Stopped in on a Saturday tour with friends & we were so pleasantly amazed. The tacos were a bit dry but the corn OMG delicious!!! The staff was incredibly attentive & very friendly. A highly recommended establishment. Can't wait to go back. read more

I have been to the Ohio Tavern several times and enjoyed it but not last night. The tacos were not prepared well or right and I felt the meat was of poorer quality than earlier visits. To make matters much worse, I think I was given a menu item I did not order. I ordered the "milder" brisket taco but the one I received was riduculously way over spiced and way too hot. read more

This place used to be a shabby and seedy bar and not in a good way. The new owners have transformed it into a stylish yet cozy neighborhood hangout, featuring out-of-this world tacos, rotating craft beers and a glass garage door for an indoor/outdoor summer experience. It's my new favorite place in Madison. read more

Great tacos, but the street corn was awesome. Small establishment with very little seating, but a cool vibe. Really need to expand or create an outdoor seating area to maximize this hidden gem that sits right on the bike path. Experienced the PBR taco and it was placed in a corn tortilla and filled sufficiently. Great taste and textures. Also had the Kona corn and it was a hit. Loved the flavors that came thru. Definitely another trip on tap, but maybe for takeout. read more

Bulldoze this place! It's filthy...don't sit on anything. Terrible service. Actually no service. We left after 20 minutes without so much as a glance from the staff. It was nearly empty...easy to see why. 1. Dead 2. Over priced drinks 3. Disgusting bathrooms 4. The pool table is devoid of basic pool etiquette 5. Disappointing deals considering Madison is a college town 6. Bartenders are rude 7. This place is just dirty. Their so called "Wing" night....what a joke for .25 you get small wings that look like the chicken were diseased and on their death bed or they might just be baby rats. read more

I absolutely love this place. From the front it looks like a little hole in the wall dive bar. Once you get in the beer menu is typically pretty good. Where this place shines is the tacos. They have the best tacos in Madison read more

Bartender extremely rude. Tacos tasted ok but cold. No women staff. No wonder. Their yelp suggestion says come and see for yourself. We did and don't recommend it. BYO pepto. read more

Im from Los Angeles, just got off the plane. My wife is from Madison. The tacos and street corn are amazing. Also great live music and craft beers. Love this place!! read more

I can't ask for much more in a small bar than friendly service, inexpensive drinks, and positive atmosphere. That's what you get at the Ohio, with really fun karaoke dj's and regulars, too! read more

NEW WEEKLY SPECIALS: MONDAY: 1pm till close -- Guess how many people are in the bar. You win, then you ask yourself why are you hear? TUESDAY: 11am till close -- play weekly drawing at your chance to win nothing...it's totally rigged gambling that never pays out, tho you will hear stories of folks that know someone that won $200.00. WEDNESDAY: 11am till close -- Its homeless shelter time!!! they fill the joint with hopes that customers will buy them drinks. THURSDAY: 11am till close -- Its that crappy disco music playing till your just can't take it anymore and want to off yourself. You know I got a brand new pair of roller skates, You got a brand new key. I think that we should get together and try them out, to see ... FRIDAY: 11am till 6pm --- Its a biker bar with biker colors flaring allover. 7pm till close it a gay sausage feast...if you like them meaty and uncut or love mustache rides be hear. SATURDAY: ALL DAY STAY AWAY -- its People with mad cow disease singing Karaoke -- NOT even the ghosts stay around for this. First off, you have to pay for each song you sing. Lame. The bar is very small. We actually upon entering almost did an about face and left, because it was so dead. And we should have. Not many karaoke songs compared to other bars in the business for doing just that. I have to say that there were only a handful of people sitting at the bar, and my friends and I were along the wall. I did not find the waitstaff pleasant. I found them frumpy. The other patrons were great, encouraging others and calling out. But that means nothing when I have to take my friend to the hospital because he was injured and roofied by one of those same people. I had to pay for parking in the rear to get to you your parking attended is some old man smoking weed sitting but the door and wants 5.00 to park. And then I had to pay per song I sang. Really? The feck. SUNDAY: 11am to close -- its a great time to BBQ kick back and sit outside with a few beers....but don't let them fool you with the BBQ chicken it actually pigeon. read more

Amazing tacos and tamales! The drinks were great. The renovations inside also look very nice.

I was told that the seat I had chosen was haunted. Sadly, it turns out, it was not, as promised, haunted. Comfy and well placed, but nary a spectral event or even the slightest whisper of a "boo" in my ears. However....the tacos are delish and the overall vibe is excellent. Will return to induce fullness on tacos/beer as well as investigating the haunted chair more. read more

I don't even want to write a review because I don't want this hidden gem to get too crowded on me. This is everything you want out of a dive bar with amazing food. It's chaotic, busy, friendly and the food is fantastic. They also have homemade hot sauce and they put bacon in EVERYTHING! read more

Some of the other reviews knock the tacos at the Ohio but I thought they were amazing. I went with a group of four and our plan was to try to get a table at the Ohio but then go over to Tex Tubbs if it was too packed. I'm so glad we were able to get a table and stay for food. My favorite taco was the classic and the diablo corn was perfect, I love heat and the Ohio knows how to do it right. read more

I've read about the Ohio Tavern. Old local hang-out bar turned taco-haven with good drinks and amazing tacos, tamales, and corn (or elotes). We finally stopped by after work tonight (because who doesn't want a good taco on a cold evening), and it lived up to all the hype. 3 tacos for $11 or 1 for $4, the G-man and I each had three. The old boy - carnitas, rice, kimchi, bacon, and charred scallion dressing - was a great pop of umami flavor. Each bite was perfect and the balance between the pork, rice, and kimchi was superb. The bacon add a great burst of flavor. The Belmont was beef brisket with picante slaw, jalapeño and a blueberry habanero "awesome sauce." This one had a kick, and the blueberry habanero sauce had a vinegary, sweet bite. Yum! The last was my favorite - - it was their special taco which was a beef heart taco and I didn't catch the full description but it was sublime. I had a tap Paloma that had a smokey tequila and complimented the tacos so well. We got there early and were glad we did as it filled up quickly even on a cold Tuesday evening. Que bueno! Gracias, al Ohio Tavern por la comida tan fabulosa! read more

Got to give this place a 5 star rating for 4 reasons. We stopped in for a beer while riding along the nearby bike path and found: 1. 2.75 beers 2. FREE BRATS & ITALIAN SAUSAGES 3. Free shots of mcgillicuddy's every time the Packers get a TD 4. Friendly service. What else do you want? ! read more

Incredible tacos. I would usually tell people to hit up el grito but damn! These are amazing! Cant wait to go back and try different ones!

Love this bar! Great bartenders, fun clientele! My favorite place to hang out!

Lifelong Madisonian, first time Ohio Tavernian. Had 3 tacos (carnitas, lamb and chicken) along with the street corn, tried to save some for next-day lunch--could not do it. So flippin' good! The bartender was super friendly and helpful, the beer was delish, the cook was amazing and the young man taking our empty plates was so sweet. Couldn't stick around for the music, but the warm up had a great feel. Love this place! read more

Great unique tacos, and laid back place that fits the vibe of the neighborhood. However, there isn't much seating for how popular this is (a few first come first served tables and a bar). We went on a Wednesday night around 8 pm and had to wait about 10-15 minutes to get 2 seats at the bar. Definitely worth trying if you are prepared to wait a bit. read more