Grammer’s

The four star rating Grammer’s has isn’t really accurate considering most of the reviews were from before it re-​opened. It has a new atmosphere, staff, and food.
I really wanted to like it, but it ended up being just plan awful. The german potato salad was bland and the chicken wings were overly cooked and way too dry. The medium and hot sauce were ok, but I’ve had much better. You can tell they didn’t put much love or care into making the food or the menu. There are way better restaurants located on main street and vine not far from grammars. And those restaurants also have the same beer selection for cheaper prices. Go somewhere else downtown, you’ll get more bang for your buck, friendlier service, food cooked with love and with your taste buds in mind. It’s a hole in the wall, trying not be, and it sadly lost all it’s charm.
Also my boyfriend and I both got sick from the wings that night.

Grammer’s has indeed re-​opened for, I guess, the 110^th time. I’m a total fan of the space, and have never been bothered by who owns it or who shows up. The building is just such a gem that as long as the owners don’t gut it to install a mechanical bull and turn it into «D-bag’s Cougarland» I’ll keep showing up. So far we’ve gone a couple of times after Opera, and each night the crowd was a bit sparse. There is good drink and decent food here. Grammer’s is open late enough to make it a viable after theater/​symphony choice.

Walking into Grammer’s is like walking into a large college house party (minus the furniture). There are rooms and rooms of people, a big bar, and fun trimmings like the enormous moose head in the stairwell area and fancy beer steins. There’s a beer pong room upstairs for the people who enjoy such activities, and varying music in each of the rooms. The service was fine for a crowded bar, and drink prices are average. All in all, a good time to be had for a combination hipster/​divey bar.

So unfortunate they chose to randomly charge more than what i signed for on my credit card receipt. Not once, but three times. So wasn’t an accident. Very unfortunate…

This review is not so much for the bar, rather for the Brats during Bock Fest. These were by far the best brats during Bock Fest. Also they were only 3 dollars, a good dollar or two cheaper than the other places serving up sausage. So if you are in the neighborhood this weekend and are jonesing for a good brat then this is your place.

I love to dance, but it’s not easy to find a good place to do so. The usual places that are ‘good’ for dancing are filled with douche bags. You know the boys who come up behind you, never show their face and proceed to molest you?
Enter Grammers. I’m not saying all the boys there are saints and will ask your father for permission before asking you for a dance. However, the mood is much better. I’ve only been there for one dance party, but the DJ was great. I loved the tunes, loved the crowd. I felt like I could really cut loose and have fun there.
The only reason I’m giving it 4 stars instead of 5 is because, while it’s a cool bar, it looks like it could be better taken care of. Beer selection is OK. I’ve seen better. The service is good and the bartenders are nice, and they looked like they loved to dance more than me.

Every time I have walked into Grammar’s, I have always loved how it is set up. You almost feel like you’re walking into someone’s house. I love that part of it.
However, I also enjoy a bar that has an identity. An establishment, in my mind, has to know what it is and then can branch off of that. Much like a band. But that’s another discussion for another time.
Grammar’s has an identity problem. You never know what is going to be going on when you walk in. Sometimes that can be fun, obviously. But there have been nights when I’ve gone and been packed in like sardines (which I’m not a fan of), and other nights there has been no one. Not a soul besides me and the people I came with. I myself like walking into a place knowing what to expect.
The drink selections is pretty solid and reasonably priced. Beer selections is good. Any bar that has PBR is ok in my book.
All in all, an interesting place to say the least. If they were to clean it up hardcore and tweak a few things about the set-​up, it could be really epic.

I used to like going to Grammer’s quite a bit, but the last few months it has steadily declined in my eyes and now the only way I’ll go is if I have some sort of obligation that I can’t get out of to see a friend.
The space/​building is beautiful, but it’s not taken care of.
Be careful in the front room where the bar is — I’m pretty sure the ceiling is on the verge of collapsing. When there are people dancing in the room upstairs, it bounces so violently that I know people who won’t even stand in their for fear of being crushed to death at any moment.
The bigger issue though, aside from the dirtiness and general poor state of affairs as far as the building goes, is the service. It’s terrible. Not that the bartenders are bad, there is just never enough staffing for a busy Friday or Saturday night. It takes so long to get a drink that usually my friends and I become discouraged and just go to Neon’s instead. On the flip side, if you try to go on a weeknight in hopes of a more low-​key scene, it’s completely deserted.
In general I enjoy the atmosphere, the events that they put on are usually really fun, but if I’m going to a bar I want to know that I will be able to drink successfully.
Also, don’t friend Grammer’s Bar on facebook unless you really enjoy getting spammed daily with messages and invites.
Grammer’s has a lot of potential, I only hope that eventually they’ll start to live up to it.

Let’s put aside airs for a moment and get down to the crux of why we all go to any given bar.
Booze.
Sweet, ever loving booze.
One thing you can count on at Grammer’s, you can get your drink on in spades, thanks to this Over-​the-​Rhine mainstay’s assortment of beers, liquors and the sometimes elusive but always adored Four Loko.
Grammer’s is never, ever the same bar twice. Sometimes it’s a raucous rave of bumping music and pulsating lights in the back yard bier garten/​gravel pit. Other times it’s a casual collection of hipsters and hip 30-​somethings wading in baby pools and listening to Casey Coston play Cassette Tape DJ in the front parking lot.
Whatever the case may be, you are sure to be amused, entertained and, dare I say delighted?
Now, Grammer’s is dirty. Dirty, dirty, dirty. There are times I hover in the bathroom, and occasions when I’ve been as familiar with the next guy’s body odor as I was my own. That said, I love, love, love this place.
Nick, Blaine and the other barkeeps will be quick with a pour, sometimes with a smile, and sometimes not. Don’t take it personally — this place has a way of getting slammed.
And if you see someone behind the bar with a mischievous smile on their face, you best run for the hills, because you are likely about to be Glitter Bombed.
Grammer’s gets some bonus points for being within dangerously close walking distance to my home.

I’ll be the first to say I’m not a bar person, but THIS bar plays host to the improv troupe Incredulity. They let Incredulity put on regular shows there for free, and they even turn down the music for them. As a veteran improviser who has had her fill of crappy venues, I’d have to say that’s pretty awesome of them. It’s a small room but that’s all they need.
Annnnnd since I was there I went ahead and ordered an amaretto sour, which was spot on. ($ 5.50, plus tip.)

hipster central.
Which, if that’s your scene you’ll like it at Grammer’s. This is my favorite bar and I go here at least twice a week. They have a fabulous mix of cheap and expensive when it comes to drink. I’ll usually order a PBR, but if I want a craft brew they have a few rotating taps with always something interesting hooked up. It’s also nice that the bartenders are knowledgeable when it comes to what the beers are and how to describe them.
Though, lets be honest, it’s not a bar that’s all about finesse and complexity in their drinks. They pour drinks to get you drunk. Why else would any bar carry Four Loko? You’re not going to get the craft cocktails that you can get in other areas of downtown/​OTR.
The atmosphere is great. I always meet new people when I come here. Whether it’s outside where there is always something going on, the dance floor in front of the bar, or even where the (awful) pool table is upstairs. I’ve always had no trouble striking up conversation with the people around me. It’s one of the main reasons I always come back.

grammer’s has some of the most douchey bartenders and clientele I’ve ever experienced. it’s really unfortunate because the inside is really beautifully decorated with stained glass, antique beer steins and a huge oak bar. with the exception of some of the happy hour professional folks i met, the clientele was greasy, stinky and holier than thou. Normally, the happy hour folks are the ones who annoy me with their inability to hold their liquor and I normally find most hipsters at least somewhat enjoyable and friendly, but these guys really need to get over themselves.

One word: Free popcorn! … Ok, two words, but still: Free popcorn!
You think free popcorn wouldn’t be awesome at a bar, but you’d be wrong. It is very awesome with your beer. They also have tons of different seasonings and spices to put on your free popcorn. Even better!
Grammer’s is a bar with history in historical Over-​the-​Rhine. It’s been there forever, an ancient bar started by Cincinnati’s founding German population. Then it burned down in a fire. However, in 2008, it was rebuilt in the same classic style, and it’s better than ever.
They have cheap beer. They have an outdoor patio. They have an upstairs for events or just hanging out in. They have a pool table. They have music. They have free popcorn.
Durring the summer, Grammer’s also shows two free movies every Tuesday night. They’ve even screened a few of my Watch This films (
), which was super nice of them. Super nice.
And if Jen is bartending, you know you’re in good hands. That girl is quick and can handle 20,000 people screaming at her at once. I’m always impressed.
Now, the crowd at grammer’s can be a little young, and full of themselves, and hipster-​y (one might even use the word, «douchey.» I would not, for fear of being beaten to death with their oversized sunglasses and ironic messenger bags). And on a Friday and Saturday night, it can be PACKED, even with all the space.
Still, for free popcorn, that might all be worth it.

I love unique bars. When I go out on the town, I do not want to go clubbing or dancing. I want to check out the bar scene. And for awhile I thought all hope was lost in Cincinnati. In that I would have to go to Northside all the time, and to be honest, though I like Northside, I rather not go there all the time. One of my best friends told me she wanted to take me to Grammers. Which is located in OTR, but since you get there from Victory Parkway it close to my house in Norwood, which is a plus. As of this writing, I have been here twice. Once just for a couple of beers with friends and the other for their annual New Year’s Celebration. And I have to say their New Years Celebration might be the best in the city. For one, its free entrance. Drinks are cheap (I am lame and always order the same thing, I like to call it the Eastwood: a Pabst and a shot of jack). They give you a free glass of champagne at midnight. And to bring in the new year by sending a flying pig (the symbol of the city) up a line and shoot off fireworks. Its just a sight to behold. Thought have a liberal mind when going, as my friend from Oxford said «So many tattoos» and «Oh here are the hipsters». Oh people from Oxford they are the kings of the obvious.

Just for the ambiance alone Grammer’s deserves a visit — it’s part of Cincinnati’s history and the woodwork and leaded glass inside are beautiful.
Unfortunately, Hurricane Ike caused a fire that destroyed most of the rathskeller (restaurant) so you’ll have to settle for the wonderful bar when it’s open for special events (like a Moerlein keg tapping) until Grammer’s re-​opens in Spring of 2009.

I think I’ve found my new favorite bar. Local beers on tap, a big parking lot (so no parallel parking needed), and board games to boot.

Grammer’s reopened in early 2008. It had served the local German-​American community in the early 20^th century and was last owned by local legend Jim Tarbell. It is now owned and run by the Jean Robert Group, though I don’t know if that celebrity chef will be involved in its upcoming food offerings. Right now, the kitchen is not yet open [free popcorn doesn’t count!], and the bar offers a fairly typical selection of drinks. The most appealing aspect of Grammer’s is its wonderful ambiance and largely intact interior. The room with the bar boasts a mural and a leaded glass entryway [currently unused, but I’ve eard that it will become the entrance again soon]. The second room features comfortable booths. There is space downstairs that is currently not open to the public.
I look forward to visiting Grammer’s again to witness its progress. It is an iconic fixture in Over-​the-​Rhine, and I’m really glad it’s open again.