Madonna's Bar & Grill

When Scott is tending bar, I really enjoy this place. Unfortunately, the blond woman has been behind the bar on my last couple of visits and I really find her personality to be abrasive. This isn't Dick's Last Resort... Nobody is coming here to tip you for being rude to them. As a local who goes out of my way to convince friends to come here for drinks when they're downtown, I wouldn't expect to get ignored at the bar for fifteen minutes while I patiently wait to order drinks. Now, when I walk in and see her behind the bar rather than Scott, I jut turn around and walk back out.

Great dive bar downtown.

When I worked at Rockbottom (ah how I miss those days) this was our after work spot to frequent. It was nice to get away from the Fountain Square crowd and just chill for a while.

Pool tables. Lots of space. Very dive-y. Cheap drinks.

Okay... now that I'm back in Cinci all my reviews are going to claim "cheap drinks" ... it's relative compared to my usual Chicago prices. Everything in Cinci is less expensive to me.

Really super great staff too. If you're into dives I'd recommend it before or after your downtown event if you don't want to battle the crowds at some of the bigger, better known establishments.

I was in Cincinnati for a few days, and looking for a friendly place for a drink.  I came upon Madonna's by sheer coincidence, it was one of the few bars downtown that was open on a Sunday night and was neither dead nor packed, but a nice medium.  As I walked in and heard country music blasting, I thought twice...but went in anyway.

Madonna's is not a country bar by any means.  It's not a rock bar, it's not a hipster bar...it's an everything bar.  The crowd encompassed what appeared to be university students, middle aged couples, a girls-night-out-group, young professionals, and a few who looked like they came from a rough part of town.  All drinking, laughing, and having a good time.  The music played on the electric jukebox was as eclectic as the crowd.

Scotty, the bartender (and a Madonna's legend by the sounds of other reviews and tips) comes off surly at first, but turned out to be a pretty cool guy.  From the Upper Peninsula, none the less! We had a fun chat.  

The drinks are cheap, and all walks of life are welcome here.  Nothing real special or great beyond that, but it made for a decent night out.