The Top Steakhouse Experience
The Top is from another age, when folks dressed up to go out for dinner and when lunches came with three martinis. There aren’t many places left like ours, a true mid-century throwback that’s been virtually unchanged since the doors opened in 1955.
Inside, you’ll still find all the hallmarks of a true 1950s supper club—the dimly lit, wood-paneled dining room with leather booths, the shiny copper bar lined with longtime regulars, the original piano bar.
The Top is a Columbus institution. Over the years, we’ve maintained the traditions of exceptional service and a commitment to quality food.
The Top Story
The Top Steak House, a 1950s supper club-style fine dining restaurant, opened its doors in April of 1955. The Top was originally owned and operated by Lee Henry and Bill Sapp, well-known Columbus restaurateurs who also owned the legendary Polynesian palace The Kahiki as well as beloved hot spot The Wine Cellar.
Thanks to nightly live piano music, excellent cuisine and above-and-beyond service, The Top quickly earned a reputation as “the place to be”—especially as a local hangout for politicians. In fact, to accommodate the growing clientele, owners installed phone jacks at every table so politicians could make and receive important business calls.
The Top is still locally owned and operated. During the almost 70 years in business, the steakhouse has been through only three ownerships. The current incarnation is run by family co-owners Joyce and Craig Hoover and Emily and Matt Schoedinger. The Bexley family purchased The Top in 2006.