“Dive In” is Laura’s ongoing exploration of Columbus’ best dive bars.
I find something incredibly satisfying and calming about enjoying a slab of pizza and a pile of tater tots on a styrofoam plate after a shit day of work. Washing the grease dipped in ranch down with a tall beer makes it even better. These are just a few of the reasons why I absolutely adore The Pointe Tavern.
I grew up in a town where the bars were our restaurants and real silverware was for jerks. The Pointe Tavern reminds me of home. One of my favorite parts of Columbus is the diversity it offers in places to forget about long days; high-end, pricey-but-worth-it mixology can entertain me one night and simple, perfect PBRs will be the ideal respite for the next. From its drop ceilings to its year-round Christmas lights, The Pointe Tavern just feels like home to me.
Gentlemen loudly argue over the ninth hole of golden tee, people of all ages enjoy the pool tables, which I believe are free on Mondays, and drinkers revel in everything from cheap pitchers of macrobrews to quality but inexpensive pints of local craft beer. Hoop Fever greets you at the front door almost as soon as one of the several friendly bartenders offers you a drink. While it seems as if everyone at The Pointe already knows each other, folks are ready to quickly welcome a new friend to the pack. The kitchen serves Grandad’s Pizza and I find it difficult to leave without getting at least one pile of delicious tater tots served with a side sour cream, ranch and marinara sauce, and as a dips enthusiast I find the happy willingness to offer me all three refreshing.
Friendly bar-goers of all ages enjoy the closed off world of The Pointe, which sits in a small strip mall on 33 among a disc golf shop and a Subway franchise with few reminders of the outside world. The jukebox plays jams of all eras and quality, and our most recent visit featured TLC’s Creep followed by Nightmare on my Street by DJ Jazzy Jeff and THE Fresh Prince of Bel-Air. People slyly play One Direction from their iPhone apps to punish their friends while the bro-ier of the crowd loudly, but playfully boos the secret song bomber.
Do you want all the bombs? Great, cuz The Pointe’s got em. Cherry, jaeger, fruit loop, whatever. Want every ridiculous flavored vodka dreamt up by the crack team from Pinnacle’s research and development department? Done. Here’s your glazed donut vodka soda you weirdo. Does your dad want a shitty light beer and you want Bell’s? Awesome, The Pointe’s got the whole gamut on tap, in bottles and in cans. Basically The Pointe Tavern is a delightful spot that satisfies drinkers of all ages, quality and style. It may be the belly of pizza and Two Hearted talking, but if you don’t like The Pointe Tavern, I don’t like you.
Our most recent visit to The Pointe featured a raucous game of Hoop Fever that may or may not have involved someone laughing and falling down, and while this might be a cause for concern at some places, folks happily maintained their Keno cards and pull tabs without any worry for our loud group having too much fun. The large bars many formica tables are perfect for groups of all sizes, and folks from all walks of life seem to call The Pointe home every night of the week. Plenty of televisions punctuate the walls and the center of the large U-shaped bar to make it an ideal place to watch whatever game is on your agenda, but the fun music offers a nice distraction if curling happens to bore you. Several projection screens offer larger viewings of the more important sporting events, such as the Pro Bowl. (Just kidding, the Pro Bowl’s dumb.)
The Pointe Tavern is a great place for any mood. Sink into the evening after a long day among wood-paneled walls with a crappy can of beer. Or start a fun Saturday night with a great beer in hand and ridiculous jams on the hotly contested jukebox in the corner. It doesn’t really matter what your goals for the evening are. If you enjoy general mirth and merriment, The Pointe Tavern is a great destination.
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It’s so nice to read such a positive review of the Pointe! Thanks! My friend and I were the bartenders that evening (in the photo) and we really love the place.