I've been to O'Riley's a couple times & had decent experiences. However, after being called a B*t*ch by a female bartender I will never return to this establishment! We sat at a table, the bartender/waitress came over, took our drink & app. order, asked us if we were ready to order our main meal. We told her were weren't sure just yet & to give us a couple more minutes. App came out in a timely manner, someone else dropped it off at our table. 45 minutes later, she still hadn't come back to ask for our order or get us more drinks. During this time, 2 other tables had come in & were never approached by any bartenders/waitresses. We watched 1 table leave & the other grow more aggravated. Finally my friend went up to the bar & asked our original waitress if we could order & also let her know that there was another table waiting for service. There was zero attitude in our request b/c both of us have worked in service industry & stuff happens. However, She proceeded to throw a hissy fit & then called us B*t*hes! Not only did we hear it but she also said this in front of customers sitting at the bar. We got up, I went up to her and asked for our check, she said I got it & walked away from me. We left. We will not be returning & will make sure that people know about the extremely rude & unwarranted behavior from a staff member. Its a shame that one person can ruin business.
Review Source:When it comes to little hole-in-the-wall type places, you usually sacrifice something. Either the food is really awesome, but the service is rude and short. Or the place is classic, but dirty. None of those things describe O'Reilly's Pub. The bartender was our server. He came out and was extremely friendly. He took care of us as if we were in a fine dining restaurant, actually. The burgers are some of the best hand-packed 1/2 pounders I've ever had. They're served on a soft, perfectly buttery-toasted bun. I got mine with American cheese and ate it with mustard, pickles, and onions (pretty much the way I always get my first one). They don't ask how you want it done, because they don't have to: they cook it perfectly. Served with a kosher pickle and some pub chips, and washed it down with a PBR. What a great lunch.
The conversation around the bar had to do with the recent bombing at the Boston Marathon. Not to generalize, but often in places like this you might get a bunch of small minded people who jump to racially biased conclusions. Not at O'Reilly's. It was all intelligent and well-thought out opinions. Nice.
A pleasant surprise. Â O'Reilly's has a warm atmosphere, a friendly staff, and a good jukebox. Â It's divey, but in a really good way, a bit like Ruckmoor Pub. Â There's a funny low bar and low chairs on wheels. Â There are silly stickers like "I came here to drink and fuck...and I'm almost done drinking." Â Lots of OSU and Ireland crap on the walls, which I'm not particularly into, but they're certainly popular. Â The food looked pretty good for a dive bar. Â Give O'Reilly's a try.
Review Source:I swore I wrote a review ages ago!
O'Reilly's is one of my favorite local pub/dive bars. Mainly for the greasy bar food menu boasting a helluva burger selection - yep, all those reviews you're reading mentioning the burgers, they're that good.
Everything on that perfect-with-beer menu is priced just right and makes you want to come back.
I'd describe it as a dive bar masked as a pub that has great food, is arguably the neighborhood "Cheers" and has been a local favorite for years - many of them.
The patio is delightful, too. Who knew?! I didn't until I enjoyed a cold beer and pepper burger under Saturday sunshine and couldn't help but smile with delight.
I can tell you that the pepper burger is as good as advertised. Â The sweet potato fries are wonderful and have a good flavor to them that I am not sure that I want to drench them in the hot and addictive "crack sauce"
The prices here are pretty reasonable for what you you get. There is a good patio out to the side that in the warmer weather is perfect to enjoy a cold beer with some friends and a burger.
The Burgers are a good size, Â more then enough to eat for a second meal, they hold up pretty good cold as well, not drenched in grease so the bun isn't soggy, but still with a good amount of juiciness.
The Beer selection isn't over the top. Sure fine, If I wanted to have 50 taps I'd go to World of Beers.
Clintonville has an awkward selection of bars, this is most likely my favorite that I've stumbled upon.
This is a cool place. Staff is friendly enough, and the food is awesome. And they always have Sam Adams, which is sometimes a hard find.
Outdoor patio is nice too, with sun-blocking umbrellas. Jukebox is always playing, though sometimes a little loud. The customers are community-minded, and everyone seems happy to see each other there. Table service is quick and the prices are fair. A must-visit.
Out of all the Clintonville options, this one so far is my favorite. I've hit up O'Reillys a few times with friends, and it seems like a pretty decent place to get my drink on. Â A rundown of the basics:
Food- The prices seem reasonable and the sandwich I had was really good. I haven't had a lot else there other than some fries, but I've heard favorable things about the burgers.
Beers- The draft selection isn't too fabulous, if I could change anything it would be this. Bottle selection seemed decent. Prices were about normal, pretty good specials on pitchers.
Layout- It's a bit awkward, the whole place is long and narrow and doesn't have a ton of space. There's a decent patio that I didn't even realize was there at first. It gets crowded fast though, as does the parking. If you can walk or bike instead of trying to park here, I would.
Service- It's been pretty busy the times  I've gone, so sometimes service is a bit slow. It might help if they put another bartender and waiter on staff during busy nights. Other than that, the service is fine. Not always overly friendly but nice enough, seem to joke around with the customers, definitely better than Patrick J's down the street.
Everything else- There's parking out front but not a ton of it, so come early if you want to park. Bathrooms were fairly gross and smelly, but it's a bar so that's not new, just be prepared for that. Crowd is decently friendly, though it's always a bit different when I head there so I don't know how many regulars they have.
Overall, not "OMG BEST BAR EVER" but it's a pretty solid place and so far it's beating the Clintonville competition. Thumbs up, O'Reilly's. I'll be back.
DEREK: I believe T decided to call O'Reilly's the best bar burger in the states. We loved the burgers here and had a good time listening to the jukebox.
DEREK: O' Reilly's pepper burger was outstanding and they definitely don't skimp on the pepper corns. The burgers do come out medium well to well done, but they are still very good. The sweet tater fries were equally good, but the sauce they are served with will remind you of cocktail sauce. T was kind enough to let them know they should switch to a more friendly horseradish sauce. So what did you think about the onion rings Troy? How was your best bar burger in the states?
DEREK: Guns and Roses "Rocket Queen" was jamming on the jukebox when T asked to sample some of the bar peanuts offered at O'Reillys. You talk about hitting the jackpot when you didn't even know you pulled the handle!!! Wow these peanuts were awesome good and we didn't even know they were spicy.
DEREK: Overall O'Reillys really ex ceded any expectations I had going in. If T is done listening to "Dirty Diana" he may chime in and let us know how he liked it. I think Troy may be a product of the 80's.
ORIGINAL REVIEW [5/5]
I am not a big fan of burgers....till now. I am hooked.
THE FOOD
The best burger I have ever had anywhere...period. These are a bit too large at 1/2 lbs each, and load on the topping for a hard to hold sandwich. But that does not bother me. The meat was moist and juicy, yet fully cooked. There is a small selection of burgers, about $7.50 each. The sweet potato fries were also very good.
Only the selection of beer sucked, they need to step up their game here.
ATMOSPHERE
Lively, friendly, neighbourhood pub. The decor has not been gentrified or updated in a long time, but that is part of this place's charm. I like it.
SERVICE
Very friendly. But at dinner time on a friday night expect something of a wait.
**************************************************Â*******************************
UPDATE - June 10, 2012, downgraded to 4/5
On this visit we tried a few new things. The Fish and Chips for one, and they are very good indeed.
The Jerk burger, was not all that great a recipe. Perhaps there is a reason why the Jamaicans traditionally used Jerk seasonings on pork and chicken only - it does not work all that well with beef. Also, this was a dry Jerk powder sprinkled over the cooked patty. I'd at least have expected the meat to be marinated with a proper Jerk sauce well before cooking for this to get any serious consideration from me.
The Pepper burger was very good. Whole peppercorns crusted onto the patty, giving the classic black pepper and beef combination an intense twist that worked very well.
The house salad was mediocre, an afterthought really.
However, my biggest complaint on this trip was that the burgers were perhaps a bit overcooked, and were a bit dry on the inside. On the first trip they were outstanding - moist on the inside, without being bloody or too greasy. Obviously, consistency is not a strong suit in the kitchen. I would only rate this meal a 4 and not a 5.
The beer selection still sucks.
So, O'Reilly's is my neighborhood pub. It's a 20 feet from my house and is rarely so busy that there isn't anywhere to sit. They have Yuengling on tap (hipsters) as well as a couple decent IPA's.
Pros: Pretty good pub food. Somewhat eccentric staff (although Tom has been like a father to me). Good prices. A Touchtunes jukebox; which is great because you can download the app and the play "All the Single Ladies" without anyone knowing. Hypothetically, of course.
Cons: One of the guys who works there is always wearing a shirt with some reference to anal sex. Also, my biggest complaint: the booths. For one, they have these goddamn ass grooves. I have an ass about 3/4 the size of a normal person and I can't find a comfortable place to seat myself. If you have a normal or large ass you'll be fine. And when you're sitting back-to-back with a person in the next booth the seat sort-of rocks back and forth. It's kinda annoying.
Overall, great place.
Fast and friendly service. Inexpensive food (meals are $10). Easy to find with easy parking. Full bar.
The food was pretty good. I had the pepper burger which was ok and the cheese fries were good and covered in real cheese (not the scary nacho cheese goo). The booths need some serious refurbishment and the entire place could use a steam clean and paint job- it has a smoky odor that the indoor smoking ban has not taken care of.
I don't think I would jump up and down if I was going here again for dinner but I wouldn't fight it either. It was fine.
This is my favorite bar in Clintonville. Simple, dive-y, but good. Completely decent pub food at completely decent prices, with really very good prices on (most) drinks. (Watch out, they have randomly priced a couple of liquors very high for no apparent reason.) The place is down to earth, friendly bartenders and not a snobby clientele. And they don't play music so loud that you can't talk, so it's a good place to go for drinks and conversation.
Review Source:The service is great. I feel like Norm from "Cheers" they all know my name and have my drink in hand as soon as I walk in. Lovely patio to smoke on or just relax. There Is a TV outside as well. The food is excellent. I recommend the fish sandwich. My carnivorous friends tell me the pepper burger is to die for.
Review Source:Wait, what? I haven't reviewed this place yet...shame on me!
We've been going to O'Reilly's for awhile ever since we moved to Clintonville four years ago. Our first experience was over winter break, so the OSU college crowd was gone and it was pretty quiet. None the less, we were smitten with the pieced together pub look and genuine local flavor. Upon entering we told Tommy, a bar icon, that it was our first time visiting and he immediately said, "welcome home!"
Now that school is back, the place can get pretty slammed, but we don't mind because the staff stays cool and will eventually get to you with a smile. The food is awesome! Our fav picks: fish and chips that are to die for, and a big italian sub that will leave you feeling full. Not to mention, the prices are great.
They also have specials almost every night. My husband and I went last night and I could not refuse the special: grilled cheese with tomato soup. I also ordered a side of sweet potato fries, which you should not miss out on. I won't lie, the soup and sandwich combo was not an adventurous meal but I also won't lie an say I don't love a super-buttery grilled cheese made with plain-old American cheese and tomato soup from a can. This may seem a monstrosity to some but it was comforting  and delicious. I love all kinds of "fancy" cheeses but as far as grilled cheese goes, it's American for me every time!
I digress...
To sum up:
The good: great food, a friendly chatty crowd, cool bartenders (sometimes you have let them warm up to you), and one of them new-fangled digimatized juke boxes with a decent selection
The bad: gets insanely busy on some game days and holidays (ESPECIALLY St. Paddy's day which is standing room only by 8pm), don't go with your heart set on one single item on the menu if you're going late at night...once they're out, they're out
There's probably more I could say but that's plenty of good stuff to convince you to go if you haven't, no?
This place has great burgers and their buffalo chicken tenders are amazing as well. Â The bartenders are nice and treat everyone like a regular. Â It's a nice place to have a bite to eat and a beer, and it's also a nice place to go to get drunk and meet new people. Â Highly recommended.
Review Source:This place is super casual. Â You could probably roll in in your pajamas. Â The bar staff is "good surly" not, asshole surly. Â The drinks are jammin', the food is above par bar food (sandwich-wise). Â Nice little patio for getting right on, right on. Â I like the reuben very much. Â I also hear their dinner/lunch specials are of special note. Â Eat/Drink here if you're a Clintonvillian.
Review Source:Local bar, clintonville, sells only beer and alcohol. NOT TRUE, theres a wide variety of delish-ness going on in that back kitchen. My entire Fadley side if the family swears by there burgers, and until I had one I thought they were crazy. I kinda try to avoid the red meat, BUT if your looking for a good ole' burger with bells and whistles without the  "gourmet" stuff this is your place. Not truffle oils, and arugula going on these burgers. I've tried a few but the pepper-pepper jack is so yummy, tons of fresh ground peppercorns, mushrooms, and pepperjack cheese, and I know I'm a weirdo I get my beef well done, and idk what they do to these burgers, maybe it's the love they put in them? But def makes me ask myself, " why don't you eat beef more often? " try it, you won't be disappointed. :)
Review Source:I love O' Reillys Pub. Â It is the real deal. Â I never have a bad experience. Â I love the food here. Â The grilled chicken sandwich is great. Â The wings are huge! Â The subs. Amazing! Â Best sweet potato fries in town! The real reason to go though is their BURGERS! Â I had the Jerk Burger w the Sweet Potato Fries the other day w a pint of Bass on the Patio. Â It was a perfect sunday lunch. Â Just writing this is making me hungry. Â Great place to be!
Review Source:If it weren't for friends, I'd probably have ignored O'Reilly's.
One of many bars on High St. in the strip between Clintonville and the Short North, the fairly plain exterior next to a mini-strip of takeout, tobacco, and an Asian Grocery doesn't do much to attract the eye.
It's very much a "neighborhood" bar - if you live nearby, you know and love it. If you don't, they're just as happy that you leave room for more regulars. Built on a long "U" shape with the somewhat sunken bar, you'll want to grab a seat or a table and figure out what you're interested in. Pitchers are cheap, and the staff is happy to refill them, but the supply of liquor behind the bar is surprisingly robust if you'd like a shot or two to chase down.
If you're in the mood to eat, they offer plenty of standard bar favorites and a good array of subs and sandwiches, but the hands down winner is their burgers - thick, juicy, and probably taking 5 years off my life, but who cares? Â
The pepper burger, featuring a spicy pepper mix worked into the patty along with thick cut bacon, is probably their "star", but I also like the subtle heat of their Jerk burger as well. The standard chips and dipping sauce that come with a burger or sandwhich aren't bad, but spring the $2 for the sweet potato fries - they're fantastic, delicious and warm without being overly sweet or underspiced the way a lot of places in town do them.
When you're ready to go, head for the bar - you'll be rung up there. Don't be surprised if the bartenders know you on sight after a couple of visits - it's that kind of place.
When I walk in this place, I feel like I'm in a small town locals bar somewhere.
I don't go here to drink, and sometimes the crowd freaks me out a bit, BUT THEY HAVE THE BEST BURGERS IN TOWN. They are way better than thurmans and way cheaper. The service is usually pretty decent too.
Their burgers will not dissapoint.
This place is fine. Â It's a normal bar, very cramped, normal prices. Â I'm not terribly enthusiastic about it, or it's across-the-street Clintonville neighbor, Patrick J's, but when I want to go to a bar that's within walking distance, I'd probably pick here over there. Â
Actually, it depends: in the summer, I'd pick Patrick J's, because its patio is awesome. In the winter, I'd pick O'Reilly's. Â It's a little bit cozier, and it feels nice to snuggle into a booth with a Guinness and watch a football or hockey game on television. Â
I wouldn't say the prices are great -- I've never had the food -- but the beer prices not bad. Â I suppose the bar is a bit divey, which would suggest cheaper beers, but there's not a lot of bar options in Clintonville. Â So, yeah, it's ok. Â Seating can be trouble, and the dart board is totally lame.
I'll start by saying that O'Reilly's is my favorite bar in Columbus, and if it was up to me, it would be the only bar that I drink at. Â Here's why.
The price is right. Last night my lady and I had three shots of Jack, a Bass, and a PBR for $14.50.
The pours are huge. Liquor shots seem to hover around the double shot range. Even more if you end up with a heavy pour. Most bang for the buck in Columbus, as far as I know.
The food is great and cheap to boot. Â Sure, it's bar food, but the wings are spot on, every time, with delicious blue cheese. The fries, both sweet potato and traditional, are cheap, you get a ton of them, never overdone, and they come with some kind of mayonnaise that is seriously addictive. I can't get enough. Â These are my staples, but I also had a bite of one of their burgers one time, and it was super juicy, large, and expertly seasoned.
THEY HAVE THE BEST JUKE BOX IN THE CITY. Â Last night, they were playing Zeppelin as I walked in. Â I put my dollar in and played a Van Morrison tune and followed it up with The Band after a short internal debate that led me to decide that Van and Jim Morrison didn't make sense back to back, Vans Morrison and Halen would be outright schizophrenic, and to play Van Morrison next to Neil Young would put the two geniuses too close to each other. Â Luckily, someone else in the room had apparently seen The Last Waltz, and played Young immediately after The Band. Â This kind of thing happens all the time at O'Reilly's. Â Also, the juke has a couple albums full of Irish drinking songs, which are always appreciated.
The people are awesome. Â You might run into any combination of middle-agers, urban hillbillies, heavy metalers, woodpushers, DND nerds, OSU fans, or real honest-to-goodness Irishmen, but there is never (excepting St. Patty's day) an unsufferable amount of any of them, and all of these groups become 100% tolerable when everyone collectively realizes that they are in the best bar in Columbus.
Hands down.
Just had to say, I finally tried the pepper burger, and it's out of control amazing! Definitely recommend it, along with my all time favourite, the fried bologna sandwich (don't judge!).
O'Reilly's is uber amazing. To quote a friend of mine who recently joined us there for the first time, "it's a magical oasis in Clintonville." The End.
O'Reilly's is the bar geographically closest to my house. Â It has some downsides, such as: Â Poor selection of tap beers. Â Service is often either slow or impatient. Â Frequent problems with getting TVs on the right sports channels with the volume on. Â
On the other hand . . . Â Good pepper burger. Â Good mushroom and onion burger. Â Good burgers in general. Â Good wings. Â Generous shots. Â Fun crowd. Â Parking lot. Â Ziploc "to go" bag of pickles available upon request (long story there). Â Reliably free of nonsense. Â Reliably reliable.
For some reason I have been putting off this review but the time has come so here it goes....
I have been venturing to O'Reilly's for a while now and have always enjoyed myself. The layout is a bit strange but you get use to being in a long narrow(ish) room. Â The beers are priced well and it always seems like the food was as well. The bartenders have always been very friendly to me and the groups I have been with (it helps when you hang out with Melanie B who is a regular)
Last night was the first time I ordered food and was very impressed with my grilled cheese and fries. Last night was also a milestone in my bar life, I don't know how I hadn't noticed this before. O'REILLY'S HAS BOARD GAMES! Which turned a one pitcher chill Monday night into a three pitcher intense night of Jenga. We started with Trivial Pursuit but that was a much so we opted for Jenga instead, which Jenga on a tiled bar table is a challenge in itself.
Even if O'Reilly's wasn't so incredibly close I would make the journey to this bar even more so now after learning the things I learned last night.
All in all I think it is very safe to say this. O'Reilly's, I love you!
When I lived around the corner, O'Reilly's was my local. My new place is still only a few minutes away so I've spent many a night at this place. The bartenders always remember you and are quick to offer a snide comment or two (but i like this).
People are not lying about the Pepper Burger. If you want to wait 2hrs at Thurman while "Man vs. Food" guy pumps up the crowd, go ahead. At O'Reilly's they have delicious, reasonably-priced fare. Their wings are also a must, some of the best in town.
The clientele are about 80% townies and 20% grad students who are slumming it, and I try not to come here on weekends because it's too crowded. But I couldn't ask for more in a neighborhood bar.
I came here to meet up with some friends (Melanie B included, who talks about this place like she owns it!) and got here a little early, so I went to grab a drink at the bar. The first thing that made me happy was that instead of barstools, there are low, comfy office chair. Fantastic - just what I need, a bar where I can get TOO comfortable and stick around too long :) The bartender was super sweet. Friends arrive, so we moved to a table (ended up carrying an additional table halfway across the bar to accommodate our party size - no one seemed to mind us rearranging the place.) Â Good neighborhood bar.
+ A constant stream of happy sounds from the jukebox
+ An enclosed patio with a heatlamp for schmokin'
- Not a very good draft selection, but
+ An acceptable bottle selection
I had the burger. It tasted good. It was well prepared (medium-well as I asked) although a little too greasy (grease running off the burger and soaking through the bun) but good flavor. The sweet potato fries were fried and flavorless by themselves but the dipping was spicy and addictive and lead to me eating more fries than I would have otherwise. My plastic cup of Guinness was bad, a bad pour? rusty tap lines? not sure what but a flat skunky Guinness is about the grossest beer in the world.
I've worked in enough kitchens and bars to know that food environments can't  be totally sterile. I like dives. Just because it is a dive bar doesn't mean that it shouldn't be clean.
The table was sticky and filthy before and after being cleaned by our very cool nice-as-hell waiter. Everything was a little too dirty and a little too sticky. The bathroom was nasty like Bernie's-on-a-sold-out-all-ages-show-night nasty. Maybe I'm too old. Maybe it's better at night. Maybe I liked it 10 years ago but not now. My stomach was queasy afterwards and still upset the next morning. Too gross out to eat there again. Oh, O'Reilly's.
When I lived on North Campus my roommate and I would go here all the time, they have really tasty food and a great beer selection at good prices.
We usually chose a booth, but the sunken bar is wonderful if for some reason you find yourself alone, the bartenders are always pleasant and even would give us money to put in the jukebox from time to time. The jukebox is awesome, the last time I was there they still had the flip selection jukebox, I hope they still do, I hate the digital jukeboxes, I feel like I might as well just bring my iPod if I am going to type it into a computer.
O'Reilly's is even a good date spot, well at least in my humble opinion. It's not too loud and has enough people watching so if your conversation dies you can find something to talk about.
After driving by the place at least twice a day for five years, I decided to round up a posse one lazy Tuesday evening and what was the what with this Clintonville pub-cum-dive bar. It ended up being part of the subset of dive bars that are my absolute favorite-: the wood-paneled basement dive. What's weirder about the place is that when you walk in, the bar is actually lower than where you normally stand to order a drink. I'm sure that if I was a bartender there I would get incredibly tired of having people with superiority complexes waltzing in there and ordering drinks from me like I was their errant nephew of 4 feet, but I'm sure everyone gets over the novelty of it after a visit or two. The bar has pretty close quarters, but there's a decent amount of tables and booths lining the one wall that are great for hanging out and ordering food at.
Speaking of food, it's not too bad here considering how dumpy the place looks. I decided not to get too risky with any kind of fried chicken products (who knows how long they get left in the fryer at places like this) and stuck with a bacon cheeseburger instead. I've never had my socks knocked off by a cheeseburger before, but this burger was pretty damn good. I had a bowl of brown grease on my plate after I was finished, but I really could care less about that considering what actually went in to my body.
Whiskey shots here are pretty cheap, which always makes for an adventurous evening of fun and carnage. I ordered two rounds of shots for the three of us, that burger, and a couple draft light beers for a total tab of around $25, which seems more than reasonable to me. The best thing about O'Reilly's is the completely random collection of people that hang out here. It was hard to determine who was a bona-fide regular amongst us tourists from campus, but they treated everyone with equal ambivalence that made me feel  like I'd found a new home. A home where I can sit and pound whiskey until the sun goes down and no one would bother me after I crashed in the booth. Like I said, my kind of place!
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