If you're in downtown Columbus and want a beer with a little history behind it, Jackie O's On Fourth is an easy place to land. It's at 171 North Fourth Street, and it's a big, open space that works as well for a quick pint as it does for a long afternoon. The layout is the first thing you'll notice: a large indoor bar, a retail store to grab some beer to go, and a two-story patio that's dog-friendly, which is a nice touch if you're passing through with a pup. There's also a second floor with private indoor and outdoor event space, so it's not just a walk-in bar.
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The beer is the obvious draw. The indoor bar runs 30 draft lines, and the list reads like a map of the brewery's history. There's the Brick Kiln, a 10.4% English Barleywine that nods to the Athens Brick Company established in 1890; the Pawpaw Wheat, a 9.0% fruited wheat beer made with the native Ohio pawpaw; and the Rufus, a 4.5% American Golden Ale brewed with Ohio University Athletics, which used to go by the name Ricky. If you're not in the mood for something heavy, there's a whole non-alcoholic Dry County line with a 0.5% Lifting Fog Golden Ale and an Electro-Lime Mexican lager with sea salt and lime. The outdoor taps have their own rotation, including the O'Hooley's dry Irish stout, named after a 90s brewery Jackie O's took over in 2005.
For food, the kitchen is run by Goood Friends, a midwest-style concept that's built around generous sandwiches. You order via QR code and pick your food up at a window next to the back patio, so it's low-fuss. The Juicy Jackie is the one to know — two large beef patties, American cheese, homemade pickles, caramelized onions, fried onion strips, and several homemade sauces for $13. The Warby's Melt is its roasted beef cousin at $14, and the After School Snack leans into the name with bologna, pickles, American cheese, sliced onions, a mayo-and-mustard sauce, vinegar-salt fries, and Texas toast for $13. If you're not in the mood for beef, the Filet-O-Walleye is a panko-coated fresh fish fillet with homemade tartar sauce for $15, and the Ol Faithful puts chicken, spicy honey, chili, pickles, and Delice de Bourgogne cheese together for $14. Save room for the PB&J Moon Pie, a $6 dessert that mixes peanut butter, jelly, Moon Pie, s'more, fluffernutter, black-and-white cookie, coffee peanuts, and corn cookies into one.
One thing to plan around: the place turns 21-and-over only after 7:30 pm, so it's a family-friendly spot earlier in the day. Goood Friends serves Wednesday through Sunday, 4 pm to 10 pm, and is closed Monday and Tuesday, so your food window is a bit narrower than the bar's. As for the bar itself, it opens at 3 pm on weekdays and as early as 11 am on weekends, with the patio and the 30 taps ready whenever you are. If you're looking for a spot that pairs a serious beer list with a sandwich that actually fills you up, this is a solid downtown bet.
