A Night Reminiscing at the CB, aka The Columbus Bar

Archival CB photo from Power House’s website.

Tonight everyone got a post-Christmas wish.

The kids got to spend the night with their cousins, continuing to having the Christmas vacation time of their lives.

And Sim got to try some local brew at the CB, also known as the Columbus Bar and more recently Power House Brewery.

We’ll stick with the CB. It’s kind of a family name considering Sim’s great Uncle Sap named the place in 1939 when he bought the establishment, previously known as “The Sanitary Cafe.”

He not only changed the name, but in 1941 he put in a real floor and had the iconic horseshoe bar built. Around the top of the bar hang mugs from the regulars. I’m not sure how much it costs to get a mug up there. But it’s a feature that adds to the bar’s welcoming atmosphere.

Old ad from Historic Indiana message board.

Uncle Sap wasn’t long for the bar business. He joined the service, shipped off, and came home with a brand new plan: Sap’s Donuts. My brother-in-law still makes Sap’s yeast donuts on special occasions. That’s pretty much the only place you can eat Sap’s version. His company was bought out years ago by Dolly Madison, which quit making Sap’s recipe around 2007 I think.

But I digress. The Columbus Bar continued to change hands over the years and was turned into a brewpub in 2006. Even though the name changed, I was happy to see that the old Columbus Bar sign is still out front, the bar’s history recounted on the menu, and, more importantly, the place hopping with patrons even on a cold Sunday night.

Back in Sap’s day, the CB had a telephone. That was unusual then. Today, the CB has an iMac so patrons can check email and still maintains a bookshelf (filled with books donated from the Cummins library).

We weren’t hungry when we got their otherwise I’d have ordered the tenderloin. I’m not sure they use Sap’s recipe anymore. But it’s one of the things the bar/restaurant is still known for. 

Next time we’re in town, we’ll go back with the kids, then head around the corner to Zaharako’s for ice cream.

By then, hopefully, the new Commons will be open. The playground looks amazing. And I’m looking forward to the unveiling of Jean Tinguley’s Chaos, which has been in a protective capsule since the old Commons mall was torn down and the new community space erected around it.