Winking Lizard Tavern - Columbus

The highlight of the restaurant seems to be the wings, as noted by the large thermometer graphic that indicates sauce spice levels. I went for the spicy BBQ, which was rated fairly high on the scale, but surprisingly, it wasn’t very spicy at all. Someone else mentioned that the spice levels tend to be milder here, so I wasn’t very shocked. Nevertheless, they were tasty! I’m curious about how the spicier options taste, especially since the spicy BBQ was quite mild. I also ordered Pfred's Preferred Pfries—cheese fries topped with bacon—and they were fantastic! Thick and quite filling, I shared them with my friend, and we had a hard time finishing the dish. She had a pulled meat sandwich, which was a special of the day. She couldn’t remember if it was brisket or pork, but I can say it was quite good with a nice sauce. It also came with fries and a large pickle, although she didn’t have room to eat the fries or finish her sandwich. The waiter didn't check in on us as often as I would have liked, though I didn’t need anything, and he seemed quite serious without a smile—perhaps he had a long day or sore feet. Regardless, I really enjoyed the atmosphere here! There are plenty of TVs, so I can imagine it gets lively during game days. The music was also enjoyable, featuring lots of throwback hits from the '80s.

I usually have a great time at this restaurant, but my recent visit was a bit disappointing. They were out of three beers we tried to order, and we weren't informed until after we placed our order, which was frustrating. Based on my previous experiences, I would rate it four stars overall. The prices are typically good, and it's a fun spot to watch games—especially in the summer when you can enjoy outdoor seating and a fire pit. However, this was the second time I've encountered very rude servers here, and we found that they were out of most of the beers we wanted. I'm not sure what's going on with this place.

Winking offers an impressive selection for beer enthusiasts. It's a shame to see this place leave Grandview Ave.

For $19.78 and in 20 minutes I got a pound of nice moderately crispy dripping in grease onion rings (just how you should eat em! with two sides of ranch (they have the good ranch- you all know what I mean . This also included three grilled barbecue chicken breasts (the meal and two sides. I shouldn 't have ordered the breasts charred- they did come charred but more dry than I 'd have liked. Again this was my error not theirs. It came with a nubbin of nicely garlicky cheesy toasted bread which was nice and soft. The Mac n cheese was pretty genuinely cheesy tasting and not an otherworldly neon yellow. The corn salsa side was less of the Texas caviar or corn-dominant salsa I was expecting and was instead a moderately spicy black bean salsa with some roasted corn in it. My bad again. They let you eat popcorn for free from bags popped near the entrance while you wait. I 'm a sucker for snacks. Overall good food- Exactly what I ordered.

I have yet another sports bar slash restaurant that I either like or hate based on my mood at the time. I like that Winking Lizard has a big menu. The food on that menu can be pretty good. It also has some good service when it's not busy. This only will become worse when a big game is on. I think they need to focus more on its service at the bar. It's good enough with the food. The bartender likes to chat with regulars too much. He seems to forget he's being paid to work. The drinks are okay but overpriced. It has some good local beers, but these can be found cheaper at dive bars up the street. A more interesting selection is the Leinenkugel Cranberry Ginger Shandy. The food is pretty good for a sports bar. It has common bar menu items of fried **** and some good healthier choices. There's a spicy black bean burger which is about $10. It's a good size for what they charge for it. The atmosphere depends on when you go. I prefer a more intimate space to watch sports. The volume of the TVs are so loud you need to shout to be heard above these. I would only come here to see a game if brought here. The atmosphere is not so bad if they would control the volume on TVs. Would come back again if they can improve service.