The Pint Room in Dublin

People often ask me “Pappy, after a long day of working at the cash for gold store where do you go to unwind?” My answer is always the same – The Topiary Park. Something about shrubs shaped like people fascinates me. This particular day however I chose to forego the splendor that is The Topiary Park and visit The Pint Room in Dublin (not to be confused with The Pint House in the Short North.)

Here are a few reason why I may be switching my after work hangout to The Pint Room.

The Beer Selection

What The Pint Room lacks in human shaped shrubbery it makes up for with a vast and diverse selection of beer. I was especially impressed with its selection of Ohio beers. Most of the time when perusing the Ohio selection at a bar you’re left with a choice between nine different flavors of Great Lakes and Columbus IPA thrown in for good measure. At The Pint Room you can choose beer from Brew Kettle, Fat Head’s, Weasel Boy and several other Ohio breweries I had no idea existed – a full 25 taps are dedicated to local brew.

Ultimately if you can’t find a beer you like out of 101 choices you’re probably the kind of person who sends a steak back to the kitchen for being medium when you ordered medium well. There was no pleasing you to begin with.

The Hours

Unlike The Topiary Park, The Pint Room is open after sunset. As an added bonus you are less likely to be mugged or arrested for trespassing if you happen to be at The Pint Room after sunset.

The Food

It’s always been difficult to get a good meal at The Topiary Park. First you have to catch your own squirrels, then you have to skin them, then you have to start a fire and cook them. All of which is difficult to do amid shocked gasps and the screams of children. Rest assured it’s much easier to get a meal at The Pint Room. First someone comes to your table, then you order your food, then they bring it to you. All for a moderate price. It’s that easy.

Of all the items on the menu their burgers seem to be the way to go. I wasn’t brave enough to try their P-B-B & J which includes peanut butter, strawberry jam, strawberries, and bacon but I have heard good things. The Oscar also sounds intriguing. Crab meat, asparagus and hollandaise sauce on a burger? I’m not sure I can lift my pinky high enough to eat that. No, I opted for the Hangover Burger. It’s too hard for me to resist a burger with a fried egg, bacon and a hash brown.

As a word to the wise get the onion rings. I consider myself an onion ring connoisseur, so trust me when I say these are the best onion rings I have had. Ever. If Jesus were alive today he would wholeheartedly endorse The Pint Room’s onion rings. They’re that good.

The Ambiance

Nothing says high society like Georges Seurat’s A Sunday Afternoon in plant form. But sometimes I yearn for the simpler things. Like a beer, a burger and a television to watch whatever sporting event is important at the moment. This is what The Pint Room delivers.

Imagine going to a sports bar. Now imagine they have great, interesting beer on tap. Now imagine it has good food. Now imagine the moron next to you isn’t yelling at the T.V. and spilling beer all over you because some guy on the T.V missed a free throw. You my friend just imagined yourself at The Pint Room.

It’s hard for me to classify The Pint Room as a sports bar but with the abundance of televisions showing sports it’s hard not to. It’s Hal & Al’s meets BW-3’s. A good place to get a beer and a burger with friends to the backdrop of sports as opposed to a place to watch sports with the backdrop of a beer, a burger and friends.

The lure of the Topiary Park is great but I have to say I may no longer be going there to unwind. Which is OK. After my last squirrel dinner I’m fairly certain I’ve been banned for life anyway.

If you’re looking for a pointillist masterpiece rendered in foliage check out The Topiary Park. If you’re looking for great beer, delicious burgers and a place to hangout with friends check out The Pint Room. I’d go with The Pint Room. And get the onion rings.

The Pint Room is located at 4415 West Dublin Granville Rd.

This is a guest post by John “Pappy” Venturella. Writer, geologist, and Cash for Gold extraordinaire. He enjoys beer if it’s cheap and martinis if they’re dry. On the weekend he likes to chew bubblegum and kick ass, but frequently runs out of bubblegum.