Columbus Monthly’s Best New Restaurants 2023: Bridge Park’s Kona Craft Kitchen + Bar
Kona owners Stacy and Frank Leary have created a welcoming, all-day destination featuring Kona Coffee, great cocktails and much more.
Since it opened in the spring of 2022, Kona Craft Kitchen has become a standout among the many eateries in Dublin’s ever-growing Bridge Park. Owners Frank and Stacy Leary drew their inspiration from the rich Kona coffees they tasted in Hawaii and used that as a starting point to create a casual, approachable and comforting all-day restaurant.
The brightly lit space constantly bustles with activity. It’s decorated in soothing creams and rich greens, with leaf patterns adorning the floor.
The Learys have smartly created a place with multiple points of entry. In the mood for a cinnamon brown sugar latte and a sticky bun? Maybe a hearty breakfast of turkey biscuits or French toast? A quick lunch of burgers with chips and queso as a family? Perhaps a more sophisticated dinner of scallop ceviche or smoked Gerber chicken? Or maybe just a spot at the bar to sip an Ohio craft beer or brown-buttered Old Fashioned?
Kona Craft Kitchen hits all of these notes without missing a beat. Add in a gorgeous bar, indoor firepit and shaded patio space, and Kona is sure to be a mainstay of Bridge Park for years to come.
Kona Craft Kitchen + Bar
6757 Longshore St., Dublin, 614-502-5400, konacraftkitchen.com
Side Dishes
Island Time: Given their name and inspiration from Hawaii’s signature coffee, it’s no surprise that Kona beans feature heavily on the menu. Kona’s skilled baristas put them to use in brewed coffee, espresso drinks and cold brew. If rich, chocolatey, nutty brews are your preference, Kona is the way to go.
Yes, Chef: In mid-2022, Kona Craft Kitchen welcomed Anthony Schulz as its new executive chef. Schulz brings diverse experience to Bridge Park, with past cooking gigs at the Inn & Spa at Cedar Falls in Hocking Hills, Lancaster’s Rockmill Brewery, Clintonville’s bygone Flowers & Bread and other local eateries.
Catering to All Tastes: The culinary team at Kona created a menu that’s fitting for almost every dining preference, whether you’re carnivorous, vegetarian or eating gluten-free. The options span the full menu, from oat milk lattes to gluten-free chicken chorizo hash and salmon poke to veggie-focused kimchi power bowls and vegan soba tofu.
This story is from the 2023 Best New Restaurants package in the March 2023 issue of Columbus Monthly.