Mean Mugs Wings & Things
Out of the rift, and into the spicy abyss.
Read more →Spiciest Dish in Columbus
We ate the spiciest dish at 134 Columbus restaurants so you don't have to. This is the complete guide to the hottest food in Columbus, Ohio.
134 restaurants reviewed
Rankings & Roundups
Start here — the curated lists pulled from every review below.
- Spiciest Dish in Columbus, OH Our first ever city series and our quest to find the "spiciest dish" in Columbus, OH View list →
- Spiciest Wings in Columbus, OH Every spicy wing we've eaten in Columbus, ranked hottest to least and kept in sync with our full Spiciest Dish in Columbus list. View list →
- Spiciest Asian Food In Columbus, OH There is a very clear number one in this list, and the story behind it is a lot of fun. For a long time we went searching for the best View list →
- Spiciest Chicken Sandwiches in Columbus, OH We've eaten a lot of spicy chicken sandwiches in Columbus over the past few years and figured it's time to get a comprehensive list together. Feel free View list →
- Columbus Corn Dogs: Ranked We aren't always eating the spiciest dishes in Columbus. Sometimes we eat corn dogs too This list will be updated less frequently, but we'll try to get View list →
- Spicy Dishes For Delivery in Columbus (or Pickup) In these trying times, sometimes you just want some spicy food induced sniffles. With Ohio restaurants shutting down their dine-in service, where are the View list →
Latest reviews
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Mean Mugs Wings & Things
Out of the rift, and into the spicy abyss.
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Dave's Hot Chicken
Earlier this year, Columbus was blessed to have another Hot Chicken chain open for business. Hailing from California and from humble beginnings of a
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Martha's Fusion Kitchen
We'd seen plenty of posts about Martha's Fusion Kitchenhttps://www.columbusmonthly.com/story/lifestyle/food/2022/03/01/best-new-restaurants-2022-marthas-fu
Every restaurant, reviewed
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Dave's Hot Chicken
Earlier this year, Columbus was blessed to have another Hot Chicken chain open for business. Hailing from California and from humble beginnings of a
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Martha's Fusion Kitchen
We'd seen plenty of posts about Martha's Fusion Kitchenhttps://www.columbusmonthly.com/story/lifestyle/food/2022/03/01/best-new-restaurants-2022-marthas-fu
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Hiro Ramen & Tea
If you're new to the robot-served ramen world, you're not alone.
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OX-B's Chicken Joint
There comes a time in everyone's life where they want something different. Where they've given up on trying the same thing over and over. OX-B's Chicken
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CM Chicken
Chicken, fried then cooked in a charcoal grill. Need we say more? Several of you have been asking for me to swing by Choong Man
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Carlucci's Pizzeria
Sometimes you find a hole in the wall in a plaza that has multiple pizza shops, and sometimes it's delicious. We'd driven past Carlucci's
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Katalina's Cafe
What can we say about Katalina's other than it's one of the best spots in the city for breakfast or brunch sandwiches. We first made it to
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Las Margaritas
If you put "spicy" and "specialty" in your item name, I'm pretty much a shoe-in for trying it. Such was the case with Las Margaritas Spicy Pollo Verde
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Neehee's
We'd passed by the big red N in the sky several times and finally decided to give it a shot. Sitting back from Sawmill Rd. by Target and a new exercise
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Powell Bar & Grill
Just north of Downtown Powell off the beaten path sits Powell Bar & Grillhttps://www.powellbarandgrill.com/ourmenu/. A cozy spot, I happened to wander in
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Tikka N Kabab
Tucked into the corner of Roberts Road and Hilliard-Rome Road sits Tikka N Kebabhttps://tikkankabab.com/. It's got a familiar feel from the Chinese
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Hoyo's Kitchen
Hoyoooooooo's. If you don't know about Hoyo's Kitchen, you need to get yourself to North Market Downtown. After a hot sauce delivery at Flavor & Fire, we
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TaKorea
Fusion restaurants can be great, but from time to time they can try to do too much and not fully capture either of the two sides they're blending.
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Spice9
Spice9https://spice9columbus.com/menu/ sits in the Sancus area of Polaris, reallll close to the already high on our list Hyderabad
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Grand China
On the outskirts of 270, in an unassuming plaza sits Grand China. With no real online presence outside of their website, we had not previously heard of
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Hounddog's Pizza
Hounddog'shttps://www.hounddogspizza.com/menu/ is a legendary name in the pizza game in Columbus and one that is in such a spot that we don't get to it
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Arepazo
We've been eating this food for a while, but finally had time to put it on the list. With two locations Brewery District and Gahanna, El
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Burger King on Fifth (BK5)
Rarely would I post about a fast food spot, but people kept asking me if these were actually spicy, AND it gave me an opportunity to travel to the iconic
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Barrio
Tacos. Scantrons. Free Chips. This is Barrio. For a long time there have been stories about Barrio and Condado. Previously business partners, Joseph Kahn
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Aladdin's Eatery
A whole new world...of heat. Aladdin's Eateryhttps://aladdins.com/locations/ has long been a go-to for Meditteranean food in our household. Starting when
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Mardi Gras Homemade Ice Cream
This is definitely a "revisit" spot. We'd driven by Mardi Gras Homemade Ice Cream many times, but had never stopped in. With 20 years of slinging exotic,
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Shakers Public House
The Death Nectar comes for us all. Newly owned by Spencer Campbell and his wife Caitlin, Shakers Public House is the revamped Shakers Bar & Grille. With
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Tensuke Express
Tensuke Plaza. My home away from home. This place is tha best. We wander to the Plaza a few times every month, sometimes for sushi, sometimes for sweets
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Boxwood Biscuit Co.
We've had an eye on these biscuits for a while. Boxwood Biscuit Co. raged onto the scene as a pop up in August 2020 at Law Bird and quickly moved into a
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Erawan Thai
On Refugee Road there's a little place called the McThai Center. It's got an Asian grocery, some other odds and ends, and our main event for this tale,
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Paulie Gee's
For many moons we had discussed getting Paulie Gee's, but it was a case where when we _wanted_ pizza we weren't in the area. This week we finally managed
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Prohibition
In June we ventured to downtown Powell to snag some food from Prohibition. Yes, yes, another chicken dish. Prohibition's Hot Fried Chicken Sandwich is a
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Rude Dog Bar & Grill
When you tell me there are spicy tots on any menu I'm automatically going to try them, no questions asked. That was the case with Rude Dog and their
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Cluck Norris
Cluck Norris can sneeze with their eyes open. The concept of ghost kitchens isn't new, but its become more prevalent across the country and especially
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Two Fatt Indians
Two Fatt. Too Furious actually they're super nice. We've been trying to get through some community-driven restaurant requests and next up is Two Fatt
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Clustertruck
Now open in Downtown Columbus _and_ Dublin. Clustertruck recently opened a location in Dublin, continuing their expansion across the great city of
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New India Restaurant
Curry, the food I didn't know I was missing out on. It still blows my mind that I hadn't had curry until I was in my mid-20s. It was a whole spicy genre
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Old Dog Alehouse and Brewing
It's been a long time. We know this is the "Spiciest Dish in Columbus" series, but Delaware is Columbus-adjacent enough that it still counts in our
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Nostalgia Brewing
Back on the town, what an odd thing. Emerging from the dingy darkness of our hole after almost a year of staying inside, we grabbed dinner with some
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Iguanas
A mexican restaurant with a drive through you say? Insert Leo DiCaprio gif here. At the corner of 750 and 23 exists a cozy little spot with a hefty menu
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Momo Ghar
A local legend, Momo Ghar recently opened an additional location in Dublin. Starting off in a stall in Saraga International Market and rocketing their
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Teriyaki Madness
Madness? This. Is. TERIYAKI Opened in late 2020 in Westervillehttps://www.thisweeknews.com/story/news/local/westerville/2021/01/22/new-westerville-business
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Stadium
Opening mid-pandemic is tough, but Stadium survives In the small downtown area of Gahanna in the Creekside Development,
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Min-Ga
Chewy rice cakes with a dash of heat? In. Min-Ga sits off Bethel in a heat zone that also features friendly/deadly establishment Hoggy's BBQ. While the
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Dirty Frank's Hot Dog Palace
Nothin' keener than their wiener. Opened in 2009 in a partnership with Elizabeth Lessner, Dirty Frank's has since been owned and operated by Nick
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Huli Huli
If you're looking for a breezy time and a bit of respite from the cold Ohio winters, Huli Huli offers you some rest and relaxation. In the cozy downtown
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Little Palace
Little Palace, little sandwiches, a little heat. When we lived in Downtown Columbus, Little Palacehttp://www.thelittlepalacerestaurant.com/ was a regular
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Meshikou Chikin
When you've got a good thing going, and there's a space right next to you, why not expand? There are likely more reasons behind the opening of Meshikou
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Bawarchi Indian Cuisine
Just go until you see the colorful lights on the side of the restaurant. That's one way you could explain how to get to Bawarchi Indian Cuisine in
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Chapman's Eat Market
Everything looks more inviting in the snow. Sitting on the corner of East Frankfort and South 3rd in German Village is a cozy diner-esque restaurant that
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Slurping Turtle
You know us, we love the spicy noods. Columbus is full of them, but juuuuust before the New Year kicked off, another opened in Easton by the newer
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Dumplings of Fury
Have you tried your dumplings with a side of fury? Nestled between Meatball Mafia, The Cheesecake Girl and Crooked Can Brewing, Dumplings of
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Dosa Corner
With over 20 years in Columbus, Dosa Corner may just be the spiciest vegetarian/vegan restaurant in town. Sitting at the corner of Old Henderson and
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Nomad
Combine the best charcoal-fired ovens ever created along with Ohio-based meats and you've got a winning combo in Nomad Hot Kitchen + Cool Spirits. Owned
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Silohs
We normally don't let social media influence our decisions, but Silohs continues to get our attention on Instagram. That's why when we were out doing
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Fetty's Street Food
Columbus is a hot bed for food trucks and even with the pandemic in full swing, the owners continue to work tirelessly to keep their business alive. This
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Fibonacci’s Pizzeria
Who ya gonna call, dough-busters we apologize immediately for this Newly opened in 2020, Fibonacci's Pizzeriahttps://www.studio35.com/menu is a small but
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Smokehouse Brewing Company - Lucifer Sauce
Smokehouse Brewing Company has and continues to be a solid favorite in Columbus, but this time they've got a new spicy sauce to try out. From late 2011,
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Matt & Tony's Wood Fired Kitchen
Warning, rant about shoestring fries hidden within. Sitting in the shell of former Columbus Brewing Company restaurant, Matt & Tony's Wood Fired
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CoCo Hot Pot
Still looking for solid winter foods, we found a stew for youuuuu. CoCo Hot Pot had come up a few times when we were looking for Asian food around the
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Gallo's Kitchen and Bar
We'd driven past numerous times, but were unsure of the spicy treasures within. Sitting just south of Fishinger on 33, Gallo's Kitchen and Bar is an
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Hyderabad House
Nestled into the Trinethra Super Market on Sancus, the Polaris location of Hyderabad House is unassuming, which makes it the perfect hole in the wall
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Fried Chicka Bang
When reddit points out the spicy, we go find the spicy. Thanks to user /u/Bieterman/, we were asked to bring some deets to the Columbus community so here
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GoreMade Pizza
Fall is a magical time of year, for all things spicy. If you haven't noticed, there's an influx of fresh pepper spiciest dish items and that's because
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Hoggy's BBQ - Uncut XXX Inferno
We've taken a look at Hoggy's BBQ XXX Inferno wings previously, but that's a cut from a more potent, flame-riddled sauce. Last year when we reviewed the
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Hot Chicken Takeover - Unholy Edition
When Hot Chicken Takeover offers a new level of heat, we're automatically in. Last week Hot Chicken Takeoverhttps://hotchickentakeover.com/ announced
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Chef Rich's Kitchen
It's a confident move to name your restaurant after yourself, but Chef Rich's Kitchen holds up across the board. We'd driven past many times, seen the
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Tiger + Lily
A new meaning to the word "inferno." Re-opened for carryout and delivery, Tiger + Lilyhttps://www.tigerandlilybistro.com/ sits on Gay Street just to the
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So Gong Dong
Thin slices of spicy pork? We're in. This week we got delivery from So Gong Donghttps://www.sgdrestaurant.com/, a Tofu & Korean BBQ restaurant, hidden
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Grandad's Pizza & Pub
Wings two weeks in a row? You're killing us Fartley. Yes, yes, we know. Two weeks in a row where we've done wings, but hey, when we're driving right next
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Buffalo Wings & Rings
Wings and Rings and spicy things August is National Chicken Wing Month if you were unaware we were unaware, so we ventured to Buffalo Wings and Rings to
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Ray Ray's Hog Pit
Ray Ray's Hog Pit features a full spread of meats, one of which is a potentially potent pepper-packed pork pipe. In all of our time in Columbus, we
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Spiciest Dish in Columbus Series: Pho Chef
Pho Chef slings some spicy noodles, but are they the spiciest noodles in Columbus? On a suggestion from a gentleman on Facebook, we stopped by Pho
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The Crazzy Greek
You keep using that word, I do not think it means what you think it means. The Crazzy Greekhttps://crazzygreek2.com/ was recommended to us a while back,
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Siam Hibachi
Never met a curry we didn't like. Tucked in between a City BBQ and a Cricket Mobile, Siam Hibachihttps://www.siamhibachi.com/ sits in a small plaza off
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Intercontinental Restaurant
When we made a vow to eat less wings this year, we were serious. We've continued to branch out into new food arenas and lately we've been going for West
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Flip Side
A wise man once said, "I'd gladly pay you Tuesday for a hamburger today." That's a good way to get booted from a restaurant. Flip
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Afra Grill
"African inspired, American made," Afra Grill brings a new flavor to Flavortown, OH. In our quest to branch further out into the spicy realms of Central
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Lucky's Grille and Sports Pub
It's been a while since we wandered into wing territory and when we go for it, we go hard. Lucky's Grille and Sports
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Drelyse African Restaurant
This spicy dish had been on our list for quite a while, but it was a bit out there so we had been a bit hesitant to give it a shot. Drelyse African
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El Vaquero
As the famous American Poet Robert James Ritchie Sr once said "I want to be a cowboy, baby." El Vaquerohttps://www.vaquerorestaurant.com/ was another
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Spiciest Dish in Columbus Series: Aangan India Bistro
There's something familiar about Aangan India Bistro when you get it for the first time. Earlier this year we wandered over after a movie at Marcus
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Yellow Brick Pizza
Abandon all hope, ye who enter here. On a delivery run this week we decided to swing by a pizza spot that we'd seen on the socials quite a bit but had
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Curry Up Indian Grill
For when you need curry in a hurry. COVID has been a weird time for restaurants and will continue to be for many, even as dine-in starts to come back as
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Yats
If Cajun or Creole food is what you seek, look no further. Tucked away on the main strip of Grandview Ave sits
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Kirin Noodle Bar
Last year we spent a lot of time with wings and this year it looks like we'll be spending lots of time with noodles. We're not mad and we hope you're not
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Chile Verde
Spicy Stew? We didn't even realize that was a thing. Each week when we post these, as folks are commenting in the Reddit threads we like to ask if they
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Nong's Hunan Express
Nothing better than rice with some spice. Well, some things, but not much. Nong's Hunan Expresshttps://www.nongshunanexpress.com/dinner-menu is in a bit
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Choripan Argentine Grill
Empanadas anyone? In the former shell of Tweeter's Chicken Crib sits a new restaurant serving up "simple and healthy food with an Argentine flair."
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The Crispy Coop
Not wings this time. Well, one wing, but also half a chicken. _Exterior photo taken non-maliciously from Susan Post and Columbus
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Thai Grille
We're on a bit of a noodle kick, but when they're tasty is that such a big deal? Before we get into this post, we wanted to encourage you to support our
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Kraft House No. 5
We review spicy things and corn dogs, but little known fact is that our third favorite food group is mac and cheese. Kraft House No. 5 one of the few
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Old Skool
"I'll be in the neighborhood later on, and I was wondering if maybe you wanted to get some frozen yogurt, or perhaps a whole meal of food, if that would
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Cuco's Taqueria
Our new year's resolution was to eat more tacos, queso, and guacamole. We don't aim to fail. A few weeks ago we were chatting with a friend who is
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Spiciest Dish in Columbus Series: The Crafty Pint
Feelin' a bit spooky, might go eat some ghosts. When The Crafty Pint first opened, we wandered there quite a bit for their hand twisted pretzel with beer
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Wing Snob
Another day, another wing place, but this one's new That's right, more wings Can you ever have enough options in a city? This spicy food lover says you
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Xi Xia Western Chinese Cuisine
Previously, on Asian restaurants located at Kenny and Old Henderson... We've written before about Sushi Ten and the Tensuke Plaza, but if you head to the
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Borgata Pizza Cafe
Boasting a Spicy Sausage Stuffed Pepper and six wing sauces, we visited Borgata this week to see where they stacked up. One low-gravity jump skip away
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Bamboo Thai Kitchen
Something, something, curry pun here. This is not a placeholder, we just couldn't think of anything clever. Our New Year's resolution is to get to some
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Winking Lizard Pt. II
When a "Hotter Than Hot" menu comes out for a mostly local restaurant, it is our duty to return. This week was no exception. The Hotter than Hot menu is
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Havana Mia
From time to time, we get friends of the farm that send us tips or spicy spots that they've enjoyed to add to our list and this is one of those
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Condado Tacos
There are a handful of taco spots around Columbus and Condado Tacos has been a staple since 2014. Last week we ventured to the downtown Condado
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Noodle Topia
We were told you all needed a break from wings, so enjoy these noods Dublin is already home to a broad array of Asian food, but we were excited when we
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JT's Pizza & Pub
JT's has been serving up some of the best pizza since 2007, but it's their wing sauces that caught our eye. Located in the Northwest corner of the 270
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The Thurman Cafe
Big beefy bois, some corn dogs and lots of BTUs (?)
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Bru Burger Bar
When we say Bru, you say burger...
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Urban's Pint House
Go for the hot chicken, stay for the bucket-sized libations.
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Beer Barrel Pizza & Grill
This week we wandered to the new Beer Barrel location in Plain City/Dublin to peep their spicy wares. With a menu boasting over 100 items, we were a
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Sushi Ten
Tensuke Plaza is a haven for some of the best Japanese food in Columbus from sushi to curry and even baked goods. We've been to this plaza more times
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Hoggy's BBQ
For as big as Columbus is, there aren't that many BBQ joints in town. City BBQ and Ray Ray's Hog Pit tend to come to mind first, but Hoggy's is another
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Harvest Pizzeria
Not on a bagel, but a pizza you can eat any time...
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The Blarney Stone Tavern
Kiss me, I'm spicy...
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Spiciest Dish in Columbus Series: Mikey's Late Night Slice
With 100% more Hate Sausage...
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GOGi Korean BBQ
Meats on meats and a deceptive chicken stir fry...
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Melt Bar and Grilled
Cheese on cheese on cheeeeeeese...
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Satori Ramen - Shinigami Edition
It's rare that we re-visit a location that we've been to previously, but sometimes a dish is rolled out that is so spicy we have to go back. Sit back and
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The Rail
The broadest range of slightly spicy items we've seen so far...
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Meshikou
If you're looking for an excellent ramen spot in Columbus, Meshikou has you covered. From an all around perspective with mood, sides, and ramen combined,
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Siam Orchid
These noodles aren't so crazy after all...
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Quaker Steak and Lube
Triple Atomic, the one sauce we've been scared of...
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Spiciest Dish in Columbus Series: Kai's Crab Boil
No need to be crabby, just grab that OMG heat...
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Woody's Wing House
So many sauces, where will they rank?
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Satori Ramen Bar
We're all about those spicy noodles.
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Roosters
The most massive of wings...
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Cazuelas Mexican Cantina
Many have tried, many have failed...
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Smokehouse Brewing Company
Hold on to your (sauerkraut) balls, we're at the Gates of Hell...
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Spicy Hop
Pepper ratings that mean everything to some, nothing to others...
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The Filling Station
A sinister sauce in an unassuming location...
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Firdous Express
When you say ID Required, you're setting the bar pretty high...
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Mac's Proper Pub
No Refund Hot wings, the next challenger for the spiciest dish in the 614...
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OH Pizza and Wings
An adventure with There Will Be Tears and Sweaty Neck sauces...
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Helen's Asian Kitchen
We are always on the lookout for new restaurants to add to our list and stumbled upon this gem after some friends suggested we go with them for the
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Winking Lizard
A multi-wing excursion at a spicy sauce saloon...
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Amul India
We revisited a favorite, but this time with spicy intentions...
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Spiciest Dish in Columbus - Hot Chicken Takeover - Heat Seeker's Edition
Behold! The Heretic Level (or Unholiest) chicken that's ever been made by Hot Chicken Takeover...
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Fukuryu Ramen
Relentless fiery noodles and levels we didn't know existed...
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Spiciest Dish in Columbus - Tweeter's Chicken Crib
Can we stand up to the Devil's Breath or will it suck the life out of us...
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Atlas Tavern
In our never-ending quest for the hottest foods across America, we will do our best to try the spiciest dishes in whatever city we are in. Since we are
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