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.
Review Source: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. Â 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. Â 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. Â It's not a rock bar, it's not a hipster bar...it's an everything bar. Â 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. Â All drinking, laughing, and having a good time. Â 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. Â From the Upper Peninsula, none the less! We had a fun chat. Â
The drinks are cheap, and all walks of life are welcome here. Â Nothing real special or great beyond that, but it made for a decent night out.
I have been going to bars for a very long time. Hole in the walls are my specialty and this is an AWESOME bar. If it weren't for Christy and Scotty, I'm not sure I'd enjoy it so much. They are so much fun and interactive and take care of their customers. I live next to the whiskey bar and go across downtown to hang out with the bar tenders and crowd! If you want to experience true, good Cincinnati people, come to Madonnas. The cooks are great, the food is amazing and the bar tenders are great. I hope to see you there!
Review Source:Yeah... I'm not ever coming here again.
The bar lady was not friendly, she was snide in her answers when I asked what the veggie burger was "It's a veggie burger" - Duh! What all comes on the veggie burger?
When I got it, it tasted like it came out of a freezer and was very very bland, there was too much bun too, it was weird tasting as well. The fries made me feel ill and I didn't finish the meal.
The place kinda stank really badly too. The only good thing I can say about this place, is that they are open later then other places to get food in downtown, and that's about all they have going for them. They had some TV's with news and sports, but I don't care much for either. It was dank, dark, and not enjoyable.
Don't go! Save yourself the regrettable decision.
I stopped in to Madonna's as it was close to my hotel and I couldn't have found a better place to spend the evening. The patrons were a great mix of people. The bartender was very friendly and offered some great recommendations for some beers that were regional. It seemed as though there was a few locals as well as just about anyone else that you could think of. The music playing on the juke box kept going between hip hop and metal. That right there sums up the diversity of this establishment. It was great. They also have a liquor license that allows for alchohol to be sold for carry out which is a rarity these days. I will visit this place the next time I'm in town.
Review Source:Great little dive-ish bar that has stood the test of time in the shadow of, the long since closed Lodge Bar, and BlackFinn. I have a feeling it will be here for many more years. The layout is simple and the bartender was friendly and poured stiff drinks for out group. The food looked good and greasy, not sure if they had healthier options, but this is a bar not a Whole Foods.
I dig the red clothed pool table. I think it was $1 per play. There was plenty of chalk were a ton of cues too. The Playboy pinball machine was interesting and unique. $.50 to play that.
I'm not sure how packed this place is on a weekend, but it was nice and only slightly busy on the Monday night I visited. Give Madonna's a try and I hope you enjoy it too.
To be sure, Madonna's is not a place where I'd decide to be a cocktail snob (which I often choose to be) but $8 cocktails can be anti-democratic and Madonna's seemed like a wonderfully democratic place in the best historical sense of the word.
Plus, you know there's going to be a certain charm that a bar holds when on it's sign is a tilted cocktail glass. It's wonderful.
This is that place.
Madonna's has a good vibe. Looking around the place - and that took less than a minute - I saw an eclectic mix of Cincinnatians talking and drinking. Again, just a good vibe.
I tried this place about 10PM on a hot Saturday night. It wasn't empty but there was no waiting for a table. Beers came quick. The A/C was turned up. There were sports on the TV, a not-too-loud jukebox in the corner and the occasional smack of billiard balls and talk among happy patrons.
I'll be back.
If someone was looking for a partly dive bar and partly neighborhood bar in downtown Cincinnati, the 2 paces I would recommend are Madonna's and Knock Back Nats.  What I mean by partly dive and party neighborhood, is it is not trendy, hip or upscale, but also, it is not seedy and has a variety of regulars.  They are place I would not be uncomfortable going in there  by myself,  which if anyone remembers the old phoenix (where righteous room is now) I would not have gone in there by myself and may not have been too comfortable even with folks)  I do not frequent Madonna's often now, but did about 20 years ago when it was Johnny's with it's Frank Sinatra pictures everywhere.  It has not changed much in the past 20 years except for the name and the removal of all Sinatra pictures.  There is a mixed eclectic crowd there and the  crowd may be different on different days and times, but there will always be regulars sitting at the bar.  The bartender has been there for a long time and it very friendly.  Even though it has regulars you will not feel out of place going there and the staff and regulars are friendly.  I have not eaten there in a long time, but hear the food is pretty  good  With all the trendy, hip places that have opened downtown, it is nice to have at least of few places like this around.  I like the new places too, but I like these too.
Review Source:Scott Brown is the best bartender in Cincinnati  for sure,  and possibly the best bartender I've ever seen.  I've been in the bar business 22 years.  We only go here when he is working.  The crowd can vary wildly between  true alcoholics, downtowners, tourists, business travelers, and random college kids. You will meet new people and have a good time if your friendly.
They have the best French fries I've ever had anywhere. Â Not kidding.
If you manage to make it in when the Male bartender is working, I highly recommend it! Â He's incredibly nice, funny and efficient! Â The beers were reasonably priced, and the mix drinks are actually kinda cheap for a place downtown. Â Also: the food is AMAZING! Â I just had the fries, but they were perfectly cooked (which can be hard) and seasoned. Â I had a great time that night. Â
Unfortunately the female blond bartender is miserable. Â I can't imagine why she's so mean. Â She is slow, and rude. Â I work across the street, and when I went in one night to get a meal she initially refused to even look at me. Â Once I finally got her attention she was rude, and when I asked to place a food order she snapped "Fine, but it'll be a minute". Â Needless to say I left that night and went somewhere else. Â
I definitely recommend the food and the drink prices are amazing, but I hope you shoe up when the right bartender is working.
By far my favorite dive bar in the City of Cincinnati. It's small and oddly laid-out, and they don't offer any draft beers, but the clientele is always an entertaining mixed bag, the drinks are CHEAP and the jukebox is literally the best ever.
It's not too loud, so you can easily chat among coworkers and/or friends at a table, or simply get your groove on to any number of jams as they keep rolling on.
If ever there were a bar where I want everyone to know my name, it'd be Madonna's. Just get some quality local brews on tap, and it's a five star level watering hole.
Great bar! Â A perfect dive bar, diverse crowd, comfortable bar/bar stools, lower tables for groups, good food, & a great bartender (Scott). Â Pass the small outdoor patio on the sidewalk, walk in, there are lower tables & a pool table to the left and the bar on the right. Â Jukebox, games, etc. Â Everyone's easy going and Scott can talk Cincinnati sports until closing time. Â The bar is dark, but that's probably a good thing.
Review Source:Madonna's changes and that is why I keep going back. The crowd is never the same so it is something to explore every time. Oh, they have their regulars for sure, but the change in the crowd is what I look forward to. Adding to my most recent adventure was a cheeseburger that really hit the spot. Congrats to the errrrrr "chef."
To my right: Two guys rapping to whatever was on the juke box.
To my left: A discussion about classical music and Music Hall.
And then Journey came on and an aweful sing-along happened.
Yes! Madonna's!
I got the impression that the crowd in this place could go any which way-- there was a brofest around the pool table (they even serve chilled shots of Jäger), but then you had your young professional types and your regular types. Great people, though, and the place gives a pretty good impression.
I was only in Cincinnati for a few hours, and I had this impression of the city as a big brewery town, historically, so I was kind of disappointed with the fact that Madonna's both lacked beer on tap (completely-- the second bar I visited that didn't have draft beer) and also lacked much of a selection for bottles.
Stopped in around 10:30pm on a Friday night and realized we were about 4 hrs too early for a dive bar like Madonna's.
A beer and 20 minutes later we strolled down to The Righteous Room instead, which was more of my scene. I would have been up for going back to Madonna's, but I turn into a pumpkin after midnight these days.
I have partaken of the delights of Madonna's on only a few occasions as I don't make it down to Cincinnati to visit as often as I'd like. However, this is the type of joint the locals love. If you're one of the regulars, or like me visiting one of the regulars, you are definitely taken care of. The bartenders are quick with an insult or a joke, both delivered with joviality and a wink and possibly followed by a shot.
The good thing about this place is it's close to a couple of the bigger hotels. The bad thing about Cincinnati in general is the total lack of public transportation. Coming from Chicago and the availability of all-night trains, busses and an over abundance of cabs, it's a ghost town in comparison. So, if you're in walking distance (as drinking and driving is baaaad) then take a stroll on over to Madonna's and enjoy a beer and some shit-talking.
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