Want to support local restaurants? Curious about new openings or under-the-radar finds? Here are five restaurants I’m suggesting you try this month!
1. CM Chicken
You’re probably sick of me talking about CM Chicken by now, but I’m not going to stop any time soon. This Korean fried chicken chain quickly won over our hearts and stomachs. They offer tender and crispy fried chicken with a variety of sauces, from the sweeter curry to the fiery red hot pepper. Their lunch deals are a steal at $8.99 for loads of food.
Read more from me here: breakfastwithnick.com/2022/03/29/beyond-breakfast-cm-chicken-columbus-oh/
CM Chicken
1132 W. Henderson Rd.
Columbus, OH 43220
(614) 914-6144
cmchickenusa.com
2. Understory
Just recently Wolf’s Ridge Brewing‘s new restaurant, lounge, and event space in the Old North opened its final section. Understory makes its home in the gorgeous Open Air building, a century-old school that’s also home to an Emmett’s Cafe. They’ve done a terrific job preserving the structure’s character, making it a dynamic space for cocktails, snacks, or a full meal. And with warmer weather comes more opportunities to enjoy their patio that connects to the Olentangy Bike Trail.
Understory
2571 Neil Ave.
Columbus, OH 43202
(614) 429-3936
understorycbus.com
3. Newfangled Kitchen
“Ma! Meatloaf!” It’d be easy to write off Newfangled Kitchen as a one-hit wonder, but this family-run Bexley shop does wonders with their meatloaf by piling it onto towering sandwiches. The Fang is like a cheeseburger with a meatloaf patty; Lucifer’s Hammer works in jalapenos, pepperjack cheese, and a diablo sauce. Not in the mood for meatloaf? They have reubens, fried chicken sandwiches, grilled bologna, and more.
Newfangled Kitchen
2258 E. Main St.
Bexley, OH 43209
(614) 817-1099
newfangledkitchen.com
4. Three Tigers Brewing / Mai Chau Kitchen
Three Tigers Brewing in downtown Granville just moved across Prospect Street to a new location in the old firehouse. The beautifully renovated space offers them room to stretch with their brewery, taproom, and in-house food from Mai Chau Kitchen. Mai Chau’s creative menu is full of winners, from wings and cheese curds to pho, banh mi, rice bowls, steamed buns, sandwiches, salads. My personal favorite: the Viet dip, a French dip with a pho jus.
Three Tigers Brewing
133 N. Prospect St.
Granville, OH 43023
(740) 920-4680
threetigersbrewing.com
5. Don Pocha Korean BBQ
Don Poncha in Upper Arlington is a relative newcomer to the dining scene, but has earned some accolades (including a Columbus Monthly Best New Restaurants nod) in its short time. It incorporates menu items from the now-shuttered Poong Mei next door. They feature loads of Korean favorites: beef and pork BBQ, bibimbap, bulgogi, kimchi fried rice, hot pots, and much more.
Don Pocha Korean BBQ
4710 Reed Rd.
Upper Arlington, OH 43220
(614) 459-9292
donpocha.com
Want more ideas for places to try? Follow me on Instagram at @breakfastwithnick, check out the news archives, search one of our local guides like the Columbus Diner Guide, or…
