There’s no shortage of burger joints in Columbus, but for every household name slinging patties, there’s a lowkey spot quietly changing lives one bite at a time. These are the places your friend “who knows a guy who knows a guy” swears by. The joints tucked in alleys, trucks wedged between buildings, or restaurants that don’t even technically specialize in burgers but absolutely crush them anyway.
And yes, I’ve eaten every single one of these. Some I’ve had more times than I’d care to admit. Others are recent discoveries that sent me spiraling into a burger-fueled existential crisis (hence the timing of this article).
These are five of the most underrated burger spots in Columbus and Central Ohio, in no particular order — because ranking them would be like ranking your children (if your children were greasy, cheesy, griddled-to-perfection slabs of joy).
Jetpack’s Burger Truck
📍 2634 N High St, Columbus, OH 43202
⏰ Thu 5–10 PM | Fri–Sat 11 AM–1 AM | Sun 11 AM–3 PM
This truck is a blink-and-you’ll-miss-it situation, wedged in between two buildings in Old North like a burger-making Batmobile parked in stealth mode. But holy burger Batman, these things are MASSIVE. We’re talking crispy, juicy, fresh-griddled beauties that feel like they’re defying the laws of food truck physics. Their rotating burger of the month lineup is wild. They’ve used Flamin’ Hot Cheeto dust before, if that gives you any idea.
If you’re near the University District or Clintonville and walk past this truck, congratulations, you played yourself.
Preston’s: A Burger Joint
📍 2973 N High St, Columbus, OH 43202
⏰ Tue–Thur 11 AM–8:30 PM | Fri–Sat 11 AM–9:30 PM | Sun 4–7:30 PM
This place has one burger that I have quite literally refused to stray from… The Spicy Boi. It’s like a smash burger and a gourmet sandwich had a beautiful, spicy baby. Topped with sambal jam, pimento cheese, house pickles, and red onion, it’s sweet, spicy, salty, and tangy all in one glorious, drippy mess. I know there are other burgers on the menu. I just don’t care. Unlike a lot of you scoundrels, loyalty means something to me.
Smash Buddies
📍 460 S Front St, Columbus, OH 43215
⏰ Tue–Sun 11 AM–8 PM | Closed Mondays
This veteran-owned downtown joint is a straight-up burger banger. And they aren’t just veterans of our military, they’re evidently veterans of the smash burger profession, because these patties are thin, crispy-edged deliciousness and the cheese melt is *chef’s kiss.* But let’s talk about The Sauce. It’s literally just called The Sauce and that’s all you need to know. One dip of your crispy tater tots in The Sauce and you will question every other condiment you’ve ever loved. You’ll dream about it. You’ll wake up in a cold sweat whispering, “The Sauce…” Take it from my personal experience.
AnA Shawarma
📍 2864 N High St, Columbus, OH 43202
⏰ Open daily until 2 AM (4 AM on weekends)
You don’t expect a shawarma shop to slap this hard with a burger, but owner Auzy in not of this Earthly realm the rest of us mortals occupy. His smash burger has that addictive crispy edge-to-juicy-center ratio down to a science. I’m convinced this man can do no wrong. Bonus points for being open late enough to serve the very specific version of me that only appears at 3 AM with the hunger of a thousand suns. The crossed college kid that still lives inside me salutes you, AnA Shawarma.
Ringside Café
📍 19 N Pearl St, Columbus, OH 43215
⏰ Mon–Thu 11 AM–2 PM, 4–8 PM | Fri 11 AM–2 PM, 4–9 PM | Sat 4–10 PM
This one’s technically a classic, but based on the comments I got on my Instagram reel, a lot of Columbussians (yes, that’s my demonym for us) still have no idea it exists.
Tucked in a literal alley downtown, Ringside Cafe has been around for decades, serving up massive, old-school burgers in a building that dates back to 1897. Their Buster Douglas is a 2-plus-pound blue cheese and garlic aioli bomb that’s straight-up legendary. It’s one of the juiciest, most slept-on burgers in the city — and finding the place only makes it feel more like being let in on a secret.
TL;DR: Don’t Sleep on These Burgers
If you’re still out here standing in line for a mediocre chain burger when these joints are right in your backyard, I don’t know what to tell you. Columbus has some serious burger game, even if you don’t always know where to look.