experienced has been much better for the most part, and two, it's a much more lively atmosphere. The patio here is one of the best selling points. Even if you aren't a huge fan of Bar Louie or the Arena District, the back patio is huge and looks out over Park St. and North Market and has a nice fire pit to warm up around in the Fall. As far as the food goes, it's still not my favorite, but I'd rank it around an average 3 star rating. I had the nachos this past time, and I wasn't really impressed. It's great bar food, but if you're looking for a great meal, you'll probably want to pass. The burgers are decent, and their $1 burger night on Tuesdays is pretty hard to beat. They also have a really long happy hour during the week, stretching from 4-9 pm, Monday through Friday. If you're not going for happy hour, the drinks here can be a bit pricey. They have a large selection of draft beers, but I've never found many of the craft beers here to be too daring. The prime focus of Bar Louie is to have fun on a night out with friends. It's usually pretty packed on the weekends around the bar, especially in the Winter time once the outdoor area isn't being used, but they do have a second bar upstairs. I've grown to like Bar Louie more than the other bars around Park St, and if you're young and looking to have fun in Columbus, this is one of the places you'll want to hit up.
(3)
Dave E.
Was in Columbus on business for a week and ended up eating here 3x. The happy hour flatbreads are amazing along with the pretzels. A flatbread...a beer and a tip for less than $10...not bad!!
(3)
Darius B.
Chicago fan that moved to the city in April. I come here to watch Bears games. Sometimes it's a little messy (like footprints on the bar & overflowing urinals) but the staff are nice. Also they've had issues with their sound system all season. If you turn one channel sometimes ALL THE CHANNELS IN THE BAR change. One time I had to leave.
(3)
Julie G.
Bad Louie was our spot for dinner the other night simply because it was in our general area AND it was $1 burger night. There's not much more that can warm the DH's heart like a 'good deal'. Let's knock out the preliminaries. Large space, about the decor you'd expect from a casual burger/bar joint in the arena district. Good size patio, large wrap around bar. The booths were a bit....sticky.....could use a good power wash IMO. Service to start was fast and friendly. We got drinks and apps taken care of within minutes. The 'loaded' fries looked like someone's leftovers. They were not loaded with anything nor were there very many of them. By the time our waitress came back our hungry crew had devoured them so it was a moot point. Our group for the most part built from the $1 burger menu. When one of our party wanted to order his burger medium rare, we were told all burgers must be well done. Um, ok? Not my preference but at that point we are committed and ordered away. Our food arrived again fairly quickly. The burgers were ok. No amount of toppings can disguise the taste/texture of a well done (tough, bland-sorry well done lovers out there) burger. Service, while pretty brisk initially, was non existent after the food was delivered. I don't need my hand held or to be hovered over, but at one point we just assumed that our servers shift had ended. It took even longer to get the check, pay and leave. I'm sure after a few (ok, a lot) of drinks this is the spot to hit for some late night munchies, when I am not feeling so particular about quality and service.
(3)
Maurice H.
Bar Louis is a solid option if you fall in one of these categories: - You are between the age of 21 - 69 ( I can't speak of underage crowd) - You live in the area , either arena or short north or just happen to be in the area - You're a fan of affordable attractively priced happy hour - You're not too picky on spot on service - it can be hit and miss, understandably - You're a fan of Patio time. - You like good looking waitresses with big smiles or no smiles (honey, I understand if you had a long bad day... I really do) - You like burgers (did I mention $1 burgers on Tuesdays??) - You like cheap drinks from 4 to 9 every weekday ($3 drafts, $4 wines, $5 martinis) - You can tolerate the frequent douchery that comes with Arena and Park St crowd... I mean come on. Ha. One of best nightlife spots on Park St and the Arena. Good location to start the night with friends. Props to Louie!
(5)
Justin C.
This place is pretty deep. You have 2 big areas for drinking and eating. It also goes further in for a medium sized dance floor. The first area is just near the entrance and has many tables to chose from. This is great if you are looking for a more mellow hangout experience. The inside bar is more like a sport bar deal with TV screens above. This is more of an area you go to so you can escape the heat that is building up on the dance floor. The music is pretty good. There is also a cover to get in.
(4)
Jillian M.
Great patio! Prices here are a bit steep considering it's just bar food, but the half price appetizers for happy hour are decent. The rest of the happy hour is just okay, with drafts between $3.25 and $4.25 depending on what size you order. I would be interested in coming back for $1 burger night on Tuesdays, as the reviews for that are pretty positive and I love a good deal! For what you'd spend, just have your meal at the North Market next door and come here for a drink on the patio!
(3)
Monique F.
Average. Nice bar scene with mostly young (working) people. Nice open fire on the patio and enough space on the inside. The menu is what you can expect: pubfood of average quality. Notting fancy, not bad. The only thing we really do not like (on both occasions) is the service. Last May it was difficult to get any attention but that evening it was packed (I believe a Thursday night) and there was a nice singer/gitarist on the patio. This Tuesday it was busy, but not packed and it took (we've counted) more than 15 passing waitresses (there were 2-3 waitresses on the patio) to notice us after we drew the attention by waving. They passed us (empty handed!) without asking what we would like. 15 times! Not good. Insides it didn't get better. During the evening we had 5 waitresses on our table asking if the........fill in the blanks......was for us. Even when we already paid and were ready to leave. Seems like the're is just chaos and no systems. So nice scene, average food, bad service. All together a 3 star experience. And please excuse any grammar and spelling mistakes. English is not my first language. And if that's not bad enough, Apple keeps changing the English words into 'proper Dutch'. Yes, you guess right, my first language.
(3)
Morgan B.
The $1 burgers on Tuesdays are such a great deal! To get this price you have to also buy a drink, and extra toppings and sauces besides lettuce are 25-75 cents each, but you can still easily create a delicious burger for under $3. They don't skimp on the size or quality either! I'd recommend getting here early though because it can get pretty busy on these nights. Besides that, the food overall is decent, the happy hour features $3.50 draft beers, and there are plenty of TVs around if you want to come to watch a game. I always have a fun time when I come here!
(4)
Giovanna A.
In spite of the less than stellar reviews, this is probably one of the more convenient locations to stop for a drink while shopping in the main part of Easton mall. I found the service to be quite wonderful actually, the server really went the extra mile to make sure we were satisfied, including running after us when we forgot the box of leftovers. The trouble here is that drinks were weak, and at $10/ea, I found that quite steep for the amount of alcohol. The food was just ok, not bad but not great. I would go back but preferably when someone else is picking up the tab.
(3)
Bryan M.
Chicken tortilla soup is amazing... Flatbreads are good, and the peach moonshine BBQ sauce is amazing.... Our server was new but she was great. One server there a blond girl was very rude and would give our group of 10 dirty looks... Maybe she was jealous because we stayed there so long and she wasn't our server... tipped our server 40% and requested she give 10% of it to the blond girl to put towards working on a new attitude. Bartender was helpful in giving us samples of beer... great place to hang out on the patio!
(4)
Amber S.
I've only been here during lunchtime at work so I can't speak to the nightlife, happy hour prices or drinks. I can say they do a serviceable lunch and on nice summer days the patio seating is at a premium. Be sure to get a table with an umbrella so when the sun moves everyone can have some shade. Take advantage of the limited addition menu items. They tend to be variations of regular items with a different protein to maximize items that are already available in the kitchen.
(3)
Arvid Y.
Perhaps a little too conveniently located near my apartment, I find myself going back to Bar Louie frequently. It's more for their happy hour specials and their active bar scene than for anything else. Their Happy Hour lasts from 4-9 pm Monday through Friday. $3.25 draft beers and also discounted mixed drinks. They also offer half-priced appetizers and flatbreads. So far i've only had their chicken quesadilla and it's pretty good. They also have $1 burgers on Tuesdays, which is another great deal. It sounds like service can be hit or miss depending on the day, but i've had attentive servers and bartenders during my visits. It gets pretty busy during the weekends, so I can see how service can become an issue. Overall, it's a great place for happy hour and also a good place to start off your weekend night. The bar attracts a pretty diverse, but mostly young professional crowd. The fact that the waitstaff is easy on the eyes also helps. I'll be back.
(3)
Anna H.
I've had lunch here many times over the years, as well as one happy hour. The food and service has always been fine; I especially love their baskets of tots. Their salads and the veggie wrap are worth getting. The patio is really nice on warm, sunny days. It's large and you can people watch since it's next to the North Market.
(4)
Ty W.
My friends and I typically go to this Bar Louie on Tuesdays for the $1 Burger Night. Though the deal is great, the service is a little slow and seats are hard to find. Any other day of the week, I have had great experiences at this location. The happy hour is awesome; Cheap drafts and appetizers. This is the perfect place to grab a beer and a snack on a Monday after work.
(3)
Hua R.
Terrible service, but what do you expect from a high volume bar..? Cool design inside/patio, so it has potential, though just stick with beer or an extremely simple cocktail b/c the bar staff has only been trained to sling drinks not actually bartend.
(2)
Rob O.
Used to frequent Bar Louie often, as they had one of the best happy hours in town. That's no longer the case as they recently raised their happy hour beer price from $3 to $3.25 and now to $4.25. They still offer half-off apps on five or six appetizers, so there's that. But in order for me to pick a chain over the dozens of other options in the arena district and short north, the happy hour has to be REALLY good. That's not the case anymore.
(2)
Houston M.
Decided to eat here while in town and had a awesome experience thanks to the bartender Charlie, she's the best! It's a laid back atmosphere and food and drinks were great. If you are even in Columbus Ohio you should stop in for happy hour and ask for her!
(5)
Ed V.
I went may 1 2014 I ordered the sub and French fries with ice t. after it's all said and done I really didn't like this. the server was ok the food was ok ' there are better restaurants in my town canton.ohio than this will not be back
(2)
Brian P.
I agree with the reviewer who said it could be a different star rating everytime he has been here. The good: cheap bar foods during specials. Dollar burger nights, for example. Best bar grub in the city those nights. The fire pit on the patio. Many friends made on those nights. The cheap drink specials when they are happening- both beer and mixed drinks. The weird garage door openings to the back and side of the buildings that let it be open air when occasions permit. The bad: spotty service. I once had to sit myself at three different tables to try to get waitstaff to serve me, only to be told I needed to go to the bar for service. Getting a bill sometimes takes a long while. And receiving a food order is hit or miss when it is crowded. Overall, a great place for a chain bar, especially for office outing types of events. (We are going to a work related happy hour there this week.). But if this is a friends in from out of town, long lost folks reunion, must have a great time event...pass this place by and come back for a sedate happy hour.
(3)
Martin C.
They have some great deals throughout the week. The food is delicious a good beer selection and the bartenders are gorgeous. Great place to stop and have a few drinks and an appetizer, or a hamburger on tuesday for only $1.
(4)
Sheila W.
Food is good and great Bloody Mary's but the bad service every single time we come is enough for us to finally never come back again. We have given them many many chances and finally saying enough is enough. The servers need a lesson in customer service.
(1)
Scott M.
TVs suck. Refused to change the station from red zone to our requested NFL game. So stupid. This place sucks, and always has.
(1)
Geoff R.
Service here sucks! A lot of servers walking around but no one doing anything. We've been sitting here 15 minutes with no service. One bar tender seems only interested in 3 chicks at the bar. The rest, not sure what they're doing.
(2)
Adrienne C.
I come here during their weekday happy hour or on weekend nights. I've had hit or miss waitress service - the waitress upstairs was ridiculously terrible (took forever to take our order, kept forgetting to bring requested items etc), but the times i've sat downstairs there's been no problem. Of their food items, I like the bruschetta because it's light and goes well with beer. If you want burgers, I prefer Brazenhead's burger specials on Wednesdays. I wouldn't eat here if it were not during happy hour because the food is mediocre and would feel overpriced. The outdoor area is a nice spot to chill when the weather allows for it. Even when it's colder, sitting by the fire pit keeps you warm while you get a breath of fresh air. It gets bustling on weekend nights. I've noticed that the crowd looks more promising if you go earlier in the evening (9-10 pm range)....There's no dancing so if that's what you're looking for, try Social Room across the street. In general, the food is forgettable, but it's a good place to have a few drinks & talk to friends.
(3)
Will P.
Good food, good atmosphere Among the wild crazy atmosphere of the Arena district is the pleasant and consistent Bar Louie. It is a great place to drink, but still a good place to eat. The food is definitely for a bar crowd, but it doesn't disappoint. Maybe because by the time I get it I have a few beers in me. the atmosphere is usually pretty charged but not overly rowdy. Great for beginning a wild night in Columbus, OH
(3)
Casey W.
It was alright. My mom got the Turkey, Ham and Brie sandwich and loved it. I got the California Chicken Club and it was mediocre. Seriously lacking flavor. It all just fell kinda flat.
(3)
Jessica B.
Every time I give Bar Louie another chance, I'm more disappointed than before. The bar is always busy, which is good for them, but a complete bust for people who go for food. A hostess station that never has a hostess forces you to have a seat, but you sit there unsure of whether or not you'll actually be served. We sat outside by the fire-pit. No fault of the restaurants, but rude smokers sit on the fire-pit and ash on people who are eating outside. I had ashes passing my face while I ate. The food came quick, except for the friend who ordered an uncooked SALAD, who's food came out last. I know that servers think it's really cool to memorize your order but, half of the time, they don't have everything right and really could benefit from just writing it down because the server admitted that she'd forgotten to put in our order altogether. Our server was nice but obviously overwhelmed, forgetting things that we asked her for, and using unprofessional language to describe her day. I'm all about a laid-back kind of attitude but, be professional. After a long while of waiting for our checks because it got cool outside we waited inside for a long while just to pay our tab. After writing on each others backs to pay for mediocre food in the standing room only, almost fire-hazardish bar, the experience is one I would choose not to have again. I have no faith in Bar Louie to deliver good service. This is based upon a number of experiences. I would advised a better service structure.
(2)
Phil S.
1.) I ordered a BLT and it had a total of 2, thats "two"... as in above 1 piece of bacon on the ENTIRE SANDWICH. 2 pieces of freakin bacon on ONE sandwich. keep in mind, the BLT cost 10 dollars. 2.) I ordered a Blue Moon, 7 dollars, and it was warm. 3.) It's an overpriced corporate place with no real atmosphere or fun.
(1)
Evan A.
Portion sizes are a little but odd, beers are big here but entree portions are small. Don't get the flatbread if you're hungry. Customer service was decent, the waitress who mixed up our order gave us complimentary dessert. If you go, I recommend sitting on the terrace outside, the atmosphere was great as the bar is right on a lively intersection.
(4)
Emily V.
Good stop. We sat ourselves after the parade. Someone got to us quickly. Our drinks arrived before the food. Ordered spinach artichoke dip, chicken quesadilla and boneless bbq wings, all edible. The strawberry peach bellini martini was good too. $24.36! Food was half off.
(3)
Eli I.
I've been to a few Bar Louie's before, but this was my first time at the one in the Arena District. Straight away it gets a star for having two floors and a sweet open concept. I went on a Tuesday night, so it was $1 burger night. (Add a star) Yes toppings are $0.50+ extra, but c'mon it's a buck! Add in the fact that it was happy hour to boot and we were in business. (3 stars) Bleu cheese burger and a pint of Guinness = $5.34 (4 stars) .. Finish with good company, timely service and a tasty palate.. That my friends is a solid 5 of 5.
(5)
Richard S.
I could write a different review for Bar Louie each time I go there. Most of them would be debating between a 5 star because I love $3 anything drafts on Sundays, and 1 star because I hate how few TVs you have there (and how you choose your programming... my god, two top 25 NCAAB teams playing, one being the HOME TEAM, yet on one of your 6 TVs, I'm looking at a less than compelling women's game where the total score in the second half is less than my bar tab from the first half). But no, that is not the issue today - today, the issue is your boneless buffalo wings. INTERVENTION I was recently shown the viral video of "blowjob girl" in which a frisky young ginger asks her gentleman suitor "how dry he would like it." Now had the waitress asked me this same question in reference to my wings, I would have been better prepared for the ensuing disaster. Just awful. Do you know how many more delicious $3 drafts I had to order after eating those? (If that is your intention, well played). A suggestion- Maybe knock a couple minutes off the deep fryer time.. say 23 minutes instead of 25? One might expect that in an attempt to cover up the deep fried sandpaper balls posing as boneless wings, the kitchen would drown them in sauce. Nope. We'll just drizzle a little on top, pool some of the side of the basket, you know what really needs some buffalo sauce on it? the celery. Yeah, let's drown that. I know he ordered buffalo wings, but buffalo celery is way better. As stated earlier, I am a huge fan of the $3 drafts, would consider myself a Sunday Funday regular, and despite the lackluster TV situation, somehow end up there on a regular basis during NFL season. But the boneless wings? Come on. You're better than that Louie...
(3)
Miguel R.
Bar Louie will always have special place with me because it was my local watering hole back in Chicago. Little did I know that when I came to Columbus, I would be graced with another Bar Louie.... I gotta have me a Luigi sandwich. IT's the best. And depending on the day you can either take a "trip around the horn" or relax with your favorite beverage. Traveling alone you get to become very social and just meet new people - and I was fortunate enough to actually get along with some great people here. So, although Bar Louie is not a 5 star kinda place - it's always worth a visit.
(4)
Andrew B.
It's a standard chain bar. Clean, decent service. Drinks are definitely solid though. My problem with Bar Louie, though, is that it's awkwardly between bar, lounge, and restaurant. There's a couple bars, and lots of tables, but the music is usually too loud to have a conversation while eating, and there's not really much to do at the bars.
(2)
Kelsey M.
Super fun bar!
(5)
Staci M.
*Note that I'm only giving two stars because the waitress turned her attitude around.* Ah, I've been to this Bar Louie before for a few drinks, but this was my first dining experience. Never again. Granted, the place was busy, but we were not acknowledged AT ALL for at LEAST 30 minutes. It took us going up to the bar and server side stand THREE times to get service. We had asked for the manager THREE times and it took forever for anyone to find him. "They were busy, relax," you may say... no. A group of men walked in and within FIVE minutes (who we later found to be) OUR server greeted them. She had not so much as told us "Someone will be right with you." Nor did the other 3 waitresses that walked past our table. I REALLY hate to say it, because I STRONGLY dislike playing the race card... but I found it funny that we were the only group of women of different ethnicity waiting. I used to serve, I know the stereotypes... "African Americans tip bad, foreign people rarely tip at all..." etc. etc. But the truth is, you never know! And you should treat your tables fairly. Not only did we have to wait 30+min to get service, when we did, we were greeted with an attitude! ARE YOU KIDDING?! You JUST saw us talking with your manager. I have no idea what the real reason was... but I've worked in dining establishments from Applebees to a Cameron Mitchell restaurant... I've ALWAYS been taught weather it's your table or not, if they don't have drinks GREET them! There are NO EXCUSES here and comping our drinks does not make it all better. I wouldn't have minded paying for my own drink...what I wanted that manager to see was the POINT! The fact that the manager kept making excuses for our server seemed like she gets away with whatever...and that's sad. OWN UP TO YOUR MISTAKES! I had an absolutely terrible dining experience. After waiting forever to get our orders taken, she takes another 10 minutes to get me my BEER. Seriously?! Seeing that I can't be positive what her REAL reasoning for not even acknowledging us was.. I went ahead and tipped $4 on that $12 just to set that stereotype straight. I may sound ridiculous right now, but I haven't had this bad of service in a very long time and I was seriously amazed at the fact that the manager just threw out excuses for his server's mistake. GET IT TOGETHER! I refuse to believe it took her a while to "notice" us because she was the same server that looked right at us when we sat down! I understand you're a busy bar...but I've worked on busy nights myself and I was able to make sure my tables were greeted within 5 minutes of being seated. Jeeze. If you can't handle a lot of people, then WHY ARE YOU WORKING DOWNTOWN?! Bar Louie needs to go over their server count and learn how to ACCEPT RESPONSIBILITY. Dine here if you want to.... but I'd suggest going to Easton if you're really wanting Bar Louie. MUCH better service there.
(2)
Sarah F.
Great happy hour specials that include food and drinks. My favorite thing here is the Abbey cocktail, made with mostly gin and grapefruit. The quesadillas are fabulous, and the pretzel sticks are unbelievably good. They have a great patio at this location with fire pits and tons of tables. It sits across the street from the north market so you can really make a night out of it! The servers are always friendly and accommodating, and I think the bar does a great job with the drinks. This is a choice spot for me and my friends for a great after work hang out!
(4)
M K.
Hey - it's a Bar Louie. I've been in a couple - and it's not bad for a chain. They have a nice patio, though I've never eaten there since I'm usually traveliing in C-Bus by myself when on business. The bar inside is nice and contemporary - a very wide-open space where you can see everyone and do plenty of people watching. During dinner time and just after, it's a slightly more adult crowd - decent mix of people and types - with some of the older folks heading home (or across the street to PST) as the night goes on. Generally, the later it gets, the younger this place gets. My food here has always been good, and served up pretty fast as wel, I might add. Service is generally good, and friendly enough, even when they seem to be very busy. Nice Happy Hour specials; overall, a nice reliable place to start your evening of C-Bus fun.
(3)
Kelsey N.
I have always been a big fan of Bar Louie's anywhere. Maybe I have not explored enough of Columbus's happy hours, but I think they have the best in town. Why? Because they don't limit what you can or cannot have (besides the APPS). I love wine, so when I can get a glass of Kim Crawford for 4 bucks....till 9pm.(This happy hour also includes 3 dollar beers and 5 dollar martini).I am a happy girl. Service is always pretty good, but this is not my bar of choice on a Friday or Saturday night out. I really enjoy the food as well. I usually stick with appetizers and the Buffalo Style Calamari is delicious. On Tuesdays, it is dollar burger, chicken sandwich or turkey burger night. They charge you for any additional items (besides lettuce) but it is still a good deal, and the burgers are not bad. The patio is so fun in the summer and in the colder months they have a few fire pits to warm ya up! Only downside is parking, but it is downtown so this is to be expected. Usually, I have no trouble finding a meter but the meters run till 10pm and have a 3 hour limit!
(4)
Matt M.
Terrible experience. Spend your money elsewhere, this place is trash.
(1)
Jeremy B.
Service was extremely slow. Waitress was running around with a chicken with her head cut off. Food was mediocre. Took 20 minutes to pay tab.
(1)
Ashley O.
A group of us went here before the Justin Timberlake show. HORRIBLE idea for them to make it "seat yourself". It was utter and complete chaos. After we found a table outside they told us that the area we sat in "didn't have servers and would take 45-60 minutes to place an order for food". We stayed because one of nice waitresses found us and got our order in quite fast considering the conditions. I'm not sure why they didn't keep this pandemonium more organized it why they didn't bring in more servers for a busy night like a Saturday night before a BIG concert.
(3)
Jessica R.
Great happy hour ends at 9pm wow. Wish we could've stayed longer. We had the bacon cheese sliders and verde flat bread. Good choices. Would recommend patio there is a fire pit outside. We sat inside at the bar to watch a game though. We will be going back to try some more beers!
(5)
Daniel M.
This bar refused me service because they claim a crucifix I was wearing was a "gang sign". From what the local news is reporting this bar is prejudiced against Catholics. If you're Catholic check out Woodlands down the street. They're so much better.
(1)
Keith B.
I think I'd like to echo Cristina's review. It's an average bar. And that's actually a compliment in the Arena district, home of douchebaggery. The food isn't half-bad, but I'd still prefer other food after a night of drinking. Nothing ever hit me as "hey, Bar Louie sounds AWESOME" - however, service was always awesome, and I miss grabbing a burger there for lunch.
(3)
Alan R.
As far as bars and food goes, can't get much better than Bar Louie in arena district. You think different? I'm a regular and the Duke so yea. Wanna fight? That's right playa. This bar is always a good time, more of an adult crowd and no crappy house music. The tvs are nice and large and you are able to see them from pretty much anywhere. The patio is total kick ass, wonderful little fire pit. I do enjoy the up stairs, it is amazing for people watching, and who doesn't like to people watch?!?!?!?!?!
(4)
Niti B.
Service was good and place is huge. Great area and food was good. Definetly nice weather to have mojitos in the outdoor area under an umbrella on a lazy sunday afternoon!
(3)
Eric B.
I stopped here after attending last night's hockey match between the Columbus Blue Jackets and the Vancouver Canucks. Since it was Tuesday, it was $1.00 burger night and with lots of choices of toppings. My blue cheese burger was better than average and was served quickly. It also went very well with my tasty (and organic) Great Lakes Pale Ale (from Cleveland). Bar Louie wasn't too crowded and I enjoyed the high ceilings and spacious modern industrial vibe, the Ohio State/Illinois game on the TV, and of course the people watching. Most notable and appreciated was the superb service provided by Chris.
(4)
Tianna T.
Bar Louie in Arena District is definitely a college central hang out spot. If you're looking for a place to chillax and wind down this isn't the spot for you. The times I've been here the atmosphere is always jumping with excitement. Upon entering you MUST show your ID before you can even think about dining for food or drink. Following the age guidelines are important to this establishment, considering it can be easy for some under-aged chill'ren to slip through the cracks. The dining area is quite spacious including the patio and you can have a seat where ever you like. The bar is huge and what's even bigger are the drink specials they serve. Believe me, you can leave here singing the good ole faithful tune of "99 beers on the wall, 99 beers. Take one down (or maybe 6) pass it around, 98 bottles of beer on the wall." The food is eh. I tried the Adobo Shrimp Skewers and it isn't something I'll try again. For Pete's sake the mango was still thawing on the plate when we received the appetizer (stick's hand down throat). The Bruschetta with shrimp was just okay. I really wish I had more to say about it. I've had their $1 burger's on Tuesday and that's pretty tasty. Our server though was very attentive. She made sure all three of my $3 Tequila Sunrises's were replenished as soon as I drunk it down.
(3)
Tj G.
I have to say, I was impressed with the service, food, and drinks at this place. I tried two new items on their menu; the Ramblin Rose Martini, and the Blackened Salmon Sliders. I loved the martini! Dangerously good. The sliders were stellar as well. Great atmosphere and happy hour on a Tuesday night too. I'll most definitely come back when I'm back in town.
(5)
Beth S.
Still an average experience here. I feel like since I'm not some beefy hunk of a man, I get half of the attention that I should as a customer from the waitresses. I've come here twice for lunch in the past two weeks, and the second time, my server just vanished. Gone! After sitting with empty plates for ten minutes, I had to hunt down the bartender for my check (who was busy chatting up some beefcake of a guy)
(3)
Adam K.
Neither downtown or Easton have ever been a favorite place for us to visit. This review is only for Downtown, however. I don't think it's a bad bar - just a good "B-plan" bar. The music is okay, the place is always packed, but it's hard to mingle, move around, & talk to people. I feel like the make the drinks kinda weak, so if you enjoy a stiff drink, this isn't your place. The food is pretty good, but pretty overpriced, in my opinion. I don't think they can "decide" whether they're a bar or restaurant. I think they'd do better to pick one and focus on getting really good at it, rather than trying to be good at both.
(3)
Seth D.
True story. I stop by with my friends after the Ohio Wine Festival. I order some nachos and ask nicely for an old fashioned . The server tells me no. Thinking she is being sarcastic I throw my menu on the table and play along. Then she asks if I would like anything to drink. I ask "can't I have an old fashioned?" she says no, so I order a water. Then we look up the definition of an old fashioned in the urban dictionary. Yeah, I guess she wouldn't give me one of those. Luckily she asked the bar tender and said they could make one, which was passable, but I've had much better ones at dive bars. The nachos were pretty good, but my not so great if you haven't been drinking wine all night. I would say this was a solid 3 star experience, and certainly a story worth repeating.
(3)
Travis Z.
Nice atmosphere, good food, and a great patio. Only downside is it is loud, but I would expect that in the Arena district.
(4)
Keith R.
I've patronized this establishment enough now to give an adequate review. I've been here in the summer, fall, winter, and spring. I've been here solo and with friends, before hockey games and just for a night out. Each time for some reason, the atmosphere of just being able to kick back in a booth or the bar, relax, enjoy some good food and drinks appeals to me. My secret weakness for burgers though is where Bar Louie pierces me like a knife. No matter what kind of burger your looking for, they have one that comes close. And the $1 burger night on Tuesdays is great, especially before a hockey game. Especially on nights prior to a hockey game, this is one of the few places that is not packed like sardines. The wait staff is always prompt to check in on you, make sure your drinks are refreshed and always good to jump in an have some fun with your group. As Christina C put it in her review, everything here appeals to the average crowd. I have found it to be a good mix of people, not too old, not too young, not too preppy, not too trashy.
(4)
Greg S.
I have been to this particular Bar Louie a couple of times for Happy Hour. I'll echo what many have said already, Bar Louie is an average bar. They have your average selection of beers... Prices are about average with what you would expect in this area... The food is, well, average... The atmosphere, wait for it...is average. I will add, that sometimes they have some nice Happy Hour deals. One day, for example, they offer burgers for only a buck...which of course are average tasting. So take Bar Louie for what it is...just an average bar.
(3)
Juliana H.
This is my go-to spot for happy hour before Blue Jackets and Clippers games. Huntington Park and Nationwide Arena are both easy walks...if you drive here, park in one of the lots on Vine Street and you're good to go. It's a big, open space with great happy hour specials. During happy hour, all drafts are $3 and some apps are half-off. They have a decent draft selection with several seasonal offerings. My favorite appetizer there is the soft pretzel sticks but alas, it's not included on the happy hour menu. I came here once at night on St. Patrick's day weekend, many moons ago, and it was crowded (in typical Arena District style) and I was miserable. Not sure if it's still like that, but you won't see me here long after happy hour.
(4)
Brieanne S.
We stopped into Bar Louie on a Saturday afternoon. But not just any Saturday. Pride weekend Saturday. Raining, Pride weekend Saturday. If any of you have been to Pride in Columbus-then you know what is to be expected when it starts raining. People PACKED into every venue within a half mile radius of the park. When we walked in it was, well...PACKED. we found 2 empty seats at the bar and jumped on them (not literally). We were immediately informed that the wait for food was going to be close to an hour. Awesome. So we decided to order 2 Bloody Marys (which were on special) and James (our server/bartender) made them damn near perfect. They were awesome!! We decided since it was already late in the afternoon and since the wait for food was so long that we would just order a salad (so we wouldnt be too full for dinner). We made alot of modifications to the salad, which James happily took down for us, while joking about his dish washing duties. And to our surprise the salad was ready for our enjoyment in about 10 minutes! Whoa! No complaints from us! On a random note- The guys sitting at the bar had a completely different experience. They were being dripped on so much they had to move their phones and awkwardly eat their food in weird angles. The pipes above them were dripping with condensation. Then their bartender (obviously new) refused to take their coupon which would anger me as well......
(4)
Cheryl H.
While I'm not usually a big fan of "chain" bars, this particularly Bar Louie has a good vibe and a more adult crowd than most of the neighboring Arena District bars. The bar has a terrific patio and fire pit and in warmer weather the garage doors that separate the bar from the outside are opened up, creating a cool effect. Other than that the drinks are a bit overpriced, but the food is decent.
(3)
Laura C.
I've been to both Bar Louie locations in Columbus, as well as one in another city, but will review this one because it's the one I frequent more often than I'd like to admit. It's probably more a 3.5 star rating just because I've been so much. Their food doesn't do anything for me, yet I've eaten here so many times out of desperation. Some of my friends just LOVE their food. Like an unhealthy love. Or an addiction to soft pretzel sticks. I've had burgers on burger night, wings on Sunday, pizza/flatbread, sandwiches, and a table full of assorted appetizers. Eaten at happy hour and all other hours. Burger night is pretty legit... but things can really add up if you're a toppings freak so negates the whole purpose of being burger night. The tater tots are their most redeeming quality. Okay, happy hour prices until 9pm is also a redeeming quality. $1 (or maybe it's $2) mimosas on Sunday are also alluring. Their patio is one of the bests in the area and fire pit is a nice touch. Why they don't offer s'mores is BEYOND me? Legal issues perhaps? But what is the life suck is the non-happy hour prices. Well over $6 for cheap ass vodka used in my teeny tiny vodka sodie glass (this is in comparison to say the glasses at Bernard's). NOT OKAY. I've had more great times here than not so great times. A few funny stories that I will remember until I'm old and wise. There have been times when I wished there was a dance floor here. I know it's a bar and all, but you really do have to yell sometimes just to communicate w/ a person right next to you, which can be really awkward. I can't recall ever having bad service when I've been seated at a table and eating/drinking. Weekend nights up at the bar are another story - it's usually packed and I guess I'm not the most obnoxious and discourteous patron so those types of people tend to get served before me, even though I WAS THERE FIRST. The bros always enjoy the TVs for sporting events. And yeah, GOOD FREAKING LOOKING people all around you. Pretty easy to pick up someone here if that's what you're into. We've all had THOSE nights. Mostly post-college crowd w/ the occasional undergrad gal and her friends looking for older boys. And more often than not, a sprinkle of the older creepers who like to gaze at 20-something year old women and wonder where their life went wrong. Bonus: Local pro athletes frequent here - have seen Simon Frasier (sadly no Brady Quinn in sight) and Greg Oden.
(3)
Nicole W.
Thank you Bar Louie. While there are many wonderful and independent restaurants spread throughout Columbus -- I can't help but finding myself back at Bar Louie periodically. How wonderful to find a place filled with young professionals and a good sports atmosphere. I can't help it - I'm a girl who likes to wear stilettos and sit in a booth and watch some Big Ten sports, so Bar Louie can be my jam. Plus 3 dollar happy hour pints definitely take the edge off.
(4)
Christina C.
Boo to you, Bar Louie. I think I must have came here way too much a few years ago to really enjoy it now. Although, it actually is one of my favorite bars along the Arena District "strip". The drinks are averaged priced as far as that area is concerned, and so is the menu. Hell, throw in the clientele too. Just average. My favorite part about this place is the patio (complete with a fire pit!) And Tuesday $1 burger night is pretty cool, too.
(3)
Adam C.
Bar Louie. My first experience in Columbus...not a good one. (preface - I'm from San Francisco. Most of my friends are foodies or are snobby over pricey beers and rare wines. I'm a southern boy from Florida originally so I can deal with a poor beer selection as long as the atmosphere and price is right) The beer selection at this place was pretty terrible. 6 beers on draft and a dozen bottles. The stella artois was poured into a tall glass which messed up the fizz and head you'd get from a good pour. the beer was grossly overpriced. The spinach artichoke dip. I don't even know where to start. I guess if me and 5 friends were getting drunk, watching a ball game and wanted something to eat, the dip & nachos would have worked. but nope.... no go for me and a friend stopping in after a long day of air travel. I hear that Friday & saturday are fun on game days with a lot of people but even at 24, I felt old in this place. Everyone was younger than me, skinnier and kind of douchier than me. Hey, that's alright. There are places like that for people like that. sorry for my crudeness but I'm very honest about my reviews even if it does piss off some locals.
(2)
Ellen F.
I must say that for a place that is dead during the week, days and nights, it's totally out of control packed weekend nights. To me the coolest part is the fire pit in the back. They also make amazing margarita's, even though I was told not to get one from the bartender. Apparently, he hasn't done much taste testing. I went to Bar Louie last night for a private group event. We had the entire upstairs to ourselves. It was a great set-up! We had a great view of the rest of the bar, yet excluded enough to be able to hold our private conversations. The provided a drink list as well as appetizers. Nothing fancy, just hamburger and ham sliders, and quesadilla's. On this night (a Wednesday), we received great service and well made cocktails in record time...not the norm on a sardine packed weekend night.
(4)
Maggie C.
I will never return here. I have been waiting for months to check out bar Louie. I left after one shot. One shot I wish I hadn't bought here, they didn't deserve the money. The bar staff is the kind that sees you, knows you want a drink but ignores you. I was also thinking this was a bar and lounge type place. NO IT IS A RESTAURANT. You can pretend and call it what you want but when food is being served at the bar and tables well after 11:30 pm you are not in it for the liquor money you are making your money off food. I have absolutely nothing nice to say about this place. If I could give it less than a star that's what they would get. And there are too many GIRLS here pretending they have money, and class. I haven't seen so many fake Louis Vuitton bags in one place since NYC street vendors.
(1)
Aaron C.
This is one of those bars where your paying for atmosphere, they overcharge their drinks, I paid $3.50 for a michelob ultra, when I can go down the street and get the same beer .75 to a dollar less. There are better bars down the street, with better priced drinks and food.
(2)
Greydon U.
While in Columbus I had the pleasure of touring some of the local bars. Bar Louie was the first stop and hence the one that I remember the best. This place is huge! Yet it was still packed with people(definitely a good thing). Despite the fact that Bar Louie is a sports bar by day, the lounge by night aspect didn't seem to suffer at all. They even kept sports playing on the screens so you can check the ballgame while you're gettin' down to the hip hop beats. Good selection of beers... Unfortunately I didn't get to try any of these mystical eastern state beers because I had switched to hard alcohol earlier in the afternoon. The mixed drinks they served were fine. Could have been a bit stronger, but they were good enough to keep me rollin'. Bottom Line: Bar Louie is a little too loud to have a good convo with friends, but if you head out to the awesome patio area you can probably shout one out. Just use caution when talking about anything embarassing, you never know when the music might cut out...
(3)
Nathan L.
I like Bar Louie, at least the plae itself. OK, I really only like the set-up and decor of the bar. Nothing about the service or staff has ever impressed me one bit, though, and i am not that hard to impress. I always have to wait way too long for a drink, and often find myself wondering where else in the area I could be where I would be having a better time. The clintele varies widely with the time of day, day of the week, even the time of year. Weekday evenings you have the downtown afterwork crowd. This place is great for that (if you work downtown). The patio here rocks, and is huge. The back wall of the bar opens up onto the patio and gives the whole place a great feel when the weather is nice. If OSU is in session and it is a thurs/fri/sat night there WILL be the college crowd in there.
(2)
Amanda D.
Bright enough to see people, classy enough to wear a dress. Always packed with young professionals and cute people. Music is good at least not obnoxious. It's a lot of fun to be outdoor summer time. Love it
(4)
Zach G.
Me and a friend decided to get an afternoon cocktail and some food this afternoon and regretfully chose this "establishment". The service was nonexistent. The drinks were good after roughly 45 minutes of waiting. They are understaffed and the staff that they do employ do not care about the customer. I would not recommend this bar for any occasion small or big and will never be back.
(1)
Stephanie B.
I have mixed feelings about Bar Louie. On the one hand, I always have a great time when I come here, yet I always end up spending way too much money. Bar Louie is one of those "trendy" bars in the Park St. Area, across the street from Sugar Bar and Park St. Patio. It's definitely trying to be modern and upscale, but it's still more laid back than places like Sugar, but probable only because there's no dance floor, and thankfully, no cover. It's easy to walk to if you're already in the downtown area, but if not, parking isn't so easy. Right down the street from Bar Louie is a row of diagonal metered spots, but you'll have to come early or be lucky to grab them on the weekends. Bar Louie isn't nearly as crowded during the week, however, so if you're coming to eat I would recommend Sun-Wed. night. I've been here many times and it's a completely different atmosphere if you're coming earlier in the evening to eat or if you're here to party on, say, a Friday night. But no matter when you come, Bar Louie is expensive. I think everything here is overpriced. But I have two friends that work here, so that's why I end up coming here so much. If it weren't for that, honestly, I would likely avoid this place. I've never been here for an entire meal, but I have had my share of appetizers to snack on. From what I've had, the food is really good. I recommend the Bavarian Pretzel Sticks appetizer. Delicious, and great to have with a beer. It's these big chewy soft pretzel sticks with 3 different dipping sauces - 1 cheese and 2 mustards. Whenever we get food here, I always opt for this. I've also had their Spinach and Artichoke Dip and Cheeseburger sliders. Both good, yet exactly what you would expect. However, I do think that the portions should be a little bigger. The other night I met a big group of friends here for a party. We had the upstairs reserved for several hours. I should mention that Bar Louie has an upstairs - there's a bar up there (though not serving nearly as many options as the big one downstairs) and couches and tables and you can look down over the rest of the bar. There's also some stairs that lead you down to the outdoor patio if you need to smoke. Our party was great but eventually they had to kick us out of the upstairs area and we had to join the rest of the crowd. It was a Thursday night, so it got pretty packed. The back patio is really nice. It's huge and offers many places to sit down - the most popular being the firepit. It has a circular brick edge that people will sit on and huddle around the fire so they don't freeze as they're smoking. The outdoor patio wraps all the way around the side of the building, and several of the walls open like garage doors to open the place up in the summertime. I like this bar best when it's warm out for that reason. But if the cold does keep you indoors, there are booths (some of them circular) and tables and chairs and seats at the bar. But be prepared to deal with a lot of loud awful danceclubesque music. There are TVs all around the bar, usually tuned in to the ongoing sports games. It's pretty inside - I really like the trendy yet somewhat down-to-earth decor. You can see all the pipes up on the ceiling, the big windows give a great view of the patio, the bar itself is marble with lights underneath it (and there was a huge hole in it last time I was there) and tile mosaic designs are all over the walls. The service has always been pretty random, and some of my friends were very disenchanted with our bartender for our upstairs party. I kept going downstairs to get my drinks because I wanted Stella and they didn't have that upstairs. The downstairs bartenders were great that night. Sometimes you just get lucky with good service, but other times the bartenders can be pretty rude and forgetful. By the way, $6 a glass for my beer the other night. Later when I ordered a double whiskey and coke, it was $9. It made for a very expensive night. However, the mixed drinks are typically delightfully strong. Be warned that if you come here on a busy night, the bathrooms are disgusting. At least one toilet always ends up overflowing so the floor is covered in water and mushy TP. And you'll almost always hear someone in that awful situation where they are screaming for someone to hand them toilet paper. My best advice? Check that there is some before you go so you're not one of those people. There's often a long line and while there are a good number of stalls, most of them aren't working or are so disgusting no one wants to even attempt it. I feel like most bar restrooms in this area have this problem. The crowd at Bar Louie is pretty mixed between the popped-collar jerks and polite people who mind their own business. It's just sort of a hit or miss. I don't mind it as much as some of the other bars in this area, but the prices deter me most of the time. It's a good place to go with a large group, just make sure you come with plenty of moolah.
(3)
Amy S.
I've been to the Bar Louie at Easton and then the one here and while both just rank 'OK' in my book, this one is the better of the two. It seems a bit more spacious with room to mingle around when you're here with a group while the Easton one seems to be a more intimate setting where you can come and eat dinner. This location is the drinking spot. I've never eaten here and the drinks are all pretty good and reasonably priced. Parking is a bit of a hassle unless you want to park across the street in the North Market lot which isn't too bad but can get expensive if you're going to be there for a while. The outside is nice and the atmosphere is one where you don't have to be all dressed up like some of the other Arena District bars. This is one where you and a group of friends can just decide after a hard day at work to drop by for a drink and nibble or two.
(3)
Ray M.
Stopped for Happy Hour on Friday. After a couple hours we got our tab and found out the bottle beers were $4 a pop. We were told that the sign about the $2 beers only applied to Sundays. Really. The server said the sign often confused people. Huh, then maybe they should do something about that. Oh well with all the competition in the area, I guess that I will have to support the other places that know what happy hour is supposed to be about. Maybe Bar Louie might learn from the Tavern on Front who recently was forced to close its doors as they too had a very questionable happy hour.
(2)
Nick S.
Upstairs bartenders are rude and slow... They do not care about people wanting to spend money in their establishment. Too many douche bags in this place... This place is too MainStream!
(1)
Morgan D.
Sadly, I've never had a good experience with Bar Louie. My first time there was during my lunch break. I met my boy and grabbed a booth in the totally empty restaurant bar. We have the best luck - it had been raining that day, and we picked a booth below the leak in the roof. As we were sitting there, water streamed from the ceiling directly onto us. We switched booths and told the waitress about the problem. She seemed nonplussed. Once we moved and got cozy again, I had a chance to admire the interior. It's nice. There are two levels, plenty of seats, a great bar that can be accessed from four sides. But when our food came out, I was disappointed. I had four bland sliders. I'm not even sure they were seasoned. Though there was no one else in the restaurant, service was slow. I had to have my lunch boxed before I'd even got through two mini burgers, and we were still late getting back to work. The next time we went to Bar Louie it was in desperation. We were at ComFest when a downpour started. We ran into Bar Louie for shelter and decided to grab a couple beers and dinner while we were there. It took FOREVER for a waitress to even come over and acknowledge our presence - seriously, like forty minutes! I was a little tipsy from the froth in my large ComFest beer cup (I heard they can hold a whole bottle of wine!), so I might have been a bit vocal about our absent server. If it wasn't spewing rain outside, I would have left. We did eventually get to place an order. The only vegetarian item on the menu was the hummus platter. It was really good. I actually think about it quite often. While we were eating, our waitress visited the table like twenty times (annoying). Then, when it was time for the check, she disappeared again! Grrr! As a former waitress (from age 14-21), I'm a bit ashamed to say that we left without tipping. I understand it was busy, but our waitress was downright pathetic. Most of the people in the bar weren't even buying anything, they were just hiding out from the rain. We were hiding too, but we were hungry and hiding and ready to pay. Bar Louie just didn't deliver.
(2)
Amy S.
I'm not a big fan of the Park Street area, but whenever people suggest Bar Louie I'm really not to bothered. As long as it's during the day (before 9pm) and there is somewhere to sit, the servers are super nice and it's a great atmosphere to watch sports or just hang out with people. Later at night, it turns into any other bar to me. Lots of people. Hard to move around or get a drink. But all around, a good pick for the Arena District.
(3)
D M.
This bar was fantastic. A absolute blast. The people were friendly and I met a lot of fun locals in Columbus. This was one of the places I felt comfortable going in alone (traveling on business) and enjoy a decent meal and good drinks. I would recommend this bar to anyone who is looking for a middle 20's - 30's crowd. The staff was great, crowd pleasant and beer selection great. This is a great place to meet after work, or just to go find some new friends. Highly recommend this bar to anyone looking for a good evening.
This place is an more expensive Brothers, with an even higher chockie level when they are busy. If you are going to go here I would suggest happy hour or lunch, the food is good and the place does have a wonderful patio. I have had mixed opinions about the service, when going to eat for lunch the service was very slow, even when there were not many people there, so if your looking for a quick lunch I would suggest somewhere else. Each time I have been there the bartenders have been both attentive and terrible, usually more towards the terrible. I may not be some platinum blonde with barely any clothes on, but I guarantee I will tip you better because I don't consider just the privilege of looking at me as part of the tip. After giving this place multiple chances I probably will not go back, but don't just take my word for it, give at least once chance.
(2)
Silis J.
We went for the Dollar Burger night. The bar was pretty empty despite the special. While the burger was pretty average, I really enjoyed the mojitos. While I definitely spent more than I was originally planning to, I can definitely say that my friends and I had lots of fun.
(4)
Bryan D.
Can get really crowded on weekends and is constantly hot in the bar on summers and spring evening. Enjoy going to this place during the day and watching games. Louie Burger with fried egg is def. my favorite. Have one of the better patios in the summer time. On Sundays they have nice deals and it is usually packed because it is industry night.
(3)
P W.
Now I know why I never have been to the Bar Louie in Cleveland. The only redeeming thing of my time spent here was they played Dr. Dre "Keep the Heads Ringing". Other than that, I wanted to exit as soon as I entered and got bumped into by a bunch of yuppies.
(2)
Melanie B.
Well, I have to admit, the Arena District has always terrified me; I am not super psyched about hanging out with this crowd - but I was pleasantly surprised. Coming from Chicago (and Bar Louie in Chicago), I was prepared to be met with the same Lincoln Park Bs that I'm used to. You know the ones, the ones who jog with their babies in stroller during the day and slut-ify at night? I thought Bar Louie in Cbus would be like that - but I should have known to have more faith in my beloved Columbus. While Bar Louie certainly caters to the downtown/Arena district 9-to-5ers, it's still in Columbus and thus not that bad. There was a variety of types here tonight - on Mardi Gras in fact. Businessmen were wearing suits and Mardi Gras beads, which was infinitely amusing. Not only this, but it was dollar burger night; my friend and I split a burger, and it was about 2 bucks (toppings are extra). The atmosphere was nice and loud, but not too loud, and the waiters were adorable and sweet. I was definitely missing this atmosphere, coming from Chitown, and BL helped fill that void. Horray!
(3)
Joe C.
Oh, Bar Louie -- my second trip into Columbus' Arena Districts' Bar Row involved me making an excursion into Bar Louie. And yes, while it is trendy and crazy, I lived to tell the tale. Finding a parking spot near Bar Louie is difficult -- no easy to find parking lots, just street parking (unless you want to pay the high costs of parking across the street at the North Market). Once you find a place to park, its not that big of a deal to find it from there -- look for the giant martini glass and the patio that never seems to end. Walking into Bar Louie, you miss no ambiance -- it definitely has a personality all of its own. Looking around has the feeling of some sort of New York club based in Columbus...then you walk on the patio, and are greeted by the North Market, and you realize that you're back in Columbus once more. One of the more interesting things about Bar Louie is the fact that it has multi-tiered seating (It has a half-floor, and a loft that overlooks the entire bar! Its pretty entertaining, to say the least.). If you don't feel like sitting at the bar or down among the entrance level, you do have the choice to sit above the crowd. Another unique style is the patio that never ends -- I call it that not because its a patio that never ends, but rather, its just one large patio, formed by the dissolving of where you would normally expect walls. Even on a busy night, the wait staff works their behinds off in order to accommodate anyone who flashes a wad of cash towards their way...or a shiny-looking card. The drinks are rather on the pricey side...but you are paying for ambiance. And not having to drink at a place where you fear you may get shot before the end of the night. Drinking at Bar Louie with some of my old friends wasn't the worst thing that I've ever had to do in my life. And while it was a little on the trendy side for me, the experience didn't kill me. Depending on who the friends were, and what we were toasting to, I'd consider taking another late-night call to meet up with old friends there. But as for myself? I personally doubt that I'll find a reason to go there on my own. But to each his own...and if you're into the martini-sipping pop scene, then I gladly recommend Bar Louie to you!
(3)
Paige W.
The people who work in this particular Bar Louie don't work hard to make customers happy...because they don't have to. Just up the street from the Convention Center, it's a great place for all the stupid people attending trade shows to come and drink beer and get bad service because, well, it's one of the only obvious options that don't involve crossing any major streets. Which small people from small towns are not inclined to do. So they'll have business no matter what. I've not been terribly impressed with any of the Bar Louie locations I've visited, which includes three in the Chicago area. And now, I can say I've had a delightful experience there on my first night in town and an equally charming -- albeit abbreviated -- one tonight. The first night, we took clients out for a casual dinner. We'd wanted to sit outside, but there were no tables on the patio big enough to accommodate a group of seven. So we came back inside and sat at one of the only tables that would fit us. To our server's credit, she was prompt and attentive -- my water glass was only at empty-slurp status twice, and I drink quickly -- but good lord, was she surly. She didn't crack a smile the entire time we were there. Maybe she was having a bad day, though her eyeliner would suggest every day was kind of like that. (Why ya gotta go and make things so complicated?) We ordered fancy drinks: pomegranate margaritas, mojitos, the like. They came as fast as the one bartender could make them with 6,385 other people flooding the space for Friday night drinks. Appetizers: the trio of Middle Eastern dips (hummus, tzatziki and tabbouleh) was delicious and served with pita and cucumber slices; the zucchini chips were greasy but good (the marinara dip was the best) and the bruschetta would have been better with crispier bread. My biggest complaint lies with the entrees: Three of us ordered the Thai chili salmon, which came drenched in a greasy, sickeningly sweet sauce. And client's dinner, the Ahi tuna, which is generally prepared medium rare, was far past that. So she sent it back. And by the time the rest of us had FINISHED our meals, she waited a few more minutes and finally had her food back, prepared correctly. I'm pretty positive that when a restaurant screws a dish up, they put a RUSH on the new preparation so their guest isn't waiting while the rest of the table chows down. That's just rude. (And no apologies from the random staff member who brought out the new entree or our server, who returned later to give us the check.) The other problems I have are management related, but they're also a factor of a poor choice for a business dinner: The music is prohibitively loud for having any conversation apart from "OMGILOVETHISSONG!!!!" or "OMG LOOK AT THAT GUY HE IS SO HOT!!!" or "OMGIHATETHISSONG!!!!" and there are TVs everywhere. Which probably doesn't bother most people, but if one of your groups of guests, who will probably be spending a bit of money with you, asks if they can turn off the one nearest them so they can focus a bit more on the conversation ("OMG!") the correct answer from the server should not be, "Well, I can ask them. But probably not." When there are 20 TVs playing two channels, turning one off is not going to be a national issue. As for the abbreviated experience: You know what, BL? Don't offer phone-in takeout at your busiest time of the night if whoever is taking orders won't even be able to hear your customers. Because they will get frustrated at shouting into their phones -- at your retired sorority girl hostess -- and they will hang up on you. And you will lose their (read: my) business. Until the next time they are dragged in by their small-town colleagues for another mediocre mid-trade show meal. I can say one great thing about this Bar Louie: Thank GOD the drinks were strong.
(2)
Kathleen M.
This Bar Louie is very, very different than the location in DC. First of all, it was PACKED on Saturday night. People were everywhere, probably due to the fact that it was OSU's Homecoming. It seemed to attract a slightly older crowd (25-30 rather than 20-25) than the other bars in the area and a little more upscale, even though people were still drunk off their asses. They had a great, huge patio which was a nice respite when you actually wanted to hear who you were talking to. They had music playing really loud inside and it was great dancing music, but they don't have a dancefloor (unless I missed it somewhere). I don't know if this is an Ohio thing, as I saw it in the two bars I went to that night, but there was broken glass EVERYWHERE. Are Columbusians secretly all Greek and they like to just chuck their glasses when they're done with them? I mean, it was on the floor on the patio, inside, in the bathroom- I've never seen so much. Obviously the staff didn't do the greatest job at cleaning up. Also, several of the stalls in the women's bathroom were out of order, which just seemed sloppy. The bouncer was really nice when we came back and just needed to run in to use the bathroom before the walk home. Drink prices were good (although I'm used to DC so they could be high for the area), staff was friendly, and I had a good time: definitely 3.5 stars.
(3)
Erica P.
We tried this location for a change of scenery. My friends and I typically go to the Easton location for drinks or for a girls nite out. We ate on the patio and got there at about 8:30PM on a Saturday. I didn't have alcohol, but the women who did said the drinks were strong (this is a good thing). A guy was taking down the umbrellas from the tables outdoors, which isn't a problem, except he chose to come to our table just as we were digging into our food (we were starving because the orders took so long). "Thanks random rude employee, who didn't say one word, for reaching over 2 of us and getting who knows how many possible bugs in our meals." The service was very very slow and because there was six of us, she added gratuity to each of our bills. Most of us agreed that if she had not done that, we would have left her more of a tip, because we happen to be good tippers. Oh well, we know better next time.
(2)
Pete C.
This is the place to be in Columbus if you're interested in hanging out with Kirk Herbstreit, if that means anything to you. If it doesn't, all you really need to know about Bar Louie is that it's perceived as the sensible alternative for the madness that unfolds across the street at Gaswerk's and Brother's on a nightly basis. Whether or not this is true is debatable, but from my experience I'd say the times I've spent here have fallen somewhere in the middle. The setup is attractive and roomy enough to keep most anyone coming back again and again, but like anywhere else in the Arena District on a weekend, this place is usually packed. Procuring a table for your group is always a mysterious process that I know little about. I've been told that you're required to order food to do so, but I'm past the point of being able to remember how many times I've seen groups of powerlunch stock broker types and their shiny girlfriends sitting at the tables consuming nothing but Heinekens and Appletinis in spite of this supposed rule. Maybe it's all in my mind. I have no idea. The patio outdoors would be cool if it wasn't for the fact that everyone there chainsmokes cigarettes like they're becoming illegal within the next 10 minutes. Apparently the crowd here never got the memo that smoking was banned indoors for a good reason. The more I think about it, the more cleat it becomes to me that I've never had a very good time here. Although it's the lesser of three evils, the chochkie level here is still much higher than what I normally tolerate. I'd never allow myself to come overtly come here on purpose, but if I somehow get suckered in to making the trip down here in the first place, I suppose it's good to know that Bar Louie offers somewhat of a shelter to shleps like myself either way.
(3)
Aaron S.
Much better food then average "bar food" here. The drinks are fairly priced as well as the food. This is more of a bar/resturaunt with a jukebox kinda place but always a good time.
(5)
paul k.
was here on 5/5/11 and server lost my credit card while I was trying to pay my bill. While both server and manager were apologetic, and even gave me a 25 dollar gift card, I still ended up paying my bill with another credit card and tipping as usual. Afer the fact it bothers me that there was no attempt to comp my bill for something that while accidential, was clearly the fault of the resturaunt. bar Louie at any location has lost my business over how this was handled.
(1)
Heather A.
Definitely a fun-time bar. The patio is great and when I go I usually end up sitting out there so long having such great conversation that I forget that the whole point was to kick start our night there- not start and end it there. Inside, I have waited upwards of 20 minutes to get served on busy nights so that is annoying but no point in getting worked up. The crowd there is always really fun- I have always had luck meeting such nice people/groups there. Overall, this is a good-vibe bar for me. (And yes, I have a list of bad-vibe bars). :)
(3)
Megan B.
I am a little surprised by the negative reviews. The atmosphere is great and the lights are dimmed. I have been here for lunch and after work dinner/drinks. The waitress I had both times was awesome. She was super attentive. I got the buffalo chicken flatbread twice. It is really good! I tried my friends mussels and they were absolutely delicious. They make great martinis. I can't wait to try other items on the menu!
(5)
Wes P.
Solid "Good" Pros: Ample seating, patio, and bar. Wait staff was friendly and the bartender was very nice. At happy hour, there are half price apps that will sub as a late lunch or early dinner. Decent draft selection including a couple local brews. Cons: ordered trio dip... Wasn't that impressed-- but for $4.50 I got what I paid for.
(3)
Holly K.
Every Bar Louie is the same...food is meh...service is meh... Overall, it's an option for something different although, when that close to the North Market...99% of the time the latter wins. The last visit I had here with two coworkers, our waitress seemed totally aloof...or high...(maybe both?). Nothing fancy. If you've been to one, you've been to 'em all. Patio is nice here but I'm not willing to hang out here at night due to being on Douchebag alley. My $.02...
Takes Reservations : Yes Delivery : No Take-out : Yes Accepts Credit Cards : Yes Good For : Late Night Parking : Street Bike Parking : Yes Wheelchair Accessible : Yes Good for Kids : No Good for Groups : Yes Attire : Casual Ambience : Casual Noise Level : Loud Music : Juke Box Good For Dancing : No Alcohol : Full Bar Happy Hour : Yes Best Nights : Thu, Fri, Sat Coat Check : No Smoking : Outdoor Area/ Patio Only Outdoor Seating : Yes Wi-Fi : Free Has TV : Yes Dogs Allowed : No Waiter Service : Yes Caters : No
Gus W.
I've definitely had a better experience at the Bar Louie down here on Park St. than I did with the one in Cleveland. For one, the service I've experienced has been much better for the most part, and two, it's a much more lively atmosphere. The patio here is one of the best selling points. Even if you aren't a huge fan of Bar Louie or the Arena District, the back patio is huge and looks out over Park St. and North Market and has a nice fire pit to warm up around in the Fall. As far as the food goes, it's still not my favorite, but I'd rank it around an average 3 star rating. I had the nachos this past time, and I wasn't really impressed. It's great bar food, but if you're looking for a great meal, you'll probably want to pass. The burgers are decent, and their $1 burger night on Tuesdays is pretty hard to beat. They also have a really long happy hour during the week, stretching from 4-9 pm, Monday through Friday. If you're not going for happy hour, the drinks here can be a bit pricey. They have a large selection of draft beers, but I've never found many of the craft beers here to be too daring. The prime focus of Bar Louie is to have fun on a night out with friends. It's usually pretty packed on the weekends around the bar, especially in the Winter time once the outdoor area isn't being used, but they do have a second bar upstairs. I've grown to like Bar Louie more than the other bars around Park St, and if you're young and looking to have fun in Columbus, this is one of the places you'll want to hit up.
(3)Dave E.
Was in Columbus on business for a week and ended up eating here 3x. The happy hour flatbreads are amazing along with the pretzels. A flatbread...a beer and a tip for less than $10...not bad!!
(3)Darius B.
Chicago fan that moved to the city in April. I come here to watch Bears games. Sometimes it's a little messy (like footprints on the bar & overflowing urinals) but the staff are nice. Also they've had issues with their sound system all season. If you turn one channel sometimes ALL THE CHANNELS IN THE BAR change. One time I had to leave.
(3)Julie G.
Bad Louie was our spot for dinner the other night simply because it was in our general area AND it was $1 burger night. There's not much more that can warm the DH's heart like a 'good deal'. Let's knock out the preliminaries. Large space, about the decor you'd expect from a casual burger/bar joint in the arena district. Good size patio, large wrap around bar. The booths were a bit....sticky.....could use a good power wash IMO. Service to start was fast and friendly. We got drinks and apps taken care of within minutes. The 'loaded' fries looked like someone's leftovers. They were not loaded with anything nor were there very many of them. By the time our waitress came back our hungry crew had devoured them so it was a moot point. Our group for the most part built from the $1 burger menu. When one of our party wanted to order his burger medium rare, we were told all burgers must be well done. Um, ok? Not my preference but at that point we are committed and ordered away. Our food arrived again fairly quickly. The burgers were ok. No amount of toppings can disguise the taste/texture of a well done (tough, bland-sorry well done lovers out there) burger. Service, while pretty brisk initially, was non existent after the food was delivered. I don't need my hand held or to be hovered over, but at one point we just assumed that our servers shift had ended. It took even longer to get the check, pay and leave. I'm sure after a few (ok, a lot) of drinks this is the spot to hit for some late night munchies, when I am not feeling so particular about quality and service.
(3)Maurice H.
Bar Louis is a solid option if you fall in one of these categories: - You are between the age of 21 - 69 ( I can't speak of underage crowd) - You live in the area , either arena or short north or just happen to be in the area - You're a fan of affordable attractively priced happy hour - You're not too picky on spot on service - it can be hit and miss, understandably - You're a fan of Patio time. - You like good looking waitresses with big smiles or no smiles (honey, I understand if you had a long bad day... I really do) - You like burgers (did I mention $1 burgers on Tuesdays??) - You like cheap drinks from 4 to 9 every weekday ($3 drafts, $4 wines, $5 martinis) - You can tolerate the frequent douchery that comes with Arena and Park St crowd... I mean come on. Ha. One of best nightlife spots on Park St and the Arena. Good location to start the night with friends. Props to Louie!
(5)Justin C.
This place is pretty deep. You have 2 big areas for drinking and eating. It also goes further in for a medium sized dance floor. The first area is just near the entrance and has many tables to chose from. This is great if you are looking for a more mellow hangout experience. The inside bar is more like a sport bar deal with TV screens above. This is more of an area you go to so you can escape the heat that is building up on the dance floor. The music is pretty good. There is also a cover to get in.
(4)Jillian M.
Great patio! Prices here are a bit steep considering it's just bar food, but the half price appetizers for happy hour are decent. The rest of the happy hour is just okay, with drafts between $3.25 and $4.25 depending on what size you order. I would be interested in coming back for $1 burger night on Tuesdays, as the reviews for that are pretty positive and I love a good deal! For what you'd spend, just have your meal at the North Market next door and come here for a drink on the patio!
(3)Monique F.
Average. Nice bar scene with mostly young (working) people. Nice open fire on the patio and enough space on the inside. The menu is what you can expect: pubfood of average quality. Notting fancy, not bad. The only thing we really do not like (on both occasions) is the service. Last May it was difficult to get any attention but that evening it was packed (I believe a Thursday night) and there was a nice singer/gitarist on the patio. This Tuesday it was busy, but not packed and it took (we've counted) more than 15 passing waitresses (there were 2-3 waitresses on the patio) to notice us after we drew the attention by waving. They passed us (empty handed!) without asking what we would like. 15 times! Not good. Insides it didn't get better. During the evening we had 5 waitresses on our table asking if the........fill in the blanks......was for us. Even when we already paid and were ready to leave. Seems like the're is just chaos and no systems. So nice scene, average food, bad service. All together a 3 star experience. And please excuse any grammar and spelling mistakes. English is not my first language. And if that's not bad enough, Apple keeps changing the English words into 'proper Dutch'. Yes, you guess right, my first language.
(3)Morgan B.
The $1 burgers on Tuesdays are such a great deal! To get this price you have to also buy a drink, and extra toppings and sauces besides lettuce are 25-75 cents each, but you can still easily create a delicious burger for under $3. They don't skimp on the size or quality either! I'd recommend getting here early though because it can get pretty busy on these nights. Besides that, the food overall is decent, the happy hour features $3.50 draft beers, and there are plenty of TVs around if you want to come to watch a game. I always have a fun time when I come here!
(4)Giovanna A.
In spite of the less than stellar reviews, this is probably one of the more convenient locations to stop for a drink while shopping in the main part of Easton mall. I found the service to be quite wonderful actually, the server really went the extra mile to make sure we were satisfied, including running after us when we forgot the box of leftovers. The trouble here is that drinks were weak, and at $10/ea, I found that quite steep for the amount of alcohol. The food was just ok, not bad but not great. I would go back but preferably when someone else is picking up the tab.
(3)Bryan M.
Chicken tortilla soup is amazing... Flatbreads are good, and the peach moonshine BBQ sauce is amazing.... Our server was new but she was great. One server there a blond girl was very rude and would give our group of 10 dirty looks... Maybe she was jealous because we stayed there so long and she wasn't our server... tipped our server 40% and requested she give 10% of it to the blond girl to put towards working on a new attitude. Bartender was helpful in giving us samples of beer... great place to hang out on the patio!
(4)Amber S.
I've only been here during lunchtime at work so I can't speak to the nightlife, happy hour prices or drinks. I can say they do a serviceable lunch and on nice summer days the patio seating is at a premium. Be sure to get a table with an umbrella so when the sun moves everyone can have some shade. Take advantage of the limited addition menu items. They tend to be variations of regular items with a different protein to maximize items that are already available in the kitchen.
(3)Arvid Y.
Perhaps a little too conveniently located near my apartment, I find myself going back to Bar Louie frequently. It's more for their happy hour specials and their active bar scene than for anything else. Their Happy Hour lasts from 4-9 pm Monday through Friday. $3.25 draft beers and also discounted mixed drinks. They also offer half-priced appetizers and flatbreads. So far i've only had their chicken quesadilla and it's pretty good. They also have $1 burgers on Tuesdays, which is another great deal. It sounds like service can be hit or miss depending on the day, but i've had attentive servers and bartenders during my visits. It gets pretty busy during the weekends, so I can see how service can become an issue. Overall, it's a great place for happy hour and also a good place to start off your weekend night. The bar attracts a pretty diverse, but mostly young professional crowd. The fact that the waitstaff is easy on the eyes also helps. I'll be back.
(3)Anna H.
I've had lunch here many times over the years, as well as one happy hour. The food and service has always been fine; I especially love their baskets of tots. Their salads and the veggie wrap are worth getting. The patio is really nice on warm, sunny days. It's large and you can people watch since it's next to the North Market.
(4)Ty W.
My friends and I typically go to this Bar Louie on Tuesdays for the $1 Burger Night. Though the deal is great, the service is a little slow and seats are hard to find. Any other day of the week, I have had great experiences at this location. The happy hour is awesome; Cheap drafts and appetizers. This is the perfect place to grab a beer and a snack on a Monday after work.
(3)Hua R.
Terrible service, but what do you expect from a high volume bar..? Cool design inside/patio, so it has potential, though just stick with beer or an extremely simple cocktail b/c the bar staff has only been trained to sling drinks not actually bartend.
(2)Rob O.
Used to frequent Bar Louie often, as they had one of the best happy hours in town. That's no longer the case as they recently raised their happy hour beer price from $3 to $3.25 and now to $4.25. They still offer half-off apps on five or six appetizers, so there's that. But in order for me to pick a chain over the dozens of other options in the arena district and short north, the happy hour has to be REALLY good. That's not the case anymore.
(2)Houston M.
Decided to eat here while in town and had a awesome experience thanks to the bartender Charlie, she's the best! It's a laid back atmosphere and food and drinks were great. If you are even in Columbus Ohio you should stop in for happy hour and ask for her!
(5)Ed V.
I went may 1 2014 I ordered the sub and French fries with ice t. after it's all said and done I really didn't like this. the server was ok the food was ok ' there are better restaurants in my town canton.ohio than this will not be back
(2)Brian P.
I agree with the reviewer who said it could be a different star rating everytime he has been here. The good: cheap bar foods during specials. Dollar burger nights, for example. Best bar grub in the city those nights. The fire pit on the patio. Many friends made on those nights. The cheap drink specials when they are happening- both beer and mixed drinks. The weird garage door openings to the back and side of the buildings that let it be open air when occasions permit. The bad: spotty service. I once had to sit myself at three different tables to try to get waitstaff to serve me, only to be told I needed to go to the bar for service. Getting a bill sometimes takes a long while. And receiving a food order is hit or miss when it is crowded. Overall, a great place for a chain bar, especially for office outing types of events. (We are going to a work related happy hour there this week.). But if this is a friends in from out of town, long lost folks reunion, must have a great time event...pass this place by and come back for a sedate happy hour.
(3)Martin C.
They have some great deals throughout the week. The food is delicious a good beer selection and the bartenders are gorgeous. Great place to stop and have a few drinks and an appetizer, or a hamburger on tuesday for only $1.
(4)Sheila W.
Food is good and great Bloody Mary's but the bad service every single time we come is enough for us to finally never come back again. We have given them many many chances and finally saying enough is enough. The servers need a lesson in customer service.
(1)Scott M.
TVs suck. Refused to change the station from red zone to our requested NFL game. So stupid. This place sucks, and always has.
(1)Geoff R.
Service here sucks! A lot of servers walking around but no one doing anything. We've been sitting here 15 minutes with no service. One bar tender seems only interested in 3 chicks at the bar. The rest, not sure what they're doing.
(2)Adrienne C.
I come here during their weekday happy hour or on weekend nights. I've had hit or miss waitress service - the waitress upstairs was ridiculously terrible (took forever to take our order, kept forgetting to bring requested items etc), but the times i've sat downstairs there's been no problem. Of their food items, I like the bruschetta because it's light and goes well with beer. If you want burgers, I prefer Brazenhead's burger specials on Wednesdays. I wouldn't eat here if it were not during happy hour because the food is mediocre and would feel overpriced. The outdoor area is a nice spot to chill when the weather allows for it. Even when it's colder, sitting by the fire pit keeps you warm while you get a breath of fresh air. It gets bustling on weekend nights. I've noticed that the crowd looks more promising if you go earlier in the evening (9-10 pm range)....There's no dancing so if that's what you're looking for, try Social Room across the street. In general, the food is forgettable, but it's a good place to have a few drinks & talk to friends.
(3)Will P.
Good food, good atmosphere Among the wild crazy atmosphere of the Arena district is the pleasant and consistent Bar Louie. It is a great place to drink, but still a good place to eat. The food is definitely for a bar crowd, but it doesn't disappoint. Maybe because by the time I get it I have a few beers in me. the atmosphere is usually pretty charged but not overly rowdy. Great for beginning a wild night in Columbus, OH
(3)Casey W.
It was alright. My mom got the Turkey, Ham and Brie sandwich and loved it. I got the California Chicken Club and it was mediocre. Seriously lacking flavor. It all just fell kinda flat.
(3)Jessica B.
Every time I give Bar Louie another chance, I'm more disappointed than before. The bar is always busy, which is good for them, but a complete bust for people who go for food. A hostess station that never has a hostess forces you to have a seat, but you sit there unsure of whether or not you'll actually be served. We sat outside by the fire-pit. No fault of the restaurants, but rude smokers sit on the fire-pit and ash on people who are eating outside. I had ashes passing my face while I ate. The food came quick, except for the friend who ordered an uncooked SALAD, who's food came out last. I know that servers think it's really cool to memorize your order but, half of the time, they don't have everything right and really could benefit from just writing it down because the server admitted that she'd forgotten to put in our order altogether. Our server was nice but obviously overwhelmed, forgetting things that we asked her for, and using unprofessional language to describe her day. I'm all about a laid-back kind of attitude but, be professional. After a long while of waiting for our checks because it got cool outside we waited inside for a long while just to pay our tab. After writing on each others backs to pay for mediocre food in the standing room only, almost fire-hazardish bar, the experience is one I would choose not to have again. I have no faith in Bar Louie to deliver good service. This is based upon a number of experiences. I would advised a better service structure.
(2)Phil S.
1.) I ordered a BLT and it had a total of 2, thats "two"... as in above 1 piece of bacon on the ENTIRE SANDWICH. 2 pieces of freakin bacon on ONE sandwich. keep in mind, the BLT cost 10 dollars. 2.) I ordered a Blue Moon, 7 dollars, and it was warm. 3.) It's an overpriced corporate place with no real atmosphere or fun.
(1)Evan A.
Portion sizes are a little but odd, beers are big here but entree portions are small. Don't get the flatbread if you're hungry. Customer service was decent, the waitress who mixed up our order gave us complimentary dessert. If you go, I recommend sitting on the terrace outside, the atmosphere was great as the bar is right on a lively intersection.
(4)Emily V.
Good stop. We sat ourselves after the parade. Someone got to us quickly. Our drinks arrived before the food. Ordered spinach artichoke dip, chicken quesadilla and boneless bbq wings, all edible. The strawberry peach bellini martini was good too. $24.36! Food was half off.
(3)Eli I.
I've been to a few Bar Louie's before, but this was my first time at the one in the Arena District. Straight away it gets a star for having two floors and a sweet open concept. I went on a Tuesday night, so it was $1 burger night. (Add a star) Yes toppings are $0.50+ extra, but c'mon it's a buck! Add in the fact that it was happy hour to boot and we were in business. (3 stars) Bleu cheese burger and a pint of Guinness = $5.34 (4 stars) .. Finish with good company, timely service and a tasty palate.. That my friends is a solid 5 of 5.
(5)Richard S.
I could write a different review for Bar Louie each time I go there. Most of them would be debating between a 5 star because I love $3 anything drafts on Sundays, and 1 star because I hate how few TVs you have there (and how you choose your programming... my god, two top 25 NCAAB teams playing, one being the HOME TEAM, yet on one of your 6 TVs, I'm looking at a less than compelling women's game where the total score in the second half is less than my bar tab from the first half). But no, that is not the issue today - today, the issue is your boneless buffalo wings. INTERVENTION I was recently shown the viral video of "blowjob girl" in which a frisky young ginger asks her gentleman suitor "how dry he would like it." Now had the waitress asked me this same question in reference to my wings, I would have been better prepared for the ensuing disaster. Just awful. Do you know how many more delicious $3 drafts I had to order after eating those? (If that is your intention, well played). A suggestion- Maybe knock a couple minutes off the deep fryer time.. say 23 minutes instead of 25? One might expect that in an attempt to cover up the deep fried sandpaper balls posing as boneless wings, the kitchen would drown them in sauce. Nope. We'll just drizzle a little on top, pool some of the side of the basket, you know what really needs some buffalo sauce on it? the celery. Yeah, let's drown that. I know he ordered buffalo wings, but buffalo celery is way better. As stated earlier, I am a huge fan of the $3 drafts, would consider myself a Sunday Funday regular, and despite the lackluster TV situation, somehow end up there on a regular basis during NFL season. But the boneless wings? Come on. You're better than that Louie...
(3)Miguel R.
Bar Louie will always have special place with me because it was my local watering hole back in Chicago. Little did I know that when I came to Columbus, I would be graced with another Bar Louie.... I gotta have me a Luigi sandwich. IT's the best. And depending on the day you can either take a "trip around the horn" or relax with your favorite beverage. Traveling alone you get to become very social and just meet new people - and I was fortunate enough to actually get along with some great people here. So, although Bar Louie is not a 5 star kinda place - it's always worth a visit.
(4)Andrew B.
It's a standard chain bar. Clean, decent service. Drinks are definitely solid though. My problem with Bar Louie, though, is that it's awkwardly between bar, lounge, and restaurant. There's a couple bars, and lots of tables, but the music is usually too loud to have a conversation while eating, and there's not really much to do at the bars.
(2)Kelsey M.
Super fun bar!
(5)Staci M.
*Note that I'm only giving two stars because the waitress turned her attitude around.* Ah, I've been to this Bar Louie before for a few drinks, but this was my first dining experience. Never again. Granted, the place was busy, but we were not acknowledged AT ALL for at LEAST 30 minutes. It took us going up to the bar and server side stand THREE times to get service. We had asked for the manager THREE times and it took forever for anyone to find him. "They were busy, relax," you may say... no. A group of men walked in and within FIVE minutes (who we later found to be) OUR server greeted them. She had not so much as told us "Someone will be right with you." Nor did the other 3 waitresses that walked past our table. I REALLY hate to say it, because I STRONGLY dislike playing the race card... but I found it funny that we were the only group of women of different ethnicity waiting. I used to serve, I know the stereotypes... "African Americans tip bad, foreign people rarely tip at all..." etc. etc. But the truth is, you never know! And you should treat your tables fairly. Not only did we have to wait 30+min to get service, when we did, we were greeted with an attitude! ARE YOU KIDDING?! You JUST saw us talking with your manager. I have no idea what the real reason was... but I've worked in dining establishments from Applebees to a Cameron Mitchell restaurant... I've ALWAYS been taught weather it's your table or not, if they don't have drinks GREET them! There are NO EXCUSES here and comping our drinks does not make it all better. I wouldn't have minded paying for my own drink...what I wanted that manager to see was the POINT! The fact that the manager kept making excuses for our server seemed like she gets away with whatever...and that's sad. OWN UP TO YOUR MISTAKES! I had an absolutely terrible dining experience. After waiting forever to get our orders taken, she takes another 10 minutes to get me my BEER. Seriously?! Seeing that I can't be positive what her REAL reasoning for not even acknowledging us was.. I went ahead and tipped $4 on that $12 just to set that stereotype straight. I may sound ridiculous right now, but I haven't had this bad of service in a very long time and I was seriously amazed at the fact that the manager just threw out excuses for his server's mistake. GET IT TOGETHER! I refuse to believe it took her a while to "notice" us because she was the same server that looked right at us when we sat down! I understand you're a busy bar...but I've worked on busy nights myself and I was able to make sure my tables were greeted within 5 minutes of being seated. Jeeze. If you can't handle a lot of people, then WHY ARE YOU WORKING DOWNTOWN?! Bar Louie needs to go over their server count and learn how to ACCEPT RESPONSIBILITY. Dine here if you want to.... but I'd suggest going to Easton if you're really wanting Bar Louie. MUCH better service there.
(2)Sarah F.
Great happy hour specials that include food and drinks. My favorite thing here is the Abbey cocktail, made with mostly gin and grapefruit. The quesadillas are fabulous, and the pretzel sticks are unbelievably good. They have a great patio at this location with fire pits and tons of tables. It sits across the street from the north market so you can really make a night out of it! The servers are always friendly and accommodating, and I think the bar does a great job with the drinks. This is a choice spot for me and my friends for a great after work hang out!
(4)M K.
Hey - it's a Bar Louie. I've been in a couple - and it's not bad for a chain. They have a nice patio, though I've never eaten there since I'm usually traveliing in C-Bus by myself when on business. The bar inside is nice and contemporary - a very wide-open space where you can see everyone and do plenty of people watching. During dinner time and just after, it's a slightly more adult crowd - decent mix of people and types - with some of the older folks heading home (or across the street to PST) as the night goes on. Generally, the later it gets, the younger this place gets. My food here has always been good, and served up pretty fast as wel, I might add. Service is generally good, and friendly enough, even when they seem to be very busy. Nice Happy Hour specials; overall, a nice reliable place to start your evening of C-Bus fun.
(3)Kelsey N.
I have always been a big fan of Bar Louie's anywhere. Maybe I have not explored enough of Columbus's happy hours, but I think they have the best in town. Why? Because they don't limit what you can or cannot have (besides the APPS). I love wine, so when I can get a glass of Kim Crawford for 4 bucks....till 9pm.(This happy hour also includes 3 dollar beers and 5 dollar martini).I am a happy girl. Service is always pretty good, but this is not my bar of choice on a Friday or Saturday night out. I really enjoy the food as well. I usually stick with appetizers and the Buffalo Style Calamari is delicious. On Tuesdays, it is dollar burger, chicken sandwich or turkey burger night. They charge you for any additional items (besides lettuce) but it is still a good deal, and the burgers are not bad. The patio is so fun in the summer and in the colder months they have a few fire pits to warm ya up! Only downside is parking, but it is downtown so this is to be expected. Usually, I have no trouble finding a meter but the meters run till 10pm and have a 3 hour limit!
(4)Matt M.
Terrible experience. Spend your money elsewhere, this place is trash.
(1)Jeremy B.
Service was extremely slow. Waitress was running around with a chicken with her head cut off. Food was mediocre. Took 20 minutes to pay tab.
(1)Ashley O.
A group of us went here before the Justin Timberlake show. HORRIBLE idea for them to make it "seat yourself". It was utter and complete chaos. After we found a table outside they told us that the area we sat in "didn't have servers and would take 45-60 minutes to place an order for food". We stayed because one of nice waitresses found us and got our order in quite fast considering the conditions. I'm not sure why they didn't keep this pandemonium more organized it why they didn't bring in more servers for a busy night like a Saturday night before a BIG concert.
(3)Jessica R.
Great happy hour ends at 9pm wow. Wish we could've stayed longer. We had the bacon cheese sliders and verde flat bread. Good choices. Would recommend patio there is a fire pit outside. We sat inside at the bar to watch a game though. We will be going back to try some more beers!
(5)Daniel M.
This bar refused me service because they claim a crucifix I was wearing was a "gang sign". From what the local news is reporting this bar is prejudiced against Catholics. If you're Catholic check out Woodlands down the street. They're so much better.
(1)Keith B.
I think I'd like to echo Cristina's review. It's an average bar. And that's actually a compliment in the Arena district, home of douchebaggery. The food isn't half-bad, but I'd still prefer other food after a night of drinking. Nothing ever hit me as "hey, Bar Louie sounds AWESOME" - however, service was always awesome, and I miss grabbing a burger there for lunch.
(3)Alan R.
As far as bars and food goes, can't get much better than Bar Louie in arena district. You think different? I'm a regular and the Duke so yea. Wanna fight? That's right playa. This bar is always a good time, more of an adult crowd and no crappy house music. The tvs are nice and large and you are able to see them from pretty much anywhere. The patio is total kick ass, wonderful little fire pit. I do enjoy the up stairs, it is amazing for people watching, and who doesn't like to people watch?!?!?!?!?!
(4)Niti B.
Service was good and place is huge. Great area and food was good. Definetly nice weather to have mojitos in the outdoor area under an umbrella on a lazy sunday afternoon!
(3)Eric B.
I stopped here after attending last night's hockey match between the Columbus Blue Jackets and the Vancouver Canucks. Since it was Tuesday, it was $1.00 burger night and with lots of choices of toppings. My blue cheese burger was better than average and was served quickly. It also went very well with my tasty (and organic) Great Lakes Pale Ale (from Cleveland). Bar Louie wasn't too crowded and I enjoyed the high ceilings and spacious modern industrial vibe, the Ohio State/Illinois game on the TV, and of course the people watching. Most notable and appreciated was the superb service provided by Chris.
(4)Tianna T.
Bar Louie in Arena District is definitely a college central hang out spot. If you're looking for a place to chillax and wind down this isn't the spot for you. The times I've been here the atmosphere is always jumping with excitement. Upon entering you MUST show your ID before you can even think about dining for food or drink. Following the age guidelines are important to this establishment, considering it can be easy for some under-aged chill'ren to slip through the cracks. The dining area is quite spacious including the patio and you can have a seat where ever you like. The bar is huge and what's even bigger are the drink specials they serve. Believe me, you can leave here singing the good ole faithful tune of "99 beers on the wall, 99 beers. Take one down (or maybe 6) pass it around, 98 bottles of beer on the wall." The food is eh. I tried the Adobo Shrimp Skewers and it isn't something I'll try again. For Pete's sake the mango was still thawing on the plate when we received the appetizer (stick's hand down throat). The Bruschetta with shrimp was just okay. I really wish I had more to say about it. I've had their $1 burger's on Tuesday and that's pretty tasty. Our server though was very attentive. She made sure all three of my $3 Tequila Sunrises's were replenished as soon as I drunk it down.
(3)Tj G.
I have to say, I was impressed with the service, food, and drinks at this place. I tried two new items on their menu; the Ramblin Rose Martini, and the Blackened Salmon Sliders. I loved the martini! Dangerously good. The sliders were stellar as well. Great atmosphere and happy hour on a Tuesday night too. I'll most definitely come back when I'm back in town.
(5)Beth S.
Still an average experience here. I feel like since I'm not some beefy hunk of a man, I get half of the attention that I should as a customer from the waitresses. I've come here twice for lunch in the past two weeks, and the second time, my server just vanished. Gone! After sitting with empty plates for ten minutes, I had to hunt down the bartender for my check (who was busy chatting up some beefcake of a guy)
(3)Adam K.
Neither downtown or Easton have ever been a favorite place for us to visit. This review is only for Downtown, however. I don't think it's a bad bar - just a good "B-plan" bar. The music is okay, the place is always packed, but it's hard to mingle, move around, & talk to people. I feel like the make the drinks kinda weak, so if you enjoy a stiff drink, this isn't your place. The food is pretty good, but pretty overpriced, in my opinion. I don't think they can "decide" whether they're a bar or restaurant. I think they'd do better to pick one and focus on getting really good at it, rather than trying to be good at both.
(3)Seth D.
True story. I stop by with my friends after the Ohio Wine Festival. I order some nachos and ask nicely for an old fashioned . The server tells me no. Thinking she is being sarcastic I throw my menu on the table and play along. Then she asks if I would like anything to drink. I ask "can't I have an old fashioned?" she says no, so I order a water. Then we look up the definition of an old fashioned in the urban dictionary. Yeah, I guess she wouldn't give me one of those. Luckily she asked the bar tender and said they could make one, which was passable, but I've had much better ones at dive bars. The nachos were pretty good, but my not so great if you haven't been drinking wine all night. I would say this was a solid 3 star experience, and certainly a story worth repeating.
(3)Travis Z.
Nice atmosphere, good food, and a great patio. Only downside is it is loud, but I would expect that in the Arena district.
(4)Keith R.
I've patronized this establishment enough now to give an adequate review. I've been here in the summer, fall, winter, and spring. I've been here solo and with friends, before hockey games and just for a night out. Each time for some reason, the atmosphere of just being able to kick back in a booth or the bar, relax, enjoy some good food and drinks appeals to me. My secret weakness for burgers though is where Bar Louie pierces me like a knife. No matter what kind of burger your looking for, they have one that comes close. And the $1 burger night on Tuesdays is great, especially before a hockey game. Especially on nights prior to a hockey game, this is one of the few places that is not packed like sardines. The wait staff is always prompt to check in on you, make sure your drinks are refreshed and always good to jump in an have some fun with your group. As Christina C put it in her review, everything here appeals to the average crowd. I have found it to be a good mix of people, not too old, not too young, not too preppy, not too trashy.
(4)Greg S.
I have been to this particular Bar Louie a couple of times for Happy Hour. I'll echo what many have said already, Bar Louie is an average bar. They have your average selection of beers... Prices are about average with what you would expect in this area... The food is, well, average... The atmosphere, wait for it...is average. I will add, that sometimes they have some nice Happy Hour deals. One day, for example, they offer burgers for only a buck...which of course are average tasting. So take Bar Louie for what it is...just an average bar.
(3)Juliana H.
This is my go-to spot for happy hour before Blue Jackets and Clippers games. Huntington Park and Nationwide Arena are both easy walks...if you drive here, park in one of the lots on Vine Street and you're good to go. It's a big, open space with great happy hour specials. During happy hour, all drafts are $3 and some apps are half-off. They have a decent draft selection with several seasonal offerings. My favorite appetizer there is the soft pretzel sticks but alas, it's not included on the happy hour menu. I came here once at night on St. Patrick's day weekend, many moons ago, and it was crowded (in typical Arena District style) and I was miserable. Not sure if it's still like that, but you won't see me here long after happy hour.
(4)Brieanne S.
We stopped into Bar Louie on a Saturday afternoon. But not just any Saturday. Pride weekend Saturday. Raining, Pride weekend Saturday. If any of you have been to Pride in Columbus-then you know what is to be expected when it starts raining. People PACKED into every venue within a half mile radius of the park. When we walked in it was, well...PACKED. we found 2 empty seats at the bar and jumped on them (not literally). We were immediately informed that the wait for food was going to be close to an hour. Awesome. So we decided to order 2 Bloody Marys (which were on special) and James (our server/bartender) made them damn near perfect. They were awesome!! We decided since it was already late in the afternoon and since the wait for food was so long that we would just order a salad (so we wouldnt be too full for dinner). We made alot of modifications to the salad, which James happily took down for us, while joking about his dish washing duties. And to our surprise the salad was ready for our enjoyment in about 10 minutes! Whoa! No complaints from us! On a random note- The guys sitting at the bar had a completely different experience. They were being dripped on so much they had to move their phones and awkwardly eat their food in weird angles. The pipes above them were dripping with condensation. Then their bartender (obviously new) refused to take their coupon which would anger me as well......
(4)Cheryl H.
While I'm not usually a big fan of "chain" bars, this particularly Bar Louie has a good vibe and a more adult crowd than most of the neighboring Arena District bars. The bar has a terrific patio and fire pit and in warmer weather the garage doors that separate the bar from the outside are opened up, creating a cool effect. Other than that the drinks are a bit overpriced, but the food is decent.
(3)Laura C.
I've been to both Bar Louie locations in Columbus, as well as one in another city, but will review this one because it's the one I frequent more often than I'd like to admit. It's probably more a 3.5 star rating just because I've been so much. Their food doesn't do anything for me, yet I've eaten here so many times out of desperation. Some of my friends just LOVE their food. Like an unhealthy love. Or an addiction to soft pretzel sticks. I've had burgers on burger night, wings on Sunday, pizza/flatbread, sandwiches, and a table full of assorted appetizers. Eaten at happy hour and all other hours. Burger night is pretty legit... but things can really add up if you're a toppings freak so negates the whole purpose of being burger night. The tater tots are their most redeeming quality. Okay, happy hour prices until 9pm is also a redeeming quality. $1 (or maybe it's $2) mimosas on Sunday are also alluring. Their patio is one of the bests in the area and fire pit is a nice touch. Why they don't offer s'mores is BEYOND me? Legal issues perhaps? But what is the life suck is the non-happy hour prices. Well over $6 for cheap ass vodka used in my teeny tiny vodka sodie glass (this is in comparison to say the glasses at Bernard's). NOT OKAY. I've had more great times here than not so great times. A few funny stories that I will remember until I'm old and wise. There have been times when I wished there was a dance floor here. I know it's a bar and all, but you really do have to yell sometimes just to communicate w/ a person right next to you, which can be really awkward. I can't recall ever having bad service when I've been seated at a table and eating/drinking. Weekend nights up at the bar are another story - it's usually packed and I guess I'm not the most obnoxious and discourteous patron so those types of people tend to get served before me, even though I WAS THERE FIRST. The bros always enjoy the TVs for sporting events. And yeah, GOOD FREAKING LOOKING people all around you. Pretty easy to pick up someone here if that's what you're into. We've all had THOSE nights. Mostly post-college crowd w/ the occasional undergrad gal and her friends looking for older boys. And more often than not, a sprinkle of the older creepers who like to gaze at 20-something year old women and wonder where their life went wrong. Bonus: Local pro athletes frequent here - have seen Simon Frasier (sadly no Brady Quinn in sight) and Greg Oden.
(3)Nicole W.
Thank you Bar Louie. While there are many wonderful and independent restaurants spread throughout Columbus -- I can't help but finding myself back at Bar Louie periodically. How wonderful to find a place filled with young professionals and a good sports atmosphere. I can't help it - I'm a girl who likes to wear stilettos and sit in a booth and watch some Big Ten sports, so Bar Louie can be my jam. Plus 3 dollar happy hour pints definitely take the edge off.
(4)Christina C.
Boo to you, Bar Louie. I think I must have came here way too much a few years ago to really enjoy it now. Although, it actually is one of my favorite bars along the Arena District "strip". The drinks are averaged priced as far as that area is concerned, and so is the menu. Hell, throw in the clientele too. Just average. My favorite part about this place is the patio (complete with a fire pit!) And Tuesday $1 burger night is pretty cool, too.
(3)Adam C.
Bar Louie. My first experience in Columbus...not a good one. (preface - I'm from San Francisco. Most of my friends are foodies or are snobby over pricey beers and rare wines. I'm a southern boy from Florida originally so I can deal with a poor beer selection as long as the atmosphere and price is right) The beer selection at this place was pretty terrible. 6 beers on draft and a dozen bottles. The stella artois was poured into a tall glass which messed up the fizz and head you'd get from a good pour. the beer was grossly overpriced. The spinach artichoke dip. I don't even know where to start. I guess if me and 5 friends were getting drunk, watching a ball game and wanted something to eat, the dip & nachos would have worked. but nope.... no go for me and a friend stopping in after a long day of air travel. I hear that Friday & saturday are fun on game days with a lot of people but even at 24, I felt old in this place. Everyone was younger than me, skinnier and kind of douchier than me. Hey, that's alright. There are places like that for people like that. sorry for my crudeness but I'm very honest about my reviews even if it does piss off some locals.
(2)Ellen F.
I must say that for a place that is dead during the week, days and nights, it's totally out of control packed weekend nights. To me the coolest part is the fire pit in the back. They also make amazing margarita's, even though I was told not to get one from the bartender. Apparently, he hasn't done much taste testing. I went to Bar Louie last night for a private group event. We had the entire upstairs to ourselves. It was a great set-up! We had a great view of the rest of the bar, yet excluded enough to be able to hold our private conversations. The provided a drink list as well as appetizers. Nothing fancy, just hamburger and ham sliders, and quesadilla's. On this night (a Wednesday), we received great service and well made cocktails in record time...not the norm on a sardine packed weekend night.
(4)Maggie C.
I will never return here. I have been waiting for months to check out bar Louie. I left after one shot. One shot I wish I hadn't bought here, they didn't deserve the money. The bar staff is the kind that sees you, knows you want a drink but ignores you. I was also thinking this was a bar and lounge type place. NO IT IS A RESTAURANT. You can pretend and call it what you want but when food is being served at the bar and tables well after 11:30 pm you are not in it for the liquor money you are making your money off food. I have absolutely nothing nice to say about this place. If I could give it less than a star that's what they would get. And there are too many GIRLS here pretending they have money, and class. I haven't seen so many fake Louis Vuitton bags in one place since NYC street vendors.
(1)Aaron C.
This is one of those bars where your paying for atmosphere, they overcharge their drinks, I paid $3.50 for a michelob ultra, when I can go down the street and get the same beer .75 to a dollar less. There are better bars down the street, with better priced drinks and food.
(2)Greydon U.
While in Columbus I had the pleasure of touring some of the local bars. Bar Louie was the first stop and hence the one that I remember the best. This place is huge! Yet it was still packed with people(definitely a good thing). Despite the fact that Bar Louie is a sports bar by day, the lounge by night aspect didn't seem to suffer at all. They even kept sports playing on the screens so you can check the ballgame while you're gettin' down to the hip hop beats. Good selection of beers... Unfortunately I didn't get to try any of these mystical eastern state beers because I had switched to hard alcohol earlier in the afternoon. The mixed drinks they served were fine. Could have been a bit stronger, but they were good enough to keep me rollin'. Bottom Line: Bar Louie is a little too loud to have a good convo with friends, but if you head out to the awesome patio area you can probably shout one out. Just use caution when talking about anything embarassing, you never know when the music might cut out...
(3)Nathan L.
I like Bar Louie, at least the plae itself. OK, I really only like the set-up and decor of the bar. Nothing about the service or staff has ever impressed me one bit, though, and i am not that hard to impress. I always have to wait way too long for a drink, and often find myself wondering where else in the area I could be where I would be having a better time. The clintele varies widely with the time of day, day of the week, even the time of year. Weekday evenings you have the downtown afterwork crowd. This place is great for that (if you work downtown). The patio here rocks, and is huge. The back wall of the bar opens up onto the patio and gives the whole place a great feel when the weather is nice. If OSU is in session and it is a thurs/fri/sat night there WILL be the college crowd in there.
(2)Amanda D.
Bright enough to see people, classy enough to wear a dress. Always packed with young professionals and cute people. Music is good at least not obnoxious. It's a lot of fun to be outdoor summer time. Love it
(4)Zach G.
Me and a friend decided to get an afternoon cocktail and some food this afternoon and regretfully chose this "establishment". The service was nonexistent. The drinks were good after roughly 45 minutes of waiting. They are understaffed and the staff that they do employ do not care about the customer. I would not recommend this bar for any occasion small or big and will never be back.
(1)Stephanie B.
I have mixed feelings about Bar Louie. On the one hand, I always have a great time when I come here, yet I always end up spending way too much money. Bar Louie is one of those "trendy" bars in the Park St. Area, across the street from Sugar Bar and Park St. Patio. It's definitely trying to be modern and upscale, but it's still more laid back than places like Sugar, but probable only because there's no dance floor, and thankfully, no cover. It's easy to walk to if you're already in the downtown area, but if not, parking isn't so easy. Right down the street from Bar Louie is a row of diagonal metered spots, but you'll have to come early or be lucky to grab them on the weekends. Bar Louie isn't nearly as crowded during the week, however, so if you're coming to eat I would recommend Sun-Wed. night. I've been here many times and it's a completely different atmosphere if you're coming earlier in the evening to eat or if you're here to party on, say, a Friday night. But no matter when you come, Bar Louie is expensive. I think everything here is overpriced. But I have two friends that work here, so that's why I end up coming here so much. If it weren't for that, honestly, I would likely avoid this place. I've never been here for an entire meal, but I have had my share of appetizers to snack on. From what I've had, the food is really good. I recommend the Bavarian Pretzel Sticks appetizer. Delicious, and great to have with a beer. It's these big chewy soft pretzel sticks with 3 different dipping sauces - 1 cheese and 2 mustards. Whenever we get food here, I always opt for this. I've also had their Spinach and Artichoke Dip and Cheeseburger sliders. Both good, yet exactly what you would expect. However, I do think that the portions should be a little bigger. The other night I met a big group of friends here for a party. We had the upstairs reserved for several hours. I should mention that Bar Louie has an upstairs - there's a bar up there (though not serving nearly as many options as the big one downstairs) and couches and tables and you can look down over the rest of the bar. There's also some stairs that lead you down to the outdoor patio if you need to smoke. Our party was great but eventually they had to kick us out of the upstairs area and we had to join the rest of the crowd. It was a Thursday night, so it got pretty packed. The back patio is really nice. It's huge and offers many places to sit down - the most popular being the firepit. It has a circular brick edge that people will sit on and huddle around the fire so they don't freeze as they're smoking. The outdoor patio wraps all the way around the side of the building, and several of the walls open like garage doors to open the place up in the summertime. I like this bar best when it's warm out for that reason. But if the cold does keep you indoors, there are booths (some of them circular) and tables and chairs and seats at the bar. But be prepared to deal with a lot of loud awful danceclubesque music. There are TVs all around the bar, usually tuned in to the ongoing sports games. It's pretty inside - I really like the trendy yet somewhat down-to-earth decor. You can see all the pipes up on the ceiling, the big windows give a great view of the patio, the bar itself is marble with lights underneath it (and there was a huge hole in it last time I was there) and tile mosaic designs are all over the walls. The service has always been pretty random, and some of my friends were very disenchanted with our bartender for our upstairs party. I kept going downstairs to get my drinks because I wanted Stella and they didn't have that upstairs. The downstairs bartenders were great that night. Sometimes you just get lucky with good service, but other times the bartenders can be pretty rude and forgetful. By the way, $6 a glass for my beer the other night. Later when I ordered a double whiskey and coke, it was $9. It made for a very expensive night. However, the mixed drinks are typically delightfully strong. Be warned that if you come here on a busy night, the bathrooms are disgusting. At least one toilet always ends up overflowing so the floor is covered in water and mushy TP. And you'll almost always hear someone in that awful situation where they are screaming for someone to hand them toilet paper. My best advice? Check that there is some before you go so you're not one of those people. There's often a long line and while there are a good number of stalls, most of them aren't working or are so disgusting no one wants to even attempt it. I feel like most bar restrooms in this area have this problem. The crowd at Bar Louie is pretty mixed between the popped-collar jerks and polite people who mind their own business. It's just sort of a hit or miss. I don't mind it as much as some of the other bars in this area, but the prices deter me most of the time. It's a good place to go with a large group, just make sure you come with plenty of moolah.
(3)Amy S.
I've been to the Bar Louie at Easton and then the one here and while both just rank 'OK' in my book, this one is the better of the two. It seems a bit more spacious with room to mingle around when you're here with a group while the Easton one seems to be a more intimate setting where you can come and eat dinner. This location is the drinking spot. I've never eaten here and the drinks are all pretty good and reasonably priced. Parking is a bit of a hassle unless you want to park across the street in the North Market lot which isn't too bad but can get expensive if you're going to be there for a while. The outside is nice and the atmosphere is one where you don't have to be all dressed up like some of the other Arena District bars. This is one where you and a group of friends can just decide after a hard day at work to drop by for a drink and nibble or two.
(3)Ray M.
Stopped for Happy Hour on Friday. After a couple hours we got our tab and found out the bottle beers were $4 a pop. We were told that the sign about the $2 beers only applied to Sundays. Really. The server said the sign often confused people. Huh, then maybe they should do something about that. Oh well with all the competition in the area, I guess that I will have to support the other places that know what happy hour is supposed to be about. Maybe Bar Louie might learn from the Tavern on Front who recently was forced to close its doors as they too had a very questionable happy hour.
(2)Nick S.
Upstairs bartenders are rude and slow... They do not care about people wanting to spend money in their establishment. Too many douche bags in this place... This place is too MainStream!
(1)Morgan D.
Sadly, I've never had a good experience with Bar Louie. My first time there was during my lunch break. I met my boy and grabbed a booth in the totally empty restaurant bar. We have the best luck - it had been raining that day, and we picked a booth below the leak in the roof. As we were sitting there, water streamed from the ceiling directly onto us. We switched booths and told the waitress about the problem. She seemed nonplussed. Once we moved and got cozy again, I had a chance to admire the interior. It's nice. There are two levels, plenty of seats, a great bar that can be accessed from four sides. But when our food came out, I was disappointed. I had four bland sliders. I'm not even sure they were seasoned. Though there was no one else in the restaurant, service was slow. I had to have my lunch boxed before I'd even got through two mini burgers, and we were still late getting back to work. The next time we went to Bar Louie it was in desperation. We were at ComFest when a downpour started. We ran into Bar Louie for shelter and decided to grab a couple beers and dinner while we were there. It took FOREVER for a waitress to even come over and acknowledge our presence - seriously, like forty minutes! I was a little tipsy from the froth in my large ComFest beer cup (I heard they can hold a whole bottle of wine!), so I might have been a bit vocal about our absent server. If it wasn't spewing rain outside, I would have left. We did eventually get to place an order. The only vegetarian item on the menu was the hummus platter. It was really good. I actually think about it quite often. While we were eating, our waitress visited the table like twenty times (annoying). Then, when it was time for the check, she disappeared again! Grrr! As a former waitress (from age 14-21), I'm a bit ashamed to say that we left without tipping. I understand it was busy, but our waitress was downright pathetic. Most of the people in the bar weren't even buying anything, they were just hiding out from the rain. We were hiding too, but we were hungry and hiding and ready to pay. Bar Louie just didn't deliver.
(2)Amy S.
I'm not a big fan of the Park Street area, but whenever people suggest Bar Louie I'm really not to bothered. As long as it's during the day (before 9pm) and there is somewhere to sit, the servers are super nice and it's a great atmosphere to watch sports or just hang out with people. Later at night, it turns into any other bar to me. Lots of people. Hard to move around or get a drink. But all around, a good pick for the Arena District.
(3)D M.
This bar was fantastic. A absolute blast. The people were friendly and I met a lot of fun locals in Columbus. This was one of the places I felt comfortable going in alone (traveling on business) and enjoy a decent meal and good drinks. I would recommend this bar to anyone who is looking for a middle 20's - 30's crowd. The staff was great, crowd pleasant and beer selection great. This is a great place to meet after work, or just to go find some new friends. Highly recommend this bar to anyone looking for a good evening.
(4)Sarah S.
On a weekend night it's impossible to get a table, let alone food or even service at Bar Louie. Which is why I don't go. However, on a Wednesday evening or a Thursday afternoon it's a perfect place to grab dinner or drinks and appetizers. They have a decent beer selection, and obviously a full bar. The atmosphere is fine, the service is average, but you get what you pay for. I'm seriously addicted to the hummus, tabbouleh and tzatziki appetizer plate and usually get it as my entrée. I also love their Italian dressing and Bavarian pretzel sticks.
(3)Jackie C.
This place is an more expensive Brothers, with an even higher chockie level when they are busy. If you are going to go here I would suggest happy hour or lunch, the food is good and the place does have a wonderful patio. I have had mixed opinions about the service, when going to eat for lunch the service was very slow, even when there were not many people there, so if your looking for a quick lunch I would suggest somewhere else. Each time I have been there the bartenders have been both attentive and terrible, usually more towards the terrible. I may not be some platinum blonde with barely any clothes on, but I guarantee I will tip you better because I don't consider just the privilege of looking at me as part of the tip. After giving this place multiple chances I probably will not go back, but don't just take my word for it, give at least once chance.
(2)Silis J.
We went for the Dollar Burger night. The bar was pretty empty despite the special. While the burger was pretty average, I really enjoyed the mojitos. While I definitely spent more than I was originally planning to, I can definitely say that my friends and I had lots of fun.
(4)Bryan D.
Can get really crowded on weekends and is constantly hot in the bar on summers and spring evening. Enjoy going to this place during the day and watching games. Louie Burger with fried egg is def. my favorite. Have one of the better patios in the summer time. On Sundays they have nice deals and it is usually packed because it is industry night.
(3)P W.
Now I know why I never have been to the Bar Louie in Cleveland. The only redeeming thing of my time spent here was they played Dr. Dre "Keep the Heads Ringing". Other than that, I wanted to exit as soon as I entered and got bumped into by a bunch of yuppies.
(2)Melanie B.
Well, I have to admit, the Arena District has always terrified me; I am not super psyched about hanging out with this crowd - but I was pleasantly surprised. Coming from Chicago (and Bar Louie in Chicago), I was prepared to be met with the same Lincoln Park Bs that I'm used to. You know the ones, the ones who jog with their babies in stroller during the day and slut-ify at night? I thought Bar Louie in Cbus would be like that - but I should have known to have more faith in my beloved Columbus. While Bar Louie certainly caters to the downtown/Arena district 9-to-5ers, it's still in Columbus and thus not that bad. There was a variety of types here tonight - on Mardi Gras in fact. Businessmen were wearing suits and Mardi Gras beads, which was infinitely amusing. Not only this, but it was dollar burger night; my friend and I split a burger, and it was about 2 bucks (toppings are extra). The atmosphere was nice and loud, but not too loud, and the waiters were adorable and sweet. I was definitely missing this atmosphere, coming from Chitown, and BL helped fill that void. Horray!
(3)Joe C.
Oh, Bar Louie -- my second trip into Columbus' Arena Districts' Bar Row involved me making an excursion into Bar Louie. And yes, while it is trendy and crazy, I lived to tell the tale. Finding a parking spot near Bar Louie is difficult -- no easy to find parking lots, just street parking (unless you want to pay the high costs of parking across the street at the North Market). Once you find a place to park, its not that big of a deal to find it from there -- look for the giant martini glass and the patio that never seems to end. Walking into Bar Louie, you miss no ambiance -- it definitely has a personality all of its own. Looking around has the feeling of some sort of New York club based in Columbus...then you walk on the patio, and are greeted by the North Market, and you realize that you're back in Columbus once more. One of the more interesting things about Bar Louie is the fact that it has multi-tiered seating (It has a half-floor, and a loft that overlooks the entire bar! Its pretty entertaining, to say the least.). If you don't feel like sitting at the bar or down among the entrance level, you do have the choice to sit above the crowd. Another unique style is the patio that never ends -- I call it that not because its a patio that never ends, but rather, its just one large patio, formed by the dissolving of where you would normally expect walls. Even on a busy night, the wait staff works their behinds off in order to accommodate anyone who flashes a wad of cash towards their way...or a shiny-looking card. The drinks are rather on the pricey side...but you are paying for ambiance. And not having to drink at a place where you fear you may get shot before the end of the night. Drinking at Bar Louie with some of my old friends wasn't the worst thing that I've ever had to do in my life. And while it was a little on the trendy side for me, the experience didn't kill me. Depending on who the friends were, and what we were toasting to, I'd consider taking another late-night call to meet up with old friends there. But as for myself? I personally doubt that I'll find a reason to go there on my own. But to each his own...and if you're into the martini-sipping pop scene, then I gladly recommend Bar Louie to you!
(3)Paige W.
The people who work in this particular Bar Louie don't work hard to make customers happy...because they don't have to. Just up the street from the Convention Center, it's a great place for all the stupid people attending trade shows to come and drink beer and get bad service because, well, it's one of the only obvious options that don't involve crossing any major streets. Which small people from small towns are not inclined to do. So they'll have business no matter what. I've not been terribly impressed with any of the Bar Louie locations I've visited, which includes three in the Chicago area. And now, I can say I've had a delightful experience there on my first night in town and an equally charming -- albeit abbreviated -- one tonight. The first night, we took clients out for a casual dinner. We'd wanted to sit outside, but there were no tables on the patio big enough to accommodate a group of seven. So we came back inside and sat at one of the only tables that would fit us. To our server's credit, she was prompt and attentive -- my water glass was only at empty-slurp status twice, and I drink quickly -- but good lord, was she surly. She didn't crack a smile the entire time we were there. Maybe she was having a bad day, though her eyeliner would suggest every day was kind of like that. (Why ya gotta go and make things so complicated?) We ordered fancy drinks: pomegranate margaritas, mojitos, the like. They came as fast as the one bartender could make them with 6,385 other people flooding the space for Friday night drinks. Appetizers: the trio of Middle Eastern dips (hummus, tzatziki and tabbouleh) was delicious and served with pita and cucumber slices; the zucchini chips were greasy but good (the marinara dip was the best) and the bruschetta would have been better with crispier bread. My biggest complaint lies with the entrees: Three of us ordered the Thai chili salmon, which came drenched in a greasy, sickeningly sweet sauce. And client's dinner, the Ahi tuna, which is generally prepared medium rare, was far past that. So she sent it back. And by the time the rest of us had FINISHED our meals, she waited a few more minutes and finally had her food back, prepared correctly. I'm pretty positive that when a restaurant screws a dish up, they put a RUSH on the new preparation so their guest isn't waiting while the rest of the table chows down. That's just rude. (And no apologies from the random staff member who brought out the new entree or our server, who returned later to give us the check.) The other problems I have are management related, but they're also a factor of a poor choice for a business dinner: The music is prohibitively loud for having any conversation apart from "OMGILOVETHISSONG!!!!" or "OMG LOOK AT THAT GUY HE IS SO HOT!!!" or "OMGIHATETHISSONG!!!!" and there are TVs everywhere. Which probably doesn't bother most people, but if one of your groups of guests, who will probably be spending a bit of money with you, asks if they can turn off the one nearest them so they can focus a bit more on the conversation ("OMG!") the correct answer from the server should not be, "Well, I can ask them. But probably not." When there are 20 TVs playing two channels, turning one off is not going to be a national issue. As for the abbreviated experience: You know what, BL? Don't offer phone-in takeout at your busiest time of the night if whoever is taking orders won't even be able to hear your customers. Because they will get frustrated at shouting into their phones -- at your retired sorority girl hostess -- and they will hang up on you. And you will lose their (read: my) business. Until the next time they are dragged in by their small-town colleagues for another mediocre mid-trade show meal. I can say one great thing about this Bar Louie: Thank GOD the drinks were strong.
(2)Kathleen M.
This Bar Louie is very, very different than the location in DC. First of all, it was PACKED on Saturday night. People were everywhere, probably due to the fact that it was OSU's Homecoming. It seemed to attract a slightly older crowd (25-30 rather than 20-25) than the other bars in the area and a little more upscale, even though people were still drunk off their asses. They had a great, huge patio which was a nice respite when you actually wanted to hear who you were talking to. They had music playing really loud inside and it was great dancing music, but they don't have a dancefloor (unless I missed it somewhere). I don't know if this is an Ohio thing, as I saw it in the two bars I went to that night, but there was broken glass EVERYWHERE. Are Columbusians secretly all Greek and they like to just chuck their glasses when they're done with them? I mean, it was on the floor on the patio, inside, in the bathroom- I've never seen so much. Obviously the staff didn't do the greatest job at cleaning up. Also, several of the stalls in the women's bathroom were out of order, which just seemed sloppy. The bouncer was really nice when we came back and just needed to run in to use the bathroom before the walk home. Drink prices were good (although I'm used to DC so they could be high for the area), staff was friendly, and I had a good time: definitely 3.5 stars.
(3)Erica P.
We tried this location for a change of scenery. My friends and I typically go to the Easton location for drinks or for a girls nite out. We ate on the patio and got there at about 8:30PM on a Saturday. I didn't have alcohol, but the women who did said the drinks were strong (this is a good thing). A guy was taking down the umbrellas from the tables outdoors, which isn't a problem, except he chose to come to our table just as we were digging into our food (we were starving because the orders took so long). "Thanks random rude employee, who didn't say one word, for reaching over 2 of us and getting who knows how many possible bugs in our meals." The service was very very slow and because there was six of us, she added gratuity to each of our bills. Most of us agreed that if she had not done that, we would have left her more of a tip, because we happen to be good tippers. Oh well, we know better next time.
(2)Pete C.
This is the place to be in Columbus if you're interested in hanging out with Kirk Herbstreit, if that means anything to you. If it doesn't, all you really need to know about Bar Louie is that it's perceived as the sensible alternative for the madness that unfolds across the street at Gaswerk's and Brother's on a nightly basis. Whether or not this is true is debatable, but from my experience I'd say the times I've spent here have fallen somewhere in the middle. The setup is attractive and roomy enough to keep most anyone coming back again and again, but like anywhere else in the Arena District on a weekend, this place is usually packed. Procuring a table for your group is always a mysterious process that I know little about. I've been told that you're required to order food to do so, but I'm past the point of being able to remember how many times I've seen groups of powerlunch stock broker types and their shiny girlfriends sitting at the tables consuming nothing but Heinekens and Appletinis in spite of this supposed rule. Maybe it's all in my mind. I have no idea. The patio outdoors would be cool if it wasn't for the fact that everyone there chainsmokes cigarettes like they're becoming illegal within the next 10 minutes. Apparently the crowd here never got the memo that smoking was banned indoors for a good reason. The more I think about it, the more cleat it becomes to me that I've never had a very good time here. Although it's the lesser of three evils, the chochkie level here is still much higher than what I normally tolerate. I'd never allow myself to come overtly come here on purpose, but if I somehow get suckered in to making the trip down here in the first place, I suppose it's good to know that Bar Louie offers somewhat of a shelter to shleps like myself either way.
(3)Aaron S.
Much better food then average "bar food" here. The drinks are fairly priced as well as the food. This is more of a bar/resturaunt with a jukebox kinda place but always a good time.
(5)paul k.
was here on 5/5/11 and server lost my credit card while I was trying to pay my bill. While both server and manager were apologetic, and even gave me a 25 dollar gift card, I still ended up paying my bill with another credit card and tipping as usual. Afer the fact it bothers me that there was no attempt to comp my bill for something that while accidential, was clearly the fault of the resturaunt. bar Louie at any location has lost my business over how this was handled.
(1)Heather A.
Definitely a fun-time bar. The patio is great and when I go I usually end up sitting out there so long having such great conversation that I forget that the whole point was to kick start our night there- not start and end it there. Inside, I have waited upwards of 20 minutes to get served on busy nights so that is annoying but no point in getting worked up. The crowd there is always really fun- I have always had luck meeting such nice people/groups there. Overall, this is a good-vibe bar for me. (And yes, I have a list of bad-vibe bars). :)
(3)Megan B.
I am a little surprised by the negative reviews. The atmosphere is great and the lights are dimmed. I have been here for lunch and after work dinner/drinks. The waitress I had both times was awesome. She was super attentive. I got the buffalo chicken flatbread twice. It is really good! I tried my friends mussels and they were absolutely delicious. They make great martinis. I can't wait to try other items on the menu!
(5)Wes P.
Solid "Good" Pros: Ample seating, patio, and bar. Wait staff was friendly and the bartender was very nice. At happy hour, there are half price apps that will sub as a late lunch or early dinner. Decent draft selection including a couple local brews. Cons: ordered trio dip... Wasn't that impressed-- but for $4.50 I got what I paid for.
(3)Holly K.
Every Bar Louie is the same...food is meh...service is meh... Overall, it's an option for something different although, when that close to the North Market...99% of the time the latter wins. The last visit I had here with two coworkers, our waitress seemed totally aloof...or high...(maybe both?). Nothing fancy. If you've been to one, you've been to 'em all. Patio is nice here but I'm not willing to hang out here at night due to being on Douchebag alley. My $.02...
(2)