21 Cincinnati Entertainment Bars Where You Can Drink and Play

16-Bit Bar+Arcade

1331 Walnut St., Over-the-Rhine
Guzzle ’80s-themed drinks with names like the Molly Ringwald or Kevin Bacon while playing more than 50 different classic arcade games and pinball. If you drink, you play for free. It might not be the ’80s or the ’90s anymore, but 16-Bit makes those decades feel new again.
Photo: Patty Salas

Urban Axes

2010 Elm St., Over-the-Rhine
Good news for people who love throwing axes: There's a place in OTR where you can toss the deadly projectiles. Urban Axes axe-throwing chain has opened a location next to Rhinegeist. Like other axe-throwing locations nearby, at Urban Axes you throw an actual 1.5-pound hatchet at a wooden target. You can either schedule a 2.5-hour group event with safety instructions, throwing practice and a round-robin tournament, or you can wing it and hope it isn't busy and opt for walk-in session. This location also offers beer, wine and leagues.
Photo via Facebook.com/UrbanAxes

Top Golf

9568 Waterfront Drive, West Chester
The only thing better than drinking a few beers while out on the course is going to Top Golf where they bring the drinks to you! Hit a microchipped golf ball into colorful targets to score points. This chain of driving ranges brings golf out of the country club and into the public as a space to practice your swing, grab a bite to eat or even watch the sun go down over West Chester on a rooftop patio.
Photo: Hailey Bollinger

Pins Mechanical Company

1124 Main St., Over-the-Rhine
From the Columbus-based Rise Brands, the group behind 16-Bit, this Over-the-Rhine bar has 25 pinball machines and 10 duckpin bowling lanes, plus other “old school” entertainment options like foosball, bocce ball and shuffleboard. With 35 beers on tap this is a Cincinnati beer fan’s heaven.
Photo: Hailey Bollinger

The Sandbar

4855 Kellogg Ave., California, Ohio
It’s a day at the beach, with seven volleyball courts and a view of the river. They feature live music throughout the summer and volleyball leagues go through the fall. Tap into your inner river lover with the Ohio River Mudslide: bourbon, Bailey’s and half and half on the rocks. Feel free to bring Fido with you as The Sandbar is dog-friendly.
Photo via Facebook.com/SandBarCincy

Arcade Legacy: Bar Edition

3929 Spring Grove Ave., Northside
Retro arcade games plus alcohol and hot dogs (even vegetarian ones). Monday Night Fights are for serious players, and there’s a high-score board for some local fame. Some arcade bars are for drinking and gaming; Arcade Legacy is for gaming and drinking.
Photo: Hailey Bollinger

Bobby Mackey’s Music World

44 Licking Pike, Wilder
A classic honky tonk with Country music, cowboys and a mechanical bull. If you’re a thrill-seeker looking for a little scare, the place is supposedly haunted and offers spooky tours.
Photo via Facebook.com/BobbyMackeyFB

Fifty West Production Works

7668 Wooster Pike, Columbia Township
Fifty West has turned a stretch of Wooster Pike into its very own playground with the original brewpub location, Fifty West Production Works (home to six sand volleyball courts), Fifty West Canoe & Kayak and Fifty West Cycling. All of the brewery’s brands are geared toward building community through shared experiences, which include drinking craft beer and getting outside. It’s all about an active lifestyle, says brewery co-owner Bobby Slattery.
Photo via Facebook.com/FiftyWestBrewingCompany

Fowling Warehouse

2940 Highland Ave. #230, Pleasant Ridge
This unique entertainment franchise capitalizes on the up-and-coming tailgating game, which combines bowling and football. Located in the Highland Park industrial complex of Pleasant Ridge, the warehouse stretches 46,000 square feet and offers 30 total lanes of fowling, two full-service bars, a stage and a large biergarten. Great for individuals, groups, parties and corporate outings, the general objective of fowling is to knock over the opponent's bowling pins with a football before they knock yours down. Guests can either reserve a lane or enjoy open play.
Photo via fowlingwarehouse.com/cincinnati

Stone Lanes

3746 Montgomery Road, Norwood
A classic family-owned bowling alley near Xavier University. Open until 11 p.m. or later Monday through Saturday. Join the Can Club and get a Stone Lanes growler can for $6, which you can refill with Miller Lite at the alley for $2.95 anytime.
Photo via Facebook.com/StoneLanes

Cincinnati Axe Throwing

4814 Peter Place B, West Chester
Cincinnati Axe Throwing in West Chester invites anyone 15 years or older to throw an actual axe at a bullseye. Sessions are an hour-and-a-half long and you play three team-style games, ending with an individual competition. Each group get assigned an axe throwing expert to help get you to go full-lumberjack mode. If you find that you have a talent for axe throwing, leagues are available to join. They do not serve alcohol but visitors 21 and up are welcome to BYOB.
Photo via Facebook.com/CincyClassAxe

Play Library

1306 Main St., Over-the-Rhine
Straight out of the Tom Hanks movie Big, the all-ages lending and activity space is designed for kids — and adults. There are thousands of toys and games for anyone to borrow or play on site, and it frequently hosts 21-and-over Beer and Board Game nights.
Photo: Holden Mathis

Hoppin Vines

8150 Montgomery Road, Kenwood
Located in the former TGI Fridays in Kenwood, Hoppin’ Vines combines duckpin bowling, pizza and alcohol. The bar offers 40 rotating beer taps with a focus on craft brews — local, regional and national — plus more than 30 wine flights. The bar is also home to an outpost of Delicio Coal Fired Pizza.
Photo via Facebook.com/HoppinVines

Western Bowl Strike & Spare

6383 Glenway Ave., Western Hills
Western Bowl is a must for bowlers from novice to enthusiast. You will have no problem finding an open lane: With 68 lanes of bowling, Western claims it is “Cincinnati’s largest bowling center.” Happy hour runs Monday through Thursday featuring $1 off all beers and $2.75 well drinks. Check out glow bowling on Friday nights for some added flair.
Photo: Hailey Bollinger

Axis Alley

1 Levee Way, Newport
Axis Alley is located at Newport on The Levee and features 12 standard bowling lanes as well as 4 VIP lanes if you would like a more private experience. They offer more than your standard bowling alley bar food. The menu ranges from salads to chicken and waffles, all with lane-side service. Their full bar has classic cocktails like Long Island iced tea and margaritas, as well as beer from local breweries on tap.
Photo via Facebook.com/AxisAlleyLevee

Flying Axes

100 W. Sixth St., Covington
You know what pairs well with cold beer? Throwing sharp objects around with friends. At Flying Axes, two players compete at a time; each thrower gets five throws per round. Throwers get points based on where the axe sticks into the target. If you are new and want to give it a try, they offer a special where you get five axe throws for $5 when you purchase a beer or wine. They are open Tuesday through Sunday and are available for booking by 1-hour or 2-hour group sessions.
Photo via Facebook.com/FlyingAxes

Madison Bowl

4671 Madison Road, Madisonville
Voted the best bowling alley in the city by CityBeat readers. This historic alley is open until 1 a.m. Sunday through Wednesday and 24 hours Thursday, Friday and Saturday. The in-house Madison Diner is a quaint Atomic Era throwback.
Photo via Facebook.com/MadisonBowl

Game Time: Sports Bar and Grill

Multiple Locations: 3613 Harrison Ave., Cheviot; 136 E. Third St., Newport
Offers sand volleyball leagues, 20 premium craft beers, 20 gourmet burgers, steel-tip darts, cornhole, pool, shuffleboard and more in multiple locations. They offer daily food and drink specials as well as TV’s to view your favorite sporting events.
Photo via Facebook.com/GameTimeSportsBarAndGrill

Queen City Exchange

32 W. Court St., Downtown
At Queen City Exchange, the game is scoring the best drinking deals. An interactive bar where the pricing of drinks is dictated based on consumer demand — the TV screens show the drink prices and update every five minutes. Hope for a bull-market with cheap drinks and scream “Buy! Buy! Buy!” when your favorite drink price plummets. They also host trivia as well as bingo nights for added fun.
Photo: Hailey Bollinger

Fries Café

3247 Jefferson Ave., Clifton
A laid-back dive-bar legend near the University of Cincinnati. Fries appeals to everyone from UC students taking a break from exams to Cliftonites and downtown professionals. The first floor features a draft bar with a focus on craft beer and a popular old-fashioned shuffleboard table. The lower level features two billiards tables and the top floor has darts and billiards with access to the seasonal patio and deck.
Photo via Facebook.com/FriesCafe