The Old Bag of Nails Pub

Located in Old Hilliard with street parking and boasting the look and feel of an old cozy English Pub, I was in for the All You Can Eat Fish & Chips.
It wasn’t very busy at all for an afternoon so I was a little worried. I loved the English Pub feel with the dimmed lighting and dark wood décor. The bar looked really nice so I ordered a Spicy Bloody Mary after waters were brought. It was a fairly standard Bloody Mary with nothing fancy going on but the taste was one of the best I’ve ever had. It was really spot-​on.
I debated on the All You Can Eat Soup & Salad or Fish & Chips. I really wanted Clam Chowder but was feeling pretty hunger so went with the Fish. Glad I did because it was delicious! The fish itself tasted fresh and the breading was golden and crispy. They were big pieces of Cod. It was great with their Tarter Sauce and the side of Kamikaze Sauce I asked for. I like things spicy! It came with Coleslaw and Steak Fries. Both of which were pretty standard. The fries were pretty good with the Malt Vinegar. I did like that they made the fries crispy. Most steak fries are soft and I’m not a fan. I probably had 2 extra servings of fish and maybe another half order of fries. I got my money’s worth.
They service was very good. Our waiter was quite attentive and we never waited on anything. He was the one who suggested the Kamikaze Sauce to me to go with the fish. It was a nice friendly atmosphere. I enjoyed it enough to go back and this time I might try that Clam Chowder.

Best chicken tenders ever! Food is always hot and everything I have ordered has always been tasty.

My husband and I love to grab dinner here after work. Great food and excellent service!

Nice pub, great food, terrific service. Another Unilocal lookup while traveling that paid off. My wife and I walked in admiring the quaint look, then questioned what seemed like an off smell before attributing it to multiple people showering fish & chips with vinegar. Glad we stayed — started with a great seasonal Leiney Porter and sauerkraut balls, then did soup and salad special for dinner. All great, and all from a top notch waitress. Definitely recommend… and wish this place was 700 miles east in my stomping grounds.

Very good! My husband enjoyed the all you can eat fish and chips while I took part in the endless soup and salad. The unlimited salad selection is limited to three salads (house, caesar and spinach), but all in all a great meal! Delicious food! I will definitely return! It is an expensive place to eat, the total for two meals and one drink was $ 28.

Ate mussels and had the Reuben the waitress said was so popular.
I threw up all night. Does that sum it up?!?
That was earlier this summer
I will never eat here again.
Zero stars if I could. Yuck the Reuben was dry not a quality Reuben at all. It sucked

Internet reviews suggest that you get the best fish and chips in Columbus. Unlimited Fish and Chips are good but somehow doesn’t blow your mind.

I wish I had as good of an experience as everyone else seemed to have here. The people I went with seemed to enjoy it but they all ordered the specialties (like the fish and chips) and I didn’t… which was a big mistake on my part. The Italian sub I had they went for the grease appeal. Which isn’t bad, I love greasy food from time to time but it’s not a sign of good, quality, food.
In fact it was really, really, bad.
They forgot to add a couple of things to it like I asked. No big deal, mistakes happen, taste-​wise I expected better than what i got with the amount of money they want for a sandwich. It was overpowered by a a ton of salt or seasoning. It was something I could have fixed on the stove with ease.
The French Onion soup had the same problem, too much sodium! I could not believe how dry my mouth was after every bite. I really like French Onion soup and stumbling on a place that happens to have it puts a smile on my face and this was disappointing. I sent it back and got fries instead and I couldn’t believe it, they must have been salted in the same manner you apply baby powder. If you do eat here don’t stray too far from the specialties.

This is your typical «Midwest Irish Pub” – a step up from a TGI Friday’s but in no way authentic. We chose this location in Hilliard for proximity to a friend who was joining us. They offered cider mixed beverages. I got the cider + Blue Moon which was coined a Blue Velvet for $ 4 and it came in a 20 oz. Pilsner glass. I order the double cheeseburger and took advantage of the soup or salad for $ 2.99 – ordered a cup of clam chowder (normally $ 4.99 on its own!) The chowder was very yummy. I approve – although it was quite thick! On the menu they claim it’s housemade. With my burger, I chose onion rings as my side. I believe they are beer battered in the same mix they use on their fish and chips. The onion rings tasted a little fishy. The server was a sweet young girl who carded all of us – we’re all 34+ so although flattering, it was annoying. Overall I had a nice experience here and would not hesitate visiting another location in the future.

Oh my, that never ending fish and chips deal is so good. I know the menu said it’s never ending but the fish you get are so big that you can’t order a second serving. I was too stuffed. The service was a 5 out of 5 as well. I will be back here again. Not sure if I’ll order something new because that fish I ate was very good!

I’m not big on pub food, but when I’m in the mood, this is where I want to go. As a Seattle native, I can attest to the greatness of their fish and chips, which caught me off guard after all the not so great fish I have had around Columbus.
I really love their nachos as well, probably the best nachos I’ve ever had! Sunday nights they also have fantastic chicken dumpling soup. Happy Hour prices are great, too.
We’ve never had a bad server, they have all been incredibly friendly.

We had to run an errand in Hilliard and, after looking at our options, decided to stop at Old Bag of Nails.
I ordered the fish and chips and my boyfriend got the fried clams. I really loved the fish and chips. The fish was cooked perfectly, and I really couldn’t have wanted anything else from how it was fried. I got the thinner fries, and they were great. The cole slaw was good too. Everything was fantastic. I’m salivating just thinking about it, yummm!
My only gripe is in regards to the service. Our waitress wasn’t mean or rude, per se, but she was pretty blunt. She wasn’t going to hold our hand or coddle us, by any means. She seemed slightly irritated. To be fair, I think she was responsible for the table of like 12 with a crying baby and several other kids next to us, so it might not have been us. Still, I kept waiting for her to look happy, and she never did.
When we first walked in, we were greeted by several waiters who seemed pretty excited to be there, so it seems like we probably had a fluke experience with that. I’d be willing to try it again, especially for that delicious fish!

I love this place. Been here many times and always enjoy whatever I get off of the menu. Prices are great and the service is almost always great, sometimes a little slow. But I do highly recommend.

The short version of my review is that I’ve been to The Old Bag of Nails Pub a couple times for lunch and ordered some food to-​go the other night. So far I’ve had great experiences with the food being good and the service friendly and fast. It’s a place I definitely will be going back to.
Since I have not really been here when it was busy, I have been lucky enough to find street parking just outside and a little down the street. There is more parking in a lot behind the building as well, I think, based on the sign I noticed on my way in. It seems that overall, there is enough parking in the neighborhood, and that it should not be a problem unless maybe there is some event going on in the area.
I will mention as well that I hardly ever have any alcoholic drinks, so this review will be mostly about the food I have had here. The first lunch I had was a Tuna Melt with Steak Fries. It was wonderfully prepared, the cheese was just the right amount of melty for me, so tasty! And the portion size was big enough that I took half home with me for later. That sandwich convinced me that I needed to eat here again!
The next time I went back, I had a cup of the Clam Chowder and a Turkey Reuben. I admit that I am normally not a person who has Clam Chowder a lot, so I can’t really compare it to any others, but to my mind it was fine. I did add a dash of hot sauce to spice it up a little, but that is just the way I normally like my soup. The Turkey Reuben was sublime thought! Very well done. Again, the portion size was enough that ended up taking half home with me.
On my most recent visit, I had gotten off work and was wanting to just grab some quick takeout on my way home, so called them up and asked if they had the Tuna Melts available that night. They did not, but suggested a Tuna Steak sandwich instead, which I opted to have done medium. Fifteen minutes later I was leaving with what again proved to be a very nice sandwich that my cat insisted I share with her (OK, only some of the Tuna, not the Onions) when I got home.
I can’t say enough about how nice the staff has been each time I have visited. That, together with good portion sizes, good food, and reasonable prices, mean that I will be heading back there again!

I get a lot of anxiety when approaching situations that should have been planned for in advance. This time it was a party of 14, plus one 3 year old at 7pm on a Saturday night. And no one wanted to wait. I called a couple of other places in town that could not accommodate us (understandable).
Enter Old Bag. The hostess on the phone was friendly and didn’t freak out when I asked if there was room for us. She said there were some open tables and if we got there soon, we had a good shot.
We walk in to a dream scenario. There was a large table for 8 and 2 others nearby, right in the main dining room. They set us up in no time at all. I honestly couldn’t believe it.
I wish I had caught our server’s name — he was fantastic. Everyone had different drinks, separate checks (but some people together)… we basically opened Pandora’s Box of Server nightmares. Not one thing went awry. Everyone had full drinks, the correct orders and we were checked on just enough so we weren’t bothered.
We all had a fantastic dinner and I made a mental note to not freak out the next time a dinner situation seems hopeless.
Thank you Old Bag and server man I cannot name!

After walking in I was promptly seated in a nice roomy booth. I ordered an unsweetened iced tea which was clean tasting. I find more and more restaurants forget to wash out their tea makers nightly. Old Bag of Nails seems to always remember and I consistently get a good glass (appropriately topped off now and then).
Based on the weather I wanted comfort food. This place is great when you are in that kind of mood. I wanted soup primarily and ordered their bottomless soup and salad. And yes,…salad can be comfort food when you prepare it like OBoN does with the blue cheese, bacon, and and awesome selection of dressings. I got their bacon vinaigrette which is served warm. The quality of the ingredients was top shelf and they provided the right ratios I would hope for. I enjoyed two properly prepared bowls.
Now to the soup,… The reason why I went there to begin with. They have some standard soups they keep on stock but they also rotate in special soups. They day I was there I was lucky. They had their stuffed pepper soup available. That is the ultimate in comfort food and to have it in soup form is even better. It was perfectly prepared and was served at the right temperature. Another person I was with wished they had gotten it too.
The service was also great. Very nice and attentive. I waited for nothing and enjoyed everything. I look forward to my next visit.

This Old Bag of Nails is quite possibly the exception to all of the crappy experiences I have had at other locations. Sadly, this one has been around much longer than the others, which must be why it’s more down to earth.
The service here has always been a little bit above average… sometimes slow, but most of the time you’re well taken care of. Come in the evening and you will most likely see a couple of managers walking around making sure everything is good and everyone is taken care of.
I also have to say that I REALLY like the layout of this location. Most other locations I have frequented have you packed in like sardines, and accommodate very small crowds. Despite it’s touting of pub like environment… it’s more open. The bar is partitioned off, and the main dining has plenty of seating for families, or groups. The tall ceilings littered with playing cards give you something to amuse yourself with. All in all. it’s a nice choice of location in a beautiful old building.
By the way, this location also has a banquet room for anyone hosting events.
The food here is usually on par to what it is supposed to be like. I can’t say I’ve had to send anything back, or had to complain, so that’s a real plus. From fish to burgers to salads… it’s all pretty decent.
I wish they had better Happy hour deals. Only $ 2 off appetizers? Are you kidding? Bah!
I’m happy with this location none-​the-​less… I’d be happy to call myself a regular at this location even though it’s a chain. It’s just got a more personal vibe to it.

I went here on a recommendation from a great server at Melt. This was one tip I am so glad I took! Amazing. I had the Irish Ruben. It was so tasty! I sat at the bar, and just had an iced tea. The bartender was just lovely. She was amazed that I was traveling alone and was searching out local places. This is one I say emphatically, do not miss this place.

Absolutely fantastic experience here last night. We live in the neighborhood so we visit Old Bag of Nails maybe once a month or so. Last night we got together for an «impromptu» family dinner to celebrate a birthday for one of the kids. There were 14 of us! We walked in at 6pm and there were 4 open tables. They quickly put three of them together and seated us.
We had 7 kids and 7 adults. The waitress was wonderful. She split the bill for us, even accommodated my nephew who has a gluten allergy and warmed some gluten free pretzels in the microwave for us!
We will definitely be back again, but I just wanted to give credit where credit was definitely due.
Thanks!

I love all Old Bag of Nails locations. All of the locations have equal food quality and great service! I must say this is the best pub food around the Columbus area. I normally get the fish and chips, which is all-​you-​can-​eat and you can order the fish either fried, blackened, or grilled. Anyway it’s cooked it’s very delicious and very fresh. I think it even taste better than the more upscale restaurants!
I got the Gaylord’s burger today and I was surprised how juicy and tasty the burger was! I asked for it to be medium and it was cooked just right. For less than $ 10, I think it’s just as good or better than many of the $ 15-​$ 20 burgers I’ve had.
It’s a must try if you’re in the mood for pub food!