Oh, The Places You'll Eat: The Crafty Pint

The gastropub in general has become a little bit of a mini-trend in the Columbus area the past couple years, paralleling the rejuvenation of this area's micro-brewery scene. Places like 101 Beer Kitchen, The Crest and Bar 145 have been making their mark in this scene, and joining them in this group is the now five-month-old Crafty Pint, which occupies a location that has seen several restaurant iterations over the years (the last of which was Gallo's Pit BBQ.)

As implied by the word "crafty", this eatery uses a lot of whimsy for both practical and decor purposes. For example, old board games provide both those aspects in terms of entertainment (a random assortment of original edition Trivial Pursuit cards is available for guests to quiz each other during waiting periods) while old game boards provide the backing for their drink menus. Mini-lamps present at each table are made from Maker's Mark Whiskey Bottles. Finally, but certainly not lastly, your bill is brought to your table within a Dr. Seuss book. A quick glance inside these books informs the customer any creative commentary and artwork they can contribute on the pages within is encouraged. Personally we like this fun vibe, but I imagine there are a few out there who might find it a bit too cutesy and precious.

Clockwise from Left: Clue Board (the backside of a drink
menu) and regular menu; housemade crab cake; the
Chicken Churasco Sandwich

The "pint" part of their name is certainly lived up to in their beer offerings; a rotating list of 40 tabs featuring a mix of Ohio-based and national breweries is a draw for the beer aficionado, along with a selection of cocktails. The outdoor patio area has been dubbed "The Beer Garden" and flights of their beer are available as well.

The Crafty Pint's food menu is a fairly select one, but it seems intended to try to offer at least one or two items to please every palate. Prices can reach up near $30 (the Boneless Ribeye) per item but most items fall in the $8 - $15 range. Winning dishes that we've sampled include the Crab Cakes ($9; I'm not much of a crab fan, but even I enjoyed these) and the Chicken Churasco Sandwich ($12; unlike many preparations, the chicken was moist and was matched up well with a combo of smoked bacon, onions and gouda on a brioche roll.)

Clockwise from Top: Mimosa French Toast; Outdoor
Beer Garden area; Block O Belgian Waffles

In mid-August, a weekend brunch was added to their repertoire, which added some breakfast items to their normal lunch-time menu. Prices for all items here range from the $8 to $15 range.

The Block "O" Belgian Waffles ($8), with a red velvet doughnut glaze and topped with whipped cream, is probably a glazed doughnut lover's dream, but most likely is too sweet for most. Our waitperson gave a sage piece of advice by saying I could swap out one of the waffles for a side of bacon instead; this sweet and salty pairing made for a better eating experience. On the other hand, the Mimosa French Toast ($9) was a much more well balanced item. The orange bread provided a nice, zesty citrus tang, paired up with the champagne-based whipped cream and a bourbon-based syrup, it earned a definite re-consideration nod the next time we stop by for brunch.

The Crafty Pint
2234 W Dublin Granville Rd. (Google Maps)
Worthington, OH 43085
(614) 468-1675
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