Varsity Club

Great bartenders, great service — not just for game days!

WAY WAY crowded on game day! If you are not good with crowds, beware! It seems like game day tradition, so I would try it once! It’s what you would expect… cans of beer crushed on the floor, crowds, port-​o-​potties, lots of football on t.v., loud music, and some crazy football fans!

I’ve hosted a happy hour here for 20+ colleagues and also attended as a patron. The event I hosted went well and the planning process was smooth — staff were easy to get a hold of and the appetizer platters were great both in quality and quantity for the price. We all had a nice time and enjoyed the patio. I will say they have somewhat limited menu options and their drink prices aren’t fabulous, but won’t break the bank either. It would be nice if they had happy hour specials for the people who work on campus.

Every Big 10 college town has one of these type places near the campus/stadium…and for The Ohio State University it is The Varsity Club. We hit this place on a summer afternoon so we did not experience any of the monster crowds we heard are here on game days… but we still enjoyed ourselves. We saw the game day patio out back so it is easy to see where all the people end up in the fall… but for us it was inside.
The food was typical pub grub but good at that. We had a BLT (nice sandwich not overloaded with anything and it had a tomato that looked ripe), julienne salad (the usual but fresh and fine), and the buffalo chicken breast sandwich (nice generous portion and nice bite to the buffalo sauce). French fries were good but not over the top.
All in all this was a nice stop. They had a nice bar that ran the length of the room and many beer selections… both on draft and in the bottle. Full service bar… which we are sure gets a workout during the school year. Give it a try.

Service is always slow at this restaurant, even when there is a small crowd. Last night there may have been 10 people in the entire place, but drink and food orders were still slow. The food quality was passable by bar standards. I ordered a meatball sub with fries. The sub was pretty good, though I could have gotten the same thing at Subway for less money. The bar does have a pretty good beer list. The bartender wasn’t familiar with the mixed drinks my friends requested, but they were able to find the drink recipes.

I like a good burger. It doesn’t need to be frou frou, just a solidly tasty, juicy burger. Varsity Club delivers with an obviously hand-​made patty and lightly toasted bun. Nothing fancy, but just a solidly good burger. And the pickles (I think home made) are light and crispy.

2.5 Stars
This is a pretty typical campus bar. That being said, they’ve got a great patio area and decent food. The service has always been hit or miss. It’s crazy busy for OSU home games. For me, the best time to go is any time during the summer to enjoy the patio while school’s out and the «bro» crowd is at a minimum.
Damn, I’m getting old.

Came here for a post game brew with my godson .The band that was playing was so bad they gave me the poops.

I have gone to the Varsity Club for years for OSU football games and even visiting fans consistently say how great it is! The pizza is great, I recommend simply the Peperoni, no reason to change a great classic pizza! Yes, the restaurant/​bar décor is dated, but, many of us like it that way as I now live out of the state, I like coming home to the same old place! The place and the peperoni pizza are traditions that should never be changed! I also enjoy the band that they have in the back for OSU games, best cover band I ever heard though oddly named «Shucking Bubba» — no, really that’s their name! Whether you’re in for a game, visiting, or live there and for some odd reason haven’t been, go!

Been going to the VC pregame for 16 years. 2014 season they jack the price for a can of beer to $ 4.50 for Butweiser. Sorry VC but I am taking my pregame to a tail gate.

For more than 50 years the VC has occupied an old, two story, red brick building off Lane Avenue north of tOSU campus. Its stripped red and white canopy – the equivalence of Ohio State colors – harks back to the uniform designs of 1950s era sport teams. It’s that bar every college town has, that point 0.0 origin, the quintessential. It’s the image my mind sees anytime Lane Avenue is mentioned; the memories of millions are soaked in its walls – including mine.
It is best known for its large, crushing parties during home football games; by taking possession of Turtle Park drive and roping it off, they extend the patio creating a 500-​plus tailgate. Loud music, drinks, and football are on tap, though movement is impossible, and the line for drinks is a chaotic mess that takes too much time– the staff does about as well as they can. On the positive, there is more interaction between groups than at other über-​tailgate, and better drink choices. Best if you can get in early to have a seat at the bar.
Yet for all its tailgating fame, the VC is much more than that. Most of the year, when they are not feeding a ‘drunken orgy,’ It’s a damn good bar and restaurant with a classic bar interior. The bar is light wood with brass. Behind is mirrors that reflect the bottles of spirits, and the hard wood flooring connects with its past. The dark lighting inside compliments the beer sign lights – which I adore in a bar setting. Of course it is a museum decked with Buckeye memmoriabilla and exhibits. It has been remodeled a few times through the years – it has more, larger TVs – but they have done well maintaining its central charm. They have and upstairs dining room, with booths and tables. Downstairs is more space that is symmetrical with the top.
During much of the time, it is a quaint neighborhood spot visited by a diverse clientele; it is not just coeds and frat types here, among them are alumni, profs, business people, and older residence of the district. It is one of the few campus spots I do not feel funny walking in.
The food here is good – think a notch above Champs – with nice appetizers, good burgers, and serviceable pizza. I have no complaints about the service. The bartenders are top knotch, fitting for an institution of VC’s level.
I’ve been coming here at least once a year for 20-​years now. I can’t help but reflect on old times. I remember one of my first, a Saturday night after watching my school vanquish Wisconsin at the shoe, 1994. I was out with friends on High when they cut the night short before I was ready. So I staggered here alone under a warm, soft drizzle that glistened on the canopy and starred-​out the light from the red and bent fixtured floods. I walked through its wood frame door, drank sniffers of vodka, and flirted with girls who would have none if it. Near the juxbox, when it stood near the kitchen flaps, I met some hippies from Madison. Six or seven glasses of Absolute later I found myself in their van heading to Wisconsin, drunk and obnoxiously singing with them. (I think it was Phish.) We were in Upper Sandusky before I came to my senses and bailed. Luckily, I ingratiated myself to a student at a Shell station who just happened to be driving back to Columbus that morning. (Stranger than fiction.) That saved me an early morning call to my roommates, friends, or family about something which would be hard to explain. The VC creates experiences.
As I am someone who has emotional connections with places, VC will always have a room in my heart. Objectively, it is a great college pub – it’s better on normal nights than on game day.

Location location location. Directly across the street from Ohio Stadium. Location is definitely better than the food or service, neither were very good during our visit.

Terrible overpriced food. Not a great place. Maybe it’s ok on game days but in off season and in the summer it’s gross. Bad food… Most which I assume is frozen then heated up. I got the pizza and it was the worst. Not trying to be grim or dramatic but I wouldn’t waste your time here.

Came to Varsity Club with some colleagues after a boring awards dinner. We arrived around 10pm on a Saturday night and the place was pretty dead. I’m guessing all the cool people were in another area of town (my evite must have went to my spam folder).
I figured that this place would have some really good bar food seeing how it’s about a minute ½ walk from the stadium where the Ohio State Buckeyes (booo) play and I’m sure gets crazy packed on game days. Well I was wrong!
The wings looked like they were pulled straight from the Tyson’s bag and heated up in the oven. The French Fries, while good, were the size of q-​tips. Clearly, we didn’t stay here long.
The food wasn’t good, in my opinion, so I wouldn’t recommend coming here to eat. However, the service was excellent and the bartender doesn’t mind pouring a lot of alcohol in your drink… which was very much appreciated by me and my crew.

Varsity club is a timeless tradition at Ohio State. I hadn’t been back for 10 years and went in this past weekend before the game. What fun memories I have there! IT was packed before the game, but it is to be expected. Our group of 8 did find a table and had great service from the waitress that was working our section! Came through with new rounds of beers when everyone was finished. The outside patio was crowded and loud too just like I remember, but its fun hanging out with great fans on a Saturday!
They do accept Credit cards most days, but not game days. Too many people!

This was my first visit to the Varsity Club, so as a virgin let me share my experience. First, it is a hop, skip, and jump from the stadium, so it is packed on game day. You really must plan accordingly to even get in.
The outdoor set up is pretty cool and plenty of out houses for the daring. A little tip… Women go down stairs there is no line and pleasantly surprised on how clean the bathrooms were.
Now it is crazy crowded and beer cans all over the ground. The beer cans confuse me as there are plenty of garbage cans??? But back to crazy busy… I really never had to fight for a beer or a cocktail! In my book, at a college bar, that equals a 4 star rating! I thought the prices were reasonable, but then I graduated a long time ago… LOL!
I have to say the Entertainment value after the game is money. If you are offended by really drunk college kids, you may want to go somewhere else? I am easily entertained, and never knowing what you will see is up my alley! It’s totally wrong but whateves!
The music is great!
Oh order the pizza because it’s crispy and wonderful! Plus, I at least now know it soaks up booze!
The VC is the place to go… It was my first Buckeye game and I wanted the whole experience! Next time I go to the game, the VC will be a stop!

The closest bar to Ohio Stadium. This place is PACKED before games, and rightfully so. You’ll see everyone here, ranging from the «superfans» you can see on ESPN every week to the average fan to college students.
They are unsurprisingly expensive on gameday. They sell cans of domestic beer for $ 4 and not much else.
The setup is very homey. It reminds me a lot of Mac & Joe’s in Oxford, OH. They have a hardwood floor, wooden benches, wooden barstools… you get the picture.
It’s a good place to chill before the game, but I wouldn’t spend too much time or money here.

My 100^th review. I’d only ever been here on Gamedays before, so what would it be like on a random Wednesday night? Just fine! I would have loved to have seen them open up the back patio as it was an absolutely perfect evening for some fresh air. We grabbed one of their 14″ pizzas with pepporoni and jalapeño. I thought it was good, but nothing earth shattering. There are probably several places I would rather go for pizza nearby. But it’s hard to beat the atmosphere and dedication to all things Buckeye that the Varsity Club brings to the table. This place was surprisingly nice inside and an old sentimental favorite for thousands of alumni and current students of OSU. Varsity Club has been called the best pre-​game spot in the nation for college football, so it does have that going for it.

I’ve never been here when it’s not absolutely swamped. But the staff seems to expect the swampings, and they adjust accordingly. They’re not jerks about the huge crowds clogging up the bar and entry way, nor the drunks ogling the waitresses.
The beer is great: nice selection, reasonably priced. Three pints of craft brew, a sub and a side of onion rings only cost $ 25. The food is simple, comes from a very limited menu, but tasty and precisely what you’d expect.
The crowds never prevent me from coming back here — it feels nice to rub elbows with all the other fans in town for a game before wandering down Lane to the Schott or across the street to the Shoe. It’s like a tradition — you deal with the hassle because it’s so fun.

I would really rate this place a 3.5 but I’m feeling generous today.
Let me preface this review by saying I didn’t go to OSU, I’m not even from Ohio, and I’m old.
So I know this is a college bar but I just don’t get it. Why put your beer cans on the ground? There are trash cans all over the place? With that said, wear your galoshes or some shoes you don’t care about.
The place gets pretty packed and I guess it’s the place to be if you’re not in the Horseshoe. There aren’t a lot of TVs so it’s kind of hard to watch the game… So why did I rate this place 4 stars? The pizza of course! It’s crispy, the pepperonis are smile tasty little guys and it’s just delicious with a beer.
If you’re in the Buckeye state, want to feel like an OSU student/​alumn, love pizza, are warmly dressed, have rainboots on, hate using trashcans, then stop on by the Varsity Club.