Here we are, rounding the corner of July and heading into August. That means it’s time for my favorite kind of post: an allergy friendly review. With the pandemic keeping me inside, there hasn’t been a ton of opportunity for eating out. There are really only a handful a places I’ve been supporting throughout quarantine.
That’s, ultimately, what inspired this review. There’s one restaurant in all of Columbus that I save money to support as often as I can. That delightful place is Wolf’s Ridge Brewing.
My Introduction to Wolf’s Ridge
I have early memories of Wolf’s Ridge before I’d even moved to Columbus. As a brand new 21-year-old, I met a sales rep from the brewery at an event near campus. It was at this bar that was a little more fancy than your average college town bar. That meant that most college students didn’t consider it when planning a night out. My friends and I liked it, partially, for that reason. It was fun to have a thing that only we did. Also, they ran a really fun special once a week that highlighted an independent brewery. It was a chance to try new beer!
To this day, I’m positive that the man from Wolf’s Ridge was relieved to see people closer to his age. We had an absolute blast hanging out with him! It was such a fun night that it carried me all the way to about a year ago. He told us all about the fantastic menus at their restaurant downtown. I knew when I moved to the city that I needed to check all of that out for myself.
The Dining Room
At long last, I found myself in the Wolf’s Ridge dining room this winter for Restaurant Week. I shared about my experience on Instagram, but I’ll recap. Not only was I blown away by the the restaurant overall, but also by the service. My boyfriend and I didn’t make a reservation (a minor mistake, but it worked out) so we sat at the bar. The bar still gets full dining service, and our experience was definitely satisfactory. Our bar tender, Alisha, even went to so far as to find an egg free dessert alternative when the specific restaurant week menu couldn’t accommodate that. If I hadn’t been sold on Wolf’s Ridge before then, I was officially hooked from that point on.
The Taproom
Looking for something a little more casual? The Taproom is the thing for you! Granted, right now the level of formality is sort of a moot point since we’re all *ideally* staying home. Regardless, The Taproom is where you’ll find the more typical bar food. Soft pretzels with beer cheese, garlic fries, burgers, and the like are all on the menu in this more casual side of Wolf’s Ridge.
Just the other day, a friend and I ordered a variety of Taproom treats for “research” (at least that’s what I told myself). Honestly, any excuse to support this lovely establishment works for me! And with online ordering, there is no reason not to do just that.
Oh! And did I mention that when placing an online order you can also have beer delivered to your home? That’s right. Order today and have beer on your doorstep tomorrow afternoon. It’s a really delightful program that was specifically rolled out to keep Wolf’s Ridge staff employed during the pandemic. They take care of their people and that, if nothing else, is a wonderful reason to give them your support.
My Thoughts
So now that you’ve seen all of the delicious food that Wolf’s Ridge has to offer, not to mention all of their incredible beer and cocktail options, it’s time to give you my thoughts. I think it’s easy to see that I adore this brewery. Everything they do is done well. They continue to operate responsibly as we face the pandemic, and are doing everything they can to avoid layoffs. Honestly, there’s very little I can say to critique them.
What I can say, though, is that their menu is not the most approachable when it comes to allergies. In all fairness, they do cover the basics (gluten free, vegetarian, and vegan), and the staff is remarkably helpful. But for anyone outside of those basic dietary categories, it can be difficult to navigate without assistance.
In my opinion, this is aggravated by the pandemic. Having conversations with staff about allergies gets a little more difficult when ordering online. Do I believe it’s worth it to call them up and ask those clarification questions before ordering? Absolutely. Not giving them a chance because some things are unclear is ludicrous. However, Wolf’s Ridge could meet customers in the middle with a few additional clarifications for the Top 8 Allergen Community.
With that being said, I encourage each of you to give their business an opportunity to show you how remarkable they are. The company cares for its staff and the community while delivering delicious and innovative new beers, cocktails, and top notch food on the regular. They are worth your time, attention, and business. How we spend our money is more powerful now than it has been in a long time. I highly recommend you use that power to support Wolf’s Ride Brewing.
Thank you for taking the time to read this allergy friendly review! If you have a suggestion for what I should try next, comment below. I love exploring new options in Columbus and reporting back to you all. As always, if you have any questions or need anything clarified I encourage you to contact me. Happy eating and stay safe!