From the time tailgating lots open well before sunrise to the moment bar lights go up well after midnight, a game day for Ohio State football fans can be almost literal.
There’s a lot to see, a lot to do — and a lot to eat and drink.
As the Buckeyes prepare for their first of seven 2025 games at Ohio Stadium on Aug. 30, we’ve put together helpful information as you eat your way through game days.
Places to eat breakfast near the Shoe
Buckeye Donuts: A campus mainstay since 1969, Buckeye Donuts still offers a selection of two dozen doughnuts priced under $2. There’s a fancier category, too, as well as breakfast sandwiches, French toast and coffee drinks. (The menu also includes gyros, salads, fries and more.) It’s open 24/7 at 1998 N. High St., and you can order online for pickup between 7 a.m. and 10 p.m.
Cocky’s Bagels: From a schmear of cream cheese to a breakfast sandwich piled high with bacon, sausage, egg, hash browns, American cheese and garlic-herb cream cheese, Cocky’s Bagels has early morning carb cravings covered. There’s a menu of lunchy bagel sandwiches, too. Cocky’s is open every day from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. at 1484 N. High St.
IHOP: No matter how early you get to campus, IHOP will be open. The 24-hour breakfast chain has already kicked off pumpkin-spice season with fall-flavored pancakes and has also recently added crepes and breakfast burritos to its breakfast menu. The University District IHOP Is at 2040 N. High St.
Getting a quick bite after the OSU game
Burger Royale: Newly opened at 1758 N. High St. in the building occupied for almost 50 years by Apollo’s Greek Kitchen, Burger Royale’s menu includes a nod to its predecessor. The Apollo is a smash burger topped with gyros meat and Apollo’s tzatziki sauce. All of the restaurant’s burgers include two smashed patties; the simplest come with house-made Thousand Island dressing, iceberg lettuce and tomato. Burger Royale is open from 11 a.m. to 3 a.m. on Saturdays.
Mikey’s Late Night Slice: The Columbus original has a campus-area restaurant a block east of High Street at 1839 N. Pearl St. It serves pizzas by the slice or in whole, oversized pies. (There are vegan options, too.) If you’re not at the game, Mikey’s is planning tailgates and Jumbotron watch parties this season. The restaurant is open from 11 a.m. to 3 a.m. on Saturdays.
bb.q Chicken: Not all the sauces are spicy at bb.q, a Seoul-based chain that serves ultra-crispy Korean fried chicken wings. But if you want to go that route, there are nine different spicy sauce flavors that bring flavor as well as heat. The restaurant at 17 E. Lane Ave. is open 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Saturdays.
Sit-down dining near Ohio Stadium
Blue Danube: Back after a seven-year hiatus, the Blue Danube’s menu goes beyond bar food with specials such as top sirloin, baked chicken and risotto, Yankee pot roast and baked ziti. The food has received good reviews since its April reopening, and the vibe remains the same as ever: a comfortable, quirky college bar. The Dube, at 2439 N. High St., is open Saturdays from 11 a.m. to 2 a.m.
Zundo Ramen & Donburi: It doesn’t have to be cold outside to enjoy a bowl of ramen. Zundo serves not only big bowls of the Japanese comfort food, but also rice bowls known as donburi that are topped with pork, chicken, beef, eel or tofu. Zundo is at 2500 N. High St. and is open from noon to 9:30 p.m. on Saturdays.
Cazuela’s Mexican Cantina: Feeling like you can conquer anything after a Buckeyes victory? Try the Mucho Macho Burrito, which is more imposing because of its heat than its size, and get it for free if you can finish it in 20 minutes. If you’re in the mood for a more relaxed dinner, Cazuela’s offers a huge menu of Mexican favorites. There are two restaurants near campus, at 2321 N. High St. and 1542 N. High St. Both are open from 11 a.m. to 2 a.m. on Saturdays.
Quick sips before the drive home
Shake No.Eight: Milkshakes become showpieces at Shake No.Eight, 1537 N. High St. The shop also serves ice cream by the scoop or in splits and sundaes, hot chocolate, coffee, crepes and other sweets. The shop is open from noon to 10 p.m. Saturdays.
Matcha Me: Ceremonial-grade matcha sourced from Japan is used to make unique drinks that add flavors such as mango, strawberry, ube or white chocolate and raspberry. Matcha Me, at 2348 N. High St., is open on Saturdays from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m.
Kafe Kerouac: Flavored lattes, coffees, coffee cocktails and beer are on the menu at Kafe Kerouac, which is open from 10 a.m. to 1 a.m. on Saturdays. The coffeehouse-bar combo also hosts musicians on weekends. It’s at 2250 N. High St.
Dining reporter Bob Vitale can be reached at rvitale@dispatch.com or at @dispatchdining on the Instagram social platform.
This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Game-day dining guide: How to eat your way through an Ohio State football day
Reporting by Bob Vitale, Columbus Dispatch / The Columbus Dispatch
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