The Best Burgers in Ohio: Columbus and Beyond (2026)

The best burgers in Ohio are easiest to find in Columbus, where smash burger shops and century-old taverns sit a short drive apart. Start with Preston's: A Burger Joint and Smash Buddies for smash burgers, then visit Ringside Cafe and Club 185 for tavern classics. If you're in northeast Ohio, add a Galley Boy at Swensons Drive-In.

This roundup is built from the spots in our Columbus burger guide, grouped by style and neighborhood, plus one statewide classic. Check hours before you go, especially at small taverns.

How Columbus does burgers

Columbus doesn't have a single regional burger style. Its tradition is the neighborhood tavern burger: a solid patty, simple toppings and a cold drink in a bar that has served the same block for years. The city also loves a burger debate. Local outlets run brackets and readers rank their favorites, and the same names keep coming up.

Many of the best options sit along North High Street, which runs from downtown through the Short North, the University District and Clintonville. German Village and the Brewery District, just south of downtown, add brick streets and neighborhood bars.

Smash burgers

• Preston's: A Burger Joint: the Clintonville spot you'll hear about most, with thin, crispy patties and well-loved fries.
• Smash Buddies: a Brewery District favorite that keeps showing up on recent local lists. The All American is a good first order.

Learn what sets the style apart in smash burger vs. regular burger, or browse our best smash burgers picks.

Historic taverns and bar burgers

• Ringside Cafe: dates to 1897 and hides in an alley off Broad Street downtown. Its burgers are named for boxers, like the Jack Dempsey and the Buster Douglas.
• Club 185: a lively German Village bar known for its Double 185 Burger.
• Press Grill: a Short North bar that keeps things simple with the Press Burger.
• Johnnie's Tavern: a classic West Side neighborhood tavern known for its Super Burger.

More spots in this style are on our best classic burgers page.

Casual, cheap and stacked

• Ritzy's: a Clintonville stop for classic burgers like The Ritz.
• Burger Royale: near Ohio State, it started as a food truck and now serves burgers like the Royale with Cheese and the gyro-topped Apollo, with duck fat fries.
• Stacked Burger Co.: on the Far North Side near Worthington, it tops recent Yelp lists with its Stack Burger. It's worth the drive if you're staying north of downtown.

Worth the drive: Swensons in the Akron area

Swensons Drive-In opened its first Akron drive-in in 1934, and it's one of northeast Ohio's best-known burger traditions. The order is the Galley Boy: a double cheeseburger on a toasted bun with two house sauces, one barbecue-style and one tartar-style, finished with a pimento olive on a toothpick. Service is curbside. Flash your headlights and a carhop runs to your window. Signal Akron readers named it the city's best burger in 2025. It has several locations around Akron and beyond, so check Swensons' own site for the closest one.

How to plan an Ohio burger trip

1. Base yourself near North High Street in Columbus. Clintonville, the University District and the Short North are all along it.
2. Do a south-side tavern crawl. Club 185 in German Village and Smash Buddies in the Brewery District are close together, and Ringside Cafe is just north downtown.
3. Drive north for Stacked Burger Co. It's farther out, so plan it as its own stop.
4. Add Akron if you're heading toward Cleveland. Swensons is roughly two hours from Columbus by car, so it fits best on a northeast Ohio trip.
5. Order the house burger first. At taverns like Club 185 and Johnnie's Tavern, the signature burger is the one regulars come for.

What to order at each stop

• Preston's: a smash burger and the fries, which have their own fans.
• Smash Buddies: the All American, a good baseline for the shop's style.
• Ringside Cafe: one of the boxer-named burgers, like the Jack Dempsey or the Buster Douglas.
• Club 185: the Double 185 Burger.
• Johnnie's Tavern: the Super Burger.
• Burger Royale: the Royale with Cheese, or the gyro-topped Apollo if you want something different, with duck fat fries.
• Swensons: the Galley Boy, from your car.

If you only have one evening in Columbus, a German Village and Brewery District crawl gives you a historic tavern and a modern smash burger within a short drive.

Make an Ohio-style burger at home

A tavern burger is simple: good beef, a hot pan and restraint. Try our classic backyard cheeseburger, or go thin and crispy with the ultimate smash burger. For a Galley Boy-style experiment, read our guide to burger sauces and build two contrasting sauces. Cook ground beef to 160°F for USDA-recommended doneness.

Know a great burger in Cleveland, Cincinnati or anywhere else in Ohio? Suggest a spot.

FAQ

What is the best burger in Ohio?

In Columbus, Preston's: A Burger Joint and Smash Buddies lead for smash burgers, and Ringside Cafe is the historic pick. In northeast Ohio, the Galley Boy at Swensons is the classic.

What is a Galley Boy?

It's Swensons Drive-In's signature double cheeseburger, served with two house sauces on a toasted bun and topped with a pimento olive on a toothpick.

What is the oldest burger bar in Columbus?

Ringside Cafe, which dates to 1897, is one of the city's oldest. It's tucked in an alley off Broad Street downtown.

Where can I get a burger near Ohio State?

Burger Royale is near campus in the University District, and Preston's and Ritzy's are a short drive north in Clintonville.

Is there a Columbus burger style?

Not a single regional style. The local tradition is the neighborhood tavern burger, served at long-running bars like Ringside Cafe, Club 185 and Johnnie's Tavern.