The Queen City is home to dozens of hip and trendy bars that offer excellent Instagram photo ops and cute bathrooms, but when you’re interested in a no-frills joint where the drinks are as strong as they are cheap, these dive bars are the perfect place to knock a few back.
Milton’s Prospect Hill Tavern 301 Milton St., Prospect Hill Prospect Hill’s neighborhood joint is chatty, diverse and full of character. A great place to have a beer, relax and chat it up with the regulars. Photo: Holden Mathis Photo: Holden Mathis
Gypsy’s 641 Main St., Covington Located in the heart of Covington, Gypsy’s is a neighborhood bar that has a back patio, specials on beer and bourbon and over 60 different beer options. If you need a push, they’re dog-friendly. Photo: Facebook.com/GypsysCovington
Fries Cafe 3245 Jefferson Ave., Clifton Before opening as a bar in the 1930s, Fries Cafe was a Kroger grocery store. It offers a large selection of craft beers on tap. If you’re in the mood for games, Fries offers three floors of shuffleboard, dart boards and pool tables. Head out back and check out the massive patio set-up. Photo: https://www.facebook.com/friescafe
City View Tavern 403 Oregon St., Mt. Adams A hillside dive and home of one of the best spicy bloody marys and best views in town. The burgers are damn tasty, too. Meet the Big Ted Deluxe: eight ounces of griddle-cooked, handmade beef patty with American cheese, mustard, lettuce, pickles, mayo, onion, ketchup, tomatoes, served in a plastic basket with a bag of chips. Photo: Holden Mathis Photo: Holden Mathis
O’Malleys in the Alley 25 W. Ogden Place, Downtown O’Malleys in the Alley is a straightforward imbibing experience with homemade dishes that have stood the test of time. Daily drink specials and its proximity to Great American Ball Park make this a must before Red’s games. Photo: Facebook.com/OMalleysInTheAlley1
Junkers Tavern 4156 Langland St., Northside This proud dive bar serves the usual, low-cost domestic beers in a down-to-earth pub. It hosts karaoke nights and live music. If you get hungry, select something tasty from the infamous wall of chips. Photo: Holden Mathis Photo: Holden Mathis
Dunlap Cafe 1926 Dunlap St., Over-the-Rhine This joint has been open since 1936, making it one of the longest-running establishments in Over-the-Rhine. It offers cheap beer and cheap food as well as merch for especially dedicated regulars. Photo: Paige Deglow
JD’s Honky Tonk and Emporium 2406 Spring Grove Ave., Camp Washington This dive bar is known for its burgers, fried bologna sandwiches, bloody marys and jukebox. Photo: Liz Davis
C&D Northside 1714 Hanfield St., Northside This Northside dive offers pool, Friday night Euchre, to-go beer, happy hour specials and cocktails. Photo: Liz Davis
Madonna’s Bar & Grill 11 E. Seventh St., Downtown This cozy downtown dive bar has a pool table and jukebox, friendly bartenders (say hi to Downtown Scott Brown) and a great burger. Photo: Facebook.com/MadonnasBarandGrill Photo: facebook.com/madonnasbarandgrill
Stanley’s Pub 323 Stanley Ave., Columbia Tusculum A favorite spot for live, eclectic tunes along the river. Local and out-of-town bands with cheap drinks make Stanley’s an area favorite. Photo: Liz Davis
Murphy’s Pub 2329 West Clifton Ave., Clifton Established in 1969, this college dive bar offers every day deals on pitchers, bar games and team sports, frequent free pizza and hot dogs. Murphy’s represents its Irish roots on Saint Patrick’s Day. Photo: Facebook.com/MurphysPubClifton Photo: facebook.com/murphyspubclifton
Golden Fleece Lounge 4918 Glenway Ave., Price Hill This full-service lounge was created by the same folks who run Price Hill Chili (it’s inside/attached to Price Hill Chili), and you can order any item from the chili menu while enjoying a drink there. It has a glassed in patio as well as big-screen TVs for watching sports. Photo: Liz Davis
Olde Towne Tavern 32 W. Seventh St., Covington One of the oldest neighborhood bars in Covington, this dive is right across the street from Braxton Brewing Co. and serves a variety of local craft beers. It also has a pool table, dart boards, occasional live entertainment, ping-pong and karaoke. Photo: Liz Davis
Knockback Nats 10 W. Seventh St., Downtown Known for their wings, come early for this bar’s daily happy hour between 3 and 7 p.m., where you can try beers while eating their popular smoked wings or burgers. Enjoy dart boards, video golf, video bowling and a jukebox for extra fun. Photo: Liz Davis
The B-List 343 Division St., Bellevue According to their Facebook page, they’re a “quintessential neighborhood ‘hole in the wall.'” The bar includes 60+ bottles and 10+ drafts and a dog friendly patio. Photo via Facebook.com/TheBListBvue
Hometown Heroes 640 Sixth 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. Photo: Liz Davis
Coaches Corner 317 E. Sixth St., Newport This Newport sports bar boasts a friendly crowd and menu featuring burgers, stadium fries and, of course, craft beers on tap. Head out back to the spacious patio for some fresh air. Photo: Liz Davis
Crowley’s Highland House Cafe 958 Pavilion St., Mount Adams Crowley’s Highland House has made a name for themselves offering tons of beers on draft in an unpretentious atmosphere. As Cincinnati’s oldest Irish bar, the bar was established in 1937 by Bill Specs Crowley. They put on quite a party for Saint Patrick’s Day and the Labor Day fireworks. Photo via Google Street View
Crow’s Nest 4544 W. Eighth St., West Price Hill The Crow’s Nest opened in 1895 by husband and wife duo Mike and Mary Crow. Now, the pub is owned by the O’Dell family, who are the descendants of Mary. When you drive by, you’ll see a plethora of Irish fanfare. But their claim to fame is their fish sandwich. Photo: Facebook.com/crowsnestcincy Facebook.com/CrowsNestCincy
Brew House 1047 E. McMillan, Walnut Hills The Brew House has been a Walnut Hills institution since 1978 with funky décor, friendly people, good burgers and cheap drinks. Photo: Liz Davis