Little West Tavern: Easy Hours in Franklinton

After several days of riding all over Columbus, Little West Tavern gave us exactly what we needed: a nearby bar, a comfortable seat, and an easy hour with nowhere else we had to be.

By Saturday afternoon, our Columbus trip had changed pace. The e-bikes were packed away. We had already covered the city in long loops, eaten a birthday lunch in German Village, ridden north to the Park of Roses, and stayed at a baseball game until exhaustion won in the eighth inning. This was not the moment for another ambitious cross-city plan.

It was the moment to stay close to our Franklinton home base.

Little West Tavern sits inside The Junto, at 77 Belle Street, just a short hop from where we were staying at River & Rich. The restaurant describes itself as a wood-hearth neighborhood tavern. From our seats at the bar, it felt polished without becoming stiff—the kind of room where you could order a serious dinner, but where stopping in for one relaxed drink made just as much sense.

Easy Hours at the bar

The first thing that caught our attention was the small “Easy Hours” card on the bar. The name fit the day. Its short list offered discounted drafts, wells, wine, cocktails, and a few bites. In a trip filled with detailed routes and carefully chosen stops, there was something appealing about a menu designed to make the next decision simple.

The larger menus showed how Little West bridges two personalities. One side is an approachable tavern: burgers, sandwiches, fish and chips, wings, biscuits, and fries. The other leans into the hearth, with steaks, chicken, seafood, and shareable plates. The cocktail list followed the same idea—familiar foundations with enough detail to feel like this was more than a hotel bar.

We settled in at the bar with an Army Navy margarita—an almond-forward margarita with the familiar citrus snap still doing its job. The pale drink and lime peel stand out in the photo, but the setting mattered just as much: daylight through the windows, the long wood-and-metal bar, bowls of citrus ready for service, and the easy movement of a neighborhood Saturday.

Fish and chips, a smashed burger, and the biscuit

Kellie ordered the fish and chips. I went with the smashed burger and fries, and we added a cheddar biscuit. It was exactly the kind of order the room encouraged: recognizable tavern food, treated seriously without becoming fussy.

The fish and chips gave Kellie the crisp, comforting plate she wanted. My smashed burger kept the meal grounded in classic bar territory, with fries that belonged beside it rather than acting like decoration. The cheddar biscuit added the small indulgence that makes a casual dinner feel chosen instead of merely convenient.

The strongest part of the visit was not one menu item. Our bartender and the rest of the staff were great. They made a polished hotel restaurant feel personal, and that hospitality is the detail most likely to bring us back.

A tavern that belongs to Franklinton

Little West makes more sense when you see it as part of The Junto. The hotel's name and public spaces draw on Benjamin Franklin's idea of a “junto,” a club where people met to exchange ideas and improve their community. That theme continues in the building's Franklinton history displays, which we photographed later that evening. Panels told stories about Lucas Sullivant, the neighborhood's founding, the low-lying area once called “The Bottoms,” and landmarks that survived the floods and fires of Columbus history.

That local grounding matters. The restaurant may be inside a stylish hotel, but it does not feel sealed off from its surroundings. Little West looks toward the Scioto, COSI, and the streets of Franklinton, a part of Columbus we kept returning to throughout the trip. Land-Grant was nearby. Our apartment was nearby. The river trails that carried us across the city were nearby. Even on a day when the bikes stayed put, the larger Columbus story was still right outside.

Why this stop worked for us

Travel stories often focus on the biggest meal or the most dramatic destination. Little West was valuable for the opposite reason. It gave the trip breathing room.

We had started Saturday with a full diner breakfast at Tommy's. Later, we took a pool break back at the lodging. By 4:43 p.m., when the first Little West photo was taken, we were not trying to conquer another neighborhood. We were taking advantage of one of the best things about choosing a walkable home base: a good bar could be part of the afternoon without becoming a major expedition.

That is the travel tip I would carry forward. If you stay near Franklinton or downtown Columbus, Little West Tavern works in several ways: as a full wood-hearth dinner, as a pre-event meeting place, or simply as the comfortable cocktail stop we needed. Check the current menu and Easy Hours schedule before visiting, because offers and hours can change.

The verdict

Little West Tavern was not our loudest Columbus stop, and that was its strength. It was attractive, relaxed, close to home, and flexible enough to meet us where our energy level was. The Army Navy margarita gave the afternoon a signature drink; the fish and chips, smashed burger, fries, and cheddar biscuit turned it into a proper meal; and the bartender and staff made it memorable.

Sometimes the right travel decision is not one more destination. Sometimes it is a barstool, a cold cocktail, and an easy hour in the neighborhood you have begun to know.

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Little West Tavern
77 Belle Street
Columbus, Ohio 43215
Official website and current hours

This article is part of our Columbus, Ohio trip series. Next: the complete story of how we explored Columbus by e-bike.