Nightlife in Columbus

Fans of battered appetizers will appreciate Mudflats' expansive selection. Dunk fried pickle chips into vats of ranch ($5.49), or try the potato skins ($6.99), full loaded with melted cheddar, crispy bacon, and sour cream. For those preferring a lighter bite, opt for a signature salad such as the Sunburst ($9.99), a fresh and fruity favorite with baby spinach, fruit, feta, red onion, nut brittle, and homemade cinnamon Tabasco vinaigrette. You'll also find a sizable list of sandwiches and burgers.

See You Thursday is a winsome Chicago-style troupe of quick-witted improv artists highly experienced at taking the squishy gray clay of the everyday and whittling it into hilarious pieces of glazed and kilned laughter-vases. Over the course of an hour, SYT will perform a wide array of characters subject to audience-suggested themes without a single page of script paper, as everything said and done is an invention of the moment thanks to off-the-cuff comedic wizardry from fast minds and a shared telepathic improvisational energy shared between all of the company members.

At The Lazy Chameleon, chefs bring out the best in fresh seafood with tropical flourishes: they serve back-fin crab cakes with creole mustard, for instance, and drizzle cilantro-lime sauce over blackened tilapia. The environs are similarly subtropical, with hanging fishnets and verdant plants enlivening the dining room. In keeping with the jovial atmosphere, guests can try out experimental dance moves to the beat of live music four nights a week or feel the adrenaline rush that accompanies winning a card game at euchre night on Tuesday.

BBR Columbus encourages merrymaking with three bars sprawled across 5,000 square feet, contemporary American comfort fare, and 20 beers on tap in a lively, rock 'n' roll–inspired atmosphere. Chefs infuse the menu's fleet of small plates, wood-fired flatbreads, and gourmet burgers with fresh, local ingredients whenever they're available or materialize in the chef's magic hat. Bartenders stationed behind fully stocked bars unleash craft brews from taps while mixing cocktails with such eclectic liquors as blue curacao and cucumber vodka. Black-and-white photos of famous rock stars gaze down upon revelers gathered amidst cushy orange booths and exposed-brick walls, and more than 25 flat-screen TVs imbue the space with a glow as high-definition as a dictionary written by an abstract poet. Live music occasionally replaces a regularly featured DJ, who furnishes dancers with a suitable soundtrack for rhythmic strolls to the roomy patio.