Linworth’s Growing Food & Drink Scene is Worth Exploring
You'll find Southern fare, Venezuelan arepas, spicy Sichuan cuisine and more in this growing business district.
On the Central Ohio food scene, Linworth is probably best known as the home of Cameron Mitchell’s first restaurant, Cameron’s American Grill, which he opened 1993. Cameron’s is still going strong today, boasting a great happy hour and loyal clientele. (Be sure to check out the American grill’s pork chop and clams dish, which never leaves the menu.)
Today, it’s worth admiring how far this small stretch of Dublin-Granville Road, inconveniently bisected by a railroad crossing, has bloomed into an interesting and diverse food and drink destination. No one would call it the most attractive business district—it consists mostly of strip malls and surface parking lots—but if you look past its lack of curb appeal, you’ll find Old World sausages, wagyu steaks, fresh produce, Venezuelan breakfast, Sichuan noodles, shrimp po’boys, excellent wines and much more.
Here are some highlights:
Libations
Aardvark Wine & Beer
2355 W. Dublin-Granville Road
Aardvark gets our vote for being the least pretentious wine shop in Central Ohio–meaning in only the best sense. Co-owner Donnie Austin’s considerable (and fairly priced) wine selection shares space with a wide range of craft beers, while the shop’s spacious Dive Baar tasting room (the space used to be a scuba diving school) offers a relaxed environment for sampling and socializing. (Guests are welcome to bring in food from JT’s Pizza & Pub or the Pachucos truck parked outside.) Don’t miss Aardvark’s weekly wine tastings, which take place open-to-close Friday through Sunday for $15. Keep an eye on the shop’s social media or join its email list to find out about special wine-tasting events, like this one with Bodegas Bhilar winery on May 4.
Barrel & Bloom
2365 W. Dublin-Granville Road
We’ve written about coffee shop-bar hybrids in the past, and one of the category’s newest entries is Barrel & Bloom from the owners of local brewstillery Endeavor Brewing & Spirits. The handsome storefront (formerly home to Random Precision Brewing), serves coffee daily 8 a.m.-2 p.m. before switching to cocktails and brews. Baked goods from Jenn’s Bake Shop are sold here, while Mordisco’s food truck is parked just outside (see below), offering tasty Venezuelan breakfast and lunch options.
Restaurants & Food Trucks
Main Moon
2173 W. Dublin-Granville Road
The pick of several local chefs, Main Moon is a fantastic option for affordable Sichuan food in generous portions. Main Moon’s current owners, who have operated it for five years, offer a wide menu of both traditional and more modern Sichuan dishes as well as standard Chinese American dishes.
Butcher Rosie Kay from neighboring Hungarian Butcher recommended Main Moon’s yuba with roast pork to us, and her advice was spot on. It’s an excellent option for those looking for a non-spicy Sichuan dish. Chef Avishar Barua, a Main Moon regular, enjoys spicier dishes from the menu’s “new type” Sichuan section of the menu, including beer duck, whole fish in Sichuan sauce, rabbit with hot pepper and Sichuan beef brisket. We also recommend the dan dan noodles, Chengdu cold noodles and chili oil dumplings.
Mordisco Food Truck
2365 W. Dublin-Granville Road (parked outside Barrel & Bloom)
Chef Yohalex Medina opened his first truck in 2022 at Olentangy River Brewing Co. and has gained a loyal following there for his authentic Venezuelan arepas and empanadas. His second truck opened earlier this month outside Barrel & Bloom in Linworth.
The Mordisco truck, which is open for breakfast and lunch Tuesday through Sunday, has a surprisingly extensive breakfast menu, including a popular breakfast burrito and a breakfast arepa. For lunch, try the Full Equipo Arepa with your choice of beef or chicken, plus beans, plantains, avocado and cheese. Another solid option is the Reina Pepiada Arepa featuring Venezuelan chicken salad with avocado.
Subourbon Southern Kitchen & Spirits
2234 W. Dublin-Granville Road
Opened in June 2022 by two former Barcelona chefs, Subourbon is one of the few Southern-leaning restaurants in town. The menu is chock-full of classics like fried green tomatoes, gumbo, fried chicken, Kentucky Hot Browns, po’boys and much more. (The restaurant just released a new menu this week.)
As its name implies, the restaurant’s extensive bourbon selection is one of the main draws. Brown-liquid lovers will want to check out Whiskey Wednesdays when bartenders handpick a rare or special bottle of whiskey; the bottle is half off until it’s gone. Subourbon’s happy hour (4-6 p.m. Monday through Saturday) is easily one of the best in town, when draft beers are $5, glasses of wine $6, and both cocktails and small plates are a steal at $7. On a recent visit, we enjoyed a fine Manhattan, wedge salad and tower of fried green tomatoes for $21.
Pachucos Taqueria
2355 W. Dublin-Granville Road (parked outside Aardvark Wine & Beer)
Thanks to some fancy footwork by the owners of Aardvark, this second location of the popular South Side taco truck now offers Linworth a unique range of Mexican specialties such as its signature machete, a 15-inch corn tortilla stuffed with your choice of meat, cilantro, grilled onions and cheese. The Pachucos truck also serves tortas, gorditas, quesadillas and what has to be one of the best tripa tacos in town. The truck’s hours of operation are 5-9 p.m. Wednesday through Saturday.
Markets & Butchers
HTH Farm Market
2340 W. Dublin-Granville Road
Now open for its 15th season, HTH Farm Market seems like a bucolic oasis set against the bustle of Dublin-Granville Road. What started as a Christmas tree stand has evolved into much more. The farm market offers fresh seasonal produce, flowers, herbs and other specialty items produced on local farms, such as jams, jellies, eggs, beef, chicken, Amish cheeses and much more. Ohio fruits and vegetables are sold throughout the growing season. All proceeds from HTH Farm Market benefit Hope Thru Housing, a 24-month residential substance abuse program for men and women. The market is open 10 a.m.-5 p.m. daily.
The Hungarian Butcher
2177 W. Dublin-Granville Road
A great butcher shop is a true asset to the community, and after nearly five years in Linworth, The Hungarian Butcher is quickly becoming a local institution. Chef, butcher and owner Dan Varga cares deeply about carrying on the traditions of Old World butchery, and his Linworth shop is a go-to spot to find housemade charcuterie, fresh sausages, unusual cuts of meat, fresh wagyu, local cheeses, cabbage rolls and paprikash like grandma used to make. The shop also offers hands-on classes in butchering and sausage-making as well as a monthly meat subscription program. On summer Tuesdays, the shop is also a popular stop for delicious tacos made by Varga’s right hand, Gaby Ledesma; he switches to tamales in the winter. Stay tuned to the shop’s social media accounts for weekly updates.
Romashka Grocery Store
2400 W. Dublin-Granville Road
Don’t be put off by the condemned building in front, this Russian market is still open and packed with an interesting selection of hard-to-find imported products from Russia and the Baltics. You’ll find everything from frozen lingonberries, sea buckthorn and blackcurrants, to dark rye breads, cheeses, sausages, smoked fish, prepared foods, sweet treats and more.
More to Explore in Linworth
Borgata Pizza Cafe A Columbus staple since 2010, Borgata has built a devoted following for its scratch-made, New York-style pies. The Linworth location boasts a huge patio.
George’s Linworth Diner A sibling to George’s Beechwold Diner, this Linworth greasy spoon is a no-frills spot serving all-day breakfast, plus diner burgers, gyros, meatloaf and more.
JT’s Pizza & Pub Aardvark’s Donnie Austin won’t hesitate to tell you that this sports bar and pizzeria serves up one of his favorite Columbus-style pizzas in town.
Linworth Grill This newcomer to the neighborhood is one of the few places to get Persian food in Columbus. Think: baba bhanoush, falafel, kababs, kofta, lamb chops and more. The restaurant offers baked goods from Mrs. Turbo’s Bakery in Powell.
Notes
Around the Columbus Food & Drink Scene
The North Market’s 2026 Apron Gala is set to be the biggest one yet. The annual fundraiser will also serve as the North Market’s 150 Year Celebration, featuring special dishes prepared by market vendors, live entertainment, libations and prizes for the most creative aprons. The event takes place 7-10 p.m. Friday, May 15, at 59 Spruce St. Early bird tickets are now on sale for $125; limited VIP tickets are available for $150. Purchase tickets here.
The owners of Fukuryu Ramen are changing things up once again on Lane Avenue. Izakaya Ryu, which replaced Fukuryu Ramen last fall, has returned to its original Fukuryu roots at 1600 W. Lane Ave. Joining Fukuryu in the space this spring will be Milky Way Matcha, another concept in the Fukuryu family. Milky Way specializes in matcha and coffee drinks as well as Japanese-style snacks. If you want to see what Milky Way is all about, you can visit its Bridge Park location inside Fukuryu at 4540 Bridge Park Ave. Look for Milky Way to open in late May or early June.
Correction: At publication, we had mistakenly reported that no business was currently operating in the recently closed Izakaya Ryu space in Upper Arlington. In fact, Fukuryu Ramen has replaced it and is open for business.