New campus-area pub plans kegs and eggs for Michigan game
Ed Gaughan knows there’s no shortage of things to do when the Ohio State University football team plays at home.
After all, Gaughan has spent the last three decades, on and off, as an owner of campus-area pubs.
The O on Lane, his latest spot, just north of Ohio Stadium, is different than his previous destinations.
Taking over the former 7-Eleven at 352 W. Lane Ave., The O on Lane has all the game-day attractions: a two-sided TV in the parking lot, live music, jumbotron and quick-serve menu.
Yet, the restaurant is keenly focused on being a destination beyond sporting events, a place where faculty and visitors can sit down for a meal, relax, watch sports and have a beer or cocktail.
“We want to be more than an event location,” Gaughan said, although he will reach out to OSU hockey and basketball fans and others attending events at the Schottenstein Center.
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The centerpiece of the menu is wood-fired pizzas, using house-tossed dough. The tiled, domed oven, which uses gas support, was imported from Italy and built in the restaurant because it wouldn’t fit through the doors.
Pizzas come in 12 and 16 inches, with a list of pre-determined toppings and build-your-own options.
Gaughan said he serves a New Haven-style pizza, using a thin crust and sauce on the sweet side.
The O has a bill of fare that sports fans will recognize: wings that are baked and flash-fried to order, homemade tater tots, street tacos, wrap sandwiches and garden and meal salads.
Another regional delight: vegetable, sausage or pepperoni rolls, popular in the eastern portion of the state, said Gaughan, who grew up in Steubenville.
They are served with marinara sauce.
Other dishes include a steak or chicken Philly, burger, Italian sub, and fish and chips. Most items are $9 to $12, with pizzas starting at $14.50 and topping out at $22.50 for the larger pies.
Few would probably recognize The O’s previous occupant.
“We gutted it down to the walls,” said Gaughan, whose portfolio has included The O Patio & Pub, Sloopy’s Buckeye Club, Lucky’s Stout House, Four Kegs Bar & Grill, The Spot Bar – all having since closed. He has also sold his interest in the Grandview Café in the Grandview Heights area.
More:Here are 9 places to grab a bite to eat before OSU home games
The O on Lane debuted in the spring but Gaughan slow-rolled the opening because of the lack of labor.
The open interior has custom-made tables, some of which pay homage to former Heisman Trophy winners, along with band members and non-band members who dotted the i.
The space, which seats 120, includes a semi-open kitchen, lengthy bar area and a separate all-season patio.
Gaughan said a smaller menu, including pizza by the slice, will be served during home games to ensure quicker kitchen times.
He said he’s prepared for the upcoming battle between the Buckeyes and University of Michigan Wolverines, who will clash Nov. 26 at Ohio Stadium.
Festivities will start at 5:30 a.m. with kegs and eggs.
“We’ve been doing it since 1994 and you get a keg-and-eggs T-shirt, breakfast and the keg is part of the deal,” Gaughan said.
Hours are 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. Mondays through Saturdays and noon to 9 p.m. Sundays. For more information, call 614-745-2005.
onrestaurants@dispatch.com
This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Kegs, eggs and Brussels sprouts: campus pub prepares for Michigan game
