It’s been a few months since the 12th anniversary of Arch City Tavern’s opening day, and we’re still thinking about the lamb sliders. We sat down with Xhevair Brakaj, one of the owners of Arch City Tavern, to take us through what these 12 years have been like.

Brakaj moved from Albania to the U.S. in 1995, knowing little English at the time. He took up his first restaurant job as a dishwasher at Boulevard Grille at the now-defunct City Center Mall. There, Brakaj met Koli Memushaj, an Albanian busboy who would soon become his longtime business partner.

Brakaj worked up from his dishwasher position and throughout the ranks, becoming a busboy, then server, and, finally, restaurant manager. In 2005, Brakaj purchased his first restaurant, the Red Door Tavern, located on 1736 W. 5th Ave in Grandview.

After gathering ownership experience from Red Door Tavern, the lifelong friends, Brakaj and Memushaj, teamed up to purchase Arch City Tavern.

“We bought it in 2012; it took us about a year to remodel and do the construction,” says Brakaj. “We opened on March 5th of 2023, and Koli and I have been partnering since.”

Story Arch

The interior of Arch City Tavern is full of history, from the walls to the steel arches that connect the different sections of the dining room, and even the name.

“Arch City is what they used to call Columbus in the 1880s,” Brakaj begins to tell us a story.

It starts just after the Civil War, when 300,000 people arrived in Columbus for the Civil War parade. Brakaj tells us that Columbus didn’t have enough shelter for all of the visitors, so they had to improvise.

“(The city) built arches along High, Broad, and Gay Street, and all around downtown… they put gas-lit lamps up to light the city so people could tent out and sleep on the street for the parade.”

When these newcomers saw all of the arches above the streets, Columbus quickly gained the nickname of “Arch City”.

“The name got lost, but we were the first ones to use the name and bring back that history,” says Brakaj. “Then, we did this mural here, which is all pencil and about 176 days of art.”

Albanian artist Vasiliev Nini penciled this mural across one of the back walls of Arch City, representing an interpretation of what the “Arch City” may have looked like back in the 1880s.

And, while Brakaj tells us that sometime in the near future he’d love to give Arch City a, in his words, “facelift”, he assured us that the mural will forever be a piece of the place.

Grab a Bite!

When asked to describe the vibe of Arch City, Brakaj described the tavern as cozy, comfortable, and having a great vibe. We couldn’t agree more, and the food meets just these expectations.

Manager Olivia Brezinski joined the conversation, giving insight into what the star menu items are here at Arch City Tavern.

Unequivocally, Brezinski and Brakaj agree that the lamb sliders are, by far, the best-selling dish on the menu. These sliders are the perfect way to begin a meal (or have as your main), a portion of three sliders with melt-in-your-mouth braised lamb that is heavenly.

“We braise the lamb shank for 12 hours with vegetables, and then pull it, and make sure it’s completely shredded perfectly. We serve it on a pretzel bun with goat cheese, arugula, and then a chile aioli,” says Brakaj.

Pair it with an order of the truffle fries, and you’re golden.

“I think that the truffle fries are the best in the city,” says Brezinski.

Following closely behind the lamb sliders are the Arch City Burger and the Bison Burger, each uniquely delicious. The Arch City Burger holds the namesake of the restaurant and is a house blend of short rib, sirloin, chuck, and brisket. Topped with peppered bacon, avocado, Muenster, grilled onion, cilantro, and chile aioli, it’s an inventive take on a house burger.

The Bison Burger is uniquely topped with goat cheese, arugula, crispy prosciutto, and grilled onions, leaning more into the Mediterranean side of the menu. Both owners’ Albanian roots influence these light flavors, blending nostalgic flavors with American tastes.

Pair any menu item with any of the housemade cocktails, and the meal is complete. Our personal favorite has to be the Moscow Mule, which Brezinski let us know is made with their housemade ginger syrup. A twist on the traditional Mule recipe, Arch City’s combines the fresh ginger syrup with soda water to mimic the bottled ginger beer that is usually opted for.

All cocktails are made with premium alcohol for premium tastes, but if you lean more towards beer, Arch City’s got nearly 60 to 70 different kinds of craft beer. With 24 on tap and the rest in bottles and cans, you’ll surely find something to pair alongside your dinner.

And, you can taste the care and dedication in everything you order, from dinner to dessert to specialty cocktails; the Arch City staff is passionate.

“I’m a people person, so I love being around here,” says Brakaj. “If you’d offer me any other business, I wouldn’t take it because I love being here. I love meeting new people and talking to them. It makes me happy.”

 

 

 

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862 N High St, Columbus

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