Cincinnati’s nightlife may not be as well known as the happening nightlife scenes in Miami and New York, but it does provide a great evening of entertainment for locals and visitors. Cincinnati is a business center that draws in hundreds of thousands of visitors a year. Millionaires, like Donald Trump, have made their fortunes in the queen city. The thriving local economy had created a working class that works hard and plays hard. A booming downtown may keep you busy during the day, but what about after the sunsets.
A city full of twenty and thirty something’s turn to the neighborhood of Mount Lookout, Cincinnati to provide them with an evening of entertainment, conversation, great music, and never ending drinks. Mount Lookout is set slightly West of the Cincinnati Zoo in a small, but hip neighborhood. Locally owned one of a kind specialty shops, restaurants, and bars create an inviting neighborhood with a thriving nightlife. For an evening of casual bar hopping and socializing Mount Lookout is a convenient and safe neighborhood that packs an entertaining punch.
Getting to Mount Lookout is easy. Mount Lookout is located about four miles north of downtown Cincinnati, an inexpensive cab ride if you are visiting from out of town. Route 561 runs directly through the middle of Mount Lookout. The local bars, restaurants, and shops are all situated around a charming square that makes it very simple to walk to and from the nightspot of your choice. Although the traffic is not usually heavy, parking can be limited. Side streets will be your best bet if you are driving. Do not park in a local business’s parking lots unless you intend to patronize their establishment or you may find your car has been towed upon you return. Mount Lookout is a safe and well-lit neighborhood, so take advantage of this hospitality and park in any of the available off street spots and take a short stroll to the bar.
Million’s Café is one of the main reasons to go to Mount Lookout, Cincinnati. Locals and visitors crowd into this happening bar that makes up a huge part of the nightlife in this area. Located at 3212 Linwood Avenue, Cincinnati, Ohio, 45208, it is the central hub of Mount Lookout. Local and regional bands provide musical inspiration to throngs of twenty and thirty something’s mingling and drinking the night away. The air is casual and comfortable. Bouncers card at the door and guests arriving after 10:00pm will pay a cover charge to get into the bar. The cover charge also allows you into Mount Lookout Tavern located directly across the street.
Mount Lookout Tavern is Million’s Café’s twin sister. MLT’s, as is it known in Cincinnati, is located at 3209 Linwood Avenue. Towering ceilings and an outdoor patio provide the perfect setting for social gatherings. Tuesday night Mount Lookout Tavern draws the largest crowd in the area with its non-stop karaoke. The fun begins at 9:30pm, so you may want to arrive early and get a few drinks in you before the singing commences. The crowd is young and trendy, comprised mostly of locals and college students from Xavier and the University of Cincinnati. Seating is hard to come by once this bar fills up, but there is plenty of standing room. Loud music makes it a little bit difficult to start up a conversation. Don’t forget to check out their patio upstairs. Stone floors and walls create a charming one of kind setting.
For something a little different walk over to One-Eyed Jack’s. One-Eyed Jack’s is located at 3195 Linwood Avenue, slightly apart from the rivaling twin sister bars of Million’s Café and Mount Lookout Tavern. Live blues music creates a casual and sophisticated air in this tiny bar. The scene in One-Eyed Jack’s is slightly less crowded and definitely groovier. Strong drinks and inexpensive brews will have you jamming in no time. The atmosphere is slightly conservative compared to most Jazz bars, but you are in a conservative city. If any window seats are available try to sit there. Great music provides the perfect soundtrack to beautiful view of Mount Lookout Square available from One-Eyed Jack’s.
Across the street and down the block a little you will come to a tiny hole in the wall named Muz’s. Clean and small, Muz’s is a local hangout that will remind you of Cheer’s; you know, the place where everybody knows your name. Muz’s is located at 3152 Linwood Avenue. The atmosphere is definitely quieter here. You won’t find the college aged twenty something’s, but you will find an eclectic mix of late twenty and thirty something’s out for an evening of good drinks and good conversation. The seating is limited and you may feel like you are hovering if you are the only one standing. If there are any open seats sit down and stay a while.
If you have worked up an appetite after all this socializing, then try finishing your evening off at Zipp’s. Zipp’s is located at 1036 Delta Avenue, slightly off the square by about twenty feet, but well worth the extra steps. Zipp’s is a Cincinnati tradition and legend. They serve up a burger that has been voted the Best in Cincinnati too many times to count. The atmosphere is dark and small and seating is extremely limited. A line is often extending out the door and onto the sidewalk. The legend is that Zipp’s started out as a tiny hoe in the wall tavern minus the famous burger. Nowadays most people go there specifically for the burger, but don’t worry, the tavern stills exists. If their front room is full take a quick look in back by the bar, you can usually find one two open seats if you are lucky.
