Smith’s Restaurant & Deli

Smiths is always consistent and good! The staff is friendly and helpful. The Reuben is delicious and my children love all there pasta dishes.

Why am I the first to review this place? Let me start by saying, this is walking distance from my house. It is family owned and operated. And it’s a very nice family. I enjoy the pizza that they fix me. And if I’m lucky, I get a freshly bad cookie. My girlfriend, who grew up in the area, explained the different transitions this place has taken. I am glad there are still little gems like this left in Columbus. Thanks Jack, for keeping it alive for us to enjoy. I know my girlfriend loves this place too. Great sandwiches. And service that can’t be beat. If Dad doesn’t take good care of you, one of his kids will. SeeeYa soon

Was just okay. More of a pizza place than anything.

I can’t tell you how many times I’ve passed by Smith’s thinking it was just an old diner that would never really interest me. Thanks to a discussion on Italian subs I was having, I found out that’s it’s actually more of an Italian/​deli/​sandwich shop hybrid. CMH Gourmand had written up something the other day comparing other Clintonville subs to India Oak, so out of the four they had provided, I let the girlfriend choose which one we’d go to. Gatto’s was out of the question, since they didn’t open until 4 pm, so we ended up checking out Smith’s. I grabbed a couple buddies as well, and the five of us headed up there.
Parking out front is pretty limited, but we were able to get a spot. I assume you’d be able to park on the side streets as well if necessary. The inside décor is very casual, and you end up ordering at the counter and grabbing a seat wherever you like. Four of us were on a mission to try the Italian subs, so there wasn’t a whole lot of variety there. My friend tried the Italian Wedding soup as well and said it was pretty good.
It took about 10 minutes or so to get our food, and the subs looked really good. It looked like they used Auddino’s bread, which apparently everyone uses now, and it wasn’t crumbling apart like many subs I’ve had lately. Overall, three of us really enjoyed the sub. My girlfriend had added mayo to hers and wasn’t a fan after that, and I will say it tasted a bit odd, so don’t mess with the recipe!
We also had an order of garlic bread, which was very simple yet extremely tasty. I could have eaten that all day. I’d make another sub out of it. Thanks for the idea, Smith’s! Before I left, I had to grab the fresh cookies that I’d been eyeing all meal. Get these! The chocolate caramel pecan cookie was SO delicious. Wow. I want some more of those right now.
This would definitely be a place I’d return to, especially if I was in the area. Once again, I received a good lesson in not judging a restaurant by its appearance. According to the website, they’ve been around since 1960, so clearly, they’re pleasing people. It was a pretty cheap meal too, so it’s totally worth giving it a shot.

Smith’s Deli is the place you remember from growing up — from the fogged-​up windows to the checkered tablecloths, stuff on the walls, and simple but tasty food — it takes you back to those days whenever you go.
It’s not fancy stuff, by any means, but it’s good. The walls are decorated with the Columbus skyline and little landmarks (Brushstrokes in Flight, anyone?) along with tchotchkes and Italian ephemera.
You order at the counter. Pizza, subs, dinners, calzones, soups, desserts — the menu is Italian and varied, with daily specials. The prices are rock-​bottom, as well — having a good meal on a small budget is what Smith’s is known for.
On this latest trip, I ordered spaghetti and a meatball, while the spouse had chicken parmesan and we split an order of garlic bread (which does come with cheese regardless). Dinners come with a little torpedo roll and butter, and an iceberg lettuce/​chopped carrot salad. Along with the garlic bread, we were carb-​loading, big time.
Portions are right-​sized; a couple cups of noodles with a TON of rich sauce, and a 2-​oz meatball. Make that a homemade meatball, flavorful and tender. The chicken parmesan is just as humble and just as tasty. We’ve had pizza from Smith’s, but would pass — better options in the ‘Ville.
When you’re looking for some good food, try Smith’s and relive a little slice of the past.

Smiths has THE BEST tomato bisque!
They also have THE BEST Chocolate Pecan Caramel cookies in the WORLD!
–Merry Christmas!

Quiet neighborhood joint. Good atmosphere, good food, and good service. First time here and liked it a lot. Fresh made food that’s served promptly. Price to portion was better than average, my BLT was overflowing with bacon.

I’ve been to Smith’s a couple times since I live just up the street, and it’s okay, nothing I crave, but also nothing terrible. I probably wouldn’t recommend it but I wouldn’t warn people off either. Is that a ringing recommendation?
Pros: I like that they sell soda by the pitcher, fewer refills and I can monitor my kids intake. The food is fine. The servers, who all seem to be high schoolers, are very attentive for somewhere that is basically counter service.
Cons: I don’t remember from previous times, but the last time we went there, we went because we were in a hurry, and we ordered sandwiches. It took forever! For a rueben! We did order lasagna for the kids, but I’m not fooling myself into thinking they were making it fresh.
So I’ve had the pizza, the lasagna, and a rueben. The pizza was okay, the rueben was okay, the lasagna was pretty good.
So there you have it! Damned with faint praise!

I had driven past this place many times but decided to stop in randomly the other night. They make pizza which I didn’t know, however I ended up with a Sub. Nothing special about the subs but very good and a reasonable price. They also offer some standard Italian dishes like spaghetti and meatballs too! They do also offer a small selection of beer included a few crafts like Bell’s Two Hearted Ale.

I reeeeally wanted to love this place. I can’t count how many times we’ve driven by and said «we need to try that place» and we finally did. We ordered a standard pep and cheese pizza and 2 drinks. It was $ 14 something so decent prices. The lady behind the counter was nice enough. We took a gander at the cookies just to see and they looked drier than dry so we skipped them.
We got our pizza and wow… it was just about as bad as I’ve ever had. *sigh* The sauce and cheese were so-​so but the crust tasted like pure cardboard when I took a bite of it on its own. This crust was not even golden, it was white. WHITE. I cut off all of the crust not covered by sauce which was quite a bit… another pet peeve of mine when the toppings don’t go edge to edge. We ate it because we were hungry but I ate my half begrudgingly especially when I saw the sandwiches some other people ordered and they looked decent so I had buyers remorse. For us, we need to pay attention to the clientele. There were a good amount of elderly people there and nothing against them but they tend to like things a little more on the bland side where we do not. Every single time we’ve gone to a place that has an older regulars base, we haven’t cared for it so that’ll be our cue in the future. They may have really good sandwiches and pasta dishes so I wouldn’t steer people away from trying it but the pizza… not so much.

What a neat little place to eat. It’s very old fashioned in that you order at the counter and they bring your food out.
Ordered:
Ziti
Spaghetti & meatball
Both were good but the sauce (same for both) was very plain. I cook my sauce at home with lots of flavor so I might be a bit spoiled on that one.
Service is always great!
I have had the lasagna which is awesome, and one of these days I want to get a pizza.

Hard to rate place for me, food seems pretty average (only tried pizza), service was very good, prices very reasonable, atmosphere casual/​kid friendly. So I was to give it a higher rating but food is #1 in my book. If there is something awesome that I need to try let me know.
So back to the food, I can not complain too much as this is not uncommon in Columbus for some reason sadly, pizza dough should not go thru a machine for thinning, pizza dough should not be cut to fit exactly to a 14″ disc of cardboard especially if you are just throwing the left over in the trash. This was typical tasteless crust, marginal sauce pizza. These are the foundations. I will give them points for fresh and well balanced cheese application and fresh tasty toppings.

After giving Smith’s multiple chances to impress me, I’ve finally given up. Don’t get me wrong, nothing is bad. Everything is just sort of OK. Subs are a little small and there’s nothing special about the meats or toppings. It’s all sort of food that one could put together at the grocery store deli counter.
I don’t really care for the pizza. The crust is not very good. Once again, it doesn’t suck, but it’s not any better in any regards to popular pizza chain restaurants.
What puts me over the edge with Smith’s is the lack of any type of speed in preparing an order. There just doesn’t seem to be any love going into the food or pleasing customers. The food is what it is and you’ll get it when you get it.
About the only thing Smith’s has going for it is lack of competition. I’m not going to say to avoid this place, just don’t seek it out.

I love me some Smith’s. I live just a few blocks away and it’s been a go-​to for my husband and me for both dining in and take out. Here’s what to expect: walk in, grab a menu at the counter, order, then wait for at your table for either your take out or dine in food.
The only reason I don’t give them five stars is because I’m just not a fan of the Columbus-​style, cracker crust, square cut pizza… I just don’t get it. (as a comparison, I prefer the stylings of Rossi’s pizza, Mikey’s Late Night Slice and Bono Pizza… neapolitan style). That said, when my sister and her four young kiddos were in town, they devoured Smith’s pizza and loved it, so it might just be personal preference. Speaking of that particular experience, the kids had a great time, they loved the interior and we got pitchers and pitchers of soda that were constantly refilled for us.
Moving on. As I mentioned, we’ve eaten in and carried out a bunch and the the staff is always nice and the food has always been great. When I get an immediate craving for some pasta with marinara, I call them up.
Among the other items we’ve tried are the sandwiches (club croissant, BLT, chicken salad), cookies (my husband has a crazy sweet tooth) and their sides (deviled eggs and pasta salad), all of which were tasty. I also ordered a soup of the day but I can’t remember what type it was but I DO remember that I ate it all!
Yes, it’s old school, but who can resist some old school awesomeness? It’s cute in here… there are multi-​colored full sized light bulbs in the arch above the counter. They staff wears cute Smith t-​shirts and there are murals painted on the walls… can you please get over the cheesy booths and checkered oilcloth covered tables?
Go support you local, hard workin’ restaurants!

I had been wanting to try Smith’s for some time now. My husband had a meeting tonight, so I decided to take my 2 y.o. daughter with me. She wanted spaghetti and I had a sub. My sammy was decent, and I finished it. She put her stamp of approval on the spaghetti, because she ate almost the entire plate.
I would say that the atmosphere is a little dumpy, but it’s a local establishment and the food wasn’t bad. The folks working there were friendly enough, but the service didn’t blow me away. We were in and out for around $ 12 which wasn’t bad for an evening out with my little sweet pea. She had a great time and mom didn’t have to cook for an evening.
One thing I will give them super props for is their iced tea. It was good. There are so many places that make terrible brewed iced tea. They did a really good job. Not too strong and not really weak. I just wish someone would have offered me a refill.
Things I would offer suggestions on would be to have folks working there offer refills, give some extra napkins to those with kids who are eating spaghetti (2 napkins doesn’t really cut it with a 2 year old), and maybe look into some new table cloths… the one’s on the tables really looked like they were about to fall apart.

Smith’s is a 3.5 stars kind of place for me. I end up there on a regular basis when I need to get lunch and get going and it’s become my spot to meet up with my mom for lunch during the work week. Food is fast and good (I really like their chicken salad) and I get my .99 bag of chips.
But sometimes they do things that are annoying, like give me a mug that has residue on it or cream that curdles. They take care of it when I tell them about it which is the right thing to do, but sometimes I wish it just wouldn’t happen in the first place, you know?
Conclusion: I like. I’ll probably come back. But it’s not where I take my out of town friends to show them how great Columbus is.

Love this place. Quaint and old school but delivers great pizza and subs. The super sub is one of my favorites while my wife likes the Roman. We get their pizza’s occasionally and the basic cheese and pepperoni is a kid favorite in our house.
Will note that the service isn’t going to blow you away with their speed. They are courteous but not often the fastest in the biz.

This is the «Cheers» of pizza places for me. We get at least one pizza there each week. I can usually just say «Hi, It’s Steve and it’s pizza night again» and 25 minutes later I have my pizza and some really great cookies. While I’m waiting to pick up my pizza Jack, the owner, or other members of the family working there will greet me or other folks by name. You’ll also frequently find their food at community events, like church festivals or other fundraisers.
It’s a small family run operation, so occasionally they’ll get overwhelmed if a group of 15 comes in after a softball game, but the food and supporting these hard-​working, community-​oriented folks is worth the wait.
As some have said, it’s not really a deli in the sense of Katzinger’s or someplace like that, but if you’re looking for a good thin-​crust pizza, good unpretentious pasta, or a sandwich with chips, try Smiths.

I can’t figure this place out. As other reviewers have said, it reeks of old school charm. Like the interior, although it is dark and reminds me more of a German Village bar than a Clintonville deli. With so many other options in Clintonville now that are ridiculously better, this place doesn’t stand a chance.
The staff is friendly, but if you’re looking for a «deli» in line with what a deli is in the rest of the world, this is not it. It has a set menu of sandwiches, subs and pizza. Canned and bottled beverages only. The food is adequate, but nothing special and the prices seem pretty high for what you get. I haven’t had the pizza, so I can’t say if it is special, but I’ve had several of the deli sandwiches and salads and I am not impressed.
Overall, I would say this place is big on nostalgia and atmosphere but not very good food and not great prices. The other negative is that the food takes forever to get even though we called ahead to avoid that problem. I will say, the cookies were good, though and leave it at that.

If smiths should be known for anything, its the ambiance that the place has. The interior has an antique feeling, and it has a large columbus mural on one of the walls. This is a small privately owned business that has been in Clintonville longer than I can remember.
They are the kind of place that you order at the counter and are the kind of place that carries soda in glass bottles with an old fashioned feel in its drink fridge… thing.
Be sure to poke your head in to the bathroom. The place is painted with trompe l’oliel windows and flying hamburgers.
The feel of this place is probably my favorite thing about it. Maybe that feeling just comes from memories I have of going with friends and laughing the evening away and telling stories… but I think it more comes from the care the the community has for the place. There are a lot of regulars, although its rarely crowded, who come once a week or so. The people eating here are usually ultra friendly and I have often ended up in conversations with someone and learned something about the place that I never knew.
Ask questions. Eat Pizza. Poke your head in to the bathroom. (Look in the cute mirror on the door with the joke.) Explore some columbus history.