1168 Chambers Rd.
Columbus, OH 43212
614.481.3051
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Grandview Heights has seen dramatic change over the past few decades as much of the area north of downtown Columbus morphed from an industrial wasteland to a more and more popular neighborhood attraction young people and eventually, higher end homes. So many of the restaurants here cater to that. But plenty of good dives still exist, one of which is definitely Meister’s Pizza. This low-key old-school bar looks gritty when you walk in the door, but it’s a surprisingly pleasant place, especially when it comes to the food.
The pizza is the main thing you’ll want to try here. Really, the big charm on it is in the crust – Columbus pizzas are popular for the thin crust and the square cut complexion but this pizza instead has a thicker composition that is remarkably crisp and yet not too dry on the inside. Both are topped liberally with tons of cheese and ingredients to your liking. Meat lover’s is a mess of delicious meats – sausage, pepperoni, ham and bacon. Perfectly in proportion. Maybe for a simpler take, the Pepperoni pizza is coated just enough to make for a delicious bite. Loving how no one flavor overwhelms the palette, and the sauce, the oregano, the pepper — none of it feels overdone. Balance really is the key to a good pizza.
Really and honestly, in 2020 the bar has kind of a dated look. And the bathrooms – I do not recommend. Maybe the whole place needs kind of a makeover. But, then, these old-school simple kinds of bars are an all-too-rare sight. The walls are plastered with dollar bills, old albums and memorabilia. There are arcade games in the back. There really is kind of a sense of nostalgia to this bar, and that’s what drives the return visits. The neighborhood is filling fast with $10 cocktails and gastropubs that spin out “artisan” stuff at twice the price, and when you want to do something low-key, they don’t always fit the bill. A place like this does much better.
Recommendations
- The pizza can be made to take out and that seems to be what really brings people to the place, the carry out business is substantial.
- There are cheap nights like $1 pizza-by-the-slice and $1 beer cans.
- The bar tends to be pretty empty early in the week but it fills up and quickly on game nights and the like.
Another Food Critic 