One of the coolest hidden gems in Columbus. In an alley adorn with art and fire escapes. Super small interior but that adds to its charm. My cajun chicken sandwich was fantastic and service was super friendly and fast. It's the oldest restaurant in Columbus!

We came her for burgers and that’s what is best there! We had the “Cajun” burger and we loved it. Meat was very high quality and flavorful. All the other ingredients were fresh and contributed to a great burger. Place is very characteristic and old. It looks traditional and different compared to the modern places. I could imagine a lot of people not liking it… but you come here for the burger and this is surely one of the best in the city.

Adrian bought the Ringside Cafe twelve years or so ago, after having achieved decades of restaurant experience right here in Columbus. And this is the Ringside Cafe, a small one story free standing brick built in 1897 on the intersection of two back alleys, a one minute walk from Broad and High, downtown Columbus. The motif and menu are all about the history of professional boxing and the decor will intrigue and delight even the lightweight. I ordered the Ali, a 3/4 pound patty with lettuce, tomato, raw red onion and cheddar. Dill pickle slab and onion ring on top as garnish. Adrian, what makes your hamburgers taste so good ? "We grill the meat over lava rocks and use 80/20 Angus beef. When the fat drips down onto the rocks, the steam and smoke coming up really add to the texture and flavor." It was a great lunch. Probably the best hamburger I've had. Few hamburgers in town have that delicious backyard smokey flame grilled flavor like the ones from the Ringside Cafe Pearl Alley Downtown Columbus Ohio

This was my first visit here. I was excited about the good reviews. I was disappointed when I ordered a mixed drink and received it with several fruit flies. The assumed owner/ manager replaced with with another drink only to have several more fruit flies in it! All I got was a “sorry”..I will say the food was VERY good. Portions and taste were amazing. However I felt the situation was poorly handled. I should have received a complimentary glass of wine or small discount on our entire meal. I understand the restaurant business and things happen.. but this was inexcusable. Although the food was good. My dining experience was not. We will likely not be back.

It is packed with small seating and limited wait space. You may be waiting outside so plan accordingly. Service was a little slow but not too long. The burgers themselves were worth the wait. Very juicy, right amount of toppings so you can actually hold it, and nicely seasoned. Fries were great too. Would definitely come back.

Cozy atmosphere, giant burgers, and creepy basement bathroom - it's fantastic! Good food (Canjun burger, old school burger, the massive buster burger, and Ali burger), cozy kind of hole in the wall with great service!

This is a hidden gem of a restaurant with really good burgers. It is small so if they are busy it might have longer waits for your food. I encourage anyone visiting Columbus to make their way to this alley and have a burger and homemade potato chips.

Such a cool little slice of history, and I love to sit outside in the little alley in the middle of downtown. One of the best burgers you will find anywhere, but we tried the veggie burger the other day and it was THE BEST veggie burger I have ever eaten. It's made on-site with fresh vegetables, legumes, and mushrooms and was HUGE 🤤. I'm not a big meat eater, but I will come back once a week to eat that veggie burger. The onion rings, french fries, and coleslaw are also fresh and delicious. This place never disappoints.

Great place for lunch. Burgers were great, fries equally as good, and so were the onion rings! I visit Columbus a lot and will go back here. Our waitress was absolutely great as well! It is a small place takes a bit of luck for a table immediately but worth it if you have to wait a bit!

Due to construction outside, the entry to Ringside can be a bit tough to negotiate. Well, it is worth the hassle. The Ohio TuesDayTrips Crew came here at the recommendation of our Statehouse Tour Guide. We were able to be seated quickly even though the seating is limited. The service was outstanding! We never lacked for attention and it was given cheerfully. The decor is boxing related with some interesting stain glass windows. Ringside is known for their burgers and they did not disappoint us. We ordered the half-pound burgers of various design with the house chips. The burgers were juicy and delicious. The chips had mixed reviews as the ladies aren’t fans of dark chips. The guys liked them though. We would return here in a heartbeat for a burger.

Absolutely spectacular. I called ahead earlier this week to coordinate a large group for a birthday. We had a great time and everyone loved their food. This place is by far the best burger in Columbus. Their onion rings are superb. The only couple downsides - small place so they sometimes turn tables away. Only two people working tonight-just hustled all night. We go back every opportunity we have! Highly recommend!

This is probably top 3 worst burgers I've ever had from a restaurant. This 28 dollar burger was ordered medium. Instead what I received was overcooked patties that were excessively charred to the point of being unbearably pungent. Also noteworthy is the cheeses and sauces that are supposed to be on the burgers that were hardly noticable. What was noticeable, however, was the obnoxious amount of slaw that they topped the burger with. And not that it's within the control of this restaurant, but the location of the establishment is hardly accessible. It is literally located in an alley. Unless you enjoy spending money to ruin your own day, I wouldn't recommend going here.

Beautiful hole in the wall with some of the best food you will ever have. Simple menu. Outside seating, yet still a cozy interior if your looking to avoid the crowds. I highly recommend

This is one of the best burger joints. Finding it is half the fun and you’ll find it tucked away in and alley. It’s very cozy and has a very old school vibe. The burgers are the best and many cool boxing themed variations. I was told during prohibition there was an underground tunnel from the state house to the basement where the high rollers would sneak through for a forbidden drink.

OMGEEEEEE! BEST BURGER & FRIES IN TOWN! Super cool atmosphere & got to watch the Crew WIN! A++ // 5 ☆☆☆☆☆

Yum! Little hole in the wall bar that serves great burgers and fries. Definitely worth the extra few bucks to switch out the chips for fries. Will be back.

Originally saw this in Tiktok a video made by a patron. Interested in all things historic,we tried it out for lunch!! So unique and delicious we loved it. I had the Smokey Joe BBQ burger and it was cooked to order (medium rare) and all around fun and delicious experience! Will eat here again!!!

This hidden downtown relic is a gem! Only shorting on stars, as they had a limited menu the night I visited. The atmosphere is similar to walking into an old pub, with carved wooden benches and awesome stained glass windows. Really good burgers!

Definitely top 3 best burgers in Columbus. Huge burgers too so a great place if you’re really hungry. Worth the prices for how much food you get and the overall quality/freshness is excellent.

The hamburger was great and the fries were fresh. I ordered bacon on the burger but didn't receive it. I didn't realize it until I was almost finished. I didn't mention it to the waiter because that was a damn good burger. It is a dark dive bar, but totally worth it.

Delicious burger and amazing fries. Sitting on the patio was pretty nice. I'm sure it's even better once the construction is over.

I always look forward to the next time I get a fried Ruben from Ringside. It is amazing. It is beautiful. Everyone should try it at least once. Or, in my case, many, many times. Also, I love the chill atmosphere.

Food and service were amazing! I had a basic burger and fries. The fries were home made and all the ingredients tasted fresh! If I ever come back to town I’ll stop here

I go here once a week and somehow the food is always better than the last time. This is the oldest operating bar and restaurant in Columbus, and the owner clearly understands and values that history. Places like this are what makes a city and gives it character. If you are in the area, make a point to go here.

Now been to this hidden gem twice and left happy each visit. I love little, old taverns that have good burgers, fries, and beer, and Ringside is it. It’s quaint. It’s small. The service and food prep is just right. Very friendly place. Kind of feels like you’re going to walk into Mick’s from the Rocky movies. Dark, not loud, and always been able to get a table quickly.

I went yesterday for a burger with two coworkers. This was my second time visiting after I was turned onto the place from Alton Brown’s post about it. This is the best burger I have ever eaten. Also, genuine service…our server was great and the girl on the grill even thanked us for coming in while we were walking out. This place is a gem. Thank you.

Was in town for business and a colleague told me to try this place and I’m so glad he did! Had the “Old School” burger. It was big, it was messy and most importantly it was AMAZING! The fries were really good too. Will definitely return next time I’m in town. Service was great too!

One of the best burgers i have ever eaten…

Great place to eat some quality beef! Over the years they have never let me down

Awesome place! I haven’t been here for about four years but I’m sure glad I went back! The food is delicious and the atmosphere is amazing! I’m definitely going back. This place definitely deserves a look for anyone who wants great food and good people!

Best house potato chips in town. Burgers were incredible.

Don’t listen to the bad reviews. They are wrong. Cajun burger pink on the inside and full of flavor. Great staff. Cool place. You know you love dive bars, come to a GREAT dive bar.

My favorite little "secret" spot downtown!! The ambiance can't be beat. The restrooms (at least the women's) is super adorable. Weird to say, but true! Even the seating is cool. I LOVE telling people about this place. Oh, and the Oscar is my favorite for sure.

The location is pretty sketchy, but I was excited because it looked like the kind of place that’s a hidden gem with some of the best food in Columbus. The server was nice and I liked the atmosphere inside. But I came for the burger, so let’s talk about that. They cook their burgers to death. Ask for medium? Medium well? Well done? Well they only cook their burgers one way: you’re getting scorched-earth. To their credit, the toppings and bun and the burger had enough flavor that I still ate the whole thing. I didn’t feel great afterwards, and I think I ate enough carcinogens to max out my lifetime tolerance lol. Their fries are also completely over cooked. I like well-done fries, but the ends of most fries were blackened and inedible. I’m not sure if a past review showing undercooked Burgers spooked the cook, but the food would be great if they didn’t scorch the food. For context, we ordered 3 of the same meal and they all came out the same. I’d give it another chance but it seems to be common with other reviews, so that might just be the way they’re cooked here.

One of my fave burgers of all time. The use this old seasoned flame grill and grill their buns. It's one of, if not the oldest bar in Columbus. It's an old boxing bar hence the name Ringside. Don't let the bad reviews fool you. Yeah its in an alley, but that's because everything grew around it over the years. I used to eat here on my breaks while working at Mitchell's Steakhouse and I like Ringside burgers much better. Give it a try if you're into living your best life.

Probably the best burger I've had in recent memory, really good service and fair prices. Love the atmosphere, but it's kind of hard to find in the alley and get parking. I hope this place stays around for a long time especially since it started in the 1800s! If those walls could talk..

This place is amazing. You got the history, the boxing, the great warm and welcoming people, you got the great food, great prices. Put it altogether and you get this amazing historic special restaurant. You get the chance never pass this place up

Excellent burgers! Very nice quality, variety, and size. Onion rings and house chips were great too, and prices are very affordable, especially for 1/2 burgers!