Backstage Bistro

I went to Backstage Bistro for a Shadowbox comedy show last night with three others. We ordered chips and salsa, chips and artichoke dip, hummus, and a pizza at 7:48pm. At about 9:15 we started to wonder where our food could be, so we waved over our server (Ashley), who immediately says, «I’m sorry, there’s no service during the show.» We asked if our food was coming anytime soon, and she said it should be right around the corner. We said if it wasn’t cooked yet to just cancel it because the show was almost over, so we ended up never getting our food. We really liked our server’s personality but were very disappointed with the fact that we never received our food. We will be back because we enjoyed the show, but we’ll definitely eat beforehand.

Last night my girlfriend and I went to World of Beer with my brother and sister-​in-​law to watch an OSU football game. About an hour after we got there a nice young woman came over to out table and handed us a menu from Backstage Bistro and said she would be back to take an order if we were hungry. We were hungry! So when she came back we ordered nachos and a 10 inch pizza. The young woman brought our nachos first and they were pretty okay but when she brought the pizza it was completely burnt black. my girlfriend and I both took one bite and had no desire to eat sny more. I walked to Backstage Bistro to let them know IMMEDIATELY after receiving the burnt pizza and they were closed. Called them with no answer (probably because they were closed) and the young lady never returned to our table. It’s like they dropped the terribly burnt pizza and ran. We will not be ordering from them ever again.
It’s a cool idea and a great service that they offer for the hungry customers at WOB but that situation was pretty unpleasant and not inexpensive.

Great atmosphere at the Backstage Bistro, everything else is mediocre to me. It is in a beautiful old brick building with lots of class, old looking wood, good mood lighting and plenty of space. It makes you feel comfortable while eating, drinking, and/​or waiting for a show.
The bar area is nice, but why no draft beer at all? They were out of several beer selections and didn’t seem current on the seasonals. I feel like the drinks are anywhere from a little to a lot overpriced. $ 10 for a glass of Brothers Drake mead is uncalled for.
The menu is pretty compact, which is a good thing. You won’t get paralyzed by choice here. I ordered a buffalo chicken wrap which is a pretty good dish. Unfortunately it was basically falling apart and the fillings were going everywhere. The kettle chips were good, but the bleu cheese dressing was uninspired.
On the service side, I really enjoyed the company of the waitress and bartender however the bartender seemed grossly overworked. Being the only one behind the bar, he struggled to keep up and it wasn’t a very busy night either.

I’m writing this review from a lunch perspective…
I had always associated Backstage Bistro only with going to Shadowbox, and clearly that was wrong. I had assumed it was a spot to grab a quick bite before a show, and I figured it was more like bar food than a real restaurant.
Nope. Wrong again, Bryant.
Backstage Bistro is a real-​deal full-​service restaurant. And it’s not «good for being connected to a theatre” – it’s genuinely delicious all on its own. Here’s what I’m loving:
–The décor–
Since I had only been previously before a show, I didn’t even notice the beautiful restaurant with its intimate corner dining area – I’m in love with those curtains that help separate the space. It’s very lovely, but still casual.
–The service–
The service is spot on. Everyone is extremely helpful and upbeat. No snarky customer service here. They made great recommendations and always anticipated my needs (more water, a to-​go box, etc.).
–The food!–
From what I’d heard, BB made a few changes recently to their menu. They have clearly-​marked GF and veg options, and they even source many of their ingredients locally! I had this spicy rice dish that had local chicken, bacon, and a heap of spices that made this dish perfect. I was blown away with how delicious it was.
–In the end–
I was teetering between 4 and 5 stars (mostly because I get accused of being too nice), but I’m going with a 5 on this one. But think about it: A lunch spot that gets me in and out in under an hour, less than $ 10, loads of local ingredients, clearly-​marked dietary restrictions, and delicious food… there are very few places in the city that do all of these. Five stars it is!
Note: I think if you’re coming for dinner before a show, you’ll have quite a different experience. Backstage Bistro can get extremely crowded – so just come with the right expectations.

Nice little bar. Good beer selection. They have a nice little patio outside where u can sit and drink. It was dead on a Saturday afternoon (⁷⁄₂₀) and since we were visiting from Los Angeles we thought it would be cool to sit outside and the nice weather. Unfortunately, I had to move inside when there were three people who came out to smoke on the patio. Very unattractive. One of them appeared to be an employee because she came in a short time after we did and went behind the bar to help herself. Not cool to inhale cigarette smoke while you’re outdoors. I’m assuming they don’t enforce the no smoking rule? Anyways, I would return again, but this wasn’t a good first impression. (Review has been reposted to show the correct business which is presented by, and the same building as, Shadowbox Live)

The food here is just okay. The crostinis are very good but the salads are TERRIBLE and honestly how do you mess up a salad? The sandwiches are okay as well.

I enjoy coming to this place for the atmosphere – it’s a beautiful old brick building located in the Brewery District.
The restaurant is pretty crowded about 1 – 1.5 hours before show time at Shadowbox, but if you come in and grab a table just as a show is about to start, no problem, in fact the place was empty by 7:30 on Saturday evening.
Menu prices seem to be about average, however the menu selection is rather small, I think, due to the fact that some dishes are also prepared for the dinner theatre. The menu has a few pasta dishes, some pizzas, and some sandwiches. I will say the crostini are always good.
I love the partitioned off dining area – the wispy curtains add a touch of romance and seclusion to the place, making it a great date spot.
The bar area is nice and has gorgeous large windows looking out to Front St. If I recall correctly, the drink menu is fairly large.
All in all, nothing stand-​out when it comes to the food, except for the crostini. But would be a fun place to grab a drink with friends or a date.

I’ve wandered in here to eat a couple times, but both times it was completely empty so I ordered my food to go. I also order it on occasion when I’m drinking next door at World of Beer. It’s pretty mediocre. The pizzas are consistent, which is to say, underwhelming. The steak sandwich I had was chewy and pretty gross. I give it 3 stars because it’s the definition of average. Nothing is particularly good about this place. I only get it on occasion when I’m drunk and hungry and it’s the easiest thing available.

I adore this place. Delicious food, well-​poured drinks, friendly staff, and great live music. I’ve been here a handful of times both before Shadowbox shows and for other events and I’ve never been disappointed. All of the food I’ve tried is fantastic and relatively reasonably priced.
If I had one complaint it would be this: There is not much in the way of seating on nights before shows, it gets really, really packed. So if you want quiet and intimate, go someplace else.

So I usually don’t like to go to bars that do breakfast after having some truly dreadful meals at some local establishments but what the heck, I had a 50% off brunch email for the Backstage Bistro. As that it’s in my hood we gave it a shot.
As with a lot of the «we are a bar that does food» places the tables were too small and the layout not conducive to dining. That said the food was tasty and the service was good.
I had the goat cheese herb omelette which was very good. They happily subbed out the potatoes for some toast and served it with some wonderful, and i mean wonderful jalepeno and raspberry jam. More on that later.
The lone waiter/​barista on staff didn’t even know about the promo email but happily honored it. He also had no idea how to make a bloody Mary but accepted some coaching and created one for the nice ladies at the next table over. More marketing FAIL as that the promo email specifically mentioned the availability of mimosas and bloody Marys. But as I said the rather sweet waiter happily followed my directions and learned how easy bartending can be.
The jam came from
, a local company I had never heard of. And they told me that they will sell jars of the jam at the BackStage Bistro pretty much at the wholesale price. It was amazing stuff– highly recommended.
I think once they work out the pr bugs and bar issues this place will be a fabulous spot for brunch. It’s already good, but it can be great.

This place is hip but in a good way. I mean they’re trying, but they’re succeeding. Urban Jazz Coalition played tonight and they were fantastic. Can’t speak to food, but… next time…

i started going there for alittle morning eye opener. Crimson coffee, and scones from local bakers. Then it was lunch; the stew is to die for, hearty! Sauted olives and bread are outstanding. So far everything I’ve tried has been really fresh and prepared nicely. A dinner then a show afterwards is a great one stop night out.

Though I still have yet to visit Shadowbox, I had the opportunity to try the food at Backstage Bistro when I was consuming some adult beverages at World of Beer. I have to say — the food is slightly mediocre, and it took about 30 minutes to actually get it. But the reason I’m writing an extremely positive review of this place? The customer service. After waiting for a long time for some seemingly simple pizzas, someone from Backstage Bistro approached our table — proactively! — to say there was a mix-​up in the kitchen, and our pizzas weren’t made. Before we even had a chance to complain, she was not only honest about the mistake and apologized, but gave us three passes for a future Shadowbox show (a $ 30 value — not bad). Everyone is entitled to mistakes — it’s how you handle those mistakes that sets you apart. And for this reason, Backstage Bistro just made a HUGE fan out of me. Thanks for the valuable customer service lesson.

The new Backstage Bistro opened by Shadowbox Cabaret is a welcome addition to the Brewery District. The still unfinished space is welcoming and fits in well with the neighborhood and the staff is friendly and enthusiastic. So far only the coffee shop is open with a few limited food options, mostly from local bakeries such as The Angry Baker and Rogue Bakery, both awesome local options. Everything is clean and the wi-​fi is an added bonus.
I had a Crimson Cup coffee and some cookies from Rogue Bakery. Both were delicious and I appreciated the Gluten Free and Vegan options offered by the bakery. I would like to see more such options from Angry Baker or other nearby favorites. The only reason for 4 stars instead of 5 is that the Bistro is still unfinished, I hope to see a five star establishment at the end.
After chatting with the staff while deciding on my order, I learned that they will soon be opening a full café, including a bar and a patio. If the Bistro can continue to offer good service, local food options and a clean dining space, it will be very popular amongst brewery district residents. I am certainly excited to see the renovations completed.