Damn, my friends and I found ourselves asking how we'd never been here for a show before?!! I found out only a few days before that longtime favorite, Fuel, was going to be doing a solo show here. Cant say the venue does that much advertising, just stumbled across the listing on Facebook. We looked up tickets and saw they were really reasonable! So here's the lowdown on the venue. -Parking is on the street or available in the Gaslight district merchant lot across the street. Id recommend parking in the lot, its only a $1 an hour and if you remember to get validation from here, first hour is free! (Lot takes cash and credit). It is also well lit at night. -The upstairs of Ludlow Garage is the restaurant. If you wish to eat here on day of show, reservations are required. There is also a decent sized bar. -The Music Venue is downstairs, along with a second bar, and the only bathrooms. The venue itself has unique cushy movie theater style seats with cup holders in front. The arrangement is an L, with the stage in the corner. Some shows are reserved seating and some are general admission so first come first serve. For this particular show I called ahead to ask and the guy I spoke to told me it was reserved so no need to show up way early. We got there and guess what? It was general admission. It seemed quite a few people showed up early, placed their jackets on a seat, and then went to grab drinks or dinner. Everyone was respectful of this. In the end, half the crowd ended up just standing in the space between the seating and right up next to the stage, so it didnt matter anyways. This allowed those who didnt mind standing to get super close to the band. Honestly its such a small venue everyone is close to the band, haha. -Drinks weren't terribly unreasonable at the bar and included craft beers (draft or can). The sound of the show was sensational. Lighting was good. Fuel put on an AWESOME show! Only downside was show was listed as going from 830pm-11pm and yet the band was done by 10pm. Someone mentioned perhaps the band had an extenuating circumstance (illness or such). Nobody was upset because the hour and half they played ROCKED! I absolutely cannot wait to come back here for another show! They do a combination of nation and local bands. Seems theres some great upcoming country shows! All the staff here was very friendly and chatty! read more

The Ludlow Garage - Fuel - Music Venues Near Me - Cincinnati, Ohio

In all of Burger Week Ludlow Garage beyond a doubt was the best food and service. My burger was prepared exactly how I like it. I ordered it medium and it was exactly medium= great. The bun was perfectly fresh. I also ordered the tater tots "extra crispy" per the servers suggestion. I hadn't had them in years and they were beyond any expectation. The service was impeccable. I'll be back again soon! Thanks for doing such a great job... you know what business is about! read more

The Ludlow Garage - Their menu - Music Venues Near Me - Cincinnati, Ohio

They have a hydrogen sulfide (sewer) gas problem in the basement, which is where one of the bars and the main music venue is. This has been an issue since at least the last time I saw a show there about a year ago. It was really bad that time. Seriously, they need to fix it. I mentioned it to several staff folks, but it hasn't been remedied. Hydrogen sulfide gas can be toxic in high concentrations, and at best is noxious in low concentrations. That's why MSD workers have those huge ventilation tubes when they're working underground. It's incredibly off-putting and potentially dangerous that Ludlow Garage still has this problem...please FIX IT! It certainly doesn't help the already awkward layout and acoustically challenged venue room. Too bad this place is so consistently problematic in multiple ways because they draw some really cool acts. read more

I can't comment on the food but the drink selection is fantastic and the bartender was super friendly. The place itself is very comfy and cool. The garage doors were open and it was just a great atmosphere that we had to stop in for a drink. Will definitely come back and try out the food. read more

The Ludlow Garage - Great wine on tap! - Music Venues Near Me - Cincinnati, Ohio

I was not impressed. The venue is weird and handicap accessibility is basically nil. Your choice is either walk down steep steps or get on a dusty rusty open elevator that at first we could not get to work. The manager lectured us on how to use it. I didn't appreciate her tone. My husband fell walking up the steps after the concert. He has gait issues do to multiple strokes. Do not purchase ticket in the back by the main entrance. You won't be able to see the band and there is too much in and out with patrons. I felt trapped in my seat because of the railing on the side and 4 people on the other side. Seats are like old movie theater seats. We ate upstairs first. My husband enjoyed the burger but my fish was meh. Fries too salty. Beer not that cold. What I can say is the band was excellent!!! Because of the venue setup I probably won't be back. read more

I'm reviewing the music venue only, feeling compelled to let others know what the place is like before they purchase tickets. I was there for the first time a couple of nights ago. Yes, the Venue *is* intimate, a definite plus. But surprisingly all the seating was at one level, so the stage was hard to see (because folks taller than I blocked my view). As a result, I was constantly rearranging myself in my seat to try and see the performance, and so I was doing this for almost 2 hours. Also, it was uncomfortably warm. Too warm. Or maybe that was just b/c of the workout. Have learned from a couple of friends who've attended Ludlow that they *always* get seats in the first 1 or 2 rows to eliminate the problem of fighting to see the performance. I will def put more $ into better seats next time!! I do want to support this venue. Good luck. read more

I saw Eric Gales last night. WOW what a show. The sound was great.The musicians were fantastic !! The food is killer .I use a cane due to my eyesight so I was conserned about going.Im so glad I did. The audience was considerate to me .What a wonderful experience. Thanks to the Ludlow Garage and to Eric Gales !!!! read more

Great atmosphere- the service was diligent and courteous and the food was delicious. The selection was a little limited so review the menu prior to be sure there is an option for you. I suggest the wagyu beef dog! read more

I randomly stumbled on Ludlow when I saw Tim Reynolds, who plays with my personal fave Dave Matthews, was making an appearance. Upon doing some research to prepare, I found mixed reviews and confusing photos - needless to say I was anxious to see what REALLY like. Alas, it was quite the experience. The seat selection was... err... interesting. They basically dead-bolted rows of airplane seats - yes, complete with the folding tray - into the basement floor of a restaurant. The layout is also oddly in the shape of a "L", with the stage positioned in the intersection. They offer in-seat service (with a full bar and food offerings), which I'll admit was nice and meant for no interruptions during the show. I do think there is some room for improvement for the overall vibe of Ludlow. While it's nice to have the option of sitting during a concert (like, as an option for taking breaks in between busting my killer dance moves), I don't like it being the ONLY option (just ask anyone who's been to a DMB show with me). The setup didn't lend itself to any movement or dancing (my boyfriend switched from beer to vodka Red Bull's just to keep himself awake - nothing against Timmy). I think they'd be better off having seating on one side of the "L" and some high top tables and/or a general admission dance floor on the other. Our waitress did mention that "back in the day", Ludlow Garage was a venue where the likes of Led Zeppelin and other rock greats used to perform. Several years ago it was just a brunch spot, but they turned it back into a music venue because of the history. So, while I love the potential, I just can't imagine the crowd back then was jamming to those bands in constricted airplane seating. read more

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Amazing food options for almost every diet (I myself am vegetarian working towards vegan) and they truly are delicious. Perhaps a little pricey but for the service and selection I wasn't upset in the slightest. ALSO: the club and bar downstairs looks amazing and I cannot wait for the reopen after Rona. read more

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Three stars for the food which is aight at best; four stars for the bar and its kind bartenders and decent drink selection; and five stars for the event space which is wonderful, cozy, and has great acoustics. Come to Ludlow Garage for the music and drinks. Avoid the food and eat somewhere else in Clifton. Do that and you'll have an awesome night here. read more

Skip the Garlic Shrimp appetizer. Not as advertised. The menu states Jumbo shrimp but when it arrives it is just 7 regular sized shrimps in oily garlic sauce. They charge $15 it should be $7 or $8 at the most! read more

This place used to be Olives. Has only been open 3 weeks. They have musical groups in the basement. Came here after going to Esquire movie theatre. They have tapas, salads, flatbreads and a few main dishes. Sides are ala carte. They had steak, lamb shank, fish of the day and a few other entrees. Had an awesome caesar salad and "American" flatbread. My wife had the greek flatbread. Both excellent. Cheese and fruit tapas was decent with brie and other cheeses. read more

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Came for dinner (not a show). A lot of room for improvement. I would have given this place a 2 star but it has only been open a week (according to the waiter, maybe that is the case for dinner). I will come back sometime after they get settled but for now, this is my review. The service was very friendly though lacked some basics. We had our menus on the table the entire time we ate and even after finishing and staying to chat. For such a small table, it made things somewhat awkward. We also had to place our food order well after drinks. The waiter never came back until dropping the drinks. Considering there was only one other party of 2, this was a bit excessive. I think the server might have been new. I ordered a glass of wine ($7 for Chateau St Michelle Reisling is really high) and the Greek flatbread. Considering the brick oven I saw pictures of, I was excited about the pizza. However, mine was a flop. The dough was not cooked very long and soggy in the middle, possibly because of the tomatoes. My friend got the Italian flatbread and it was very savory! I wished I had ordered that! The other entrees were too expensive for an unknown place. Next time? Give it some time. read more

The Ludlow Garage - Alcohol list, with one column for whiskey and the other for other liquor - Music Venues Near Me - Cincinnati, Ohio

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Burger is great black and blue is on fire nice atmosphere food was excellent and service was great and the best thing very diverse crowd read more

The Ludlow Garage - Music Venues Near Me - Cincinnati, Ohio

I can not attest to the food but I will say this is one of the coolest venues! The staff is outstanding everyone we came in contact with was friendly and helpful. Everyone had smiles and actually seemed to enjoy their jobs. That's a breath of fresh air in this day and age! The show was awesome - probably one of my best nights! Brian is doing God's work here... he was so kind to the poor girl who took refuge outside the venue (later removed by Cincy's finest). Thanks for being an awesome person - very cool of you! Thank you also for booking the best podcast guys on the planet so much fun!! read more

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I'm so perplexed by this place...when we walked in the whole staff was standing and staring at us (and continued to the whole time, I don't know if they were over staffed or what), the food was NOT good, and my water was super salty?? The menu is way overpriced for the location. It's a college town! I understand what they are trying to do but it was a no from me. read more

Get the Buffalo mozzarella...just do it...it's wonderful! Service was slow the night we went but the buffalo mozzarella...get that in your life! read more

I hopped by this place to grab a beer and small bites after a long days of work along with a friend. I love flatbreads for it has the right amount of everything and doesn't make you feel stuffy. Their chicken flatbread is a big YES to order along with a chilled drink by the side. read more

The Ludlow Garage - Chicken flatbread - Music Venues Near Me - Cincinnati, Ohio

Service was incredible! Beer list was great. Loved the atmosphere and the food. Would go back in a heartbeat.

I thought lunch was great. The STAFF were super friendly and gave me a tour of the concert space downstairs so that was a big bonus. I went online and bought tickets for Blue Oyster Cult based on the positive experience. And the restaurant open to the street is pleasant despite some of the locals with no life. read more

Ate here before the show. I had the black and bleu burger. It was juicy, but had an odd aftertaste, perhaps from old beef, and the fries were overcooked. My husband had the shrimp risotto. He liked the rice, but was disappointed that there were only 4 shrimp. The waiter was the real problem. He spent all his time gossiping with another table, so it took way too long to take our order and pay. Fortunately he didn't bring the food, or it would probably have been cold as well as mediocre quality. read more

The Ludlow Garage - Music Venues Near Me - Cincinnati, Ohio

Great atmosphere and food. Service a-little slow and not respondent when your cocktails are empty.

The seats were quite comfortable. There isn't space for dancing. Aisle seats had a great view. This was the inaugural show with new management. There were only about 100 people in the 300 person venue. The servers were friendly but they did have some issues with credit card payments. The artist needed to be told to focus on their set list- there was a lot of rambling by one of the lead singers and also some drunk audience members kept engaging him in random inappropriate conversations so we only got to here about five of the duo's songs in the ninety minutes. I am a big fan of the artist so even-though moments were pretty bad I was willing to tolerate the unprofessional behavior to hear those songs. I think the new management will find its way with more shows. read more

This venue could be the best in town but there is somewhat of an identity crisis happening in the concert hall. The airplane style/movie theatre seats do not work for live music. Coupled with dinner and drink service it is an endless parade of guests and staff backed up and down the aisle. This concept only works in the first few rows while the rest of the room is constantly interrupted. Don't try to reinvent the wheel - if the entire room was high top tables with comfortable seating - it would certainly be easier to have bar service and have great sight lines for the show. I strongly suggest trying your movie theatre seats on the far left wing for those who want that experience but have high top tables for the rest of the room. At a minimum, you would have the best live jazz lounge in town, and a perfect GA venue if the tables are removed for certain shows. Use tables - much easier to sell drinks and food and a much better experience for your guests! Nothing takes you out of the live music experience like a plate of nachos being passed over your head - just use tables! read more

A Big Nothing! An afterthought. Staff surly. Drink selection primitive. Food a la Costco microwaveables. Live music venue worth supporting but the 'dining' experience is a Must Miss. read more

Not crazy expensive but not totally impressed with the food. I ordered the Nashville Hot Chicken.. I feel as if I could make it better at home. The chicken was soggy (says it's fried on the menu), didn't feel like it was a legitimate fried chicken sandwich. The sauce was really slathered on which made it extremely messy... maybe too messy for what it should be. I liked the tater tots more. Our waiter was not that attentive either. Having to wait a while for drink refills isn't the best feeling. read more

Date night. Ludlow Garage recently changed ownership and my wife and I went there before the change. This was our first visit since the new owner took over. We go for the music and it was great, as always. Good acoustics and an intimate feeling. We saw Al Stewart and sat in the second row. He was great with the audience and had a terrific opening band. The staff continues to be friendly. However, our restaurant and bar experience was not as good as it was before the ownership change. My wife's test of any bar is their Cosmo. She said they have gone from one of the best Comos in town to one of the worst she's ever had. It was bitter and tasted strange. The new menu is sparse and uninspired. It also seems inappropriate for the age group that LG serves. We did have an amazing crab cake appetizer, flavorful and fresh. However, the entrées were a disappointment. My wife had the ciabatta fish sandwich, which was dry and fishy tasting. She wondered if it was a processed product. I had the burger and it was just ok. Service was not great. The website has not been updated, so it was hard to get info. We had called ahead to get reservations but when we showed up, we were not on the list. Our waitress was completely disorganized. She forgot to put in our appetizer order, had trouble taking our order, and came back repeatedly to check things. Service was also very slow. Bottom line, we will definitely be back for the shows, but we will be having dinner elsewhere. Two stars for the food, four for the music= three stars. read more

Letters from Uncle Val - This drink was had a very herbal forward gin. I wouldn't recommend unless you love gin. It's listed as must try, but I regret trying as all I could taste was the gin, despite many other ingredients being listed. The Blackberry Way whiskey drink was fine but nothing I'd order again. The A Land Down Under mushroom veggie burger was enormous. If size and value, rather than taste, were my primary metric then this dish would have appealed. It was not worth ordering again but the fries were excellent. Spin Doctors artichoke and spinach dip was excellent and I recommend that dish. I like the ambiance but didn't love the occasional smell of diesel exhaust as this place is very near the street. I wouldn't seek this place out, and I do advise underestimating their ability to deliver adventurous dishes. read more

Great atmosphere! Garage doors open to outside and a variety of drink specials. This will be the hot spot on Ludlow this summer.. read more

The Ludlow Garage - Updated menu! - Music Venues Near Me - Cincinnati, Ohio

great food awful service. sat at the bar with Lucia on a Friday night at 830pm with only 6 other people at the bar we were told she'd come back after she got drinks in hands of people going to the show downstairs ... cool so our time and money wasnt important.... we waited a fair amount of time and finally got served... I ordered a vodka water and it was weak ( this after hearing her tell many others served before us that there's was 'really strong' then someone else took over, grabbed our order while she flirted and complimented EVERYONE ELSE that walked up to the bar.... the fish ciabatta was amazing, the chili to die for and the food came out in a timely manner not a fan. wont be back after being treated this way read more

I'm being generous and giving it 3 stars as pleasant neighborhood bar that opens on to the street. I've had some nice drinks here and the draft beer selection is interesting and has a nice variety. The food on the other had is not so great. There is little for a vegetarian. The veggie burger was terrible. I tried it as a special. It was not hot enough, soggy, and seemed like it had been sitting around too long before being served. The fries were good but overly greasy. I could only eat half the sandwich and took it home but ended up just throwing it away. The service was adequate. Happy hour prices on drinks are nice but the atmosphere is good but the food leaves a bit to be desired. I do look forward to seeing a show downstairs sometime soon. read more

Don't recall Ludlow Garage, but Livingston is better on stage than James. This is a great venue; a miniature Memorial Hall. read more

The Ludlow Garage - Music Venues Near Me - Cincinnati, Ohio

Excellent food and service. Nice atmosphere. Pleasantly surprised for a new place ( for us) in Clifton . Definitely recommend and will return. read more

I'm glad we tried out the place for the burger week Cincinnati. The LTO burger was juicy and quite tasty and came with option of slaw, chips or fries. I had the fries and they were crunchy and really good. The staff were friendly too. Overall good experience. read more

The Ludlow Garage - Music Venues Near Me - Cincinnati, Ohio

Came here for dinner only, for burger week, with my wife and two kids. All four of us got the burger, which was very good, especially liked the meat and bun. All four of us liked the meal. My wife and I had a glass of wine, generous pours and good stemware. We had a really nice time. Our server was very friendly, the front of the restaurant is open to the outside and it was a beautiful night. Great atmosphere. read more

The food was decent, but way over priced. If you're nearby and famished, why not. But if you're looking to eat on a budget, hop on up the road to Skyline. read more

This venue could be a whole lot better if the took out the seats on the smaller side. Then people can stand there to watch a band & dance.

Stopped in for happy hour. Mike was the bartender- very nice. He explained they just reopened and have live music playing some nights. Staff was polite. Its worth stopping in! read more

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Update: Thought I'd already done this. Owner contacted me and apologized. Will given them another shot. The music venue is rather odd, L shaped with the band at the intersection. Go for seats in the long end to see the band head on. As for the restaurant, we've eaten there twice. Well actually once. The first time service was slow but the place was packed in advance of a show. Food arrived 30 minutes after the appetizers were delivered. The beer I asked to be served with dinner arrived just ahead of the check. While the service wasn't what I'd expect at an upscale establishment the food was very good. Armed with this foreknowledge we made reservations for 90 minutes before the show last night and skipped appetizers. We waited for our server for 10 minutes and 30 minutes later only 2 tables had been served. Our waiter announced there was "an issue" in the kitchen and could give no estimate when our dinner would be served. Ten more minutes passed. Meanwhile another couple who came in much later than we did were served. Finally nearly an hour after we were seated the server said our food would be out in about 10 minutes. We left. Things happen, I understand that, I've worked in food service. But the lack of communication, the lack of an offer of free drinks or something to munch on was inexcusable. We won't be back. read more