These local watering holes have their priorities straight: a great selection of cocktails, beer and wine paired with enough snacks and entrées to keep your appetite satiated and your thirst quenched. You’ll be surprised where you can grab a bite to eat at these Queen City drinking establishments.
Longfellow 1233 Clay St., Over-the-Rhine Longfellow is the OTR version of a dive bar. Cool crafted cocktails include selections like the Spruce Goose, with barrel-aged gin, honey, lime, bitters and tonic. A fun pay-it-forward board menu allows you to buy drinks for friends, strangers and crushes. If you’re hungry, try their Blue Collar Plate: various sliced charcuterie sandwiched in baguette with Dijon, pickled shallot and, optionally, anchovy (get it). Served with a 16 oz. beer and Grippo’s chips. Photo: Hailey Bollinger
Northside Yacht Club 4231 Spring Grove Ave., Northside A loosely nautically themed and ironically landlocked Rock club from two local music and mixology veterans, the Northside Yacht Club is all fun. The cocktails — served by tattooed bartenders in the vein of Sailor Jerry — are masterful, made with fresh juice, fruit and herbal garnish. The tropically themed and navy-inspired drinks are served in Tiki glasses and deceivingly potent. Lay down a base layer with a bar-food menu that features satisfying items like house-smoked wings, poutine with duck fat gravy and vegan lentil chili fries. If you’re feeling mean, bring your dog to the patio to watch you eat any of the above (except maybe the lentils; dogs probably don’t like lentils) and don’t offer them any. Photo: Kellie Coleman
Knockback Nats 10 W. 7th St., Downtown Come early for this bar’s daily happy hour between 3 and 7 p.m., where you can enjoy a few beers while eating their popular smoked wings and burgers. Enjoy darts, video golf, video bowling and a jukebox for extra fun. Popular menu items include the aforementioned smoked wings, nachos, chicken tenders, quesadillas, waffle fries and the Knockback Burger, with ground beef, cheese, onion, bacon, fried egg, coleslaw, bbq sauce, smoked brisket or pork. Photo via Facebook/KnockbackNats Photo: facebook.com/KnockbackNats
Wódka Bar 1200 Main St., Over-the-Rhine From the team behind cult-favorite Babushka Pierogies, Wódka Bar carries an ambitious selection of vodkas, stocking upward of 60 types, including many Russian, Polish and Ukrainian brands that are lesser known in the United States. It also offers a streamlined Eastern European-inspired menu of light bites. Photo: Hailey Bollinger
Arcade Legacy: Bar Edition 3929 Spring Grove Ave., Northside Nostalgia shines bright in this arcade bar where you can play all of your favorite video games from yesteryear. On top of an excellently curated selection of arcade cabinets, pinball machines and video game consoles, there’s a full bar with daily shot specials to keep you feeling young. Need an extra life after that last beer? Eat their Avril-Bleh hot dogs, portobello panini sandwich, vegan chili, old school nachos and beer cheese mac & cheese. Photo: Hailey Bollinger
The Upper Deck at AC Hotel Cincinnati at The Banks 135 Joe Nuxhall Way, Downtown On top of downtown’s AC Hotel at The Banks, the Upper Deck boasts excellent views of the riverfront and Great American Ball Park. Lounge under string lights while gorging on Grand Slam Nachos (salsa, guac, cheddar, nacho cheese, jalapeños, corn, black beans, onions, olives, sour cream and carnitas or chicken on tortilla chips). Photo: Hailey Bollinger
MOTR Pub 1345 Main St., Over-the-Rhine This gem hosts some of the best live shows in the city and highlights local and touring Indie, Rock and Folk acts (among other styles) — all without a cover. Their weekend brunch menu along with their assorted drinks are the perfect excuse to sober up before getting drunk again. For dinner try their BLT, Veggie Burger, Vegan TLT (with marinated tofu), fries or tater tots. This pub shines during brunch, try the breakfast tacos, chocolate chip pancakes, biscuits with sausage and chorizo gravy or, if you’re inclined toward simpler fare, The Main Streeter: scrambled eggs, bacon and tots. Photo: Hailey Bollinger
City View Tavern 403 Oregon St., Mount Adams A fine neighborhood bar offering panoramic vistas of our fair metropolis, along with burgers, soups, sandwiches and a spicy bloody mary. Photo via Facebook/CityViewTavern
Lost and Found 22 E. 14th St., Over-the-Rhine Over-the-Rhine’s newest cocktail bar is a funky, community-driven gathering space with an inventive drink menu and small bites inside of a visually captivating art-filled environment; it was once a multi-car garage. It’s located on a quieter street in Over-the-Rhine — if it weren’t for the green light perched outside the bar, you just might miss it. Co-owners Steven Clement and Camilo Otalora are the masterminds behind Lost & Found, with the goal of creating a hub where guests can feel welcome and inspired. Artwork from local artists fill the walls from room to room. Light bites include crudités made with local seasonal vegetables, crostini and housemade chips and dips. Photo: Hailey Bollinger
Top of the Park at The Phelps 506 E. 4th St., Downtown On the roof of the downtown Marriott hotel, catch 360-degree views of the city and the river from its vantage point at the base of Lytle Park. Amenities include tabletop fire features, TVs and live music, plus a tapas menu with snack options like sliders, charcuterie and chocolate churros. Want more to eat? Get tacos, sliders, chicken lettuce wraps, endive salad, hummus and spinach, kettle chips and guac. Try the chocolate torte and lemon mousse for dessert. Photo: Hailey Bollinger
The Pony 1346 Main St., Over-the-Rhine By the looks of it, you’d think The Pony has been around for decades with its honeycomb tile floors, low-hanging green bar lamps and a glowing neon sign luring you in for an Old Fashioned. Turns out the excellently comfortable dive-bar décor is the machination of hipsters, and we’re not at all mad about it. Cocktails include the Pony Express, with grape vodka, blue curacao, lemonade and grenadine, and the Continental Colt: vodka, Kahlúa and Cinnamon Toast Crunch cereal milk. Great place to watch the game and escape the summer heat. To eat: chicken wings (hot, medium, mild, BBQ, etc.,) subs (chicken finger, turkey club, roast beef), chicken fingers, fries and fish fry on Fridays only. Photo via Facebook/ThePonyOTR
The Hi-Mark Bar 3229 Riverside Dr., Columbia Tusculum Named in honor of the great flood that washed over Cincinnati in 1937, this bar keeps its patrons afloat with a selection of Vietnamese and Mexican-inspired dishes. The bar pours a solid variety of beer, wine and spirits and there’s plenty of seating inside and out. If you’re hungry try their pulled pork bánh mì made with Eli’s BBQ or chicken wings with gochujang sauce. Fries, salads, creamy tomato bisque and Lang Thang Chili, a Vietnamese style beef stew, are some local favorites. Photo: Hailey Bollinger
Dutch’s 3378 Erie Ave., Hyde Park Dutch’s knows burgers. The pony keg has been open since 1947, the bar since 2010 and the kitchen since 2012. And every Thursday night from 6 until 9 p.m. — or until they run out — it’s Burger Night. Each week is a different burger, but we’ll place a bet that the burger is delicious. Recent creations have included beefy burgers — featuring a meat blend sourced from Findlay Market — topped with caramelized fennel, provolone picante and ghost pepperoni. Want fancier? Get a burger topped with pickled green tomato and deviled crab. If you can’t make it Thursday, every Friday lunch from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., they serve up two three-ounce patties with a cheddar blend, bacon, shredded lettuce, burger sauce and their house spicy ketchup. Appetizers include truffle popcorn, warm roasted olives, brussels sprouts, potato and dragon tongue bean soup. Photo: Brittany Thornton
1215 Wine Bar & Coffee Lab 1215 Vine St., Over-the-Rhine No matter what time of day, you can always get a great cup of locally roasted coffee or a glass of natural wine at this chic European-inspired cafe. A full cocktail menu and select draft and canned beer options ensures nobody leaves thirsty and the wide ranging food menu of light bites will give everyone something to nibble on. Breakfast options include oatmeal cups, savory quiches from Donna’s Gourmet Cookies, Japanese-inspired pastries from Mochiko and, a local favorite, housemade peanut butter and chocolate chip oatmeal cookies known as wookie cookies (because they’re so CHEWIE.. like Chewbacca … a Wookie. Anyone?). Midday savory snacks include charcuterie provided by The Rhined, Ricotta from Pleasantry, olives, tinned bonito, bread and oil and Hen of the Woods chips. Photo via Facebook/1215WineCoffee
Chapter Mt. Adams 940 Pavilion St., Mt. Adams Stop by when the weather’s nice and their patio is a perfect way to spend a leisurely afternoon. Wings are half-priced on Wednesday nights, enjoy them while you catch live local music. Great shareable plates like “Totchos” (tater tot nachos) and hummus with pita. Try their various sauces and dry rubs with their wings (most of the flavor punches you could anticipate from a wing menu). Plenty of burger, sandwich and salad options as well. Photo via Facebook/mtadmschapter
Gas Light Cafe 6104 Montgomery Road, Pleasant Ridge Next door to Everybody’s Records and right across the street from Queen City Comics and Card Co., this Pleasant Ridge eatery and drinkery has been a neighborhood staple for generations. Behind the bar there’s a large list of local, domestic and craft drafts on tap, along with a full liquor shelf if you need some spirit. Stop by for a casual lunch or dinner, or watch sports on one of their TVs. What goes well with a cold draft of your favorite beer? The Gas Light Burger, daily homemade chili, onion rings, tuna melt, chef salad and potato skins with cheese and bacon. Photo: Google Street View
Holy Grail Tavern & Grille 161 Joe Nuxhall Way, Downtown With more than 30 high-definition TVs, a plethora of beers on tap and great pub grub, this is a prime sports spot at The Banks. Munch on classic fare like ballpark pretzels, angus burgers, wings, wraps and nachos, with outdoor seating directly across from Great American Ball Park. Photo via Facebook/HolyGrailBanks Photo: Facebook/holygrailbanks
Hometown Heroes 640 6th Ave., Dayton, Kentucky In addition to cheap drinks, this bar is known for its great wings, cheese curds and ooey-gooey fries covered with goetta and queso, plus an outdoor patio. Remember bosco sticks from grade school? Relive that gourmet here, along with soft pretzel bites, onion rings, loaded nachos and loaded tater skins. Photo: Liz Davis Photo: Liz Davis