In our continuing effort to find the perfect restaurant, four Hartleys recently ate at District 13 Gastropub in Sunbury Ohio. Gastropub is a term you will see at restaurants in the Columbus area, although it never sounds appetizing to me. Gastric reflux, gastric distress, gastric surgery, gastropub – those all sound like the same unpleasant thing. Wikipedia says that a gastropub is a pub (bar) that serves restaurant food. The term originated in London, Great Britain in 1991.
District 13 in Sunbury is located in a renovated bank on the square. We could tell it was an old bank because the alcohol is kept in the open vault. Like most gastropubs, the bar is a centerpiece of the restaurant. The restaurant was decked out for Halloween with great decorations inside and out. Aside from the bar and the seasonal decorations, the décor is basic. There is patio seating, but it was too cold to eat outside on the night we were there.
We all arrived about six and the restaurant was not busy at the time. The bar and the restaurant started filling up soon after. Our waiter brought our drinks and then took our order. Jackie got the lettuce wraps with a side of chicken. John ordered the Not a Date Night Burger with garlic aioli. Tom and I decided to split the Texas Brisket. It was beef brisket with housemade BBQ sauce on top of mashed potatoes on top of Texas toast. We chose steamed broccoli as our side. It sounded like too much for one person, although there is an upcharge for splitting a meal.
The food was good but not spectacular. John enjoyed his burger and all the ingredients in Jackie’s wrap were fresh and crispy. Tom and I thought about splitting dessert but decided we were full enough. We will have to try the caramel chocolate lava cake another day.
District 13 Gastropub is owned by Jassen and Shana Holderby. Their motto is “Unique comfort food and large portion sizes.” They opened the restaurant in 2020 and have had some ups and downs. They are still working out their place in the restaurant world in Sunbury. Although I wouldn’t drive far to go to this restaurant, it was a good place to eat that is close by.