I like this place a lot. The bar space is large and has a certain charm to it. They have lots of good draft beers and a nice bottle selection too. There is usually some kind of music going on at all times, which, if you like live music, is awesome. The menu is small, but very tasty. My wife and I both got the mac n' cheese the last time we were here and it was made with a real cheese sauce and cavatappi noodles. Service was friendly.
Review Source:I REALLY wanted to love this place. It has history and great music. Â I assume when bands are playing it is better.
Stand alone guitar player was great, love seeing someone play a guitar with absolutely no effort.
Bar staff was friendly, while not terribly organized or efficient.
Stay away from the food at all costs!
Wings- ordered buffalo, came out w/o ANY sauce at all. Â Tasted as if they went from freezer to fryer. Â Old oil.
Tried one of their "recommended entrees", the Mac n Cheese bowl, with Shrimp.
This MAY have been OK for a kids plate. Â The "shrimp" amounted to about one boiled/gummy shrimp with absolutely no seasoning or taste cut in about 8 pieces and put on top of spiral pasta.
Pasta was hot, I will give it that, but sauce was absolutely horrible. Â Appeared as if it was straight velveeta (and I do enjoy velveeta every now and again) with cream and a roux added. Â Maybe saying a roux may be a bit optimistic, because it just tasted like raw flour was added to thicken (you could taste and "feel" the grittiness of the flour).
Enjoy the drinks and music, but food wise... Heard food is fairly new at this place. Â Either go back to no food, or go to less items that can actually be executed.
Decor (for such a great location), left something to be desired. Â Just random crappy posters on the wall. Â So much more could be done with the space with just a little imagination. Â Over 1/2 the tv's in the main room were actually powered off!
This place is an institution in this city. Â Run it as such!
Through tinted windows, it's hard to tell how cool the cats at Blue Wisp are. Right as you walk in the front door, an enormous, polished mahogany bar welcomes you. Along the wall are simple black tables and chairs, which compliment the milky blue walls. Behind the bar, you'll find an older gentleman mixing your cocktails or pouring a beer. One look into his eyes and you can see what years of jazz is all about.
In a separate room is a performance space, with dinner tables surrounding a platform stage. Blue Wisp has regular jazz bands, and you can even find some performers on weekday evenings. Open from lunch to late night, you'll enjoy more than some good tunes here.
Blue Wisp's food is phenomenal. At first, I thought this place was more a bar. Or at the very least, sold bar food, like wings. Not the case... besides, do you picture jazz musicians eating wings? Courses consist of meals from reubens to gourmet macaroni and cheese, cobb salad, blackened tuna and more. Whether you want an entree or quick bite, you can be fed.
I had the mini Philly sandwiches, which came on soft, buttery Ciabatta. There were three to a plate and came with a side of crisp fries, all for $7.00. The price was right for a filling dinner. With plenty of beers on tap, dozens of wines, and pint-sized mixed drinks for $9.00, you'll find something you'll love.
Another plus: since the performance room and dining room / bar are separate, you can stop by to eat if you aren't in the mood for music.
I hadn't been to the old Blue Wisp, but now that I've checked out its new location, I plan on coming back again and again.
Price per person: $13.00
Maybe I went on the wrong day. The vast majority of you guys seem to have enjoyed yourselves, seeing as how they have a 4 star average.
For me, however, this place was a tad bit below mediocre. I went for happy hour, sat at the bar, ordered a couple drinks, and then finally looked around and noticed that there were literally three other customers in the entire place.
I asked the bartender what their happy hour specials were and he acted like I was inconveniencing him. He said everything is cheaper, aside from food, but declined to explain the actual specials. Maybe he was too busy with the other two tables. We looked at the menu, which looked like standard (Cr)applebee's fare. The food had no jazz/cajun feel to it at all. Pretzels, wings, and burgers... how original! Come to think of it, the whole place looked like it was designed in the Applebee's/Chili's/etc. model with tacky decorations strung about in every direction.
The 'band' consisted of one guy holding his instrument in one hand while texting with the other hand. A soundtrack played in the background. I'm giving them 2 stars instead of 1 because we got a good recommendation for a place to have dinner. I'll try it again just because it's near my new place, but I certainly wouldn't go out of my way to recommend it to friends or colleagues.
I recently went here for my dad's birthday a few weekends ago. Â We went to dinner somewhere else first, but next time we will definitely eat here before hearing great jazz. Â I wasn't sure how I would feel about the new location (the old one was cute and intimate) Â but I really liked how the remodeling was done! Â Nice bar and lounging area up front, with friendly staff. Â The Music Room where bands play was equally cute. Â I love the old light fixtures, decor and styling of the joint in general. Â We all had a great time and will definitely be back soon! Â The band even sang Happy Birthday to my DAD!! It was very nice. Â Swanky but cozy, I still love the Blue Wisp as much as I always have.
Review Source:In this crowded marketplace, first impressions count for everything as far as I am concerned. Well, here are my first impressions of Blue Wisp in their new location at 7th & Race....
Rude service almost bordering on the pathological, no proper lighting for the band and performers on stage... and an owner who couldn't give a damn when I pointed this out. "We can't afford spotlights" was his exact response, meaning we got to pay $20 each to see burlesque dancers move about in near darkness and a tight 4-piece jazz band who needn't have bothered to dress up. Â Let's just say I have closets at home with better lighting than the Blue Wisp offer their acts.
They lost at least $80 in income from us as a result of an incompetent server who waited 30 minutes - and just as the band were coming on stage - to ask us if we wanted any food or more drinks. So, we ordered minimally with a simple order of fried pretzels, which then took a further half an hour to reach our table. They were lukewarm and tasteless. We had to ask twice for our check at the end and then line up with many other people - most also complaining about receiving their drinks/food late or not at all - to even pay it. I did not hear one apology at any time from any member of staff.
The Blue Wisp comes across as a cheap unprofessional set-up with a business model apparently designed to piss people off and deter them from ever coming again. It worked for us. They don't want us, we don't want them to have any more of our money. Simple.
I can't comment on the quality of the jazz, but the food here is excellent. Â They offer a pretty wide variety of dishes that you wouldn't expect at a place that doubles as a music venue.
Some standouts of our meal were the deep fried pretzel bites (how has no one thought of this sooner?), reuben rolls (inspired by my favorite sandwich), and the blackened ahi tuna tacos. Â Their beer selection is also quite impressive, and it includes a number of local beers, which is nice to see.
The only downside was that the service was a little slow, but the server's attentiveness and friendliness made up for it.
The Cincinnati Shakespeare Company's right across the street, so you might as well make a night of it.
We were looking for a place to have dinner and drinks before going to see a play at the Shakespeare Theater. Not being familiar with Cincinatti, I drove to the Theater and looked around, and across the street was the Blue Wisp. I checked it out on my Yelp mobile app, it got relatively good ratings, so problem solved! As it turns out, it was better than expected. I was expecting bar food, but they had some nice entrees, the wait staff was wonderful, the imported beer menu was impressive because of the local beers I had never heard of, they have an outdoor section where I could take my drink out every once in a while and have a smoke, and contrary to what another reviewer complained about, I was glad the music was not right in our midst but off to the back. It was a large party of 10, so it would have been hard to have a conversation if the jazz group was in close proximity. This way you can choose to go on the jazz side of the bar, or eat in the restaurant section but still hear the music in the background. I've never been to Cincinatti before, but would go back just to hang at the Blue Wisp.
Review Source:So this is for their new location (Race Street). It's a large space with a better bar and better beer selection. Talking with a bartender he let me know they will be selling some Blue Wisp items on their website including their signature glasses.
They need to update and just flat out change the menu and was told this will also be coming. Wednesday nights is Big Band night with their house band and they sounded utterly fantastic as always.
Anxious to see what their programming schedule brings and what acts they book. Was packed last night which was really great to see.
Service was OK....had to ask twice for water. I have high hopes for this location and I hope they can make a go of it.
The Blue Wisp has always been THE place in Cincinnati to catch great live jazz, and that has not changed. I have yet to see an act there that has not blown me away. Their Big Band is nationally renowned, and based on last night's performance, rightfully so. The level of musicianship is off the hook, and even though a casual fan like myself might not recognize a single tune they played, it didn't matter.
The crowd was cool, too. It was a very wide age range in attendance, all there for great music. The service, well, I had to go the bar myself to get any service, and a waiter walked by a million times. But that was fine, we were close.
The new location looks cool, but sadly is a poor venue IMO. The stage placement is weird, so that most tables have a terrible angle at the band and are off to the side or behind one of the two GIANT poles. The bar on the other side is beautiful, but totally takes over the room, not a good thing when music should be the focus. So 5 + stars for the music, two for the new digs,
What better way to celebrate Fat Tuesday in Cincy than a Mardi Gras party with Dixieland jazz? As a patron of Blue Wisp since its location on Garfield (R.I.P. Marjean), I was excited to see the new venue at Race and 5th. Unfortunately, we were in for a major disappointment. While the jazz was good, the venue does not feature the jazz on a stage or even as a focal point, but rather the huge bar is the center of attention and the jazz area seems to be an afterthought. The server was insulting and kept suggesting we get the $3 bottom shelf liquor, and the tiny drinks were less than par with the smallest hint of liquor. When we got the bill, the well drinks were rang up at $6.50 each, even after the $3 comments and the advertisement which lauded $4 well drinks. The server said it was because they were doubles (which still doesn't add up mathematically), though we were never asked if we wanted doubles. Besides, if the tiny glasses we were served were indeed doubles they would have been straight alcohol, yet my guess is there was not even a full shot in the drinks. My friend ordered a Sazerac which turned out to be equally as small and a whopping $10, and was charged for each individual shot ($7 for rye whiskey, $3 for the rest of the mixers). We also ordered the crawfish, which were awful, and the couple from Louisiana sitting next to us explained that they were frozen ones from last season based on the size, and said they too thought they were the worst they had. When we explained our complaints to the server, she gave us every excuse in the book why we were charged so much. I searched hard to find good things to say about our experience, as I don't like to complain about such things, but my honest feedback is that I likely will not be returning to the Blue Wisp anytime soon.
Review Source:My husband had to check out a jazz concert for his homework so we googled Jazz restaurants on google and found this place.
Blue Wisp WAS GREAT!!!!
Live music, GREAT drinks and even better food!
The bartenders were so nice, the atmosphere was great, and everything was so clean.
We had the spinach artichoke dip with peta chips and it was sooo delicious. I think my soul cried a little!
I will definitely be coming back to this place.
The Blue Wisp has moved to a new location at 7th and Race, where the old Redfish/Sully's/Bagpipes was. Â Their old location is being turned into a parking lot. Â This is a tentative review, since they have only opened part of it. Â The kitchen is not open, when it is they will have a full menu and the back music room is not open yet. Â For now it is just the front bar area, which has always been a nice area, but it is more designed for a bar, restaurant area then for listening to a band. Â But I think they took the right approach instead of waiting until the entire place was finished before they re-opened. Â This way the bands can still play. Also, considering they did not have full kitchen before, that will only be a plus. Â The new location is better, more foot traffic and closer to many of the hotels. Â It still has solids bookings and great music. Â It still has the the same vibe as before. Â The more it is supported now the sooner the rest of it can be finished.
Review Source:I have always loved the Blue Wisp but was worried about it when it moved to it's current location. I found out that it's as cool as ever. The sound is very good and the ambiance is nice. My wife and I enjoy going there for an imported beer, a mixed drink or even a coffee drink. There is something for everybody. It's not cheap at around $7 per drink and a $10 cover charge, but it's not bad when you consider the quality of the entertainment.
Review Source:one of the better spots in cinci for jazz.
+1 for decently large seating capacity.
+1 for large stage, can accommodate larger bands.
+1 for non-annoying wait staff.
+1 for having 1/2 price cover for students ($5 with ID instead of $10)
-1 for weird decor. Â they could stand to get rid of the fish tanks and the neon bud light sign. Â a few small things could drastically improve the atmosphere.
+1 for being good for groups. Â tables and chairs can easily be moved around.
+1 for being a step above your average "hole in the wall"
+1 for not being a snobby jazz bar. Â patrons can quietly converse while the music plays.
+1 for a good quartet this past friday.
+1 for reasonable bar prices.
+1 for street parking really close by.
the cover charge might be cash only, but the bar accepts credit cards.
recommended. Â i will return.
Went for the first time on Saturday night, February 6, 2011 with a group of four. Â We showed up at 8:30 P.M. and there was plenty of seating available. Â A jazz band was playing, and they played until about midnight or so. Â At around 10 P.M. the place filled up.
We had a great time, and I think the previous reviewers have done a good job of accurately describing the place and atmosphere.
The crowd is nicely mixed - young, old, black, white, Asian, straight, gay, etc. Â There are serious jazz fans, couples on dates, groups of friends, and even people on their own typically seated at the bar.
The cover was $10, but if you have a student ID it is only $5.
Highly recommended, but you're probably better off eating elsewhere prior to going to the club.
I love jazz. Â I was in a jazz band in high school (yeah, I'm that cool) which is where my appreciation began. Â I'm definitely no expert but I really enjoy chilling out to some live jazz. Â It's sad how long it has been since was last at the Blue Wisp but I went this weekend and was not disappointed.
I like Blue Wisp because it's a fun night out but a little different than your typical bar or club scene. Â (I also like it so much more now that the smoking ban is in effect!). Â They have a nice drink menu, plus cheesecake, and the music is always top notch! Â Cincinnati really has a great jazz scene and also attracts great performers from outside the city so definitely check out the Blue Wisp!
Well me and my husband decided to have a night out before I headed out of town for a couple of weeks, but what is there to do in Cincinnati on Monday nights? Â Not a lot, after a bit of looking around we found that the Blue Wisp has a jam session on Monday nights. Â Sounded good. Â After a nice dinner out we headed on down and paid the $5 cover charge then got our drinks (for two drinks it was less than my one glass of wine at dinner, I can't believe how cheap their prices are! Â But they don't really have any top shelf alcohol I suppose.) Â The jam session was kind of fun, a bit disorganized, not everyone was great but we had a good time. Â It almost felt like hanging out in someones basement when I was younger and some of the aspiring musicians were playing around! Â So all in all, not high class, not the best music, but a really fun place to go if you want to get out on Monday. Â I will definately be going on a night when they have some of the bigger name jazz players.
Review Source:While I like Jazz I'm no fanatic but it's always good to have a couple places to go on the weekends to relax and really get to watch music being performed instead of fighting a bar crowd. Hidden on the east side of the city, a few blocks from Main St., the Wisp is almost a great club. Tinted windows, dedicated patrons, reasonable cover charges and a full calendar of musicians makes this a cool place to stop by and visit an era in music that is still vibrant and exceptional.
The entrance is covered with photographs of musicians and I've seen a few pieces of art for sale in the glass cases at the entrance. Inside the main room the space isn't much to look at, exposed duct work, dim lighting... but then you really should be paying more attention to the upright bass, the pianist and that stellar drummer working the kit.
When we were younger, this is where we went to pretend to be classy. Â We'd sit awkwardly around the wobbly tables and try to act interested in the jazz bands that were playing. Â We looked out into the streets through the heavily tinted windows. Â We tried to get adult beverages. Â We often succeeded.
We had no idea just how legendary or excellent this place was. Â It's one of the older jazz clubs in the country (yes, that includes the South) and really does get top notch performers. Â It won't book the big names due to its size, but any good quality jazz ensemble passing through the Midwest will probably play here.
Even if you don't like jazz, this is a true gem of the city. Â The ambience is straight out of Memphis or New Orleans, and even if you are over 21, it feels vaguely illegal to be here, what with the less-than-upscale surroundings on 8th street, very, very dark windows, and vintage neon sign out front.
Covers vary from none to ~$20, all depending on the band playing. Â Check the website for details on performers and prices.
The blue wisp is awesome. Â Seriously cool jazz bar. Â You walk into here and just feel cool. Â It is not some over pretentious you're fitting in the mix thing, but more that cool just permeates the air and you cannot help but soak it up. Â
Drinks are normal priced and on Wednesday evenings you have big band night. Â Good old American fun!
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