This Down Home Ohio Eatery Serves The Best Brunch You’ve Ever Tasted

Scotty’s Café in Columbus, Ohio, is a beloved neighborhood restaurant that has built a loyal following through homestyle cooking and heartfelt service. Family-owned for more than 35 years, this cozy diner blends East Coast deli classics with Midwestern warmth. Known for generous portions, friendly staff, and made-from-scratch dishes, Scotty’s turns every breakfast and brunch into a comforting reminder of how good simple food can be.

1. Location & History

Scotty’s Café has been serving Columbus since the late 1980s, establishing itself as one of the city’s most consistent and welcoming spots for breakfast and lunch. Located on East Broad Street near Bexley, it’s easy to find and even easier to feel at home once you walk through the door.

Owner Scott Bast and his wife, Gina, have kept the focus on dependable quality and a family-like atmosphere that regulars love. The café’s interior feels warm and familiar – comfortable booths, framed local photos, and a layout designed for relaxed conversation. Many longtime customers stop by multiple times a week, knowing they’ll see friendly faces and receive a plate that tastes like home cooking.

Scotty’s also runs a successful catering arm known for reliable service and hearty food. Despite changing dining trends around Columbus, the café has stayed true to its roots: no flashy gimmicks, just generous helpings, reliable comfort, and genuine hospitality.

2. Menu & Signature Dishes

The menu at Scotty’s Café reads like a love letter to American brunch and deli classics. Breakfast runs all day, with fluffy omelets, golden pancakes, bacon, sausage, and hash browns prepared fresh every morning. Diners also rave about the corned beef hash, crisped perfectly on the grill and served with eggs cooked to order.

The lunch offerings show the café’s New York–style deli influence, highlighted by a towering Reuben sandwich loaded with corned beef, Swiss cheese, and house-made dressing. Other favorites include hot pastrami melts, turkey clubs, and chicken salad sandwiches served on freshly baked bread. Daily soups and rotating specials add variety, often reflecting what’s seasonal or freshly available.

The kitchen keeps preparation simple, letting each ingredient shine. Portion sizes are famously large – many guests end up with leftovers to take home. Every dish is made to order, maintaining the homemade standard that has defined Scotty’s reputation for decades.

3. Baking & Sweets

Scotty’s Café takes pride in its in-house baking program, which fills the restaurant each morning with the comforting scent of muffins, cookies, and cakes straight from the oven. The pastry case often holds rotating selections of pies and desserts that change with the seasons.

Many guests note that a small sweet treat often comes with lunch, adding a personal touch that feels more like a family kitchen than a restaurant. All baked goods are made in small batches to ensure freshness, with recipes that balance nostalgic flavor and simplicity. Scotty’s also prepares soups, salad dressings, and desserts from scratch, keeping preservatives and shortcuts out of the kitchen.

The café’s catering division extends this commitment beyond the restaurant, supplying baked goods and handmade desserts for local events. This emphasis on homemade preparation underscores what regulars already know – Scotty’s success comes from patience, skill, and a daily devotion to quality cooking done the right way.

4. Service & Atmosphere

Much of Scotty’s Café’s charm comes from the people who run it. The staff is known for friendly, attentive service that treats every guest like family. Many servers have worked there for years and remember customer names, favorite dishes, and even how they take their coffee.

The owner, Scott, is often seen greeting guests, chatting at tables, or working behind the counter to keep things running smoothly. The dining area feels like a throwback to the days before fast food and themed franchises – a genuine neighborhood café where conversation and hospitality come first.

Customers describe the atmosphere as relaxed but lively, with the clatter of dishes and the smell of breakfast giving the room a warm energy. During peak hours, it can get busy, but the staff’s efficiency and calm manner make the wait short and pleasant. It’s a place where everyone, from families to business travelers, feels welcome.

5. Operating Details & Accessibility

Scotty’s Café keeps simple, consistent hours, typically open Monday through Friday from 8:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. It’s closed on weekends, which makes weekday brunch a special occasion for those in the know. The café sits in a convenient strip plaza with accessible parking and a single-level layout that accommodates wheelchairs and strollers.

It offers dine-in, carryout, and catering options, with most orders made fresh on-site. Because seating is limited and the restaurant fills quickly around lunch, regulars often arrive early to beat the rush. Payments are accepted by card or cash, and customer service remains as personal as the food – no ordering kiosks or impersonal screens here.

For out-of-town visitors exploring Columbus, Scotty’s location makes it easy to include in a city itinerary. Whether you’re grabbing breakfast before a flight or a sandwich between errands, the café’s accessibility and efficiency add to its enduring appeal.

6. Reviews & Reputation

Scotty’s Café has become one of Columbus’s most consistently praised local eateries. Across major review platforms, guests cite three recurring strengths: exceptional service, generous portions, and reliably good food. Many reviewers describe it as the kind of restaurant where you instantly feel like a regular, even on your first visit.

The Reuben sandwich, corned beef hash, and breakfast platters receive especially high marks, while the complimentary dessert earns constant smiles. Occasional wait times are noted during peak lunch hours, but most guests view it as proof of the café’s popularity. Scotty’s catering service also enjoys strong word-of-mouth recommendations from corporate clients and families.

Local publications have recognized it among Columbus’s best casual dining spots, reinforcing its reputation for hospitality and honest cooking. In a city filled with trendy new restaurants, Scotty’s Café continues to thrive by doing what it always has – serving hearty, comforting meals with sincerity and care.

7. Why It Feels Like Home

At its heart, Scotty’s Café succeeds because it captures the feeling of belonging. The owners and staff make the experience deeply personal, transforming a quick meal into something meaningful. Regulars describe it as a place where birthdays are celebrated quietly over pancakes and where morning coffee comes with genuine conversation.

The décor – simple, warm, and timeless – matches the food: no pretense, just authenticity. This consistency has allowed Scotty’s to bridge generations, with families passing down visits as part of their own Columbus traditions. Travelers often find it by chance but return whenever they’re back in town. Every aspect – from the homemade recipes to the owner’s presence on the floor – reinforces a sense of trust and familiarity.

In a dining world increasingly focused on novelty, Scotty’s Café endures by staying grounded in community values. It’s more than just a brunch spot; it’s a reflection of everything that makes Ohio hospitality unforgettable.