From A Beer Garden, To A Roadhouse, McCoy’s Has A Long History Of Quenching Thirst!

Written By: The Gnarly Gnome
Photography By: The Gnarly Gnome

9/5/25

When you pull up in the parking lot outside of McCoy’s place, you’d be forgiven for thinking that you’re about to step foot in an Irish Pub. As much as it looks like that’s what it is, I promise you that you’re not. I need you to know that before you step inside. McCoy’s is closer to a neighborhood dive than it is an Irish Pub… but with that said, it’s a great spot – and has a deep tie to some of the city’s bar history that not many people know about.

We’ll get there.

What To Expect

Let’s start with the modern era. As you walk into McCoy’s, with its big U-shaped bar right inside the doors, you’ll probably catch the drift right away that this is a “locals bar”. It’s a spot for regulars to grab a quick bite to eat, have a few drinks, and socialize.

The food is solidly “fine”; it’s the type of food that will fill your belly, help you spend some more time drinking, but also not anything that you’re going to travel across town to eat. It’s a good, warm meal.

The drinks, much in that same realm, aren’t going to blow you away. Shots and beers are the norm, and for a place that wants so hard to be Irish… there’s not a pint of Guinness in sight (though… sometimes it’ll be there in cans or, gasp, bottles).

Either way, grab yourself a High Life or a PBR, and settle in… because this place deserves a little bit of respect and reminiscing if you’re a fan of Cincinnati drinking history.

Back In Time

I don’t fancy myself a historian by any stretch, but this beer blogger gig has me drifting into that realm from time to time, and I spent more time trying to understand the history of this little bar than I care to admit. My theory was finally confirmed with the discovery of a paper trail that tracks the ownership of the space back to 1939, when the space was home to one of the city’s famous beer gardens.

Before neighborhood taprooms became the norm they are today, the city was dotted with historic beer gardens. These spaces featured large outdoor gathering areas where entire families could gather, eat, drink, and listen to live music… it was a place to spend the whole day.

Dirkmeyer Gardens was located at the site where McCoy’s is today, followed by Cassidy’s Gardens. These spaces were a massive part of the culture of the Peach Grove area (they called this part of town Peach Grove due to all the peach orchards that were located there).

The beer gardens held on a lot longer here than in other parts of town – eventually becoming ‘Nolte’s’ in the early 60s, Holly’s Place, The Peach Grove Tavern, before finally becoming McCoy’s place in 2007.

Why It’s Cool

McCoy’s place certainly isn’t an old school beer garden anymore, and if it’s not an Irish Pub despite the green shamrocks plastered on the walls, either… what IS it? If I’m telling you that you shouldn’t go there for the great food or an extensive beer or cocktail menu, why would you visit at all?

It’s simple – a laid-back, neighborhood spot that lets you take a break from the chaos of your day-to-day life. You can melt into your barstool and get lost in your thoughts, or you can belly up and make a new friend and have a deep conversation just as easily.

Bars like McCoys have quickly become some of my favorite places to spend an hour or two… an escape into comfort and repeated expectations. You know exactly what the vibe is going to be like when you walk into a place like this, and that comfort is something that we all crave in our lives from time to time.