Cavan Irish Pub

I consider Cavan’s a neighborhood gathering place.
Bartenders know you.
Supportive and welcoming of the neighborhood.
Bathrooms always clean.
Entertainment and activities diverse, upscale, engaging.
NEGATIVE…THEY DO NOT SERVE PABST BLUE RIBBON… that’s my beer of choice Tall Boys of course.

We love coming here!!! Awesome bartenders (Paul!!), great music and a super friendly crowd! Well done Cavan’s

So I was at Cavan’s this past Wednesday and opened a tab for the evening and the bartender took my card and kept it behind the bar till I closed out and left. The following morning there were three charges for play station games purchased on my debit card. The card had not been out of my site for days other than that time period while I was at Cavan’s and my card was behind the bar. I do NOT own a playstation.

I love the bartenders here. It’s a fun friendly environment and the drinks are great and cheap.

I guess three years later its time for me to update my review on Cavans. Drinks and prices still have not changed… I still feel they are a great deal for someone who wants to go have a couple drinks and loosen up before heading down to the SN or exploring the rest of the gems of the South Side. Some things have changed though with this place. The cleanliness of the joint has defiantly taken a nose dive, don’t get me wrong its not filthy but it wouldn’t hurt to clean the bathrooms a little more and maybe vacuum a little more often. Also. lets maybe think about repainting the darn place… i’m getting tired of poo brown walls. The beer taps really dont change as much as they used to, and the liquor selection seems to have stayed about the same. They offer Karaōke on Tuesday and Friday, Saturdays are always a good time with a good mix of people. Sunday funday with Kurt are always a good way to day drink before drag queen bingo.
oh and also… dont let the name throw you… there is nothing Irish about the place :)

Drinks are cheap but bartender spent all night talking to his friends even though bar was dead. Even went outside with them and left bar. Not at all like reviews. Don’t forget your new guests turn into locals.

It”s OK except when the female bartender staples the receipt to your credit card right thru the magnetic strip rendering the card useless. I think she hates men in general.

Looking for a place for (good) Karaōke? This is your spot.
Everyone was so nice in this place — you could tell that 80% of the crowd were regulars, but that didn’t keep them from chatting up other guests. The mood was definitely heavy with camaraderie.
Then the karaōke started. Oh my. I was blown away by the talent. I’d talked myself into going up there with a group of my friends, but after hearing the outpouring of talent, I didn’t dare. I don’t think people would have been mean about it if I had or anything, it’s just that everyone was so freaking good that I didn’t want to ruin the amazing-​ness. I was thoroughly entertained and impressed, and more than happy to watch.
You sign up for karaōke via a computer kiosk, which is kind of nice. I’m not really a frequenter of karaōke (even though I love it), so this may be common place now, I’m not sure.
We went in July, but this would be a perfect winter den. Parking was easy and I love having tried-​and-​true options on the South Side.

This is on my short list of favorite conversation bars. When I’m out exploring a new city, some conversation with the locals over a beer or two is the perfect way to end the day, and the Cavan never disappoints. The locals here are extremely friendly and receptive to out of towners. On Tuesday nights, make sure to bring along a T-​bone or Chicken breast and have the nice ladies out back grill it up for you!
The bartenders are super friendly and attentive to the state of emptiness of your glass. Karaōke night is fun, some of the locals are very talented.
In short, this a great alternative to the pretension that seems to thrive in the Short North. Cavan is about 180 degrees from that.

The first time I stepped into Cavan Irish Pub I failed to notice the rainbow neon in the window. I went in seeking directions and not even 5 steps around the bar I was being hit on. I was taken off guard but once my eyes adjusted to the light I realized where I had stumbled. I left with my tail between my legs quickly.
Honestly, I had never been into a gay bar. I was new to the neighborhood and noticed while I was in there that the place was very stylish. It has a dimly lit atmosphere, very well decorated, so a few days later I decided to go have a drink. The bartender, Keith, was very polite and generous. I don’t remember the guy who hit on me but I doubt if I have seen him since because everyone else I met in there was very cool. Drag bingo is a hoot. I have yet to partake in karaōke yet but I plan to. The selection of beer on tap is very nice. I always drink the Raging Bitch IPA but Keith said no one else drinks it so it will be replaced soon. The patio is spacious enough to play cornhole and there is plenty of seating and tables. There are a few televisions on both sides of the bar and considering the view of the parking lot displayed on one of the TVs, parking back there is safe. That is, as long as you don’t leave any valuables visible in your car. (So I hear)
Anyway, being a straight guy and not having visited any gay bars I can unbiasedly say that this place is an awesome spot to hang out.

Favorite bar in Columbus! Friendly bartenders, well designed bar seating, great décor, and a decent amount of beer on tap. (Try a flight!) It’s more of a neighborhood joint, but well-​appointed as if it were in the main strip of Short North (or almost Manhattan even) Decent patio area if you don’t mind the smoke. Cameras on the parking areas in the back, but I still prefer to park on high street if I can find a space. Busy nights can create unfortunate waits for drinks, but that is a small price to pay for a fun place to relax with friends. (and make new ones)

This is our usual Sunday bar. We come here for the drag queen bingo. Friendly bartender, clean place, very welcoming. We always have fun when we come here.

Went thinking it would be a dive. Couldn’t have been more wrong. Bigger than it looks outside, very clean and stylish. Great patio and great bartenders.

Cavan is, I’m pretty darn well sure, Columbus’ only gay irish pub. Haha. What a combo, right? I went here with some friends for Drag Queen Bingo on Sunday night, and lemme tell you, what a hoot that was! 4 out of the 5 people in our group were straight, and I’m pretty certain we were the only straight people there. This wasn’t a very lively gay bar, which I think is an adjective the bars frequented by larger quantities of straights would tend to have used to describe them.
The bartender called me sweetie when I pulled up a seat, which is always a treat (hear that, lady bartenders!!! Jeez). I asked about drafts, and while the selection wasn’t huge, they did have some decent options. I went for Lagunitas IPA, one of my absolute favorites. They have glasses specific to each draft beer, which is an interesting touch. The IPA was served in mason jars featuring the brewery’s logo. I had seen these one other time, but I can’t recall where.
Now, the reason we came down here, again, was for the bingo. We had heard the hostess was hilarious and used lots of witty banter when calling out the numbers. Of course, the prizes were silly too. Some normal stuff like t-​shirts and things, but I’m pretty sure there was a dildo in there, and the grand prize was a blow-​up doll. My only complaint about the bingo was how freakin’ fast she calls out the numbers. He doesn’t leave a lot of time for talk that she doesn’t initiate. So it’s not super conducive to conversation/​hanging out. Funniest moment of the night was her calling my friend «the Lesbian with the rattail.» My friend retorted «I am not a lesbian!» I chimed in «she only plays one on TV», which got some laughs. That exchange had us rolling. It was a reasonable suspicion on her part, honestly. Haha.
The bartender made us some shots that tasted like peanut butter cookies or something. I don’t remember what all it had in it, but it included licking some salt. I think it might have been tequila and butter schnapps. It sounded gross, but was quite a trip going down. The bill was pretty cheap, especially considering I had bought a round of shots. The IPAs were I think $ 4.
Again, this is another one of those bars that is off the beaten path if you don’t live in the area. It’s in Merion Village, so if that’s not your hood, be prepared with some sort of DD arrangement.

If Ralph Lauren was going to decorate a gay bar on a budget, yet tasteful, Cavans Irish Pub is what he would have come up with.
This Irish Pub (apparently the only Gay, Irish Pub in Columbus, is a great neighborhood bar — even if you don’t even live in the neighborhood.
Friends and I have popped in here on several ocassions and each time was very enjoyable.
They have an excellent selection of draft and bottle beers, and Todd and Tim know how to make a stiff drink too!
The place also has little appetizer type food such as Nachos, Hummus and Pita, and Chip, and seem to go all out for special sporting events and a Sunday potluck.
Heated smoking section is great for those smokers and plenty of parking in the private lot with security cameras (Suzette and I learned people could view us on the big screen), and on street parking.
All in all, well worth a visit.

Small, quaint friendly gay bar in Merion Village. Has a covered patio as well. Definitely a neighborhood bar feel, many of the patrons know one another. Select nights have strip shows and drag shows.

Great décor and a gentlemen’s club feel. (You know, in the dimly lit, cognac by the fireplace way. NOT the stuffing $ 1 bills in a g-​string way.) Fantastic beer selection and well-​priced cocktails in classy glassware.
Mikey, Chelsea and Paul always take good care of people and they recently enclosed their patio for winter. They have plans to expand the outdoor seating are in Spring.
Not open on Sunday yet, which will require the owners to jump through some hoops with the neighbors. Parking close can get competitive but there are plenty of spots nearby.

Fun, laid back atmosphere. Definitely a nice get away from the standard Short North bars.