We tried the new downtown Spaghetti Warehouse and left confused
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An overview of the dining area at the new Spaghetti Warehouse at 150 S. High St. Photo: Alissa Widman Neese/Axios
If you dine at Columbus' new Spaghetti Warehouse with no knowledge of the old place, you may very well enjoy it.
- But be forewarned: If you expect anything like the massive joint on Broad Street, you will be confused and disappointed.
State of play: The former restaurant closed in March 2022 after its roof collapsed and has reopened at a new downtown spot overlooking the Columbus Commons.
- We recently visited for lunch. Tyler was a fan of the first location, while Alissa had never gone.
- Like a Willy Wonka reboot, it's impossible to consider the new restaurant without comparing it to the original:
🏭 No more "Warehouse." The historic icehouse dating back to the 1800s is followed by a space showcasing "the modern, edgy architecture of downtown Columbus," as the chain describes it.
🖼 A different look: The expansive, dimly lit interior of Broad Street is replaced by a minimalist concept. Giant windows attract natural sunlight and offer views of the neighboring park.
- Also gone is the clutter of antiques. Most of the eclectic decor was auctioned off, though a few pieces are still scattered around the restaurant.
- And the popular trolley dining car is no more. Instead there's a decorative hallway with tables resembling train berths.
🍝 A smaller menu. Patrons have fewer options than before, though the 15-layer lasagna and other Italian staples are all there.
- More appetizers, sandwiches, pizzas and entrees are set to debut in 2024.
What we ate: Calamari to start, which we liked, and a pair of Ohio salads.
- Alissa got the lasagna. She couldn't confirm there were 15 layers under the piles of sausage, but it was a tasty dish nonetheless.
- Tyler ordered chicken parmigiana over fettuccine Alfredo. The meal was OK and the portions were not as big as he remembered, though this might have been a lunch size.
What they're saying: Spaghetti Warehouse president Ron Reynolds touted the restaurant in a November media preview.
- "This location is just as unique as that location," Reynolds told the Dispatch. "Hopefully, we can create new memories."
Yes, but: We can't help but think about the former restaurant's customer base — "Bob and Betty Buckeye," as the infamous Larry Householder once put it.
- They made the drive in from Lancaster because it was somebody's birthday, or they just finished Christmas shopping, or their class just finished a school trip at the Statehouse.
- They enjoyed looking at the lobby antiques and scanning the walls for other knickknacks between courses.
- They remember the lucky evening when they snagged a table inside the trolley car.
Between the lines: They also remember a time when American life wasn't so corporatized … when restaurants didn't all look like the inside of a Chipotle … when a family night out really meant something.
If you strip away the novelty, sell 95% of the decor, toss the trolley and relocate to a luxury apartment building, one has to ask: At what point does a Spaghetti Warehouse cease to be a Spaghetti Warehouse?
The intrigue: Alissa suggests the chain could have branded this as an offshoot concept, perhaps called "Spaghetti on High."
- We'd respect that and likely have a much more favorable opinion.
The bottom line: The modern Spaghetti Warehouse is still a solid enough Italian restaurant.
- But it's no longer the same memorable experience as the last place.
If you go: 150 S. High St. 11am-9pm Sunday-Thursday, 11am-10pm Friday-Saturday. Reservations suggested.
