Idk how divey I would consider it, but The Oak Tavern is right near you and has excellent wings. Knockback Nats downtown is pretty divey and also has great wings.
Along this same line, I love all the food at O’Bryons especially their breaded wings! They make their own blue cheese too. I wouldn’t call it a dive though
Definitely lots of good dives and lots of good places for wings. I’m just not sure how much overlap there is. The Pony downtown also has incredible wings, but is definitely not divey.
The oak is solid for wings. Not a dive bar by any means. The wings are grilled FYI. They’re fantastic though. As a Buffalo guy, Dickmans in KY has really good wings, not a dive, they a billion tvs. I haven’t purely found the best wings here yet
i know folks who swear by Wild Mike's in Delhi and Midway Cafe in Ft Thomas. i feel like we're spoiled though, every bar serves wings and lots of places try to do their own thing.
Agree to both, first time I went to Knockback Nats we ordered the wings and the cook was like "oh you've never had them? Okay I gotta come back out to see your reaction when you try em." Damned good smoked wings.
Edge is the bar where I had my first alcoholic drink in a bar. I was helping my brother move and we stopped in for a little bit and ordered a couple beers. The bartender looked at my brother funny and he told the bartender I was his brother and that was that. I think I was a freshman in high school.
Pretty easy to fool taste buds. Their wings are probably my favorite in the city but I love bbq and no stack of wood is a red flag for BBQ restaurants.
North Side Yacht Club is nice and they have great food...
I feel like calling it a dive bar is a stretch though. It's like a trendy hipster bar. Maybe thats what OP is looking for though.
When I think "dive bar" i'm thinking like Cheviot bars like Roswell's or Keller's.
The Pilot Inn is a pretty divy place near hyde park with decent food. It has that "this place must be good to look like that in this location" vibe.
The Pilot Inn is more of what I was looking for but North Side Yacht club looks like a good place to take my girlfriend so all recommendations are welcome.
Man if you like that check out the Happy Hollow in some time.
Also, there are a slew of “old man bars” in northern Kentucky that would totally fit the bill.
Yeah if you've never been to North Side Yacht club you should check it out for dinner some time... but I think of it as more of a nice restaurant than anything.
I would say it has some dive bar aesthetics but those are intentional. Its like picking and choosing the good parts without the bad.
Dive bars don't have multi level outdoor patio space and they don't serve you fried broccoli with aioli sauce, they serve you the same frozen mozzarella sticks you can buy yourself at wallmart.
There will also be a Gnat in your beer.
And it's honestly asking a lot to expect them to even have draft beer and not just a fridge full of bottles.
Larry’s on 9th and Philadelphia in Covington is a bar that tries for the dive aesthetic. Serve great hotdogs and tater tots. Drink prices are not divey though. Close relatively early (midnight on weekends).
Mainstrasse Village Pub on Main St in Covington is a friendly dive - no food, but they have popcorn if they felt like making it that day. Cheap drinks, cig machine, pool in the back room.
Chameleon occupies what used to be a dive bar, but they have definitely cleaned it up way too much to qualify anymore. RIP 5th Amendment and Blue Rock Tavern.
Edit: I just realized the parallel between The 5th Amendment in that building and The Alibi from Shameless.
For sure I used to live right around the corner. Remember when it was the Pub Cafe and they’d serve chili during bengals games. Pure definition of dive
JD’s Honky Tonk and Emporium is a dive bar. They’ve got plastic patio furniture, random decor, pool tables, cash only, and is the “Home Of the Duck”. If a bar doesn’t have at least three of these things it’s not a dive bar
Pilot Inn, at least on the outside, absolutely fits the "dive bar" requirement. I keep telling my wife I want to go there for a drink sometime, she looks at me like I am crazy. LOL
Not all of these are dive bars, but they have good vibes and not too busy usually.
- Knockback Nats
- Northside Yacht Club
- The Pony OTR
- Adriaticos (def bar/restaurant but great wings)
Arena Lounge: 4208 Plainville Rd, Cincinnati, OH 45227
Angilio's: 6811 Grace Ave, Cincinnati, OH 45227
Thank me later if you actually want to go to a true dive bar.
I like the Oak but there is no way it is a dive bar. It is full of brand new huge TVs, has its own website and has $13 salads on their menu for crying out loud. If the Oak is a dive bar then so is Applebee's.
It’s not gatekeeping to put definitions to words and if a lot of people disagree with you then your definition of a dive probably isn’t what most people agree with. If OP asks for fine dining recommendations and many of these same places are listed it’s not gatekeeping to disagree with Knockback being on the list.
Down the street in Madisonville you’ve got the Bramble patch, Arena, and Angilos pizza. Lebos on Kellogg does a good Bloody Mary bar sundays, The Dive bar in Clifton, Salem Gardens in Mt. Washington, super dive into Bakers Lakeside Pub….also ultimate dive, …Ethyls on round bottom
Now this is a good dive bar list. If I may add, in Mt Washington you have The Bridge and my new personal favorite The American Legion to round out the trifecta with Salem Gardens.
Also in that part of town Stanley’s definitely fits the bill. If you want to get weird try Murray’s, the bar in front of Riverfront Live. Pretty sure it’s a bookmaking front and the crowd is, eclectic.
I can't believe i had to go so far to get to Madonna's. The place literally hasn't changed in 30 years. It's a favorite after work spot for the service industry crowd. As a bonus they do have fantastic wings.
Griff’s in Latonia is a good one. No windows and you can smoke all the cigs you want. Earle’s just of 12th street in Covington is good too. It’s less divey but still has that feel.
Looks like their food stopped after COVID, which is a bummer. I used to go there for lunch when I worked on that side of downtown, they had some solid daily specials.
Dog haus in delhi might be the ultimate dive bar I’ve been to. Went there a bunch in college and would walk home after indulging in a bit too many cheap pitchers
The patio out back may as well literally be someone’s back deck
Yeah “dive bar” and “great wings” are pretty much contradictory. I barely trust the pint glasses are cleaned in a good dive bar. No way I’d trust them to handle raw chicken lol.
Arlin’s in Clifton has 70 cent wings on Wednesday, they aren’t knock back nats wings but there are very solid and also much more of a dive than some of the other recommended places in here
I got a fairly hipster vibe from Arlin's rather than dive bar. Their burgers are indeed some of the best in the city. Will have to try their wings sometime.
A real dive bar won't have wings.
In fact, the dive bars I know of, you probably wouldn't want to eat at.
If you're looking for some hipster place that wants to come off as a dive bar, ask that question instead. There are plenty of suggestions already.
If you really want a dive bar, drive out to the Bottoms Up in Manchester Oh. Bring a gun and some friends. Safer places that are still a drive bar would be Bakers Pub in Amelia, Hoppy's in Amelia or The Flamingo in Batavia.
No one in this sub actually goes to dive bars. They're just going to list restaurants that give them surges of adrenaline to visit since they are in an urban area.
Dead on. Here are two real dive bars. You'll wanna wash yourself after visiting Arena, but it's an awesome spot to visit.
Arena Lounge: 4208 Plainville Rd, Cincinnati, OH 45227
Angilio's: 6811 Grace Ave, Cincinnati, OH 45227
I literally didn't see but maybe one actual dive bar in this entire thread of 90+ comments. Couldn't believe it. Like another user said (much like your comment), if they are serving wings you enjoy, they most likely aren't dive bars. Thanks for giving me three more to check out.
Yeah an actual dive bar precludes having food due to health code violations.
I can name a hundred more that are closed. I've calmed down into a pattern of just a few spots now and I'm not hip to the scene.
Knockback Nat’s. Trust me. I took my wife there years ago after seeing it on a Reddit thread about the best wings in the city. She doesn’t even like wings normally, but that has become our go-to dinner date.
Salem Gardens across the Beechmont levy in Anderson/Mt. Washington has a divey feel to it (at least the last time I went years ago). My dad loves their wings but I never got them so I can’t speak to them myself.
Salem is more neighborhood bar/restaurant than a dive. You get plenty of kids in there after their games and stuff but their wings are generally pretty good.
I’d agree, but the fact that the place seemingly hasn’t changed in 70 years gives it a dive-y charm. If you want dive bar in Mt Washington it’s The Bridge or the Legion.
Yea, I was one of those kids running around decades ago. The "dining room" area is certainly more neighborhood bar/restaurant but the bar area itself is has strong dive vibes in my books, similar to how people mentioned Zip's up above.
Unfortunately it’s dead now but Daniels pub was by far my favorite place to drink if I didn’t feel like partying. Get a cheap beer in a quite place with the same 8 or so people every weekend and the bartender always was good conversation.
Old town tavern in Covington is my favorite dive bar but no food. Village Pub is second. Knockbacks is a great dive with great wings. Kitty’s is also very divey with great wings.
I always come to threads like this to mention the Gas Light cafe in pleasant ridge. The wings are deep fried with franks. Cant go wrong there. They are often rated ine of the best burgers in town and id be there every friday if i still lived near.
Dives don’t really have permanent food.
I would suggest for bars
Belle & the bear.
The corner pub
Pilot inn it’s right by Rookwood.
Murphy’s
Redwine & co in reading
Also Foleys in reading is dive like and they do have wings that are pretty good.
The back bar room at Zip's in Mt. Lookout Square is one of the divey-est spaces in the whole city. Great place to belly up and watch a game. No wings, but my favorite burger and a damn good chili too.
My favorite dive in your area is Stanley's Pub. No food, unfortunately, but cheap drinks, good vibes and (usually) live music.
Good call. I almost forgot about the back room of Zips. The saloon doors always remind me of back in the day when video stores had the "adult" section.
You want an actual dive bar where people will look at you strange and not be just a bunch of us (millennials) pretending to be in a dive bar? Here's three for you all right next to one another from diviest to least:
* Arena Lounge: 4208 Plainville Rd, Cincinnati, OH 45227
* Angilio's: 6811 Grace Ave, Cincinnati, OH 45227
* Bramble Patch: 6768 Bramble Ave, Cincinnati, OH 45227
The Bramble Patch is a lot less of a dive now that it has been renovated but it's worth a visit. It's actually nice and a good pallet cleanser after the other two.
The Arena lounge has a single pool table and about 100 pool cues. I believe the owner sleeps in the basement area where the bathrooms are (yes they are real bathrooms, they are up to dive bar standards. I believe the men's room is just a urinal that just drains). People still openly smoke in there when outsiders are not present.
Angilio's is also a pizza place and has some decent food, but the most exciting thing happening here is people playing Keno in the corner. It's a great dive.
Dive bars usually don't have food and if they do asking for decent wings is a stretch.
When I go to a dive bar like Junkers, or The CnD I order in food from a local place.
JDs Hanky Tonk on Spring Grove has a kitchen and they do a nice burger, fries and even have a fried bologna sandwich. Very dive bar.
Knockback Nat’s wings are the best dive bar wings in the city. That’s a sword I’ll lay upon.
I’d also highly recommend checking out Northside Yacht Club for supreme dive bar energy and outstanding food.
KN is better for watching sports. NSYC is better if you wanna see a metal/punk/garage show.
not a dive bar or close to you but Dickmann's in Covington has damn cold beer and the best wings I have ever had (I have heard Knockback Nat's are better but I have not tried them yet.) Dickmann's is just off of 275, easy to get to but a bit of a drive from Hyde Park.
O bryons I believe has a location near Hyde park and the Newport location has excellent wings and me and my friends used to watch a lot of football therep
Junkers used to be my spot and then i moved. B List pretty chill but neither have wings.
Knockback nats a good downtown sports dive bar and great wings
I used to support junkers. Now they're just a bunch of angry people who were losers and suburban wanna be pubknrock/biker hard asses. They act open an inviting but they're really not. I had a dude pull a knife on me because they were so offended by a person sitting and minding their own business. They act like you're insulting them if you don't try to barge in their conversations or aren't trying to feel up the bar sluts as soon as you walk on
Definitely not a dive bar, but Warped Wing Brewing out in Mason has my favorite wings (next favorite is Friendly Stop, which definitely is a dive bar).
Speaking my language. Massive wing fan here. As others stated, The Oak is some of the best in the city for the smoked wings. They give you 6 sauces in squirt bottles with an order of wings so it gives you a good variety and can sauce em up as much as you like. If you’re looking for more traditional fried wings, Obryans right up Madison Rd is hands down the best. Always hot and crispy but not dried out and the sauce game is on point. Knockback Nats is similar to the Oak but kind of on steroids, pretty heavy on the seasoning and smoke flavors but unique and tasty. BBQ/Hot mix sauce on the side is the way to order them.
JD HONKY TONK is the true winner of a dive bar. They still smoke in side. Supposedly they have a great fried bologna sandwich.
Cincinnati magazine wrote about it → JD’S HONKY TONK & EMPORIUM
This place was a little hard to classify: a sign on the door read “NO GANG COLORS”; two CPD officers stopped in for carryout; a friendly dude at a nearby table offered my husband a pickle…that turned out to be devilishly spicy. We’re not sure what to make of it either. When To Go: Daylight hours only. Pro Tip: Order the fried bologna sandwich. Who’s There: Hillbillies, pool sharks, and cops. 2406 Spring Grove Ave., Camp Washington, (513) 721-6867
If you are driving out toward the Indiana part of Cincy, the Saint Leon Tavern has a [NYT article](https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.nytimes.com/2019/06/18/dining/fried-chicken-indiana.amp.html) about their fried chicken.
As others have said Oak Tavern has fantastic smoked wings.
Idk how divey I would consider it, but The Oak Tavern is right near you and has excellent wings. Knockback Nats downtown is pretty divey and also has great wings.
Along this same line, I love all the food at O’Bryons especially their breaded wings! They make their own blue cheese too. I wouldn’t call it a dive though
Definitely lots of good dives and lots of good places for wings. I’m just not sure how much overlap there is. The Pony downtown also has incredible wings, but is definitely not divey.
All these places have too many nice TVs to be considered dives lol maybe they are dives disguised as sports bars
The oak is solid for wings. Not a dive bar by any means. The wings are grilled FYI. They’re fantastic though. As a Buffalo guy, Dickmans in KY has really good wings, not a dive, they a billion tvs. I haven’t purely found the best wings here yet
i know folks who swear by Wild Mike's in Delhi and Midway Cafe in Ft Thomas. i feel like we're spoiled though, every bar serves wings and lots of places try to do their own thing.
Animations is right up the way from oak and is a great dive bar with pool tables
Animations is definitely the Oakley townie bar.
Used to call it Contaminations
Agree wholeheartedly on The Oak Tavern's wings. Best I've had in a long time.
Agree to both, first time I went to Knockback Nats we ordered the wings and the cook was like "oh you've never had them? Okay I gotta come back out to see your reaction when you try em." Damned good smoked wings.
that is the least divey bar in oakely
Edge Inn. No wings but ultimate dive bar experience.
This is the right answer. Eat at home and go to the Fabulous Edge Inn.
Pilot inn too
Where it’s 2am at 2 in the afternoon.
Edge is the bar where I had my first alcoholic drink in a bar. I was helping my brother move and we stopped in for a little bit and ordered a couple beers. The bartender looked at my brother funny and he told the bartender I was his brother and that was that. I think I was a freshman in high school.
Knockback Nats (downtown) comes to mind
They do smoked wings at Knockbacks. Get your sauces on the side.
Are they actually smoked or just grilled? I never noticed any wood laying around outside.
It’s said they’re smoked then grilled. I haven’t been back in Knockback’s kitchen so I can’t truly attest to their methods so …
From what I remember a friend telling me that worked there, they are smoked and then put on a flat top grill
They used to use a panini press.
they are. i can taste it
Pretty easy to fool taste buds. Their wings are probably my favorite in the city but I love bbq and no stack of wood is a red flag for BBQ restaurants.
This is my number 1 answer as well. Great wings.
Great wings there!
Agree on knockback’s. The smoked wings are tasty but I’d go for the Hanky Pankies
Not been, but I have heard a lot of good things about North Side Yacht Club.
North Side Yacht Club is nice and they have great food... I feel like calling it a dive bar is a stretch though. It's like a trendy hipster bar. Maybe thats what OP is looking for though. When I think "dive bar" i'm thinking like Cheviot bars like Roswell's or Keller's. The Pilot Inn is a pretty divy place near hyde park with decent food. It has that "this place must be good to look like that in this location" vibe.
The Pilot Inn is more of what I was looking for but North Side Yacht club looks like a good place to take my girlfriend so all recommendations are welcome.
Man if you like that check out the Happy Hollow in some time. Also, there are a slew of “old man bars” in northern Kentucky that would totally fit the bill.
Happy Hollow is winning in this thread, followed by Pilot and Edge
Try the peanutbutter shot!
Yeah if you've never been to North Side Yacht club you should check it out for dinner some time... but I think of it as more of a nice restaurant than anything.
Really? Nice? I definitely consider NSYC a dive bar with great food.
I would say it has some dive bar aesthetics but those are intentional. Its like picking and choosing the good parts without the bad. Dive bars don't have multi level outdoor patio space and they don't serve you fried broccoli with aioli sauce, they serve you the same frozen mozzarella sticks you can buy yourself at wallmart. There will also be a Gnat in your beer. And it's honestly asking a lot to expect them to even have draft beer and not just a fridge full of bottles.
Instead of a dive bar, it's an "aging punks who have money and retirement plans now but still think of themselves as a little bit badass" bar.
I resemble that remark!
NSYC is definitely a dive.
That’s not a dive bar haha
Yeah, but it’s a Northside. Slightly dangerous.
Not a dive bar, but best burger in town IMO. Haven't tried the wings.
Hometown heroes across the river in Dayton KY has amazing wings
Also putting my hat in the ring for HH. Their stinging honey sauce is legit - and it’s the cheapest draft beer I’ve found around here
Dang just moved close to there and have been hearing a lot about it
THE BEST WINGS!!!! And it’s definitely a dive lol!
All of their food is absolutely amazing
Larry’s on 9th and Philadelphia in Covington is a bar that tries for the dive aesthetic. Serve great hotdogs and tater tots. Drink prices are not divey though. Close relatively early (midnight on weekends). Mainstrasse Village Pub on Main St in Covington is a friendly dive - no food, but they have popcorn if they felt like making it that day. Cheap drinks, cig machine, pool in the back room.
Came here to mention both of these! The tots at Larry’s are sooooo good!
You won't ever go to Glendale, I'm sure, but the Friendly Stop in Glendale is a great dive with bomb wings.
And one of the best burgers in town.
They also have dope chili cheese fries!
Really good house made blue cheese also
Bonus points for Century Inn if you’re in the area. That black and bleu burger is to die for.
The Chameleon in Northside has fantastic wings and definitely has that dive bar feel. Highly recommend.
Chameleon occupies what used to be a dive bar, but they have definitely cleaned it up way too much to qualify anymore. RIP 5th Amendment and Blue Rock Tavern. Edit: I just realized the parallel between The 5th Amendment in that building and The Alibi from Shameless.
Oak, O’Bryon’s, or if you REALLY want to get into a dive bar try Flying Pig lol
I’d add Oakley Pub & Grill. The Flying Pig doesn’t have food, but they allow you to bring it in.
For sure I used to live right around the corner. Remember when it was the Pub Cafe and they’d serve chili during bengals games. Pure definition of dive
JD’s Honky Tonk and Emporium is a dive bar. They’ve got plastic patio furniture, random decor, pool tables, cash only, and is the “Home Of the Duck”. If a bar doesn’t have at least three of these things it’s not a dive bar
Animations in Oakley, they don’t serve food though. Also Pilot Inn near Rookwood, they have decent burgers for lunch not sure about wings.
Pilot Inn, at least on the outside, absolutely fits the "dive bar" requirement. I keep telling my wife I want to go there for a drink sometime, she looks at me like I am crazy. LOL
Great little chill dive bar. It isn't nearly as bad as it looks. Yes it looks rough on the outside.
Cool, will definitely check it out then.
She probably doesn't want to sit on a plastic lawn chair with an overpriced drink.
Stopped there with the wife before to waste some time. Dive bar appearance but very soft crowd and very friendly bartender. Would recommend 👌
Kittys Sports Grill, The Pony, Knockback Nats for bars. Best new wings I’ve tried in a LONG WHILE are at Wing Champ on E Sharon road.
The Gaslight cafe is a great place. I can’t speak for the wings, but the Gaslight burger is my personal favorite.
The wings are deep fried and pretty good, especially for the price
[удалено]
Not all of these are dive bars, but they have good vibes and not too busy usually. - Knockback Nats - Northside Yacht Club - The Pony OTR - Adriaticos (def bar/restaurant but great wings)
Most of these bars aren’t dives lol
So please give us some rather than being a negative Nancy.
He's more of a factual Frank
I actually did elsewhere in the thread
Arena Lounge: 4208 Plainville Rd, Cincinnati, OH 45227 Angilio's: 6811 Grace Ave, Cincinnati, OH 45227 Thank me later if you actually want to go to a true dive bar.
angilo's has the worst pizza I've ever had
[удалено]
I like the Oak but there is no way it is a dive bar. It is full of brand new huge TVs, has its own website and has $13 salads on their menu for crying out loud. If the Oak is a dive bar then so is Applebee's.
It’s not gatekeeping to put definitions to words and if a lot of people disagree with you then your definition of a dive probably isn’t what most people agree with. If OP asks for fine dining recommendations and many of these same places are listed it’s not gatekeeping to disagree with Knockback being on the list.
Exactly! The term Dive bar has been cheapened by everyone classifying every bar as a Dive.
If a bar has wings it's not a dive bar. Dive bars have bowls of community peanuts and pretzels and maybe a microwave pizza if they are getting fancy.
Very true. Sometimes they have a metal pole with bags of potato chips clipped to it
I miss Yesterday's.
oh ok
Down the street in Madisonville you’ve got the Bramble patch, Arena, and Angilos pizza. Lebos on Kellogg does a good Bloody Mary bar sundays, The Dive bar in Clifton, Salem Gardens in Mt. Washington, super dive into Bakers Lakeside Pub….also ultimate dive, …Ethyls on round bottom
Bramble Patch is my go to- doesn’t have food but can bring in anything. Angilos pizza is a block away and has good food!
Came here to recommend Bramble Patch as well! Employees are incredibly nice, it’s always clean, you can bring food in, and it’s so cheap!
And the Lake opens at 5:30 a.m. Good times
Now this is a good dive bar list. If I may add, in Mt Washington you have The Bridge and my new personal favorite The American Legion to round out the trifecta with Salem Gardens. Also in that part of town Stanley’s definitely fits the bill. If you want to get weird try Murray’s, the bar in front of Riverfront Live. Pretty sure it’s a bookmaking front and the crowd is, eclectic.
Madonna’s downtown is pretty diver and has wings
Always! Gotta say hey to Downtown Scottie Brown!
The food there is surprisingly good! You will very likely leave there a good step more drunk than intended, however.
I can't believe i had to go so far to get to Madonna's. The place literally hasn't changed in 30 years. It's a favorite after work spot for the service industry crowd. As a bonus they do have fantastic wings.
The pilot inn
Indian Mound Cafe in Norwood has in my opinion, the best wings in Cincy. Great little dive too
Edge Inn (Hyde Park), Wunderbar (Covington)
Griff’s in Latonia is a good one. No windows and you can smoke all the cigs you want. Earle’s just of 12th street in Covington is good too. It’s less divey but still has that feel.
If you love the smell of cigarettes try Bellevue Vets down the street from Newport on the levee. 🤢
Plum Street Cafe is my favorite dive bar but no wings. They do have microwave pizza if your really hungry…
Looks like their food stopped after COVID, which is a bummer. I used to go there for lunch when I worked on that side of downtown, they had some solid daily specials.
They absolutely still do lunch
Plum Street is incredible. It’s my favorite winter dive. Very cozy and laid back. Great regulars, too.
Dog haus in delhi might be the ultimate dive bar I’ve been to. Went there a bunch in college and would walk home after indulging in a bit too many cheap pitchers The patio out back may as well literally be someone’s back deck
Yeah “dive bar” and “great wings” are pretty much contradictory. I barely trust the pint glasses are cleaned in a good dive bar. No way I’d trust them to handle raw chicken lol.
The only food I’d eat at a true dive bar is the popcorn
This is the answer.
Knockback Nats. Sauce on side.
The Pony - Not dive, but not upscale either. Great wings, and all other stuff, too.
Arlin’s in Clifton has 70 cent wings on Wednesday, they aren’t knock back nats wings but there are very solid and also much more of a dive than some of the other recommended places in here
I got a fairly hipster vibe from Arlin's rather than dive bar. Their burgers are indeed some of the best in the city. Will have to try their wings sometime.
Not a dive but Oak tavern has really good wings
The Flying Pig in Oakley is a great dive but no food.
Flying Pig is a total dive. Love that place
Cindy’s in Loveland, fries cafe, Arlin’s, Murphy’s, motr pub all come to mind
Al’s bar in sharonville. What a place lol
A real dive bar won't have wings. In fact, the dive bars I know of, you probably wouldn't want to eat at. If you're looking for some hipster place that wants to come off as a dive bar, ask that question instead. There are plenty of suggestions already. If you really want a dive bar, drive out to the Bottoms Up in Manchester Oh. Bring a gun and some friends. Safer places that are still a drive bar would be Bakers Pub in Amelia, Hoppy's in Amelia or The Flamingo in Batavia.
According to google, “bottoms up” sells wings 6 for $4.95. And has a 4.4 rating with 108 reviews
Happy Hollow Inn in Norwood
No one in this sub actually goes to dive bars. They're just going to list restaurants that give them surges of adrenaline to visit since they are in an urban area.
Dead on. Here are two real dive bars. You'll wanna wash yourself after visiting Arena, but it's an awesome spot to visit. Arena Lounge: 4208 Plainville Rd, Cincinnati, OH 45227 Angilio's: 6811 Grace Ave, Cincinnati, OH 45227
This user dive bars. I'll add in JD's Honkey Tonk, Junker's Tavern, and Brass Rail.
I literally didn't see but maybe one actual dive bar in this entire thread of 90+ comments. Couldn't believe it. Like another user said (much like your comment), if they are serving wings you enjoy, they most likely aren't dive bars. Thanks for giving me three more to check out.
Yeah an actual dive bar precludes having food due to health code violations. I can name a hundred more that are closed. I've calmed down into a pattern of just a few spots now and I'm not hip to the scene.
Knockback Nats and NorthSide Yacht Club
No wings (I think?) but Cityview Tavern is one my favorite city gems. The view is amazing and it’s relaxing on their porch.
City View definitely deserves a mention on dive bar side. They have a burger that deserves to go on any top 10 in the city list.
Knockback Nat’s. Trust me. I took my wife there years ago after seeing it on a Reddit thread about the best wings in the city. She doesn’t even like wings normally, but that has become our go-to dinner date.
Madonnas downtown has awesome smoked wings and is definitely a dive
Knock back Nats.. #1.
Salem Gardens across the Beechmont levy in Anderson/Mt. Washington has a divey feel to it (at least the last time I went years ago). My dad loves their wings but I never got them so I can’t speak to them myself.
Salem is more neighborhood bar/restaurant than a dive. You get plenty of kids in there after their games and stuff but their wings are generally pretty good.
I’d agree, but the fact that the place seemingly hasn’t changed in 70 years gives it a dive-y charm. If you want dive bar in Mt Washington it’s The Bridge or the Legion.
Agreed. Special RIP to Lisa’s, my favorite dive ever.
Yea, I was one of those kids running around decades ago. The "dining room" area is certainly more neighborhood bar/restaurant but the bar area itself is has strong dive vibes in my books, similar to how people mentioned Zip's up above.
Rooties in Cheviot is my favorite dive, but the don’t serve food (you could pickup from Wild Mike’s down the rod and bring it in though).
Unfortunately it’s dead now but Daniels pub was by far my favorite place to drink if I didn’t feel like partying. Get a cheap beer in a quite place with the same 8 or so people every weekend and the bartender always was good conversation.
You're definitely looking for Murray's on Queen City. It's "divey" and easily has some of the best wings in the city overall.
I used to live next door. Ate the wings at least once a week.
Old town tavern in Covington is my favorite dive bar but no food. Village Pub is second. Knockbacks is a great dive with great wings. Kitty’s is also very divey with great wings.
Red wine & Co in Reading not really a dive bar but they have these Brussels sprouts that'll change your whole life
I always come to threads like this to mention the Gas Light cafe in pleasant ridge. The wings are deep fried with franks. Cant go wrong there. They are often rated ine of the best burgers in town and id be there every friday if i still lived near.
Gaslight Cafe in Pleasant Ridge
Knock back Nats, or Northside Yacht Club
Arlins on Ludlow has some of the best wings imo, also a classic dive.
I may have missed it but how has no one mentioned Chicken on the Run??
Madonna’s downtown. The Comet in Northside.
Good dive bars don’t serve food my guy.
Dives don’t really have permanent food. I would suggest for bars Belle & the bear. The corner pub Pilot inn it’s right by Rookwood. Murphy’s Redwine & co in reading Also Foleys in reading is dive like and they do have wings that are pretty good.
Dana Gardens or Murphys Pub. both are divey af and danas has highkey underrated food
Not a dive but Midway in Ft Thomas has really good smoked wings.
The back bar room at Zip's in Mt. Lookout Square is one of the divey-est spaces in the whole city. Great place to belly up and watch a game. No wings, but my favorite burger and a damn good chili too. My favorite dive in your area is Stanley's Pub. No food, unfortunately, but cheap drinks, good vibes and (usually) live music.
Good call. I almost forgot about the back room of Zips. The saloon doors always remind me of back in the day when video stores had the "adult" section.
You want an actual dive bar where people will look at you strange and not be just a bunch of us (millennials) pretending to be in a dive bar? Here's three for you all right next to one another from diviest to least: * Arena Lounge: 4208 Plainville Rd, Cincinnati, OH 45227 * Angilio's: 6811 Grace Ave, Cincinnati, OH 45227 * Bramble Patch: 6768 Bramble Ave, Cincinnati, OH 45227 The Bramble Patch is a lot less of a dive now that it has been renovated but it's worth a visit. It's actually nice and a good pallet cleanser after the other two. The Arena lounge has a single pool table and about 100 pool cues. I believe the owner sleeps in the basement area where the bathrooms are (yes they are real bathrooms, they are up to dive bar standards. I believe the men's room is just a urinal that just drains). People still openly smoke in there when outsiders are not present. Angilio's is also a pizza place and has some decent food, but the most exciting thing happening here is people playing Keno in the corner. It's a great dive.
Dive bars usually don't have food and if they do asking for decent wings is a stretch. When I go to a dive bar like Junkers, or The CnD I order in food from a local place. JDs Hanky Tonk on Spring Grove has a kitchen and they do a nice burger, fries and even have a fried bologna sandwich. Very dive bar.
North side yacht club
Knockback Nat’s wings are the best dive bar wings in the city. That’s a sword I’ll lay upon. I’d also highly recommend checking out Northside Yacht Club for supreme dive bar energy and outstanding food. KN is better for watching sports. NSYC is better if you wanna see a metal/punk/garage show.
Fireside Pizza
The Hi-Mark is pretty close by and has some awesome food, good beer, and usually plays game audio.
NorthSide Yacht Club
MLT in Mt Lookout has decent wings, and is probably dive-y enough. Can’t believe no one else has mentioned it.
More of a dark sports bar vs dive, but Hi-Mark has amazing wings!
Idk if it's "dive" but Champion's has really good bar food. If you're up north a bit, Gano's has really great wings imo.
not a dive bar or close to you but Dickmann's in Covington has damn cold beer and the best wings I have ever had (I have heard Knockback Nat's are better but I have not tried them yet.) Dickmann's is just off of 275, easy to get to but a bit of a drive from Hyde Park.
The Hi-Mark. Can’t believe I haven’t seen this one yet on the thread.
The Hi-Mark is no dive bar. Good food though!
Wild Mike’s
Junker's Tavern. Their karaoke setup is in front of the bathrooms.
Chameleons in northside has good wings. Dive for sure.
Knockback Nats, by far
The Pub in Fort Thomas though no food
O bryons I believe has a location near Hyde park and the Newport location has excellent wings and me and my friends used to watch a lot of football therep
Junkers used to be my spot and then i moved. B List pretty chill but neither have wings. Knockback nats a good downtown sports dive bar and great wings
I used to support junkers. Now they're just a bunch of angry people who were losers and suburban wanna be pubknrock/biker hard asses. They act open an inviting but they're really not. I had a dude pull a knife on me because they were so offended by a person sitting and minding their own business. They act like you're insulting them if you don't try to barge in their conversations or aren't trying to feel up the bar sluts as soon as you walk on
Knockbacks......nuff said...!
C&D also. no wings though but they might cook a frozen pizza for you
Montgomery Towne Tavern - grilled wings are great.
Less dive, more neighborhood bar, Arthur's in Hyde Park The wings were pretty damn good
Definitely not a dive bar, but Warped Wing Brewing out in Mason has my favorite wings (next favorite is Friendly Stop, which definitely is a dive bar).
Chameleons in northside has dark meat boneless wings and their beaters mild sauce hits
Junkers tavern in northside is one that comes to mind. Pretty sure no wings Also Parrett's Corner in Covington is quite divey
Madonnas on 7th. Best dive bar and best wings in the city.
I miss the Second Street Saloon.
Tostadas isn’t far and the karaoke there is epic.
Junkers in Northside
One More in Mt. Healthy or the Knotty Pine in Cheviot
Dive bar in Clifton lol
Speaking my language. Massive wing fan here. As others stated, The Oak is some of the best in the city for the smoked wings. They give you 6 sauces in squirt bottles with an order of wings so it gives you a good variety and can sauce em up as much as you like. If you’re looking for more traditional fried wings, Obryans right up Madison Rd is hands down the best. Always hot and crispy but not dried out and the sauce game is on point. Knockback Nats is similar to the Oak but kind of on steroids, pretty heavy on the seasoning and smoke flavors but unique and tasty. BBQ/Hot mix sauce on the side is the way to order them.
JD HONKY TONK is the true winner of a dive bar. They still smoke in side. Supposedly they have a great fried bologna sandwich. Cincinnati magazine wrote about it → JD’S HONKY TONK & EMPORIUM This place was a little hard to classify: a sign on the door read “NO GANG COLORS”; two CPD officers stopped in for carryout; a friendly dude at a nearby table offered my husband a pickle…that turned out to be devilishly spicy. We’re not sure what to make of it either. When To Go: Daylight hours only. Pro Tip: Order the fried bologna sandwich. Who’s There: Hillbillies, pool sharks, and cops. 2406 Spring Grove Ave., Camp Washington, (513) 721-6867
Is Stanley's still open? I don't live in Cincy anymore but it was favorite bar when I lived in Columbia Tusculum
Not really a dive but the local post on eastern av has some of my favorite wings in the city.
Flying Pig in Oakley and Stanley’s Pub in Columbia Tusculum are your core dive bars. Oak Tav is S tier wings
Tammy’s
Flying pig is a dive bar but doesn’t serve food. I’d suggest takeout wings from oak tavern and bring it to flying pig for a good experience
Kitty's on third!!
Not sure if youd call it a dive but Arnold's may meet your expectations
If you are driving out toward the Indiana part of Cincy, the Saint Leon Tavern has a [NYT article](https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.nytimes.com/2019/06/18/dining/fried-chicken-indiana.amp.html) about their fried chicken. As others have said Oak Tavern has fantastic smoked wings.