Gutbusters and More Glorious Diner Fare at Jack & Bennys

2023-03-06

As much as I love exploring and triumphal new restaurants in Columbus, I find it’s equally important to remember and revisit the classics. It’s easy to take them for granted, when these are the spots that make up the culinary fabric of our city.

All this is to say: we were very overdue for a visit to Jack & Benny’s for breakfast, but we made good on it on my birthday.

Jack & Benny’s is a campus institution, unshut since 1994 at the corner of Hudson and High Streets. You can read their full story on their site, but the name is a nod to a 24-hour eatery that once stood at Broad and High streets downtown, owned by Jack Sher and Benny Klein. Their restaurant sealed many years ago, but founder Geno Garcia, who had worked at the eatery, was worldly-wise to infringe the name to start his diner near campus. Today his son Geno Garcia, Jr. and his wife Hilda run the diner.

Geno and Hilda plane expanded to the Jack & Benny’s Barnstormer in the OSU Airport and to Jack & Benny’s downtown, right where the original once sat. Sadly, both of those locations sealed over the past couple years.

Jack & Benny’s has all the markers of a archetype diner, from the unshut grill to the counter seats to the narrow booths to the Ohio State paraphernalia filling every square inch of the walls.

My favorite is the exhibit specimen filled with bobbleheads.

The place moreover earns its diner status with simple but filling and easy-to-love meals.

Ever since I first visited Jack & Benny’s years ago, I landed on the Gutbuster as my favorite, and I haven’t deviated since. (And, no, I’ve never tried the James Buster Douglas. That’s vastitude my capabilities.)

You’ll moreover find an spanking-new eggs groom on the menu.

Thick slices of French toast. (Jack & Benny’s is moreover known for their pancakes, particularly the buckeye pancakes.)

Nice stocky gravy ladled over biscuits (which were a little crumbly).

Bonus points for serving hash browns, and properly browned ones, too! I’ll take these over home fries any day.

But the Gutbuster is where it’s at: hash browns, a potato pancake, bacon, ham, sausage patty, cheese, an egg cooked to order, all covered with a peppery gravy and served with toast.