We found a hidden gem of a restaurant on Warm Springs Road in Columbus
Everyone claims to know a hidden gem of a restaurant that’s just as easy to find as a McDonald’s with its large golden arches 20 feet in the sky beckoning nearby travelers like the sirens of Greek mythology.
Well, we may have found a Columbus restaurant that’s (almost) truly hidden. In the back of the Midtown Office & Storage building (a former BlueCross BlueShield office) at 2357 Warm Springs Road is a restaurant called Midtown Cafe & Bakery.
If you miss the small blue sign pointing you in the direction of the restaurant (like I did), don’t feel bad. Just find somewhere to turn around and make sure you don’t miss it the second time.
After you park around the back of the building, the entrance is just to the side. The inside of the restaurant is a large modern-looking area with regular lunch tables and a nice relaxed area featuring a couch and TV.
A cafe with a couch gave me some flashbacks of watching a sitcom about a couple of Friends who were always at a coffee shop in the middle of the day and never seemed to have work. I wish that could be me, but, then again, I’m eating food and writing about it for work.
I ordered the Turkey Reuben, which was a nice twist on a sandwich typically made with corned beef. The sauerkraut provided a nice tanginess, the Thousand Island dressing was sweet and creamy, and the provolone provided a smooth cheesy flavor.
While the sandwich was amazing, what really stole the show were the curly fries. The test of a good fry is whether you must absolutely add some condiment or seasoning to be able to eat it. If you need to add a condiment or seasoning, it’s not a good fry.
These fries were perfectly crispy with a soft center and were perfectly pre-seasoned to where I didn’t need anything other than my fingers to toss one after the other into my mouth.
Ledger-Enquirer visual journalist Mike Haskey went with the classic BLT and the aforementioned curly fries. The sandwich looked delicious.
Those not in the mood for a sandwich can order items such as chicken quesadilla, chicken tenders, brunch pizza, salads and scrambled dog.
You also can order breakfast favorites all day. If you want a Southern classic, you can order the sausage gravy biscuit. If you’re trying to be healthy, you can order the avocado toast.
The cafe does indeed have coffee. So, if you want to live out your Friends dream, grab some friends and head over to Midtown Cafe & Bakery. And take time to enjoy the beautiful artwork on the walls.
Their hours are 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. Mondays through Fridays.
This story was originally published July 29, 2025 at 11:37 AM.