Situated in an unassuming building right outside of the main square in Oakley – the Oak Tavern is simple, without a lot of frills that too many places try to squeeze into a bar/restaurant. This isn’t the type of bar where you’ll see folks lined up to get in the door, nor will you find groups of people inside taking selfies next to some prop that is crammed into the building without any thought behind it.
It’s just a bar, but it’s got some of the best bar food that I have found in Cincinnati
The Wings
I’m not going to dance around the topic at hand – when we talk about The Oak Tavern, we are really specifically talking about their wings. That’s not to say that the bar itself isn’t a good one (and we’ll talk about that in just a moment) – but the wings speak so loudly that it’s hard to hear much else.
The wings at Oak Tavern are slow-smoked and then grilled. They are brought to your seat with a little six-pack of different sauces to try – which is always fun for me. I always struggle to decide on what sauce to try with my wings when I check out a new place, and this solves that riddle for me.
They are the perfect balance between bar food, and something a little more upscale. Absolutely delicious and reason enough to make a visit.
What To Expect From The Oak Tavern.
When I said earlier that it’s ‘Just a bar’, I don’t mean that in a negative way. The main room is wide open and bright from a whole wall of windows looking out onto the street. Along one side of the building, they have a big patio for those nice days when you want to have a beer and lunch outside.
The bar itself is situated along one side of the room, leaving plenty of space for tables out in the rest of the space. A kitchen sits tucked into the back of the building – and that’s… well… that’s about it.
It’s the type of place that you expect to just exist as a little neighborhood joint, without much to write home about. When you couple up those freaking wings with a nice comfortable atmosphere, good service, and a solid craft beer lineup It leaves you with one of my top picks of a place to stop when I’m in Oakley – and that says a lot!
