Cincinnati: Bars / Nightlife News

[troeros 115]

4 minutes ago, JYP said:

 

Why can’t there be two jazz clubs in OTR?

 

Walnut Hills has two...

 

Because shwartz was on the verge of shutting this past summer but had a GoFundMe that raised enough money to stay open. 

 

Shwartz is great, don't get me wrong. They have been a staple in the otr community for so long now...that said it's surrounded by such a sketchy area and this truly hurts their business. A new jazz club in a safe corridor of otr would probably be the nail coffin for shwartz. 

 

 

 

[thomasbw 77]

16 hours ago, troeros said:

 

Because shwartz was on the verge of shutting this past summer but had a GoFundMe that raised enough money to stay open. 

 

Shwartz is great, don't get me wrong. They have been a staple in the otr community for so long now...that said it's surrounded by such a sketchy area and this truly hurts their business. A new jazz club in a safe corridor of otr would probably be the nail coffin for shwartz. 

 

 

 

Schwartz's Point's biggest problem is that they're not a real business. 

[jwulsin 95]

1 hour ago, thomasbw said:

Schwartz's Point's biggest problem is that they're not a real business. 

 

Might be a problem. Or might be a strength. They certainly operate differently than most places. But they have a different model, with different cost structure. I hope they continue to do their thing. 

[ColDayMan 712]

Molly Wellmann has completely redone Japp's; take a look inside

 

Cincinnati bar maven Molly Wellmann took over her flagship bar, Japp's since 1879, last summer, and over the past few months she has completely overhauled the interior to more reflect her personality. Now, that's fully on display.

 

Japp's, at 1136 Main St., is nearly unrecognizable from what it was for years, since the former Wellmann's Brands took over in 2011. Gone are the pale greens and browns, and the pergola that dominated the entire entryway adjacent to the bar has been removed and replaced with a custom banquette. The old hair paraphernalia is gone from the streetside windows, which have been cleared out and now look in on the bar.

 

More below:

https://www.bizjournals.com/cincinnati/news/2019/11/13/molly-wellmann-has-completely-redone-japps-take-a.html

[ColDayMan 712]

Old-school video arcade coming to the West Side

 

The West Side of Cincinnati is getting a little more retro with the upcoming addition of an old-school video game arcade.

 

More below:

https://www.bizjournals.com/cincinnati/news/2019/11/14/exclusive-old-school-video-arcade-coming-to-the.html

 

[ColDayMan 712]

OTR lagering tunnels to become nightclub, music venue

 

Subterranean tunnels that were dug into the bedrock of Over-the-Rhine to keep beer cold while it fermented are getting new life as an experimental and experiential space for music, drink and gathering.

 

Lagering tunnels dating back to the 1850s beneath Union Hall at 1311 Vine St. are being transformed into Ghost Baby, a nightclub and music venue created by Agar co-founder and Transept partner Josh Heuser. The goal is for the space to open around the end of the year.

 

"There's something about giving old buildings and spaces new energy and life," Heuser told me. "I've always had this mantra that it was here long before me and it'll be here long after me, so if you can put good bones and energy into it, it'll pay you back tenfold."

 

More below:

https://www.bizjournals.com/cincinnati/news/2019/11/19/exclusive-historic-over-the-rhine-lagering-tunnels.html

 

[ColDayMan 712]

You can now pour your own at the East Side's newest wine bar

 

 

The East Side's newest wine bar uses technology to allow patrons to control their own pours of everything from a $7 glass to a $97 Grand Cru from France.

 

Emma: Wine with Friends opens Dec. 17 at 3227 Riverside Drive in the East End, just next door to Hi-Mark and down the street from Eli's BBQ.

 

Emma is a project by four partners: Jeff Pater, Mike Doenges, Tom Giltner and Kevin Bullinger. They were inspired by a trip to Kiawah Island, S.C., where they visited a bar that used four-bottle wine taps to allow patrons to pour their own glasses.

 

More below:

https://www.bizjournals.com/cincinnati/news/2019/12/17/you-can-now-pour-your-own-at-the-east-sides-newest.html

[ColDayMan 712]

Jungle Jim's opening bourbon bar

 

Jungle Jim's is opening a new event center next month in Butler County serviced by its monorail, but when it's not booked out for private soirees, the space will serve up bourbon to the public.

 

Jungle Jim's is augmenting its Oscar Event Center with a new bourbon bar, the Oscar Station, which is hosting its grand opening behind the Fairfield location at 8871 Gilmore Road on Jan. 11.

 

The Oscar Station is connected to Jungle Jim's existing Oscar Event Center by the internationally themed grocery store's monorail, which was purchased from King's Island and operates during special events. The Oscar Station is made up of both indoor and outdoor spaces, including a designated smoking lounge and a bourbon bar hand-built from reclaimed wood.

 

More below:

https://www.bizjournals.com/cincinnati/news/2019/12/30/jungle-jims-opening-bourbon-bar.html

 

[Robuu 116]

[ColDayMan 712]

Look inside La Ofrenda, Gorilla Cinema's newest bar

 

 

Gorilla Cinema's newest bar offers to take Cincinnati back to an era celebrated not only in the Golden Age of Mexican cinema, but also in the past of its founder, Jacob Trevino.

 

La Ofrenda, the sixth venue by Gorilla Cinema, opens 6 p.m. Dec. 31 at 30 Findlay St. in Over-the-Rhine. Flip through the photos above for a look inside.

 

La Ofrenda is a mezcaleria, a celebration of agave spirits. Tequila is probably the best-known, but the bar stocks 130 different bottles all made from distillate produced from the agave plant, including mezcals, sotols and even pechuga, an agave spirit made by cooking the plant underneath raw chicken, the steam from which cooks the chicken, and the drippings from which flavor the liquor.

 

More below:

https://www.bizjournals.com/cincinnati/news/2019/12/31/look-inside-la-ofrenda-gorilla-cinemas-newest-bar.html

[taestell 817]

Stopped by La Ofrenda on opening night. The interior space is great and there is a nice outdoor area with a fire pit that will be great on warmer days. The selection of beer is extremely limited (they are really sticking to the tequila/mezcal/sotol theme) so I don't see it being a place I spend a lot of time, but a great place to stop by for a nice cocktail or two.

[ColDayMan 712]

Cocktail bar opens in East Walnut Hills

 

 

A new cocktail bar meant to evoke the "Roaring Twenties" of the 20th century is opening in East Walnut Hills as 2020 ushers in the new decade.

 

Twenties is a cocktail bar in the former Myrtle's Punch House space at 2733 Woodburn Ave.

 

More below:

https://www.bizjournals.com/cincinnati/news/2020/01/03/cocktail-bar-opens-in-east-walnut-hills.html

[ColDayMan 712]

Growing hospitality group opening craft shooters bar in Oakley 

 

A craft shooters bar named for Oakley's perhaps most famous resident is coming to the neighborhood from a growing hospitality group.

 

More below:

https://www.bizjournals.com/cincinnati/news/2020/01/08/growing-hospitality-group-opening-craft-shooters.html

 

[ColDayMan 712]

Jungle Jim's preparing grand opening of bourbon bar

 

Jungle Jim's International Market, the grocer with locations in Fairfield and Eastgate, is preparing to open a new event center complete with a stocked bourbon bar this weekend.

 

Jungle Jim's new Oscar Station event center, with a bourbon bar that's open to the public when not being used for private events, is hosting its grand opening 5 p.m. Jan. 11 at 8871 Gilmore Road, behind the Fairfield grocery location.

 

The Oscar Station is connected to Jungle Jim's existing Oscar Event Center by the internationally themed grocery store's monorail, which was purchased from King's Island and operates during special events. The Oscar Station is made up of both indoor and outdoor spaces, including a designated smoking lounge and a bourbon bar hand-built from reclaimed wood.

 

More below:

https://www.bizjournals.com/cincinnati/news/2020/01/10/jungle-jims-preparing-grand-opening-of-bourbon-bar.html

[ColDayMan 712]

Northside craft beer bar with 400+ offerings adds second location

 

A Northside craft beer bar that boasts more than 400 different brews is expanding into a second location expected to open this summer.

 

More below:

https://www.bizjournals.com/cincinnati/news/2020/01/23/exclusive-northside-craft-beer-bar-with-400.html

 

[jwulsin 95]

On 1/2/2020 at 1:24 PM, taestell said:

Stopped by La Ofrenda on opening night. The interior space is great and there is a nice outdoor area with a fire pit that will be great on warmer days. The selection of beer is extremely limited (they are really sticking to the tequila/mezcal/sotol theme) so I don't see it being a place I spend a lot of time, but a great place to stop by for a nice cocktail or two.

I feel like @jmecklenborg... but I really wish La Ofrenda had a sign. I go by there all the time and it isn’t at all clear that it’s open, especially since you have to go through a metal security gate. 

[jmecklenborg 604]

9 minutes ago, jwulsin said:

I feel like @jmecklenborg... but I really wish La Ofrenda had a sign. I go by there all the time and it isn’t at all clear that it’s open, especially since you have to go through a metal security gate. 

 

Look at how much they spent on that ADA concrete work.  That was likely $25,000 or more.  

 

I think people underestimate how much simple neon beer signs in windows announce to all and sundry that "this is a bar" and "we're open".  

 

 

 

 

[ColDayMan 712]

Real estate pro breathes new life into Mount Adams bar

 

 

A real estate professional who grew up in Austria and traveled the world wants to bring his experiences to a new bar he's opening in Mount Adams.

 

More below:

https://www.bizjournals.com/cincinnati/news/2020/02/12/exclusive-real-estate-pro-breathes-new-life-into.html

[ColDayMan 712]

Discotheque will open across the street from Rhinegeist

 

A discotheque featuring high-caliber dance music and an emphasis on live DJs is opening across the street from Rhinegeist in Over-the-Rhine, created by the organizer of Cincinnati's tea dances.

 

E|19 Lounge Bar & Discotheque is opening this summer.

 

More below:

https://www.bizjournals.com/cincinnati/news/2020/02/13/exclusive-discotheque-will-open-across-the-street.html

 

[taestell 817]

Just throwing this out there: Henry Street Dance District

[jmecklenborg 604]

Frankly I think they're doing this to break even and hold the property for another 10 years before selling out.  

[ryanlammi 398]

1 hour ago, jmecklenborg said:

Frankly I think they're doing this to break even and hold the property for another 10 years before selling out.  

I agree. This is an easy use for a property that requires very few big ticket changes. Lights are low, finishes can look like crap, and it can still be a good dance space. I think it's a placeholder until they can get a development plan worked out to demo the existing building and build new. Maybe under 10 years, but probably at least 5 years from now. And I think this is perfectly fine. It's a good use for a building like. Much better than leaving it vacant.

[ucgrady 90]

Over-the-Rhine's underground nightclub opens

 

An underground – literally – nightclub inside subterranean lagering tunnels in Over-the-Rhine is now open to the public.

Ghost Baby, in underground tunnels beneath Union Hall at 1311 Vine St., announced Tuesday that it's open today starting at 4 p.m.

 

https://www.bizjournals.com/cincinnati/news/2020/02/18/over-the-rhines-underground-nightclub-opens.html?iana=hpmvp_cinci_news_headline

 

Impromptu UO Meetup? 

[jmecklenborg 604]

Quote

Heuser described Ghost Baby as the marriage of pre-Prohibition flapper style and the electric '80s.

 

Who is impressed by sentences like this?  

 

Edited February 18 by jmecklenborg

[ColDayMan 712]

Northside gets its first comedy club

 

A bar in the middle of Northside's entertainment district wants to become a destination for traveling comedians and Cincinnati's up-and-comers.

 

More below:

https://www.bizjournals.com/cincinnati/news/2020/02/21/northside-gets-its-first-comedy-club.html

 

[taestell 817]

Go Bananas in Montgomery always gets really good touring comedians. It would be great if they could open a location closer to the core!

[ColDayMan 712]

So Go Bananas Madeira? 

[taestell 817]

On 2/18/2020 at 3:11 PM, ucgrady said:

Over-the-Rhine's underground nightclub opens

 

An underground – literally – nightclub inside subterranean lagering tunnels in Over-the-Rhine is now open to the public.

Ghost Baby, in underground tunnels beneath Union Hall at 1311 Vine St., announced Tuesday that it's open today starting at 4 p.m.

 

https://www.bizjournals.com/cincinnati/news/2020/02/18/over-the-rhines-underground-nightclub-opens.html?iana=hpmvp_cinci_news_headline

 

Impromptu UO Meetup? 

 

Ghost Baby is getting lots of 1 star reviews on Google. A lot of people saying they waited in line, and when they got to the front, were told that they don't have "the look." (Imagine being the bouncer who actually has to say those words to a person wanting in line.) Many people who actually made it down reported that service was slow and drinks were mediocre.

[JYP 142]

1 hour ago, taestell said:

 

Ghost Baby is getting lots of 1 star reviews on Google. A lot of people saying they waited in line, and when they got to the front, were told that they don't have "the look." (Imagine being the bouncer who actually has to say those words to a person wanting in line.) Many people who actually made it down reported that service was slow and drinks were mediocre.

 

I was there last Tuesday night and while we had a reservation the drinks did take a long time. It's an amazing place and the decor reminds me of an old fav in Montreal (The Emerald). I can see what they are saying regarding the door person. Being on Republic and next to two pocket parks that still hosts a fair number of loitering has probably made them too cautious. It's a shame.

 

Post edit: That being said, what is "the look" anyway? Either way it seems to involve money. I can understand the line (being a basement probably limits capacity) but selective entry and throwing fruit down the stairs? Hopefully this is opening weekend blunders but man, these reviews are hilarious and brutal.

Edited Monday at 03:58 PM by JYP
And then I read the reviews...

[DEPACincy 431]

1 hour ago, taestell said:

 

Ghost Baby is getting lots of 1 star reviews on Google. A lot of people saying they waited in line, and when they got to the front, were told that they don't have "the look." (Imagine being the bouncer who actually has to say those words to a person wanting in line.) Many people who actually made it down reported that service was slow and drinks were mediocre.

 

I tried to go on Saturday. The line was incredibly long so we just went to Sundry and Vice. A few guys in S&V told us that they came from Ghost Baby and there were tons of open tables with "reserved" signs and that the place could've easily accommodated the additional folks in line if not for all the empty tables. Seems like they were manufacturing scarcity. 

 

FWIW, we did not hear anything about them turning people away based on looks, and we also talked to some women in S&V who got turned away because they didn't have a reservation. The entire group had model good looks--maybe the most attractive group of women I've ever seen in Cincinnati. So if they were picking and choosing based on looks I don't see how those women didn't get it. 

[jmecklenborg 604]

It's Club CLAU part deux.  Nobody will care about this place in 18 months after the next place opens up.  

[ucgrady 90]

It's a super cool space inside an old lagering tunnel, why try to fabricate some illusion of being exclusive just to ostracize your potential clientele? I feel like in the age of yelp and twitter that doesn't work anymore because while the people at the door are telling you it's full the guy on twitter can post a picture of an empty bar.

 

I always give new restaurants/bars a month before trying them out to let them work out the kinks, so hopefully this all goes away and isn't part of the culture of the bar (like a few others in town). 

[GCrites80s 472]

4 hours ago, JYP said:

 

I was there last Tuesday night and while we had a reservation the drinks did take a long time. It's an amazing place and the decor reminds me of an old fav in Montreal (The Emerald). I can see what they are saying regarding the door person. Being on Republic and next to two pocket parks that still hosts a fair number of loitering has probably made them too cautious. It's a shame.

 

Post edit: That being said, what is "the look" anyway? Either way it seems to involve money. I can understand the line (being a basement probably limits capacity) but selective entry and throwing fruit down the stairs? Hopefully this is opening weekend blunders but man, these reviews are hilarious and brutal.

 

Sounds like you got the look

 

Just like the Roxette song

[Robuu 116]

1 hour ago, jmecklenborg said:

It's Club CLAU part deux.

 

It sounds like that's what they're trying to make it. Maybe the bad social media reviews will actually be good reviews for the people they're trying to attract. Is Paris Hilton coming to town again?

 

Regardless of what happens to Ghost Baby, they've put in a lot of work fixing the space up and getting it up to code. So hopefully something cool and lasting ends up in the space, whether that's Ghost Baby or something else.

[taestell 817]

4 hours ago, JYP said:

Post edit: That being said, what is "the look" anyway? Either way it seems to involve money. I can understand the line (being a basement probably limits capacity) but selective entry and throwing fruit down the stairs? Hopefully this is opening weekend blunders but man, these reviews are hilarious and brutal.

 

It sounds like they need to make some quick changes or else this is going to become a PR disaster. People in this city are usually very excited about any new place opening and happy to support/promote it... but GB currently has 2.3 stars on Google (brought down by a ton of 1 star reviews) while other cocktail bars in OTR have 4.6-4.8.

 

If they want to be reservation-only and not allow walk-ins, that's fine, but maybe have signage or nice people at the door explaining that policy? And if you are going to allow walk-ins, don't lie to people and tell them it's full when it's actually mostly empty, and don't tell people that they don't have "the look" without any explanation of what that means. To be clear, I haven't visited yet, but this is what people are repeating in the negative reviews.

[jmecklenborg 604]

29 minutes ago, Robuu said:

 Is Paris Hilton coming to town again?

 

Imagine Paris Hilton catching that bomb.