The newest additions to Pickerington’s dining menu

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First-time bar owners are making their mark on Pickerington with two of the most recent additions to the city’s dining and nightlife scenes.

The last few months have seen the long-awaited opening of Combustion Brewery & Taproom and the arrival of Pivot Sports Bar and Grill in a prominent spot right near the entrance to the city.

Combustion Brewery & Taproom

80 W. Church St., Ste. 101

Pickerington’s first-ever microbrewery opened its doors mid-April.

It’s Keith Jackson’s first foray into running his own brewery, but he’s no stranger to the world of craft beer. He was home-brewing for some time before taking on professional gigs at Columbus Brewing Company, then Gordon Biersch. The entire time, he had Combustion in sight.

“At some point, I decided I knew how to run the brewery and it was … time to pursue the dream,” Jackson says.

Jackson saw Pickerington as a prime location for a brewery, given its supportive community and lack of anything that compared. And the space in the old Pickerington Creamery building was too perfect to pass up, he says: It has historical significance, it’s well-known in the community and it’s already set up for a production facility.

“It’s got character,” Jackson says. “It’s an authentic building. It’s got that charm that people try to mimic.”

The name Combustion refers to hard work and “burning the candle at both ends,” Jackson says, also evoking the relaxing feeling associated with sitting by a fire.

Combustion started with a core menu of beer standards that Jackson is working to quickly expand. The most popular item on the menu is the standard Combustion IPA, with other options including a session beer, Ever the Other IPA; a stout, Dark Black Past; a hefeweizen, El Heffe; a blonde ale, Wanderlust; and a chocolate stout, Chewbacca.

Jackson is big on infused beers, with options thus far having included Blueprint, a blueberry-infused version of Wanderlust, and Antidote, a coffee-infused version. He aims to add hoppier styles and Belgian styles, and looks to be on the ballot in November to add wine and cider to the menu.

Jackson and his staffers are always happy to help customers unfamiliar with craft beer find something they like. And Combustion brews its own coffee on site in pour-over, nitro and cold brew form.

A limited food menu offers paninis, Bavarian pretzels, cheese boards, charcuterie and a handful of snacks such as pretzels and kettle chips. Combustion often brings in food trucks for the outdoor space as well.

The brewery is divided into multiple sections: a more traditional bar area; a bright indoor space with garage doors that open to the outside; and a patio. It also has a barrel room that can be reserved for private events.

Adding to the atmosphere, Combustion has live music once or twice a week.

Jackson has worked to make sure the brewery is not limited to adults. There are juice boxes for kids, and a children’s area with toys and games in the corner of the indoor area.

Pivot Sports Bar and Grill

10705 Blacklick Eastern Rd.

It’s probably no surprise that sports is the name of the game at Pivot, a philosophy reflected in the memorabilia, the substantial number of TVs, and the sports-themed food and drinks.

Pivot, which opened mid-March, is working to build a reputation as a family sports bar, says Srikanth Marpagda, one of the co-owners.

It’s located in the space previously occupied by Gratzi a Tutti.

The restaurant already has a considerable amount of memorabilia on the walls, and is working to add more, but it all revolves around a large mural depicting local teams. TVs are incorporated in such a way as to ensure everybody can keep an eye on one.

“From every angle, you can watch sports,” Marpagda says.

Among the more popular items on the menu are the beer-battered cheese curds; chicken wings, available in boneless or traditional styles, as well as pork wings; and Buckeye pretzels, served as appetizers with beer cheese or desserts with maple, cinnamon and sprinkles.

The pizzas have been popular, Marpagda says, with custom options as well as barbecue chicken, buffalo chicken, white and vegetarian varieties. Burgers – classic, black bean, mushroom Swiss, barbecue bacon – are also big sellers.

The sports theme pervades into the drink menu, with options including a Blue Jacket Long Island iced tea, made with blue curacao; a Buckeye Long Island iced tea, which is red rather than blue; and Land-Grant Brewing Company’s Goon, a strong pale ale that pays tribute to the Blue Jackets.

“On Sundays, we have bacon Bloody Marys,” Marpadga says.

Marpagda has ambitions for Pivot to be just the first spot for him and the group of friends who opened it. He and his friends, who had been meeting each Friday at various bars around town, had discussed opening their own for years.

They had looked at multiple locations throughout central Ohio and were greatly impressed by the space in Pickerington. It helps that Pickerington is an up-and-coming area, a good demographic for a place like Pivot, Marpagda says.

“Our vision is basically to have at least three or four more (restaurants) in different suburbs of Columbus,” he says. “We thought this is a good spot to start from.”

“Pivot” is a sports term, of course, but it can also be a reference to a center or focal point, Marpagda says, and that’s what he hopes Pivot becomes.

The restaurant has held a handful of special events since it opened, including for March Madness and Cinco de Mayo, and is looking at adding periodic live musicians or DJs.

What Else is New?

Chef T’s Pub, 19 N. Center St.: Opened upstairs area in the spring

Jasmine’s Thai and Sushi, 196 Clint Dr.: Opened November

Mr. O Kitchen, 1722 Hill Rd. N.: Opened December

Tasty Made, 1291 Hill Rd. N.: Opening date pending

Garth Bishop is managing editor. Feedback welcome at gbishop@cityscenemediagroup.com.

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