I ordered 30 wings fried for carryout, but there must have been a mixup and I received 30 wings grilled. Either way, they were pretty good and we didn't wait long. They were busy but it still only took about 20 minutes for our order. The wings themselves were a good ratio of skin to meat. They come undressed with 6 dipping sauces. The flavor of the wings without the sauces was smoky. The meat was moist. I don't know the name of which sauces we got but I will say, there was one sticky, sweet/salty soy sauced based one that was so good. I wouldn't write home about any of the other sauces I tried this time, but I'll try the remaining next time! Overall, beats going to BWW! read more

Best wings I have had in the city so far. Close second is the Northside Yacht Club. If you want wing go here and try all the sauces. The Carolina Gold I kinda just want to drink by itself, but I think my mama would frown on it. read more

Oak Tavern - Bars Near Me - Cincinnati, Ohio

Classic "local sports bar" vibes here. There are big TV's, most of the crowd is under 35 and lives around the area as it's walking distant fromamy apartment residences. The starters and cheap drinks make it a good place to stay and watch a big game, but the place can get stuffy and annoying when it's crowded with too many youngsters. Biggest qualms I have is the bad bathroom situation, and the lack of seating unless you're seating family style with other groups of strangers. Overall, although this place is a favorite of Oakley/HydePark locals, it's not on my most like to visit places list. read more

Traveled to Cincy for a concert. Yelp hours say they're open until 2a. Called ahead and asked what time they closed, they told us 1:30a. Got there at 11p and they told us the Kitchen was closed. Lol traveled an additional 30 minutes out the way to get here. Oh well. read more

I had never tried Oak wings before my most recent visit. It wasn't for a lack of trying. I consider myself a few things: sauce queen, beer connoisseur, and wing aficionado. However, smoked wings are somewhat of a delicacy to me. While I am fully willing to try any chicken wing, smoking them is an art form that I don't judge lightly. The holy grail of Cincinnati smoked wings are made at dive bar Knockback Nats. I'm a frequent visitor of Oak Tavern, but I was nervous to try their wings. How would they compare? Would they be better? Would my chicken wing opinions be completely shattered? Or would they be awful and my views on the Oak be ruined? Oak Tavern is located on Madison right in the heart of millennial-centric Oakley. As a child, I remember this building being an awful Chinese restaurant so it's nice to see it popping as an adult. On any given night, you'll find a bevy of homegrown Eastsiders enjoying the large draft selection, inviting patio, and reminiscing their high school careers with $1 Jell-O shots. The only thing I wish for Oak is that their seating area were bigger. It's a really inviting interior but it gets too crowded for my taste occasionally. I usually end up here after dinner somewhere else. Oakley is an up-and-coming neighborhood when it comes to quality meal options so it never dawned on me that Oak could be a dinner AND drink option. Recently my friend and I decided to meet up for a drink around 6:30 and I couldn't help but notice that all the tables around us were enjoying full meals. I wasn't even aware that they offered food outside of their famous smoked wings. Apparently they also serve an array of casual American bar food. Duly noted. My friend had dinner plans that involved a much nicer dress attire than I currently had on, so I opted to order wings and go home. It was my time. It was only 7 or so, I had a weird hankering to watch Friends for the 47,000th time, and all that I needed to make that perfect was food. They weren't able to accommodate an all flats request because of the demand for wings, but no mind. I ordered ten wings with California gold BBQ and teriyaki garlic. The sauces really didn't speak to me. I'm not a big BBQ sauce fan and it seemed that every option was a variation of that. My friend recommended the gold BBQ before she left so I decided that if the sauces were awful ranch would save me. I took my wings home, carefully wrapping them on my seat like a small child. Gotta keep the important things safe you know? I came home and dug in. How were these wings? They were indeed good. I understand the hype. Going back to my original question, were they better than Knockback Nats? Eh. They were smoked well, but didn't have the pow that Knockback wings have. That's the beauty of Nats's wings - they require no sauce. I'm a devout ranch user, so the ability to eat a wing without it is no small feat. The Oak wings needed ranch. I should have asked for more while ordering but luckily I have my own personal Hidden Valley in the fridge for emergency situations. The wings had a nice smokiness (as expected) to them, but weren't nearly as flavorful as I expected them to be. The sauces were uninspiring and thrown away promptly. The California gold BBQ was fine but I didn't like the contrast between the sauce and wings. The teriyaki garlic was particularly awful. It tasted like La Choy teriyaki glaze mixed with garlic cloves. They had no business being together and was overwhelming, even with smoked wings that could hold its own with a powerful sauce. I'd eat Oak wings again. I'd make sure I had a gallon of ranch next to me, but I wouldn't turn down another. I know Oak wings have a following and I'm not taking that away from them. I'll continue to visit the Oak. It's my favorite Oakley bar. I'll never turn down a chance to enjoy a craft beer and make new friends at one of their communal tables in the tiny bar area. No food necessary. read more

Oak Tavern - To go wings with teriyaki garlic and gold bbq sauce - Bars Near Me - Cincinnati, Ohio

First time and maybe last time at this place. Been sitting at a table for at least 15 minutes, not a single server came to see us but other people who got there after us were tended to. I had to go grab the menus myself but once again the people who got there after us were greeted, offered menus and drinks.... When a place is busy (which was not the Oak Tavern case) you approach your patrons, greet them and politely let them know if will take time before you can come and get the order. It was a waste of time and felt unappreciated as a customer, too bad we were not able to try the food. read more

The way ALL wings should be served; naked with all the sauces brought to your table! Why go anywhere else and only get to taste one flavor when you can come here and get six great flavors and some of the best most flavorfully cooked naked wings in the city. Larry runs a great kitchen and Tim is doing an outstanding job! read more

I really love the wings here. Their sauces are amazing and I crave their food probably once a week. The service, however, is VERY lacking. A few times I went with my boyfriend it was very obvious that the cooks in the back were NOT wearing masks and they allowed people to walk around from table to table without one. We were just there a few days ago and our server just disappeared on us after she gave us our food. We didn't know if she got off her shift or if she just went on break. We had to ask for a refill on our drinks and then my boyfriend had to go all the way to the bar to ask to close out. The food here is amazing, but with COVID protocols not being followed and the lack luster service I cannot give a better review. read more

Bartender was super nice! Beer was cold, wings were amazing! Cute place. Got lucky with parking.

They are definitely known for the WINGS, do NOT get a Burger. It was horrible. The meat May or May Not have been real Beef. The Onion RIngs average at best. Stick with Wings, they are good. Service was good and good atmosphere. read more

Oak Tavern is a good local bar. It was a beautiful, sunny day last Saturday, so I decided to stop here with my date for lunch. We sat outside on the patio, which is really nice and sunny (but it also has shaded areas) and good for people watching along Oakley Square. We were confused because there were no waitresses outside, but then the bartender eventually came over to take our order. I got the smoked wings, and my fiance ordered the blue cheese burger. Then there was 45 minutes of literally no service, just waiting for our food...It was beautiful out, but our beers ran dry, and I was starting to get concerned that they just forgot about us. Finally, someone came by and we asked about our food, and then 5 minutes later it showed up. Not sure what happened there, but the service was kind of non-existent. The wings definitely lived up to the hype! They are not buffalo wings by any means, so please don't come here expecting B-Dubs. If you think of them as just smoked BBQ chicken, they're really amazing. I also really liked that they come with sauces that you can choose from...I particularly liked the Carolina BBQ sauce, which is a mustard based sauce (not ketchup), so it's less sweet than normal. The crinkle french fries were hot and fresh, but they kind of just tasted like frozen Ore-Ida french fries. Nothing special. The burger was ok, but the meat was VERY pepper-y...All I could taste was black pepper. Overall, the wings were very good and the patio was nice. But the service wasn't very good (they did give us our beers for free because our food took way too long, so that's a plus), and the rest of the menu was kind of boring. Also, the clientele is kind of bro-y, so if that's what you're into that might be a good thing. For me, not so much. I'll be back though for the wings, the beer, and the outdoor patio. read more

Oak Tavern - Smoked wings are yummy! - Bars Near Me - Cincinnati, Ohio

I stumbled upon "The Oak" (as regulars call it) last week and it was a typical sports bar with a local's only feel. It kind of reminded me of a Milton's crowd but way more sports feel. There are tons of tv's and the bar is simple. I was surprised when I asked for a margarita and they actually got out the agave nectar and lime juice. Usually at a place like this they pull out a gallon of syrupy disgustingness and call it a day. But the bartender made it fresh and it was really good. This is not my scene, and I felt a bit heckled by the seriously drunk local's but if you're in the area it is probably the best of the worst since this entire drag is sports bars. Cheap drinks, decent marg, and big TV's. A solid sports bar spot. read more

Oak Tavern - Home made margs! What a surprise. Delicious! - Bars Near Me - Cincinnati, Ohio

The Oak is well-known to Cincy locals for their legendary wings. Wings aren't really my thing, but whenever I have a friend craving them, I never hesitate recommending The Oak. Their other food is pretty good too- I've never been disappointed by their burgers, grilled cheese or crinkle fries! This is a no-frills establishment with a nice patio, which often gets busy on the weekends. The bartenders are quite friendly as well. If you're looking for a break from the chain restaurant/bar scene, or looking for a chill place to drink a beer and watch a game, definitely check out Oak Tavern! read more

Great grilled wings! The oak is your typical bar. They have great grilled wings! What's awesome is that you get a sauce caddy with 8 different types of sauces; giving you the the option to sauce your wings to your liking! They have good sweet potato fries and my friends like their Bloody Mary. DONT GET THE MAC & CHEESE BITES! $8 for 8 bitty mac & cheese filled tots! And they're okay at best! RIP OFF!!! read more

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I LoVe it in here! Everyone is really really friendly, staff and patrons alike. I've gone here by myself to just grab a bite and a beer and also with my bf to watch football and have a drink. College game days here are really fun, it's packed so get there early! There is a lot of great bar banter and fun people. They have lots of good beers on tap and will also make you a mimosa which is nice. The food is pretty good, I would say it's a little above average for a bar. The smoked chicken wings are a specialty here. I had never had smoked wings before and I'm not a huge fan, I think I just really like gooey sauce covered meat products. My bf on the other hand (and a random new friend I made) think they are to die for. So, if you like smoked wings you will probably like these a lot. If you've never had them, give them a try! Definitely check this place out if you are in Oakley and needing a place to grab a drink and be around cool people! (I am updating my review because I was confused when I wrote it the first time and thought I was writing it about another place) read more

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Decided to try something different and went with the "Big Mike" burger. Needless to say, it was undercooked and completely fell apart after the first bite. There's zero guidance upon entering the place and music is was so loud I couldn't hear my wife once we seated ourselves. For anyone that hasn't been here, you seat yourself and hope that a random person walks by with a menu, hopefully they work there. Only gave two stars because of the wings I ordered to go were decent. read more

I used to strongly believe Knockback Nats had the best wings in Cincy. I was lying to myself. THIS place legit has the best wings in Cincy. Hands down. I don't even know how to describe it but you need to try them ASAP. Love the sauces they offer too. I usually get jamaican me crazy and the carolina gold BBQ. They have a great patio too as well. Place is the spot to go to on weekends. Check them out read more

I love the wings here. I wanted to send out some extra love since the Mayor called them out for COVID violations last Fall. I am 56 and do pick up when ordering here. I always feel safe and have no problems. The doors are marked for in and out. All staff are wearing mask, and tables are properly spaced apart. There is a tented outdoor area also. I don't eat inside restaurants, but it looks safe. Keep the good work up, and stay safe. read more

If Habits is the best burger in Oakley than the Oak Tavern is the best bar. I love coming here to watch football, futbol, or even the Olympics. Habits tends to have a good crowd in the evening, a decent amount of Hooligans and all the important bar mainstays. Whether you want to watch the game, get sloshed with your buddies, throw darts, attempt the naked boobie photo hunt with strangers, or have a chat by the year-round fire pit, the Oak is the spot that fits the bill. There's a little bit a grub if your stomach is grumbling as well. This is the perfect spot to stop after flag football games. Zero seem to mind if you're wearing cleats and covered in mud. This is a bar where you can come formal or filthy without a double take. read more

The customer service we received from the dark haired server was awful, we went in as a family of 4 and one of our children who is three is very picky eater as most three year olds are and we brought her in something to eat and we got kicked out. We already had ordered drinks and appetizers and we were going to get dinners as well. We drove 45 mins to come and try this place and we were extremely disappointed on how we were treated. read more

Enjoyed our Sunday lunch. Quick service and the drinks always full. Football watching crowd was rolling in so we didn't linger Sandwiches were good,BLT and Club, however deducted one star for forgetting we ordered salads. Not sure if it was on the bill or not as the only receipt received was the total (oddly took our card to "open a tab" although we were clearly ordering lunch). I'm guessing the football watching bar crowd process rather than typical restaurant "get the bill then give card". Oh well... read more

My favorite "neighborhood" type bar right in the heart of Oakley! This is a perfect joint to get a drink for happy hour or to dig in on their world famous smoked wings! Their Buffaloak wing sauce is my absolute favorite and I can't eat there without getting one of their small garden salads (not truly small at all!). It's covered with cheese, olives, banana peppers, tomatoes and onions. I recommend getting there earlier on Fridays or Saturdays because it gets packed fairly quickly. They keep a rotating tap so there are always new options to choose from. If you're looking for a laid back bar to drink a few beers or mixed drinks, this is your spot. read more

The smoked wings that we ordered did not have a smoked taste. They were burnt pretty bad, so bad that the chicken was dry. We came here for the wings because we had heard how good they were. We did not have a good experience. read more

The very best wings in town, grilled and not fried with several sauces to dip...excellent service, nice atmosphere and reasonable prices...I ate there this afternoon and picked up the tab for a couple of police officers which was the best part of the visit, where would we be without them? read more

DElish wings - one of my favorite spots for wings in Cincy. The variety in sauces plus the stellar beer deals, makes this one of my favorite hole in the wall bars in Cincy / Oakley. I must also recommend the fried pickles on the evenings when you wander into the bar feeling a little tipsy. Really hit the spot. Bar staff is extremely laid back and attentive. Be warned: no parking lot those traveling in for the wings / beer. Street parking is what ya get. read more

I'm very impressed with our experience at The Oak. I for one, get the bars of Oakley confused and I assumed they all had the same kind of feel and caliber of service and food. I was wrong! We went to celebrate the holidays with my husband's coworkers. We had a party of nine and they were more than willing to accommodate us. The servers were great, very nice, attentive, and we had more than one serving our party. The highlight of it all were the wings! Yes, wings! I will be the first to admit that wings are not the first thing I order at a restaurant, but I had been craving some. They bring out the sauce on the side which is awesome and they have sooo many to choose from! The sauces aren't too thick in consistency. Our favorite sauce was the Tabasco Jack. It had lots of spice at the beginning, but finished smooth. The craft beer selection was surprising as well. They have plenty of interesting stuff on tap as well as in cans and bottles. Their beer menu on the wall is very helpful and updated. I'm so glad I have this place a chance! Can't wait to come back for a couple beers and many more wings! read more

Great service! Through the pandemic their food was phenomenal! Their walk-up pickup is well laid out, making it quick and efficient.

Great place HOWEVER pregnant bartender don't pick the cap of zingzang out of the trash. Could have shaken up the mix in so many other ways. read more

I was really looking forward to trying out the wings here, but I was pretty disappointed. Looking at the other reviews, it was either an off night or I missed something? Inside, it's reallyyyy loud. Unnecessarily so. There's no dance floor, only tables and chairs and the bar, so I didn't quite understand the need for the volume when it's set up for hanging out/drinking/eating rather than dancing. Because of this, my friend and I couldn't understand the server who was speaking way too quietly for a place like this and we felt like we were yelling the whole time. We each ended up ordering the much anticipated wings. Yikes! They were described as smoked and grilled, but I mostly got burnt and bitter. There were pieces of the wings that were inedible, they were so burnt. I'm not talking crispy, smoky ends or some sort of caramelization...these were burnt and bitter tasting. Trying to put that aside, and picking off the pieces I couldn't eat, I tried some of the different sauces and wasn't blown away by any of them. The best one was the Carolina Gold BBQ which really tasted like vinegar based BBQ sauce. The BuffalOAK was pretty good, but nothing amazing. The other sauces were just meh. The service wasn't great. It was getting busier, but I also saw my server notice my empty drink multiple times before he came over to refill it...10 min later. Maybe it's because I wasn't drinking alcohol? Overall, super disappointed. It was busy and I can see there are a lot of regulars, so maybe this was just a weird night. read more

Oak Tavern - They looked good... until I got to the inedible burnt parts. :( - Bars Near Me - Cincinnati, Ohio

Oak tavern has a good patio space for social distancing right now. They have loads of good beer and their wings are so crispy!

Lunch here today, 2020-09-05. Beautiful day to have wings while dining outdoors. Wings were really good. You know wings are good when they can be enjoyed without sauces. However, Oak Tavern offered many different sauces that were also very good. Only two small gripes: D. Coke was a little flat (and this is important to us DC drinkers). Also, while the teriyaki/garlic sauce was good, I think a more straight-forward teriyaki sauce would be even better. Just my take. Overall, good experience though. Waitress was nice. Nice job Oak Tavern. read more

I have been a server for many years so it takes alot for me to be let down by service at any restaurant because I know what it is like to be busy and have a billion things to do.The food at this place was ok and I would give the wings we had 3 stars. Im giving this place the lowest rating based on the horrible service we had.When we arrived Saturday at 5oclock there were almost empty on the inside but there was only three open tables outside.We opted for a table outside next to a couple with a precious bulldog.There was a server talking to them and she was on her knee petting the dog and even brought it some water before she even noticed us. She then came over and we placed an order immediately.She came back out and dropped off our drinks and went back to petting the dog and talking to the owners.She then "washed her hands" briefly with the same water the dog was drinking and went back to serving.She went back in and out and I never saw her wash her hands after that but when our food was out she brought it out and walked away.We tried to flag her down to get us silverware and salt but literally had to chase her down.When we needed a refill.. the only refill needed the entire time we were there she was again on her knees playing with the dog and talking and laughing with its owners. My husband had to literally grab my glass and take it inside to get the refill.. The restaurant by then had gotten busy. But if she had enough time to play with the dog and talk to its owner she had time to at least get us our checks but she never did. I will never go back to this place.The service is flat out incompetent and if your not a regular ordering beer after beer they just flat out dont care. I regrettedn eaving a 15% tip as she deserved nothing.Sorry not sorry. read more

So far the best wings in town! Been to 10+ places. Hands down great fantastic BBQ grilled wings. You can eat the plain right of the grill with a nice salty BBQ crispy out the outside, piping hot on the inside or you can drizzle sauce on top. My favorite sauces are the Carolina gold and sweet BBQ. Great outdoor patio as well!!! Been here over 4 times and it's consistent and never been disappointed. I would suggest not going during game days as it is filled it a sausage can full of undergrads. Would absolutely go back! Would have given it 4.5 stars if that was an option. Server was awesome as well. Looking out of us and very attentive. read more

Oak Tavern - 25 wings. Wasn't enough so ordered 20 more! - Bars Near Me - Cincinnati, Ohio

Great service. Best wings in town!! My go to place to watch sports.. comfortable friendly

I am a regular. Go there for lunch once a week. Ordered a burger today and waited 30 minutes. Nothing! Left $20 for 2 Titos and lemonade and walked out. Service was terrible and unattentive. Today was a bad experience and I am still hungry. read more

The wings are AMAZING also got the Mac and cheese bites and they were tasty. We liked the patio as the inside is a little noisy which is a given for a bar of course so I suggest their nice patio. All the sauces for the wings are delish! read more

Met up with a couple of friends to watch some football. We got some wings and an app sampler which were really good. Our waiter was super nice and attentive. Bathrooms could use a little cleaning. read more

I love the Oak. It's a great spot to grab a beer with your friends and watch the game. The bartenders are always attentive and friendly. I've never had a negative experience. The wings are a step above. Very meaty, can try all the sauces, and a great smoked flavor. Hard to beat anywhere else in Cincinnati. The rest of the food is also solid. I enjoy the quesadillas and burgers as well! The only reason I'm giving it 4 (I would give 4.5 if I could) is that sometimes it gets so incredibly crowded/loud. This isn't the Oak's fault, but it can be annoying when you just want to hang out. Just a popular spot though! read more

I've been to Oak Tavern twice now and I'm still not 100% sold on this place. The service is pretty good and the atmosphere is so so. My friend loves the wings and always wants to go. I tried the wings cooked smoked and stoked (cause I really don't like smoked wings) and it still didn't make them any better to me. I thought my wings would come tossed in a sauce but they just gave us a caddy of sauces with no labels on them. None of the sauces really went with the wings but I eventually settled on what I think was a Carolina BBQ flavor. They do have pretty decent bar food. I've tried the mac n cheese bites, onion rings, mozzarella sticks and crinkle fries. They have an OK selection of beers but no good happy hour specials or anything like that. I always leave feeling like I spent more money than I should have considering I never get much. Don't think I'll be keeping this place in my bar rotation. read more

I love the oak. My favorite wings in Cincinnati. They usually play major sporting events, they have a great patio, lots of beers and pretty good specials. They give you the carrier of sauces with the wings, and they're all tasty. Definitely try Carolina gold and buffaloak. This is a great place to catch a game, eat good food and enjoy beers with friends. You can easily bar hop in Oakley too, which can be a lot of fun. Highly recommend. read more

Oak Tavern - Chicken wings and the carrier of sauces, along w/ ranch and celery. Delicious. - Bars Near Me - Cincinnati, Ohio