Restaurants in Columbus

Practice the sublime art of sandwich eating with today's Groupon to J.S. Reutz Café: $5 gets you $10 worth of comforting cafe fare. Located in the John H. Boner Community Center, this charming lunch spot serves high-quality Boar's Head meats and cheeses and Charlotte's Bakery bread every Monday through Friday from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Let sweeping brushstrokes of pesto and architectural stacks of cheese adorn your internal art gallery at J.S. Reutz Café.The Breakfast Club: Director’s Cut: The lost director’s cut of this unforgettable musing on high-school stereotypes adds a cosmic perspective when the nerdish Brian (Anthony Michael Hall) falls off a desk during horseplay. Reaching out to correct himself, he tears a hole in the fabric of reality through which the cleansing light of heaven pours. The teens are trapped, not in detention, but in purgatory.

For years, the almighty sandwich has protected innumerable forks and knives from boiling-hot dishwashers, and Ricci's vast menu honors this tradition with a host of bread-busting deli sandwiches (starting at $4.79), including meaty mainstays such as corned beef, turkey, and roast beef. Geometrical gourmets can also indulge affinities for circular comestibles with a half-pound burger ($7.99) or fulfill sensitive sides with the tenderloin ($7.99), which is available breaded, grilled, or encased in bronze.

Operated by Earth House Collective—a group of activists and artists dedicated to bolstering the local and global communities with culture and wellness—Earth House's cafe ensures that every wholesome meal on its menu is vegetarian. The shop incorporates many locally acquired and organic ingredients, and most dishes are vegan or gluten-free to ensure healthy, guilt-free digestion. Sup on a savory vegan Sonoma Salad sandwich, tossed with crispy baked tofu, red grapes, toasted pecans, and a creamy poppy-seed dressing ($4), or opt for a vegan and gluten-free mango black-bean pizza with a spicy and exotic poblano-pepper and sweet-potato accent ($4/slice). The cafe's 12-ounce, all-organic coffees are locally roasted by Bjava Coffee and are always ground and french-pressed to order, ensuring a neatly folded and more flavorful brew, with some sediment. Cafe connoisseurs can slurp the sweet, floral notes of the Guatemala roast ($2.50), the light fruitiness of the Ethiopian roast ($2.95), or the soft sweetness of the decaf Peru roast, which, like gazing at the stars or drawing the solar system with a tube of toothpaste, can be enjoyed at night ($2.95).

Michael's Southshore stands in a strip mall near Geist Reservoir rather than on a shore. But it's the ambience and menu of "surprisingly creative yet approachable American favorites" inside that make it “a destination restaurant … for which city folk might actually drive out to the suburbs,” writes Indianapolis Monthly’s Terry Kirts. Many dishes hinge on familiar grill and steakhouse flavors upgraded by creative flourishes, sourced from regional produce whenever possible. Prime-rib burgers are crowned with pancetta for a combo meaty enough to serve at a wolf's birthday party; similiarly, chefs dress mushroom-encrusted lamb chops with a lamb-infused demi sauce. Lighter dishes include grilled pizzas and housemade ravioli stuffed with ricotta, artichokes, and spinach.

In Michael's bar and dining room, guests can turn their attention to the game or their party with equal ease: High-definition TVs glow from the corners and above a commanding stone fireplace, but a secluded atmosphere ensconces booths surrounded by frosted glass imprinted with shore grass. Polished metal surfaces impart a modern sheen, and a spacious, covered patio makes outdoor dining comfortable in any weather.

The historical brick building that houses Janko's Little Zagreb, once a reputed 1940s brothel, now beckons in a much more respectable clientele with its cheerful red awning and brightly lit dining room. Large cushy booths enclose red-checkered tables, while IU football and basketball posters speckle the walls. Tables have a clear view of two open grills, which sizzle with menu items including thick, succulent USDA Choice steaks, seafood, and more. An extensive wine list and locally made beer from Upland Brewing Company wash down entrees as IU fans dish out endless Hoosier puns, such as “Hoosier daddy?” and “Hoosier favorite Disney princess?”

At Teddy's Burger Joint, cooks form beef patties by hand, grill them over open flames, and garnish them with fresh ingredients. It's a simple, three-step process that yields juicy burgers at a reliable tempo. The piping-hot burgers come in various configurations, whether topped with bacon or loaded up with nacho cheese, jalapeños, and chopped tomatoes and then stuffed into a piñata. For a fuller meal, the burgers can sidle up to french fries or thick-cut onion rings as well as soda or local beers. Hot dogs, griddled sandwiches, and ample desserts round out the menu.