These are Some of the Oldest Bars in Greater Cincinnati

McDog’s Lakeside Saloon

3611 Bevis Lane, Colerain Township
Possibly Colerain Township’s oldest bar, the building McDog’s Lakeside Saloon is housed in has been serving drinks since the early 1900s, but it didn’t become McDog’s until the ‘50s. Nowadays, you visit McDog’s for the Harleys, rock and roll and heavy pours. Inside you’ll find darts, pool and plenty of friendly faces. Outside is seating and a small fishing lake that sets this bar apart from other dives in the area. A simple menu of pizza and hoagies is there to soak up the cheap drinks.

Arnold’s Bar and Grill

210 Eighth St., Downtown
Open since 1861, Arnold’s is the oldest continuously running tavern in town, complete with dark wood walls, vintage memorabilia and a big ol’ bathtub in the dining room rumored to have been used to make gin during Prohibition. A Cincinnati classic, it serves up a nice range of lunch and dinner options — pasta, sandwiches and burgers, plus vegan and gluten-free options — at bargain prices. Enjoy a local draft in the outdoor beer garden and almost daily live music. It was also named one of the best bars in America by Esquire magazine.

The Lounge at 1931

35 W. Fifth St., Downtown
While The 1931 just opened this past winter in the Hilton Cincinnati Netherland Plaza, replacing Orchids at Palm Court, the space it’s in has been around since the year of its namesake. The art-deco marvel that is the restaurant and lounge features Brazilian rosewood, soaring painted ceilings and vintage Rookwood pottery. Relax in the lounge and imbibe from the award-winning wine list or enjoy a well-crafted cocktail. Happy Hour is from 4-6 p.m. Monday through Friday, and on Fridays and Saturdays, you can unwind with some live light jazz.

O’Malley’s in the Alley

25 W. Ogden Place, Downtown
Opened in 1892, O’Malley’s in the Alley bills itself as the second-oldest bar in Cincinnati. The pub offers a straightforward imbibing experience, drink specials and homemade dishes that have stood the test of time, like its beer-battered fish sandwich, fish and chips or wings. You’ll find the entrance in a shady alleyway along Ogden Place, not too far of a walk from Great American Ball Park, making it a must-stop spot before or after a game.

Bay Horse Cafe

625 Main St., Downtown
After closing in 2022, the Bay Horse Cafe reopened this spring under new ownership and with a new concept — time travel. Which is apt, considering the bar can trace its roots back to 1817 when it first opened on Longworth Street under a different name, which is lost to history. Over the years, the Bay Horse Cafe changed locations, including to Fifth Street in the late 1800s where, according to legend, it gained the name we now know it as when a bay horse broke free of its post and trotted into the bar. It’s been in the same building on Main Street since 1962 and today is known for its Hudepohl specials and time-travel-themed cocktails.

Lakeside Inn

2019 Tytus Ave., Middletown
The Lakeside Inn in Middletown is currently best known for starring in the new film The Bikeriders. If you take a closer look, you can see the remnants of the movie set still on the walls at the bar. Owner Brian Mack, who bought the bar in 2021 but didn’t open it until recently due to filming, was given a signed original movie poster, as well as the original layout plans for the bars' shelving. You can see notes from the cast and set crew thanking the bar for "letting them blow it up." This is in reference to the scene in the film where a motorcycle club sets the bar on fire. (Mack said the only thing they actually set on fire was the bar's awning and that the film paid for the replacement.) But before the bar was hosting the famous, it was hosting the infamous. In the ‘30s, the bar was a regular spot for Clyde Barrow, of Bonnie and Clyde notoriety.

Jerry’s Jug House

414 E. Seventh St., Newport
Jerry's Jug House started as a garage with ties to bootlegging during Prohibition but went legal in the ‘30s as a "jug house." In 2019, its owners revitalized the joint while staying true to its roots. The former back gambling room — er, we mean, “office,” is now a lounge that serves draft beer, cocktails and natural wines. But, of course, you can still find cheap beers and good bourbon there as well.

Arlin’s

307 Ludlow Ave., Clifton
Arlin’s may have changed names and hands quite a few times since its inception, but it’s been Clifton Gaslight District’s premier neighborhood pub since the 1890s. Here you can enjoy a beer on the big back patio and beer garden and listen to live music. The no-frills atmosphere includes a pool room, plus 20 taps, sports on the TVs and a jukebox. And while it’s best known as a bar, Arlin’s also has a food menu with a variety of burgers, sandwiches and even some Tex-Mex fare.

Mt. Adams Bar & Grill

938 Hatch St., Mt. Adams
Walk into Mt. Adams Bar & Grill to enjoy this blast from Cincinnati's past, plus some amazing grub. Opened during the Prohibition era, Mt. Adams Bar & Grill’s back bar’s roots are thought to tie back to a speakeasy owned by infamous Cincinnati bootlegger George Remus. It became the first bar and grill in Ohio to receive its liquor license in 1933. Nowadays, it offers a varied menu that serves up fare like hearty burgers, soups and appetizers like the must-try fried jalapeño ravioli.

Rosie’s Tavern

643 Bakewell St., Covington
For more than a century, there’s been a bar with a pressed-tin ceiling and stained glass windows at W. Seventh and Bakewell streets in Covington’s Mainstrasse Village. For the past two of those decades, Rosie’s Tavern has been a dive bar that welcomes everyone, gay or straight — that intersection even has rainbow crosswalks now. Inside, a dozen barstools face the fully stocked bar — six taps and shelves of liquor and spirits. No food (just chips and nuts), but friendly bartenders will point you to good dining nearby. The pool table is ready and waiting, and drinks are very affordable, especially on Mondays.

City View Tavern

403 Oregon St., Mt. Adams
Aptly named for its sweeping view of downtown Cincinnati, City View Tavern has operated as a bar since the early 1900s, and it comes with a lot of colorful history. According to legend, the reason the bar no longer serves tequila goes back to when Charles Manson (yep, the one you’re thinking of) used to drink at the establishment. One night, he drank too much tequila and took a dive off the bar’s deck. In an effort to keep Manson out of the bar after that incident, then-owner Ted Lagemann banned the spirit. Nowadays though, City View offers an incredible Bloody Mary that pairs nicely with a Big Ted Burger — named after Lagemann.

Mansion Hill Tavern

502 Washington Ave., Newport
Mansion Hill Tavern knows its blues — in fact, it’s the oldest blues bar in the Cincinnati area. The building it's in has been around since the 1870s, but a bar didn’t open in the space until the ‘40s when it became Ivy and Gill’s Café (the bar in the space now dates back to this time). Ivy and Gill's Cafe became popular for hosting musicians playing boogie-woogie — a genre of blues — in the ‘50s and ‘60s, with greats like Albert Washington, H-Bomb Ferguson, Big Ed Thompson and Big Joe Duskin performing there. The bar changed its name in 1988 but remained a draw for blues bands all over the country. To drink, the bar serves a variety of beers and spirits, plus a menu of craft cocktails.

The Crow’s Nest

4544 W. Eighth St.
Opened in 1895 by husband and wife Mike and Mary Crow, this Irish pub is one of the oldest drinking establishments in Cincinnati. And like any good pub, their claim to fame is their delicious fish sandwich. You’ll find live music here on Friday and Saturday nights, and Tuesdays are home to open mic nights. Outside, you can gather around the fire pit with a strong drink or play a game of cornhole.

Black Horse Tavern

27 S. Broadway St., Lebanon
If you’re looking for the Black Horse Tavern, you’ll find it attached to the back of the historic Golden Lamb hotel and restaurant in Lebanon. While the tavern itself opened in 1964, the building it's in has been providing travelers in the area with premier hospitality since 1803. The bar has a more laid-back feel than its restaurant counterpart, but it still serves the same menu, plus specialty cocktails. It also hosts a Gourmet Burger & Craft Beer Night every Thursday starting at 4 p.m.

Junker’s Tavern

4156 Langland St., Northside
​​Junker’s Tavern was the dream of its original proprietor, Thomas Junker. The bar came to be after Junker walked into Albers Cafe in Northside one day in 1957 and met the owner, Ruth Sedler. The two were married within six months and changed the name. Since then, the bar has largely been untouched by time and trends, still offering the same neighborhood vibe decades later. In addition to being a good place for locals to unwind and drink, Junker's also serves as a live music venue.

Maloney’s Pub

408 Greenwell Ave., Delhi Township
This pub has been a West Side staple for 35 years — at least for drinking. Before that, it was known as Eddie's Tavern and Carry Out and had been a restaurant since 1928. Nowadays, Maloney’s Pub serves up plenty of brews, burgers and Irish vibes, thanks to a renovation a few years ago. Sit on the fenced-in back patio around the firepit with a Guinness or enjoy their tasty wings in front of the Reds or Bengals game. There’s always something fun going on too, whether it’s music bingo, trivia or live music. And the best part is they serve hearty breakfast dishes all day, so you can stop by again in the morning to soak up all the alcohol from the night before.

Fries Cafe

3247 Jefferson Ave., Clifton
Fries Cafe is a legendary dive bar that's been slinging drinks to University of Cincinnati students, Clifton residents and other patrons in its laid-back atmosphere for almost 100 years. The uncharacteristically large outdoor space (at least for Clifton) has a covered portion and deck, a live music stage, cornhole sets and plenty of seating. Not to mention you can bring your pup with you. Dogs are allowed inside and outside as long as they are on a leash (and you clean up after them).

Murphy’s Pub

2329 W. Clifton Ave., CUF
Established in 1969, this college dive bar offers daily deals on pitchers, bar games and team sports, as well as frequent free pizza and hot dogs. Murphy’s is bigger than it looks (a real bragging right for a Clifton-area bar), and offers plenty of space to gather with your friends and, likewise, space to spread out if you’re looking to drink alone or just with a handful of others. The bar offers pool, darts and plenty of TVs to watch the game, plus two outdoor patio areas and 16 beers on tap, including Guinness. Plus, they’re open 365 days of the year.

Colonel Pomp’s Tavern

600 Washington Ave., Newport
You’ll find the tiny Colonel Pomp’s Tavern inside Pompilios, which itself is one of the oldest restaurants in the area and has been dishing out Italian fare since 1933. Pop in here for a drink and to admire the historic feel of the space before or after diving into a big plate of spaghetti in the dining room. Founder Col. Pompilio was the first person to secure a liquor license in Kentucky after Prohibition ended, and to this day the bar honors its Kentucky roots by serving an extensive list of bourbon.

Larry’s Ryland Heights Tavern 10078 Decoursey Pike, Ryland Heights
A hangout since the '50s, Larry's Ryland Heights Tavern is truly a Kentucky destination (or, a "no aggravation location" as they like to call themselves) with ashtrays all around the U-shaped, pounded-copper bar and a cash-only register. The space is decked out with jokey signs — “This town is so small we don’t have a town drunk. We take turns.” — and wall decor (neon beer signs and a pair of grimacing, sculpted Laurel and Hardy faces). Canned beer is all-American (mostly “lite”) brews, with the bestseller being Michelob Ultra, of which you can get bucket specials. Stop in on Wednesdays to try the wings on special with their array of sauces. And while Larry's is pretty much an indoor place, there is a small patio deck on the side of the building.