Union Cafe

Best brunch in the city! Great service and so many options! Our waiter was Taylor, who always makes everyone feel at home. Bloody Marys at 11am, endless choices!

Excellent service and extremely accommodating. Everything we tried was fabulous. We had a large straight group that included children. The staff was accommodating to our large group even though half of our party was running late. The crowd was respectful and polite and it was packed by the time we left. I would highly recommend this place!

Food-​wise, meh.
Drink-​wise, great cocktails. By which I mean, strong, solid cocktails that are worth the price. Went there on a Thursday night when they’re having the Long Island night, $ 3.75 for each and they actually only have a *splash* of coke on top.
Nice staff too. By the way, the outside patio is always crowded so if you feel like a cigarette, take some stairs and do it along the wall maybe.

I was excited to try Union for a late lunch this weekend, since I’ve heard that the food is amazing. Unfortunately, while my boyfriend and I were eating, I happened to glance up at the ceiling and a giant (really, like NYC subway size) RAT was running across the ceiling wires. A girl sitting at a table next to me also saw it. It jumped across to another part of the ceiling and scurried away.
The manager asked what was wrong and we explained, and she ran off saying she was going to make a call, but that’s about it. Needless to say I lost my appetite. We were still asked to pay for our entire bill. I will not be returning.

This place is so wonderful! Brunch Buffet is very affordable. Only 12.99 a person! However, your experience or food quality will not be lacking. They have a build your own waffle station, omelette station and an endless bloody mary bar. The service is fantastic from our server who keeps our plates off the table promptly to the polite, smiling guy who cooked our omelettes. The buffet includes scrambled eggs, chocolate chip pancakes, fresh biscuits and gravey, fruit, bacon… and much much more!

Soooo it wasn’t today it was like 2 Sunday’s ago and I had brunch for the first time. As much as I feel like everyone here treats me like shit, like whatever, it was like the best damn brunch I ever had. Also, the other night I was getting down to some Willa Ford «I Wanna Be Bad» among other songs and grabbing the empties and helping out and I broke a glass and made a fool of myself, which is my tarot card no big but I have to say sorry. I was just trying to help. Also, it must be said that Milly and Travis are the bomb. I love them! Period.

Union’s brunch buffet far surpassed my expectations! What a great quality buffet for the low price of $ 13! Some of the highlights were the eggs benedict with runny egg, dessert waffle, veggie mac and cheese (YUM!) and strong bloody mary for only $ 4! The environment was also very enjoyable, we sat outside on a sunny day. Our server was attentive, enthusiastic and hilarious! I loved the throwback music videos playing as well. Do yourself a favor and check this brunch out asap!

Ugh, I hate to give this a 3-​star rating because I genuinely enjoyed the atmosphere but the food, my god, the food!
TERRIBLE!
I do not recommend the nachos or the shrimp tacos at Union. GROSS! My friend ordered the nachos which arrived at our table in a humongous portion. She didn’t finish even half of them. The toppings were barely there and the ones that were tasted cold, old and like the chef were having a miserable night. I ordered the horrid shrimp tacos that had some weird tasting apple slaw on top with a whole lot of lime. Other than the lime I don’t think they seasoned the shrimp with anything. Actually, my shrimp barely tasted cooked. I couldn’t just gotten sushi.
Besides the terrible food that we wouldn’t have eaten if all the other restaurants in the area didn’t have such a long wait, the drinks were fantastic. This is another one of those places that try to get you wasted so you don’t notice how bad the food is. We both got the Bacardi and cranberry mixed… YAAASSS! So good!
Also, I love how trendy and LGBTQ friendly Union is. We actually thought it were a gay bar for a while and I’d be genuinely surprised if it wasn’t. They place mostly techno and house music, which I freaking loved, and the staff are incredibly nice.
Just…bad food, meh.

This place has really gone down hill since I was last here. They have a couple of host that absolutely don’t have a clue.
2 months ago when I was here, the service sucked. The manager was very apologetic that night
I used to look forward to this restaurant when I was in town for business. Strike it from the list. It’s now just a place to meet up and socialize.

For a night out this place is great but wasn’t a huge fan for dinner. Our waiter was awesome first off, it’s just everything I had was dry. We had the tacos so maybe the other options were better? He drinks were very good though and the Moscow mule comes with a full alcoholic ginger beer as well.

A friend and I went here for dinner. She’s local, and recommended both the food and the ambiance. I ordered the Pad Thai (vegetarian style) with the spicy sauce on the side. I definitely enjoyed the meal, and the environment (bar/​restaurant/​dance spot) was unique. Very, very unique. In addition to the drunk party next to our table, the wait staff was knowledgeable and friendly, and had some great food suggestions.
On the negative, this place is loud, so go expecting that. It did not dampen our spirits, but I could see that being a little difficult if your goal is to have a meaningful conversation.
Overall, I would go back!

Finally had dinner at Union. Great, friendly service. The thing I love about Union is the diversity.
We started with the app sampler. Typical bar food. The wings were tasty, the potato skins were, well, potato skins. The cheese curds were possibly the worst fried cheese curds ever.
The drinks were steller and strong of course. And cheap!
On to the smokey mac an cheese with sirloin. Pretty pricey at 15 bucks with barely there sirloin but the little that was there was good.
The pretzels and cheese were just okay. The pretzels tasted more like overbaked, stale bread. (for the best soft pretzels try Olde Town Tavern.)
So food wise it was a mix… but all the rest was awesome.

Dear Bartender at Union,
If you’re going to charge $ 8 for highly processed, very rubbery «calamari» appetizer, you might want to make sure we’re actually finished with it before you swoop the plate away without a word.
Thank you.

This place was a awesome concept, one I had never seen before. It was as if a restaurant and a coffee shop had a child. The ambiance was alive and busy and the food smelled amazing. We met some friends here after dinner and the server was funny and witty and it added to the whole experience. We were only there for a little under an hour but it is a place I will be coming back to enjoy some more on my next trip to Columbus.

We went here for some post dinner drinks on Valentine’s weekend and I was pleasantly surprised. I was concerned it would be loud and crazy, but instead it was just the right amount of turned up– old school music videos were playing on the tvs and there was the right blend of community, people talking across tables and laughing, but nothing too loud or aggressive.
Our waitress recommended their house punch, which was just as delicious and strong as shed promised. If I was looking for a spot to enjoy some beverages before going out dancing this punch would be just the trick.
We decided to munch on a few desserts, and overall they weren’t anything to write home about. We tried the Carmel dipped pretzels and cookie with chocolate ice cream. The ice cream was decadent and by far the best part, but the other desserts left something to be desired.
A good spot to enjoy a drink whether you’re gay or straight, very welcoming and fun.

$ 3 pint glass Long Island Iced Teas on Thursdays will make you throw up on your business trip. 5 stars.

My boyfriend and I came into town for the MLS Cup. After the game we followed a bunch of fans to Union Café. The place looked totally packed but we were seated pretty quickly.
The place was a mad house but the vibe was great. Our waiter, Akeem, was amazing. My throat was killing me from chanting at the game and he did his best to bring me all the hot water and tea bags.
Our food came out fast and it was delicious. As an appetizer I got the cauliflower/​broccoli cheddar soup. It was so creamy, tasty and comforting. I wish I’d gotten the bowl instead of the cup. My boyfriend had the pickled eggs. He liked them, but claims you must be an egg fan to enjoy them.
For dinner, I had the build your own pasta with Angel hair, marinara, and shrimp. It was definitely good. He had the breakfast pizza which we both loved.
Portion sizes were great.
Atmosphere and sing alongs were memorable and fun! I loved that they played Sister Act songs.
Service was impressively impeccable for such a crazy night.
Cheers to this place! It made for an super fun last night in Columbus.

Upscale and lighthearted dining experience.
I stopped here for dinner prior to a show. The staff was friendly, the show tunes on all of the TVs were fun.
I had the Buffalo Chicken sandwich and sweet potato fries. I also ordered a drink before and after dinner, heads up, they are strong. Obviously not an issue if you enjoy a good cocktail. I ordered a double and the waiter told my that the regular is pretty much a double…

I have to give Union Café 5 stars for a few reasons. As someone from out of town it can be hard going out to find a nice place to eat with a friendly staff. The staff is even better when they are able to make you feel at home and this what they did both nights I stopped in for a quick drink.
Location — you can’t beat it! Right on a corner on North High Street it is easy to find. A large outdoor seating area and outdoor bar. Lots of folks relaxing and catching up. Walk inside and find more seating and a larger bar. The décor is fine — the fans are kinda cool. Reminds me of things I’ve seen in Key West.
Lets talk bar first. Tim — what a great bartender. There were others working but I was down at the end close to the DJ booth. He was very nice. Introduced me to a few of the locals, held good conversation, made a great drink. The prices, not too bad for the size of the drink you get but pace yourself. They sneak up on you!
The next night I stopped in for dinner with a few coworkers. Of course I had to walk in and say hello to the staff from the night before. We elected to eat on the patio and join the crowd at the bar after.
The menu at Union is not large that it takes forever to review. A nice surprise was Happy Hour — Indiana doesn’t have happy hour because we are backwards but I digress. Great Happy Hour deals, $ 1 off bottles and 22oz drafts — $ 4.50 Skyy cocktails was the all day special.
The food was amazing. Wednesday come to find out is Steak and Fries for $ 9.99 for a sirloin or $ 12.99 for a strip. Awesome deal! The steak was tender and cooked perfect. What really impressed me was the fact that the steak came with a compound butter. It added an herby depth that was fantastic. I wanted to try the chicken biscuit sliders — next time for sure. Pumpkin cheesecake, yes please.
Service on the patio — pretty slow. Still giving this place 5 stars. I did see other wait staff who were very much on the ball and at the tables frequently. Our servicer was very nice — just not very fast.
After dinner was back into the bar to visit with folks from the previous night and hang out for a bit.
Really a neat spot for great conversation, awesome food, and a nice staff!

Great food, friendly crowd and during the day I would even say it’s a good spot to bring the kiddos! It is definitely an adult/​bar scene at night, but for brunch on the weekends there is nothing but delicious brunching going on, and magical waffles like you’ve never seen before. Everyone who works here has been super friendly also, even when it’s really busy at the bar.
The drinks are also decently priced (so much better than Pint House next door) and they are STRONG! I also love the music videos they play, they’re totally my taste in music.
They lose one star because it is very difficult to squeeze your way through to the back of the restaurant; it is very small and cramped inside, and it makes it difficult to get up to get food or drinks. Other than that though, Union is a gem in the Short North!