Northside Tavern

★★★★★ Food & drink quality
★★★★★ Service
★★★★★ Ambiance
★★★★★ Value
★★★★★ Menu selection
★★☆☆☆ Location/Accessibility
Date visited: 12/14/2023
I'm not particularly keen on drinking, but my friend MW is a nightlife queen. It was her idea to visit this establishment, and I must admit, it's one of the better bars in the area. My night began like any other with MW: a spontaneous invitation followed by my eager acceptance. We managed to secure a spot in the street parking lot, feeling fortunate amidst the sea of cars lining the streets.
Before going all in for the drinks, we primed our bellies some curry at a nearby restaurant. The bar didn't immediately catch my eye, as its exterior blended in with the surrounding buildings. However, through the glass window, I caught a glimpse of the warm glow and familiar silhouettes inside. A small yet distinctive sign hung above the entrance, signaling our destination. Inside, dim light washed over the worn wooden counters, creating a warm, almost conspiratorial ambiance. Unlike the bar stereotypes in my head, here was a haven of hushed conversations and gentle murmurs. No blaring music, just the clinking of glasses and the occasional outburst of laughter – a symphony to my non-musical ears. We approached the counter, where a respected older lady with a voice like aged whiskey took our orders. MW, the drink expert, naturally handled this. The bar buzzed with activity, a mix of solo sippers and lively groups huddled around tables. Finding a large but unoccupied round table, we settled in, only to move deeper into the establishment seeking a different energy in a corner overlooking a mysterious back room rumored to host live music shortly thereafter. Music, however, was absent in the main bar. Instead, a unique soundscape emerged: the gentle clinking of ice, the low rumble of laughter, and the occasional dull thud of a pool cue. In this unexpected serenity, conversation flowed effortlessly, and connection mattered more than anything. As MW and I chatted, I couldn't shake the feeling of gratitude for her company, despite me being a Plain John. We departed the bar shortly after 9, just as a gentleman with long, flowing black hair entered with equipment.
Overall, I would recommend Northside Tavern to any bar-goer out there, although its popularity is already well-established.

One of the most classic Northside watering holes, Northside Tavern hosts plenty of great music, has 2 pool tables, and seating inside and out (fire pits!). I met my girlfriend here 5 years ago and we're still together, so there might be something special about this place.

What a great venue for live music! The venue was great and so was the staff. Looking forward to playing here again soon!

Always a great place to meet people, enjoy the fire, or I used to go to events they held in the back. I'm not sure if they're still doing that, but still a great local bar full of interesting folks in a great community.

We played a concert there and it was a wonderful evening! 140 person venue in the back with a lovely stage and dedicated bar.

Best live music bar in Northside for at least 4 nights a week of live bands + DJs + karaoke. Decent prices, 5 drafts, a few snacks.

Very roomy throughout: 2 bars, nice stage with large audience area, a few cozy lounge / sofa seating spots.

Bonus: 2 pool tables, a juke box, a megatouch video game machine.

Very nice bar. Drinks are affordable. They have live music many days of the month and social events now and then. There are couple rooms; Front bar, Billiard room, Game room (centipede video game) and Back bar with a stage. There is a beautiful beirgarten available,as well, for the less snowy/rainy days.

Place is an awesome venue for music and has a really cool vibe about it. Definitely going back!

Northside Tavern is a neighborhood bar and a music venue. They don't serve food, although there is an African Restaurant in the courtyard and several other restaurants that serve food nearby.

Had a great time listening to live music tonight. Saw Dead Humor and Feral Friends from Cincinnati. Here's some pics of tonight of Feral Friends and Cody Muldoon.

Friends band was one of a triple billing that evening. Love the neighborhood, the patio is awesome, and the drinks are very reasonably priced. Billie is an outstanding bartender also.

Great concert venue. Bar atmosphere is very friendly. I frequent this place because of the many Death Metal shows that come through here. 5 days ago I checked out Blessed Black, Gudger, Gainsayer and Maharaja. Excellent night of Doom and Sludge. 🤘

Great place, great company. Northside tavern is a great long building wirh a long history that can be classified into 3 sections. The first section is the front bar where, during the week, there is live entertainment by the window. The second section houses pool tables and restrooms, both essential for a bar. The third section is where you can find the stage and second bar. This section makes it apparent it is Friday or Saturday and the tavern is in full swing. Oh, and I guess there is a fourth section, the patio. Great area to just get away from everything and relax. Easy to forget because it is easy to forget "real life" out there...

Lots of good music passes through here, great for music in the back. 2 pool tables, always seem active. Good little patio space. Couple of beers on tap and a good selection of things bottled/canned

I love this bar! Local bands in the back, cozy patio, good drink prices and inviting atmosphere. I love everything about this place.

Very pleasant neighborhood bar.
I've been cut off here a couple of times, and I'm a rough and tough old school type guy, you know? Leather Jacket, sunglasses, whiskey straight I roll with a rough and tough crowd. When they cut us off they're very respectful. "You guys are being too rough, and too tough there are other patrons here who are paying their hard-earned money to come and unwind and have a good time. These good people are trying to shoot pool In our back area, listen to an awesome local band(one of the best venues in cinci) in the even further back area, or sit on the nice heated patio with a competitively priced bevarage from their decent sized selection of local brews.(full bar)" I just looked at the guy and was like "I apologize, thank you for responsively serving."
Great Bar

Great service, not too crowded and has a variety of options for bar-goers. The front of the bar has a general room with a long bar and tables for seating, the room behind that has access to several pools tables of varying conditions, then in the back room there is another bar and small venue for music. It's a great place to catch a live show of a local band, not a big mainstream bar and can count on varying crowd. There is also a nice outdoor patio with access to fire pits on nice evenings.

One of our go-to pool spots. Good beer selection, heavy-handed cocktails, and nice patio out back. Pretty good music and event variety too. I keep an eye on them because they'll actually book good metal bands once in a while. Only negative experiences here have been with a bar tender that came off as snobby, but I think those were relatively isolated incidents. Most people behind the bar are great.

Very large. With multiple bars inside. Large out door smoking patio and multiple rooms to hangout in with a large stage in the back room.

It's a chill bar with cool vibes of positivity! I love coming here going on 7 years, and enjoy the old jukebox tunes heard inside and out. Happy hour there's always plenty of good company and conversations! I encourage everyone that likes a beautiful rustic natural bar, come by.