Land-Grant Brewing Company — Restaurant in Columbus

This review is mostly regarding the winter igloo rentals. We went yesterday and had a pretty disappointing experience despite it being a special occasion.

They say they seat up to 8. Comfortably, they do not, as each bench is just two patio chairs pushed together and we were really struggling to accommodate our party along with the cake we brought and Mikeys pizza boxes.

The check in process was also not as described on the site. We arrived 5 minutes early, as it states to do on the reservation confirmation. It says you can check in at the bar but the bar sent us outside, and so since we assumed we could get drinks in the igloo we did not purchase drinks in the bar. However, outside they told us that they had booked the igloos back to back (despite there being a bunch of empty ones on site) and so we should go inside and purchase drinks as the igloo was not ready yet.

Keep in mind, that we were carrying a cake and a bunch of other stuff because it was a birthday celebration. We went back inside got drinks and then it was time to actually be in the igloo. They came and bussed it, but whoever was there previously had a dog which had clearly jumped on the cushions and so we were seated in it an igloo where there were dirty paw prints everywhere.

Finally the last issue was that they were out of cider ( they only typically carry one which is kind of annoying anyway) but had not removed it from the online menu. My sister who pretty much only likes ciders and is not a hard liquor person tried to order it and then they came out and told her that it wasn't in stock but they would take it out from her bill. At the end of the evening they still had not removed it from her bill so she had to go back in and request it be taken off.

In summary I think it's a good idea, but definitely not something that you should do for a special occasion. The igloos themselves I feel like could have then set up a bit nicer, as they are pretty bare bones, crowded and again, kind of dirty inside. The weekday price to rent them isn't bad, but if I had paid a weekend price I definitely would have resented the cost considering what we got. I've seen other venues in town that have igloos that just do it so much better and do make it kind of a special thing (blankets, Bluetooth speakers, etc) whereas these I feel like were just a warm place to have some beers...

Really top notch place. Let me start with the basics...

Great atmosphere outside- open space, good music, plenty of seating. Food- Ray rays BBQ Activities- Shuffle board, live music Drinks- good beer and water on tap so you don’t have to wait

So now that the basic wants are met let me get into why this place deserves one of my few google reviews.

The service is unbeatable. The bartenders seem to genuinely enjoy their jobs and engaging with customers. Even on busy nights. I’ve always had a good time there but last night pushed them to the top.

It all started in 1988 when my beautiful friend was born. Fast forward 30 years- land grant was nearing closing time so the birthday crew was moving to the next bar. There was a cab waiting outside so we flagged it down, hopped inside and were on our way. As soon as we got to the next place I realized I didn’t have my car keys and panic set in. It was 12:06.. land grant was closed, but I had to try. I was that customer that called asking if they were still open and could search the bar for my keys (not proud of it, but we’ve all been there.) Colin picked up the phone, happy to help and search the place. Unfortunately, no luck :(

Of course it would be the only time in the last 3 years I have taken a cab and naturally paid cash. All I could remember was the color of the cab.

I asked Colin for one last favor- if he knew any cab companies he sees frequent the place or with the specific colors that picked me up.

Colin delivered. Not only did he give me the name of the winning cab company but provided a different number than I could find on google which got me in direct contact with the driver who had my keys!!

I cannot thank this place enough for their awesome service and willingness to go above and beyond. Thank you Colin and thank you Land Grant for employing such...

NOTE: this review is on the winter beer garden. Have not been inside the main building, and could not comment on that. Winter beer garden? The worst. Excited to try the beer garden experience with the family visiting over the holiday. Pictures and reviews looked awesome. Bumper cars, curling, private igloo, sounded amazing. Well, it’s not, it’s actually terrible. Staff was rude and not helpful, no assistance or guidance whatsoever. If you ask, you will get a snide comment or a look like you’re bothering them. The location looks like a garbage dump, straight out of a horror movie. You have to guess in parking, fortunately we found a nice garage at the Gravity building, was only like $5, but we did leave early. No food, drinks were limited and just ok. The igloos are tiny, dirty, and anyone over 5’9” will be ducking. We had 8 people, which yes, is a lot for an igloo, but even 4-5 would be tight. Online ordering was limited, worked sometimes and super slow. I should have just went inside and got it myself. Bumper cars are a joke. Like a 20x20 room size area, they don’t move and the guys had to run around and push the cars into each other. Curling was actually the best part. It’s a free-for-all, even if you book a ‘lane’, but we actually played a few games and had some fun. That was it, great idea, horribly executed. I love our local breweries and will support them over anything else, but this was a slap in the face. I would recommend anywhere else if you want something to do with the fam over...