Columbus’ newest LGBTQ+ bar Slammies is a ‘safe space for all to come in’

ABBY DITMER Lantern reporter ditmer.17@osu.edu

This story was published April 13, 2023 and updated for the commencement edition.

High Street’s newest LGBTQ+ bar, Slammies on High, opened March 3 in place of Aracri Pizzeria, with the motto “All Walks One Groove.”

Slammies was preceded by Slammers, one of the last lesbian bars left in the U.S., and is an extension of the beloved local lesbian bar. The bar features daily deals — such as tequila Tuesday, beat the clock, happy hour and Thursday $4 mules, according to its website.

Similar to Aracri, Slammies is a pizza kitchen with several classic and specialty pizzas, including a pickle pie for pickle lovers. Slammies is a safe space for all to come in, no matter your walk of life, Logan, a fourth-year in marketing and social media director of Slammies, said.

No matter your sexuality, race or gender, Slammies is a safe space to hang out with friends, Logan K. said. There is also couch seating towards the front for individuals looking to study or just hang out.

“I love to study here. It’s just such a chill environment. I live on North Campus, and I feel like everyone’s normally at Starbucks, and there isn’t really a place to study there,” Logan said. “I come here to study for accounting, and just to sit and watch High Street.”

Logan runs the Slammies Instagram account. He said that when the opportunity was presented to him, he knew it was an

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ideal position for him because he identifies as gay, and is a marketing major.

Carson, bartender at Slammies and Ohio State 2021 graduate, said opening night had a wide range of people from different backgrounds. He said it was beautiful to see everyone coming in to enjoy the vibe of the bar.

“The lights were down, the music was blaring, everyone’s having a good time enjoying the drinks. Food was flying out the window,” Carson said. “And while it was a little bit stressful, there was a smile on my face from left to right.”

Carson said he started serving when he came to Ohio State and switched over to bartending after four years of serving.

“I thought it’d be really cool to help open a bar, especially on campus, like my stomping grounds of my alma mater, and just helping promote such an important aspect for the gay community here at Ohio State,” Carson said.

Logan said growing up he felt like he would never be able to be a part of a community in which people understood him. He said he hopes people can use Slammies as a safe space while still figuring out their sexuality.

“After being told, ‘You’re straight,’ or ‘You can’t believe in boys kissing boys,’ that was my ideology, my mindset before I came to college,” Logan said. “I’ve met some really great people over my four years here at OSU, and I really wish I had a place like Slammies where I knew it was okay to be gay.”

Slammies does Tequila Tuesdays featuring $5 margaritas and $50 pitchers, Logan said. Beat the clock Wednesdays start at 2 p.m. with $2 wells and prices increasing at the top of the hour.

Carson said Slammies makes its own cold brew in house that they use to make espresso martinis. He said he can also make cold brew drinks alcoholic.

Aside from their drinks, Slammies is known for its Columbus-style pizza. According to Ohio Magazine, columbus-style pizza has a “circular thin crust with a bottom dusting of cornmeal and toppings that meet the edges.”

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One of Slammies most popular pizzas is the pickle pizza. Carson said the pizza is like Nashville chicken minus the chicken. The base is a ranch sauce, topped with cheese and fresh pickles on top.

“I know it just sounds very interesting and quirky, but so is this bar,” Carson said. “It just, like, fits in with our environment and it’s kind of representative.”

If Carson could describe Slammies in one sentence, he said he would describe it as quirky, and a little bit queer.

“Every time I find myself at a crossroad, I tend to just remind myself of those basic things that make me who I am,” Carson said. “I want people to be able to find those things with themselves within this bar as well.”

The Lantern chose to withhold Logan and Carson’s last names as a safety precaution due to their personal experiences with homophobia.