Close to Paycor Stadium, PSC turned out to be a great spot to wait out the Uber/Lyft surge after the Cincinnati Music Festival. This was my first time visiting, so I wasn't sure what to expect. Upon arrival, I was greeted by several guests and quickly served by the bartender. I ordered a mai tai, which was delicious, and surprisingly cheap (less than $5). While chatting with some regulars, I understood why people consider PSC the local version of Cheers. Open until 2:30 a.m., it's a great little neighborhood bar to stop by before or after a game at the stadium. read more

Plum Street Cafe - Mai Tai - Bars Near Me - Cincinnati, Ohio

Exactly what I was looking for as a short walk from my hotel that I'm at 1 week a month for work. The umpires apparently agree read more

The bartender Linda was very attentive to my needs. The atmosphere is great and the cook makes awesome chili/lunch specials. I give them

What a great small little bar. I needed a late night bite and i ordered the mushroom steak sandwich and it was absolutely delicious. Pouring in cheese and sauce. Was served with a bag of chips. Great bar food! read more

Really good food, casual atmosphere, and attentive wait staff. Felt like a hometown bar and grill with better food than you'd expect

It's a dive bar. If you live within a block, or your looking for a drink after visiting the convention center, it's worth a visit. A little bit of a strange setup, you can enter through one of two doors that are about 30 feet apart, then walk down a hall that opens into the bar area. The bar is at center with a small seating area at the front. To the south side of the bar is the ladies' room, to the north the men's. Not your first choice for a bathroom by any means. Casual atmosphere. They have food, but I've never tried it. read more

Wife and I stopped in on a Thursday afternoon for few drinks and greeted by friendly locals and bartender. Good drink prices a plus. Great place to stop in before or after events. read more

Limited menu, but it doesn't matter cuz it's delicious food. Meat is from Eckerlin's Meats in Findlay! Can't go wrong there. The people are wonderful, genuine people. I felt welcomed right when I stepped in. Free wifi, lowkey environment (I went on a Monday afternoon). read more

Surprisingly good. Our group of two has eaten here twice for lunch on a weekday and it was 10% full of customers. This dive bar doesn't look like much but their food is consistently good. The service is very cordial, quick, and welcoming. The menu is simple but not overly standard. The food is also simple; there are no frills and the presentation is basic but the taste is good. I'd recommend this restaurant to friends. read more

Plum Street Cafe - Pulled Smoked Hickory BBQ with side of fresh fruit - Bars Near Me - Cincinnati, Ohio

My wife devoured her cheeseburger. She usually picks at her food, but this time she finished eating before me. She loved it. I had the BLT and it was good, but I might have to try the burger next time. Great vibe, friendly staff, and the food was great and affordable. Two sandwiches with chips and water under $12. read more

Extremely rude bartender. Disrespected my wife and made lewd comments about her. Over charged my credit card.

My friends and I gathered here to watch the Super Bowl, and while two of us were "girling it up" by being the only ladies in the bar, we were still welcomed with opened arms. Plum Street is a blue collar sports bar, serving up your standard American beers and house brand liquors. Hudy Amber was on tap, which was a good local alternative to something like Budweiser. During the game, the bartender allowed us to have a crock pot of hot dogs and brats simmering. We also brought in some candy and chips with dip. My friend who is vegetarian brought in some veg-friendly hot dogs, and the bartender kindly microwaved them for her. For a dive bar, drink prices were a little more than I expected. My tab for one beer and a soda was $7.00. Also, the building is older and it shows. The floors are a bit uneven, and we had some hot dogs roll off the table - bun included. Some condiment bottles went rolling off as well. Hold on to your drinks just in case. Plum Street is definitely your working man's after hours bar rather than a Friday night drinking destination. No frills, kind service. Just what you'd expect. read more

Plum Street Cafe - a bar with neon signs - Bars Near Me - Cincinnati, Ohio

Amazing Hoagie!! Went with a buddy for lunch while waiting for paint to dry on a job. Looked it up on yelp and it was a quick walk over to the cafe. read more

Honestly amongst the worst food I have ever eaten in my life. Possibly it was because the trivia menu only listed about five things, three of them smothered in fake cheese. Possibly because the pizza came out and was burnt on one side, but inexplicably undercooked in the middle. A Tostino's dollar pizza would have been bigger, and better. This one was ten dollars. The nachos were also absolutely disgusting, and extremely overpriced. It is the morning after I have eaten them, and I honestly feel the way I felt when I was in Mexico and i accidentally brushed my teeth with the tap water. Before we even ordered our food, I asked for a water. The bartender forgot my water, and I had to ask her for it three times subsequent to the first. She also brought me a draft beer, then as she was setting it down said "Oh yeah, Happy Hour is right now. Everything is on it except draft beer." I ordered a Miller Lite, I would have definitely NOT gotten a draft beer had I known. Not a clean place. I'm alarmed at the decent reviews this place has gotten - I would honestly consider snorting anthrax before eating anything here ever again. read more

While mostly known as one of Downtown's neighborhood dive bars, I discovered Plum Street as a lunch spot 14 years ago. Surprisingly good and varied lunch menu, especially their salads and chili. A true mix, from neighborhood business leaders to convention center tourists - all are made to feel welcome by the staff. They do a good business on Bengals game day with cheap beer and great burgers. Try it out....you won't regret it. read more

I am, not surprisingly, a bit biased, since this is my neighborhood bar. I know all of the bartenders and all of the regulars. That said, there are two things I want in a bar: cheap drinks, and good conversation. The Plum St. Cafe is built for both. I'm not a club guy. When out drinking, I hate loud. I want to sit, plow through beers, and talk passionately about things I care about. Plum St. is quiet, there's almost always a free table, and a great bar, if you'd rather talk to the bartenders or the regulars. Again, I know I'm biased, but the bar is a little bit like home to me. Stop by some night, or especially some Sunday afternoon, and there's a good chance you'll see me there. read more

Been coming here for years. Went here on May 29, 2022. Tried to come back on June 25 the bartender was nothing but rude. Called me out and said I threw up at the bar or my dog did without having any proof. First of all my dog is a service dog and well behaved he doesn't throw up, pee, or poop anywhere and is known at multiple bars in Cincinnati. Yes, I may have gotten too drunk and thrown up in the bathroom in the toilet but never on the bar. The bartender was nothing but rude and disrespectful. I went to this bar on 6/17 and they allowed me in and that bartender saw me the night "I threw up on the bar as well". He said I didn't do anything wrong and was welcome back whenever. This bartender with blonde hair never liked my small shih tzu to begin with and made up that I threw up on the bar. I've never done that my entire life. We have lived on 4th street for years and I am telling everyone not to come to this bar bc they make up stories about people without proof. I'm a nurse, not an alcoholic. I know how to handle my alcohol. I will be in contact with the manager ASAP. I've never been disorderly, rude, or disrespectful. Which I never would be. read more

This is one of my favorite places in Cincinnati. I've been coming here for years, and the people, food, and atmosphere is unbelievable. The outside doesn't do the inside justice. The bartenders are all extremely friendly, the food is delicious, considering its a small bar, and the drinks are cheap. The regulars are nice and I love coming in with my dad and always knowing one or two people. Easily the best dive bar in Cincy! If you haven't stopped in for a drink or lunch, do it! read more

In town for the Bears and Bengals game, we ended up here two nights in a row. Great place, but small! The bartenders both nights were great! Cheap beers, didn't have their food since we came there late, but do let you order food in. read more

Plum Street is not a bar to meet new people. It's a neighborhood cozy bar that typically services mostly downtowners. There's nothing wrong with bringing a crowd there, but don't expect that happening much on weekends. Probably, if you want to take a date somewhere downtown where you actually want to hear them - this is it. The owners and bartenders are incredibly friendly - and usually knows exactly who you are after going a few times. My company is based there, so we usually sit at our designated table and often times will spend hours there working or just hang out. I have come to meet and get to know almost all the regulars, and it's cute how they've built their own community. Oh, don't forget to try the hoagies and pizza. read more

Just found out this is about 2 feet away from my office! So a colleague took me here and it was an interesting experience. The food was basic, but good. I had the special of the day, which was a grilled cheese and ham sandwich, with fruit salad as dessert. It was a bit more than 6 dollars, so not expensive. There seemed to be quite a few regulars here and my colleague is one of them - how much fun when people know you when you walk in and they recognize you after a long time! Not sure though how you get to that point - as Alex was saying, you kind of need a person to introduce. However, the food was good enough, the prices cheap enough and the location close enough to my office to consider this as a good quick lunch option from now on. And who knows, as I start frequenting this place I may become a real fan! read more

This bar is home. No, srsly. It's not much to look at, but it's quality. Beer is cheap, bartenders and regulars are nice, down to earth and welcoming, as long as you aren't a huge d-bag. Very communal. If you want to live in the city but feel like you're part of a neighborhood, start making routine stops here. You'll become family in no time. It's what a hole in the wall gem should be. read more

I've been here several times now, both this season and last - so pre and post COVID - before and after Bengals games. Support your local, neighborhood bars and keep them in business!!! Plum Street has excellent food, friendly staff and unbelievably reasonable drink prices. read more

Yet another little dive bar in the city but if you ask nicely this one has Black Label Bushmills on the tiny top shelf. We used to stop by on the way to a now closed club around the corner for less expensive drinks and occasionally for happy hour after work. The service was always friendly and Plum Street is an easy, non-pretentious place to keep your low profile. read more

Plum Street is awesome every time. Hal is a great bartender- quick, courteous, and he knows his stuff. The menu is simple, I love the bacon and cheese quesadilla and the burgers are great too. The regulars are all easy to get along with and it's always cool talking to the convention attendees who inevitably find their way in. read more

Best Italian hoagie I've had in a long time. Visiting from PA. Took a chance on the place because of the reviews. Will be back next year.

What a cool little bar/cafe. I almost found myself looking for "Norm". Nothing fancy... far from it. But clean and, the chili is great!!!! Friendly bar tender. I will visit this place each year as I return to Cincinnati for this convention. read more

The quintessential hole in the wall dive bar. I'm a bit surprised it has taken me this long to do a review of Plum Street Cafe. Although I have only been Yelping for about eight months I have been drinking here for 13 years. The current staff is great especially on Saturday nights when J.P. is working, but it will never be as great as the heydeys of Handsome Johnny (Rest in Peace), Mick, and the occasional fill-in of Steve Beverage. Those are my fondest memories of the joint. There are staples of Plum Street Cafe that will never change - Dim lighting in an exposed brick building, tall pours, loyal locals, an amazing jukebox, tabs on paper being kept with tallies, the saltiest pretzels on the planet during Happy hour, cheap drinks, bartender banter, laughs, and memories made. People look at me strange when asked what my favorite bar in Cincinnati is, without hesitation, this is always the first place I list and at this point, I'm not sure that will ever change. It's a great Happy hour spot and they have trivia on Monday nights. Mike Crowe (Rest in Peace) the owner said it best when it comes to Plum Street Cafe, "everyone from construction workers to suit-and-tiers." read more

I visited plum street bar at lunch time. Finding a seat was no problem. I ordered the cheeseburger which was delicious. It made up for the 30 min wait. read more

Love it. The perfect place to just be. Great people, no one is a stranger.

This is the rarest of joints: It's a clean, friendly, pleasant neighborhood bar in downtown Cincinnati. Welcoming staff, welcoming regulars of diverse ages and backgrounds, a nice jukebox, a decent selection of freshly made pub grub -- and insanely low drink prices. I think their happy hour runs from 4 until 9? No pretension, no attitude, just a nice place for drink, a bite and a conversation. read more

I have loved this bar for years! Great place to meet the locals. It has been the standard to make restaurant and hotel connections for employees for ever! Beer is ice cold and the family owned locals bar will win your heart on first visit! read more