Bodega

smithm1970

Ohio

5/5  rDev +20.5%
vibe: 5 | quality: 5 | service: 5 | selection: 5 | food: 5 | $

Bodega's is my favorite place to drink beer in Columbus. The selection, value, atmosphere, and service all make this place the 'go to' beer bar in Columbus.

Bodega's gets beers that no one else in Ohio gets..the beer is always fresh, and Colin and his crew take great pains to make certain that customers get the beer fresh and served at the right temperature.

How can you fault a place with the best selection, the best prices, and the best atmosphere?

I highly recommend Bodega's as a place where you won't be disappointed in your experience anytime you are fortunate enough to visit.

06-01-2011 03:08:18 | More by smithm1970

Zasty

Austria

4.88/5  rDev +17.6%
vibe: 4 | quality: 5 | service: 5 | selection: 5 | $$

They just installed 40 new taps bring their selection up to 50 beers on draft. In terms of selection their only completion in Columbus would be Bob's Bar, but they mainly carry bottles, or Surely Girl which has about 20 on tap I believe. The waitress was real nice and let us try a couple before selecting. I won't even try to list them all. we had these....
Ruination 5$
Avery Czar 5$
Dragon's Milk 5$
Dog fish 4.50$
Red Hook long hammer 4$ or 4.5$
so the prices are pretty good.
some guys came in and did shots of all 50 beers for 28 dollars, ummm if that's your thing

06-22-2007 03:09:14 | More by Zasty

QuickTruck

Pennsylvania

4.88/5  rDev +17.6%
vibe: 4 | quality: 5 | service: 5 | selection: 5 | $$

This place is FANTASTIC!! Got there late in the evening, after the happy-hour crowd. First there was a wait for a table, then 2 stools opened at the bar. First impression... HOLY TAPS! Browsed the 5-page menu.... blown away. Nothing main stream, and over a dozen stouts and porters. Started with a Young's Double Chocolate, and went from there. A friend who always ridiculed me for drinking dark stuff tasted it, and fell in love with stouts. I honestly don't remember the other 6 i drank. Anything labeled dark, i was willing to try.

The service was great, though the crowd was thinning quite a bit as we stayed. Never waited more than 2 minutes with an empty glass. The bartender was VERY knowledgeable, and his recommendations were spot on.

Prices were good as well, mostly $5 - $7 a pint. Considering they were all micros or imports.... not bad. Would love to have been there for the 1/2 price happy hour, but staggering back to the hotel was bad enough!

If i get back to Columbus, DEFINITELY going back to Bodega!!

03-15-2010 04:38:53 | More by QuickTruck

apasternak

Ohio

4.81/5  rDev +15.9%
vibe: 5 | quality: 5 | service: 4.25 | selection: 5 | food: 5 | $$

Walked in late one Saturday night when bar hopping around the Short North. I was with a roommate and my girlfriend, and we found a table right away. I split a bottle of Chimay Red with my roommate, which was fantastic as always, though a little pricey. We ordered food, which considering this was towards the end of our crawl, was much needed. The nachos were excellent and the spinach dip was also good, despite my general dislike for the dish. Good food, good atmosphere and good booze. It was a good time.

04-04-2013 17:51:41 | More by apasternak

Yetiman420

Ohio

4.78/5  rDev +15.2%
vibe: 4.5 | quality: 5 | service: 4.5 | selection: 5 | food: 4.5 | $

A co-worker and I cut out of our conference at the convention center at 4:00 to get to Bodega before the happy hour rush. We sat down at the last open table at 4:20 and the place was standing room only from there on out...and this was on Monday.

The beer selection is pretty much as good as you can get for high quality micros. I tried to stick with lower ABV session beers and went with Souther Tier Eurotrash Pils ($2.50), Weasel Boy Scotch Ale ($2.25), and Brooklyn Maple Porter ($2.75).

My buddy, who can not drink, had the plate of thee fish tacos for $9. I had one and it was very tasty. Lots of other tempting small plates on the menu.

Yes, I did a double take and made some verbal proclamation about $2 craft beers. It is too good to be true.

I didn't pay much attention to the hipster element. Had a seat by the window and a table of cute college girls next to us. No need to focus on hip dudes.

The server was efficient and thorough to the point she went back to the bar to get me a note from the bar of what was no longer and now on tap.

I met some other Columbus beer people during my visit to town and they rolled their eyes and complained about how crowded it gets at Bodega. If you plan to get there early, it's a great destination at the best value I've found in my extensive beer travels.

02-17-2012 02:59:39 | More by Yetiman420

adamette

Ohio

4.58/5  rDev +10.4%
vibe: 4 | quality: 4.5 | service: 4.5 | selection: 5 | $$

Returned from this place a few hours ago. Discovered it here on BA. Thanks for the reference!

As I parked across the street and walked toward this place I saw about 6 outdoor tables and this day it was 65 degrees out and sunny. Just about all 24 seats were taken and I was pleased to see (I was waiting for traffic to thin out before I reached it) that everyone appeared to have a different glass of some beer and that someone appeared to have a golden goblet of some kind. Well traffic thinned, I finished crossing the street and the "golden goblet" turned out to be a gold rimmed Stella Artois glass. Still very cool to see the proper glassware. I walked in to find lots of wood. The bar, the floor and several chairs were wood and many of the items were not "finished" but kind of a rustic wood look. I pulled up a black leather (I think that it is leather) bar stool and perused the menu. I recall New Holland Tulip, a Belgian Tripel I had not previously heard of, A Magic Hat Selection that I had not heard of before and even some local Columbus beers (an IPA if memory serves). There was a chalkboard with staff recommendations but many of those appeared to be from the extensive bottle list. The bartender was welcoming and informative, giving me plenty of time when I asked for it. I had arrived at about 4 15 pm and the happy hour there was written on a board outside as "half price beer 4 to 8 pm" so things were just getting underway I am sure. I did not have any food so no rating of that (I do not know if they even HAVE food to be honest but I do seem to recall now a kitchen?).

Notes: This is a real BA place, like a small Brick Store or even a Bier Markt in Cleveland. I will be back, that is for sure!

05-03-2009 02:35:00 | More by adamette

DoubleSimcoe

New York

4.55/5  rDev +9.6%
vibe: 4.5 | quality: 5 | service: 4 | selection: 5 | food: 3.5 | $$$

*A little re-reviewing here... knocking down the service rating a little and up the food*

BODEGA! Best beer bar in Columbus, Ohio, the entire Midwest. Entering Bodega makes me giddy with excitement... what kind of rare craft taps will they be offering this time? Always something amazing!

I've visited my share of beer bars around the US and nothing comes close to Bodega (The Ginger Man in my native New York does have more taps, but somehow I still like the Bodega selections better).

You probably have read all those negative reviews of Bodega- bad service, an attitude, too many hipsters, way crowded... when I went there for the first time, I was afraid. But I've been to Bodega several times now and have never ever had an issue with service, attitude or annoying hipsters. :-) I think the crowd is really eclectic and makes for great people-watching.

The atmosphere is superb, cozy and inviting, a little loud but not too much, nice tables. I could easily spend hours there if I lived nearby! Service is always smooth, prompt and so perfectly nice. My wife and I felt like regulars after one or two visits!

The negative is that it does crowded, particularly during their happy hour (understandably). But if you don't mind paying full price, come later on and the crowd thins out.

Bodega doesn't get a perfect 5 from me because of the food (just average pub food, nothing great) and the price (a little pricey- I know the beers are rare, but still, this is Columbus, shouldn't charge $8 for a pint!).

Oh, some cask beers would be great too. I don't think they have any.

I would love Bodega to get a new, imaginative menu and move the place to a higher level. Maybe some tuna or beef tartare, kobe sliders, some cool appetizers.

But hey, we're here for the beer! Bodega rules Columbus.

10-07-2010 02:48:24 | More by DoubleSimcoe

Applesauce1

Virginia

4.45/5  rDev +7.2%
vibe: 3 | quality: 4.5 | service: 4.5 | selection: 5 | $$

I've been to Bodega on many occasions while hanging out in the Short North / Victorian Village area. I've only been here during summer, and during those months, there's always people hanging out at the tables in the front along the sidewalk. Pretty much a local crowd here. Seems to me the indie-hipster crowd likes to come here. I'm not one to care a great deal about my appearance when I go out for a beer, but that's just me. Anyhow, the beer selection here is incredible. Stone, Great Lakes, Rogue, Southern Tier, some belgians, and the list goes on and on as far the taps. I never even looked at the bottle selection. People that work here seem nice also and you never have to wait a long time for a beer. Prices seemed ok to for the type of beer you're getting. Overall, a good place to go if you're in Columbus.

03-18-2008 21:51:22 | More by Applesauce1

nrbw23

Ohio

4.44/5  rDev +7%
vibe: 4 | quality: 4.5 | service: 4.5 | selection: 4.5 | $$

Pretty nice both inside and out. The bar is lined with taps didn't count them but probably close to 50.

A very nice happy hour and the entire place was jammed pack with people. Great selection and prices were very reasonable. Two of the bar keeps talked to us for a while when they had time. They both seemed farily knowledgable about the brews they had and let us sample a couple.

Pretty cool place will go back again some time. The only problem could be hunting down a parking place.

We stopped in for happy hour which runs from 4 to 8 and was half off on all taps.

05-20-2008 21:59:56 | More by nrbw23

jimbus

Ohio

4.35/5  rDev +4.8%
vibe: 4 | quality: 5 | service: 3 | selection: 5 | food: 4.5 | $$

One of my favorite places in Columbus to grab some food and a couple beers. They have a ridiculous amount of beers on tap - some odd 50 or so, and they are changed out weekly, even daily. I usually ask if they have anything new in and most times, there is something on tap that hasn't been updated on the beer list yet. I was in last Monday and had a Green Flash Imperial IPA, a Breckenridge Small Batch 471, a Thirsty Dog Hoppus Maximus, and I sampled a Brew Kettle Old 21 Imperial IPA...quite the selection if you ask me! Also on tap was Yeti Imperial Stout, Youngs Double Chocolate, and too many others to count.

The food is pretty good too. I usually get the Blue Chips which are nachos covered with melted bleu cheese and bacon, and on Mondays they have $1 grilled cheese sandwiches served with kettle chips and a pickle.

The time to go is definitely happy hour 4-8pm for half price drafts. ITS GREAT. The crowd is definitely influenced by the Short North/Hipster crowd...not intending to offend anyone, I just don't know how else to describe it, but the vibe is always good. Service is sometimes slow, but only because it can get so hectic and overcrowded. If you want a more quiet, laid back visit, go early and don't go on Monday.

Overall, a very unique spot. Don't miss it if you're in town!

06-02-2010 00:28:02 | More by jimbus