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Abc the Tavern

4.0 (145 reviews)
InexpensiveDive Bars, American
Open • 4:00 pm - 2:00 am (Next day)

Abc the Tavern Photos

ABC THE TAVERN ATMOSPHERE

What's the vibe?
Juke Box
Divey
Hipster
Moderate noise

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Recommended Reviews - Abc the Tavern

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ABC burger
Jsmn C.

Probably one of my favorite bars in Cleveland. Whether i visit during the week or on the weekend, i always have a good experience. Good food, good drinks, good service. connect with me on IG: @tableforjsmn

Pita chips and hummus. House made chips and French onion dip. A martini in a wine glass!
Ashley K.

We were looking for a new place to grab a drink mid week and ABC tavern didn't disappoint! Zach was exceptionally friendly and made the best martini I've had in a long time! The apps were good. We loved the pita chips - they were flavorful and warm! The hummus was just ok. The house made chips were pretty good and seasoned mildly. Slightly undercooked. The French onion dip was heavy on the sour cream and light on the onion mix. We were there for the drinks so we didn't mind that the food wasn't 5 stars. The bar was cozy and the other patrons were nice. It was quiet except for the music. Just what we needed to unwind from a stressful day!

Jerk chicken nachos
Max Anthony C.

I LOVE THE JERK CHICKEN NACHOS. Absolutely delicious, the green sauce is fantastic. Best $9 you'll ever spend. Atmosphere is okay! Not much room and pretty small. It does have an upstairs that designed pretty cool.

bar
Christopher H.

bartender chris is the reason we go here. we eat out at a bar 4-5x/week and, hands down, chris is the best bartender in cleveland. if i owned a restaurant/bar, i would be recruiting him with a lot of money. he is incredibly professional, 1st & foremost, kind, compassionate. he knows exactly when to follow up. i've experienced him having to deal w some difficult customers, and he always does it with grace and professionalism. 6'5", charming, charismatic, handsome, professional, hard working, model material. then we have the other 2 bartenders that we've experienced, that are the complete opposite. the one this evening knows us as regulars, doesn't acknowledge our presence, chris did all the work, and yet, the great tip that we leave for chris must be split with the other one. if you get to work with chris, you're lucky. best service easily over summer house, luca, all these higher end places. the impossible burger is excellent as a vegetarian option.

The cosy atmosphere of
Lynn H.

I don't get to Cleveland much, but I'm glad I got to ABC the Tavern last time I was there. Our group of four enjoyed a pre-dinner drink and some shared apps before visiting the Black Pig (another Ohio City gem), then two of us went back after dinner for another drink. It was bloody Marys all around for us, and they were spicy-licious - best I've had in a while. Service was fine, especially considering how packed the place was. And the people watching was great.

a plate of fries and a pizza
Hongxuyang Y.

Like this place. Very affordable. Nice place hanging out with friends.

The bar along the left side. The loft in back . Great ambiance
Pat G.

Great atmosphere... awesome wait staff.. the ABC burger was to die for... home fries. Fried pickles for an appetizer (once again great). Fish and chips were good but the burger was my favorite. Good tunes playing. Genesis ruby kolsch ...

Matthew M.

Sometimes it's the unexpected, unanticipated events and experiences, ones without any preconceived spoilers that make for the most pure moments in ones life. The latest discovery? ABC Tavern. Located along the main drag of West 25th in Ohio City, ABC Tavern was a rare and welcoming accident. Last Saturday evening started out with my attempt to use up a Great Lakes Brewing Co. gift certificate that had been burning a hole in my pocket for quite some time. As I would later find out, it wasn't meant to be. At 7:30pm, the wait was close to an hour. Forget it. A quick brainstorming of a Plan B resulted in my suggestion of a sleepy ol' Tavern with a generic title further on down W. 25th that I've been hearing whispers about. "ABC the Tavern" it was, as proudly and eloquently announced from the vintage art deco-ish marquee above it's entrance. Inside, my first impressions of the dimly lit dive were of airy comfort in a relaxed atmosphere, all leading to a welcoming place of hospitality, spirit and soul. The space is long and somewhat narrow with tall ceilings. A long stool lined bar runs along the left side wall. A few high tops along the right. A pool table overlooking the entire bar sits a top a loft space. Throughout our time here, the jukebox continued to pump out timeless classics and groovy tunes. Any man with a lot on his mind shouldn't have to sit alone with his thoughts and a head full of booze. The jukebox was a welcomed friend. After browsing the extensive list of brews, ranging from the thrifty PBR tall-boy to a near endless list of craft beers that even the most snobbish brew-master would find adequate, I settled on a Dogfish Pêche. My accomplice, an Abita Purple Haze. The menu was concise, yet well varied and adventurous compared to any other typical dive. Said to be under new ownership (as of last fall) by the same group that owns the nearby West Side Market Cafe, I could tell the menu items were heavily influenced by fresh WSM ingredients. Instead of ordering entrées, we settled on apps of Nacho's & Hummus. Again, both considerably better than what you'd expect from a typical dive bar. Throughout the meal and my experience at ABC, I'd soon find out this place was anything but "typical". Friendly and accommodating service along with an inventive and inspired menu all in a no-frills, unpretentious space... well this my friends was an unexpected, yet welcome thing. ABC the Tavern, I look forward to my return.

December office happy hours!

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1 year ago

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6 months ago

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1 year ago

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1 year ago

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10 months ago

This place is awesome. They have beer. The staff is great and management is so, so, so nice.

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7 months ago

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1 year ago

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1 year ago

Stumbled upon this cozy bar after visiting the arcade next door. ABC burger and fries were tasty! Good service and friendly staff!

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3 years ago

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7 years ago

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2 years ago

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6 years ago

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2 years ago

Best burger in Ohio City , great drinks, long bar length . Excellent service every time .

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3 years ago

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10 years ago

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2 years ago

Great food. Great beer. Great friendly bar staff. Great time! The atomic hot dog was fire!

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6 years ago

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2 years ago

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4 years ago

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7 years ago

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16 years ago

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17 years ago

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9 years ago

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11 years ago

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5 years ago

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5 years ago

Chill place, vast variety of beer to choose from on top of exceptional service. Ask for Eric! Chill dude great customer service!!

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9 years ago

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10 years ago

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4 years ago

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7 years ago

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9 years ago

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7 years ago

Probably a good place to meet up with friends for a drink but that's about it. We had undercooked food and horrific service.

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5 years ago

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14 years ago

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16 years ago

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16 years ago

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Rowley Inn - Bacon wrapped tots (side portion)

Rowley Inn

4.5(627 reviews)
1.4 mi•Tremont
•$$

Everything was a 10/10! We ordered the steak and eggs, bacon-wrapped tots, and the breakfast…read moresandwich, and every single thing was delicious. The food came out fresh, hot, and full of flavor. The service was just as impressive. The staff was super responsive, friendly, and MOVES QUICK! You're definitely not sitting around waiting forever. Great food, great service, and an overall great experience. We'll absolutely be back!

Outstanding choice for dining in Cleveland. If you are looking for a quintessential Cleveland…read moreexperience, this is it. The Rowley Inn is located in a nice neighborhood (Tremont) across the street from the Christmas Story house. I had three meals there. The first, loaded pierogis, was the ultimate comfort dish. Pierogis with potato centers were covered in diced kielbasa, bacon (yes, bacon), and covered in cheddar cheese. Ahhhhh. The others at my table raved about the kielbasa and pierogi dish. They also liked the beer selection. How do you know you have a great find? You think about the meal long after it is consumed. Next meal- breakfast. I had the kielbasa and pierogi omelet. Need I say more? Finally, we came back a third time and I ordered the burger. No burger place (save Chuckbox in Tempe, AZ) can match the Rowley burger. The burger is actually seasoned and cooked to order. I had it medium rare. Sheer perfection. Typing this review makes me sad because I live far away from Cleveland. If you are in The Land, you must drop everything you are doing to get to the Rowley Inn. It is a 8 minute drive from downtown.

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Rowley Inn - Entrance

Entrance

Rowley Inn - Four cheese Mac and cheese w bacon

Four cheese Mac and cheese w bacon

Rowley Inn - Bacon wrapped Tots with a spicy sauce that was delicious

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Bacon wrapped Tots with a spicy sauce that was delicious

The Highlander - BG's Highlander Tavern

The Highlander

4.6(18 reviews)
12.3 mi
•$

A great place to enjoy food and drinks with friends. I went…read moreto The Highlander with a couple of friends and we had a wonderful time. The brewery offers a variety of food options, including the amazing flatbread pizza that is attached to this post. The service was very quick and attentive, and the staff was friendly and helpful. Parking was easy and close, which made the experience even more enjoyable. We were able to find a spot without any hassle in a lot attached to the building. Overall, I highly recommend The Highlander for anyone who loves good food and drinks or wants to try something new. It is a great place to enjoy a meal with friends, and the prices are reasonable for the quality and quantity of food. I will definitely go back soon.

I wish you could give half stars as this is not quite a 4 but better then 3. Nice little…read moreestablishment in a small plaza. Nice crowd for a small bar. Off the top maybe 5-6 tables and a bar that holds 10-12 people if I was guessing. Multiple TVs playing all sports. Keno, Jukebox also available. Nice neighborhood bar. Staff were very friendly even though they were busy. As for the food, I ordered mozzarella sticks, a hot Italian sub with tater tots. The cheese sticks were bad. Tiny, lukewarm and not much flavoring. Marinara dipping sauce was bland as well. Now for the sub. Unreal Italian Sub. The tots were crispy and salted. The sub was AMAZING... repeat AMAZING. Served with Italian dressing, on a toasted roll. Banana peppers, onion, tomato, with multiple meats and cheeses. Definitely a bar favorite as I saw many people eating the same dish. It's worth a visit or a try if you're in the area. The big positive of this place was the prices. $2.50 a beer and $10 for that sub. My tab was low so that's always a good thing. I would go back to this place however it might be tough sometimes if the bar gets pizza. In the plaza it sits next to a pizza place that I was told you can order the pizza from the bar and they have a window to slide the food through. I didn't try the pizza so I won't review that place. Overall, a 7.1 out of 10 with everything included.

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The Highlander
The Highlander
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Jukebox - Take out late night snacks in Hingetown

Jukebox

4.4(145 reviews)
0.4 mi•Ohio City
•$$

I came here for the vegan pierogi btw and had no idea that it was in a very queer area with queer…read morevibes which was such a nice surprise! I would also like to say that I am very impressed by how vegan forward Cleveland is. Idk why I wasn't expecting it. I doni't even feel like I experience this shit in NY but maybe I am not going to the right places. Anyways, we sat at the bar and went to work ordering our beverages. It was early enough that I could benefit from more caffeine so I was pleased to see a coffee-esque cocktail with vodka. GF ordered the sangria. I embarrassed myself a lil by assuming the three pierogi could be mix and match which they cannot. We wanted the classic potato and cheese but also wanted to try one of the vegan ones so went with the sweet potato and black bean. I was further thrown for a loop when I was asked what sauces I want. Oh my god there are sauces to choose from?!? Did I even read the menu? The bartender threw out some options I couldn't argue with: sriracha something creamy maybe sour cream or mayo? and French onion which was intriguing. Both were SO good. The pierogi were also spectacular. They were HUGE and the filling was to die. Diamond in the rough.

Absolutely adore the pierogi selection and the pierogi dip selection! Number one favorite pierogi…read moredip is the French onion. Also love the mocktail selection and sitting outside on the patio. Service is great! PS: forgot to mention the marinated cucumbers

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Jukebox
Jukebox
Jukebox

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Abc the Tavern - divebars - Updated October 2026

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