tip top kitchen and cocktails

all good things. a combination dive bar comfort food restaurant with a great selection of brown liquor and the option for sweet potato fries or fried green beans for your sandwich side? okay, i'll go there at least once every trip i make to columbus.

the pot roast (entree w/ a slice of molasses/pumpernickel bread or sandwich on a pretzel roll) is killer. sandwiches from a veggie muffaletta w/ portobello and sprouts to a chicken salad with honey and shallots are all over the taste-bud-satisfying-board. sides and sauces are great as sides and sauces or snacks on their own. the veggie corn chowder is solid every day and the du jour in a bowl has been a rotating bit of "get that, you'll like it" too.

amazingly friendly staff all seem to like it that customers like their spot.

good dinner on a cold night. came in for dinner on a cold and blustery evening. had the blue ribbon pot roast which was cooked to perfection and loaded with meat, potatoes, onion, celery, turnips and carrots. it was awesome! just what the doctor ordered on a cold day. also had the smoked salmon fritters with a dijon/horseradish dip which was also very good. the service was quick, friendly and efficient. the drink selection was good and they had some good beers with a special for ohio brews. there were many interesting and good sounding things on the menu. will have to try those next time. the prices were very reasonable. the outside doesn't look like much, but come on inside for a good meal. they do have outside seating which would be nice on a summer day.


-----19 jan, 2011-----

not much to look at from the outside but once inside it's very cozy with a nice bar and dining area. the beer selection is excellent with some nice variety. a diverse menu with good prices and superb service add to a wonderful meal. next time you're in downtown columbus, you need to try it!

surprised me. i'd heard good things about tip top for years, but never was compelled to go in, probably because of how it looks on the exterior. today friends took me in for lunch and i was surprised at the look the minute i walked in. don't let the black exterior fool you - it has a nice quaint look inside. the waiter was very friendly and efficient and the lunches were tasty. heck, i'll be back now - what took me so long?

too busy?. i've been to tip top twice recently and they were very busy. in both cases, it took more than 10 minutes to even acknowledge we had entered the building. it looked like several folks had a case of "not my job man." i won't be back for a while.

mixed drinks and food delivered to my table so fast, it was odd. insanely fast service.

stayed at residence inn and ordered food to go. the goat cheese salad was good except for the tomatoes which tasted and smelled like fish (likely gmo which is a shame since local tomatoes should still be fresh and in season). meatloaf was burned. this was a real disappointment.

a cool little local favorite.... i've been to the tip top a few times and have always enjoyed it. it's super casual, quick and inexpensive, with locally grown food when possible. i've always had great service there as well.

the eggplant fries are a must. even my husband, who is not an eggplant fan really enjoyed them. the goat cheese salad was incredibly simple, but outstanding. my daughter had the veggie muffaletta and loved it and their dark wheat bread is awesome.

first review it must be said.... the food is good but the service is lacking. i have been here four times, each time i have left swearing that i won't go back because of the service. first visit, table was wobbly---we told the server who asked if we wanted to move (while looking around at a packed house and never once acknowledged that having a wobbly table is a major pain) we told him to forget it and we attempted to fix the wobble ourselves. same trip we were chastised for attempting to exit the restaurant through the entrance by some staff member. "go out that way please" my friend and i were laughing but only because it was absurd to get yelled at when we had dropped some cash on dinner. second and third visits were just to the bar. the service both times was very, very slow. i hate chatty wait staff as much as the next person but is eye contact too much to ask for? i realize that i'm not a superfox anymore but jeesh. so, i reluctantly went last week for lunch and i think i'm done with top top. we went at 2pm---not a huge lunch rush so i was surprised that the woman who seated us tossed menus at us without any sort of greeting. the server was slow and the whole experience was unpleasant. now, i've never been overly fond of the food but the meatloaf was dry and chewy and what the heck was up with the dry bread? tasteless and boring food. now, i will say that i love the atmosphere but when i'm back in columbus, i'll opt out of the tip top.

just ok. i've been to tip top a few times to meet work colleagues downtown for lunch. i just haven't been impressed. on the first visit, my salad was limp and old. the second time i visited, we experienced poor service (absent server). yesterday i dined there for lunch and ordered the salmon. it was overcooked and dried out. the veggies were soggy too. i am glad i didn't pay more than $11 for that entree because it really wasn't very good. i don't think i'll be back unless someone insists i meet them there for lunch.

always good!. i love coming here for lunch, although who doesn't, and it's a nice place to stop and get a cocktail after work too. their beer list is extensive, their cocktails are strong, and their food will leave you satisfied and planning your next trip back. my favorite is their ham & cheese sandwich on a pretzel roll (you'll have to pay extra for the roll, but well worth it) and sweet potato fries on the side! it's all delicious!

good food. their sweet potato fries with spicy mayo are my favorite in columbus. the chicken dish is very good as are the ohio nachos. good downtown spot.

pot roast !!. go here. immediately. and order the pot roast. get the dinner (a huge portion of tender meat over potatoes, carrots, celery, etc) instead of the sandwich (on a pretzel bun with cheese. this is probably the best meal i have had under $20 (it cost $11 actually). it is sooo tender and tasty.

also of note are the fried green bean appetizer (comes with 2 great dipping sauces) and a wonderful beer selection.

the place is small and usually packed, so weeknights are better if you dont feel like waiting. parking also stinks because it is on busy gay street with not many spots available. staff are friendly and helpful. prices are fair. i love this place and will go back many many times.

quaint place. i have not eaten the food at this place but had drinks here with a grouping of five people and we all enjoyed the place as well as the service. what is bad is you will reak of burnt hamburger grease, or something equally as bad, for at least 1-2 days after visiting. i haven't a clue what is going on with the smell but is enough to make me not want to come back. a coworker went there for lunch and liked his food but when i stepped back into the office, the smell was almost unbearable and he proactively told us before we said anything that he apologized for the smell which was stuck in his clothes. nonetheless, all else was good at this place.

tip top is great. not only was the food good, but it was interesting--it's not just your typical american fare.

i finally made it to tip top! everything on the menu looked amazing! i had the pot roast sandwich w/ sweet potato fries, my boyfriend had the breakfast burrito. they both were yummy. pot roast is not something that i would normally order, but i've always heard how good it was and it comes on a pretzel roll. the fries were really good, they came with a sriracha dip. the breakfast burrito was really good, it had their awesome red bean hummus in it. i can't wait to go back and try something else. we went on a sunday around 11:30 and were seated immediately, when we left there was a line of about 15 people waiting, so go early.