Ohio State Football - Central Ohio News

People love OSU and they love a celebration related to their Buckeyes. Tailgating at a Buckeye game has been elevated to an art form, but not everyone is equipped with a fancy grill, a stylized recreational vehicle or enough cash to put together an impressive spread of food and beverages.

But take heart. Even if you're not tailgating you have many options to satisfy your achin' for celebratin' on Saturdays in Columbus. So if you're heading to a Buckeye game, here's a sampling of some of the pre- and post-game hangouts that are just a football's throw away from Ohio Stadium.

VARSITY CLUB, 278 W. Lane Ave.: Any list of Ohio State hot spots must start here. This bastion of OSU students and alumni has been host to countless fans looking for a beer to cry in or one to celebrate. The Varsity Club is so popular that its owners rented out a bar adjacent to Sun Devil Stadium, and renamed it the Varsity Club in the days leading up to the Fiesta Bowl. The night after the victory there was a two-hour wait to even get into the place. Expect a similar wait at the real McCoy on Lane Ave. This is a popular spot.

HINEY GATE, 328 W. Lane Ave.: Based in the parking lot of the Holiday Inn on Lane Ave., Hiney Gate is part concert, part beer garden and all fun. Bands keep fans entertained both before and after the game, and liquid refreshment is readily available from a beer trailer parked in the lot. Hiney Gate can get a little crowded, particularly after the game, but it has great popularity and is a must-see for anyone attending their first Buckeye game. Plus, if you really like the song 'Hang On Sloopy' you can expect to hear it here.

BUCKEYE DONUTS, 1998 N. High St.: No, this is not what Ohio State's offense will score without Maurice Clarett, it's a place to stop and pick up some delicious pastries before a game, or after when you can sample a late-night donut or the gyros that were recently added to the menu. As a side note, it's one of 195 businesses listed in the Columbus Yellow Pages that have "Buckeye" in its name.

LA BAMBA BURRITOS, 1956 N. High St.: This Mexican food joint features affordable and delicious burritos that are promoted as being "as big as your head." In fitting with the theme the restaurants walls are adorned with people with burritos as heads. It's a strange sight to see at the end of a long day watching football and partying. You can usually expect a long post-game line at La Bamba, but you can kill time watching their workers put together burritos that were voted best in Columbus by Columbus Alive magazine last year.

THE BIER STUBE, 1479 N. High St. : I don't know what a Stube is, but I do know I like going there. The Stube is one of High Streets hidden gems. Literally. This tiny bar is about a half-block off of High Street and can only be reached by following a driveway next to a carry-out restaurant that leads to the well-concealed bunker of a bar. The Stube is not for your hifalutin' classy folk, its more for those looking to get down and dirty after a Buckeye win. Or a loss. Whatever. Oh, one last thing, the Stube has really good pizza, unexpected for a place with a distinctly German name.

TOMMY'S, 1350 W. Lane Ave.: Tommy's sponsors a popular pre-game tailgate that attracts its share of Ohio State students. The tailgate features bands, and the food at Tommy's is pretty good too, with a variety of subs and pizza available. The more sophisticated tailgater can sample a pitcher of Tommy's famous sangria. Regular folk will like the cheap beer.

ADRIATICOS, 265 W. Columbus Ave: Adriaticos attracts a diverse clientele. You can expect to see plenty of freshman in the place, because this pizza place is right down the block from OSU's freshmen dorms. The place also attracts many OSU alumni who've learned that this place has some of the best New York style pizza around. The alumni also like the fact Adriaticos has inexpensive pitchers of beer, which is key for people attempting to pay off their student loans.

THE LENNOX TOWN CENTER, 777 Kinnear Road: The Lennox can satisfy about any need you have before or after a Buckeye game. Ready to fill your belly before venturing over to Ohio Stadium? Restaurants like Champps, Johnny Rockets and Don Pablos can satisfy just about any food hankering you have. Feel like soothing your soul after a tough loss? Try checking out a comedy movie on one of the Lennox's 24 movie screens. There's also ample shopping opportunities here, with stores like World Market and Old Navy providing a wide range of shopping options. This is key for those football widows or widowers who aren't interested in the game.

BUCKEYE HALL OF FAME CAFE, 1421 Olentangy River Road: A mecca for Ohio State football fans, this spot not only has pretty good food, but also plenty of big-screen televisions and a wide array of beverage choices. The restaurant also features and extensive collection of Ohio State memoribilia, hence the "Hall of Fame" part of the name. You can also play a decent selection of arcade games at the Cafe, including skeeball and many video games.

COOKER, 300 W. Lane Ave.: Before or after the game you can expect this popular chain restaurant to be packed full. But if you're willing to deal with the wait, you can usually expect good service and some tasty food. This is a family spot, though, so you might want to bypass it if you've had one (or two or three) too many.

TAXI CABS: OK, you're probably wondering what taxis are doing on this list. Well assuming you hit all the venues listed above, you might not want to get behind the wheel of a car. Fear not, just call Yellow Cab Columbus at 614-444-4444 and leave the driving to them. Or maybe just try to get a room at the Holiday Inn. You can always get a beer at Hiney Gate on the way.

--Monica Torline, Sam Blackburn and Mike McCormick contributed to this story.