Barnesburg Tavern Brings Friends Together, Again?
Written By: The Gnarly Gnome
Photography By: The Gnarly Gnome
I’m a sucker for any of the historic bars that you can find around Greater Cincinnati. If a bar can make the claim of being the oldest or has some story about their space, their name, their drinks… ANYthing. It’s pretty easy to make me fall in love with something about the place. Barnesburg Tavern is interesting in this realm. No… Barnesburg isn’t old. Not even close, but they have a great story about how they came to be.
The History
To know Barnesburg Tavern, you have to take a mental trip all the way back to early Colerain Township. Colerain was founded by John Dunlap, who named it after his birthplace of Coleraine, Ireland. It was only a few years later that the township was established, and then eventually, the villages of Bevis, Dunlap, Groesbeck, and yes, Barnesburg were established.
It shouldn’t come as a huge surprise that the village was named after a family—the Barnes family—who were extremely active in the area’s early development. One of those early developments was a tavern, the Barnesburg Tavern.
This original Barnesburg Tavern was located on the west side of Old Blue Rock Road and even housed the post office when it was first built.
The modern take on Barnesburg Tavern was started by a group of friends and entrepreneurs who wanted to create a place where local folks could come, gather, have a meal and a few drinks, and just get together—the same way the original people who gathered at Barnesburg did.
What To Expect
Barnesburg Tavern is similar to many other neighborhood bars around Cincinnati. You have an immediate choice to make when you walk in the door. To your left is a good-sized dining room. Big tables are set up ready to accommodate whole families looking for a place to gather over a meal.
To your right is my spot, the bar. The bar can seat around 15 people (I have never actually counted) – enough to ensure you have a spot, but even when it’s busy, a few bartenders are never overwhelmed. There are a bunch of tables on this side, too… perfect for a small group of friends looking to hang out and watch the game or have a drink and a quick bite to eat after work.
The place is clean, straightforward, and maybe even a little nondescript. It has a lot of dark wood, stone finishes, beer signs, and plenty of TVs. It’s very clearly a place that people like to go when their favorite sport is on television.
The food is good. Their menu offers a wide variety to ensure that no matter who you happen to bring with you—be it family, friends, a date, or a complete stranger—there will be something available that they’ll want to eat.
Why You Should Go
I’m going to be completely honest with you. Barnesburg Tavern isn’t the type of place that I’d encourage anyone to drive across the city to visit. However, and this is a massive note to make, it’s 100% a place that I’d say you should stop at if you are nearby and looking for a drink and something to eat.
You won’t be blown away by anything crazy, which sometimes is exactly what we’re looking for. A good meal, a good drink, nice company, all for a reasonable price in a good environment.
If you’re looking to visit Barnesburg Tavern, You can find it at 5761 Springdale Rd