The Miamiville Tavern Turns A Former Biker Bar Into A Neighborhood Spot

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

Over its many years of being tucked away in Miamiville, Ohio, the bar formerly known as The Rusty Nail Tavern wasn’t always the place you wanted to go hang out. It gained a little bit of a rough reputation with the folks that I talked to and probably wouldn’t have made my list of favorite bars in the area – until, of course, new owners turned things around in late 2018 with it’s rebirth as the Miamiville Tavern.

What To Expect

The first time I walked into The Miamiville Tavern, I was on my toes, not really sure what I was walking into because of some of the stories that I’d heard. What I quickly found was a half-full bar full of friendly folks hanging out, watching TV, and chatting about someone’s upcoming birthday party.

It didn’t take long before I figured out exactly what this bar is about… and you’ll be happy to hear that it’s a far cry from the biker bar past that folks liked to tell me about.

When you walk in the side door of the bar, you walk into the main room, with a bar along the far wall, several tables along the close wall – and a couple more tables and a golden tee machine at the far end of the room.

An additional room sits off to the side of the building, hiding away a pool table, darts, and some games to entertain you and your friends. A small kitchen is in the back (think fried bar food… nothing too crazy here.) The other side of the building features a large outdoor “beer garden” space that you will always find a few folks enjoying during the summer months.

The space isn’t what I’d call “historic” by any stretch. It’s worn in, maybe. Although the building was built in the late 1800s, from what I can dig up – it doesn’t feel like a space with any particular history behind it – just a good spot where many folks have had a bunch of drinks over the years. The well-weathered bar holds back plenty of stories, I’m sure.

What You’re Drinking

Don’t overthink things when you belly up here. While I’ve certainly seen a few craft beers in the fridge behind the bar from time to time, this is not the type of place where I’d expect to get ANY local brewery’s latest release.

On that same note, if you’re a craft cocktail fan – things aren’t going to be up to your standards unless your definition of a “cocktail” involves the word bomb as a prominent part of its name. The back bar shelves, however, contain an impressive amount of flavored vodkas and other strange spirits that I have a hard time believing anyone would ever care to sip on by themselves.

My Takeaway

All of this still leaves me with the impression that Miamiville Tavern is a place that needs to be treasured. Even with updates over the years to make it nicer and more comfortable for its guests – it feels like a place that stays rooted in a time long passed. Not unlike the bar a couple of miles down the street, The Remington Tavern, this is a place built for people to spend time together.

In a world full of corporate-owned bars, chains, and restaurants that will happily sell you a beer, places like this stir up a part of my soul that is too often left untouched… and I like it.

If you’d like to check out Miamiville Tavern, you can find them at 339 Center St in Miamiville, Ohio.