Archyde’s reporting reveals that Columbus’s dining scene features menu items named after Ohio State football legends like coaches Ryan Day, Urban Meyer, Jim Tressel and Woody Hayes, as well as player Archie Griffin. The Columbus Dispatch reported that from steaks named for championship coaches to brews honoring Heisman winners, the town’s eateries are serving up a side of history with every order.
Woody’s Legacy, One Steak and Ale at a Time
No Ohio State figure is more memorialized than coach Woody Hayes, whose name adorns a campus street, an athletic center, and a professorship. Nearly 50 years after his iconic sideline rants ended, his winning record remains unmatched. At Thunderwing Brewing, a Woody red ale—brewed “for Buckeye Saturdays”—pours in taprooms from The Hilltop to Grandview Heights. Over at Hyde Park Prime Steakhouse, a 7-ounce tenderloin wrapped in bacon and topped with melted blue cheese and Bordelaise sauce bears his name. His influence is deeply baked into the city's culture and cuisine.
The Urban Meyer Effect: From Pint House to Pint Glass
Urban Meyer’s name is everywhere in Columbus, most notably at his memorabilia-stuffed Dublin sports bar, Urban Meyer’s Pint House. The bar even features a “7-0 Room” dedicated to his record against Michigan. While the menu itself avoids themed dishes—after all, who’d want a Brussels sprout named after them?—the city’s breweries have picked up the mantle. Barley’s Brewing Co. offers the Bourbon Meyer Buckeye Stout, a bourbon-barrel-aged stout flavored with organic cocoa nibs and peanut butter, a nod to both Meyer’s championship tenure and the classic buckeye candy.
Tributes to Buckeye Legends
For two of the greatest players to ever wear the scarlet and gray, the tributes are just as grand. Archie Griffin, the Columbus native and two-time Heisman winner, was voted by Dispatch readers in 2025 as the greatest Buckeye football player of all time. His name graces the menu at Hyde Park Prime, where an 8-ounce filet mignon with an herb-garlic crust is called the “Steak Griffin.” At John Glenn Columbus International Airport, Eddie George’s Grille 27 serves “Eddie’s wings” and “Eddie’s mac and cheese,” while Nostalgia Brewing Co. honors the 1995 Heisman winner with the “Eddie! Eddie!” amber lager, a rich brew with hints of caramel and honey.
A Tale of Two Steaks: The Kirk Herbstreit Exception
One glaring absence from the city’s steakhouse lineup is a dish named for Kirk Herbstreit. The former OSU quarterback and current ESPN analyst famously revealed on a Sept. 26 “College GameDay” broadcast that he prefers his steaks well-done with A.1. sauce—a culinary sin in the eyes of many steak connoisseurs. The Dispatch noted that Jeff Ruby’s Steakhouse seems to have taken this to heart, offering a sushi roll instead of a ribeye. The crunchy roll, made with shrimp tempura, king crab salad, and lemon-garlic aioli, is the perfect tribute for a man who marches to the beat of his own drum.
The trend of naming dishes after sports figures speaks to a deeper cultural phenomenon: the blurring of lines between sports fandom and local identity. It’s one thing to retire a jersey; it’s another to put a man’s name on a menu item that thousands of people will consume, literally consuming a piece of his legacy. This isn’t just marketing; it’s a form of public memory, where food becomes a vessel for storytelling.
As the Buckeyes take the field each fall, the city’s restaurants and breweries offer a different kind of game-day experience. It’s a chance to connect with the past, to taste the history that made Columbus what it is today. So next time you order the “Tressel” at Hyde Park or the “Woody” at Thunderwing, remember: you’re not just having dinner. You’re part of a tradition, a fan, and a witness to a legacy that’s being served up, one plate at a time.
