Carabar

I've been here a few times - a long time ago, to more recently, always because of a band that was playing. I can't recall the first time I went, or who it was with, but the most recent was the Downtrodn show-holy hell, I love this place.

From the bartenders leading me to a great drink choice, to their great service, no matter the crowd or the noise, the awesome clientele and the great sound for such a tiny venue. Plain and simple, it rocked.

Oh, they may be "tragically hip" but I've never been hassled by the regulars at Carabar like some other "tragically hipper" divy-er bars, for not fitting the "un-official" dress code or appearance or sneer.

Carabar rocks.

If you're looking for a bar with a bunch of pretentious "hipsters" then Carabar is your place. Went there over the weekend since we were in that neck of the woods and can say without a shadow of a doubt that I will never be back.

Don't forget to wear your flannel, skinny jeans and beanie if you want to feel at all welcome and/or get service from the bar...

The only reason I created a Yelp account was to give this place a 5-star review. I was at the Main St. Gospel show a couple weekends ago and was blown away by the bar staff. They were swamped, but that didn't slow them down. The amount of hustle they put into getting everybody their drinks in a timely fashion, not to mention that my bartender actually remembered the beer that I was drinking despite serving dozens of other people, puts the bar staff above and beyond most of what Columbus has to offer. The bartenders would have been enough to warrant a five-star review, but the beer selection's fantastic, the murals inside the bar are awesome, and all their shows are free. Hands down one of my favorite places in Columbus.