Flatiron Bar & Diner

This place has great ambience, great service, and a good draft list. All of the food we had was amazing, and so well priced. I got the «small plate» is mussels for $ 12 that was enough for 2! The cheese board and pimento cheese apps were delicious (get toast with the pimento instead of chips), and the charcuterie was excellent as well. The boards were around $ 12, and the pimento dip was only $ 4! 3 apps and 3 drinks for 2 was $ 37 with tip. Not only is the food great, but the prices are very reasonable for the downtown /​short north area. Plus, a short walk back to the bars of the short north and the arena! Would highly recommend! They take call-​in reservations, no open table, but we had no problem getting a table short notice.

Just fabulous food and atmosphere and better service than most places in Columbus and surrounding areas.

The bartender was very friendly and informed. I had a burger, crudite, and kettle chips at happy hour. All were great. Definitely, a repeat. Limited draft selection, but quality pours. Had numerous single malts if that is to your liking.

So here is an update after my last visit to Flatiron:
I finally was able to come back and try the muffuletta. It was a little smaller than I expected, but the size did not disappoint! It was delicious! The bread had a good tear to it and was substantial enough to keep the oil from the olive salad from absorbing into everything. Additionally, I got the sweet & hot fries which are ALWAYS good. I love the cheese on top and the occasional hot flake that sneaks its way onto my pallet.
Our server (tall dude, blondish hair, can’t remember his name), was really great. He was friendly and not overly in your face the whole time. His timing with refills was perfect and just really made my lunch experience great. I think the only thing that keeps this from being a 5-​star update is that my friend and I were seated at the front tip of the restaurant and it was really drafty from that door.
I will probably continue to go to flatiron just to get the pulled pork and muffuletta, but after reading some other reviews, I might have to venture out and try other things (like the fried chicken), in the future.

stopped in (1^st time) on my way into the Arnold Classic at the convention center across the street. Parking in be back makes it really convenient. Bar tender was awesome. Honestly just ordered 2 patron sprites but hey we’re made really well and he def. made them strong. Even tho I didn’t get food he was really informative and knowledgable about the items on the menu and specials going on at the time. Really good atmosphere for a date or business meeting or just grabbing a bite with friends and/​or family. Definitely recommend!!!

I love dining here! The food is so delicious and well constructed without being pretentious. We’ve been here for birthdays and nights out with friends a few times. There is a $ 25 deal for 3 small plates or snacks. Between everyone at the tables, we probably ordered everything. The name «small plates» is deceiving because most of them are quite hearty and filling.
I got the meatballs, mussels, cheese plate, and Mac and cheese… Yes I over ordered, don’t judge me. I couldn’t resist, everything is so delicious and I figured it would travel well for leftovers. The baked Mac and cheese cannot be missed, as far as Mac and cheese goes it cannot be beat! The mussels are exceptionally large, maybe the largest I’ve ever seen, and they are served in a bacon and beer broth. Don’t be afraid to drink it out of the bowl, it’s that good — we understand. They serve it with bread and fries, each serve as alternate vehicles for broth consumption.
The meatballs are fist sized and smothered in a thick and rich tomato sauce. They’re fabulous. The cheese plate is a great addition with a scrumptious selection of Merlot, sharp and soft cheddars, crostini, and pickled vegetables. I’m a sucker for a good cheese plate.
I think the chef, Matt Heaganns, is incredibly talented. My friends have been following his career and I’ve enjoyed his food when he used to work at Hey Hey as well. The service and drinks were also great. I’d recommend it to anyone and I’m looking forward to going again.

I’ve eaten at the Flat Iron many years ago and thought I would return and I wasn’t disappointed. As I sat at the bar, Jackie told me she could make a Sazarac which is my favorite drink, she was more than help she was incredible. Even though she substituted Absinthe with Pernod, the flavors of my drink were there, I had two. As for dinner, Flat Iron has a unique selection of «Small Plates, Jackie recommended the meatballs w/​marinara & the Sweet Potato gnocchi, I kept the gnocchi but chose the crap cakes with the Arugula/​Jicama slaw which gave me a nice salad to go along with my meal. My overall experience once again at Flat Iron was a huge success and will once again find myself walking the mile from my office to eat there.

Disguised as a humble whiskey bar/​pub, Flatiron Bar & Diner offers a quieter atmosphere — especially when compared to the hustle & bustle of the North Market. Small location with a full bar. Decent food quality, but lacks variety. The number of options can be let go as a negative, but the price cannot be. I had the Flatiron salad, a friend had crab cakes & my girlfriend received the seafood soup (cannot remember the name exactly). We were charged $ 15+ for each dish. It’s worth noting that the seafood soup was specially ordered to be just broth & were were charged the full amount, despite being told we wouldn’t be. 8 ounces of too-​tangy broth. $ 15. That left a sour taste in my mouth.
It also felt like the bar staff didn’t want to be there. That, or they didn’t want us being there. The folks behind the bar just seemed grumpy all around. However, our waitress was very nice & accommodating to our surgeon-​ordered meal request. Major props to her for the patience.
Next year, I think we’ll just stick with the food court.

Good place to have a casual dinner. I’ve eaten here a couple times and have been happy each time. Pulled pork is really good.

Of the places I forget about.
With so many great eats in town it is hard to visit them all. Like having too many friends and forgetting about some and losing touch. Then one day you are reminded you haven’t seen so-​and-​so in many months. That’s Flat Iron to me. I saw a review on the feed, was reminded, came back first chance I got.
The menu has changed since last I supped here. It’s southern interpretation was great before, but I have to give them two thumbs up for the change. They went trendy-​foody upscale but still maintained their Southern BBQ influence.
It is in the tall narrow building that cuts into Red Roof Inn’s parking lot like an island. The structure is old and eye-​catching, looking much like a tower wrangled lose from a larger Italianate. The inside is typical upscale shininess, staff in white and black behind a long chevron shaped bar, quint two seater tables out, and a spotless dining room with more seating to the back. In the summer time the patio is fun.
Being extra technical as some of us are, don’t be fooled by the word diner in the name. That’s a bit of PoMo misnomerism. It’s a gastropub. The chef work right behind the bar and is often interactive.
They still offer a pulled pork platter at supper time. Though I didn’t order it this trip, and it may have change since with the new menu, I will hardily suggest it. It is good, and though I will order pulled pork at various places that is decent, there is no other place I have been in Columbus I would call «good».(* – see note.) But this pork is approximate to places I’ve known traveling the south. (** — another note.) The pulled pork sandwich on the lunch menu is as like.
I was in a beef mood so I ordered the Flatiron Salad with a juicy medium rare Cajan Petit Sirloin. Boy was it good. Zesty roasted red pepper and zucchini, tomato canfit and faro went perfectly with gorgonzola butter and a total awesome balsamic vinegar sauce. Even disregarding the scrumptious fillet, it was the best salad I had this year.
If you like creative riffs on Southern food, this place won’t disappoint.
*Ray Ray is out of this world, therefore not in Columbus.
**I don’t really search for Pulled Pork in town, so I haven’t been everywhere. Consider the source.

Until I went here a little while ago, I had never heard of this place! It’s very small but I really liked the building and the layout of the restaurant. They have a bar area up front with a full bar and tables and you are able to order off of the entire menu. The back of the restaurant is their more formal dining area which looked very cozy. You are able to watch the chef’s cook from their kitchen in the middle of the restaurant which I thought was kind of cool as well.
We ordered a side of the fried green onions which were basically onion rings in the form of sticks. Good flavor but green onions might not be the best idea since they are really stringy and hard to cut or bite into without eating the entire thing in one bite. Their ranch was pink from the beet juice but it tasted like straight up ranch and was really good.
For dinner I ordered the Pastrami which came out deconstructed with the meat in a nice little bowl with the broth and on a cutting board there was an assortment of breads, veggies and mustard. The pastrami was thick cut and tasted like it may have been smoked a little? Whatever they did to this was amazing. I have never had thick cut pastrami before but I seriously want more of it! It was juicy and had so much flavor I ate all of it wishing there was more! Everything that was paired with it was great as well. The veggies were mostly pickled which I happen to love and the mustard and bread went really well with the rest of the meal. On that dish alone I would give this place five stars.
The boyfriend ordered the Cornish Hen which came fried in a basket. I thought it was pretty good but it wasn’t anywhere near as mind blowing as the Pastrami. He ate as much of my meal as I would let him :) As a side we got the green beans. Usually when I am out I want bad sides not veggie sides. But I figured we might as well try it and keep it somewhat healthy. When these came out we quickly realized these were probably not the most healthy since they were smothered in brisket and butter. I started eating them like they were candy, I couldn’t stop. These are the best green beans I have had and would never hesitate to order them again!
I am not sure how often they change up their menu but from what the server said the chef likes to experiment. I really want to come back and have the Pastrami again so I hope he leaves that on the menu! But I’m sure I’ll enjoy anything this guy creates though, he certainly has some skill!

Meh. I’ve heard such great things about the «new» Flatiron and was excited to eat here before the BJ’s game. Everyone was very friendly, but we had literally 4 different people waiting on us throughout the hour we were there. Either they were all available to help us at once, each coming by and asking the exact same questions, or they were nowhere to be found and our drink glasses were sitting empty. I asked three different people for water which was served to every other table upon arrival and finally got it after our entrees were served. Overall the food was good. We ordered the fried oysters as an app. They cost $ 12 and the plate had 4 fried oysters on it. What a freaking rip off. Your oysters should not be more expensive than The Pearl. The Lobster Roll was overly mayonaissey (if this isn’t a word, you know what I mean). The Muffuletta was good. Not a big draft list, but extensive bottled/​canned beer list. I’d come here again before a BJ’s game or another event at the Arena because it’s convenient, not too crowded, and takes reservations, but I gave it a try and prob not rushing back anytime soon.

First off, this restaurant is in one of the coolest looking buildings in town in my opinion. I love the brick and I love how it comes down to a narrow point toward 4^th St. The patio looked great, but it was pouring when we went, so we ended up sitting inside in the bar area. Our server was nice, but I’d have to motion him over to the table if we wanted anything even though there was only one other table in the area. Not a big deal, but I wonder how it would be if it was busy. It was a Friday night, so I guess this was as busy as it gets.
What I can say about Flatiron is that it seems like the chef is really trying to do a lot of new or innovative takes on old favorites. Some of those didn’t really hit the mark, but some of them were blown right out of the park, so I like the ambition. Also, the menu online isn’t completely up to date, so don’t be surprised if something you see isn’t on the menu in the restaurant.
We started off with the House Funyun which were fried green onions. It came with a beet ranch that was pink, but it tasted like a regular ranch to me. The onions were good, but I’m not sure that green onions really work being fried, since you can’t really take a bite out of it without grabbing the entire onion out of the batter. It’s really hard to cut through them with your teeth. Oh well, I guess just stuff it all in at once.
For dinner, I went with the Flatiron Bucket, and my girlfriend did the pastrami platter. I had heard a lot about this bucket, so I was pretty excited. It was a whole game hen which is two breasts and two drums with some hot sauce on top. While not on par with a certain other fried chicken restaurant in town, it was pretty good, but I think it could have used more hot sauce or something. I got the Cajun fries with it, and those were good as well, but nothing really blew me away.
The real winner here was my girlfriend’s pastrami board. It’s thick cut pastrami, which I don’t remember having before, on a board with breads, pickled veggies, and mustard. We made some open faced sandwiches with it and agreed it was absolutely incredible. The pastrami is so tender and just falls apart in your mouth. I want to know where I can get some pastrami like that or how to make my own, because I would eat that shit everyday.
ALMOST FORGOT! We ordered a side of the green beans on a whim, since my meal came with an extra side. These were the best damn green beans I’ve ever had. They comes with pieces of the pulled pork, and the smokiness brought back a nostalgia of outdoor barbeques and everything great. Get these! I didn’t know green beans could make me so happy.
It turns out this place is less than 5 minutes from my new apartment, so I’m sure I’ll be here again. There were a few other items on the menu that peaked my interest, like the pulled pork, and it seems like the chef will change the menu up some. My advice is if you see something smoked on the menu, try it, because this guy knows what he’s doing in that department.

I love the new Flatiron!
A few months ago, the owner and chef hired a new co-​chef, Matt Heaggans from Swoop!, and I knew right then things were about to get interesting. Not that there was anything wrong with the old Flatiron — it was good comfort food. But Swoop! was known for their creative and delicious menu, so I figured things could only get better.
My friends and I were looking for a dinner spot tonight, so we scurried over to Flatiron to try out the new menu.
The interior is the same: dark, cozy, and gorgeous. I absolutely love this historic building. There’s also a small patio that looks like a good time — you know — when it’s not the month of rain we’ve had here lately.
Our server was lovely! She was super friendly and helpful, and she was genuinely excited about the food here. (You know that’s a good sign.) She was never intrusive but checked on us frequently and kept our drinks filled. In fact, we had three different people check in with us tonight, and everybody was really stellar. (I even think one of them was Chef Matt… heyyyy.)
For our food, here’s the lowdown:
–Charcuterie: This was more like the one at Wolf’s Ridge (with pates, terrines, and such) rather than the simpler ones with different smoked meats and cheeses. I prefer the latter, but that’s just me. My friends scarfed it down and enjoyed it.
–Crudités: This was the SLAM. A small jar, bursting with freshly-​pickled beets, turnips, carrots, cabbage, and more — we wolfed this down.
–Pulled pork platter: This was my dish, and I really enjoyed it. The pork was tender and flavorful, and the accompanying barbeque sauce was vinegary perfection — just the way I like it. I did not love the slaw that came on the side; it kinda tasted like nothing. The fries, however, were skinny and crisp and delicious.
–Pickle-​brined fried chicken: One friend ordered this, and y’all — IT’S A BUCKET OF FRIED CHICKEN. This particular friend really knows good food, and she loved the chicken. Don’t be afraid of the pickle brine; that makes some of the best fried chicken ever.
–Pastrami board: The Mister ordered this one, and I stole a bite. The pastrami was thick, warm, and juicy… it was perfect. Keith is a pastrami snob, and he loved it too. He also complimented the house-​made mustard that came with it.
–Salted butterscotch pudding: Oh, man. The three of us split this dessert special, and it was phenomenal. The pudding itself was super rich and complex, and then on top was a pillow of whipped cream and a few shavings of salt. Salty desserts are my jam! (In this case, my pudding.)
What I was most impressed with was their care and attention for my wheat thing. On their online menu, they have asterisks beside many of the dishes that are (or can be made) gluten free. I can’t tell you how comforting it is when a restaurant cares about what could potentially leave me sick in the bed for days. Our server double-​checked each dish for me tonight, and it truly put me at ease and made me enjoy my dinner even more.
When it was all said and done (and eaten), each of us only paid about $ 35 for two split appetizers, a shared bottle of wine (Sexual Chocolate FTW!), an entrée, and a dessert. For that price point and such incredible quality of food, how could I not give Flatiron 5 stars?
Pro tip: After 5pm, there’s free parking in the back! Try finding *that* at other downtown spots.

One of the coolest spots in all of Columbus, I love the atmosphere here and the food matches it well. The Gumbo is fantastic and the bread pudding is worth coming down here for alone!

The good:
Very friendly staff. I was impressed with everyone’s kind attitude & relaxed demeanor.
The not so good:
I can’t sugarcoat it, the food was not good. My gf & I ordered pulled pork. It came with fries, pickles, & coleslaw. It all certainly looked delicious, and really, the fries & pickles were the best part. The coleslaw had good texture, but zero flavor. Zero. The pork was tender, but flavorless. The two sauces we tried (sweet — Carolina) were disgusting. Carolina was made with mustard, & that’s exactly what it tasted like — squirting a bottle of mustard in my mouth. The sweet sauce wasn’t sweet at all. It was very very bitter & tart.
The music was very weird & unpleasant for us, but that’s purely subjective of course.
There was a party out on the patio, & a chef & others must have walked past us 20 times — very annoying.
In the end we were very disappointed & sad to have paid what we paid for that. As we were walking out, we observed some burgers on other tables that looked amazing. Guess we chose wrong, but aren’t aching to come back probably ever again.

Awesome unique restaurant. Eat outside for sure! Delicious smoked smell inside and out!
Unique twist on some traditional foods! Service was great! Make sure to check out the happy hour drink specials as well!
Remember when everything is house made there might be some items sold out! It doesn’t just come out of the freezer! But don’t worry plenty of Meir choices!

This will be the 2^nd review I’ve written for Flatiron. A lot has changed over the last 6 months, so I felt it was necessary.
The waiter informed us that there were several «changes» made in attempts to try and modernize the place a bit. At first I thought he was simply talking about the menu, but I also noticed there were no dinner specials offered to us, nor was there a cocktail menu on the table as there always had been ever since I started coming here in the 90’s. I have no problem when a place makes changes to a menu, but about 90% of the items from the menu from about 6 months ago were no longer on it. I tend to subscribe to the belief that «If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it». Having said that, the entrée items seem to have been replaced with more «casual» easy-​to-​eat bar fare.
THE FOOD:
How could they get rid of the Carolina pulled pork sandwich? It used to be a staple on the menu, which went through minor changes over the years but this sandwich has always remained on it… until now. Pulled pork was still on the menu, but not in sandwich form. It was a «platter», which consisted of a mound of pulled pork, fries, a cup of cabbage slaw and another cup of barbeque sauce. There was really no contrast of texture on the plate. The fries, pork and slaw were all pretty dry. The barbecue sauce was sweet and a little smoky. While decent, it tasted fairly generic in comparison to the tangy, smoky Carolina sauce that was no longer on the menu. The person I was with said his chicken wings (that were served in a small metal bucket) were actually very good.
THE SERVICE:
Our waiter was pretty attentive, but the service seemed a lot more «relaxed» than it used to be. The servers used to wear aprons, I believe, and you could tell who worked there and who didn’t. Now the servers just wore regular street clothes and were even eating and drinking beer at one of the tables. I personally don’t really have an issue with it, but it seemed a bit unprofessional.
THE WRAP-​UP:
The quality of food (at least what I ate) was not as good as it used to be, and unfortunately, Flatiron no longer feels like a place I’d go out of my way for to enjoy a nice meal. I hope they at least refine the menu a bit and bring back some of the tasty tried-​and-​true entrees. A more casual, relaxed atmosphere with typical bar fare can be nice, but there are tons of other places in Columbus that cater to that demographic. Flatiron used to stand out from the rest of the pub/​restaurants, so I would think it wouldn’t be in their best interest to blend in with the rest of the bunch.

This place has been on my radar for a long, long time, and for various reasons I just never quite made it here. I’m very glad I did, though, after a great lunch yesterday.
First of all, the building is incredible. I’m glad it is being preserved and utilized, and I should have taken more exterior pictures; I just assumed Unilocalers would already have that covered. Walking up I noticed a good smell and, yep, that’s a smoker out back, always a good sign. There is a small patio for nicer days. It’s just as cool inside as out, and the walls are also lined with pix of flatiron buildings in other cities.
It has a slightly swanky vibe, but not snobbily so– I showed up in jeans and a casual shirt and fit right in. Of course, I went around 2 in the afternoon and had the place pretty much to myself; the dinner crowd might be fancier. But I felt welcomed, and service was great.
So… a place that serves barbecue and Cajun? You knew I had to try it eventually. And I went straight to the ribs: ribs and sausage over greens. The ribs were very good– meaty, savory, a little smoky, with a nice sauce that wasn’t dripping off; more of glaze, really. Not the best in town, but darn good. Also on that «small plate» was a link of smoked sausage, seared on a grill. Again, not the best I’ve had but pretty good. All the protein sat on some pretty tasty greens, enough to almost fool me into thinking I would get enough vitamins and fiber for the day. There was a touch of heat to the greens.
There was also a little fire in the «sweet hot» fries I got, but not enough for me. They were basically nice crispy fries, with a bit of seasoning and some good shredded cheese. The fries were big enough to share, and I wasn’t able to finish them.
Great food, classy but not stuffy atmosphere, excellent service, cool location– I had a great experience from start to finish and will definitely be back.

I visited the Flatiron for Happy Hour on a Friday afternoon. There was plenty of seating available at the bar. The bartender was a no-​nonsense older gentleman, not very friendly but efficient. I ordered the Happy Hour pomegranate martini and the szechuan wings and caesar salad. My cocktail arrived, which was less than a full glass, which was a bit disappointing. The salad and wings arrived a short time later. The salad was pretty good, the dressing was VERY garlicky and the salad was topped with polenta croutons, which added a nice touch. The wings were quite what I expected, the szechuan flavoring was bit odd and the wings should have been cleaned a bit more, prior to cooking, there were some odd strands/​parts hanging from each piece. Happy Hour prices were pretty cheap and I would return, but this wouldn’t be my go-​to place.