Highest-rated Restaurants in Columbus by Diners

Photo Illustration by Stacker // Canva

Highest-rated restaurants in Columbus by diners

Humans are creatures of habit. We tend to stick to our morning routines, rewatch movies we've seen time and time again, and hit up the same tried-and-true restaurants when going out for a meal. In fact, 35% of Americans said they rarely, if ever, try a new restaurant they haven't been to before, and 5% say they never do, according to a survey of more than 2,600 diners from TouchBistro.

But those numbers look quite different when you focus on younger generations—56% of Gen Zers and 47% of millennials in the U.S. say they visit new restaurants once a month or more. When it comes to deciding which new restaurant to try, younger generations are also more likely to rely on online reviews, through sites like Yelp or Google or from social media. The TouchBistro survey found that 71% of Gen Zers and 72% of millennials have opted to try a new restaurant solely because of favorable reviews online.

Some of the best restaurants in your neck of the woods might be those established spots that customers have been visiting for decades, but some may be brand new. More than 10,000 new restaurants opened in 2023, up 5.7% from 2022, according to a report from BentoBox. The states that saw the most new restaurants open up in 2023 were Florida, Texas, California, North Carolina, and Pennsylvania, but new locales are popping up all over the U.S.

To help you determine which spots—both new and long-standing—to try out, Stacker compiled a list of the highest-rated restaurants in Columbus, according to Yelp reviews from diners as of January 2024. Only restaurants with at least 20 reviews were considered. Read on to find some inspiration for the next time you dine out.

Note: The photos in this article are stock images and do not necessarily reflect each restaurant listed.

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#27. Donna's Delicious Dozen

- Rating: 5.0/5 (252 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 5322 North Hamilton Road Columbus, Ohio
- Categories: Donuts, Coffee & Tea, Breakfast & Brunch
- Read more on Yelp

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#26. Taqueria Jalisco

- Rating: 5.0/5 (52 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 4640 Cleveland Ave. Columbus, Ohio
- Categories: Mexican, Food Trucks, fast food
- Read more on Yelp

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#25. Preston Eatery

- Rating: 5.0/5 (23 reviews)
- Address: 1093 Bethel Road Columbus, Ohio
- Categories: Salad, Sandwiches, Soup
- Read more on Yelp

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#24. Texas Steele BBQ

- Rating: 5.0/5 (53 reviews)
- Address: 1060 King Ave. Columbus, Ohio
- Categories: Food Trucks, Barbeque, American
- Read more on Yelp

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#23. Star Kitchen Cafe

- Rating: 5.0/5 (20 reviews)
- Address: 1471 South High St. Columbus, Ohio
- Categories: Sandwiches, American, Chicken Wings
- Read more on Yelp

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#22. Slab

- Rating: 5.0/5 (31 reviews)
- Address: Columbus, Ohio
- Categories: Food Trucks, Barbeque
- Read more on Yelp

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#21. Afra Grill

- Rating: 5.0/5 (100 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 1635 Morse Road Columbus, Ohio
- Categories: African, Somali
- Read more on Yelp

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#20. Lupita's Mexican Cuisine & Bar

- Rating: 5.0/5 (37 reviews)
- Address: 1586 South High St. Columbus, Ohio
- Categories: Mexican
- Read more on Yelp

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#19. Cilantro Latin Bistro

- Rating: 5.0/5 (48 reviews)
- Address: 993 King Ave. Columbus, Ohio
- Categories: Food Trucks, Venezuelan
- Read more on Yelp

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#18. Double Happy

- Rating: 5.0/5 (22 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 1280 Brown Road Columbus, Ohio
- Categories: Ice Cream & Frozen Yogurt, Coffee & Tea, Burgers
- Read more on Yelp

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#17. Riziki Swahili Grill

- Rating: 5.0/5 (40 reviews)
- Address: 1872 Tamarack Cir South Columbus, Ohio
- Categories: African
- Read more on Yelp

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#16. Poke Bunny

- Rating: 4.5/5 (24 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 100 East Gay St. Unit 1 Columbus, Ohio
- Categories: Poke, Ramen, Bubble Tea
- Read more on Yelp

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#15. Hoyo's Kitchen

- Rating: 5.0/5 (164 reviews)
- Address: 59 Spruce St. Columbus, Ohio
- Categories: African, Somali
- Read more on Yelp

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#14. Eight and Sand Tavern & Refuge

- Rating: 5.0/5 (31 reviews)
- Address: 76 East Innis Ave. Columbus, Ohio
- Categories: Cocktail Bars, American
- Read more on Yelp

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#13. Agapé Mediterranean

- Rating: 5.0/5 (59 reviews)
- Address: 5010 North Hamilton Road Columbus, Ohio
- Categories: Mediterranean, Greek, Salad
- Read more on Yelp

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#12. Chicken & Tea

- Rating: 5.0/5 (28 reviews)
- Address: 2781 Olentangy River Road Columbus, Ohio
- Categories: Taiwanese, Food Trucks
- Read more on Yelp

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#11. Scotty's Cafe

- Rating: 5.0/5 (588 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 2980 East Broad St. Columbus, Ohio
- Categories: Delis, Breakfast & Brunch, Cafes
- Read more on Yelp