Don’t call us Mom Bloggers but Food Bloggers, absolutely! Seriously, Amber and I will come eat your food and drink your booze anytime without hesitation. Only invite us if you are really serious about it.
Rusty Bucket has been a family favorite of ours for quite a while. We usually frequent the Lane Avenue, Upper Arlington location to be exact. I’ve been there countless times and have only ever had one meal, the buffalo chicken sandwich smothered in blue cheese crumbles. I order it with extra blue cheese; who wants to actually lose weight? I crave their buffalo sauce like an insane 9 month pregnant woman, who just has to have it. It is so good I’ve literally never needed to try anything else on the menu. Don’t fix what isn’t broken, am I right?
We keep saying how much we love Columbus and here we go again with it… Every time we get invited to an amazing event like this and get to meet the coolest people and participate in exclusive events we leave feeling on top of the world, like the best bloggers in the universe. It doesn’t take much to blow our minds, clearly, but we are sincerely grateful to everyone who thinks of Basic Columbus when putting together a group of bloggers. We know there is a ton of incredible talent in the Columbus blog scene and we feel so privileged (and cool) every time someone thinks of us.
Since I’m not one to venture outside of my comfort zone when it comes to my dinner, Rusty Bucket was gracious enough to feed a group of Columbus bloggers everything on their menu!
Literally, they started with appetizers and made their way through the entire menu, buffalo chicken sandwich included!
Not only did we eat and drink like Queens, we learned a ton about what makes Rusty Bucket so unique and why they are such a successful restaurant with locations across the United States and more in the works to open soon.
Rusty Bucket is considered classic American Fare and is thoughtfully prepared from scratch daily by each location’s Executive Chef.
We were shocked when they went into detail over the efforts they take to make fresh, delicious, food every single day! We had no idea they made their own pizza dough or that they even offer their own Pilsner! More on both of those later.
A fan favorite, Rusty Bucket Wings.
Stop everything you’re doing and listen very carefully. Amber would like to communicate a very important message to you…. If you’ve never tried the Pork Potstickers at Rusty Bucket you have not lived!
These puppies are to die for.
Deep-Fried Pickles. In other words, heaven fried up with a side of house made ranch.
Give. Us. All. The. Fried. Pickles.
If you’ve been around Basic Columbus for a while you know Amber and I love a good pour. Doesn’t matter what you’re pouring, just make it a good one.
One of my favorite parts of any watering hole is happy hour. Rusty Bucket boasts an impressive and luring one.
Monday – Friday, 3:00-6:00PM Happy Hour at Rusty Bucket includes half priced appetizers and pizzas. $1 off all beer, wine and cocktails as well.
Bourbon Raspberry Smash
Cocktails at Rusty Bucket are considered a craft, made-to-order by highly skilled bartenders. From barrel to glass no short cuts are taken. They also offer an impressive list of drafts guaranteed to satisfy any beer connoisseur.
Bourbon is not really Amber or I’s liquor of choice but we both love raspberry. Rusty Bucket also barrels their own bourbon, a Woodford Reserve Personal Selection Gary’s Blend #9 is the blend we got to try with our smash and it was delicious!
The bourbon was smooth, the way we heard Gary prefers his bourbon.
Blueberry Bella
Every day there is a different drink special. Along with the drink special, Rusty Bucket offers a different blue plate special every day as well.
Pink Gin Fizz
I don’t like gin but I loved this cocktail! Topped with a Pinot Noir float, the wine is the perfect addition to aid in taking away the bite from the gin.
Beer. I love beer. Amber isn’t as big of a beer drinker as I am, so when she stated she really liked this beer, you know it’s gotta be good!
Rusty Bucket offers a wide variety of beers on tap but they also offer their very own Pilsner. Brewed with the help of Four String Brewing Co., it is crisp, clean and savory.
I carried the above Pilsner back to the table with us from the bar. Pro Move.
Another amazing part of Rusty Bucket’s happy hour we haven’t mentioned, the JUICY LUCY!
Only $5 from 3:00-6:00 everyday, Lucy is made up of two fresh hand pattied burgers stuffed with caramelized onions and American cheese on a toasted sesame bun.
Veggie pizza isn’t necessarily my jam, like ever. But because I will eat anything that’s put in front of me, of course I tried it. To put it lightly, I was blown away. Rusty Bucket makes their own pizza dough in house and every bite was scrumptious. The mushrooms and green olives were the perfect additions.
At the end of the evening when we were divvying up leftovers to take home, I dove straight for the pizza!
Classic Fish ‘n Chips
Mahi Mahi Tacos
Bucketeer Bookworm is another unique Rusty Bucket quality we learned about, maybe the one that got our mom juices flowing! Every child can earn a complimentary Rusty Bucket Kids’ meal with every 5 books read! How about them apples.
Here it is, the Buffalo Chicken Sandwich!
My absolute favorite meal Rusty Bucket produces, that I will still probably order every.single.time.
Sticky Bun Bread Pudding {shown above}.
Triple Chocolate Cake {shown below}.
Another characteristic that makes Rusty Bucket so special from other restaurants is the way they take care of their employees and put them first. Adopted from Cameron Mitchell’s restaurants they truly believe if employees are happy, enjoy their jobs and are well taken care of, that in turn will make them work harder and be happier at work. It creates a fun, positive environment for employees and patrons!
We got to hear from Clintonville’s Executive Chef, Greg Roy, as well as the General Manager and their experiences both beginning as dishwashers and turning their careers with Rusty Bucket into exactly what they dreamed they could be.
This is what Happy & Stuffed Bloggers look like!
Find Your Rusty Bucket location!
