On a Friday night, I went for a few drinks where there were plenty of people, good music, and good games to play. They had enough spots to sit even though the bar was packed. The bartenders were attentive and made sure to get us drinks as we stood at the bar for only a few minutes. I really like how they offer games like pool or darts to play while you're there although you'll have to watch out as you come in as people play darts across the opening aisle into the bar. They do have outdoor seating although at this time, it was a little too cold to go sit outside for an enjoyable night. Overall a great time where I could hear my friends and get a nice drink. read more

Animations Lounge - Beer - Bar Crawl Near Me - Cincinnati, Ohio

See all

It's a good pool club except the lighting over the pool tables is all wrong. they throw bright white light right into your face as you're playing pool. It gives me a headache AND makes shooting more difficult. See the pic below for proper lighting. read more

Animations Lounge - The correct pool table light. Notice the light is directed DOWN onto the table not OUT into the players' faces. - Bar Crawl Near Me - Cincinnati, Ohio

Sarah is the best bartender in the world! My only issue is the keep skipping songs I pay money for.

Another place I never really went to pre-COVID. But since OTR/downtown still really isn't the same, I have really started to check out the bars locally. Located off a busy road. They have a lot behind to park your car. It definitely GETS crowded here on the weekends. Its fun to go with friends. I do feel sorry for the bartenders--they seem to get overwhelmed a bit during peak hours. Love playing pool there though and the music is always on point. read more

Sad to say, I know, but I just don't dig Animations. Stepping into the place you're liable to get a dart in your skull. If you sit at the front table you should have to sign a waiver to the same end. It is typically packed to the gill with folks that aren't quite my crowd. Not hipster, not really trying to impress you so much that they are d-bags, just kinda vanilla, I guess. Getting a drink at the bar can be extremely trying. Get in line. I think the Feng Shui is off in this place. I always feel like a rat in a maze when trying to get back to my compadres. The pool tables are usually occupied. I mayhaps have gotten a glass from a friend and water from the bathroom just to avoid the melee at the bar...roughly several times. I don't mind going if friends are there, but I believe there are superior options. Side note: I marked the price range here as Moderate, I'm not really sure if that is truly indicative of the actual financial costs of going here, but the emotional costs of going here seemed to weight my decision in a higher direction. Far as I can tell there is no "best night" to go here. read more

I'm a big pub and tavern guy around the city, and something about this place draws you in. Average tunes, average drinks, but the vibes and bouncer swallow you up like a killer whale. read more

Update: Divish bar, but has some redeeming qualities. I find myself wondering why at times to even come here when there are several places closer that fit the bill for a good time. Mostly because of friends, never because of the establishment. Good: 1) pool tables 2) friendly crowd until 10 3) tv's everywhere, great for game watching 4) outdoor patio for summer 5) weds night trivia 6) free pizza on Bengals game day Not so good: 1) can smell at times of sewage 2) fills up with rough crowd after 10 3) Bar service can be slow and unfriendly on thursdays happy hour 4) poor management 5) poor beer selection 6) drink prices are higher than surrounding bars All in all, there are better places to be within walking distance. Avoid the bad service times and you will be okay as long as you can enjoy/deal with the rest. read more

Planned to go here as it's usually a chill dive place with pool tables and darts. Figured they'd be good about masks and social distancing. But it's clear the place was focused primarily on getting the young out of college crowd in during COVID with no attention to the mandates so they could make a profit. Not a single customer in the bar had a mask on and it was shoulder to shoulder to go order a drink. While most places are asking you to sit and be served or socially distance while ordering a drink, this was clearly not evident. When it neared the 10 pm alcohol curfew the bartenders stopped serving abruptly - except one who continued to serve alcohol to anyone they liked and paid in cash. I understand times are hard for bars during COVID but there was effort what's so ever to make it a safe place during a pandemic. As an Oakley resident, I will not be returning or recommending to others again. read more

Watch your credit card statement! I had to open a fraud complaint due to a bartender padding the tip. They did not try to fight it. Besides that drinks are fine and prices are reasonable. Just bring cash. read more

Move over brosef. Hey watch my beer! Um, your stepping on my dress. Did that guy just puke? Can you move so I can hit this ball in? Are you single? All things that will happen to you when you are at Animations Lounge. Now I'm not judging if this is what you like to do, it's just not my style. The bar was unkempt, the bathroom was the most disgusting bathroom I have ever seen. My boyfriend came out and looked at me like he saw a ghost and said, "was it just me or were those bathrooms abnormally rancid?" "No it wasn't just you" all of us replied. The beer selection is solid. It's a sports bar feel so be ready to get hit in the face with darts when you walk in. WHO'S IDEA WAS THAT? Putting a dart board at the entrance? Just not smart. If you can stand the collegy chest bumping and high fiving for longer than 5 minutes this might be your place, otherwise just get out of Oakley completely. read more

Ah yes, after we've enjoyed a delicious meal at one of the nearby eateries and we're looking to continue the night, we roll around to Animations for some Animations Ale! If you're not a fan of bars with cheap beer, pool, darts and great people watching, skip this place. I like this bar because if we come with a group of 6 or more we can usually carve out a space to stand around and enjoy ourselves without feeling like we're in anyone's way. read more

Animations is an interesting bar. The dart boards are located right by the front door....this makes me laugh every time I come here.. like you have to literally walk through multiple dart games to get in the door.. I dont know who thought of this or how some intoxicated person hasn't gotten impaled in the eye yet...but that's the current set up.. In the back there are a couple of pool tables and lots of room to stand around. The drinks are very reasonably priced and there is outdoor seating...but I do agree with another reviewer that it could stand to have a few more high tops to stand around. Always a good/fun crowd of people. read more

Honestly this bar sucks, the staff is super rude and somehow are always in a bad mood, it's a dive bar but definitely not one worth visiting, the crowd is definitely not a dive vibe at all, I would recommend just going across or down the street to the surrounding bars read more

Place is a dive. One of my favorite dives in the area. The good Beers cheap Darts Outside patio Pool table Nice neighborhood The bad Some of the customers, like every dive, are alcoholics stumbling to their cars. The cocktails are weak and not cheaper for it, you need to ask for specific liquor. Place can be a bit dark, I've seen people fall asleep read more

One of the poorest run bars I have been to in a long time, even for a dive bar. The first thing you will notice are the dart boards as you walk in, which are right in the way. From a safety standpoint I don't know how someone does get hurt every night. There is very little seating on the inside and the tables and chairs just seem really beat up. the patio outside is okay but not the best. The bar looks like it hasn't been cleaned in a long time, floors and bathroom were disgusting. The bartenders seemed to be middle age adults who have no idea what they are doing. No one buys the specials because they sound gross. I asked for a shot of citrus skyy with sprite in it and the bartender couldn't get it right on three tries! Completely unacceptable in my book. The bar needs to be renovated or new owners, just looks like it is falling apart and will be closed down sooner rather than later. I wish I could step in to make changes to this establishment which has such a good location in Oakley. read more

A fantasic establishment. The bartenders are personal and do a great job. I've never had a bad experience here in well over a year. Fairly priced drinks, pool, and darts. Not much more to ask for in the heart of Oakley, a thriving and upcoming neighborhood in Cincinnati. read more

Decent bar typical of the East side, and with about as much neon signs as Vegas. Ha! The Friday night I was there, it was somewhat crowded and slightly understaffed, but not so bad that it was annoying. Not that I really care, but I found it odd that the Xavier game was not playing on at least one TV. No biggie. Since this was my first time here, I enjoyed looking around and soaking it all in. The prices seemed pretty reasonable and the darts and pool tables were a fun diversion for a number of patrons. I might have to check out their Wednesday 9PM trivia. The juke box was pumping out some good music that made me want to dance. While I don't typically frequent the bars in this area, Animations is fine and I would be ok returning here. read more

I couldn't decide between 2 or 3 stars but hey, I'm feeling generous today. Animations is in a great location that could be better utilized, but still isn't too bad. I will start with the negatives so that I can end on a happy note. THE DART BOARDS! Whose idea was it to put dart boards by the entrance. Every time I enter I feel like I might die. I will say that I did notice signs there now that will notify you to enter through the other door when they are having dart tournaments. It's still risky on a regular night thought. The space feels dirty all around, especially the bathrooms. I have seriously moved on to another bar when I have to use the restroom just so I don't have to go in there. The patrons here tend to be regulars or college guys. Be prepared to get strange looks from the regulars and to be hit on by the college guys. If you can ignore this, you might have an okay time. Now the positive. The space is large with a huge bar. This is a good option in Oakley if you have a large group as some of the other bars in the area are quite small. Their beer selection is solid and the prices are reasonable. When I have gone here I have always had okay service that is fast and friendly. There are pool tables and the aforementioned dart boards if you are looking for something to do. Would I go out of my way to go to Animations? No. But if I'm in the area and looking for a drink this is an okay option. read more

I came here as part of an Oakley pub crawl. My fellow crawlers warned me that this was a dive bar before we arrived- and while the people watching was awesome, I'm not sure that I'd classify it as a dive bar. Maybe a couple steps up from that. Strangely, they only had one bartender on a Friday night, so it took us a while to get drinks since we came in a group- maybe 10 minutes or so. They have some pool tables and other games like darts, so this could be a relaxed hang out place, but it was also pretty packed and it's therefore hard to do anything but be pushed and pulled around. read more

I have to admit, Animations is not really my scene so this could be a skewed review...but really there is nothing exciting about it. They have cheap drinks, pool tables, tvs, etc. It's a pretty basic. And they didn't have many tables which is a drawback for me, too. I prefer someplace where I can sit and chill more, etc read more

I wish this bar was closer to my house but I still make the journey on the occasional Friday night as it is the BEST place (IMO) to: 1) Play pool 2) Throw some darts for free 3) Annoy people with my horrible jukebox selections 4) Use my pool stick as a substitute guitar to jam out to the aforementioned jukebox selections 5) AND MOST IMPORTANTLY drink $1 "Animation's Ale" (Which I believe rotates between PBR, Natty, and High Life but who know's... or cares...IT'S A DOLLAR ON FRIDAYS! ($2 any other day of the week) The bartenders are always super nice and you sometimes run into a pretty interesting and entertaining cast of characters (like the guy who was passed out using the patio chain as a pillow). This is the perfect dive bar and I have nothing but love for Animations. read more

Out of bloody mary mix on a Sunday afternoon?? Who does that...that's a fail in my book. I'll give them two stars for outdoor seating and cheap beer. read more

Animations is a divey bar that somehow doesn't fit in between the Oak, Habits and Oakley Pub. The prices are ok and they have a decent selection of beer, wine and liquor. They have two or three pool tables, a juke box and a handful of tv's that usually have sports on them. I don't know if they have NFL Sunday ticket but wouldn't recommend Animations for football anyway since there's just a handful of tvs. Animations doesn't serve food but they allow you to carry in which is nice. There are a handful of places (Skyline, The Oak, Dewey's, etc...) right by to get food. The bar itself is pretty divey. The customer base is anything from redneck locals to college kids, young professionals to doctors and everything in between. The bathrooms are pretty awful but good enough to "get you by" in case you must. I won't be going back to Animations, though. While the bar itself is ok would've been three stars my buddy and I just had an incident there. While playing bar trivia at Animation my friend won a $20 certificate. He didn't use it right away as there was no date expiration date on it...only the date when it was won. The bartender/owner refused to accept it stating that "Everyone knows these are only good for thirty days." Again, the certificate never stated that or we would've used it right away. Fred ended up just paying the bill but stated that it didn't seem fair. The bartender didn't offer a discount or a few bucks off and was pretty rude throughout the whole conversation. I'm not there often enough to be a regular but they should at least recognize us and know that we've dropped hundreds of dollars there. Again, would be three stars but poor service means you lose my business. Two stars and good luck if you go to Animations. There are many better options in Oakley Square. read more

Part of me wants to give this place 1 star, part of me says 2 however, I do have a soft spot for Animations so, it gets 3. Animations is the definition of a dive bar. It's greatest appeal is its pool tables and second greatest is their trivia. I went tonight (Thursday) hoping to play both pool and trivia as the "last call trivia" schedule showed there was trivia tonight however, apparently it is Wednesday nights. There was an older gentleman walking very slowly around the whole bar and acting a little off, a rowdy young group, a few couples, and some regulars hanging out. The whole bar smelled like smoke as, for some reason this place seems to attract a very high ratio of tobacco enthusiasts. I'm not even sure that's why it smelled because frankly it seemed as if someone had been smoking indoors. One of the racks for the pool table was broken which was very sad as the most important thing when playing pool is to have a great rack, DUH. For a place with 3 pool tables no one seems to be aware that it is a place to play pool. People sit, completely clueless to the fact that you have been giving them the death stare for 2 minutes so they can get out of your way to shoot the ball. I will never understand this. I hate the bathrooms at this place. I often wonder if the lack of cleanliness is meant to deter people from drinking so much that they want to go to the bathroom or throw up there. Sometimes it's like walking into a haunted house except for once you wish all the lights were off to make things easier. I think there was music but it was in no way audible so it may have been someones ringtone however despite the undetectable tunes I still was unable to talk to my bf from across the pool table. It always seems like loud clusters of people when I go in there. OK so my rant suggests a 1 star bar but, their beer selection is pretty great, they have WEDNESDAY night trivia (and you can play pool while trivia-ing) and the bartender shared with me that they pick a tuesday, usually around the 24th ish of the month so however the tuesday falls, for Karaoke! So if you are looking for a great spot for a first date (seriously I've done it before) head to Animations for pool, talk your date into a beer or two, then grab some Aglamesis Ice Cream on your way home as it is right across the street! Just don't forget to hit the ATM before heading over because there is not one in the bar however there is an ATM in the parking lot of Fresh Market a few doors down. read more

Really fun bar and great atmosphere! The reason it got such a low score is the bartender accused my friend of stealing money from her. The bartender then proceeded to tell her that she was going to check the camera and my friend offered the bartender her information but the bartender wouldn't take it. The bartender then proceeded to tell her never to come back. The sad thing is when she told my friend not to come back to animations they lost a network of people!! It made the experience horrible and honestly it made me never want to come back! Which really is a shame since I live so close and thought this was a great local bar! So beware of the older blonde bartender, she might accuse you of stealing next time you're there. read more

Having a decent beer selection and two pool tables are really the only good things about Animations. Its usually where I go to play pool, and since they have two tables, its usually not hard to get on one. They have an alright beer selection with a few crafts and the national favorites. Since I'm typically here to get drunk and play pool, I usually stick with cheaper beers and whiskeys. The service is never that good. They always seem understaffed so you end up waiting 20 minutes for a beer or to cash out. And when its not busy, the bartenders tend to help their friends first, so you still always end up waiting. The place is also rarely clean. Tables are sticky and the bathrooms are not the cleanest. 3 stars only for the cheap drinks and two pool tables. read more

I've never gone to animations under my own free will. Only to meet up with friends already there. The bartenders are pretty rude and seem to only serve their regular customers. It's a shame. It's a decent size bar. The have darts, pool and a music player. The bathroom situation is atrocious so it's kind of a nightmare for women. All in all, there are better places within walking distance. Don't waste your time. read more

This is the sleaziest, garbage bar I have ever been to. I wasn't expecting it! The online review I saw said it was a great place. It's either been a long time since they were there or they've gone downhill! Outside... First, WHAT PATIOS? In front, there are a few tables (literally just a few) that block the sidewalk, and in back, a few more (again, literally just a few) that sit between dumpsters! GROSS! The whole time we sat out there, all I could smell was garbage and old beer. It was nauseating. It wasn't even a patio- it was part of the parking lot that had an open fence around it- maybe about the size of two parking spaces. The guys who were sitting outside when we were there were just obnoxiously loud. At one point a cop showed up and told them to quiet down and then he talked to the bartender. The back of the bar is in a neighborhood setting. I was honestly shocked that the staff allowed people to be as loud as they were. The staff thought it was a joke that the cops came! If all this wasn't enough... I watched a drug deal from my outdoor seat. Inside... I couldn't tell you the last time the place was cleaned. It was a DUMP. The floors were gross and the wall decor was filthy dusty. Even the WALLS needed a good scrub. I was just waiting for a roach to crawl across the floor. I'll bet I would have seen one if we'd stayed longer than 30 minutes. The LADIES room was downright nasty- not just from the pee left on the seat & around the toilet but also from the smell. I was afraid to touch anything for fear I'd get someone else's urine germs on my hands! They have pool but given how dirty the place was, I really didn't want to touch the pool sticks. It seemed like everything there was sticky. I was just completely grossed out. Maybe if I'd have been as drunk as most of the people there, I wouldn't have cared. (I don't know. Even drunk, I have standards!) I watched in horror as the bartender continue to serve people who were already too drunk. Any reputable place takes better care of their patrons and would never serve them more alcohol in that condition. She also seemed more interested in the guys than about taking care of the girls. Much friendlier (and flirtier) with them. She seemed sloppy and unkept... not unlike the bar itself, actually! The crowd was a mix of people, mostly in the 21-mid 40's range, but it was a rowdy crowd, inside & out. We finally decided to leave after some idiot spilled his beer all down my arm. And if everything up until then hadn't been a bad enough experience, some @$$hole peeled out of the parking lot & almost hit us! Wish the cops had been there then! BOTTOM LINE: If cleanliness matters to you, avoid this place. Don't let anyone con you into believing it has "outdoor patios", either. A few (sticky) tables on the sidewalk and in the back parking lot surrounded by garbage DO NOT constitute outdoor patios! You'll be lucky to get out w/out someone peeing on your car (saw that too) or hitting it- or YOU! read more

It's a dive bar but hey, not a bad back patio and a surprisingly diverse tap selection. Some local and good prices on beer buckets. Two pool tables and a spacious inside, for a corner bar it's pretty good! Service seems a little slow but again for a dive bar, it's about average. read more

3 pool tables, and CHEAP beer. It's like every day is a recession special. $2 Animations Ale (aka PBR) ALL the time. That's a decent deal when you want to save some cash. Bartenders were super friendly too, and were generous in their pours. If you're looking to save some money, this is your place. read more

This place is awesome! Great staff, super chill, cheap (and strong) drinks. Go there... You won't regret it.

DUCK! seriously, who puts dartboards at the entrance of a bar? you open the door and take two steps and you are in harms way. , this is a nice neighborhood bar, and it's not my neighborhood, so don't expect a warm crowd if you aren't local. The beer selection leans on the big boys, although they do have 2 dollar "animations ale" which really is just a bud light, not sure where it comes from, but for 2 bucks... who cares? There's a row of pool tables and some vide machines in the middle of the bar. It was super crowded on a friday, as most working class bars will be, however, cheaper and stiffer drinks than the rest of the square makes it a good starting on ending point of an oakley crawl. read more

Looking for bar that seems to have it all, pool, music and trivia? Then you have found your bar! Animations is a perfect place to be with friends, have $2 beers and lose at trivia! Be sure to eat before going or know where you are going afterwards. They don't have food. More tables & chairs would be great also. The bathrooms could use some attention. I doubt I will go back unless it is for trivia. read more

This bar is awful. At first I didn't mind the fact that it was kind of a quiet place but once I found out that everybody in the place was rude as hell it totally changed my perspective. I will not be back and I would not recommend this bar to anyone read more

Animations is a fun little hole-in-the-wall bar in Oakley. This place is an interesting little blast in a glass, offering a wide range of clientele and "scenes" everywhere from the middle-aged slob kabob drunk, to the hipsters, to the college kids, and everywhere in between. Aside from it diversity, Animations also offers nice prices and good and a grand ol' time! read more

It is what it is. Decent selection on tap with areas for darts, billboards and whores to have fun. Walking distance to other Oakley bar options and kicking it with other locals. Good spot to watch sports. read more

This place has a little bit of everything. Great staff,Big screens,3 of the best pool tables around, Great mix of people! This place has a little bit of everything from a great top shelf to just about any beer you'd want! They also have teams from steel tip darts & pool to softball,volleyball & even kickball with trivia to boot. If your looking to feel welcome someplace,this neighborhood bar has friendly locals and off the hook opportunities in a laid back atmosphere. read more