For the fourth year in a row, the popular Italian Village neighborhood bar St. James Tavern has topped our readers survey as the best bar in Columbus. Since opening in 1996, The SJT has become known as a no-nonsense bar where drinks are cheap, the music is good, and the crowd is friendly.
“Honestly, I love being off the beaten path,” said Owner Michelle Hill during a CU Interview in 2011. “It helps assure a more diverse and dedicated clientele, I think. In the beginning, there really was no neighborhood here, as most of the houses on Detroit Avenue were either boarded up or burnt down.”
Italian Village has steadily grown and evolved over the years with new residents moving in and new neighboring businesses popping up nearby, such as Cookie Cravings and Seventh Son Brewing. But even as massive amounts of new residents are slated to move into the area in the near future, you can be sure that Saint James will continue to persist as an anchor on North Fourth.
For more information, visit www.stjamestavern.com.
The Top 10 Bars of 2013:
- St. James Tavern
- Curio at Harvest
- The Olde Town Tavern
- Bodega
- Bob’s Bar
- Club 185
- High Beck Tavern
- Woodland’s Tavern
- Seventh Son
- Surly Girl Saloon
Flashback: Best Bar of 2012 — St. James Tavern
Flashback: Best Bar of 2011 – St. James Tavern
Flashback: Best Bar of 2010 – St. James Tavern
Flashback: Best Bar of 2009 – Surly Girl Saloon
Flashback: Best Bar of 2008 – Bodega