“I Wanna Go Back to Ohio State, to Old Columbus Town...”
Ohio State's campus is full of legendary bars, restaurants and campus spots – and we visit all of them.
In this week's article, we take a look at Out-R-Inn, a local Campus bar that has won the heart of many Buckeye's from all generations.
History of Out-R-Inn
Out-R-Inn was founded in 1969 in Columbus, Ohio. The local watering hole has been at the same location off of High Street the entire time.
As time has gone on, the bar has been able to see Ohio State change and grow over the years, but the bar itself has remained largely the same.
How Campus Changed
So many of the local Mom and Pop establishments that were loved are gone, but not Out-R-Inn. There are very few true dive bars left on Campus, but Out-R-Inn has never been lacking in personality.
Being one of the truly unique bars left around Campus, Out-R-Inn is loved by so many because it still offers the simplicity of an old-timey dive bar, while so much of Campus has grown to match the hustle and bustle of development.
Best Buckeye Memory
There have been several special memories during Out-R-Inn's time on Campus.
In 2014, crowds gathered to watch the first-ever College Football Playoff and see Ohio State take home the national championship.
Other memories include the Cavs 2016 title run, the Bengals recent trip to the Super Bowl, and any matchup against TTUN.
Out-R-Inn is always packed to the brim when a major sporting event takes place, making it one of the best places to be to experience the community of Buckeye Nation.
Building Buckeye Community
Out-R-Inn has a special ability to bring people together, which anyone can see from the number of regulars the bar boasts. What makes a place like this special is when the love can be spread across many generations.
Out-R-Inn is known to have an older staff, where they take time to befriend all of their customers and create a family. The staff makes a point to get to knows most, if not all, of the people who live in nearby houses.
Family is such a clear core value of Out-R-Inn, and this radiates the bar and all the stories surrounding it.
Menu Must-Haves
Out-R-Inn is famous for its $2 double well night and generally affordable alcohol prices, but the best thing Out-R-Inn has to offer isn't on the menu – it's the atmosphere.
It's got the old-time dive bar feel complete with sharpie scribbles on all of the walls, but it offers plenty of space. And when the weather is nice, it features a large outdoor patio complete with a second bar.
Craziest Memory
The stories that you can hear about Out-R-Inn always are entertaining, especially considering the stars the bar can attract.
Many Ohio State athletes have been known to visit the bar including, Greg Oden, Terrelle Pryor, Luke Fickell, and most recently Joey Brunk.
Out-R-Inn prides itself on letting these stars take a night off and stay out of the spotlight. There, they are just one of the regulars.
Out-R-Inn is excited for the warmer weather as their patio will be opening up. As March Madness and the Ohio State Spring Game approaches, Out-R-Inn is ready to serve Columbus once again.
