The Comet! I love you so, so, so, much, and even more now that I no longer live in Cincinnati. Whenever I'm back in town, I try to make a pit-stop here to get some local beer and catch up with friends.
From the great row of bar stools to the old-school sink outside the bathrooms, the non-lit case o'beer and the burritos, the rockin' bands and the janky photo booth, and most of all that unbelievable juke box, the Comet is truly one of Cincinnati's best drinking establishments.
Single best black bean quesadilla I've ever eaten! Side of guac was super-rich, the salsa of the month (pineapple) was perfect, and extra sour cream to top it off. I also sampled the tofu 'dilla -- had this incredible savory taste to it, maybe nutmeg was involved? Great beer selection, including some local brews, and very chill atmosphere. Will definitely be back, I'd love to check out a show there!
Review Source:Pros:
-Great beer selection
-Homemade ginger ale (although sometimes depending on who prepares the soda for you, it can be better than other times)
-Sunday night AWESOME BLUEGRASS...and there is no cover!
-Homemade Salsa
-$5 burritos (plus $2 if you want meat)
-Good brunch (but small portions...)
-Live music many days of the week
Cons:
-Show up an hour early to see bluegrass and you still may not get a seat. And ideal spots for standing can get taken easily too, putting you in the way of the food/drink staff walking around
-I've had to wait an hour for a burrito a few times
Overall, I try to bring everyone I can to see bluegrass on Sundays. If you don't want a long wait for a burrito then eat beforehand. If I come 1.5 hrs early I'm almost guaranteed a table and then don't mind waiting for the food.
As tasty as brunch is, the small portions keep me from coming back unless I'm not too hungry.
Drop by on a Sunday night for bluegrass music and burritos. Â You will get enough food for under ten bucks to fill you up for a day, and the music quality will keep you there for an hour after you planned on leaving. Â Loved the space, the crowd was great, and the staff was excellent. Â The Comet is one of my new Northside favorites!
Review Source:Why do I like The Comet? BURRITOS! They are delicious. My family stops by for dinner often - it is family friendly in the daylight hours. We like the salsa sampler, too. The service can sometimes be slow, especially if the bartender is chatting up a friend at the bar. Just be patient! Also, you might want to tip the cook *before* ordering, you get good karma and better service. The jukebox is eclectic, the beer selection is enormous. A local treasure in Northside. One of the reasons I love my neighborhood!
Review Source:I have been here more than a few times as my old house in Northside was right down the street and within perfect walking distance. One of my favorite drinks is made here called the Irish Ass, amazing trust me. Â The Comet also has one of the best selections of bottled beers and beers period with great prices.
The food has always been very good especially the burritos.
The Comet is like a lot of establishments in Northside: smallish, dingy, with a serious identity crisis, caught somewhere between hipster and hippie. Parking is of the scarce street variety, and the decorating is... eclectic. In most other establishments of this ilk, I find all of these qualities more or less charming, but The Comet was a little too much of all of them for me.
Case in point: a friend and I order burritos. Half an hour later I return to the little window at the back to check on said burritos. The girl working there is looking bored and pissed. The skin around her large metal cheek studs looks a little inflamed. She riffles through the order tickets and tells me, more than a little annoyed, that there are "like, fifty" people ahead of me, and it'll be another thirty minutes.
I don't mean to call this poor girl out, or imply that she personally affected the rating for this place. She did not. She's just one aspect of the larger experience. But I know there are people out there who would find this encounter a little unsettling, so to those people I say this: you probably wouldn't like The Comet. It was a long wait in a loud, dirty room.
For my part, I didn't mind it too much. If she really had that many burritos to make, I probably would have been a little pissed at anyone who came up trying to bug me, too. Besides, when the food finally did come it was fairly good, and pretty cheap considering how much of it there was. They've got a good selection of beers, though it didn't seem quite as legendary as some people believe. It's just that the servers, both food and bar, and even the other patrons just gave off this unwelcoming vibe. I do intend to go back, because I like the food and because it deserves another fair chance, but that was definitely my impression this time.
I've been here twice.
The first time was for brunch, and I have to say that I wasn't as thrilled with it as I expected to be.
However, I went back last night for dinner, and I'm officially a fan. Their beer variety is good, but what really put it over the top was the jerk tofu burrito. SO good and pretty big for $6.
The people I was with also told me that the brunch quality has improved a lot since I was there in November- that maybe they got a new chef? Maybe I'll try that out another time.
Their happy hour prices are pretty good, too. $3 and change for a draft beer.
Came here for the first time Friday night and... shocker... it wasn't that hard to figure out how to order as a first-timer! Amazing! (Pro tip: order at the bar, take your ticket to the kitchen window, have a seat.) Awesome jerked-tofu burrito (another pro tip: put the chips in it), great margaritas, nice chill vibe. Can't wait to come back for the Peach Kelli Pop show in April - should be a lot of fun!
One funny thing: when we ordered drinks after dinner, I told the bartender my last name for the tab and she was all, "We use first names here?" So just be aware of that "first-timer vs. regular atmosphere," but she was endearing, and that's kind of how a lot of places in Cincinnati are anyway, so... I can dig it.
The Comet is becoming one of my favorite neighborhood dive bars. A small bar in the heart of North Side with nothing fancy about it. Â I have been in a couple of times over the last couple weeks, and had a great time both times. Â The first time was on a Sunday afternoon for a couple of beers and some eats. Â I can't get enough of their HOT Salsa. Â I end up sweating and the inside of my mouth starts to peel away, but it is so good. Â It's perfect with a cold beer. Â Their burritos are delicious too. Â It's just a great place to get good food - nothing fancy, since you have to take your own order back to the chef - but, just good.
The second time was for their Sunday Brunch. Â Holy Moly - a lot of food. Â Again, you have to walk your order back to the kitchen yourself, but that's what is so fun about it. Â Their Bloody Mary's is a copy of their salsa - very hot and spicy - just the way I like it.
On Sunday nights they have their Bluegrass band play. Â It was a standing room only crowd when we were there for the band. Â
Bottom Line: Â The Comet is a great little neighborhood bar with good Mexican food and good beers.
Sunday night is bluegrass night! Â
Caught the house band playing bluegrass just last night. Â The band typically plays two sets which include some country classics and some not-so country classics. Â I happened to catch a Bob Marley tune as well as some John Denver. Â If you need to get your banjo and fiddle levels up, Sunday night at the Comet is the place to be.
This place can fill up in a hurry so get there well ahead of the performance time. Â Last night was set for 7:30. Â My date and I arrived a half hour early only to find that every booth, stool, and seat were occupied. Â We were lucky enough that the folks that frequent The Comet are some of the best on the planet. Â A couple had a big booth in the quieter bar area and offered up the unused half, so we made some new friends. Â The bar area is a great place to play some pool and have some casual banter while the band is playing.
The Comet is a great place for making friends, largely because of the seating situation. Â Later in the night we decided to move into the significantly louder performance space (don't expect to carry on a lot of conversations here). Â A couple of elderly gentlemen let us take the spare two seats at their table, so again we made new friends.
One gentlemen spouted off request after request for the band and they kindly obliged even though many of the suggestions were not in the bluegrass genre. Â We watched as the house band performed every one of them with their own unique style. Â Excellent entertainment, particularly for a Sunday night!
The Comet has a great selection of craft bottles and the cost was very reasonable. Â This place does have a bit of a dive-y quality, particularly if you are using the restrooms. Â Be warned, the bar area restrooms do not have proper locks and are consequently a great place to get caught with your pants down.
I can't believe it's taken me this long to write a review for the Comet. I've been going here for 15 years or more. Incredible Juke Box, amazing space to see the hottest new local band or seasoned favorite (Sunday nights here for the Comet Bluegrass Allstars are no joke - good luck getting a seat!).
The Comet's beer selection is hands down the best in the city. I love taking out of town visitors here and watch them drool while looking at the beer fridges.
It's a gritty and totally comfortable place where ANYONE is welcome and feels quite at home.
I've always been a huge fan of the burritos and salsa. My husband and I frequently take a cheap date night here and we'll split a burrito and a salsa sampler and it's plenty of food for the both of us. But brunch is our new favorite reason to visit. We've been brunching here since they started it up about two years ago. Specials rotate a bit, and there's a vegan offering every weekend, and just about everything can be made vegetarian. The food is great. Not expensive, and there's a southwestern flare on traditional brunch. It's perfect especially if you had one too many the night before. About once a month they bring in DJ Brian Hellmann, and we LOVE to go and have brunch while Brian spins the perfect Sunday morning mix. It is most excellent.
Northside has quickly become brunch Central in Cincinnati, but the Comet should definitely not be missed!
PS - Lots of families come with their kids on Sundays for brunch, it's awesome!
I came here for a beer brunch done with Great Lakes Brewing. Â It was my first visit, but it won't be my last. Â I was pretty impressed!
Though we stuck with the special beers brought in for the brunch, the cooler along the wall showed a large collection of craft brews. Â It was pretty impressive. Â The tap selection looked good too. Â The ordering of food and beer at the bar was confusing, but once you figure it out it you're good-order your booze and beer, take your booze and your food ticket, drop your food ticket off in the next room at the kitchen. Â It's a small place, so it's not like you have far to go.
I've heard their burritos are good, but went with the sausage gravy and biscuits with potatoes. Â It was a HUGE portion. Â A delicious, huge, tasty portion. Â We all joined the clean plate club and regretted nothing-it did an excellent job of soaking up the heavy beers. Â
Fun place, good food and beer-I'll be back.
Ya know, its quite a thrill to pack my yuppie friends in to their Nissan Murano and head over to the "hipster" part of town! Being that one of them has lived in the Cincinnati area her ENTIRE life and has NEVER ventured out of the Eastside, I consider heading over to the Northside neighborhood for bar burritos a complete victory not only for me, but also for The Comet.
I love a good dive, and the fact that their juke box is the houses Wanda Jackson's greatest hits makes this place all the better. Â The food was absolutely delicious. I had a chicken burrito and the salsa sampler. Both were on point. They have an incredible beer selection as well. Service is minimal here, being that you order at the bar and literally walk your order ticket to the kitchen yourself. Honestly, who needs the middle man?
Me and my gang were obviously from the polo/khaki  side of the tracks, and it didn't go unnoticed by the incredibly hip and tattoo'd staff and patrons. We definitely got a few side-eyed glances and the bartender was insanely annoyed with the fact that we were excited to be there. For these reasons and these reasons alone, The Comet is not getting my coveted 5 star review... (who am I kidding? I am a 5 star whore... I really am quite easy to please.)
Over all, it was great. I would love to return for Bluegrass Sundays.
Three stars...I'm saying 2 stars for the Comet, and and 5 stars for the Comet Bluegrass All-Stars. Since TCBAS are only there on Sundays, and Sunday is only 1 of the 7 days of the week, 3 stars is being generous.
The Comet isn't really my kind of place. They DO seem to have an amazing beer selection, but I don't really like beer. (Dark & Stormys were pretty good, though). They have food, which I generally appreciate in a bar, but although people rave about the Mexican food here, I don't think it's all that. In fact, I really don't think it's great at all. Ordering food it kind of a pain...you have to order it from the bar, then turn it in to the "kitchen", and if you don't know this already you just have to stand around and look stupid until someone tells you. The space isn't really  much to look at, and I've never been there for brunch, so I can't speak to that.
BUT...
They host the Comet Bluegrass AllStars on Sunday nights...like every Sunday night for the past 15 years or something. And the Comet Bluegrass AllStars are AMAZING. The opportunity to listen to this band, for free, while enjoying a beverage and having food available--well, that transforms this bar into a 5-star place. It's intimate, enjoyable, and I plan to go back often. But without the music...for me, it's like Cinderella at the stroke of midnight
I love this place. Low key, laid back, a good selection of beers for the beer folk, and always happy to top off my Rose's and soda. The music is never so loud that you can't socialize, but often so good that you'd rather just listen. You'll find me here many a Sunday night for Bluegrass, which I never really new I liked until I paired it with another obsession: salsa.
What keeps me coming back is the amazing homemade salsa. Each month (or so) a new specialty selection is added to the already impressive array of mild (sweet sweet onions), medium (jalapenos are our friends), and hot (fire in the hole!). The burritos being simply too much for me, I often order up the salsa sampler, which gives me a serving of all three heat levels, the specialty of the month, guacamole and a little sour cream to mellow out the hot hot salsa. A giant pile of warm (not homemade, but still so good) chips to ferry the delicious sauce to my lips and I'm a happy camper.
Sunday brunch is also very enjoyable, but tends to not come with Bluegrass.
Holy guacamole (ya see what I did there?) The Comet has some mighty tasty burritos! Seriously Chipotle has NOTHING on this place. Why it has taken me so long to have one of the infamous Comet burritos I honestly can't tell you, but I am ashamed of myself for it.
Located in Northside right on the Hamilton The Comet is a unique mix of dive bar, restaurant and concert venue. I formally knew The Comet as just a bar, but it is in fact much much more.
The set up is a bit confusing...if it wasn't for the chalkboard menu items you probably wouldn't realize it's a restaurant at all. Your order is placed at the bar, and you then take your ticket back to the kitchen where you are given a number that you put at your table and they bring you your food once it's prepared.
What they bring you is nothing short of delectably magnificent! I had the jerk tofu burrito and...wow I'm not sure I even have words. Not only are they cheaper than Chipotle while still being the same mammoth size, but they also come with chips. A comet burrito could easily feed a person for two meals (though I will admit I finished every last bit of mine...and then promptly went into a food coma).
The Comet also offers local music on most nights. I've seen bands like Shadow Rapture and The Turkey's here. If you go in the evening there is almost always someone playing.
They offer a large selection of bottled beers, as well as several draft options and the occasional signature drink. I went right before Thanksgiving and they were offering a homemade Cider cocktail that sounded pretty tasty.
The only draw back to The Comet is how popular it is! We had a lot of trouble finding a table and this was on a week night. We had all actually gotten our food, before we were able to grab a table. It's worth the wait though folks!
I will without a doubt be back for music, burritos and hopefully someday for their Sunday Brunch. The Comet is a real Northside treat!
The jamacian jerk tofu was pretty bad the last time I was there (last week). It used to be awesome. Maybe the recipe changed or someone got lazy, but it was missing lime juice and several other spices. The guacamole is not fresh and it tastes like preservatives.
The waitress overcharged me too, something I realized after I paid. The food guy was a real jerk to me once many years ago. He was nice this time. I'll go back but I'm not in a hurry.
Dear Comet,
I wish I could pick you up and pluck you smack-dab in my New Orleans front yard. Alas, I will settle for visiting you when I visit my folks in the 'Nati.
This bar saved my life when I was living in Cincy for a couple months after Hurricane Katrina. The sweetest bar staff and owners, great beer selection, awesome prices, and amazing live music.
Thanks for keeping me sane. xoxo
Thank GOD the Comet exists and it's in Cincinnati! Love the decor, atmosphere, crowd, choice of beers and the food is pretty tasty too. I recommend the Jerk Tofu Burrito --really good (and I'm not a vegetarian).
I usually only go on Sunday nights to see The Comet Bluegrass Allstars because they are a great bluegrass band. Wonderful musicians!! Seriously, if you live in Cincinnati and you haven't checked them out --what are you waiting for?!! Go already!
I'm glad I'm not the only Yelper to notice the absolutely crap attitude of Comet's bartender and cook. And if you've ever had decent Mexican food, you'll know Comet's burritos and tacos are a bad joke.
Listen, jerk tofu is a great idea ... maybe over white rice, maybe in a salad ... not in a burrito.
As the only diner in the bar, I was given a menu and sat at my table. After a while, I realized no one was coming to take my order. So I walked to the back kitchen window and asked the cook, who was doing nothing, how a first-timer goes about ordering food.
"Order at the bar."
"Will they give me a ticket to bring back to you?"
"Order at the BAR. They will GIVE you a TICKET. Bring the TICKET back to me!"
Listen dude, I'm a newspaper editor with two college degrees. You're scooping refried beans in the back of a dive bar. Don't insult my intelligence.
So I played nice and ordered at the bar, took the ticket back and waited.
My order was supposed to have chips and salsa included. I saw no salsa. Thinking it was an oversight, I saw the cook walking buy and politely asked if I might have some salsa.
"It's IN the BURRITO."
If you're giving me chips, why would you put the salsa in the burrito?
"May I have some salsa for my chips?"
"Order it at the bar!"
So I had to leave my lunch with my girlfriend, go over to the bar, have the bartender write down "med. salsa" on the ticket, then walk that back to the cook. Then I walked back to me table and sat. The salsa arrived a few minutes later. Again, I should stress there were 10 patrons in the bar, tops.
So Comet gets two stars for carrying Wittekerke on tap. Other than that, avoid this den of rudeness. Also, a $1 charge for using a credit card isn't terribly classy.
1) The Comet's in a terrible location outside of Northside. No, it's not in Northside--no matter how bad they want it to be.
2) The food isn't all that great. Plus, you have to pay extra for pretty much ever topping on a burrito or quesadilla. Dumb.
3) The bartenders are always jerks. For no reason. Without fail.
The only reason to ever visit the Comet is if they have a decent act playing, which is a rare occurrence.
Do you know what your cumin tolerance is? You're about to find out.
I got a chance to check out the famous Comet this weekend, with high hopes that it's going to blow me away. I had read several of the reviews here prior to going, and was ready to enjoy a delicious burrito with an overwhelming selection of beer.
I will say the beer they got right. There were lots to choose from, and the shot in the dark I took turned out to be a winner. I also got out of The Comet for about $8, not bad considering that's a beer, dinner, and a tip. Unfortunately, that's where everything good about The Comet ends.
I'm wondering if my fellow Yelpers went to a different Comet, because the burrito was one of the worst I've had. I got a beef burrito, shying away from the highly-recommend tofu. But the beef was really the least of my worries. Comet makes their burritos to be eaten sideways I believe, because each of the ingredients were completely separated. The result was the first half of the burrito being nothing but bean paste, the next 25% being the beef, and the last 25% rice. Everything was completely saturated in cumin, to the point where I thought the bean paste was actually cumin paste. Don't get me wrong - I like my cumin. But the lid must have popped off the shaker for this one.
You also get a side of tortilla chips, but there was nothing to dip them in. I found this confusing. I started using the burrito filling, but then at the end I was left with unused burrito shell. There's really no winning here, unless they'd give you some salsa and make them proper chips.
One final point about The Comet that kind of put me in awe was that people queue. This was quite the culture shock to me, and I had to make sure I was in the same country. (Fun fact: You can perform this test by shouting U-S-A, U-S-A! and seeing if people join in) But seriously, the queueing. Whats up with that? This is a bar, you drunkenly stumble up to the front and flail about like a civilized person.
If The Comet was lesser renowned I'd brush it off and never go back there again. Maybe I was unlucky that night, and everything transpired into a perfect storm of suck. I'll give it another shot, just with less lofty expectations.
Best Feature: Great drink selection + VERY unique! Good food, too!
Worst Feature: Live music can be a bit overwhelming.
I had never even heard of The Comet until I went there with my boyfriend many months ago. We've stopped in several times and each time I have a great time! The first thing I discovered that I loved about it was the drink selection - what a great variety! A lot of common and also unusual beers to choose from.
I love the interior - very cozy and intimate with interesting decor. They have live music from time to time and a jukebox you can always choose music from - the live music has occasionally been a bit too loud for my taste when I am trying to have conversation, but I LOVE the ambiance and the option to have real bands and musicians play!
The food is also good - I had never tried anything until my boyfriend highly recommended the burrito. Dear god - a packed burrito that is quite delicious! I absolutely enjoyed very bite and will gladly order it again!
I love this place - it's a bit of a drive from our current location but it is totally worth it!! :-) Lot of great times and great food/drink!
the Comet is the place to go on Sunday nights for Bluegrass. Â Home of the Comet Bluegrass Allstars the Comet may also have one of the best beer selections found in a bar in Cincy. Â
The brunch is OK but not my fav. Â And don't go to the Comet expecting to be able to carry on a conversation - this is a music joint and has been for many years. Â It's also a dive and frankly I would be enormously upset if it wasn't because that is apart of its charm. Â
the Burritos are killer - and often we will go just to get one regardless of who's playing the room. Â Fantastic juke - and some decent pool if you can get the table.
The Comet is just a very decent dive bar in Cincy and the crowd mix is varied which in my book is good. Â If take it for what it is then you will enjoy it.
The Comet is exactly what every neighborhood bar should be. It has the biggest beer selection of any bar I know without being pretentious about it. It has the best jerk tofu quesadillas I've ever had (or even heard of) and great burritos as well. The food sometimes takes a while, but that's because they make everything to order. Don't worry, it's worth it, and you can drink any beer you want while you wait for it.
The Comet has a pool table and a photo machine and a killer jukebox. It has super nice bartenders, a little bit of outdoor seating, rock and roll during the week and the best bluegrass band in town (The Comet Bluegrass All Stars) every Sunday evening. Now they even have Sunday brunch.
I've gone to the Comet for celebrations. I've gone there on dates. Heck, I even studied for the bar exam there (true story. I passed it too.). They have free wifi. They have good food. They have good beer. They have good music. They have my favorite wooden Cincinnati sign inside by the pool table.
Basically it's like if heaven were a dive bar. Do yourself a favor and go.
Along with many things in life... I agree with Alex S on basically everything he has to say about The Comet.
The Comet isn't a dive... I mean... think about "Jazz Club" on Vine... that's a Dive... or even Fries that's dive-y-er. The Comet is a neighborhood bar; a lighthouse signaling my palate far away from Indianapolis -- making sure I return more often than I do for the Jerk Tofu Burrito. Yeah... The Comet is crammed most of the time... however if you're clamoring right when they open at 4 (like we were as lunch-less road trippers) then it's totally empty.
I gotta say... I can't stand it when I have to take the initiative when I'm standing right in front of them to get a bartender's attention for everything from a can of suds to a burrito, and I'm the only there. Yea... that's what happened. I'm just some scruff from the other side of the border, ya know? Oh, and lookey there the skinny-jeaned hipster got a warm welcome... shocker! Whatever... awkwardness aside... that damn burrito is the most edible arrangement inside anything within 100 miles of the Ohio.
That burrito is all that matters.
Props to having Pabst in a Can and premium micros on draft at the same time. To serve all. To serve the world that burrito. New mission in life?
I once spent an entire day at The Comet. Â You heard me right. Â I arrived at 11:00am when they opened for Sunday brunch. Â Enjoyed a leisurely meal with some good friends. Â Soon, some other friends joined us. Â We sat and chatted as friends came and went for the better part of the afternoon. Â By 5:00, we were hungry again. Â So we had dinner there before reluctantly heading home.
The Comet is just that sort of place. Â While some would call it a dive bar, it is anything but. Â Sure, the looks of it leave a lot to be desired, but it is a comfortable place to relax. Â The beer selection is fantastic; the bartenders friendly and helpful. Â The atmosphere is welcoming. Â The food menu, while limited, is good. Â I usually go for the black bean quesadilla and have never been disappointed. Â Their salsas are delicious. Â They always have a salsa of the month, and if it happens to be Tomato Curry, try it. Â I'm not typically a tomato person, but I'd eat this stuff with a spoon.
There are live bands most days of the week. Â If you are a bluegrass fan, be sure to come on a Sunday night. Â The Comet Bluegrass Allstars are top notch, and always entertaining.
I could go on and on about this place. Â I don't want to love it, but it's so hard not to. Â Go ahead, take a drive on up to Northside and see for yourself.
My friend The Panda (not his real name) swears by The Comet. He and his wife come here every Sunday for brunch, every weekend for music, all the time for food. It's his favorite place in Cincinnati.
It is pretty good. I don't have devout dedication to it, but when I want a burrito (and I don't want to go to Chipotle), this is my spot.
Let's start there. The burritos are fantastic. Cheap and big and full of veggies and meat and phenomenal sauce. The last time I was there, I was encouraged to get the Jefk Tofu Burrito, and award winning dish. I'm not a big tofu lover but this was amazing. Absolutly amazing! Personal recommendation.
Ordering food is semi-annoying. You get drinks from the bar at the front and food from the window in the back and then take both to your table. That is, if you can find a table. Even though this is a pretty big space, it seems to be always crowded.
The Comet has live music pretty much all the time at night, and it's usually excellent. They've got their house band (The Comet Bluegrass All-Stars, who are great) as well as a rotation of other bands. They keep the music at a decent level (not too loud of quiet) and it's a pretty decent space to rock out.
Many people call this place a dive bar, and I can see why. It's always dark and it never feels particularly clean. But I wouldn't call it a dive bar myself. I've never felt sketched out here. It's always been a welcoming, delicious, fun kind of place.
Plus, The Panda's there, so there's always that.
Hate to break this to everyone, but The Comet is not a dive bar. Dive bars, while fun, are skanky, dirty and grimy, filled with intimidating lowlifes and the stench of failed dreams; their bathrooms are unmentionable in their unseemliness and often don't have doors.
The Comet, on the other hand, is a really cool hang out for a really mixed crowd. What, so they have checkboard flooring, a pool table and loads of beer taps lining the walls. This makes it a dive bar? The fact that the sink is located outside of the individual bathrooms makes it a dive bar? Really? I found this place to be clean and pretty upstanding, for a bar.
My friend and I had a blast here on a recent Friday night. There was live music in the lounge, which has retro early 60s-ish wallpaper and a photobooth, several tattooed and pierced 20-somethings milling around, and dozens of great beers by the bottle. (For some reason the Comet is heavy on the Green Flash brews out of California. Good call.) I dug this place. I'd come back for sure.
THIS IS THE BEST BURRITO IN CINCINNATI. and quesadilla for that matter. and chips actually.
Don't talk to me about Chipotle, Currito, Habanero, La Mexicana - anywhere else is obsolete. Just stop. Don't argue, I'm not listening, this is it. Ultimate.
I can't talk about the bar-aspect, as I am a minor. But I worked next door at Avant Garage for years and it was a bad week when I didn't get a chicken quesadilla with sour cream. The bartenders are always super nice and super hot, as well as David Cunningham, the owner. Hey I'm just saying what we're all thinking.
If you've never ordered here, you have to go up to the bar, at the end that is closest to the door and ask for a menu. The bartender will take your order, if you want water, get it now. They'll give you a number and you take it to your table. You are also in charge of delivering your ticket to the kitchen. Do not expect the bartenders to leave the bar to take your ticket for you, OR refill your water for that matter. The cooks will bring your food out to you and if you feel like tipping, there is a jar at their window.
Just watch out if you don't like garlic, because the salsa here is laced with at least a pound per ounce. Figure out THAT math.
The Comet is quite deceptive as a food establishment. Despite the average facade, they have an extensive collection of mainstream, microbrews, ales, and rare beers, which should satisfy even the most stingy of beer snobs. Just don't reach for the bottle from the beer case, a cursory reprimand is in on "tap" if you do.
From a culinary perspective, the Comet has thrown in an affinity of salsas, and tasty Mexican food. Tacos, quesadillas, and burritos are on the menu as well as the standard chips and guacamole. The burritos are hearty, filling, and bursting at the seams. The hottest salsa was flavorful with a steady throaty afterburner. This month's special salsa was a sweet corn salsa, striking the right balance of salt and sweet.
Don't mind the cafeteria style food pick up. It forces you into the north wing, where they have live music almost daily. Â The climate is very laid back, which is the perfect place to unwind after a hard day's work.
I enjoyed the evening on the front patio, where i watch many local residents come inside, a key indicator of who really appreciates this type of venue. Overall, the Comet was a nice deviation from the typical meat and potatoes fare of Cincinnati. I would consider this venue a diamond in the rough.
Things overheard in one short hour at The Comet:
1. Â One man's plan to capture a feral cat in his neighborhood using cheap sardines from Kroger - the kind "not fit for human consumption."
2. Â A discussion of classic Jan-Michael Vincent films.
3. Â Another man lamenting how he never plans to wind up drunk and how he still does even after having a few sodas. Â Followed by a few shots of Jager.
4. Â Tonight's bands were Teenage Mayors and The Prayers of Super Awesometown.
So yeah, I kinda love this place. Â If I lived in Cincinnati I'd be here all the time. Â My jerk tofu burrito was excellent and super cheap and the atmosphere was, clearly, awesome(town?). Â Sooooo close to 5 stars except I thought the bartenders could have been a little friendlier.
The beer selection at the Comet and the quesadillas alone are worth a hefty five stars, but what makes it an annual destination (aside from the WKRP scooter rally) is their friendly, welcoming style. They have a great space for groups, lots of street parking which they generously block off for our scooters, a freakin amazing photobooth, a basement to get away from the more crowded upstairs and a back yard with a fire pit to get some air.
The music is great from what I hear, though I've never sampled the juke personally. The staff puts up with our huge, boisterous group with aplomb for which we are very grateful. I imagine The Comet is a great place to hit on a Sunday afternoon with a book (and perhaps minus 200 scooterists).
Thanks again, y'all. Another great time for the memory book.
Add this review to the ever growing list of accolades.
Though I'd been to the Comet for several shows, I'd never managed to try one of their famous burritos. So this Wednesday, my friend and I trekked up to Northside with our appetites primed for some much acclaimed grub.
For all of the hype, the burrito was even better than I expected. At first we were confused ("Tortilla chips without salsa?"), but soon realized that these chips were there to scoop up any sloppy spillover from our ginormous burritos. Some how I ended up with a medium salsa on mine instead of mild like I ordered, but the added heat didn't prevent me for devouring my entree.
Wednesday night is karaoke night. Unlike every other karaoke event I've ever been to, these singers actually left me impressed, with one chick wailing an Etta James song so phenomenally she gave me goosebumps. I would go back to the Comet again just to hear the karaoke performers.
The Comet looks terrible. Â The door is dingy, the tables are worn, and the people are never what you would call fashionable. Â The bands are mediocre, the sound system is painful, and screechy feedback is common. Â The pool cues are warped, the bathroom is a joke, and the entire place is fantastic but I don't know why.
Sure, I could cite the great beer refrigerator and regularly rotating taps or the widely known burritos or the homey ambience fostered by the disrepair, but those really don't explain it. Â It's just a great place.
You know how you have this sandwich that makes no sense at all - peanut butter and pickles, perhaps - but you love it? Â That's how the Comet works. Â It has an elite beer lineup, yet it looks like a dive. Â It has really good food, yet the tables wobble and might give you a splinter. Â It's completely isolated, yet it draws a crowd (a peculiar crowd, but a crowd nonetheless).
Sundays epitomize the Comet - a generally non-nightlife night but they feature their house bluegrass band. Â Why would this be appealing? Â Why would I put salt on my watermelon? Â Why can I not stop going to the Comet?
This is so obviously the best bar in town that I feel stupid for having to review it. Â
They offer beer from Russia, Belgium, England, Canada, Germany, the Netherlands, Ireland and the USA, and I'm missing a lot of countries. Â The patrons are even more diverse. Â They vary from age 15 (drinking soda!) to at least 80. Â There are academic crunchies, art and literature pioneers and tough carpenters there on a regular basis. Â I have my favorite tattoos and piercings that I watch for -- you will too, admit it! Â But you won't feel dumb if you come dressed for work. Â And the selections in the juke box are as exotic as the clientele and the beer.
Food: they have burritos, quesadillas, chips and queso dip. Â As you should have realized already, the burritos! are! wonderful! Â I eat at least two per week. Â Ask them to give you half to go and you'll have two meals for about $6. Â Plus you won't leave feeling disgustingly full because it tasted so good that you couldn't stop eating. Â Consider jerk tofu with the salsa of the month, especially if it has pineapple.
Events: Â The comet frequently has bands. Â In the summer there's a scooter rally one Friday every month. Â (I'm not sure which Friday.) Â Bring your Vespa. Â Every Sunday the Comet Bluegrass All Stars play. Â It gets a little crowded.
Oh yea. Â And it's non-smoking.
One of my favorite bars/burrito joints in the city. Â Casual atmosphere with an extensive beer selection and absolutely fabulous burritos (which, as mentioned, are the size of your head). Â
Unlike other bars where ordering can be a grueling exercise in trying to get the bartender's attention, at the Comet customers simply queue up at the end of the bar to order their food and drinks.
Bands play here almost nightly and it can get kinda loud as control of the sound seems to be left up to the band.
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